We chat with author Holly Craig about Find Me, which is a terrifying survivalist thriller as two sisters navigate the eerie Tasmanian wilderness, perfect for fans of Jane Harper and Yellowjackets.
Hi, Holly! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! Thanks for having me on The Nerd Daily! I’m all the way from Western Australia, Perth, and my thrillers are set around Australia on beaches, boats, islands and now the isolated Tasmanian wilderness for my survival suspense Find Me. I run The Write Club, Australia’s biggest and most fun writing community where I teach adults how to write for publication. You can check it out on Instagram @the_writeclub I also host writers retreats on Rottnest Island (home to the cute little quokka). I actually grew up on the island on boats, inspiring my second novel The Rip, my first #1 bestselling novel, The Shallows and my Audible Original, Mayday. I’m really active on Instagram, taking people behind the scenes in publication. You can follow along @hollycraigauthor
Find Me is my latest survival suspense about two estranged sisters who venture up notorious Mount Mercy in Tasmania to search for their missing brother who was last seen at a secret commune up the mountain. The mountain is rumoured to “take people”, predominantly men.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I have been writing since I could lift a pencil. Before I even knew what fanfiction was, I was rewriting the endings of movies I liked, and writing my own versions of cartoon shows when I was very little. I’ve just always loved writing and dipping into imaginary worlds. All through my teens and twenties, I would write as a hobby and in all genres. I finally went to university and studied creative writing and then got degrees in English teaching, journalism and public relations because I wanted a job where I could write. Watching the 90’s version of Little Women was when I knew I wanted to be an author, just like Jo March.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Folk of The Faraway Tree
- The one that made you want to become an author: Heaven by Virginia Andrews
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simmons
Your latest novel, Find Me, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Atmospheric, eerie, sisterhood, adventure, suspenseful
What can readers expect?
A VERY unexpected twist and ending. Most reviews I’ve been getting in Australia have been extremely positive with readers blown away by the twist and ending. No one guesses what exactly is up Mount Mercy, what the secret commune up the mountain knows, or why men are disappearing up there. It’s also got a cold, unforgiving, isolated mood and atmosphere with enough descriptions to make you as though you’re trekking up the mountain with the sisters. If you love detailed, meaty, dramatic and high-tension survival suspense, with a bit of creepiness, you should love Find Me.
Where did the inspiration for Find Me come from?
For me, it always starts with a mood and something I felt like reading myself. Writing about a formidable mountain that could almost seem supernatural, where men only go missing, was exactly the creepy kind of book I wanted to read. My agent suggested I steer away from the thriller trope of writing about a married couple and instead write about two best friends or two sisters, and I was like—yes! I have a sister, and I know how complex and complicated the relationship can be. Plonking two sisters who hate each other in a setting where they’re forced to look out for one another and survive, was so fun to write. I was also fascinated by off grid living and communes and how people could survive in isolation.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really enjoyed writing about the two sisters, Hallie and Gertie arriving in Pine Peak, before venturing up Mount Mercy. Mount Mercy is a character in its own right, and one that the town and sisters both fear. Setting up the rumours, the town, the community and what they’re afraid of was fun to explore. It’s like a slow-burn start and that helps get the readers anxious, mirroring Hallie and Gertie’s experience.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I wanted the twist and climax to really hit hard. For this, I had to brainstorm and think about different ways I’d attempt to create the original, non-cliché ending. It needed to be super surprising where readers would talk about it after. Luckily, it’s paid off, but now all my books need to feature the same BIG twist and climax. It’s tricky to invent and also to make it work so that readers attempt to guess what’s going on, then fail to do so, but look back and think, oh yes—it was there all along!
What’s next for you?
My next survival suspense is out next year about a couple who are houseboating down an isolated Australian river, and on the run from something major, while being stalked by another boat.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I can’t wait for Riley Sager’s new book The Unknown, and Lucy Foley’s new murder mystery, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel. I read Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak a couple of weeks ago and that has a killer, original twist! I’m currently reading Riley Sager’s, With a Vengeance.
