A 24 page Q&A from Anne

Welcome to the frequently asked questions post!

Questions organized by category - Black Jewels, Others, Tir Alainn, Ephemera, Miscellaneous

(Questions and answers may be modified from their original discussions, for clarity.)

Black Jewels

Question: Do you know if the Queen's weapon will have the same narrator as the Queen's bargain?

Anne: I think so. I know many of you weren't happy, but a couple of days before they were scheduled to go into the studio, we learned that John Sharian had to bow out. I've heard Gary Littman do other audio books and liked his voice, and he was available to step in. Think about this: a new narrator with only two days to prep before starting to record, with no time to learn about the world and characters. That was going to be hard, no matter what he did. Are some of the voices a mismatch to the characters? Yes, and he and I have discussed that. So Gary and I will talk before the recording starts to get things rights. Keep in mind, his voice doesn't have the same timbre as John's, but it's a good, solid voice, and given the usual prep time, it will be fine. (And we kept tweaking/fixing the voices through the first nine books too. If you listen to Daemon's voice in The Invisible Ring, he's terrifying, and that changed with the next book they recorded. Ring was the first one that went to audio.)

Question: Why is Lucivar called the Demon Prince while not being demon dead? (Like Andalvar). Is it the same as Daemon being High Lord while alive.

Anne: Keeping in mind that I wrote the Black Jewels Trilogy just for me, the Demon Prince was a title, like High Lord. Andulvar was the Demon Prince before he became demon-dead. Think of it more as an acknowledgment of what you would be facing on the killing field if you stood again him.

Question: I would love to know what it is about certain girls that makes them Queens?

Anne: There must be some biological difference (like a honey bee queen) because a girl is born a Queen, just like some males are born Warlord Princes. They simply are. (And since I was writing the Black Jewels just for me when I started these stories, I didn't need to know more than that.)

Question: Saetan makes a reference to Mephis having children and grandchildren - have you ever been told what happened to Mephis's descendents?

(yes, I'm slightly fixated on the idea of Daemon and Lucivar not being the last of the SaDiablo family/not being alone in the world...)

Anne Well, the last person descended from that line was Lazlo (name?), who married Dorothea. And Daemon and Lucivar aren't the last of that family. They have kids. :)

Question: Lazlo wasn't a real SaDiablo, I thought? The books said Dorothea married him because of the name, but that they weren't actually SaDiablo blood.

There was a line about Surreal having as much claim to the name as her sire, but that he didn't have a real claim to it either.

Anne: Kartane was not Lazlo's son, so Kartane is not from the SaDiablo line.

Question: Now that The Queen's Bargain has been released, can you tell us who the cover is supposed to represent?

My personal opinion has been that it's Jillian, since the gal on the cover has a lovely necklace and the first chapter starts with Jillian securing her Jewel necklace.

(plus, covers usually are about the main focus/main character, and the story revolves largely around Jillian)

Anne: Your guess is as good as mine. Jillian? Surreal? Could be either one.

Question: In Dreams Made Flesh, Daemon created a spell that allows you to record a play. Did he invent the first step towards creating cinema in the blood realms?

Anne: Daemon never did. I don't know if anyone else invented something like cinema. Black Widows can draw images from wood and stone and see what happened in a place, but that isn't for entertainment.

Question: What would surprise the characters from the Black Jewels Series the most if they had knowledge of other worlds like Ephemera or the Others World?

Anne: I can't do that kind of speculation. I have to keep my worlds separate in my head in order to keep them distinct.

Question: Terrielle, Kaleer, and Hell. Since Terrielle is the light realm, does that mean the jewels or power found there is lower? Were there anymore Kaleer Queens and aristos given to the Terrielle after Cassidy and Rhahn? Honestly I can see Kaleer queens who cannot develop courts in their home realm flocking to Terrielle.

Anne: Which Realm you live in doesn't alter the power in the Jewels. There is a range within each Jewel anyway. As for other Queens, I don't know. They haven't come forward to tell me their stories.

Question: Is the length of pregnancy different for short and long lived races?

