The Midnight Breed Series Companion Part 24

I am enthralled with Gideon and Savannah. Will we get to see their specific story any time soon? I would love to find out why he made the promise (to refrain from combat) and the situation surrounding their meeting and bonding.

-Donna B., San Antonio, TX USA Thank you, Donna! And thank you to everyone else who's told me over the years how much you enjoy Gideon and Savannah and want to know the story of how they met and fell in love. That's the hands-down most frequent question I hear from readers. I truly appreciate the outpouring of the affection for this couple, and I'm delighted to tell you that all those questions and more are answered-at last-in A Touch of Midnight, the original novella included right here in the book you're reading now!

How do you think up of all of the special gifts the Breedmates have? It is so hard for me to think of just one that isn't silly.

-Lawren B., Menifee, CA,USA Oh, it's hard for me too! Since the Breed inherits superhuman strength, speed, longevity, etc., from their alien fathers, I thought it would make for a nice balance if each Breed male inherited not only his Breedmate mother's hair, eye and skin coloring, but also her unique ESP or empathic power. Because I was only concentrating on world building for the plot of one book in the beginning, I wasn't thinking about what that decision would mean down the road.

I didn't truly grasp the impact of that problem until I was beginning the third book of the series and suddenly had an offer from my publisher for three more. Each Breed male I introduce must have a unique ability, and so must each Breedmate, and so must every other Breed male or Breedmate who populates the story world, even in a minor role. Gah!

I've since created a big list of psychic abilities, superhero powers and weaknesses, etc., from which I can pick and choose and adapt or combine to fit my characters and make them unique. I try to give each main character an ability that will either enrich their story somehow (e.g., Nikolai, Brock, Tess, Claire) or complicate it (e.g., Dante, Reichen, Kade, Elise).

Will you write a book for Conlan and Danika's son?

-Loren B., Tuckerton, NJ USA I don't have a full novel slated for Connor, but I do expect him to be involved in the series going forward. If I find a good heroine and storyline for him, I'll likely feature him in a novella.

Is the Ancient really dead, or will he come back?

-Joni J., Grants Pa.s.s, OR USA He's really dead and won't be coming back.

I want to know why you "killed off" the last Ancient. I was hoping you would make him have his own love storyline!

-Amber C., Rosharon, TX USA It was so tempting to try to find a place for the last surviving Ancient in the series! Sadly, he had to go for a handful of reasons. First, I had already established in the series history that pairings with Ancients and Breedmates tend not to end well, even if there is love between them at one time (see Lucan's parents). The Ancients are a conquering, savage race of alien beings whose culture is one of domination and destruction. Like any other wild predator, Ancients are never fully tamed and it's very hard-if not impossible-for them to curb their alien side.

Another reason for the Ancient's demise was that if he had lived, then all of the Breedmates who bore his offspring in Dragos's labs would be unable to bond with other Breed males so long as the Ancient was alive. Ancients, being alien, do not blood bond to one mate like the Breed, but those Breedmates who were forced to drink his blood while in captivity each shared a blood bond connection to him until his death.

The Breed can only have children with their mates and they can only have one mate at a time. How is it the Ancient was able to have multiple Breedmates pregnant at the same time?

-Amy H., West Seneca, NY USA The blood bond is an exclusive, non-breakable connection between a Breed (male) and a Breedmate (female). The Ancients are alien, something other than Breed. Unlike their Breed sons, Ancients do not need to be blood bonded to a female in order to reproduce. This is how the Breed first came into being on Earth-as the scattered offspring of raiding Ancients who tore through human settlements and populations after crash-landing on this planet. Occasionally, some of the women in the path of those marauding Ancients turned out to be Breedmates, and if they fought back-bit their attackers, or somehow ingested some of their alien blood while a rape was occurring-that alien seed took root and a Breed son would be born. But the Ancients were not bonded in any way to the Breedmates who carried their offspring.

This is sort of a dumb question, but do you get to decide what the t.i.tle of your books will be or is that decided by someone else?

-Tonya C., San Angelo, TX USA Not a dumb question at all! Most of the book t.i.tles are my original choices, but there are a few that were nixed by my publisher for one reason or another. For instance, Kiss of Midnight was originally going to be called Kiss of Darkness, but a few months before my release date, a best-selling author came out with a vampire book under that t.i.tle and we decided to change mine. I was really b.u.mmed at the time, because I'd written the entire book thinking of it as Kiss of Darkness. We even had the cover art designed with that t.i.tle and had to make a last-minute revision! In the end, it worked out for the best, because Kiss of Midnight helped define the branding of the series and set the pattern for the t.i.tles of the next nine novels to come.

