The Devil's Playthings FAQ

So, here's the scoop...

I'll be the first to admit, The Devil's Playthings is not your typical romance series.

With that in mind, here are some of the more common questions readers have had so far. Thank you for your interest, and if there's anything you'd like to know that isn't addressed here, please feel free to ask me!

What genre is The Devil's Playthings series?

This was actually something I struggled with when I first had the idea for the series. Originally, I classified it as romantic suspense, but that didn't quite fit. Certain themes and elements kept popping up that just didn't feel appropriate to romantic suspense.

I've always been a bit of a black-and-white film buff, and it struck me one evening while I was watching one of the old Bogart/Bacall films: of course! I wasn't writing romantic suspense.

I was writing noir romance.

So what is noir romance, anyway?

Noir romance is basically romantic suspense on both uppers and downers at the same time. The themes are darker, the morality more ambiguous, the characters more troubled. Everything from the settings to the love story is infused with a sizeable dose of grit.

This isn't to everyone's tastes, and that's totally fine. But in my opinion, the payoff in a noir romance is much greater and much more satisfying than just about any other sub-genre of romance out there.

Of course, I could just be biased.

For a deeper look at noir romance, check out these articles I've written on the subject:

* "What Is Noir Romance?"
* "You Mean You Still Haven't Heard Of Noir Romance?" 

Is The Devil's Playground (Book One) a romance novel?

The short answer? No.

In fact, taken on their own, none of the books in The Devil's Playthings series are "true" romance novels. A "true" romance novel contains a full love story, capped off at the end with a Happily-Ever-After, or at least a Happy-For-Now.

If you've read The Devil's Playground, you'll know it ends with neither. As one reviewer has put it, the story "ends the way it began." You can read for yourself and judge whether or not you agree, but the point stands: there is not a happy ending to this book.

This was intentional. The books of The Devil's Playthings series are not meant to stand alone. They are meant to build on and flow from each other, forming a single, albeit long, story-arc.

For this reason, I am comfortable classifying The Devil's Playthings as a noir romance series, even if the individual titles are not in-and-of-themselves romances.

How many books will there be in The Devil's Playthings?

The Devil's Playthings series *proper* will be comprised of seven books.

However, I have several spinoff projects in the wings. One of these projects is a holiday anthology series that will incorporate several of the minor characters from the main series. Ever wondered what a burlesque Christmas would look like? Stay tuned! The first anthology will be coming out this year.

The other project involves two minor characters who have an... interesting... dynamic. You may already know who they are. If not, keep reading! The plan is for them to have their own book... or two... or three... after Frankie and Johnny exit the stage.

What's the deal with your Pinterest obsession?

Ah, Pinterest, how I love thee. And hate thee. And love thee.

Anyone who's followed my online exploits for any length of time knows about my sometimes-rocky relationship with Pinterest. They are notoriously uptight regarding any pins they deem too risque. In fact, my first account with them was recently deleted because of what they viewed as "objectionable" content.

And yet, I remain an avid Pin-a-holic.

I am a visual writer. It's very important for me to be able to picture what it is I'm writing about, and the most effective way I've found to do that is through, well, pictures.

Following the (gut-wrenching, soul-crushing) removal of my original Pinterest account, I briefly flirted with switching to Tumblr. Screw the Pinterest team! I cried. Screw censorship! I said.

But I quickly found Tumblr just didn't give me what I needed. I didn't like the format, and having to re-tool my approach to visual material for my books just wasn't worth it to me. So I sucked it up, and started a new (moderately more staid) Pinterest account.

I like having storyboards. I like having interest boards. I like being able to offer easy-to-navigate visual material that pairs with my novels. 

If you're a visual person like me, I hope my boards enhance your enjoyment of my books as much as they enhance my writing experience!

What is the production schedule for The Devil's Playthings?

My goal is to release a new book in The Devil's Playthings series every 6 months. I am also working on another series under another pen name (to find out more about my work as Olivia Lawless, click here). This translates to something of a manic workload.

I'm still trying it all out. We'll see how it goes. 

Where can I find The Devil's Playthings?

The Devil's Playthings is, of course, available on Amazon in both print and ebook form. It is also on the site Smashwords, which in turn distributes to Kobo, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and several other platforms.

In short? You can find The Devil's Playthings just about everywhere!

Thanks again for your support, and for your interest in The Devil's Playthings series! 

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