First line:
"There are no facts, only interpretations." Friedrich Nietzsche had said that.
Pages: 738
Publication date: January 13th, 2015
My favorite things about the book:
Its size. I know there are readers who are completely repelled by the length of this novel, and in our world of instant gratification, I don't blame them. I didn't set out to write a book of a particular length, and was shocked, and a little horrified, to learn that it was so lengthy when I finished. But I wouldn't change it. This was such a special project for me, and I wasn't willing to sacrifice the quality of their very throwback Gothic narrative for the sake of speed or that ever-mentioned "tightness" of contemporary novels.
New Orleans. A timeless, gorgeous city, and only the South will do when you're alluding to English literary movements.
Mercy. You demon, you.
Ava. You delight and horrify me all at once.
Things you might not know:
If hard-pressed, I'd probably tell you horror is my favorite genre. I am not a romantic individual; I'm a Romantic. Horror and those rich old Gothic romances were born out of the Romantic movement, and there's something about love, passion, and horror that are irrevocably linked. Okay, get to the point, Lauren, you're thinking. I'm big on reviving classic themes through contemporary stories, and when I wrote Fearless, I wrote it as if it were a Gothic character tale with strong horror elements, not as if it were a contemporary romance novel.
In an homage to Heathcliff, Mercy is not a "bad boy," driven by rebellion and hell-raising. He's passionate, tortured, and tragic, driven by love, above all things. This makes him one of my favorite characters to write, because there is no artifice in him, and you never question his motives...even if his means are extremely questionable.
I love to play him off of Ava, who is perpetually caught between her passionate and logical halves. She is his echo, but in so many ways is made of stronger steel, as any good Gothic heroine should be. It is a Southern, feminine steel, full of grace, but inflexible all the same.
My favorite scene(s):
The Five Years Ago flashback scene in Hamilton House, with Mason. "Ava. Call him off."
On the highway in NOLA: Then it was just Larsen, his hair a pale halo in the sunlight as he turned to stare at her, uncomprehending. He was screaming.
My favorite lines (for purely emotional reasons):
Ava: "What I know is that everyone in his life who loved him, or claimed to, allowed him to get hurt. Badly. His whole life. That stops with me. I love him. And I won't let him get hurt anymore."
Ghost: "There's not anyone in the world who could make you less than what you are."
Last Line:
He kissed her again, in their room full of sunlight, and treasured memories, and possibilities.
My thanks:
I can never say "thank you" enough to my truly wonderful readers who have been so supportive of this book, and this series. I keep at it for you guys. You make me Fearless.
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