Behind the Scenes

SEPARATING FICTION FROM FACT

Nancy's best partner in Angel-noir! Jeff Mariotte

Holder and Mariotte are currently putting the finishes touches on “Endangered Species,” the first hardcover novel of the Angel book series (Holder has co-written with Golden “Immortal,” the first Buffy hardcover novel and written “The Book of Fours,” the latest of the three Buffy hardcovers). This is the sixth book the two authors have collaborated on. In addition to “Endangered Species,” “Case Files,” and “The Watcher’s Guide Vol. II,” Holder and Mariotte also worked on the Unseen trilogy, which is the first Buffy/Angel novel crossover: “The Burning,” “Door to Alternity,” and “Long Way Home.” “Endangered Species,” which takes place in Hawaii, occurs during Season 2 of Angel just before Darla’s pregnancy. Holder and Mariotte fleshed out his idea that there is a creature that can mate with vampires and, in turn, can create a whole new race of the undead, far more powerful than the current race. “The idea is that there’s always a food chain, always predators, always prey, and the stakes are being upped, so there’s going to be hopefully not a new kind of vampire on the planet who will subjugate all the other vampires. But there’s a catch to all of that because someone is trying to stop that from happening and if this person succeeds, all the vampires on the planet will become extinct. And let us all remember that Angel is a vampire, so Angel can either help his own kind or watch a more powerful vampire take over. He’s kind of messed up,” Holder elaborates. “The one thing is that Angel, of course, is an endangered species because he’s the only vampire with a soul we know of. He’s the only one and if he goes, he’s gone, so he’s bracing himself everyday for the worst and trying to make a difference is what he’s all about.”

There is a vast difference between writing non-fiction like “Case Files” and writing fiction like “Endangered Species,” Holder says. “When (Jeff and I) write fiction together, we have different habits. We’re much more like co-authors in the sense of kindred spirits trying to create something in this universe rather than reporting what already is in terms of show production,” she continues. “I’ve been having a good time putting events in, speaking of myself today because Jeff and I, while we collaborate, we don’t work in a room in writing teams on the show does. We write separately and then put it together after the fact. I’m writing on my own, then I’ll send it to Jeff, and he can work on it.” Mariotte is quick to add, “Nancy is a journeyman (journeyperson?) writer, with a solid track record, dozens of books, hundreds of short stories and a shelf-full of awards. For a relative newcomer like me to get to work with an established champ like her is an amazing treat. She can turn a phrase like nobody else, and her range of knowledge and expertise is so vast that she always manages to slip in strange and wondrous tidbits that add layers to the book that are completely unexpected. And at the end of it all, we’re still friends. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

"[Nancy] can turn a phrase like nobody else, and her range of knowledge and expertise is so vast that she always manages to slip in strange and wondrous tidbits that add layers to the book that are completely unexpected."

Holder says the best part about writing “Endangered Species” is creating a new and weird form of villainy to pit against Angel and the heroes of Angel Investigations. She also enjoys referencing events in the shows, as well as other novels. “What I’m getting a big kick out of today is there’s a part in ‘Child of the Hunt’ (which she co-wrote with Golden), there are these icky little faeries and in this book, there are many menehunes, which are the little faeries of Hawaii, because part of this book takes place in Hawaii. I had Angel say, ‘We went through this in Sunnydale. We could do this in Sunnydale, so I should be able to get through this now.’ Survival is not looking good because there are hundreds and hundreds of tiny little creatures coming after him. That was a kick. I put that in on purpose. There’s a lot of waggle in the wings to the other (writers),” she says. “In ‘Endangered Species,’ there are definitely references to other books and things other people have set up in the print universe, as well as the show universe. And I think it’s just a way of tipping the hat to the other writers and to thank the fans who read the books for keeping track with us, and letting everybody know that we’re all quote-quote on the same page.”

Holder’s family has extremely strong ties to the Hawaiian Islands, therefore co-writing this novel became a point of pride. “My father and my aunt lived there. My grandfather was the head of a hospital right before and during World War II. My aunt saw Pearl Harbor attacked. So we’re really strong with Hawaii, and I get to go there once a year to teach at a writer’s retreat,” she says. “I was able to put Darla and Angel (in Hawaii). It was really, really interesting to me. I don’t know what Jeff would say for his part. That was probably the highlight—it was so different—to stick Angel in Hawaii of all places, the land of the sunburned”—and she can’t help but laugh. “One vampire who’s sticking out like a sore thumb because he’s so PALE! I really, really, REALLY enjoyed that very much.”

Holder prefers to write with a collaborator because it keeps her motivated. “I have to say I’m a single mom right now and lately, because of that, it’s much easier to have a collaborator because I have somebody to answer to more immediately than a ‘somewhere soon there’ll be a deadline’ situation with editors or with show producers. When there’s somebody on the other end of the line going, ‘Where’s my chapter?’ I know I have to keep going. It’s really, for me, very easy, given how I have a lot of deadlines and a lot of balls in the air, it’s easier to say, ‘I can do that later.’ But if you got somebody saying, ‘Where is it?’ That keeps you honest and keeps you on target,” she explains. “Also, it’s really fun. I’ve been doing this for awhile now and I have my visions of the shows and the way I see things. The things other people come up with are fresh and new and different to me. One of the most interesting things that’s come up is I’ve begun to realize is why TV shows are written so collaboratively; I didn’t used to get that at all. But what happens is maybe somebody’s good at putting down the baseline, but there’s somebody else who’s good at putting in some guitar riffs and it’s really neat to hear something new from another voice. I really love it.”