Can Breedmates get pregnant by normal human guys, or just Breed?

-Cara C., Hopkinsville, KY USA If a woman born with the Breedmate birthmark does not share a blood bond with a Breed male, she will live her life as a normal, mortal woman. So, yes, she could carry a human male's child.

If a Breedmate has a daughter from a human man, will she be a Breedmate, too?

-Bettina H., Maglod, Hungary No. Any child a Breedmate has with a human male will be born human.

Why did the Ancient make Jenna choose life or death before implanting a piece of himself in her?

-Necole C., Suamico, WI USA There is most definitely a reason behind that choice, and it will be revealed before the series ends.

Are there more "otherworlders" that did not come to Earth with the original Ancients, and could we possibly see them show up in future books?

-Linda M., Mentor, OH USA The Ancients are part of an alien race from another planet. There are others like them there, including females of their kind, of course, but I don't have plans to bring any more of those beings into the series. I felt it was important for me, as a writer, to have an understanding of the world they came from and the society they inhabited, so I sketched out a lot of details early on, which don't necessarily have a place in the series itself, but do form the background for what the Ancients are and how they lived among their own kind.

Did any other series influence you in creating the world and characters that you created?

-Yvette C., Hialeah, FL USA This may sound odd coming from the author of a long-running series, but I'm a fickle reader and I get bored too easily to follow any series for more than a few books before I'm wandering off to look for something shiny and new. Of course, as a teen I loved Anne Rice, but when I began writing Kiss of Midnight in the summer of 2005, I wasn't following any series in any genre.

I'd read dozens of paranormal romances and urban fantasies, but there really wasn't a lot to choose from at that time when it came to vampires in romance. Twilight hadn't come out yet (which I've yet to read!) and J. R. Ward's wonderful, genre-bending series debut was still a couple of months away too. I'd read a few of Sherrilyn Kenyon's novels, which I really enjoyed for the complexity of her world-building and the camaraderie between her daimon-slaying vampire heroes. I'd read one or two of Christine Feehan's early vampire books, some very early Nancy Gideon vampire romances (a terrific writer, by the way), and a handful of others, but my tastes ran a bit darker than what I was finding in the genre at the time. I also enjoyed Lynn Viehl's engrossing series debut, which satisfied my craving for darkness and intriguing characters, but left me longing for a bit more romance. So, I can't point to any one series as influencing the genesis of mine, but it was more a matter of creating something that spoke to my own personal wants as a reader.

Breed vampires heal from injuries, so why is Rio disfigured and never healed?

-Nancy C., Hope Mills, NC USA The Breed can heal on their own from UV burns and basic injury, but Rio's wounds were severe-nearly fatal. If he'd fed during his healing, and particularly if he'd fed from his Breedmate, he probably could have healed almost back to normal. But his mate, Eva, killed herself very soon after he was injured, and Rio was weakened and didn't feed for quite a long time afterward. By then, the scars were set and could not be taken away.

When will we learn more about the Atlanteans and their relationship with the Breedmates?

-Cameron J., Orange, CA USA The connection between the Atlanteans and the Breedmates was first hinted at in Deeper Than Midnight, when Savannah's sister tells Corinne that Savannah's birthmark (her Breedmate mark) is where she was "kissed by faeries." The Atlanteans aren't cla.s.sic Fae, but they are an immortal race of beings gifted with supernatural, extrasensory powers.

Just as I've twisted traditional vampire lore to give it otherworldly origins, I've also given an "alien" twist to traditional Fae mythology with regard to the Atlanteans in my series. As for the relationship between the Breedmates and the Atlanteans, it truly came to light in Darker After Midnight, when Jenna began making the connections between the Breedmates at the Boston compound and their true birth fathers. This relationship will continue to unfold and expand as the series continues.

Why did you choose Boston (for the series setting)?

-Sara F., Funchal, Madeira Portugal Simply because I love Boston! My dad is from the area, and my family roots in Ma.s.sachusetts go back to the Pilgrims' arrival. I've also lived in various New England states for more than fifteen years, so Boston and its surrounds feel like home to me. Plus, I wanted a setting that was different from the usual places you'd expect to see in a vampire series. Boston has an historic richness and old-World character, yet it's also very contemporary, urban and gritty. The same could be said of the Breed, so it just felt right to me that the series would be based in Boston.

