Being half Finnish, I always wanted to do a fantasy that tackled their unique and macabre mythology, but back then I figured it would be a YA book. After all, in 2013, YA fantasy is what was selling and adult fantasy, especially sexy adult fantasy, wasn’t much of a thing. And that was fine with me, I could tone it down and make it friendly for a younger audience. My agent was excited about the idea too, and I always had this project in the back of my mind, waiting for a slice of time to come along where I could write it.
That time never came. Every year I emailed my agent and asked her what my prospects were and she would cautiously encourage me, but I kept putting it to the side, trying to find space in my life that I could devote to a fantasy that would take up tons of world-building time and writing time. After all, though I’ve done horror romance and paranormal romance and urban fantasy, high fantasy was something totally new to me （though it had always been a bucket list writing goal, thanks to the Piers Anthony novels I devoured when younger）。 I wasn’t sure how I’d tackle it and how long it would take. The challenge seemed daunting.
Until my father passed away suddenly in September 2021, just two months after my brother died. I was thrown into the deepest depths of grief （and still am）。 Because the death of Hanna’s father was always the catalyst for this book, I finally felt that perhaps now I was ready to write this book. After all, I would have done absolutely ANYTHING to get my father back, including going to the Realm of the Dead, and now I could sadly relate to everything single thing that Hanna was going through. I felt her grief intimately and it gave the story validity.
On top of that, I personally had a few things to say to Death, things to reckon with, things that I know I’ll never understand. If only Death was a sexy god in the underworld who would barter with me in exchange for having my family members back. But the Death we know isn’t like that. Which is why it was cathartic, and at times fun, to write him differently, to make him someone whom which you could perhaps trade your soul to or reason with.
So of course, the deaths in my family made finally writing this book make all the sense in the world. It didn’t make it easier, no my brain feels permanently rewritten from all the loss and sorrow. But it made me ready.
Naturally I have lots of people to thank during this most trying of times.
Kathleen Tucker, Sandra Cortez, Ali Hymer, and Kelly St-Laurent—thank you for being my cheerleaders. To all my readers and friends, especially those on IG and my beloved Anti-Heroes on Facebook, thank you for your excitement for this book and your love.
Stephanie Brown, thank you for your belief in this book, and to all at the Bookish Box team for being so supportive, amazing and talented! You really brought Death and Hanna to life in the most beautiful way.
As usual, all my love and awe goes to Scott Mackenzie （and Bruce）， who had to witness the making of this book during the following: the hardships of the first birthday and holiday season without my beloved father and brother, through a beautiful but stressful, snow-packed New Year, through a road-trip we hadn’t done since before Covid, which included driving on the I-5 in Washington through historic floods, a night in Newport, Oregon that turned into five plus an emergency visit to the animal hospital in Corvalis （Bruce is fine!）， eight hours on the 101 heading south while trying to find Tesla charging stations in the redwoods and writing in the car, plus finishing up the book during an all-nighter which culminated with me turning it in at six am in Healdsburg, California. Where I am currently, drinking Sonoma wine and writing these acknowledgements, fully looking forward to the future adventures of Hanna and Death.
Laura Helseth and Chanpreet Singh, you may be mortal, but you are Gods to me! Thank you for going above and beyond for this book, my gratitude towards you knows no bounds during this rollercoaster of an edit and I am so thankful for you and your support of me!
Last but certainly not least, though they are no longer with us, I also want to thank my dad, Sven Halle, and my brother, Kris Halle. You were with me every step of the way. And Papa, I’m sorry this book isn’t about Norse mythology, but I’ve written plenty of books already about Norwegians—time for Mama to have something too.
About the Author
Karina Halle, a former screenwriter, travel writer and music journalist, is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of The Pact, A Nordic King, and Sins & Needles, as well as over fifty other wild and romantic reads. She, her husband, and their adopted pit bull live in a rain forest on an island off British Columbia. In the winter, you can often find them in their condo in Los Angeles, or on their beloved island of Kauai, soaking up as much sun （and getting as much inspiration） as possible. For more information, visit www.authorkarinahalle.com