Daywalker: Hybrid Vampire follows the son of a human mother and a dangerous vampire father who has to embrace his supernatural powers in order to save the people he loves. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I wrote my novel because, although I have read many books featuring hybrid vampires, few explore the deep and powerful internal struggles faced by dhampirs (hybrid vampires). Specifically, they must fight the urge to drink blood even though they can survive on regular food. This struggle allows them to pass as human, avoiding typical vampiric traits such as ruby-red eyes, elongated incisors, a deathly pallor, or skin that feels cold to the touch. I wanted to create a compelling story about the battle between good and evil, as well as the internal dilemmas many of us encounter when striving to do what is right and just. It’s a narrative that many readers can identify with and appreciate. 

Christian spends much of the novel trying to understand where he belongs. Why was that theme important to you?

I aimed to create a character with whom many readers can identify. Christian Jorgensen is an outsider; he is not completely human and is only half vampire. He believes that society would shun him, or even try to destroy him, if his dark secret were revealed. At the same time, he feels rejected by the vampire community, which views him as an abomination and inferior to full vampires, leading him to believe that he has no right to exist. I think most of us, at some point in our lives, have felt rejected or like an outsider. I aimed to make the character relatable so readers could empathize with his struggles and become emotionally engaged with Christian and the story as a whole.

Music plays an important role throughout the novel. Did particular artists, genres, or performances influence the story?

Yes, as you pointed out, music is an integral part of the story. Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, I was heavily influenced by the great bands of that era, including The Beatles, The Moody Blues, and later in the 1970s, bands such as The Eagles, Manfred Mann, Blue Öyster Cult, 10cc, Kansas, and Boston.

Among the songs that made a lasting impression on me as a teenager, I would have to say that Blue Öyster Cult’s 1970s hit song, “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” has stuck with me the most. Given my love for horror, particularly vampires, it was easy to adapt some of the song’s lyrics to include themes of vampirism, with the band’s hit song in the novel, “Don’t Fear the Vampire.” This adaptation perfectly suited the story of a dhampir rockstar who masquerades as a vampire alongside his bandmates. It is the character’s way of performing on stage without makeup or false fangs; in essence, the band’s vampiric theme lets Christian Jorgensen reveal his true identity to society. 

Do you see Christian’s story as complete, or are there more chapters still to be told?

It’s a challenging question to answer. I don’t typically write a story intending to create a sequel or a series. Sometimes, though, that happens years later when I find myself reflecting on my characters. I start to wonder if the ending feels incomplete and whether there are certain questions about my characters that need to be addressed. Depending on how well the book has performed in sales and with readers’ questions, it may prompt me to write a sequel about a certain story. 

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