We chat with author Diana Rodriguez Wallach about Hatchet Girls, which is a supernatural horror that reminds us family can be our saving grace–or our biggest curse. Set one-hundred years after the Borden murders, this propulsive thriller imagines what a similar trial might look like today.
Hi, Diana! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I am a young adult author. Hatchet Girls is my 8th published novel, but my first-ever hardback. Most recently, I found my niche in YA Horror, the exact types of books I loved reading when I was a kid. I’m half Polish and half Puerto Rican, and I lend my multicultural background to the characters I create.
I’m also a mom of two kids, and two cats. I live in the Philadelphia suburbs. I’m a big Philadelphia Eagles fan and a Swiftie.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I always knew I was good at writing as a kid, but I initially channelled that skill into journalism. It wasn’t until I lived five blocks from Ground Zero on September 11, 2001 that I decided to find my true passion. I detail the entire story on my website, and you can read it all here.
Also, I have several posts about how my 9/11 experience changed my life on my TikTok, starting here
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The first books I remember reading for fun, by choice, were probably the Babysitter’s Club Collecting and reading them was a bonding activity with the girls of my era.
- The one that made you want to become an author: All the books by Christopher Pike. I am a child of the 90s, and I devoured all of his paperback YA thrillers. Recently, his book the Midnight Club was turned into a Netflix series, and I loved it. Now I just need a Remember Me adaption…
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: That changes based on what I’ve read recently. But I love Tiffany D. Jackson’s THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD, because it is a such a clever reimagining of Stephen King’s Carrie. I love how she handled multi-POVs and included a Podcast. So creative!
Your latest novel, Hatchet Girls, is out October 10th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Atmospheric, true-crime-inspired horror.
What can readers expect?
I call Hatchet Girls “Lizzie Borden meets SUPERNATURAL only with Puerto Rican siblings.” If you love spooky, eerie stories rooted in true crime, this book is for you!
Where did the inspiration for Hatchet Girls come from?
I was watching the recent Lizzie Borden adaption with Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart—the one where they imagine Lizzie had an affair with her maid. And it made me wonder if there had been another axe murder in Fall River, MA since this happened, way back in the late 1800s. I couldn’t find anything. I imagined what a sensational news story this would be. Then, in doing my research, I learned that Fall River is located in the supernatural Bridgewater Triangle, a designated area of New England with an unusually high amount of documented supernatural activity. Once I learned that the nearby Freetown/Fall River State Forest is considered one of the Most Haunted Forests in the World (according to Conde Naste Traveler), then I knew this was the perfect setting for a horror book.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
You don’t pick up a book with a bloody axe on the cover and not expect to encounter that scene. For me, the BIG scene on the night of the murders was the most fun to write. I let loose and allowed my mind to go full horror. It was a lot of fun, and it took the story in directions I didn’t initially expect.
With it being the spooky month, what are some favourite horror stories?
Since it’s not only spooky season, but also Hispanic Heritage Month, I will give a shout out to some of my favorite Latinx horror writers. Cynthia Pelayo has several excellent horror novels, including Children of Chicago and her Bram Stoker Award Winning narrative poetry, Crime Scene. Silvia Moreno Garcia’s Mexican Gothic is one of my favorites. V. Castro’s The Queen of The Cicadas has a great female vengeance vibe. And Gabino Iglesias Bram Stoker Award Winning The Devil Takes You Home will creep you out for days.
What’s next for you?
It hasn’t been announced yet, but I have two more books in the works. The next is another YA Latinx Horror, but this time set closer to home at an abandoned girls reform school in suburban Philadelphia.
You can find Diana on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, along with at her website.