Anne: If I remember correctly, pregnancy is 10 months for the long-lived races and 8 or 9 months for the short-lived races. Kindred would probably be closer to their regular counterparts. Don't know about centaurs or dragons.

Question: Janelle was dreams made flesh. The Queen. Witch. Yet is seems she turned her back on Terreille when the damage done to that realm was significantly more than what was done in Kaeleer. Those responsible for what happened to Daemon and Lucivar, to Janelle herself, were long dead before Janelle died, and still she left Terreille to flounder. Why did Witch turn her back on a realm that needed her?

Anne: You can ask questions about why a character did or didn't do something, but that's not a discussion I can participate in because it would change my relationship with the characters. I tell the story. I tell you what the characters did and said and thought at that time. You are free to wonder beyond that.

Question: Is a shattered chalice always going to be fragile? Will it strengthen over time?

I know Daemon shattered his more than once (I think? Currently rereading, and only on book 2). Will there always be an emotional/ physical scar on it?

Just curious how the Blood handles trauma like that.

Anne: A shattered chalice will mend to some extent, but it will always be fragile, and there will always be an emotional scar. How do the Blood handle that? Look at how they deal with Tersa.

Question: My question for you is do you plan on drawing any maps of the 3 realms? I know you are geographically challenged and dont need it be detailed. Something similar to the one you did for The Shadow Queen/Shaladors Lady would be perfect. Anyways I cant wait for Queens Weapon next year.

Anne: The map for the Shadow Queen was one Territory, not three entire Realms. Nope. For me that would be a crazymaker.

Question: Did Satean tell you any stories about the damean or Lucivar that you had to remove. Also I love all those little details you added in about the good parts of their childhood

Anne: No, I learn the details as I'm writing the story.

Question: I love the Jeweled animals and would like to see more of them. What is your favorite animal?

Anne: Oh, no. I don't play favorites. (But I do have a fondness for the Scelties.)

Question: Who do you envision deJe to be? Irish? Orient? German? I picture news Beal to be like Pam Ferris with grey hair

Anne: I don't hear accents. High, low, deep, light, rough. The exception is Morghann and Khary (the humans) and the other humans who live in Scelt. I've always heard them with an Irish lilt.

Question: Which character from the Black Jewels make YOU laugh the most?

Anne: It depends on the scene. I did laugh when I wrote the scene with Daemon, Perzha, and the weeble. Poor Daemon. Challenged by breakfast.

Question: Will Tigger cross over and teach Janelle Satean to bounce?

Anne: Oh, I hope not.

Question: Is Lucivar's daughter Titian a queen?

Anne: No, Titian is a witch but not a Queen.

Question: Anne Bishop is she a hearth witch like her momma?

Anne: No, she's not. She has other talents.

Question: Is it just a coincidence that Surreals mother Titian has an Eyrien name even though she is Dea al Mon?

Anne: Yes. Titian's name is her own. That's just who she was.

Question: 1 - What jewel did Tersa wear before she was broken? Based on Daemon's Jewels, and how formidable she is even now it had to have been Dark.

2 - What happened to Marjong the Executioner between book 1 and the following books? He comes back from Kaeleer, tells the High Lord that Daemon is in "the misted city" and that's the last we hear of him.

3 - I'm assuming Jo (as in Manny and Jo) died sometime between books 2 and 3. I cant imagine Manny leaving him in Terreille

Anne: I can't answer Tersa questions. I imagine Marjong remained the Executioner for a while and then faded to the final death and became a whisper in the Darkness. Yes, Jo died of natural causes more or less, so many was alone when Surreal asked for her help with Daemon.

Question: Are there any other Crystal's that Janelle gave out that we will read about in the next book? (Awesome that she did this)

Anne: Not that I saw.

Question: Is it likely that there will ever be a Witch as strong and gifted as Jaenelle, ever again? And will Daemon ever have a son?

Anne: No, there will never be another like Jaenelle Angelline in terms of power or skill in Craft.

Question: Has your muse ever whispered to you the possibility of doing a past story about Saetan or Tersa? I know I’d love to read about Saetan in Cassandra’s court and why he chose to join the hourglass coven, and I’m also fascinated by Tersa and her story too.

