Today, I welcome Cindy Dees, an award-winning author of thriller and romantic suspense novels. Her fantasy debut (co-authored with Bill Flippin), The Sleeping King, is newly out from Tor Books (reviewed here). We discuss the challenges of multi-author novels, planning a series, and delicious milkshakes. And one lucky commenter will win a copy of The Sleeping King!

Jana Nyman: What drew you to the role-playing game Dragon Crest, and what inspired you to write a novel in that world?

Cindy Dees

The Sleeping King by Cindy Dees & Bill Flippin

Fantasy role-playing games come in all flavors and styles: from the well-known tabletop format of Dungeons and Dragons, to live-action role-playing (LARP) sessions in which players craft armor and characters, to video games based on the D&D format (Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights), to chat forums in which players create text-based adventures, to card-based games like Magic: The Gathering, there truly is something out there for any interested person to explore. Cindy Dees, a best-selling author of suspense and thriller novels, and Bill Flippin, the creator of the Dragon Crest LARP game, have brought the world and characters of Dragon Crest to the page in The Sleeping King, the first in a planned epic fantasy series.

Sequel