YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I'm an avid hiker and ended up in a very remote Pennsylvania forest. I had an opinion about whether or not we should take a spur of the trail, and the person I was with had a different perspective. I didn't think we could get the spur in before night fell. He definitely thought we could. We ended up losing light fast, in an unfamiliar, extremely remote area, with dying flashlight batteries and a trail about as wide as your hand. We made it out around 10 PM and found the car, but there were some dark moments, including the idea that we might be spending the night out there, with no gear for that. I never thought we might actually get LOST, but it was a possibility. He was apologetic about the bad decision, and I told him I was okay with it, because I got an idea for a book out of the ordeal.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
This is a great question because my main character, Ashley, is alone for 90% of the book. She's lost in the woods, and as a writer, there's no one for her to talk to, bounce ideas off of, or interact with at all. You get to know your character really well when it's just the two of you. In the past, people have asked me which of my characters is most like me, in real life. The answer used to be Brooke, from This Darkness Mine. Now, it's Ashley. She is very much me, in a lot of ways.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Hmmm.... let's just say there's a moment of self-surgery that made me very happy, on a visceral level.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
The cover is fantastic, because it carries all the elements of the Smoky Mountains... but then if you step back and look at it, it's actually a Rohrschach. And there's a skull in there!
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I'm very excited about my release coming in 2021, The Initial Insult, which blends retellings of Edgar Allan Poe stories in a contemporary Appalachian setting. You can add it on Goodreads, here: https://www.goodreads.com/…/show/49200324-the-initial-insult
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
The most trouble for this book was the simple fact that Ashley is alone for 90% of the time. Not only that, but there are only so many things you can throw at someone when they are lost in the woods - injury, weather, animals, natural disaster. That's really it. So it's hard to keep things interesting and lively, when really what you're doing is narrating someone walking by themselves for 10 days.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
Animals love me. Animals and babies. I will draw them all to me one day, and everyone else will die of loneliness.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I support a wildlife rehabilitation center that is near where I live. They are constantly providing medical care for injured wildlife, and releasing them back into their home environment after healing. http://wildlifehaven.tripod.com/