Inside Heaven Inc. follows the reluctant Angel of Death as he navigates celestial bureaucracy, mythology, temptation, friendship, and the realization that redemption begins with taking responsibility for his choices. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The common portrayal of the Angel of Death in modern fiction is that of a lone figure. Yet, within the name there is a recognition of the Angel of Death’s true origins, that of being an angel. I wanted create a fresh take on a familiar trope by placing the Angel of Death in a world where fitting in with all that goes along with being an angel means as defined by the common portrayals of angels with within Christian, Jewish, and Islamic beliefs… with a twist. This particular angel, Azrael, ain’t a happy camper.

How did you decide which elements of biblical tradition, apocrypha, and mythology to incorporate or reinterpret?​

Azrael, speaking in modern times, takes us back to when and why the job of Angel of Death became necessary—at the time humans entered the picture—and how he reluctantly got stuck with the job.  While Genesis is natural starting point, there is a vast source of similar origin stories from other cultures that predates the Bible and offers stories that weren’t included. These sources combined to offer me, as a writer, a rich source of material for characters, events, and motivations that helped shape the celestial and earthly worlds I created. It’s a mythological retelling of sorts in the voice of a sarcastic narrator, Azrael, the Angel of Death who doesn’t see things the way you’d expect from an angel in Heaven. 

Azrael’s sarcastic, conversational voice is central to the novel. How did you develop that voice, and did it change as you wrote?​

I imagined Azrael as an everyman who’s not happy in his, and internalizes his disagreement with management’s way of doing things. An employee stuck in a job where he or she has few friends, working for a boss who doesn’t seem to care about his or her feelings, whose only objective is to see that Azrael gets the job done. The irreverent voice grows out of that perspective. Yet, as Azrael struggles over the centuries that follow, his view of Heaven and humans changes along with the narration style of his story.

Redemption becomes increasingly important as Azrael’s story unfolds. What do you hope readers take away from the novel’s ideas about accountability, mercy, and the possibility of change?​

My first objective is that readers are entertained and enjoy Azrael’s story. The character might be snarky at times, ruffled by events that keep pushing him deeper and deeper into a job he never wanted, but that doesn’t mean Azrael can’t change. It takes courage for Azrael to admit to his own faults, to accept responsibility for what he has become, and when faced with eternal damnation, he will either rise above it or be condemned for eternity. Free will and accountability for the choices one makes in life aren’t unique to angels.

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