Q&A: Erica Waters, Author of ‘The River Has Teeth’

Lush and chilling, with razor-sharp edges and an iron core of hope, this bewitching, powerhouse novel of two girls fighting back against the violence the world visits on them will stun and enchant readers.

We chat with author Erica Waters about her second YA novel, The River Has Teeth, as well as writing, book recommendations, first reads, and so much more! PLUS we have the entire first chapter for you to devour at the end of the interview!

Hi, Erica! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Sure! I am a lifelong Southerner currently living in Nashville. I have two terrible dogs that I love a ridiculous amount and a perennial flower garden I tend with benevolent neglect. I also build terrariums and spend a lot of time trying to make a perfect cup of tea.

I write YA novels that are a bit fantasy, a bit thriller, and a lot supernatural. I love the intersection of magic and contemporary life and how speculative fiction can get at deeper issues. I can’t seem to stop writing about ghosts.

How has the first half of 2021 been for you?

Simultaneously busy and quiet. I’ve been working pretty steadily on a new novel, always up against a deadline, as well as getting The River Has Teeth ready for publication. I also work part-time as a university writing tutor, which I’ve been doing virtually. Now that I’m vaccinated and on summer break, I’m starting to venture out into the world a bit more, but it’s hard to shed my pandemic habit of being home all the time. I’ve gone to my favorite café a few times to write, which was one of the things I missed most.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

The first book I remember reading is, weirdly enough, one of those vintage kindergarten primers, like See Spot Run or Dick and Jane—something like that. The one that made me want to write YA fantasy: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. And the one I can’t stop thinking about is Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I read it months ago and it still sometimes creeps into my nightmares!

When did you first discover your love for writing?

In elementary school. I devoured books, especially classics and spooky reads, and thought there was no greater magic than storytelling. Plus, I kept winning little writing awards, so I knew I was good at it. That’s a potent combination!

I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer, though I wasn’t sure what kind. I tried on poetry for a long while, then creative nonfiction. I only got serious about writing fiction in my 20s after taking a creative writing class in grad school and realizing it was what I should be doing.

Your new novel, The River Has Teeth, is out July 27^th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Atmospheric, intense, dark, eerie, sapphic

What can readers expect?

Readers can expect an immersive, character-like setting; dark and powerful magic; big, sometimes destructive emotions; and a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers style romance.

Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

This was my first time writing a dual-point-of-view novel, with two narrators. It was challenging to make the voices distinct enough and to figure out how to pace out the plot from two different perspectives. The voices issue was more easily solved—make sure the two characters are very different people, with different ways of speaking and thinking, different interests. The pacing was a longer, more involved process of thinking hard about which character had the most at stake in each scene and whose perspective would be most emotionally impactful.

Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I loved writing all of the magic! I took a naturalist class while I was writing, and I tried to translate the ecological concepts I learned and things I observed in nature into Della’s family’s complex and powerful magic. For example, Della’s magic involves tapping into the forest’s fungal network, which I just had so much fun with.

I also really enjoyed writing Della’s (monster) mom. Her character to me feels like swimming in a murky lake, where you’re unsure what might be lurking and lying in wait. I’d actually love to write a prequel about her.

This is your second novel! What have you learned since your debut novel Ghost Wood Song?

I’ve learned, thankfully, to chill out and to hold everything more lightly—reviews, sales, my social media presence, disappointments. There’s very little authors can control when it comes to publishing. All we can really control is writing the best possible books we can, so that’s where I put my energy these days.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

Honestly, I think the same piece of advice can be good for one writer and bad for the next. I’m always interested in learning from other writers, but I’m suspicious of any advice that doesn’t come with the caveat of “This is what worked for me.” Part of the reason it took me so long to start writing fiction seriously was that I took a piece of advice that was bad for me personally too much to heart.

What’s next for you?

I have another queer supernatural YA out with HarperTeen in fall 2022 called The Restless Dark. It’s about two girls who team up in a macabre true crime contest to find the missing bones of a serial killer in a foggy, eerie canyon in Georgia. I’m also playing around with a spooky MG novel and an adult horror novel.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

I’m reading Plain Bad Heroines by emily m. danforth right now and really enjoying it. It’s smart and funny and creepy, and Sarah Waters blurbed it, which is all the reason I ever need to read a book. Some other books I’ve loved so far this year are Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss (which made my heart race) and Ghostways by Robert Macfarlane (which is so strange and lovely and just plain cool).

Three stellar but not-yet-released YA novels readers should watch out for in the coming months: The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould, Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood, and A Rush of Wings by Laura Weymouth.

Will you be picking up The River Has Teeth? Tell us in the comments below!