Will you be introducing the Atlantean aspect in the new series?

-Angila D., McMinnville, OR USA Yes! The Atlanteans play a much bigger, and more complex, part in the series beginning with Edge of Dawn. You'll meet characters from their world-some good, some bad and some with a foot in both camps. You'll also discover how the Atlanteans came to be and how their history (and future) intertwines with the Ancients, the Breed, and man.

In Jenna's dream the Ancient and a warrior (the inhabitant of Atlantis) talk about a Queen. Who is she?

-Sara C., S.Albino-Montepulciano, Siena-Tuscany Italy Heh, heh, heh. You'll find out very soon!

After reading and rereading your series, I am curious as to how you came up with such amazing ideas for the background of the Ancients.

-Tracy F., Watkinsville, GA USA The original germ of the idea is all my husband's fault! *g* As I was constructing the story background for Kiss of Midnight, and deciding on the rules of my vampire world, I shared with John that as much as I loved traditional vampire lore, I didn't want Lucan and the rest of the Breed to be undead or d.a.m.ned. I wanted them to be living, breathing, top-of-the-foodchain, superhuman beings with vampire characteristics. He jokingly said, "Maybe they're aliens."

He laughed, but I grabbed my pen and notebook and started jotting down details as fast as I could. The entire background of the Ancients came to me in rapid fire-from the climate of their planet, their social structure, their physical traits, strengths and weaknesses, everything. I like to think of my vampires as something of a cross between (the movies) Predator and Blade.

Why haven't or can't the Ancients produce a female? I mean in all those generations resulting after them, why can't there be some female offspring as a result?

-Tori R., Port Saint Lucie, FL USA Remember, the Breed is the offspring of the Ancients (alien) and Breedmate females (half human, half Atlantean). The Ancients' DNA is the stronger of this pairing, even down the line in later generations of the Breed, so their genes determine gender in their offspring. In the case of this story world, it's always produced males. Dragos was able to manipulate gender and breeding in his labs, but scientific interference in reproduction is frowned upon by Breed society as being unnatural. On the Ancients' planet, among their own kind, they produce both male and female offspring.

Why did you choose the Atlanteans to be the fathers of the Breedmates and as the new (old) enemies of the Breed?

-Tamara K., Birkenau, Hessen Germany It was actually a happy accident that Atlanteans played into the series in any way at all. In Kiss of Midnight, I had mentioned that the Ancients devastated entire civilizations after coming to Earth. One of those civilizations I listed was Atlantis. When I wrote that, it was nothing more than a throwaway mention, but later on, many books later, I realized I needed not only a way to explain the existence of Breedmates, but I also needed to find a bigger, more powerful enemy for the Order than Dragos as the series continued to grow. Making the connection between a mysterious, hidden civilization like Atlantis and the Ancients felt like a perfect fit-one that had been right in front of me the whole time!

Was it hard to get a publisher to pick up a story with "alien" vampires in it? It seems to me the alien/science fiction genre is a little harder to pull into mainstream.

-Amanda K., Littleton, CO USA I'm happy to say it was no problem at all. From the very beginning, I've had wonderful editorial support on pretty much anything I wanted to do with the series. I think the alien element of the Midnight Breed world is subtle enough that it doesn't fall into s.p.a.ce-y Science Fiction/Fantasy categories, which aren't really my personal reading interest anyway, and which might have been problematic from a marketing standpoint. But no one has ever asked me to tone anything down or avoid certain storytelling choices in any way, and for that I feel quite fortunate.

I am a huge fan of the Midnight Breed series. I have every book to date. I am not sure if anyone has ever asked this or not, but out of all of the Breed members that you have written so far, who is your favorite and why?

-Jennifer L., Euclid, OH USA Thank you, Jennifer! I'm so glad you're enjoying my books. I don't have a personal favorite character in the series, and that's a deliberate choice. I try not to let myself fall too much in love with any one character in particular, but instead focus all of my attention-and affection-on the characters I'm writing at the moment.

I think as a writer it can be all too easy to lavish all the love on one series "star" to the neglect of the others. I want each character, and each book's romantic pairing, to be as special as I can make it, and let no one pale in comparison to another character. I feel I've done my job when readers tell me who they love most and there's no clear winner, but favorites across the board!

Are we ever going to read about the years between Darker After Midnight and Edge of Dawn? Or do you not feel they are essential to the story line?

