Interview with Delilah Dawson!

1) What was the hardest trait to develop for Dovey?

Tough question! The hardest part was making it absolutely obvious why someone would still be going to play rehearsal when they're going through the emotional turmoil Dovey is feeling. I had some tough times in high school, and Drama Club was often what got me through the days and gave me some semblance of normalcy. Dovey needs The Tempest as her connection to her past, to Carly, to herself, and to having something worth fighting for.

2) If you could be any character in the book, who would you be?

Hmm. There's no one in there I really want to be. ;) Dovey's Savannah is a dark, dangerous place, and no one escapes unscathed. Probably Gigi, as she's the only character who has the power and skill to fly under the radar in her own little paradise.

3) Which love interest is YOUR preference?

Isaac. I like the bad boys with long hair. And I know things the reader doesn't know (yet!) about each of the guys. I hear a lot of complaints about love triangles in general in YA, but I always seemed to find myself in them in high school. As soon as I'd start going out with one guy, another one would suddenly show interest. Still… bad boys on motorcycles who are really scholars? Meow.

4) I love the relationship between Dovey and Carly, is their relationship based on a friendship of yours?

I had a very close friend when I was young. Our families vacationed together at the lake, and one year, our cabin caught fire during a thunderstorm. It was terrifying, with ash and flame raining down, lightning striking trees, and our parents running into the fiery house to rescue a napping baby, and we held each other and huddled in the boat on the dock. I was only 8 or so, and I remember hugging my friend and crying. That's the scene that inspired Dovey and Carly in the shower, huddled and hugging and crying. We had best friends necklaces, too.

5) How did you create the idea that demons could steal a distal...and what would you do if yours was stolen?

I was at a con, having a conversation with an acquaintance, and suddenly realized he was missing parts of several fingers. Turns out he's a veteran, but I'd known him for years and never noticed. He told me later it still feels like they're there. So I thought it would be an interesting issue to tackle, and a scary one. I mean, someone just walks up and bites that off? EEP. If mine was stolen, I'd do what Dovey is doing-- try to find it and win my freedom back.

6) Are you working on anything else we can look forward to? (please! a sequel!)

My next YA, HIT, is out with Simon Pulse in Spring 2015. It's a pre-dystopian about the first day of a bank-owned America in which teens are armed and forced to act as bounty hunters on debtors. I love my team with Pulse, and I'm so impressed with the covers for Servants and HIT, which were designed by Regina Flath. We haven't sold a sequel to Servants of the Storm (yet!), so the more people buy it, review it, and build buzz, the better the chance that you'll get to see what happens to Dovey next. I've already written a synopsis of what follows, as a two-book series or a three-book series, as well as some novellas that would delve deeper into Dovey's world. The early reviews are really exciting, as people seem really hot to know what happens…

But I know. The next book would pick up almost immediately after the last line of Servants. :)

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