Dennis Desmond On Books And Writing

I recently got in touch with Dennis Desmond — to learn more about his new book, the writing process and his experiences as a reader.

Desmond is a longtime resident of Takoma Park and the father of three adult children. His debut middle-grade novel, “Eddie and the Vegetarian Vampire,” was published by Saguaro Books in 2022.

This interview has been edited lightly.

Would you tell me a little bit about your new book?

Twelve-year-old Eddie, short, pudgy, hard of sight, his nose buried in a book, has no idea how he wound up in the Sisters of Mercy Orphanage as an infant or why he can’t be adopted.

He gets the shock of his life one evening when the bat in the orphanage basement transforms into a vampire and introduces himself as Count Bloodless. The starving Count is also an orphan, rejected by his vampire family because he is vegetarian. An unexpected friendship blossoms as Eddie helps the Count find the food he desperately needs to survive, and the vampire helps Eddie unlock the secret of his past.

What kind of feedback have you gotten thus far?

A great review in the The Children’s Book Review and some thumbs up from neighborhood kids.