Blood of a St. Claire follows a grieving teenager who uncovers a terrifying family legacy involving murder, organized crime, possession, and a supernatural curse that threatens to determine who he and his sister become. Where did the idea behind this novel come from?

The idea for Blood of a St. Claire wasn’t exactly planned. It began when I rediscovered a rough draft of one of my older manuscripts. After reading it, I knew there was something in its message worth pursuing. I scrapped the original manuscript but kept its emotional foundation.

We all have—or have had—a Henry in our lives. By that, I mean someone so controlling that they can drive everyone around them nearly insane. When I was a child, I had a Henry in my life, and writing Blood of a St. Claire became a form of therapy for me. The supernatural elements made that controlling presence literal: Henry doesn’t merely want to influence his family; he wants to possess them.

What drew you to combining horror, organized crime, family drama, and dark humor?

Humor has always been part of how I process darker situations, so combining it with horror and family drama felt natural. The organized-crime element gave Henry’s control a larger reach, while the supernatural horror allowed the family curse to become something tangible. Dark humor keeps the story human because, even when people are frightened or grieving, they still use humor to cope.

A lot of people don’t know that Blood of a St. Claire wasn’t my first thriller. Shadow’s Game was. I grew up watching crime movies and often imagined how I might tell those kinds of stories differently. Blood of a St. Claire gave me the opportunity to blend that interest with supernatural horror, complicated family relationships, and my natural sense of humor.

Evan uses sarcasm to cope with an increasingly terrifying situation. How did you develop his voice?

Evan’s sarcasm developed as both a coping mechanism and a way of preserving his identity. As the situation becomes more terrifying, humor helps him resist becoming like the rest of the St. Claire family. I wanted him to remain a symbol of hope throughout the novel, so even when he is surrounded by murder and manipulation, his voice reminds the reader that Henry hasn’t completely taken control of him. His sarcasm lets him fight back without surrendering his humanity.

Which character would you most like to explore in a future story?

I would most like to explore Henry St. Claire further. There is still much more to uncover about his past, the origins of the family curse, and what made him into the person he became. I can also imagine using him in crossover stories because Henry is not the kind of character who respects the boundaries of his own book. Don’t be surprised if he appears again in the future.

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