Anne: Tersa reveals what she chooses to reveal. As for past stories, I don't know. They wouldn't be the same characters when they were young, so I don't know if there will be any stories about Saetan's past. It's not likely for Tersa.

Question: Will we ever hear Wilhelmina's story, did she find love/family in her new life? Did she have children to be family to Jaenelle?

Anne: I don't know. I didn't see Wilhelmina again after she settled in Kaeleer.

Question: Was there anything about our times that made coming back to Jewels quite natural?

Anne: No, the boyos had been wandering around the edges of other stories for several years, but I was running with the Others and had those stories to tell. Once I finished WILD COUNTRY, it was time to go back and visit Lucivar and Daemon.

Question: The Queen’s Bargain is a great read. Will we ever revisit Terrielle to see if Cassidy’s influence improved the blood? Or desensitize Daemon toward Terrielle?

Anne: I don't know. It would be fun to visit with Cassie and Grey again, but stories grow as they will.

Question: Are there any plans for stories about Saetans past or how Hekatah stirred up the wars?

Anne: I've reached an age where I balance what the physical and emotional toll will be in telling a story (because they all have some kind of cost), and I just don't want to visit those places.

Question: Can you explain the difference life expectancies between the long lived races and short lived races.

Anne: There is no easy equivalent between the long-lived and short-lived races when it comes to age. The long-lived races have growth spurts and long plateaus that can last decades--or centuries--before they reach the next stage.

Example: Human children (because the kindred would mature faster) from a short-lived race would have their Birthright Ceremony between 6-8 years old. Long-lived would be between 15-17 years.* Short-lived from 7 to 17 is ten years. The equivalent for the long-lived races are spurts and plateaus from child to youth (preteen) to adolescence to adult. This takes centuries. Figuring out how long each stage would be is not something I chose to calculate.

Daemon, at 1700 years old, is an adult male just coming into his prime. An equivalent age might be late 20s. By the time he's 1800 years old and heading toward 1900, he'd be in his early to mid 30s as an equivalent.

*I don't remember exactly why I chose those ages for the long-lived races, except I didn't want to think of long-lived parents having to change diapers for a decade or more, so there was some accelerated growth in the early stages of development. :)

Question: I’ve always had a little trouble picturing scelties. Are they closer to Shetland sheepdogs (mini collies) or Border Collies or another breed?

Anne: Shetland sheepdogs are the template for Scelties.

Question: Will we ever have stories taking place primarily in other territories such as Arceria, Dea al Mon, Glacia, or the Fyreborn islands? I’d love to meet some of the inhabitants of the Fyreborn Islands.

Anne: I don't know. Depends on who shows up and talks to the Muse.

Question: Will we ever learn more of the back story of Draca and Lorn, and the beginnings of the realm?

Anne: Not likely. Although the story "Weaver of Dreams" shows the beginning of the Arachnians and the end of the Dragons reign.

Question: Any chance for more gay characters or of a story of Rainer having a boyfriend?

Anne: The answer would be a spoiler. :)

Question: Who was your inspiration for Daemon? He is so unique

Anne: Daemon was a gift from the Muse.

Question: I was wondering why Titian as a Queen ever left Dea al Mon in the first place and went to Terrielle? I understand she chose to keep Surreal after the horrific event that happened to her, and without that she wouldn't exist and maybe neither would Witch but why did she leave her home in the first place?

Anne: My impression was an abduction either from a neighboring Territory in Kaeleer or right at the border of Dea al Mon. She didn't go to Terreille voluntarily.

Question: Will you ever show us Surreal's first time meeting her mother's family side in Dea Al Mon?

Anne: Probably not since we received hints of her first visit in other stories. The Muse tends to move forward.

Question: In one short story, it was said that a queen can be sensed at birth? What ages, or life stages, can the other castes be scented? Black widow? Healer/Priestess? Prince? Warlord Prince?

Anne: Warlord Prince, at birth. Natural Black Widow, at puberty when the snake tooth and venom would develop. Healer and Priestess I don't think would have a psychic scent that would announce what they are. If they do, I'm not remembering it from the stories. (Considering every story has hundreds of details, that is not surprising.)

