Interview by Angel's Guilty Pleasures

Hello and Welcome All!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Jo Denning author of Dead Blood City.

Hi Jo, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

For those readers not familiar with you, would you please tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a reluctant millennial just trying to get by in this mid-apocalyptic world that we live in. I am a behavioral health therapist and licensed social worker by trade. I am also a vegetarian with one doting husband and two carnivorous cats.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I enjoy high fantasy epics and noir crime thrillers. I wanted to see if I could combine these two genres in a way that is appealing to readers. Thus Dead Blood City was born.

What do you do when you are not writing?

To be fair, most of my free time is devoted to writing stories about monsters gaslighting humans. But I can also be found playing RPGs as a backstabbing rogue and attempting to travel the world.

What are some books you have enjoyed recently?

I enjoyed the Solstice Huntress series by Lindsey Devin and the Demons of New Chicago series by Kel Carpenter. I love a solid urban fantasy series with political intrigue and a fresh take on myth and magic.

Tell us a few Fun Facts about your upcoming book?

Hush Hush City, the sequel to Dead Blood City, will release in spring of 2023. The next book in the Saoirse Reilly series explores other lesser known vampire myths as Alderisi struggles to maintain control of his territory. We also learn more about the mysterious Dr. Emrys Somerled. He and Reilly make an unlikely pair as he helps her control and grow her psychic abilities. Even with all that on her plate, Reilly must investigate the dysfunctional family of a recently murdered Boston Brahmin.

Give us insight into your main character(s).

Saoirse Reilly is a police detective with psychometric abilities. She can see the past by touching people or bodily matter, such as blood. Her visions result in her feeling out of place in pretty much every situation and she drinks heavily to dull this pain. Reilly is very loyal and empathetic. However, she is very hard on herself and has trouble communicating her feelings to others. She can easily come across as callous.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

I most enjoyed writing Chapter 15: When the Trumpet Sounds. It offers the most insight into two of my favorite characters, Aiden Ward and Domenico Alderisi. Both have experienced abuse and tragedy but they deal with it in very different ways. These characters act as foils for each other and this chapter illustrates that well. I also enjoyed writing a first-hand perspective of the compulsion skill that readers have only heard a bit about up until that point.

Readers should read this book…

If they enjoy dark, fast-paced thrillers or urban fantasy novels with realistic character development. This book is about myth and magic. It’s definitely about crime and punishment. But, most of all, it is about the joys and sorrows of being human. I would be honored for any reader to join me on this journey to grow stronger in the face of suffering.

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

Read on at Angel's Guilty Pleasures!