Donna Boyd: The Truth about Humans and Werewolves

Interview by: Jean Marie Ward

Imagine you enjoyed the finely honed sensory perceptions of a wolf, and the ability to savor and articulate those sensations in human terms. How would those capabilities remake you? Would you apply them to a quest for fame and worldly goods? Or would you live moment to moment, rapture to rapture?

The Passion and The Promise, the first books in Donna Boyd's bestselling werewolf saga, plunge readers into the world of the Devoncroix family, fabulous creatures whose world embraces those of wolf and human. Simultaneously thought-provoking and erotic, Boyd's compelling fiction forces a re-examination of what it means to be sentient and marks a challenging new direction for this author of over 80 novels...

re-printed with premission from Crescent Blues

Jean Marie Ward is the editor of Crescent Blues, an online Literary E-zine.

Donna Boyd's Publishing Website

What prompted you to begin your werewolf saga?

I have always been attracted to stories of the paranormal, and I think supernatural fiction is where my strength lies. I loved the idea of doing something different with werewolves, something that had never been done before -- an expose, if you will, in which the truth is finally told.

Most recent traditions depict werewolves as victims -- "infected" humans doomed to rend and tear their own kind like rabid beasts. What was the source of your idea of werewolves as a different species in control of their shapeshifting abilities?

I have never bought into the traditional wisdom that depicts werewolves as victims. It seemed logical to me that anyone with the enhanced physical, mental and sensory powers of a werewolf would celebrate and exploit those abilities, not allow themselves to be victimized by them.

Considering your background in romance and romantic suspense, did the idea of creating the ultimate "alpha males" play a role in the genesis of the Devoncroix family?

To be honest, no. The genesis of the Devoncroix came from my amusement with the human conceit we, and only we, are entitled to celebrate our superiority over every other living creature on earth. We share this planet with hundreds of other species; it's time some of them, at least, got the credit they deserve.

What experiences/techniques/research/sensations do you draw on to describe the sensory reality of a creature that is both "human" and wolf?

I spend hours watching the canines and felines who share my home with me, and who are masters at luxuriating in the moment. Imagine if you had the exquisitely enhanced senses of a dog or a cat, and the human ability to articulate what you perceived? Those descriptions, I think, would greatly resemble what I have written.

Since your werewolves belong to a different -- albeit supremely attractive -- species, humans cannot aspire to the condition. Much like the clique in high school you know you could never join, your werewolves form an exclusive club. How have your readers reacted to this exclusivity? Has it served to distance your characters from your readers, or do most people continue to pursue the unobtainable even after high school is a distant memory?

On the contrary. I believe that the most appealing thing about the werewolves is that they offer hope that there is, in fact, someone else in control... someone very much like us, but smarter, more powerful, and hopefully wiser. Humans have proven their ineptitude at managing their own affairs; it's comforting to think that at any moment now someone else might take over and do it right, this time. I also have noticed that the "savage" in most people identifies instantly with the werewolf; there is more of a bond there than you might think.

How do you reconcile the short Alexander the Great, with the generally tall werewolf genome?

How odd. Werewolf history records that Alexander the Great was unusually tall. Which version is right, do you suppose?

What prompted you to give your werewolves the particular physical characteristics (lack of body hair, for example) that you did? Do all werewolves share the same characteristics, or are there other "races?"

The lack of body hair came from the fact that, in most of the great artwork of the world, the subjects have no body hair. It seems obvious that either the models were werewolves, or the artists were. To werewolves, there are only two races: werewolf and human. All werewolves are fair-skinned, lush-haired, slender and tall.

The Passion and The Promise appear to be leading up to the introduction of a very special werewolf. When will we get to meet this werewolf?

David will be introduced in Book III but not featured until Book IV.

Do you envision taking a set number of books to tell David's story, or do you view your tales of the werewolves as an open-ended series?

I had originally envisioned a four to six book series to complete this storyline, but the further I get into it the more I realize that the potential for spin-offs is virtually endless. How many werewolves are in the pack? That's how many stories there are.

The main action in both The Passion and The Promise occurs in the past. Present day events seem to function simply as frames to these stories within stories. Will this format carry over into the next books in the series, or will the format change as other characters take center stage?

The third book will move the series into the present day, although the distant past will be visited to illuminate certain portions.

Given that the Devoncroix series postulates so much interaction between human and werewolf over the growth of civilization, what prompted you to focus on the "recent past" (i.e. the 19th and early 20th centuries) in the first books of the series? Will future novels delve deeper into the past according to werewolves, or will readers continue to receive this past in snatches?

The storyline itself demanded that I explore the events of the past 125 years to prepare the reader for what is coming in the new century. I had to explain why, after all these years, the werewolves have broken their silence to address the human population, and what events led up to this monumental decision. Having done that, I would like to think the stage is set for entire books to be set in other, more distant, ages.

To date, have your readers responded to one character in particular? What do you think is the source of that character's allure?

For some reason, women love Nicholas. Perhaps because he's something of a bad boy? Or it may be because we know so little about him. Mystery has its allure.

Do you foresee a single character dominating this series as Lestat dominates Anne Rice's vampire series?

If a single character rises to dominate the series, he hasn't done so yet. There will obviously be repeating characters, but I'd like to keep the series open to explore an infinite number of characters, times and places. If you feature one character too strongly, no matter how fascinating he is to begin with, he will eventually become boring.

Did you have any particular models for the Devoncroix properties in France? How do you research your locales?

I picture the [Devoncroix] Palais as a combination Versailles and Tuilleries, but I'm sure it doesn't really bear much resemblance to either. I spent some time in Switzerland and France preparatory to The Promise, and I hope to visit the Black Forest before the next book, which is set in Germany for the most part.

