By Joyce Lamb, USA TODAY
Joyce: Welcome to HEA, Richelle! Whose idea was it to do comic books of your Dark Swan urban fantasy series? Or are they more accurately graphic novels?
Richelle: It's both, actually! Individual comics come out first, and then every four issues, you can get a bound graphic novel of all of them. Adapting the books into this format was always something I'd been interested in. I love this art form, and it's always fascinating to see how others interpret your work. It all started when I met some of the great staff from Sea Lion at a convention. They later approached me about doing an adaptation of the Dark Swan series, and everything unfolded from there.
Joyce: How did you go about adjusting a novel-length book to the small blocks of inner dialogue? That must have been tough!
Richelle: It is tough, and fortunately, I didn't have to do it! The books were adapted by Grant Alter, who has a really good eye for pulling out the main beats of a story and streamlining key dialogue. It's great having someone who has those skills, since mine tend to be about making stories longer, not shorter.
Joyce: A problem that most novelists have, I bet! How closely did you work with the artists on the look of the story? (It looks amazing, by the way!)
Richelle: I got to be involved every step of the way. They sent every page to me for approval, in both the initial black-and-whites and then the color versions. They were very open to any feedback I had, but really, I didn't have much to give. Everything was always so wonderful that I didn't need to make many suggestions.
Joyce: Any chance of your fans ever getting to see a Vampire Academy, Dark Swan or Bloodlines movie or TV series?
Joyce: Consider my fingers crossed, too. Your website proclaims that you "think music was perfected in the 1980s." I agree! Who might be your favorite '80s songs and bands?
Richelle: That's tough. There are a lot of great ones! The Safety Danceand 99 Red Balloons are two of my favorites.
Joyce: I'd have to go with anything by Howard Jones or Nik Kershaw. I bet we'd have a lot to talk about. : ) As a coffee addict, how do you take your coffee? Strong and sweet? Black and weak? (Readers need to know for when they buy you a cuppa at Starbucks.)
Richelle: I actually love coffee in most forms, both drip and espresso versions. I do almost always have to put a little dairy and sweetener in it, though. And, of course, I love Starbucks. I live in Seattle, so devotion is mandatory.
Joyce: What are your favorite reality TV shows? (I'm partial to The Amazing Race and Project Runway.)
Richelle: I too am a Project Runway fan. I'm also partial to Survivor, Face Off and, to my chagrin, Celebrity Apprentice.
Richelle: It was a total coincidence! I actually finished the book early (by five days, which is rare for me). Maybe my son sensed that I was done with my work and knew he could finally come out.
Joyce: Please tell us about the Dark Swan comic series and what readers can expect to see from you next.
Richelle: The Dark Swan comic currently is retelling the first novel in the series, Storm Born. Four issues have come out so far, which are available as individual issues or in a bound graphic novel. There are four more issues to come, which will finish off the book, and I'm really excited. So far, the whole series has been really beautiful.
Joyce: Is there anything you'd like to add?
Richelle: People who are fans of the Dark Swan novels will really love the graphic novel adaptation. Even if they've never picked up a comic before, they should check this out. The graphic novel adds a whole new dimension to the series that really brings the characters and worlds to life. I originally envisioned the story in my head, but seeing it on the page, in all that color, is amazing even for me!
Joyce: Thanks, Richelle!
To find out more about Richelle and her books (comic and otherwise), you can visit her website, RichelleMead.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter (@RichelleMead).
You might also be interested in HEA's review of the comic Storm Born.
Check my review Here
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