Alexis Morgan is the author of the wonderful paranormal series about the Paladins, mighty protectors of our world who battle against the Others coming from behind the border every time the earth shakes. Her series has now been published in Germany and fascinated the readers. (Photo: Copyright Glen Sayes, Lumina Photography)

Thank you for taking the time for this interview.
Your Paladin-series has been a hit in America. In Germany we’ve started with it so we don’t know very much about the world of the Others, yet. How did you come up with the idea of a border between the worlds?

Long before I actually came up with the idea for the Paladins, I knew there was a warrior moving around in the back of my mind.  Even though I didn’t know much about him at first, I kept seeing him fighting at the edge of light and dark. I’ve always been interested in geology, so when I decided that the light was actually a barrier between our world and another, it seemed logical that it could be damaged by either earthquakes or volcanoes.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, we live along a fault line, and there are five volcanoes in my state, including Mount St. Helens that blew up in 1980.

Which aspects do you find fascinating when you think about the Paladins?

I loved the idea of modern day warriors that fight a secret war to protect the rest of us, but at terrible cost to themselves.  Even knowing each battle, each death could be their last, they still pick up their swords and stand shoulder-to-shoulder to keep the world safe.

How did you figure out which heroine you’d take for each hero?

They sort of tell me. For example, in Dark Protector, Laurel knows full well that someday she might have to end Devlin’s life when he uses up the last of his humanity. However, that makes her just that more determined to find a way to stop that from happening. Trahern, the hero in the second book, is so far gone that everyone within the Paladin community thinks he can’t be saved. It takes a woman from outside their close knit group to make them see that he can be brought back through the power of love.

Was it planned from the beginning to give Barak his own book?

No, it sure wasn’t. In fact, he was supposed to die in the first book. But when it came time to kill him off, I just couldn’t. In telling the story, I realized the true monster was human, not an Other. Letting him live and showing him to be the honorable warrior he was changed the dynamics of the entire series.

And how do you keep track of your details in the books which span a very long timeframe (in our time)?

I have a file box for the series where I keep a worksheet for each character so I can keep track of not just how they look, but also any personal interests or quirks.  For example, that DJ prefers to fight with an axe rather than a sword, or that Cullen is the calm, scholarly sort.  I also draw out diagrams of buildings, offices, and houses that the Paladins use.

How would you describe the next novels after the one about Barak? What is in store for the readers and how wild will the ride become?

The fourth book is about Cullen, who crossed into Barak’s world at the end of the third book. After that, Jarvis, who first appeared in Dark Defender as Trahern’s friend, gets his own book. Things grow more dangerous as the mysterious forces working against the Paladins and their allies among the Kalith warriors continue to cause Devlin and his friends lots of problems.

After your series ended how did you feel?

Even when it’s time to move on, it’s hard to leave characters behind after writing eight books and a novella about them. I’ve continued to write short stories about the Paladins and their allies in the Members Only section of my website (which do contain spoilers for those who haven’t read all of the books.) Currently, I’m writing a serialized novella about Lonzo Jones because I wanted him to have his story told, too.

How did you decide which theme you’d use for your next books?

Redemption is one of my favorite themes in both books I read and stories I write.  That led me to my next story.

At the moment you write fantasy instead of paranormal romances. Was the switch easy for you to make?

My very first manuscript, which never sold, was set in a fantasy world, so I’m sort of going back to my roots as a writer. My Lady Mage, the first book in my new Warriors of the Mist fantasy series, will be released in July of this year.  The series features five warriors who sleep beneath the River of the Damned until they are called by their gods to defend the world against evil.

What projects are you planning in the future?

I have a book set in my vampire world called Savage Redemption coming out from Harlequin Nocturne in September. After that, the second book in the Warriors of the Mist series, Her Knight’s Quest, will be released in March 2013. I’ve also just sold a contemporary series, which will debut late next summer.

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick.  It’s the first book in her new trilogy.

What would you like to say to your German fans?

One of the greatest gifts connected to my writing is getting to connect with readers all over the world. So here I am, **waving** at you from the West Coast of the United States. I hope you enjoy reading about my Paladins as much as I loved writing about them.

Thank you for your time. I am looking forward to your next book in Germany.