We’re joined by Laurell K. Hamilton who is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series. We chat about her newest release, the 26th book in the Anita Blake series, Serpentine. We also chat about polyamory, what research into BDSM looked like in 1997, how she found out she’s allergic to mummies, and much more. She gives us an overview of the world of Anita Blake for readers who haven’t yet read any of the series.
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Highlights from our conversation:
- How the world has changed in the 25 years she’s been writing the series in terms of feminism, representation, technology, and so much more–and how that has impacted her writing.
- How social media has changed the world and our interactions with people whose views differ from ours.
- Why her readers were so distressed when she broke two characters up in the aftermath of 9/11.
- How she responds to negative fans and the criticism that her series has changed and now has too much sex.
- Her experiences with polyamory and how it was through research for Anita that she learned about that world.
- What her research into BDSM looked like in 1997 long before discussions of BDSM were mainstream.
- Her hilarious first experience in a BDSM club when she knew absolutely nothing.
- Why you’re safer at a BDSM event than at an average bar.
- How she learned to balance motherhood with her own identity and her art.
- Can you be happier?
Books mentioned in this episode:
Serpentine by Laurell K. Hamilton
Guilty Pleasures (First in the Anita Blake Series) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Different Loving by William and Gloria Brame
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben
What You Can Change and What You Can’t by Martin E.P. Singleman
To keep up with Laurell, you can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook–or on her website.