We chat with author Gwendolyn Womack about The Premonitions Club, which is a YA paranormal book where a group of teens find dangerous boxes of old psychic predictions.
Hi, Gwendolyn! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m originally from Houston, Texas. I went to college in Alaska, studying theatre. I started out writing plays in school and screenplays afterwards while living in Los Angeles. In 2009 I began writing my first novel, The Memory Painter, and I’ve been working on novels ever since. When I’m not busy reading books or writing, I enjoy photographing kaleidoscopes as a hobby and often share the photos online.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My love for writing began at an early age. When I was in fifth grade, I wrote my first poem on an airplane. We were flying above the clouds and the view out the window was stunning. It was the defining moment when I realized writing was my happy place. I also loved books. Fortunately my parents let me read whatever I wanted, including my dad’s thrillers when he was done with them and my older sister’s romance novels. (Which is probably why I love to write romantic thrillers. Two in one!) I tried to write my first novel when I was around ten and quickly abandoned it, but I remember thinking one day I’ll really write one.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: A scratch-and-sniff children’s book where there were scented dots embedded throughout the story. I reread and smelled that book so many times, lol. It was great.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Impossible to choose only one! When I was around ten or eleven, I read these gothic historical thrillers set in England by Victoria Holt that my mom had bought at an antique store. At the time, I tried to write one like it but it was more whimsical fun. When I was older, I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Those two really sparked the fire.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I think about Circe by Madeline Miller. It’s so exquisite and brilliantly written.
Your latest novel, The Premonitions Club, is out April 22nd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
The Breakfast Club meets Firestarter.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a twisty thriller that explores psychic abilities. There’s a romance as well and plenty of surprises.
Where did the inspiration for The Premonitions Club come from?
In 2015 while I was researching my second novel about the world’s first Tarot cards, I came across a fascinating piece of history. From 1968-1993 a Premonitions Bureau existed where paranormal researchers were inviting people around the country to mail in their predictions. They were going to see how psychic the country was and if any mass predictions came true. I immediately was struck and imagined all the letters in one place and a group of teenagers finding them. Years later, I was finally ready to write the story. The Premonitions Club is my YA debut and I am really excited for it.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
This was my first book with a lot of POVs. Every chapter is written with one character’s POV and it alternates between six people: Liv, Winnie, Jaxon, Forester, Nebony, and Matty. It was so much fun jumping between them. The eenie-meenie-miney-mo factor of whose chapter it would be was the most enjoyable. I had never had the chance to do that before.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
The POV switch-up was not only fun but also challenging. A lot of times I really wanted to jump back into a different character’s head to get what they were thinking or feeling but it wasn’t their chapter, so I had to come up with other ways to weave it in or delay until it was their turn.
What’s next for you?
I have another book coming out in 2026 with 47North. The title is not set in stone yet, but it’s a sci-fi romantic adventure about a musical prodigy who’s propelled back in time by sound in order to save the world from a polar shift. I’m really looking forward to talking more about it soon.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
So many great books are coming out this year. I just read The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn, which was excellent and came out last month. I’m looking forward to reading Emily Henry and V.E. Schwab’s upcoming books. I love their novels! The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve is on my radar to read, as well as Tahereh Mafi’s exciting return to her Shatter Me series with Watch Me.
