Interview with Lisa Haselton

Welcome, Jo. Please tell us about your current release.Saoirse Reilly, police detective and wayward psychic, is still reeling from the events of Dead Blood City. Her lies are piling up but there’s no time to deal. She and her loved ones are in danger once again. While investigating the murder of a Boston blueblood, Reilly is drawn into a supernatural power struggle centuries in the making.

Ancient monsters are prowling the streets and Domenico Alderisi, newly installed vrykolakas master, needs Reilly’s help securing his territory—which just so happens to be her hometown. Alderisi, once her enemy, may be the only one who can save the city. But he has his own agenda and a taste for Reilly’s blood.

The only way for Reilly to protect all she holds dear may be to rely on her two-faced teacher, Dr. Emrys Somerled. The criminal psychologist and occult expert is something more than human. If anyone can take on monsters, it’s him. And he’d like to get closer to Reilly than ever before. There’s just one problem. Somerled is keeping secrets, too, and there’s nothing more dangerous. After all…

Stepping out of the silence is scary but secrets can kill.

What inspired you to write this book?I began writing Dead Blood City, the first book in the Saoirse Reilly series, while working in a psychiatric hospital at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and following the death of a thirteen-year-old patient by suicide. The magic and monsters in Reilly’s world are metaphors for the very real evil and darkness that exists in our world. The painful experiences of my characters are things that real people go through every day. Unfortunately, treatment is not always enough to help them escape the darkness inside their own minds.

Writing Hush Hush City allowed me to continue a journey of healing and self-forgiveness that I started in my first novel. Reilly is on a treacherous and painful path but we are all walking it together. When I was working on DBC at work, in waiting rooms, at airports, and on my couch, I often wondered if there was any reason for it. And, sometimes, I felt very alone in a very dark place. Now the sun is shining through my windows, I have hundreds of readers, and I’m publishing the sequel. I hope that you, too, will read and grow.

What exciting project are you working on next?I’m hard at work on the third book in the Saoirse Reilly series, Black Sight City, so named because it will be the darkest installment yet. This will be a major turning point for the series. For those wanting (demanding) more about Reilly’s heritage and the mysterious world we’ve only seen in flashbacks, this is the book for you! But be careful what you wish for. It is always darkest before dawn.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?I’m not sure I do.

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?I am a clinical social worker. At my day job, I counsel children, adults, and families as they address a wide variety of challenges. I write whenever I can! I set aside times in the evening and on weekends to write, but I also write if I have unexpected breaks at work.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?I don’t think it’s too interesting or unusual, but I always write with music. I make book-specific and character-specific playlists based on my current project.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?I wanted to be a veterinarian for a while and then I wanted to be a pâtissier. 

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?I absolutely love hearing from readers! You can learn more about me, the series, and how to reach out at JoDenning.com. Plus, email subscribers can snag a free copy of both Dead Blood City and Shattered City, the first books in the Saoirse Reilly series.

Read more... https://lisahaselton.com/2023/06/20/interview-with-urban-fantasy-author-jo-denning