Scorch Mark follows a woman with unique paranormal abilities who, with her friends, seeks to get justice for her murdered parents. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The Dark Dreams series and Jane Walker’s character was inspired by Blind Spot, an NBC show featuring a woman who bears tattoos that cover her body from the neck down, and she has no idea how she got them. In Jane’s case, she learns that her markings protect her. After writing the first two books, I began considering what might happen if the tables were turned and corrupt individuals had the protection of the blood marks instead of good-hearted souls like Jane. Scorch Mark’s story is a take on the classic good vs evil trope, which is always fun to write. Threaded throughout the story is the trial, where Jane hopes to get justice for her murdered parents. But justice through the court system is a complex legal dance, and Jane’s paranormal abilities complicate matters. I enjoyed pitting the legal system against the paranormal elements because, in the courtroom, the truth could condemn Jane faster than the lies she tells to cover up her extraordinary abilities.

Jane is a woman with strength. What do you think makes her a valuable and worthy heroine?

Jane grew up in difficult circumstances. She was afflicted with both a physical and a paranormal anomaly that set her apart from others. But the negative experiences she gained while growing up with those anomalies make her perceptive to other people’s struggles. And because she was exposed to the underbelly of a poor and downtrodden population in the city’s core, she’s not one to judge what people have to do to survive on the streets. It’s the combination of her empathy and her nonjudgmental attitude that make her a heroine.

When you first sat down to write this story, did you know where you were going, or did the twists come as you were writing?

I’m an outliner, so most of the story had been worked out before I began writing. But my outlines aren’t rigid. They inevitably change as the writing gets underway and new twists surface. Some of these twists are simply too juicy not to work into the story.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?

I’m working on a book as yet untitled about witches. It’s set in the present day in an urban setting. The challenge has been finding a new twist on witches and their magic. Right now I’m still at the outlining stage. I’m making progress, but realistically, readers shouldn’t expect it to be out in before the end of 2024.

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