Interview with Antoinette McCormick
Author of The Haunting of Sky Hollow
I'm a New England based writer and three-time Futhark Award winner by day, RN by night.
Buy this book
The Haunting of Sky Hollow to a new reader?
- It's contemporary gothic horror, set at a remote location in my home state of Vermont. After their mother dies, leaving with them with next to nothing, Aidan and Nadia Loveland learn that they've inherited Sky Hollow, a luxury estate, from their maternal uncle, Miles Blake, a famous sculptor whom neither ever knew. What little information they do learn about him comes from YouTube videos made by local ghost hunter, Lee Ransom, who claims that a piece of musical sculpture on the property might have driven their uncle to suicide and also belives it opens a portal to a ghostly realm. Despite this, the two head to the house with a friend in tow, but are soon besieged by strange events that grow deadlier by degrees. Something sinister is indeed stalking Sky Hollow--something that doesn't want any of them to leave alive!
What was the inspiration behind The Haunting of Sky Hollow?
- A love of gothic fiction and its tropes, as well as a piece of real musical sculpture, "Aeolus," by Luke Jerram. I've never read a horror story involving a haunted instrument/sculpture before and wanted to incorporate this into my story to give a fresh take on what is a familiar trope to horror lovers (the unexpected inheritance gone awry). My aim was also to create a more visceral experience of horror and terror versus outright gore.
Which authors do you admire? How have they influenced your writing style?
- I grew up reading Stephen King, H. P. Lovecraft, and Poe, but then discovered Carol Goodman and Alice Hoffman. While the last two aren't "horror" writers, per se, both can write about horrific things, while using some of the most incredible prose I've ever read in my life. I'd love to learn how to balance King's superb grasp of character and the darker aspects of human nature with the soaring prose of Hoffman or Goodman.
Can you tell us a little about the locations in the book?
- In the early 2010s, I worked as a school nurse at small elementary school in Danby, VT. The drive there often took me over winding mountain roads (steep dirt roads, often dangerous to traverse during winter). Some of the vacation homes I'd see on the way, as well as the small town of Danby, itself, sparked my imagination. While Danby provided the inspiration for the town of Harwich Crossing, to imbue it with more authenticity, I included references to real places: Castleton, Rutland, and Lake St. Catherine, VT.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Since I'm a "new" author myself, I probably have no business doing this at all, but here goes! First of all, believe in your work--its quality, originality, and worth, never give up, no matter how many rejections you receive, and don't wait until you're in your fifth decade of life to finally start taking your art seriously (like I did). In the interest of self-protection, I'd also recommend that they check out a site like the SFWA's, "Writer Beware," which, besides providing great resources for writers, also compiles lists of disreputable contests, publishers, etc., in the industry.
