DL: Where did you get the idea for your novella, Don’t Call Me Angel?
AB: There are a lot of stories out there about angels who happen to be
fallen. Most of them deal with angels who fell long ago, or the
stories are in the points-of-view of characters other than the fallen
angels. I started to think about how traumatic being cast out of
heaven must be for an angel, and that spawned Don't Call Me Angel.
DL: With the sudden increase in angel fiction, how do your angels
differ from those in other novels?
AB: My angels are fallen—seriously fallen. And it's not something that's
in their past and no longer affects them. The bad ones are fallen for
a reason.
DL: Where were you when this idea came to you? What were you doing?
AB: It didn't come to me all at once. The ideas for this book and the
whole series came to me in bits and pieces. One scene in particular,
though, came to me when I was working at my day job. It was like I
could hear one of the characters in my head, telling me how to
introduce him. That's Luke. He doesn't take "no" for an answer.
DL: What do you think is Six’s best quality?
AB: She's sensitive. She's been hurt, and she doesn't like to see others
hurt. On the other hand, she doesn't have a lot of experience fighting
evil, and she struggles with the differences between right and wrong.
DL: In three words describe Alden.
AB: Selfish, self-indulgent, free.
DL: Why should readers read your book?
AB: It's a fun, quick read.
DL: Where do you do most of your writing?
AB: I write whenever and wherever I have the opportunity. Mostly, that's
at home in front of my television, with the volume turned down so I
can barely hear it. But I can work anywhere. Bits and pieces of my
current manuscript are stored remotely on Google documents, and I
sometimes write on my mobile phone when I'm out and about.
DL: What’s your favorite book that you’ve read this year?
AB: Grimspace, by Ann Aguirre. It's a great science fiction book for
people who are into urban fantasy.
DL: What is your thing that you’re most excited for this summer?
AB: DragonCon! I have to hurry up and get my costumes picked out. i was
leaning toward Storm, from the X-Men, but I'm definitely not dying my
hair white, so I'm not sure how that's going to work.
DL: You have just recently escaped Hell, what’s the first thing you do
while on Earth?
AB: I'd probably indulge in some greasy food