Where are you from?
Columbia, Missouri
What is your main purpose in life?
My main goal in life is to learn as much as I can. However, my calling is to hunt serial killers, I’ve been doing it since I was eight years old, when I was kidnapped by a serial killer. I killed him to escape.
Who is your greatest enemy and why?
Myself. I’m a sociopath with a taste for blood. I’ve killed before, always in self-defense, but sometimes I worry I’ll slide down the rabbit hole and start killing for fun.
Do you think you can ever reconcile with this enemy?
No. I will always have to walk the line between doing what is right and doing what I want. Even if I make peace with my inner demon, the blood lust will always still be there, under the surface, waiting for a way to be sated.
Do you have a love interest?
No, I’m asexual. I don’t understand romantic love. It’s a feeling, a flash in the pan, and as a sociopath, it is something I do not understand. Most sociopaths and psychopaths use sex and love as a way to get what they want; I chose the opposite.
What is your weapon of choice?
Mostly, a Taser. It’s harder to kill people with one of those. However, I carry three guns, two knives, and a titanium baton for inflicting maximum damage when the situation calls for it.
What makes you happy?
Happy, another emotion. I’m happy when I’m tracking down a serial killer or mass murderer. I’m happy when I’m curled up on my couch, healing from wounds and watching TV while doing logic problems. Although, I must admit, I’m not entirely sure I’m ever happy. Of course, I’m not sure I’m ever unhappy either. So, it is of little consequence.
Do you have a code of honor?
Yes. I have a moral code, instilled in me by my best friend, Nyleena Clachan, and my mother. I often think of what they would do when I have to make a choice between following what is right and falling for what I want to do. It keeps me from crossing too many lines.
What makes you angry?
Injustice, abuse, death, and sometimes, getting the wrong order at a restaurant. I can’t stand abusers. People who want to control others using fear and intimidation. I have been told it is morally wrong. I don’t like when people play God and make decisions of life or death about another human being. That seems like they have let their narcissism get the better of them. If they get to play God over other people, it only seems fair that I should get to play God over them. However, even serial killers deserve justice. Not all of them are truly bad, just the majority. Sometimes, even the most functional sociopaths and psychopaths get led down the wrong path and while they deserve to punished for their crimes, their crimes are not the same as a killer that beheads people simply because he wants to.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My scars. I have lots. I accumulate more every year. They are starting to make my skin and muscles stiff. I’m losing some of my natural strength and mobility. I would have them removed.
What do you think is your greatest strength?
I’m a sociopath with morals. Most sociopaths are not ruled by right and wrong, only what they want. I have morals to help control my behavior. They aren’t real, but they are enough.
What do you think is your greatest weakness?
I’m a sociopath with morals. Sometimes, morals get in the way of doing what should be done. Having morals requires me to feel once in a while and it isn’t always the right time.
What do you think is your enemy’s greatest strength?
Since I am my own worst enemy…
Name one person you admire.
My mother. She married a cop who died in the line of duty. She raised one son who turned out to be a psychopath. One daughter who turned out to be the victim of a violent crime and died. Then she raised me. All the while, she knew our gene pool was contaminated by psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies. Not once has this stopped her from loving us, unconditionally. Nor did it stop her from instilling values, morals, and a sense of right and wrong, things most of our kind do not get. She is a strong, determined woman. I only hope I can live up to her expectations.
Name one person you trust.
My brother, Eric. He is a mass murderer and I work in law enforcement, which makes this sort of tricky, but I know he would do anything for me. If he thought I was in danger, he would find a way out of prison to rescue me, hunt down whoever put me in danger, and make sure they had a very bad day.
About the Book
Title: Elysium Dreams
Author: Hadena James
Genre: Horror
He skins his victims alive, taking pleasure from their pain.
In the cold, dark nights of Alaska, a hunter is stalking his prey. Once found, he takes them into the woods and skins them alive, prolonging the experience as much as he can, but the satisfaction always wanes.
Aislinn Cain and the Serial Crimes Tracking Unit have just finished up another case when they get the call. Now they are packing their bags and heading for Alaska in March. The team must overcome the hostile locals and harsh climate to catch a killer before he strikes again.
Author Bio
Hadena James began writing at the age of eight. By the time she graduated high school, she had published a couple of short stories in literary magazines. She completed writing her first novel at seventeen. Hadena began college as an English major, but quickly changed to a history major. However, she continued to write and took several extra classes in creative writing.
College showed her that while she could write short stories, novel writing was truly where her heart lay. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in European History with minors in German and Russian Studies. During this time, she received a couple of contract offers from publishing houses, but ultimately turned them all down.
In August 2012, she self-published her first novel. In retrospect, she is appreciative of the contracts offers she received when she was younger, but believes she made the right decision with self-publishing.
When she isn’t busy writing, Hadena enjoys playing in a steel-tip dart league. She loves to travel throughout North America and Europe. Her favorite cities to visit are Chicago, Illinois and Berlin, Germany. She is an avid reader, with her favorites being classic literature; Edgar Allen Poe, HP Lovecraft, Gaston LeRoux, and Jane Austen; modern favorites include Clive Barker, James Patterson, Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. Her favorite book is “Good Omens” by Neil Gaimen and Terry Pratchett. She writes all of her books while listening to music and the bands tend to get “honorable mentions” within the pages. Some of her favorite bands are Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, Rammstein, U2, Marilyn Manson, Oomph!, and Rob Zombie.
http://www.facebook.com/hadenajames
@hadenajames
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6618804.Hadena_James
Thanks for hosting Aislinn Cain and me today!
Thank you for being here!