FLYING SOLO

In addition to co-writing “Endangered Species,” Mariotte is also putting the finishing touches on his Angel novel, “Stranger to the Sun,” which is centered around Wesley Wyndam-Price, who spends the majority of the book unconscious, the author reveals. “The title’s actually from a song by a local San Diego singer/songwriter named Tim Flannery. His father was a coal-miner and the reference is coal-miners are strangers to the sun b/c they go down into the mine before the sun comes up, and by the time they come up, it’s dark and they never see it. They’re underground all day long and I thought that it applied equally to vampires,” Mariotte says. “But in this particular book, Wesley’s family was a mining family back in England at turn of the last century. During his unconscious period, Wesley finds himself in a coal mine with his great-grandfather near the turn of the last century and difficulties ensue.”

The covers of Haunted and Strangers to the Sun

Mariotte claims his recent novel, “Haunted,” which takes place just after the classic episode “Epiphany,” where Angel and his crew are trying to get comfortable with one another again, was inspired by the current reality TV craze like Survivor, the first season of which the author watched. Cordelia is the spotlight of this novel and she is thrust into one of these reality television shows.“The first thing I thought about was what if Cordelia was in a situation like that and had a vision and couldn’t pick up a phone and call Angel and say, ‘I had this vision…’ How would she get the message across? I figured she’d have to do it by using the show, by the using the fact she’s on TV and figuring that Angel’s watching, so that was the initial inspiration. Cordy would like to be on TV, she’d do anything to get a high profile gig like that, and what would happen if she did?” he says.

Mariotte makes it clear that Cordelia is his favorite character to write because, “She will say anything to anybody and I’ve always enjoyed being around people like that. She’s not one to temper her words for any particular reason, she just says what’s on her mind. There have been times in her life when that’s been perceived as mean, and certainly she has been mean in the past, but I think it’s kind of a brutal honesty, ‘I say what I feel and I’m just gonna put it out there.’ She is a fascinating character and she’s got this voice that’s so much fun to try and capture.” “Haunted” takes the Angel/Cordelia relationship and seems to develop it into something stronger, specifically the ending scene where Angel admits to missing her. However, Mariotte is neutral on the subject of Angel and Cordelia’s relationship going beyond the boundaries of a close, platonic friendship, something that has been explored (and subsequently resolved) this season. When asked about this, he merely shrugs it off with a laugh, “She’s not a little blonde so she may not be his type.”

Mariotte also gets a chance to use other supporting characters who have played a major role in the Angel mythos like Anne Steele, Lorne, and Wolfram & Hart, “It was a lot of fun to write Lorne. I had never done much with him in the past. I do enjoy trying to capture that voice,” he states. “With Wolfram & Hart, I always wanted to do Lindsey but he left. I never had the opportunity and I guess I won’t, but I had Lilah in it and made up another guy because Gavin really hadn’t become that big of a character yet. I got to play with a lot of characters.” He even manages to put in a cameo appearance of an old favorite, the late and lamented Allen Francis Doyle. “I did not anticipate putting Doyle in the book, but I was writing this kind of creepy scene where Cordelia kept being awakened at 2:17. Room 217 is the haunted room in Stephen King’s ‘The Shining.’ As a tribute to that, it's also the room 1950s Angel occupies at the Hyperion Hotel in ‘Are You Now or Have You Ever Been,’ in Season 2 of the series. So it's not only an Angel reference but a reference to a classic of horror fiction and film,” he says. “I was writing that scene and the whole bit with Doyle came into my head just as I was writing it. Doyle’s got a lot of fans out there that would really like to see him.”

Writing novels based on television shows is a very unique medium. While one has established characters to work with, there is always the pressure of creating new and exciting characters the reader will enjoy. Nancy, Jeff, and Maryelizabeth are three exquisite writers who continue to establish themselves in the world of Joss through their stories, whether it is solo or a collaboration. Needless to say, which is why it’s being said, Nancy Holder, Jeff Mariotte, and Maryelizabeth Hart, are very personable and kind individuals who made interviewing them and writing this article a pleasure. In fact, when I had to change tapes in my recorder, Nancy sympathized with my plight, recalling her similar situation with Joss Whedon, and patiently waited, returning the same courtesy the Man showed her. Not only are these three great writers, they’re even greater people.

Written by CoA Staff Writer, Kurt Anthony Krug

CityofAngel.com would like to graciously thank Nancy Holder, Jeff Mariotte, and Maryelizabeth Hart for their interest, support, and being so GENEROUS with their time.

For more info on Jeff visit his all newly designed web site at: www.jeffmariotte.com or visit www.mysteriousgalaxy.com.

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