Interview with Kevin Hearne (@KevinHearne) #StompvsRomp #Giveaway

According to Merrian-Webster’s definition of druid: “They did not engage in warfare and paid no tribute.” Where did Atticus go wrong on his chosen path to a peaceful existence?

Merriam-Webster is wrong. Atticus is right.


Is it more challenging to achieve a heightened level of adrenaline in a short story like those found in BESIEGED than in a full-length book?

I think it’s neither harder nor easier; action can begin on the first page, especially when people are already familiar with the characters from the novels. And mortal peril can show up remarkably quickly—what’s the saying? “Life comes at you fast”?


Do you have to adjust your writing style whenever an action scene is from a female’s POV, such as Granuaile’s?

The writing style changes just because it’s a different person’s point of view and they necessarily use different language, regardless of gender. We all have different lexicons, regional dialects, and so on. It also changes because of what motivates a character and what they choose to note or fail to note in the course of a battle.


What’s Oberon’s favourite thing(s) to eat before and after a fight?

Poultry is light and easy to digest before a battle, keeps one energized without slowing you down. After a battle you want to sleep and recuperate and celebrate the victory, so something beefy with gravy is best for all of that.


Owen’s animal forms include a black bear, a ram, a red kite, and a walrus; which of them does he enjoy ass-kicking in the most?

He loves being a bear. The Celtic art heralding each one of his chapters in the books is a bear. He loves the sheer power of the form because he can both take and deal a lot of damage.


Which action sequence that you’ve written are you the proudest of / is your favourite?

I think maybe the novel HUNTED, which is basically a 300+-page chase scene with some fights along the way. That was the hardest book to write simply because of the extended action.


If Atticus were to weigh-in on the #StompvsRomp issue—is romance or action better in fiction—what would be his response?

Atticus would say romance. Action is easy to get into but harder to survive; romance can be tough all around. (And I will say personally that I greatly admire romance authors and what they do.)

Title: Besieged
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles
Author: Kevin Hearne
Publisher: Del Rey
Date of Publication: July 11, 2017
Number of pages: 256

Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks | Book Depository | BAM | IndieBound | GoodReads

The ancient gods are alive and well in the modern world in this hilarious, action-packed collection of original short stories featuring Atticus O’Sullivan, the two-thousand-year-old Irishman from Kevin Hearne’s New York Times bestselling Iron Druid Chronicles.

• In ancient Egypt, Atticus agrees to raid a secret chamber underneath the library of Alexandria, dodging deadly traps, only to learn that on-site security includes two members of the Egyptian pantheon.
• At a Kansas carnival, fun and games turns to murder and mayhem, thanks to soul-snatching demons and flesh-craving ghouls luring visitors into an all-too-real house of horrors.
• Verily, in olde England, striking up a friendship with William Shakespeare lands both Atticus and the Bard in boiling hot water with a trio of infamous witches.
• During the Gold Rush, the avatar of greed himself turns the streets of San Francisco red with blood and upsets the elemental Sequoia. Atticus may have to fight fire with fire if he’s going to restore balance.

More, you say? Indeed there is—including bogeymen, vampire hordes, wrathful wraiths, and even a journey to the realm of the dead. Prepare to be besieged with nine tantalizing tales—not to be missed, never to be forgotten.

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