We chat with author Sarah L. Hawthorn about A Fate Worse Than Drowning. which is a queer speculative novel about a lighthouse keeper who made a devil’s bargain to save her sister, but when a shipwrecked survivor washes ashore, she is left with an impossible choice…
Hi, Sarah! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hey there! I’m Sarah L. Hawthorn, an author from Halifax/Kjipuktuk, Nova Scotia, Canada. I love writing and reading anything speculative, from high fantasy to gothic horror to hard sci-fi. I grew up reading and listening to local ghost stories which have haunted me ever since. My day job is as a techy admin for the Feds. I love cozy video games, making book nooks, painting, swimming, and my two cats named Hazel and Pepper.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I loved coming up with strange fantasy worlds on my walks home from school with my friend Will or yapping out a tale to my mom while sitting in the car. I’ve always been a massive bookworm, so those two aspects mesh well into becoming a writer! I had some great teachers that saw potential in me (English was my favourite class while in French Immersion, if only because I didn’t get in trouble for not speaking French) and they encouraged me to write. By high school I was writing stories with a friend, and we co-wrote a novel together in grade 12! After that, I was hooked and kept plugging away at short stories and novels whenever I could around university and day jobs.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Monster at the End of This Book while waiting at the hairdressers!
- The one that made you want to become an author: The ISLAND series by Gordon Korman was fundamental to me and had me writing survival stories in elementary school! Funny to think I came back to the surviving on an island concept eventually.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I don’t think any book will change my brain chemistry the way that Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer did years ago. It made me obsessed with eco-horror, and I wish I could read it for the first time again!
Your debut novel, A Fate Worse than Drowning, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Sisters escape through Faustian bargain!
What can readers expect?
This book is a tense spiral into paranoia, devil worship, and sacrifice with a tender heart at its core. If you enjoy books about complex sister dynamics, deals with the devil, grey-morality heroines, ghosts, and fighting for what (and who) you love, A Fate Worse Than Drowning could be the next book you devour! It’s also got a lot of historical references, set in 1860s Halifax, with threads of horror, romance, and fantasy interwoven together.
Where did the inspiration for A Fate Worse than Drowning come from?
I missed home. The pandemic meant I couldn’t visit Nova Scotia while I was living in Ontario. I started writing about the ocean and home and folklore, researching both fact and fiction from across history. Soon I had a story built from real lighthouse keeper logs, whispered century-old tales, and two sisters searching for freedom.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
As an older sister myself, Elle’s descent into the worst version of herself to save her younger sister was both cathartic and fun to write. I also love her tragic, yet sometimes darkly comedic, relationship with the ghost of the man she’d killed on her first night on the island. Their relationship has such a tense twist of regret and hope that made every conversation so fun to write.
Not to spoil anything, but there’s also a confrontation about half-way through the book that I loved writing due to its equally bizarre and tragic circumstance! I love writing tense, emotional scenes, but I also love a surprisingly funny moment that cuts the tension and brings the reader back to earth for a breather.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
This book is ultimately about the goodness of people, even in the face of supernatural adversity. Balancing the horrors done to (and by) the protagonists without the story becoming so grim there’s no light coming through was challenging. Adding the quieter, softer moments throughout the book was important to keep their humanity in mind. Elle is in way over her head in her deal. Liney is a young woman who’s barely experienced the world past her own home. Their limited perspectives make for a fun challenge to keep everything in each of their chapters true to their voice. This was also the first historically set book I’ve written, and I loved the puzzle of finding both the answers and gaps in knowledge of the area and time. (Also: Trying to keep the book from ballooning in page count. I’m an overwriter, through and through! Thank goodness for editors.)
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
A lot of writing! I spent a good decade or so learning how to write books during early mornings, late nights, and weekend afternoons at coffee shops. I’m still learning with each project. I queried my fourth book when I felt it was ready and signed with my fantastic agent, Larissa Melo Pienkowski, in 2023. We went on submission in 2024 and I got to meet my talented editor, Jenna Jankowski. It’s been a great first publishing experience working with the editorial and marketing folks at Poisoned Pen Press, who have made me feel so valued and celebrated every step of the way. Most importantly, I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many fantastic writers, whether published or not-yet-published, who have made the ups and downs of the book world much easier (and more fun) to handle!
What’s next for you?
I’ve got a second book coming out next year with Poisoned Pen Press. I’m excited to share more when I can! For now, I’ll say it’s “If The Traitors met The London Séance Society met Knives Out”, set in another lesser-known Nova Scotian locale.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
So. Many. I’ve gotten to know so many fantastic authors during my debut year, and even started blurbing a few! If you like my book, I think you’d really enjoy I Am the Devouring Dark by Kimberly Lynn Hanson. I just picked up The Death Row Club by V. A. Vazquez (who I met at the ABA Winter Institute this year and is a delight!) and I’m impatiently waiting for my copy of The Sea Hides Its Dead by Megan Bontrager, my fellow coastal horror July debut!
This summer I’m (impatiently) looking for my pre-order pickup notice for Demon Star by Jesse Aragon, (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall, Bound by Fury by Noelle Monét, and Death Card by Jasmine Smith. I’m also pumped for The Heresy of Thieves by Mia Moss, Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm, and As the Snow Gathers by Mere Joyce, coming out in the fall.
In the indie space, I highly recommend Imperfect Creatures by Joe Butler, The Binding of Bloom Mountain by Vesper Doom, and Coal Gets In Your Veins by Cat Rector.
