I am very pleased to welcome the lovely Bree Despain here to DarkFaerieTales.com to talk about her debut young adult novel, The Dark Divine, which officially releases on December 22, 2009.
I’m giving one lucky commenter a chance to win a copy of The Dark Divine and SWAG. Details are listed at the end of the post.
Want to pre-order a copy of The Dark Divine? Say no more, just go here.
You can also visit Bree around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Welcome Bree!
DFT: Could you start things off by telling us a little about the book?
THE DARK DIVINE is a modern retelling of the prodigal son with a paranormal romance twist. It is about a brother and sister whose lives are forever changed by the reappearance of a long lost friend.
DFT: What motivated you to write The Dark Divine?
The whole story idea started with a scene between a brother and a sister that just popped into my head. The characters themselves were so full of emotion. It was their personalities that drove the story.
DFT: Tell us something about your research process and the choices you make when creating the story.
I am an expert Googler. Google is my friend.
DFT: What influences and inspirations (both literary and non-literary) did you draw from while writing The Dark Divine?
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, oh, and the story of the prodigal son, of course.
DFT: Who is your favorite character in this book, and why?
I flip-flop between Grace and Daniel when it comes to my favorite. I am just plain in love with Daniel, and getting inside his head is always a ton of fun. But I also love to write Grace. She is a good girl with a kind and loving heart, but she’s not about to let you walk all over here either. She is very strong willed, and willing to stick up for herself.
DFT: Do you have a long-term plan or goal for this story universe? What happens next?
I am currently working on a sequel to TDD and am very excited about where the story is going. The next book will answer some of the questions readers will have at the end of TDD and will delve more into the paranormal world and lore.
DFT: What other projects are you working on that you would like to tell us about?
I have several other ideas in the works including another paranormal romance, a sci-fi romance, and a couple of realistic fiction ideas.
DFT: If you could choose only one, which would you choose: for The Dark Divine to be award-winning, or for The Dark Divine to be bestselling? Why?
Award winning. No question. First, because award winning is a stamp of approval that your book is more than just entertainment—that it has literary value. But also because, award winning books can sell a lot too (hehe).
DFT: What books would you like your own work to match or surpass (in terms of writing, impact/influence, popularity/sales, or awards)?
That’s a really hard question because every book is so different. I just hope enough people read it and like it that I can keep writing books. But at the same time, I’ve always fantasized about my book becoming a movie one day, so I’m still crossing my fingers that it’s popular enough for that.
DFT: What was the path to publication like for The Dark Divine? Was it difficult to find an agent and a publisher?
From concept to publication, TDD took almost 5 years. But my overall path to publication was longer. I had been writing for 9 years before I found an agent. I was glad that I had been writing for that long though, because I learned a lot, and once I had found an agent, finding a publisher wasn’t too difficult.
DFT: What books/genres do you read when you have the chance? Any must read authors or series?
For fun I really like to read chick-lit books like PANTS ON FIRE by Meg Cabot and BAD KITTY by Michelle Jaffe. I also like to read YA books that make me think like SWEETHEARTS by Sara Zarr and THE WAY HE LIVED by Emily Wing Smith. My new favorite paranormal romance is HUSH HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick.
DFT: What is your definition of a “bad writing day”? How do you deal with bad writing days?
When I get really blocked and stare at the computer screen for a couple hours until I burst into tears. How do I battle it? Dark chocolate and a bubble bath. Also I complain to my husband and friends until they bully me into feeling better about myself.
DFT: Do you have a particular writing process or any writing rituals?
I don’t know that I really have a writing ritual, but I listen to a lot of music. For TDD I made a soundtrack that I would play in my car to help me think about my characters and the story. I also used the soundtrack help me get into the mood to write. Oh, and I really like to have chocolate nearby when I’m writing.
DFT: If you could be any paranormal creature. Which one would you be and why?
I can’t tell you that. It’s a spoiler :D.
DFT: Thank you Bree for taking the time to stop by.
GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:
One lucky commenter will have a chance to win a copy of The Dark Divine and SWAG.
To enter, leave a comment below answering the following question:
What is your idea of a mysterious, dark and sexy love interest?
1. +1 entry for answering the question (required).
2. +3 entries for becoming a follower of this blog and Dark Faerie Tales on Twitter.
3. +4 entries for tweeting about this contest, blogging about it, linking via your sidebar etc…(please tell me where!).
4. Giveaway is open to everyone.
5. Please include your email address in your comment.
6. Giveaway ends Monday, December 14th at 11:59 PM EST.
7. The winner will be picked with the help of Random.org.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
on 
on