It’s day four of the Egmont Blog Tour. Today I’m featuring Bree Despain! Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two young sons, and her beloved TiVo. The Dark Divine is Bree’s debut novel.
The Interview:
KM: Tell us a little bit about your teenage self.
BD: I was a shy teen—but I loved theatre because it gave me a chance to break out of my shell. I loved acting and directing plays. I also love to travel and I was a teen ambassador the summer before my senior year. I got to travel to Europe with a great group of other teens. There was something about being so far from home that helped me really figure out who I wanted to be. I remember telling a group of the other teen ambassadors in my program that I was really shy back home. They all broke into to laughter because they thought I was making a joke. I think that experience really helped me to become the person I wanted to be.
KM: If you could spend a day with a character from your novel, who would you choose and why? How would the two of you spend your day together?
BD: Daniel. Hands down. We’d take a ride on his motorcycle and then have a picnic in the Garden of Angels. I’d mostly just want to spend the time picking his brain about everything that’s going on inside his head.
KM: Confession time. What quirky writer things do you indulge in? Do you have any superstitions? Is there anything you need to have while writing? Or something specific that will kill your momentum?
BD: I must have chocolate nearby as I write, and I prefer to write in bed. Cinnamon bears are also a plus. Nothing kills my mojo more than hearing my boys whine or argue while I’m working—which is why they know they can’t play video games while mommy is writing.
The Book:
Here’s the super-cool cover for Bree’s debut novel, The Dark Divine.
Summary:
A prodigal son
A dangerous love
A deadly secret . . .
I stood back and watched his movements. Daniel had that way about him that could shut me down in an instant. . . . I kicked the gravel a couple of times and worked up my courage again. “Tell me . . . I mean . . . why did you come back? Why now, after all this time?”
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.
As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel’s dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.
To learn more, go to Bree’s website.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.