Question: Thank you, Ms. Anne! What about the caste of Prince? Do they have a psychic scent? What makes them special?

Anne: Since other Blood can tell the difference between a Prince and a Warlord Prince or a Warlord, there is probably some clue the rest of them pick up. Princes seem to lean toward being administrators or Stewards. At least the ones I've seen in the stories.

Question: In the Realms of the Blood is it possible for a witch (Jeweled female) to have twins?

Anne: I don't see why not if that is something that occurs within her race of people.

Question: Following it up - do we know any races that have twins?

Anne: I can't say for sure. Probably any of the human races would have that possibility.

Question: Witch cleansed both Terreille and Kealeer of Hekatah's taint. As necessary as it was, it undoubtedly left power vacuums all over the place, especially in Terreille where Hekatah and Dorothea held sway for centuries. It seems, now that the two hags are out of the way, Terreille is no longer important. No one is paying attention to how those voids are filled. It seems that lack of attention would give the opportunity for another Heketah, another Dorothea, to rise.

Anne: I think you'll find some of the answer in The Queen's Weapons coming out next year.

Question: My question is about the Jewels - why are some named for colors, but others for gemstones?

Anne: No particular reason except that there were going to be 13 Jewels and some gemstone names were obvious. Keep in mind that when I created the Blood and the Realms, I was writing the story for myself and didn't know it would be shared with so many people over the years. So some of my choices, like the names of the Jewels, were simple because I didn't need them to be more just for me. :)

Question: Anne, how did you settle on the spiders and webs theme within the black jewels?

Anne: Remembering that I built this world 30 years ago, my memory is that I chose things that appealed to me that felt like they would fit into this dark world. The webs of power and the Winds and the Gates were all ideas that I played with until things fit together and the world snapped into focus.

Question: What makes the Scelties and other Kindred so pure of heart?

Anne: Are they? I've never thought of them that way.

Question: Is Karla asexual?

Anne: That's my impression.

Question: At Winsol why is Jaenelle so uncertain how to give gifts to her friends? I can’t imagine 10 year old Jaenelle not giving gifts also.

Paraphrasing, Draca tells Saetan that he will dance for the glory of witch, he has not danced in a long time. Why did Saetan not start celebrating Winsol and dancing when he first met Jaenelle years earlier?

Anne: Keep in mind that Jaenelle, at 10 years old, has spent half her life in and out of Briarwood and has been told her friends don't really exist. How would you give a gift to an imaginary friend? Your question about Saetan is something you'll have to decide for yourself. Whatever is in the story is the only answer I have.

Question: In Twilight's Dawn we saw the Kindred visit Janelle Saetien, then in The Queen's Bargain they had left. What was the significance of their visit if they were not going to hang around?

Anne: They came to meet Daemon's kitten, but there was no real connection with her because she wasn't their dream.

Question: Will Witch be returning to Daemon’s life (and the living realms)? What direction do you see Janelle’s presence taking? Witch expressed frustration over having no physical body; can Dreams Made Flesh be reborn?

Anne: The Queen's Weapons, March 2021. :)

Question: In “Family” in Twilight’s Dawn, Janelle shattered the healers jewels who had been pretending to heal Beron while she was destroying his vocal chords. It says that once Witch left the room Daemon was once more the dominant predator. Had Janelle regained more of her power (black jewels) by this time or was it just in that moment? I always wondered that if Janelle was left with her birthright jewels why she didn’t have more black. She only transformed about 6 of her black jewels to ebony which still would have left about 7 to be a part of her new jewel.

Anne: As far as Daemon was/is concerned, Jaenelle will always be the dominant predator, even if his Jewel is stronger.

Twilight's Dawn, the Jewel, was shaped by the webs of power when Saetan, Daemon and Lucivar saved Jaenelle. But the Arachnian web that remade the dream into flesh had one extra dreamer, which is why all of Witch's immense power was channeled to a spiraling web in the Misty Place.

Question: There's one caste of witches we seldom heart much about in a positive sense among the Realms: the priestesses. We all love our queens and healer and black widows, yes. But is there a chance of doing a priestess story and looking into them more?