-Amanda C. Dodge City, KS USA I may set a novella or two in the twenty years between First Dawn, which occurs at the end of Darker After Midnight, and the start of the new series arc that begins in Edge of Dawn. I have one idea percolating now, and I think it could be interesting to see a story set against the backdrop of those dark years of war. I don't envision any full novels set during that period, though.

When the captive Breedmates were rescued in 'Taken by Midnight' they were taken to Claire and Andreas's. Did they stay there indefinitely or move on to some of the nearby Darkhavens?

-Lisa D., Raymore, MO USA Andreas and Claire's Darkhaven in Newport, Rhode Island, provided temporary shelter for the freed Breedmates. The ones who were pregnant at the time stayed on to have their babies there, but most have either reunited with their own families or moved on to make new lives for themselves elsewhere. It's possible that we might see some of those women again, or their grown children, in the second arc of the series.

I have read all of the Midnight Breed novels thus far and I always wondered. Why did you decide to promote this series as romance novels and not as vampire genre? I feel that they are so much more than romance novels.

-Lori D., Warwick, RI USA Thank you, Lori! Marketing decisions for the series are made by my publishers, not me, but I do feel that the books are romances first and foremost. Each story is centered on the evolving romantic relationship between a hero and heroine, and everything else going on in the novel is secondary to the focus on that relationship. But I've always loved books with high-octane, engaging plots and lots of adventure and suspense, so writing those elements into my romance novels just comes naturally to me.

Why do the elders of the Order have so few children? It seems Breedmates only have one pregnancy each.

-Margie E., Akron, OH USA As Lucan would likely tell you, the Order's compound, like any other military headquarters, is not an ideal place to raise children. Although having a mate and kids may be fine for the civilian Breed populations in the Darkhavens, it's long been a conscious choice that warriors in the Order do not go willingly into a blood bond or family life. But then I came along several years ago and started messing with everyone's lives! I'm taking great enjoyment in showing Lucan and the others that resistance is futile. *g*

Has Jenna turned into the first female Breed?

-Miriam W., Aztec, NM USA The first female Breed that we've met in the series is Tavia. Jenna is human, and she cannot turn into one of the Breed. She is, however, taking on some of the genetic qualities of the Ancient, with some differences. For example, although she has developed a fondness for Brock's blood (I mean, really, can you blame her?) she will not develop fangs and will not require blood for sustenance like one of the Breed or an Ancient. Her human biology means she can still consume human food and she is also unaffected by ultraviolet light. So, Jenna is a powerful, unique genetic being unlike any other we'll see in the series.

Will we ever learn more about the Breed members' families? For example, we met some of Kade's family in Shades of Midnight. I'd love to learn more about other extended families!

-Shannon E., Benson, NC USA I find it's a tricky balance, trying to provide fully fleshed-out backgrounds and backstories for the main characters without overwhelming the current storyline or the flow of the text with a lot of names and details about people we may never meet. So, for that reason, usually, unless a character's family will play a part in the book, or if some detail is necessary for explaining part of the story-for example, a character's motivation for being a certain way or doing something good or bad in the current storyline-I tend to leave those details out.

Although several of the Order's members are parentless (Lucan, Dante, Rio, Gideon, just to name a few) it's reasonable to a.s.sume there are parents and/or siblings out there for many of the other major characters in the series. Whether or not those family members will have parts to play in the books still to come, I'm not sure. But if it makes sense to bring some of them into the storyline, I'm definitely open to it. I need to be a little careful there, or the series could easily explode into a cast of thousands, all demanding a turn in the spotlight!

If they have the same ability (like Kellan and Alex), does that mean they are biologically related? Or just nature repeating itself?

-Amber F., Monroe, GA USA I try not to make any of the characters' ESP talents exactly the same as someone else's, unless the characters share a maternal connection somewhere down the line. If talents seem similar, as with Kellan and Alex, and Tegan as well, in this case, there are subtle differences that separate them. Alexandra has the ability to detect deception in humans with her touch. Kellan's touch gives him the ability to determine a human's intentions, good or bad. And Tegan's talent works on human, Breed and Breedmate alike, giving him the ability to read anyone's emotional state with his touch.

Will Jenna enjoy the same longevity as the Breedmates since she has the Ancient's DNA implanted in her?

-Christina S., Camby, IN USA Yes, but unlike the Breedmates, Jenna will not require a blood bond in order to live longer than a normal, mortal human or an unmated Breedmate. She will easily live as long as any of the Breed.

Did you always plan to reveal the Breed to the humans and if so, why did you want them revealed?

