Interview with DC Gomez by Marina Raydun
- Feb 20
- 3 min read
Death’s Intern features a talking cat, missing people, and literal Horsemen—what inspired this delightfully chaotic world?
The inspiration for Death’s Intern came from a previous project I worked on with my brothers and friends. I had done a short video featuring Death reaping souls at a party. Unfortunately, it turned out that Death was at the wrong location. The story ended with Death saying, “I really need an intern.” That line stuck with me. When I worked on my first novel, that idea came back. Except this time, I wanted to explore the possibility of why Death would need interns. The rest of the world shaped itself around it.
When you were in that “dark place” professionally, what made you turn to writing—and how did Death’s Intern become your way out?
Looking back now, I can see the complexity of my situation. I was truly living the American dream. After years of hard work, I had the job most people would dream of, and doing all the things expected by society. Except I wasn’t living my purpose. There was very little that was creative in my world. The work was structured and corporate. Death’s Intern provided me with an escape from my everyday life while giving me the freedom to dream of a fun universe where magic was real. It was like coming back home after a long time of wandering around.
How did Isis Black, the untrained intern for Death, come to life? Is she inspired by anyone you know—or by parts of yourself?
At the time of the book, Isis was a mixture of several people, including myself. The Army Veteran from the 82 nd Airborne Division part came from my brother and his journey in the Army band. I pulled from my personal experiences the portions of being new to the Texarkana area. The fun part about characters is others only inspired them at the beginning. After you spend enough time in their heads, they shape into their own individuals and the things you drew from melt away. Isis now is as real as an old friend to me.
The Intern Diaries series balances humor, fantasy, and emotional depth. Was it challenging to maintain that tone across five books?
For this series, the balance came naturally. The humor balanced the emotional turmoil the characters go through, while the fantasy forces them to see the world differently. That’s the magic of Urban Fantasy. We are still dealing in the real world with that touch of magic that helps you separate from the everyday chaos.
What’s something readers often miss about Death’s Intern that you secretly love or wish they noticed more?
The book has a layer of social commentary. It explores how we treat those in our society that have been displaced and marginalized. My goal is never to be preachy but to reflect on some aspects we experienced in our everyday life. Then let the readers decide how they feel about it. It’s always exciting to see which portion of the book connects with readers and how they see the different topics.
You’ve served in the U.S. Army, studied film at NYU, and became a certified coach and meditation instructor—that’s a wild combo! How do these different experiences shape your writing?
The older I become, the more I realize all our experiences shape how we connect with the world and our art. I find myself extremely blessed to have such a diverse background, because it helps me connect with all my characters at different levels. I’m able to be whimsical with some, while very structured with others, just by seeing how I reacted in those different stages of my life.
You mentioned your mission to help people overcome self-limiting beliefs—how do you sneak that message into your fiction?
The characters in my books are not superheroes. They are a bunch of quirky people trying to do the right things while making mistakes. Like many of us, they doubt themselves and their purpose, but they still push on. Sometimes, it is easy for many of us to feel defeated when we have very little faith in ourselves. I truly hope that my books help readers connect with these characters and are inspired to take leaps towards their own dreams by following their leads.
You’re giving away one million copies of Death’s Intern—that’s bold and generous. What do you hope happens as a result of this gift?
Honestly, my goal is really simple, I just want to share smiles with the world. We are living in extremely stressful and difficult times. As an author, my secret power comes from creating magic with words. If I can help others escape, even if just for a few hours and connect with something that makes them smile, then I have done my job. We all need a little happiness in our day.
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