Spotlight & Author Interview: Bullets and Bones, by R.S. Penny

Desa Kincaid has spent the last ten years in pursuit of a man whose experiments have killed over a dozen people.

Blessed with the power to transform ordinary objects into devastating weapons, she journeys through trading ports, backwater towns, forests, deserts and the haunted remains of a dead city.

But can she stop her enemy before he unleashes something terrible on the world?

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Author Interview:

⫸ What inspired you to write this book? OR Tell us a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?

The Desa Kindcaid series started as a story on a website. It was sort of a protest against the plodding epic fantasy you got from authors like George Martin. I had three goals I wanted to accomplish.

Keep it exciting and fast-paced

Choose a setting other than Medieval England.

Start the characters in a dark place and have them move toward the light. (Too much fiction does the opposite).

⫸ What, if anything, did you learn when writing the book?

It took me a while to figure out how to do combat with the magic system. It’s kind of a nuts-and-bolts thing. For instance, I discovered that in many cases, describing the effects of magic – “A blast of lightning erupted from Desa’s ring” – was more effective than using the magical jargon. “Desa triggered her Electric-Source.”

⫸ What surprised you the most in writing it?

How popular it became. I wasn’t expecting that.

⫸ What does the title mean?

If you’re referring to “Bullets and Bones,” I’m afraid that’s a spoiler. You’ll find out what it means by the end of the book. The third and final book in the series is called “Face of the Void.” That’s also a spoiler. But I’ll let you muse on what it might mean.

⫸ Were any of the characters inspired by real people? If so, do they know?

No. I don’t do that.

Except with Jeral Dusep (one of the villains of the Justice Keepers series). He’s a politician. I purposefully learned to imitate Donald Trump’s speaking style for his dialogue.

⫸ Do you consider the book to have a lesson or moral?

The series is kind of a denouncement of cynicism. You know, that attitude that says “All people are selfish; you can’t trust anyone?” Desa, in particular, starts off with a very cynical outlook and makes some poor decisions as a result. Over the course of the series, she learns to overcome that. I’m purposefully avoiding going into too much detail to avoid spoilers.

⫸ What is your favorite part of the book?

For Bullets and Bones, it’s got to be the train fight scene. That was so much fun to write. Though a lot of people like the haunted forest chapter.

⫸ Which character was most challenging to create? Why?

They all presented different challenges.

⫸ What are your immediate future plans?

I’m going to finish the third book in the series and then publish it.