Sherrilyn Kenyon’s first panel of Dragon*Con 2012 was “An Interview with Sherrilyn Kenyon” Friday 1PM in Regency VI-VII (Hyatt). Among the many questions asked, significant attention was paid to the status of the movie adaptation of Kenyon’s popular Dark-Hunter universe. Kenyon said that there was a draft of a script done but there were several characters were omitted. She knew her fans would’ve been upset at their exclusion, so another draft of the script is being worked on. Although no names were mentioned, Kenyon hinted a particular actor is being considered for the pivotal role of the original Dark-Hunter, Acheron.
“He’s 6’4” or 6’5” so put him in boots, and he’s perfect!” Kenyon teased.
One interesting question asked during the panel was about the author’s viewpoint on eBooks and their emergence in the literary world. Kenyon, a lifelong technophile, was the one of the first New York Times best-selling authors to publish an eBook in 1995, when eBooks were in their infancy and no one was sure of what they were or if they were going to be very popular. Since then, she has watched with a mixture of happiness and trepidation as the format has grown in popularity. “When someone steals a book from a bookstore, we can call the police and have them arrested. Now, someone can steal a book but we have to call lawyers and, unfortunately, the law hasn’t quite caught up with the technology.” So, while she is in favor of the advances in technology, Kenyon also seems sad that publishing houses are becoming dinosaurs, noting (with moderator/co-panelist Alethea Kontis) that two major publishers have gone under.
Fans were delighted with the chance to interact with one of the most well known and one of the most approachable of Dragon*Con’s many literary guests. Kenyon, in turn, obviously took great delight in getting to see and talk with her fans in person instead of just online, as she greeted each fan who came to the microphone with a “Hey sweetie,” or a “Thank you, babydoll.”
Ever a tease, Kenyon mentioned that in books to come new dimensions will be revealed about perennial fan favorite Dark-Hunter series character, Nick—who now has a young adult literature series all of his own, Chronicles of Nick—and Acheron, the Dark-Hunter leader. Of course, she wouldn’t give any specifics.
“Sometimes…I have to wait and find out when the characters decide to tell me, so in that respect, you [the fans] and I have that in common,” Kenyon said.
