Staff writer Nancy Churnin offers this interview with Shanna Swendson, author of the "Enchanted, Inc." series. Nancy asks the question: What If They Stopped Publishing Harry Potter After Book Six?
Texas author Shanna Swendson should be riding high with the fourth book in her Enchanted, Inc. series: "Don't Hex with Texas." And she is for the most part. But she was not too thrilled when she saw her publisher advertising it as the LAST book in the series. She had planned for a five-book series from the moment she dreamed up Katie Chandler, the no nonsense and decidedly unmagical Texas girl who falls for a wizard named Owen Palmer in New York (who could pass for a grown up version of Harry Potter).
"I was not happy. There was a major flip out," she says on the phone from her home in Irving about getting the word from her publisher.
"I planned it out very soon after writing the first. The fifth book is basically about Owen, still from Katie's point of view -- who he is, where he came from and everything that's going on."
But now - gulp - does this mean we'll never know?
Well, she says, it's up to the readers. Ballantine Books cut the cord because the sales weren't high enough, although the first book still sells about 50-100 copies a week. "Romantic Times" is planning a story on her in June decrying the premature conclusion. Strike Entertainment has optioned the first book for the movies -- which could prove a BIG boost for the series if the film gets made. And she is hoping that if she can market the series as urban fantasy rather than as chick-lit, it will do better. To that end, she is heading to the Nebula Awards in Austin next week, wearing the red stilettos that inspired the second book in the series, "Once Upon Stilettos."
"I'm incredibly stubborn and optimistic," she says.
But for her sake - and for mine, as an admitted Enchanted Inc.-aholic, please buy the books because I HAVE TO KNOW:
What happened to Owen's parents?
Who are Gloria and James and why did he end up with them?
Where did Owen get his abilities?
Who's really pulling Idris' strings?
What are the bad guys trying to do and why?
And what will happen with Rod and Marcia?
Ah, poor Owen. As if the shy wizard doesn't have enough problems with getting his story told, his 39-year-old author is also giving him just a teensy bit of blame for still being single.
"I think I'm spoiled," she says. "When you have men like that living in your head, how can real men compete? Of course, it would also help if I got out of the house..."
Actually, to that end, she is not only heading to Austin, she is going to do some local book signings. Shanna will be at the Fort Worth Barnes & Noble at TCU in Fort Worth April 29 at 6 p.m. and at the Borders in Plano May 7 at 7 p.m. So meet, greet and BUY SOME BOOKS!
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