Blood Tithe follows a 20-year-old young woman and historian who is ready to embark on a quest for unadulterated truth and cross into adulthood. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Our first novel within the Gothika world (Raise the Dead) had the readers thrown into the setting, so with Blood Tithe, we wanted to take a step back. By taking on the coming-of-age concept, it became a better way to explore and understand the world through Lyric’s eyes. We wanted to create and share that sense of wonder and exploration through someone who isn’t used to seeing this part of the world, as well as a sense of horror and dread about what lurks in the shadows. That was part of the inspiration, while the other part was actually Alfred Hitchcock in that his stories were about putting ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Lyric’s journey fell right into those stories that I like. 

Lyric, Jalin, and Esperanza set out together to confront the danger that threatens their world. What was the inspiration for the relationship that developed between the characters?

So the first draft had the relationships drawn up very differently. In fact, Lyric was less of the main character and more of a supporting one on the first run with a hate/respect relationship between Jalin & Esperanza. The final product was more like an intense version of the X-Files’s Mulder & Scully – still with a hate/respect relationship but I had a need to create a very “driven” personality that would clash against a stoic and reserved personality. For Lyric, her personal relationships develop with each interaction with the outside world. Much like Rapunzel being exposed to the real world, is overwhelming but she believes in collaboration and so she is the bridge between the two J&E.

Monsters were not supposed to be real, yet, that is what Lyric discovers on her journey. The creatures in this book were very intriguing. How did you go about creating them for this book?

Firstly, we wanted our own take on vampires (or vampyres as we call them). Both CS and I are history buffs when it comes to legends and lore, so we talked extensively about what it means to be that creature. We wanted to go back to the roots of it being more monstrous and inhuman than what was portrayed in current media. As for the monsters that are touched on here (or will be coming in later books) – they are either amalgamations of creatures based on myths local to us, or local Mexican culture. Being Mexican, I wanted to give my culture’s creatures and monsters time in the spotlight. So yes, more creatures to come.   

I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers? 

The next story (which I’ve already started working on) is going to touch base with our first pair of characters (Emilio & Marisol). The first book had a semi-happy ending but with a few questions left unanswered. This next book will answer some questions, expand more of the world, and probably create more questions. We actually have a plan for 5 to 6 stories that will connect with each other as well as the overall plot we have mapped out. When CS and I map a story out… we really map things out big. In short – there will be more to come from Lyric, Jalin & Esperanza as well.   

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