-Manna G., London, United Kingdom From just about the midpoint of the series-while I was writing Midnight Rising-I came to the realization that if the series was going to continue for any length of time, it needed some room to grow and evolve. One thing I wanted to avoid from the beginning was stagnation in the series, and it seemed to me that it all could get pretty boring unless something big was coming farther up the road. I knew I'd need a closing point for one part of the series-something monumental, which would also provide a good twist that could carry me into another storytelling arc.

I was never in doubt about what that twist needed to be, so from that moment on, I began writing toward the events that unfolded in Darker After Midnight. Bringing the Breed out in the open has given me a big new canvas to work with, exciting new conflicts, allies and enemies, while still allowing me to remain faithful to the core characters and the heart of the series. I'm having more fun than ever, and I hope readers will enjoy all the twists and surprises still to come.

Why wasn't Rio able to sense Eva's deception through their blood-bond?

-Bettina H., Maglod, Hungary Rio would only have been able to sense Eva's heightened emotions and her physical presence through their blood bond, but it's not a mind-reading connection. If she were careful to keep her emotions in check while she was betraying him, Rio would never know. And his trust in her as his mate would only blind him further to any deception.

As an author, what's the biggest challenge that you have felt and how did you overcome it?

-Rohinee I., Mumbai, India My biggest challenge as an author is the same one that's always held me back in other areas of life: Self-doubt. I'm not sure I'll ever totally overcome it, since it's been with me forever, but somehow you do find ways to get past it, at least temporarily, which is often all the push you need. For me with my writing, having a deadline helps! So does all of the lovely email and online messages I receive every day from readers. But in the end, every writing session begins with a fresh new h.e.l.l of a blinking cursor parked on a blank page.

Fortunately, for every ounce of fear and self-doubt I have that my ideas are lame or my writing is flat, I've also got an equal measure of stubborn determination that refuses to let me give up on anything that's important to me. There's an old quote I used to keep in a frame on my desk to remind me to be courageous, and I still find myself referring back to it whenever I'm caught in the paralyzing trap of self-doubt about my writing or anything else in life: "Do it trembling if you must, but do it." (Emmet Fox) Your male main characters have such strong alpha att.i.tudes. How do you pair them up with their Breedmates?

-Vikki K., Palm City, FL USA I love big, bad, dominating alpha heroes. But it takes a strong woman to hold her own against a guy like that. I don't necessarily mean physically strong (although that's good too-just ask Niko or Brock) but a woman who won't be cowed by a lot of arrogant bl.u.s.ter or dark, broody scowls and growls.

Many times, I'll match up an alpha hero with a heroine who will be a source of constant friction for him, whether that's emotional friction or as an obstacle standing in the way of something he wants (or thinks he wants). Other times, I'll look for a heroine who will bring out a softer side of him that he's reluctant to admit he even has-the unwilling protector, or the unexpected savior. Or I might push him into a situation where the heroine becomes his partner in some way, forcing him to rely on her and see her as his equal, either by giving him no other choice in the matter or by simple necessity.

It really depends on the characters and what my instinct tells me is the right pairing for them. And when I say the right pairing, realize that very often that's the dead last person they think they should be with!

What character trait do you admire most in your characters and why?

-Lysette L., Moorpark, AL USA The same trait I admire in anyone: Resilience. Life can be a challenge, and we all go through our own personal h.e.l.ls and torment along the way. The ability to spring back from adversity, or to rise above something that threatens to drag us down, is huge. Anyone can be courageous, especially if you've never been tested. But it takes something extra to be able to come back stronger after you've been kicked to the ground or made to feel "less than" in some way. Each of my characters has this trait, and I hope their stories help ill.u.s.trate for my readers that no challenge is too great to overcome, and we are stronger for everything we endure in life.

When starting this series, did you ever envision Lucan as a father?

-Mich.e.l.le N., Olmsted Falls, OH USA No! In fact, when I started writing Lucan's story, I didn't imagine his life beyond that one book, let alone envision him growing into his current role ten books later, as both a father and the diplomatic leader he swore he could never be. It's been a very interesting journey, full of surprises for him and for me!

I was wondering now after I have read all the books up to Mira's was there ever a book or character that was hard for you to write emotionally?

-Nikki N., Marion, IN USA None of the characters have been more difficult than any others, however, early on in the series I decided against writing a certain character because I felt it would be too difficult for me personally to go there. Originally, I had intended to pair up Tegan with a completely different heroine than Elise. My plan for him was a concert pianist who was dying from leukemia-except the doctors were going to be proved wrong, because Tegan was going take her away and save her life with his blood. That's how I proposed the story when the series sold as a trilogy in 2005. But before I even wrote the first word of Tegan's book, I realized the storyline would be cutting too close to home.

