I’ve been reading Delilah S. Dawson’s books for a few years now and I’m always impressed with her ability to maintain excellent writing and storytelling across the many branches of the speculative fiction tree. We’ve chatted briefly at past New York Comic Cons but this year (2023) I was fortunate enough to conduct this interview with her.
How is NYCC so far this year, for an old hat at this game?
The Con is great! It is always fun seeing everybody she knows with her publishers and other writers, friends and editors in the field.
You’ve had quite the year, four books released in a relatively short amount of time, Bloom, Midnight at the Houdini, Disney Mirrorverse: Pure of Heart and Star Wars Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade. How did you manage to pull off such an incredible output?
If I’m not writing, I’m going crazy. There’s nothing I love more than writing. Every day, I’m excited to get to work, and I write so quickly that I end up pursuing lots of different genres.
Is there any franchise/media property you haven’t had the chance to play where an invite to play would be an immediate yes?
I almost wrote Transformers, but IDW had just lost the license. I was heavily inspired by James Roberts’ excellent run. We are big fans of the Transformers in our house, we’ve got a Transformers room with a big Unicron. I’d also love to write in My Little Pony or What We Do in the Shadows.
What can you tell us about Midnight at the Houdini?
It is the most magical, romantic, and least violent book I’ve written. When Covid hit, I wanted to get lost in a magical place. I also took what I thought Las Vegas would/should be…kind of an idealized Las Vegas. But it is definitely different than the real Las Vegas.
The Blud books were strong on the romance, right?
Sure, but Midnight at the Houdini is more Teen/YA and about the heart fluttering than the detailed intimate moments that take place in Blud.
What can you tell us about Bloom?
A Cottagecore (link) Hannibal. My daughter asked me why all the serial killers are hot guys. Most documented serial killers happen to be men, but I wanted to answer my daughter’s question with this book because in Bloom, my serial killer is a pretty farm girl who really doesn’t want anybody looking in the barn or the basement.
Bloom is dedicated to my daughter. ?
I have to ask you about The Violence (link to Rob’s review), which happened to be one of my favorite books last year (I had it as my top horror novel). One of the elements I found surprising, initially, but completely logical as the story unfolded was the pro-wrestling element. Did you plan that element from the start or did the path of the story take you there?
A big part of The Violence is about domestic abuse and answering the question: What if women could fight back against their domestic abusers with no consequences. The disease/virus in The Violence basically absolves those afflicted with it from the consequences of their violent actions. As for the wrestling, my son and husband had tickets to WrestleMania 37 in Tampa Bay (link), but the COVID-19 Pandemic changed those plans. But even with that or a pandemic, smaller promotions would likely still exist.
The pro-wrestling element was a tough sell at first, a few people didn’t really get it or think it worked, but thankfully my editor at Del Rey completely bought into it and supported it. She also suggested I trim down the original 9 points-of-view down to 3 points-of-view…she was right.
Have I mentioned I love my editor at Del Rey?
What about Rise of the Red Blade?
Anytime I’m asked or invited to write in Star Wars I will. This story takes place during the Clone Wars. Something I learned writing this one is that any beheadings in a Star Wars novel requires permission from Lucasfilm and this one has quite a few beheadings.
You’ve spun tales across the breadth of the speculative fiction genre from steampunk vampire portal fantasy (Wicked as They Come) to weird westerns (Wake of Vultures) to humorous fantasy (Kill the Farm Boy) to dystopian SF (Hit) to horror (The Violence) and comics. Is any one facet of speculative fiction your true – or truest love?
There’s some darkness in everything I write, balanced with a little bit of whimsy, thus my website’s name whimsydark (link)!
But I always write from the first chapter to the last, straight through. I finish the story and don’t go back to earlier chapters until the draft is completed.
You’re active on social media and one thing that’s been really cool to follow is your powerlifting. It is inspirational, to say the least. Does that help you in your writing? Or do you think you’ve progressed in that physical capacity as you have in the mental capacity of writing because you are an extremely driven person?
It is a mental game. I was getting bored during the pandemic, realizing I wasn’t getting my steps in. I saw that a friend on Facebook was opening a gym, and I know she’s really smart, so I figured I’d give it a try. I don’t like repetitive workouts, so my trainer comes up with a new workout for me every day. It is something I can control and it feels good to be strong! I’m in the gym three times per week.
We’re in the heart of spooky season. Do you have any Hallowe’en traditions like stories/movies you like to revisit every year?
It is Spooky Season year-round for us, but specifically this time of year, we love our candy corn. Especially the little pumpkin shapes. In the past we’ve rented out a local theater for my birthday in late October, last year we invited all our friends and watched The Lost Boys. For all the times I’ve seen it on TV, there really is something about watching it on the big screen.
This will be the first year; however, my kids aren’t going trick or treating, they’ve aged out of it. ☹
What have you read lately that caught your fancy?
Bride of the Tornado by James Kennedy – Tells a story about a person who can stop tornadoes. Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey – sort of a noirish buddy cop story, with a two-assassin team, one is alive, the other is undead. I moderated “The Horror, The Horror (link)” a panel featuring both Kennedy and Kadrey and made sure to read all the panelists’ books. I also just got an arc of Robert Jackson Bennett’s next book The Tainted Cup.
What’s on the horizon/releasing in 2024?
A feminist horror with Del Rey, a middle-grade horror with Delacorte and a few secret projects.
It has been awesome chatting with you Delilah and is always a treat to see you at NYCC. I hope you enjoy the rest your time at NYCC, including the Horror Panel and the panel about writing in other universes. Anything else you’d like to say to put a bow on this conversation?
Thanks so much for the chat and for your support, all the way back to my first books!
© 2023 Rob H. Bedford & SFFWorld
