Author Interview - Bree Despain

Most of you know that I had the great fortune to attend The Dark Divine launch party last weekend here in Salt Lake City, Utah at The King's English Bookshop. Well, the lovely and talented Bree Despain took the time out of her busy busy schedule to answer a few questions!



How does it feel to be a published author of such a well-received book?

"Oh wow, I am blown away by the positive response to TDD. I loved writing this book so much—it really is a piece of myself—so it is extremely gratifying to know that other people are connecting with it, too. I know not everyone will love the book, but I feel very blessed that so many people are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it."

Do you have any plans for a sequel to The Dark Divine? From the ending, it seemed that you might.

"Yes, I am working on the sequel right now. Well, not at this very moment (of course). Well, actually, I guess I am since Grace and April are having their own conversation in the back of my head at the moment."

Of all the characters in The Dark Divine, do you have a favorite? If so, what makes this character your favorite?

"It is very hard to pick my favorite character. I loved writing Grace because I feel like she is the stronger version of me as a teenager. Whenever I needed to figure out how Grace would respond to a certain situation, I think, “What would I have done?” and then I make Grace do the opposite. It’s kind of a cathartic experience. But I think I actually love writing Daniel the most. He has such an interesting past, and I love getting inside his head. Writing a tortured character is difficult, but surprisingly a lot of fun. Plus, he’s hot!"

Are there any particular authors or books that inspired you to become a writer?

"I’ve always loved reading for the fun of it. I really got into these books as a teen that were called the Sunspire Romance series. They were basically books for teenagers about historical events with a love triangle thrown in to spice things up. I devoured these books—and, believe it or not, they helped me get an A in my A.P. American History class. They were totally cheesy, but the love stories in the books really sparked my creativity and I started writing my own little romance/adventure stories in my notebooks. As an adult, I still eat up teen novels. I love Meg Cabot, Sara Zarr, Laurie Halse Anderson, Michelle Jaffe and many, many other authors."

What is one random fact that you can tell all your readers and fans about yourself?

"The only thing in my life that I am organized about is my revisions process. I have this really intricate color coding system for different aspects of the story that I need to work on. If you saw it in person, you would think I am an organization freak—that is until you walk into my house! Nothing else in my life even comes close to being organized."



I'd say she's pretty organized...wouldn't you?!



Thank you so much, Bree, for taking the time to speak with me, and I loved having the opportunity to pick your brain! For all of you, please check out her awesome blog here, and if you are on facebook, join The Dark Divine fan page!