We chat with author Kyrie McCauley about her contemporary YA gothic romance All the Dead Lie Down, which is The Haunting of Bly Manor meets House of Salt and Sorrows and follows a dark family lineage, the ghosts of grief, and the lines we’ll cross for love.
Hi, Kyrie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi, of course! My name is Kyrie, it rhymes with the word “weary” and I was named after a pop 80’s song by Mr. Mister. All the Dead Lie Down is my 3rd published book! I live just outside of Philadelphia with my family and THREE black cats (I’m secretly a witch). I’m a connoisseur of all things cozy: cable-knit sweaters and throw blankets and wool socks. Some of my favourite things are books that make me cry, overflowing bookshelves, walking in the woods, when my feet are in the ocean, a cat asleep on my lap or a baby asleep on my shoulder, and little creatures like snails and frogs and especially spiders.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I think it was always there. I come from a family that loves to tell stories—anecdotes and memories that grow wilder with every re-telling. My grandfather used to tell us stories at bedtime every night that he made up on the fly. I was always an introvert, and I lived in books for years. It was my safe place, and writing just came naturally from that, from a place I loved and wanted to stay forever.
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!
1- CATWINGS by Ursula K. Le Guin
2- Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
3- House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
Your latest novel, All the Dead Lie Down, is out May 16th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Putting the romance in necromancy.
What can readers expect?
This book really does read like a love letter to Gothic literature and Gothic romance. I knew I wanted to include so many of the incredible elements and tropes that made me love this genre: creepy children, a sprawling mansion by the sea, decrepit cemeteries, a whirlwind romance, and of course, a messed-up deer. I wanted to write a place that was bone-chilling at times, but also the kind of place you fall in love with and never want to leave, and that became Lovelace House.
Where did the inspiration for All the Dead Lie Down come from?
We visit the coast of Maine every year. We spend hours in the tide pools, finding starfish and crabs, and we can dig up clams in the mud. I remember holding a clam and imagining opening it and finding something surprising inside—something terrible. Once I had that flash of an image in my mind, wondering what it could be and why it would be there, I began writing All the Dead Lie Down.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
There is a scene in All the Dead Lie Down that features a zombie dog. It’s sort of the opposite of worrying about whether a beloved pet in a story dies—what if a beloved pet comes back? This was a really gross and fun chapter to write, and I hope readers enjoy it as much as I did.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced whilst writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Writing about my main character’s anxiety was hard. I have an anxiety disorder just like Marin, and it was really important to me to get those feelings of dread right. I also wanted to show that anxiety isn’t the same as fear—sometimes our anticipation of something, or what we imagine in our heads, is the worst part of it all, and in a moment of crisis, we can really rise to the occasion. There is a lot of strength in there, and I wanted to show that in Marin’s growth. She is so capable and so good at loving people, despite her anxiety, and sometimes because of it.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently revising my next book, another YA with horror elements about a group of girls stranded on an island in the Pacific Northwest with a monster. It’s sort of like if Yellowjackets met Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Lastly, are there any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?
I’m so excited for All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters and We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tirado. I also absolutely loved If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude. Remember when I said I love books that make me cry? This one definitely checked that box.
