Interview with Sean Develin, Author of Songs of Vengeance and Desire

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Songs of Vengeance and Desire?

All my kids play ice hockey. During lockdown I spent hours every day in rink parking lots because I couldn’t go in. I was using the time re-writing my 2013 stage play “Dinner, Sex, and a Movie” as a novel, when I took a break and dreamed of writing a paranormal soap opera, you know, like everyone does.

So, I hashed “Songs of Vengeance and Desire” together, the title being influenced by George R.R. Martin fused with classic telenovela themes. Most of the storylines are new creations, but I also cannibalized characters and scenes from several of my earlier unpublished novels, including “The Thirty Day Hangover,” “Strategies for Dating in Hell,” and “Of Brass Tigers and Drunken Mermaids.”

What emerged from this is a hybrid with romance with HEAs, tragic love stories, sex, one incubus, one succubus, a bunch of their vampiric brood, a New World Order and a girl hatched from computer code who will either destroy or save the world. There’s a lot of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” and “Charmed” influences here.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Songs of Vengeance and Desire, what would they be?

For Shyyra, that’s easy: “Her Black Wings” by Danzig, although I’m dying to write a scene where she and her boyfriend dance to “I Saw the Light” by Todd Rundgren, after she’s just uncorked a bottle of red with one of her fangs.

Tana and Donal are perfectly summed up by “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode. Aileen sings King Crimson’s “Epitaph” to herself when no one’s listening, although she does like “Science Fiction/Double Feature” from The Rocky Horror.

I don’t have a song for Walker and Bree yet. What’s a good one for two people who hit each other like runaway trains on the same track?

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I read a lot of classics and “literary fiction.” But I love fantasy and a good rom-com. I adored “The Hating Game.”

Romance and Love Stories are hands down my favorite to write. There is nothing more fun than romantic and sexual tension and redemption after heartache. Exploring the magic of the early days of a new relationship, and the shared trials that make an established one even better.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

“Bayou Whispers” by R.B. Wood. Wood is a great author for urban fantasy and paranormal fans.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

There is humorous scene where the major antagonist is silently stalking the men trying to capture her. Despite being capable of great evil, her behavior in the entire sequence is that of a curious little girl, having fun.

Beyond that, I love writing any scene between Bree and Walker. They are a straight up whirlwind romance between two people facing major obstacles. Their emotions run high from moment one and are unlikely to let up any time prior to them alternating shifts with the baby in the middle of the night.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

None. I can write under almost any conditions. Almost…

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I always liked the S.A.S motto “Who Dares Wins.” Also, almost everything I write ends up getting hijacked by the ethic “We are all in this together.”

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

There is good and evil in everyone. If you are a person, you have flaws. Try to see the good and nurture it. Life works out better that way.

Sean Develin is the author of the new book Songs of Vengeance and Desire

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