Promotional Event: Guest Post: Jill Cooper

Writing Demon Royale 

(Or how I panicked about getting it wrong)

By Jill Cooper

In Dream Slayer Natalie Johnson is a day dreamer who creates a world of fantastical adventures. Her dreams create chaos in the real world as everyone’s nightmares, deepest fears, manifest around them. When it’s over she discovers her real power, strength, but people suffer along the way. And some die.

I had setup a platform for a series about two kick butt heroines. I know where they will end up in Book three and ultimately where the series will end. But how do I get them there?

Initial I had a kick butt plot setup where Natalie springs into action, kills a lot of demons, saves her friends from sacrifice, and eats a lot of pancakes. It was great, it was exciting. My husband loved it, but I wasn’t sure. It was missing something.



I wasn’t sure what it was missing at first. It seemed like a logical step in Natalie’s progression. She’s learning to fight and figuring out who she is; her relationship with her boyfriend, and along the way she saves the world. Again.

But there was no compassion for the fallen. No remorse for the damage and death she had caused in the first book. I realized I had focused all her attention on learning to fight, to become an effective undead killer, and I needed to put that focus on her emotions.

So I kept some aspects of the plot I loved (like the pancakes, demonic squirrels) and I started over. In Dream Slayer, Natalie had never questioned her destiny because there wasn’t time. The city was at stake! There was evil all around.

Now in this highly personal novel for Natalie it gives her the opportunity to mourn the lost and gives her the chance to decide, ‘is this what I really want’? Is she comfortable being a hero, a leader?

While there is still a lot of danger, evil, and the world is again at risk, it is a smaller journey for Natalie as she comes to grips with her life and the past choices she’s made. As she gets sicker and she begins to lose strength, she always loses resolve. When you’re the hero with no one else to reside on what should she do? What would you do?

We would like to thank Jill Cooper for stopping by Pink Fluffy Hearts to talk about her new book. Make sure you check out the giveaway in the previous post!