Five Question Friday: Kat Daemon
The last time I had to tame the darkness of self-doubt was when I was running my one and only marathon. Of course, there have been moments since that day where I have doubted myself, but nothing like 26.2 miles of pushing yourself physically and emotionally beyond your limits. I had semi-trained for the day. I consider it semi because prior to the day of the marathon the farthest I had run was 15 miles. When the day of the race came I had to almost run double that amount. I had always intended to get up to 20 miles or so prior to the race, but my running partner got injured and I wasn’t going to run 20 miles on a treadmill and everyone knows that unfortunately it is not safe for a woman to run alone.
I did prepare myself for the race in other ways, I made a rock star playlist, which began with Hearing Damages by Thom Yorke, this song has a steady beat, but is not too fast. I have a tendency to sprint at the beginning of races and thus end up a mile in with zero left in me. For the finish line I wanted to cross over it with Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N Roses strumming in my ears. This song was chosen because, I felt like I was entering the jungle of people who had completed a marathon. Today’s Five Question Friday guest is going to welcome you into her world. No need to grab any extra lights, because Kat Daemon’s answers are illuminating.
1. On your website, Lucas Starr writes where the inspiration came from for Taming Darkness, did he give the entire story during that one visit?
Taming Darkness was actually a story written in reverse. The sequel, which is expected to be released in the fall, Killing Darkness, was written first-- six years ago. Lucas Starr has a bit of a problem in that book. He is seen as demonic, arrogant, power hungry and a womanizer. This seems appropriate when writing the devil, but I felt the more I looked at Killing Darkness, the more I wanted to pull the camera lens back and show the reader why he is the way he is. Hence, I started writing Taming Darkness. So, yes, Lucas did whisper the story in my ear. He wanted a chance to hog the spotlight and set the record straight. The initial concept came to me in one sitting. What was a surprise to even me was the creation of Lilith, Luc’s bad-girl counterpart. Lilith was inspired by a friend that had me play a joke on a priest. That’s another story, for another day.
2. Permanent Ink is a short story you wrote, if you were to get a tattoo what would it be?
I actually have a tattoo, of cat paw prints on my back, for my name, Kat. It was a spontaneous decision that I made after a rough day of college classes over a decade ago, but I love them and don’t regret them. I want another tat on the inside of my left wrist. I have a blue feather obsession so I’ll probably get a black feather to symbolize a writer’s quill and my characters (members of The Fallen) and highlight it with blue to satiate my obsession. I have a feeling this will happen soon.
3. A few weeks ago I was at the gym and the lights went out, have you ever been in that type of situation where the room went dark?
Back in high school I went on a trip to Kentucky to rebuild houses for disaster victims. On our last day we went to Mammoth Cave as a reward for our hard work. The cave is described on the brochure as a “grand, gloomy and peculiar place.” I concur. Experiencing the labyrinths for myself was an eye opening experience-- especially when they led us to the heart of the most vast chamber and turned out the lights. I had never experienced dark like that. I could hear voices, echoing, but we were all placed apart so you couldn’t reach out and grab your neighbor. The world suddenly seemed very big, and I felt very alone.
4. Set the music, Lucas sees Maria for the first time, what song is playing?
Ha! Well when Lucas first sees Maria, it’s not all poetry and chocolates. He is looking to destroy her, ruin her, and then give her back to the world. Nice guy. Yet, in his credit he is always honest with her-- selectively. When they meet it is in the back of a dark church and I can just hear Mick Jagger singing “Sympathy for the devil” in the background. The book is set in 1975, so it would not be anything modern. However, I will let you in on a little secret, I wrote the entire ending of the book while listening to “Demons” by Imagine Dragons, on loop for three days. It is impossible for me to hear that song and not relate it to Luc and Maria.
5. Has there been a moment in your life where you had to be tame, even though you didn't want to?
I’m a punk goth girl at heart, but the world doesn't offer me many opportunities to release my wild side. I have always worked in very conservative environments that would not approve of my need for blue hair or a tattoo on my wrist. I often feel like I have to be tame every day. Writing allows me to release my demons, and my characters get to live out the adventures that I fantasize about while conforming to what society expects.
Thanks to Kat Daemon for stopping by and please brighten up your weekend by clicking on over to Amazon and grabbing your own copy of Taming Darkness. What's that you want one more thing to brighten your day? Well, you are in luck, Ms. Daemon is running a special sale of 99 cents!
