Prize-winning citizen journalist David Gittlin visits the monster to talk about his novel Scarlet Ambrosia. We talk about the third most popular profession for Jewish men, the emotional turmoil of his characters, and how he discovered the meaning of life, the universe, and everything (alright, maybe he didn’t figure it out, but it would be cool if he did).

I liked the idea in Scarlet Ambrosia that there was a workable cure for vampirism. How did you come across this idea and why was it important in the story?

I wanted Devon to have the possibility of reversing his condition because he didn’t choose to become a vampire. He has three major conflicts to resolve in the story. One of these conflicts involves his relationship to his parents and his business partner and friend, Nadine Van Zandt. If he fails to find a cure, these relationships will be seriously compromised or worse; lost entirely. The stakes keep getting higher as the story unfolds. If Devon fails in his struggle against Egon Schiller, Devon has a lot more to lose than his small circle of friends and remaining family members.

Devon is an accountant in the book. How does this play into his characters’ development and your writing for his character?

When the story begins, Devon is attempting to take more control of his life by becoming an independent entrepreneur. Accounting was not his first choice as a profession. He went to law school and then spiraled into a self-destructive habit of cocaine addiction. In psychotherapy, he discovered that his behavior stemmed from an unconscious desire to avoid the shadow of his highly successful father, a prominent defense attorney. With no desire to practice medicine, Devon chooses the third most popular profession for upwardly mobile Jewish men. Devon’s conventional background makes his transition into vampire hood even more shocking, stark, and frightening.

In Scarlet Ambrosia, there is a ruby that magnifies the vampire’s powers along with other mystical things. Where did you get the idea for this? Was it through research or a flash of inspiration?

It was the result of both research and imagination.

Devon goes through some dark and difficult emotional turmoil in the story as he grapples with being a vampire. Are there any parallels to your own life in the story or is his character purely fictional?

A year after writing Scarlet Ambrosia, I see the story through a different pair of eyes. At the core of the novel is a young man’s struggle with darkness and light. The vampire archetype, I now realize, is a metaphor for my heart’s dream to realize its divine nature. The supernatural powers and ramped up energy level Devon acquires as a vampire make him half-human and half-god, something like the mythological Greek gods. He can choose to use his new powers for good or evil purposes. I believe everyone has the potential to become a divinely human being. I’ve been a spiritual seeker for most of my adult life. Awakening isn’t easy, but I’ve found it’s worth the effort.

In the book Devon must choose between being a vampire and being human, which would you choose? Devon also has to choose between Mathilde and Nadine, which would you choose?

That’s a great question. I’d have a tough time as a vampire, but on the other hand, I think Mathilde would be too good of an option to pass up.

Are there any other books that you’re coming out with that your fans should be on the lookout for?

Yes. For fans who like speculative fiction and an imaginative premise, check out my first novel, Three Days to Darkness.

Can’t get enough of David Gittlin? Well, here is his website http://www.davidgittlin.com/