The Conjuring meets Sadie when seventeen-year-old podcaster Dare takes an internship in a haunted house and finds herself in a life-or-death struggle against an evil spirit.
We chat with author Sarah Glenn Marsh about her latest novel The Girls Are Never Gone, shifting from fantasy to horror, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Sarah! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hey there! I write young adult novels (usually fantasy with a side of horror, like REIGN OF THE FALLEN and FEAR THE DROWNING DEEP) as well as books for younger readers that aren’t remotely scary, like NINITA’S BIG WORLD: the True Story of a Deaf Pygmy Marmoset. I’m also a queer woman, a greyhound mom—we have three retired racers, plus a feathered saluki!–a ceramic artist, and a type one diabetic. This last is something I have in common with my main character in THE GIRLS ARE NEVER GONE! As a reader, I gravitate toward stories that are dark, strange, and unapologetic, ones that haunt me well after I’ve finished. Curling up under a blanket with a scary movie is my favorite way to treat myself these days, but I’m really missing travel (especially trips back to Ireland; my next project will be trying to get my dual citizenship!).
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I was an avid reader from the time I was small, but my love of writing really came about when I was in my early teens. I wrote as a way to relax and express myself, but eventually a friend encouraged me to apply to our high school’s advanced creative writing class despite being a freshman. I handed in a short story I was so proud of, and was horrified when the teacher gave it back to me with red ink all over it—until I looked closer, and realized all that red ink was praise! She loved all the things I thought were working in the story, and that was the encouragement I needed to keep going. I still have that short story with the red ink on it in my desk drawer (teachers, you’re so appreciated!).
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!
First book: THE VELVETEEN RABBIT. Still a favorite!
One that made me want to become an author: THE HOBBIT. When I was maybe ten, my dad gave me this really yellowed and battered copy (it’s still clinging to life in my office as I type this) that he found behind a bookshelf at our beach rental, and it totally opened up my mind to the idea of creating my own worlds.
Can’t stop thinking about: RAZORBLADE TEARS. It’s one of maybe five books that’s ever made me cry. I had no idea when I started it that it would pack such an emotional punch, and it’s impossible to put down!
Your latest novel, The Girls Are Never Gone, is out September 7th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
“Stay out of the water.”
What can readers expect?
GIRLS is part ghost story, part thriller, and heavy on atmosphere! Expect a queer heroine, friendships, mystery, and a loveable dog. It’s got some spooky vibes just right for Halloween, and if you’re at all afraid of the water, you might find it downright chilling!
Where did the inspiration for The Girls Are Never Gone come from?
GIRLS was inspired primarily by three things: my love of podcasts (especially true crime ones- hi fellow Crime Junkies!); my love of ghost stories (go read KILL CREEK by Scott Thomas if you haven’t already, I can’t stop thinking about that one!); and balancing my own skepticism with having a haunted house in the family (well, sort of!).
More on that last part: my great-great-great grandfather built a beautiful home for my great-great grandmother, which my ancestors lived in for some time until a series of tragedies forced them to move away (and continued to follow them, really). I’m named after their youngest daughter, Sarah Emmeline Glenn- my great grandmother- and the house is now a beautiful museum belonging to the city of Cape Girardeau, MO. If you’re in the Midwest, it’s absolutely worth checking out- they have everything from ghost tours to art exhibits and live music there, depending on the time!
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
I’ve been reading (adult) horror for a long time, so something that surprised me about myself during the drafting process was realizing that since this is YA, I had gone too dark at times! Luckily, my editor was there to pull me back and we were able to adjust certain scenes to have the appropriate level of danger and tension without, you know, killing off a character too many!
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
One thing that was really special to me about writing this book was getting to create type one diabetes representation in Dare, my main character, in a genre I love so much. Back when I was diagnosed at age 20, there were a lot of books for young children about living with type one, but nothing for people my age. Not only that, but those younger books were all about the ins and outs of the disease itself, and while that’s so critical, too, what someone like me needed was to see people who live with this condition just…living life. Doing normal things. Or you know, hunting for ghosts, making a podcast, befriending dragons, you name it—while remembering to take insulin for their food. To this day, even when interacting with medical professionals, I’ve observed a great deal of ignorance around type one diabetes, and I hope to see more authentic rep about the disease across all genres of children’s literature in the future to help break down stereotypes and clear up misconceptions!
What was it like shifting from fantasy to horror?
As someone who’s been reading and loving ghost stories from a pretty early age, this transition felt pretty natural! My previous fantasy series had horror elements in the monsters that plagued the main character and her friends, so I was already familiar with the tension and adrenaline of a horror novel despite writing outside the confines of our world. The biggest adjustment was probably figuring out how to use a setting grounded in reality to amp up the tension and scares. It’s all in the details!
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Best: Critique for others as much as possible. Critiquing has helped me more than any writing class when it comes to teaching me how to edit and improve my own work.
Worst: “Write every day.” For me, at least, it’s important to take breaks and time away to refill the creative well, so to speak!
What’s next for you?
Great question! Right now, I’m going back and forth between another fantasy with horror elements or a foray into something more paranormal!
I also have some more books for younger readers releasing this year and next, like DRAGON BONES, a beautiful picture book about the life of palaeontologist Mary Anning!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Definitely! For a fun spooky read, try HOME BEFORE DARK by Riley Sager, THE LITTLE STRANGER by Sarah Waters, or A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS by Paul Tremblay. Those are some of my favorites.
I’ve been into thrillers lately, so don’t miss RAZORBLADE TEARS by S.A. Cosby, THE HUNTING WIVES CLUB by May Cobb, or Grady Hendrix’s FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP.
On the YA side, I recently loved the fantasy A DRAGONBIRD IN THE FERN by Laura Rueckert, as well as THE RECKLESS KIND by Carly Heath and LEAGUE OF LIARS by Astrid Scholte. Those last two aren’t out yet, so go update your TBRs!
