Interview with Erin Perry
Author of When the Devil Takes Hold
Buy this book
Quick description of the book for a new reader - what should they expect?
- I love to genre-bend novels, so always expect a little bit of everything! I love thrilling tales with excitement and frights and even a little bit of romance sprinkled in occasionally.
What was your inspiration for this book?
- I've always been obsessed with psychics and ghosts/ghost hunting, and Savannah is a town with such deep, deep haunted history (one of my favorite places to visit) and the story just fell into my lap!
Which authors do you admire? How have they influenced your writing style?
- I would be shamed if I didn't honor the classics such as Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson, but I have to give an exceptionally loud shout-out to Mary Downing Hahn, whose books really formed my love for the spooky and haunted novels when I was a pre-teen.
Can you tell us a little about the locations in your book?
- Savannah is one of the oldest towns in the South, and one of the only towns to survive Sherman's march to the sea during the Civil War. There is so much to be learned from the town of Savannah, and not all of it is good history. Some of it is disturbing and haunting and terrifying, and I believe this makes it such a learning experience for those who have never experienced it before.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Write the book! No matter how badly you want to stop or how many times people tell you it is a silly idea, DO NOT STOP WRITING THE BOOK! Once it's finished, you can really reflect and see it for what it is. This will allow you to fall in love with your story all over again, giving you the desire to edit it and show it to the world!
Could you talk a little about your writing process?
- This is a question people have asked me often, and I never give the answer anyone expects. I usually start with an extremely rough idea of what I want the story to be, then I begin to build characters. Once the characters are built, it's very much like they sit down and talk to me. They write the story, I just simply type out what it is they want the book to say. There is no pre-planning other than this for me. I write it as it comes to mind, and I truly cannot even tell you which parts of my brain it is pulled from. It's a bit like I'm just possessed by my main characters, if I am to be honest.
Which character has had the greatest impact on readers?
- From what I've been told, Austin Norwood seems to be the fan favorite as of now. For my personal opinion, Layla will always have my heart.
If the book were to be adapted for TV or film, who would you see in the lead role? Who did you have in your mind’s eye?
- I've thought about this a lot! While writing, the book plays out in my head very much like a TV show. I can almost even see the characters. Austin was pulled from the physical characteristics of Timothee Chalamet, while Layla is largely based off Scarlett Palmers. Jayden Saunders would be John Boyega and Kiera would be Ajiona Alexus! (Bonus: the evil of the book would have to be voiced by Robert Englund, no question)
How have readers responded ?
- I think the overall response has been shock at first, as I have always been an extremely private person when it comes to my writing career. It's something that I have been enjoying doing since third grade, but most of my others works have been published and posted anonymously due to the severe worry I've had over criticism. But now that I've "came clean" and revealed it to the world, I'm excited to hear anything and everything about my writing, even if it's not always the best feedback in the world. Overall, this book has been received smashingly, though!
Where next? What are you working on now?
- I am currently in the editing phase of my second novel, titled, Pulling Weeds and Pushing Up Daisies. It will be releasing April 24th, 2024. I can't wait for you to read it!
