Inescapable follows a 17-year-old boy dreaming of escaping his small-town life, whose life takes a strange turn when a vampire and a witch move into town, and bodies start mysteriously piling up. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I find small towns intriguing because everyone knows everyone – and everyone talks about everyone. It’s like a soap opera. It can be great because there usually is a sense of community, but if you don’t fit in it can also be very lonely. When I was Dylan’s age – and I think it’s the same for most teenagers – I always felt like an outsider in my small town and I desperately wanted to leave. I loved stories about teenagers befriending the mysterious stranger who had just moved to town and turns out to be a vampire or a witch. But it got me thinking… What if – unlike in most YA vampire stories – the newcomer isn’t the good guy?

In many contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?

As I said I’m from a small town. It is not as remote as Berlin, New Hampshire in Inescapable but everyone knows everyone there as well. I’m also really lucky to have an amazing mom – just like Dylan. We don’t have the same dynamic as Susan and Dylan, but I drew from my relationship with my mom to paint a convincing picture of Dylan’s.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

I wanted to explore the concept of the vampire as an outsider – someone on the fringes of society who lives by their own rules – and what happens when they meet a human outsider. The concept of “monster” in general is something that I dive into in the book as well. What makes a monster? Who is the good guy, who’s the bad guy?

Friendship and family are an important topic, too. Who are we without the people who love us? And can we choose our own family?

Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?

The next book will dive deeper into the vampire lore of the Immortal-Blood-Gift-universe. You’ll meet new characters and Dylan will face new challenges. I can’t really say much more without spoiling Inescapable. So go ahead and read it!

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