Author Interview: Bree Despain

I'm thrilled to be featuring Bree Despain, author of debut novel The Dark Divine today. Bree Despain 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 scheduled to be released December 22, 2009.

What inspired you to write The Dark Divine?
I always like to say that The Dark Divine was born out of a perfect storm of thoughts, emotions, and memories that suddenly came together in my head on a dark night in January 2005. I was thinking about the song “Such Great Heights” by the Postal Service, my new favorite TV show (Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns), a book I had recently read (SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson), and a random memory from the 9th grade. I looked up at a billboard at a stop light, and a conversation between a brother and a sister popped into my head. They were discussing an old friend who had suddenly reappeared in their lives. “He’s dangerous. You have to stay away from him,” the brother warned his sister.

I went home and started writing, and very soon that random 9th grade memory had morphed into the first scene in the first chapter of the book, and the conversation between the brother and the sister became the third scene. And that’s how it all started . . .

If your book was opted for a movie – Which actors do you think would best recreate the main characters in The Dark Divine?
Daniel is the easiest: Taylor Kitsch. I was watching Friday Night Lights one night with my hubby and Riggins (Taylor’s character) looked up at the camera with his beautiful brooding eyes, and I suddenly yelled, “It’s him! He’s Daniel!” And hubby totally agreed (somewhat begrudgingly because, you know, Taylor is so darn hot).

Grace and Jude are a lot harder for me to cast. They both would need to have dark hair and be attractive but also very “good kid” looking. I’d like a young Tom Welling look-alike for Jude. Or possibly Chase Crawford with dark hair. Leighton Meester has the right physical look for Grace, but I just can’t get over her mean-girl-ness in Gossip Girl. Grace is definitely NOT a mean girl! Sometimes I think Taylor Swift with curly dark hair might be a good fit because she is totally sweet but also very confident and determined.

Do readers have any casting suggestions? I’d love to hear them!

Can you share a teaser with us to get us *salivating*?
“Daniel!” I called as the engine roared to life.

He shifted forward on the seat of his bike, “You coming?”

“What? No. I can’t”

“Then why are you here?” Daniel looked at me then, his mud pie eyes—still splotched with red—searching my face.

I couldn’t stop it—that invisible thread pulled me right up next to him. “You got a helmet?”

“This is Zed’s bike. You wouldn’t want to wear his helmet if he had one.” Daniel booted the kickstand. “I knew you’d come.”

“Shut up,” I said, and climbed on the back of the motorcycle…

What other projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a sequel for The Dark Divine. It is so much fun to get to spend more time with some of my favorite characters (and a few new ones). And it’s also fun to get to answer a few of the questions readers will have at the end of the first book.

I have a couple of other paranormal romance stories waiting to be written after the sequel, along with a bit more of a sci-fi romance. I also enjoy writing contemporary humorous fiction, and would love to publish in that genre someday.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
In my personal life, I’d say my two little boys. They are huge handful, but they are also very loving and creative, and it just melts my heart whenever they ask if they can tell me a story. The literary world had better watch out for those two in a couple of decades!

Professionally, I’d say that sticking through the 9 years of hard work and obstacles to finally get published. There were so many times that I thought it would never happen, but luckily I have a support group that is stronger than the negative voices in my head and I just kept on writing and revising and submitting until my dreams finally came true.

Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?
I have several books inside of me, so I hope to always be writing, and always creating more stories in my head—and hopefully people will want to keep paying me for them. :)

After the sequel for TDD, I hope to publish other paranormal novels and even a few realistic ones.

What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?
Can I send you a box of chocolates? Yes. Yes you can. As long as it is dark chocolate and dairy free :)

Is there anything else you want people to know about yourself or the book?
I am really really really excited to share the story with everyone and I hope you all enjoy it. I absolutely love writing and being an author is a dream-come-true. Oh, and also, I love chocolate (hehe). Thanks for the interview!

Thanks Bree!

For more information about Bree Despain and her books, please visit her website here.