You see, at that time, my husband's eldest daughter, Leslie, was undergoing treatment for leukemia, which had come back after chemotherapy a few years earlier and had later required a bone marrow transplant. I'd thought it would be therapeutic somehow to write a happy ending for a heroine fighting a similar battle, but as Leslie got worse and eventually pa.s.sed away in January 2006, I knew there was no way I wanted to relive any part of that storyline in fiction or otherwise. So, while I was writing Kiss of Crimson that same year, I decided to instead recast Tegan's heroine as Sterling Chase's widowed sister-in-law, Elise.

You receive plenty of fan letters and comments. Do your fan comments influence your idea/direction of a book storyline? If yes, please share a particular situation.

-Madeline P., Escondido, CA USA I do receive emails with suggestions for storylines or characters, and although I appreciate the enthusiasm and the emotional investment some readers have in the series (seriously, I take it as a tremendous compliment!) I have to stay true to my own vision for the series. I'm the only one at the helm, for better or worse, and the control freak in me won't have it any other way. But...I did make one exception.

A few years ago, I had my first book tour in Germany. At one of my events, a reader in an audience of over 150 people really pressed me hard to explain what it was about the Breedmates that made them different from basic human women. She wanted to know why they had unique blood properties that allowed them to carry a Breed offspring, and why they were psychically gifted, insisting that there must be something more to it than my admittedly lame answer of, "Um, they're just different." In all of my story building and plotting, I never clearly defined the origins of the Breedmates.

I came home realizing that was some lazy writing on my part, and I was determined to fix it if I could. So, I combed through the early books, looking for a possible solution that would be organic to what I'd already written. And I found it, more readily than I ever would have guessed. I found more hidden truths as well, things that will be coming to light as the series continues to unfold. Whether it was my subconscious running miles ahead of me, or good old-fashioned serendipity, I don't know. But thank you, anonymous German reader from Dortmund! You taught me a wonderful lesson that day, and helped make the series stronger at the same time.

Are there gay members of the Breed? Because they seem to give me the impression that they are in love affairs quite human and for a man it is not unnatural to love a man.

-Patircia P., Grimma, Germany Yes, of course, it seems only reasonable that there would be some Breed males who are emotionally and s.e.xually attracted to other males, or bis.e.xual. And I imagine the same to be true of Breedmates and Atlanteans as well. My personal feeling is that love is love, and only the heart can decide who it belongs to.

Do you ever get writer's block and if so how do you push through that block?

-Sabrina R., Newark, NJ USA I've learned over time that if I'm struggling with a chapter or scene, usually it's because I'm not writing close enough to the character(s) and/or the conflict. Sometimes I'm in the wrong character's point of view, and I have to recast the scene from another character's perspective instead-the best choice is always the character with the most at stake. Sometimes the characters and conflict of the scene are fine, but there's something else that just doesn't feel right, or isn't portrayed cinematically enough to bring the moment to life on the page. In that case, I might change the location of the scene, or alter the point at which the scene opens, or try to capture what it was about the scene that excited me the most as I was plotting it and strive to maximize the impact of that element.

With all Minions he created, why didn't Dragos turn Rogue?

-Tori R., Port Saint Lucie, FL USA Dragos was a very controlling, exacting man. And he was patient. My G.o.d, decades of planning went into his operation-centuries, if you go back to the moment he and his father first placed the Ancient into hibernation in that mountain cave. Dragos would have been extremely judicious when it came to ingesting blood to create a Minion. He would have known his limits and been careful to avoid going over the edge into addiction. But that's a great question!

Will Mathias Rowan ever get his own story?

-Janae G., Rock Springs, WY USA I have an idea for a novella for Mathias, and we'll also see more of him as the series continues.

Will we be seeing more Dragos bred "a.s.sa.s.sins" like Hunter? Men bred for evil, but who turn their back on their training and fight for the Order.

-Renee S., Woodstock, IL USA Possibly. And I've also had ideas in the back of my mind for a while now about some of the Gen One a.s.sa.s.sin "lost boys" who were not so deeply indoctrinated into the program like Hunter was, being an adult a.s.sa.s.sin, but who would have been closer to Nathan's age at the time they were released from Dragos's control. I might find a place for them in the series somehow. We'll see!