AF: Danielle, it's so hard to discuss your amazing YA speculative fiction book, The Divine One, without spoiling it for others but I haven't been able to stop discussing it with my mom and daughter since I read it. Did I read this is your first book?
DM: Hi Ashley. I'm so glad that you seemed to enjoy the book. Yes, this was my first. I just finished writing the next book in the series.
AF:I read that you prefer speculative fiction in the books you personally read-as do I. What is it about the genre that draws you in?
DM: I love most anything supernatural. I was probably the only 8 year old whose favorite show was The Twilight Zone (which I still watch and enjoy). I love how speculative fiction is often times unpredictable and, truly, anything can happen.
AF: Although as an adult I thoroughly enjoyed The Divine One even though it is a YA book-and think many other adults will too- I was wondering why you chose to target the young adult reader?
DM: I always knew I wanted to write a YA book. I wanted to be able to touch on topics that Young Adults could relate with and, hopefully, help them to understand that a lot of what they are experiencing is a normal part of growing up.
AF: The Imitators are your typical mean girls. How did Delilah come up with that name?
DM: I wanted Delilah to have a name for the girls in the clique but I wasn't sure what to call them. I had a few different ideas but then, decided on, "The imitators." I think the name suited them since they were fake and all tried to be like each one another in some way. I also think the name tied into River's character a bit too because, in the end, he was also pretending to be something he was not.
AF: Up to over halfway through The Divine One I must have had a half-a-dozen suspicions as to what River's story was. There were so many twists and turns. Did you consciously decide to take your reader on such a joyride?
DM: Yes. I love books and movies that have a lot of twists and turns. Sometimes when I read, I wait for a twist that never comes. Or, I am able to predict the twist right from the beginning. In this story, I tried to keep the reader guessing.
AF: Some might consider this a bit of a love story. Is that what you wanted your readers to get out of it?
DM: I knew I wanted to include a bit of a love story because I think that always makes a story a little more interesting, but I didn't want that to be the focus of the story.
AF: What's coming up for you now? What can we expect to see next?
DM: I just finished the second book in the series and I'm really excited about it. The book is not a sequel, although there will be a 'cameo' by one of the characters in the first book. The new book is based on a similar premise (that will be the focus of all the books in the series) but the story itself is different and has a lot of twists that I think will keep the reader guessing.
DM: Hi Ashley. I'm so glad that you seemed to enjoy the book. Yes, this was my first. I just finished writing the next book in the series.
AF:I read that you prefer speculative fiction in the books you personally read-as do I. What is it about the genre that draws you in?
DM: I love most anything supernatural. I was probably the only 8 year old whose favorite show was The Twilight Zone (which I still watch and enjoy). I love how speculative fiction is often times unpredictable and, truly, anything can happen.
AF: Although as an adult I thoroughly enjoyed The Divine One even though it is a YA book-and think many other adults will too- I was wondering why you chose to target the young adult reader?
DM: I always knew I wanted to write a YA book. I wanted to be able to touch on topics that Young Adults could relate with and, hopefully, help them to understand that a lot of what they are experiencing is a normal part of growing up.
AF: The Imitators are your typical mean girls. How did Delilah come up with that name?
DM: I wanted Delilah to have a name for the girls in the clique but I wasn't sure what to call them. I had a few different ideas but then, decided on, "The imitators." I think the name suited them since they were fake and all tried to be like each one another in some way. I also think the name tied into River's character a bit too because, in the end, he was also pretending to be something he was not.
AF: Up to over halfway through The Divine One I must have had a half-a-dozen suspicions as to what River's story was. There were so many twists and turns. Did you consciously decide to take your reader on such a joyride?
DM: Yes. I love books and movies that have a lot of twists and turns. Sometimes when I read, I wait for a twist that never comes. Or, I am able to predict the twist right from the beginning. In this story, I tried to keep the reader guessing.
AF: Some might consider this a bit of a love story. Is that what you wanted your readers to get out of it?
DM: I knew I wanted to include a bit of a love story because I think that always makes a story a little more interesting, but I didn't want that to be the focus of the story.
AF: What's coming up for you now? What can we expect to see next?
DM: I just finished the second book in the series and I'm really excited about it. The book is not a sequel, although there will be a 'cameo' by one of the characters in the first book. The new book is based on a similar premise (that will be the focus of all the books in the series) but the story itself is different and has a lot of twists that I think will keep the reader guessing.