Sanctuary of Night
by Tessa Brooks
Released: Apr 01, 2026
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Why this book and why now?
This idea has just been running around in my head. It’s not my usual book but it just wouldn’t go away.
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
Oh yes, Zoe would be my bestie and Isabela, oh wow, don’t ask 🙂
Do your character names have special significance or meaning?
No, usually the character come to me first and then I think up a way to torture them 🙂
How does it feel to finally share this book with readers?
I’m a little nervous as it’s not what I normally write and doing the triology has taken a lot of time. I just hope my readers will give it a look and not be dissappointed.
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
Zoe would binge How to Get Away with Murder. It mirrors her mind: fast, analytical, full of hidden systems and buried truths. She’s drawn to stories where the law isn’t what it seems, because that’s exactly the world she’s been forced into. She’d watch it not just for entertainment, but to study how people survive inside broken systems.
What 3 things would your main character want with them if they got stranded away from civilization, and why?
A notebook and pen – Zoe needs to track patterns. Her strength is thinking, and she’d turn survival into a problem to solve.
A knife – practical, but also symbolic. She’s not passive. She adapts.
A reliable light source – not just for safety, but because Zoe refuses to sit in the dark, literally or metaphorically. She needs to see what’s really there.
One of your main characters is planning a romantic night. Tell us about it.
Isabela would plan something controlled, precise… and completely outside her comfort zone.
She wouldn’t choose candlelight or softness. She’d take Zoe somewhere high, somewhere private, like a rooftop overlooking the city. Somewhere she can still see everything, control everything.
There would be silence at first. Isabela isn’t good with softness. But she’d bring something unexpected. Wine, perfectly chosen. Food Zoe actually likes, because she’s been paying attention.
The turning point wouldn’t be grand. It would be small.
Isabela letting Zoe stand close without stepping back. Letting her stay.
For Isabela, that is intimacy. Not the kiss. Not the setting. The decision not to retreat.
Which character was the most fun to write, and which was the hardest?
Isabela is the most fun. She’s controlled, dangerous, and constantly on the edge of breaking. Writing her is like holding tension in your hand and deciding when to let it snap.
Zoe is the hardest. She’s grounded, logical, and human in a world that makes no sense. She can’t just react. She has to figure things out. That means every decision, every question, every reaction has to feel earned and intelligent.
Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment and it’s time to party! Choose a celebratory beverage for one of your main characters to toast the release of your new book.
Zoe chooses strong black Assam tea. No sugar, no milk, nothing to soften it. It fits her perfectly. She’s practical, grounded, and doesn’t trust things dressed up to look sweeter than they are. Tea keeps her sharp, focused, and in control. Even at a celebration, she’s the one watching the room, thinking three steps ahead.
Isabela, on the other hand, would choose a deep red wine, something old and rare. Not for the taste alone, but for the history in it. She values time, patience, and things that endure.
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
Zoe would put on Control.
It reflects her perfectly. She starts the story believing control comes from logic and structure, but quickly learns that control is an illusion when you’re up against something bigger. The song captures that tension between wanting control and losing it anyway.
If your book had a scent, what would it smell like?
Cold stone, rain on city streets, and something metallic underneath… blood and danger just out of sight.
Then layered over that, something softer and unexpected: red roses and clean linen. That contrast is the heart of the book. Safety and threat existing in the same breath.
If your book had a signature dessert, what would it be?
A dark chocolate torte with a bitter edge. Rich, intense, not overly sweet. The kind of dessert that lingers.
It looks elegant and controlled on the surface, but once you cut into it, it’s dense, complex, and a little dangerous if you underestimate it. Just like the story.
Do you outline your books in detail, or do you prefer to discover the story as you write?
I’m an outliner. I like structure, pacing, and knowing where the story is going.
That said, the characters rarely behave themselves. Once I start writing, they tend to take over, push in directions I didn’t plan, and sometimes completely change the emotional shape of a scene. The outline keeps the spine intact, but the characters bring it to life and, often, surprise me along the way.
Do you have any writing rituals or habits?
I write best when I treat it like a job, not a mood. I sit down, I write, whether I feel inspired or not. That consistency matters more than waiting for the perfect idea.
I always have strong black Assam tea beside me. It’s become part of the process. No milk, no sugar. Just something steady and familiar while everything on the page is anything but.
I also work from a solid outline, but I leave space for the characters to take over. That’s usually when the best moments happen. When something unexpected slips in and suddenly the scene has more life than I planned.