The style of cover has changed dramatically from The Passion (a black rose against a silver moon on a blood red ground) to The Promise (an image of statue and wolf in a sylvan glade). Is there a story behind this change that you'd like to share?

I have no control over or influence upon the cover art. I wish I did! I will say, however, that I love the cover of The Promise and hope readers agree.

(Warning: this is one question the writer and publisher in me couldn't resist.) Is it true that the recent mergers in the publishing industry are motivated by the werewolves desire to consolidate pack-owned enterprises and preclude further human intervention in the arts?

I'm not privy to information about high-level pack activities, but it does seem logical to me. I would expect to see even more consolidation within the entertainment industry over the next few years, and even more emphasis on the profit motive (always a werewolf's first concern). I suspect humans will retaliate by supporting the small and regional presses, which will more and more fill the void left by the demise of the mid-list book.

Who are "the ladies of PAWS" mentioned in the acknowledgments for The Promise? And what role did they play in the creation of your werewolf saga?

PAWS is an acronym for my critique group, which was organized in 1982 and has continued uninterrupted to this day. Although some of the faces have changed in the last few years, our purpose remains the same: to support each other professionally and personally in every way that we can. We meet four times a year for an intensive week-long brainstorming session and to develop ideas for upcoming projects. I went through several drafts of The Promise and the ladies of PAWS were with me every step of the way (even when I wanted to quit). The final version was actually the result of a brainstorming session, and they nursed it through every stage of development. Without them, the series might well have ended with The Passion.

But werewolves aren't all you do. According to a Web-posted biography, you've written over 100 books, presumably under a variety of names. It's fairly easy to make the connection between Donna Boyd, werewolf writer, and Donna Ball, suspense writer. But what are some of your other identities, and what do they write?

With a partner, Shannon Harper, I wrote historical romance (Leigh Bristol) and western adventure (Taylor Brady) in the mid-1980s and early '90s. The Taylor Brady books are in the process of being re-released by Thorndike Large Print books in hardcover. Before that I wrote contemporary romance as Rebecca Flanders and Donna Carlisle, all of which are now out of print except in a few foreign countries.

What's next for you? Will you be focusing exclusively on your werewolf saga for the foreseeable future, or is there something else taking shape that you'd like to talk about?

The werewolves are still my first love, but I am excited about another supernatural series under development. And I would like to start a cozy mystery series, which is one thing I've never published but have always loved to read (and write). And then there's this great idea I have for another suspense book, and a "southern gothic" I've started but never finished. It sometimes seems I have more ideas than I have time!

The past also plays an important role in many of the books you've written as Donna Ball. In Dark Angel and Exposure, the danger arises from each heroine's past. In addition, an old grudge sets up a key plot element in Just Before Dawn. Does the theme of the past coming back to bite the present resonate through all your works? Or do you feel it particularly suited to suspense?

That's an interesting question, and one to which I've never given much thought. I think what happens is that I have to know the characters' pasts -- essentially what makes them who they are today -- before I know their story. The past, being such an integral part of the character, is woven naturally into the plot line -- and often times becomes pivotal to it.

The settings for Dark Angel, Exposure, and Just Before Dawn traverse the U.S. East Coast. Have you lived or worked in the Tidewater area, Philadelphia and Florida? Did the diversity just happen, because the stories demanded it, or was it the result of a conscious effort to avoid being labeled a regional writer?

Yes indeed, I lived for awhile in the Tidewater area of Virginia and spent a great deal of time on the barrier island of Florida that was the inspiration for Just Before Dawn. I've visited Philadelphia, but never lived there, and in a case like that I try to build key scenes around places that are vivid in my memory. For the most part, the settings of my books are like one of the characters -- integral to the plot. One day soon, perhaps, I'll write a book in which the North Georgia Mountains are a character, and then I'll be able to set the book close to home.

Are there any differences in the way you prepare to write the Devoncroix saga and your other novels? Any special rituals (music, reading) you use to put you in a particular mood?

The Devoncroix books are much, much harder to write than anything I've ever attempted. They have to work on so many different levels, and if I let down the reader on even one of those levels, the entire suspension of disbelief collapses. I therefore think I sweat a great many more drops of blood before starting a Devoncroix book than I would with another book. The only rituals I employ are pacing, cursing and biting my nails when the words won't come.

The fervid narrative voice of the Devoncroix saga seems to read very differently than the spare, precise prose of your suspense novels. Is this a function of the first person narration used in passages of the werewolf novels, the nature of the material, or simply a delusion on the part of this reader?

The voice of the werewolf is distinctly different from that of a human narrator, and whether the book is in first or third person that voice must always come through. The nature of the material absolutely dictated the voice, and I worked very hard to become a conduit for that voice.

If you could turn a character from any of your stand-alone novels into a series character, which one would it be and why?

Actually, Matt and Charlie, of Dark Angel, were originally intended as part of a three-book series in my mind. Matt in particular has a long and interesting story to tell, and I thought it would be fascinating to explore his life, both past and future, through a continuing series.

Who are your principal influences as a writer?

I try to read every book on the bestseller list so I like to think I've been influenced by all the greats in the world of commercial fiction -- [John] Grisham, [Michael] Crichton, [Dean] Koontz; the major suspense writers like Jonathon Kellerman, Richard North Patterson, James Patterson, Phillip Margolin, Patricia Cornwell; not to mention Diana Gabaldon and Nelson DeMille. I can't begin to list them all. I suppose if I had to name one author I have read avidly and admired consistently from his very first book it would be Dean Koontz.

I am also a huge fan of movies and television (though less of television in recent years), and like to keep current on how these influence public taste. I have noticed that I have begun to write more visually in recent years, although whether this is due to the unconscious influence of the movies or the conscious hope to have my books snagged by a film company, I can't say.