Interview with C J Powell, Author of The Demon Hunter’s Wife

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Demon Hunter’s Wife?

So I work weekends as a bass player in a wedding band, meaning every Saturday night I drive off to a distant part of the country and rock the house while my wife and daughter stay home. Every Saturday morning we have a great breakfast of pancakes and coffee and orange juice, and I thought what would it be like if instead of going out to play bass I was going out to fight demons. The idea revolved around a wife asking a husband “What’s the gig tonight?” and his reply being “Oh, just a couple of werewolves to take care of.” The whole story came out of that breakfast-based conversation and what that wife would have to do if her husband didn’t return home.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Demon Hunter’s Wife, what would they be?

I have a whole Spotify playlist for the book here. I don’t have specific songs for characters, more so for moments and feelings. “Be The Song” by Foy Vance reminds me of the father-daughter relationship in the book. A song called “Paralysed” by S Carey which I interpret to be about a parent’s worry that their children will grow up and forget them. It mirrors some of the main character’s feelings in the book. If the book were a film I’d see the end credits crashing in on “Kings and Queens” by 30 Seconds To Mars, followed by Meatloaf’s “I Would Do Anything For Love” which if you read the story should make absolute sense.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love any book with mystery and humor. If there’s not something strange pulling me through I tend to get a little bored. My favorite genre to write and read is science fiction.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I keep going to charity shops and so have a massive TBR. Looking at my shelf I have Jurassic Park, Interview With The Vampire, some Jeff Vandermeer, and quite a few Terry Pratchett books. I’m halfway through Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams and The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

To keep from giving too much away I really enjoyed writing the first chapter in the book. It’s the meeting between our hero Sadie and her husband-to-be: Dirk The Demon Hunter. She returns home from a drunken night out to find her mother possessed by a demon and he smashes through a window to save her. It has humor, a little bit of romance, and just enough projectile vomiting. There is another towards the end of the book that takes place during bath time which I loved, but don’t want to give the game away so you’ll have to read it.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I’m not overly superstitious so don’t have any lucky mugs or anything. I do tend to laugh to myself when I’ve written a particularly surprising silly bit. I expect my wife thinks I’m odd chuckling away in my study on my own when I’m supposed to be writing. I do like coffee. Good coffee helps a lot!

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I’ve never really spoken a motto out loud but I think it would be something along the lines of, “Don’t worry about being bad at something now. Practice it so you can be good in a few years.” Long story short, “Be patient”. It’s how I allowed myself to be rubbish yet keep writing early on.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I’d like it if readers remembered who wrote it… It was me. I wrote it. But also to try not to be too hard on yourself. That’s one of the underlying themes.