Q. Do you think that the degree of human trafficking that is going on has any implications for the future of humankind?
MM: The modern slave trade is bigger, affecting more human beings than was ever the case at the height of the plantation-driven economy. As much as I love my technology, I worry that it enables us to dehumanize others and that the human trafficking problem we have today is in part a reflection of that. The flip side, though, is that technology can help us spread the word and take action. We just need enough people to not look away from the horror, but to step into it to take a stand and do what they can to help. Readers can get ideas and inspiration for how they can help on my website, www.monicamcgurk.com
Q. Was there any other significance of choosing the particular location of Enoch in the desert other than it was close to the Chinese traffickers in Las Vegas?
MM: I find that particular landscape captivating and eerie. I could easily imagine Enoch hiding in isolation in such a barren place. I wanted to convey the loneliness of the choice he has made—not just to abandon his humanity, but also to reject the pettiness of the angels.
Q. Is it a coincidence that a place where heaven meets earth is also the setting for such bad things?
MM: In choosing to do what he thought was right, Enoch placed himself at odds with the larger angel community. It is hard when your decisions cast you as an outsider, and since part of my message is about choice and consequence, it seemed fitting to emphasize this as part of Enoch’s story.
Q. We know that Hope grew up as a very lonely child. The last line of the book stresses her solitude once again. Even with the love of Michael and the love of her parents, Hope feels alone. Can you explain why?
MM: I think there is nothing lonelier than loving someone but not being sure if you can fully trust them. That is the place Hope finds herself with respect to Michael at the end of the book.
Q. You make the movement of Michael between spiritual and real forms seem so natural. And the ancient Enoch seems like someone you would actually run into out in the desert. Why did you want to make the lines between angels and human so easily blurred?
MM: In Biblical stories of angel visitations, most of the time the human beings encountering angels—in their homes, on a path while traveling—never seem to recognize the angels for what they are, at least not until after the fact. The drama of the Annunciation seems more like the exception than the rule. But—and this is important—this is a choice the angels make. They can appear however they want. Why do they choose to adopt human form? Is it to be more relatable and less scary to the people they encounter? Is it because they secretly admire and even envy the humans? Is it because they are trying to understand what it is that makes human beings tick, and why God would have embraced and elevated them so thoroughly? It is an interesting question.
Q. What is the overarching meaning that you hope the reader will take away when reading about the Prophecy?
MM: I want the reader to struggle with questions of destiny versus personal choice. Beyond that, I cannot say until readers understand the true meaning of the Prophecy, which will be revealed in the second book!
Q. Which character in Dark Hope do you most personally identify with and why?
MM: In some respects, Mona, simply because she is closer to my age and has the same profession I once had. I can understand the guilt she feels, trying to balance a tricky personal life with a rich professional one.
Q. Do you have a favorite character?
MM: My favorites are Tabby and Enoch. They are the most fun to write.
Q. Hope is repeatedly in dangerous situations where it’s not clear she’ll survive. Have you ever been in any dangerous situation from which you weren’t sure you’d be able to escape? How did you escape?
MM: Not really. I have had plenty of accidents and scares, including some health scares that were pretty serious, but those things were in the hands of very capable doctors so it wasn’t really a matter of escape. It was more a matter of trust and faith.
Q. What types of scenes do you find the most difficult to write?
MM: I am always a bit squeamish about love scenes. It was a struggle in my fan fiction and a bit here, too. I also paid careful attention when writing Hope—whether it be during confrontations with Michael or in her own musings—that she walk the fine line of being appropriately scared but not lean all the way into victimhood. I wanted to show a balanced and realistic view of her thought processes, reflecting the complexities of her situation, but to never compromise her strength nor her individual agency.
Q. Which was your favorite chapter or scene to write in Dark Hope?
MM: I had two favorite scenes in Dark Hope: the first was the interlude with Enoch. I love his character and that scene was important on many, many levels. The second was the moment in Atlanta when Hope realizes who Lucas really is and Lucas reveals the true nature of her Mark, vastly complicating her relationship with Michael. I think my next favorites were when Michael and Hope go to see Chen, after she is disfigured, and Chen’s interrogation. It is fun to play around with the bad guys!
Q. Have you ever had to deal with something that set you apart from others such as Hope’s Mark?
MM: Nothing that significant or physically visible. I have had moments in my professional career where I was the only woman in the room or on a leadership team, and sometimes that was very hard. But those moments thankfully belong more to the past as more and more women are succeeding in business. I think the fact that I had many aunts who were successful businesswomen in their own right helped me have the right attitude to deal with those challenges along the way.
Q. Do you have any unusual or special practices that help you to write?
MM: I like to create and listen to playlists that reflect the characters, the plot, or the mood of the book I am working on. It helps keep me motivated and focused. Readers can actually access the Spotify lists from Dark Hope on my website, www.monicamcgurk.com.
Q. Anything else?
MM: I also like to surround myself with visual cues—so I will print out photos and online images and tape them all over my walls while I am writing a particular scene, to make sure that the physical sense of place, of location, stays alive for me. It is a bit messy, but fun.
Q. For a story involving very ancient characters, there is plenty of technology in Dark Hope, from Wi-Fi hot spots to iPods. Do you write on a computer or with pen and paper?
MM: Both! I carry a Moleskine or other notebook with me to jot down ideas or little snippets of dialog on the fly. I write questions and answers to myself on my iPad in Evernote as I try to resolve particular points of motivation or plot. And I write my actual manuscripts on my laptop.
Q. Do you prefer lobster or a cheeseburger and fries?
MM: I love both but would offer a compromise: deep-fried lobster tail from Chops in Atlanta. Yum!
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