Mistress of Death
an interview with the author
What inspired you to write Mistress of Death?
I was reading a bunch of young adult novels with these strong female characters at the time. Lots and lots. The market had really just exploded with them (this was years ago) and there was a huge shift, new adult vs young adult. And NA was just starting to become a thing. I loved it all so much and I really wanted to write something along those lines.
I’m also one of those people who keeps a dream journal and a few of the ideas came from some pretty vivid dreams.
Always keep a notebook handy, or your phone, so you can get an idea down quick.
What came first, plot or characters?
Plot. But it went through several versions before making it to print. The characters stayed pretty much the same.
Is this your favorite book that you've written so far?
No. I think my favorite story is always going to be the one I’m working on currently. Or even the one I haven’t started yet.
Who is your favorite character from the book?
St. Patrick. There’s less of him in the final version, I cut a fair amount out for the sake of length. He ended up taking over. He became a character I wanted to spend more time with, someone I liked just as much, more really, than Gabriel.
He’s a man with many sides, angles, blind alleys and sharp corners. He’s complicated, dark, and while you can trust him to do the right thing he won’t necessarily do it for the right reasons. And I love how completely he adores Vivian. Another character that I planned to only live in the periphery of the story but when I finished they were integral to the plot. These two together could run the city, take over the world. They really do deserve their own book.
If you had to describe Gabriel in three words what would they be?
Sharp. Fierce. Idealistic. Determined.
So that’s four but I can’t chose one to cut. They’re all perfect.
If you were making a movie of this book who would you cast?
Gabriel - Cara Delevingne
Matthew - Henry Cavill
Mercer - Ben Kingsley
St. Patrick - Mads Mikkelsen
Vivian - Blake Lively
Royce - Oscar Issacs
Is there a playlist for this book? Other inspiration?
Yes and yes! I always build a playlist and Pinterest board for whatever I’m currently working on. Or hoping to work on in the near future. You can find them here:
Pinterest: WIP angels and demons
Want more? Read this too!