Anne: I don't know. It will depend on whether I meet one who needs to participate in a story.

Question: Will there ever be a story about Ladvarian and Jaenelle’s school for Scelties?

Anne: I don't know. Right now the characters are moving forward instead of looking back.

Question: What made Daemon decide to wear a suit every day? Was there an event or something that caused him to make that decision? Can you tell us when/how old Daemon was when he made this decision? Who’s court he was serving in at the time?

Anne: I've never seen Daemon wear anything else from the moment I met him. We've never discussed his clothing choice, so I only know that is what he wore. :)

Question: Good afternoon Anne! Will there be another black jewels book after Queens Weapons? I mean is this going to be a three book series of this story arc?

Anne: I don't know what comes after The Queen's Weapons. All my creative energy for the past year went into telling that story, and now I'm waiting to find out what comes next.

Question: Good afternoon. There is one possible story (short) I'd like to see: Cassidy and Jared petition Janelle and Lorne to allow Jared to do another offering ceremony that will allow him to reach the jewel potential he should have. Any chances?

Anne: None. The Offering can only be made once. So Gray will learn to be the best he can be with the Jewel that he wears.

Question: Will Janelle Satien’s offering jewel be solid or will it be a dark version of the Twilight’s Dawn?

Also are priestesses and healers “born” caste like queens and black widows? Or are they like hearth witches, trained?

Anne: Can't tell you about the Jewel. There are natural Healers, who are born to that caste. There are also witches who train to become healers. (Men are also trained in healing Craft, but they are called physicians. That's a profession, not a caste.) Priestesses would be trained in their duties.

Question: I would like to know why Geofrey is still in the Keep, is he waiting for someone/something? My other questions is what is the diference between Guardian and Demon-dead?

Anne: Either Geoffrey likes being the historian/librarian enough to stay, or he feels that Draca and Lorn need to interact with someone who might be considered an equal. Someone becomes demon-dead when the body physically dies but there is still a reservoir of power in the Jewels for the Self to remain. At that point, the body makes the transition to being considered demon-dead, and the individual drinks the blood wine for sustenance (or undiluted blood). A Guardian never physically died, but gave up some of the aspects of living to straddle the line between living and dead and, therefore, extend the lifespan. Don't ask me how it's done. They never shared that information. It's not easy, and it's rarely done, which is why, during the time of the stories, Geoffrey and Saetan were the only two Guardians in existence.

(note: Cassandra was <also> a Guardian. And the explanation of the physical change that makes a person a Guardian rather than demon-dead is explained in chapter 2 in Daughter of the Blood.)

Question: I know Kindred have their moon times less frequently. What does happen for Kindred though? Are they still vulnerable? Can kindred still use craft?

Anne: I don't know. That's a detail I didn't need to figure out for the stories.

Question: I’m not sure if this answerable, but will Damien and Surreal have more children?

Am I right to consider jewel strength and caste are independent of each other? Like Cassidy was a rose jewel queen and Surreal is a gray jewel witch.

Do the blood train their children how to embrace the darkness, so they achieve the darkest jewel possible? Then continue the training so they can successfully move 3 jewels up. Or is it genetics, the child’s disposition, and random fate? I recall Gray was so traumatized that he didn’t ascend to his full strength.

Anne: Jewel strength and caste are independent of each other. The Birthright Jewel a person wears is more about bloodlines (but not necessarily the previous generation's strength). The training, discipline, and self-control is first about being a good citizen in their culture, as well as preparing the youngster to make the Offering to the Darkness and reach their mature strength, whatever it may be.

Question: In the Realms, we found out that the gift of being Blood came from dragons. Does this mean that the darker the power, the closer to dragon that person is?

Is this why Warlord Princes and Queens are both "wild"/"feral" and protective? Because they are closer to the dragon nature?

Is this why Queens take such comfort by being close to the land - because their domain is their "nest"?

Anne: Good questions, but those qualify as a discussion rather than a question I can answer. Although...if I remember correctly, Lorn is the reason Saetan wore the Black Jewel.