Pairing Of Popular Parable With The Paranormal Proves To Be Winning Formula For Bree Despain

April 19, 2010 - PRLog -- “With its eye-catching cover, intriguing title, and the hook of werewolves in love, comparisons to Meyer’s Twilight series are inevitable…Atmospheric and compelling, Despain’s first novel will be popular, and a sequel eagerly anticipated.” —Booklist

“This book has a great mystery and love story… that Twilight fans will love.”
—   Newark  Library (a branch of the Alameda County Library - CA)

Sales across the country are growing as teens flock to read THE DARK DIVINE, an engrossing paranormal romance that explores love, redemption, and what happens to the brother who can’t forgive. Author Bree Despain infuses one of the most popular parables with the paranormal—melding two distinct, if not opposing, factions in this modern retelling of the Prodigal Son, now in its third printing.

“Many times I worried that nobody would want to publish a book that combined religion and faith with the paranormal,” said Despain. “I actually fought it at first. But by making my characters’ inner demons more literal and their struggles more metaphorical, I was able to explore the themes and questions at the heart of the story without getting didactic or preachy.”

THE DARK DIVINE was born out of a perfect storm of ideas, thoughts, and memories that had been brewing in Despain’s life over a few weeks time. It all came together while Despain was riding in the car, shortly after she had read the book Speak , watched the show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” for the first time, listened to the song “Such Great Heights” by the Postal Service over and over again, and was asked to teach a lesson about the concept of grace at her church.  

“I was thinking about all of these things, along with a random memory from the 9th grade, when we stopped at a red light and I looked up at a billboard in the dark.  Suddenly a conversation between a brother and a sister popped into my head,” said Despain.  “The brother was warning his sister to stay away from their former best friend.  ‘He's dangerous. He isn't the person he used to be. You have to promise to stay away from him.’ And that was when it all started. . .”

In THE DARK DIVINE, Grace Divine is torn between her loyalty to her brother and her attraction to the mysterious Daniel. Her family never talked about the night her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood and his best friend Daniel disappeared—that is until Daniel returns three years later. As Grace gets close to Daniel, her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must find the cure that can save the ones she loves, but has to pay the ultimate price to do it— sacrificing her soul.  

Despain has already written a sequel, currently entitled THE LOST SAINT, which will be published by Egmont USA on December 28, 2010.

Bree Despain rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and two young sons. This is her first novel. You can visit her online at www.breedespain.com.


THE DARK DIVINE is sold at bookstores everywhere.


THE DARK DIVINE by Bree Despain
$17.99      Ages 12-up    320 Pages
Published by Egmont USA