The Deadly Side of Death

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Death.

Everyone's familiar with it in some form or another.

However, are they all familiar with the man behind the mask? Or rather, the woman?

When Death suddenly runs across a major problem she can't solve, she teams up with an angel to figure it out. A soul has appeared that she can't find out where it came from or when it was killed. The burning question, though...is this person doing the killing really the person in charge? Or is there another power behind the throne?

Talking With TN McCauley

What was the inspiration for writing The Deadly Side of Death?

Honestly, a number of things. I love taking religion and theology--mostly Christianity because that is what I grew up on--and twisting it to my use. I also just love taking old ideas and giving them my own twist, as you’ll see in the novel.

I suppose my inspiration also comes from reading The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I just love how he takes ideas and twists them into his own world.

What was the writing process like for The Deadly Side of Death?

I originally started off slow. Honestly, the plot of most of the book was actually going to be focused on the idea that Death likes to chat with Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler, keeping the two in a very tongue-and-cheek relationship with each other and with Death. But I had also introduced an angel in the beginning. While writing, I suddenly remembered what someone had told me about bringing in a character with no purpose.

I didn’t want to get rid of the angel, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the angel was an easier character to work with and made more sense in the long-run. I was tempted to keep Abe and Hitler in the book occasionally, but as I wrote, they faded into the distance.

As far as me outlining it, I…well I started writing without one. I slowly wrote one down, jotting notes that never really got used, and bouncing ideas off of my father until I got a cohesive plot. The plot then went in a completely different direction from where it had started. So, as far as my writing process, well…it’s all over the place.

What music did you listen to while writing The Deadly Side of Death?

Actually, my “music” was more TV shows running in the background. Mostly mindless shows I didn’t have to really pay attention to. But mostly it was me, sitting in my recliner and having my cats stomp across me in an attempt to get me to pay attention to them, rather than my keyboard.

What was your favorite scene in The Deadly Side of Death to write?

I actually have to say the part where Death tries to get into the Gates of Hell. It was one that just flowed and the idea just kind of came to me while I was writing it. Wouldn’t it be funny if…the missing handle was actually inspired by the movie Encanto.

What was the hardest scene in The Deadly Side of Death to write?

The fight scenes. Especially the last one. It’s always like pulling teeth for me to write a fight scene.