Mary, Will I Die? by bestselling author Shawn Sarles (Campfire) will deliver a fresh and chilling new take on the Bloody Mary legend, which has been scaring kids around the nation for decades. We chat with Shawn all about his latest release, along with the challenges he faced, writing, virtual tour events, and more!
Hi, Shawn! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi. My name is Shawn Sarles, and I am a young adult horror writer. My first book, Campfire, came out in 2018, and my second book, Mary, Will I Die? is out on September 7th. I grew up in a small town in Kentucky and have lived in New York for the past ten years. I have a French Bulldog and two parrots.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I started writing stories when I was in elementary school. I had this dog detective that I would create picture books for. He was always going up against a cat burglar, which I thought was so clever when I was eight. Then I didn’t write as much in middle school. But in high school I got back into it. In Kentucky we were required to complete writing portfolios for graduation. Having to do personal narratives and short stories for my portfolio got me back into writing and made me realize that I wanted to be an author one day.
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!
Where the Red Fern Grows. I still have this memory of sitting in the front seat of the car at a random gas station while my dad is filling up the tank. And I’m finishing the book and I’m just balling my eyes out at the ending. I wasn’t even a dog person back then, but the story really moved me and it made me realize that I wanted to write stories of my own one day.
Your latest novel Mary, Will I Die? is out September 7th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Mirrors. Reflections. Chilling. Terrifying. Manipulation.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to be scared. They can expect a horrifying adventure. Bloody Mary will resort to anything to trick the four main characters into letting her out of her mirror prison.
Where did the inspiration for Mary, Will I Die? come from?
I was inspired by mirrors. By the idea that what we see in our reflections isn’t necessarily the truth. There’s a distortion that comes into play when we talk about how we see ourselves, and that can take a bunch of different forms. Throughout the book, Bloody Mary is in the main characters’ heads. She’s whispering to them and causing them to think and see different things. Many of us have our own insecurities we battle with, so I wanted to see what happened when our inner demons came out as real demons.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
This was the first book that I’d written from multiple POVs, so that was definitely a challenge. I knew that I had to make Steph and Elena and Grace and Calvin all stand out. Usually I start with an outline of the plot and discover the characters as I write, but this time I put in that character development work early. Before I even sat down to write, I tried to be really clear with each of their stories. What were their motivations? What were their main traits? What was their relationship to Bloody Mary? How did she hold a pull over them? What were their relationships to each other? It was a lot more pre-planning than I’m used to doing, but it worked out for the best in the end.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really enjoyed writing Steph. She’s the first LGBTQIA+ character that I’ve written, so I felt a connection to her arc and her struggles throughout the book. Also, I was an athlete in high school, so I enjoyed diving back into that competitive world and that never-lose mentality. The rivalry between her and Elena was a lot of fun to see evolve.
What can fans expect from your upcoming virtual tour events where you’ll be in conversation with Ryan La Sala and Grady Hendrix?
I expect it’s going to be lots of horror talk. And lots of fun! Ryan and Grady are both super talented writers, so I’m excited to get to sit down with them (virtually) and pick their brains. They’re both sure to be lively conversations!
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Best: The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. I can really get stuck in trying to make every word just right the first time through. But when I’m stuck, I’ve learned to move on to the next sentence and paragraph and chapter. The worst thing for me is to get stalled on one particular scene. I can spend days trying to figure it out. But then I remind myself that I can fix it later and I’m able to move on and finish. And when I do come back to it later, I find that the time away has given me fresh eyes and I’m able to see what needs to be fixed.
Worst: Write everyday. I know this one is thrown around a lot, but I don’t like the pressure it creates. You don’t have to write everyday to be a successful writer. For some people, it works. But for me, forcing myself to type out words every single day is a little destructive. I need breaks to keep my ideas flowing and so that I don’t burn out in the middle of a draft.
What’s next for you?
I’m actually just finishing up my next book now. It’s another YA horror that’s set in this eerily perfect town. It’s based on Ring-Around-the-Rosie, but with cults and rose gardens and a really scary Rosie. It’s been a lot of fun to write, and I think everyone will get to read it in Fall 2022.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I’ve been working so hard on my latest project that I haven’t been able to read nearly as much as I wanted to recently. But there are a few books at the top of my TBR pile that I can’t wait to dig into.
- The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
- They’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman
- Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour
I just finished ‘Mary Will I Die?’ and I shredded a few tears at the part when it sounded as if Calvin was about to die. I loved the book overall and it would be nice if Shawn Sarles wrote a second book adding on to ‘Mary Will I Die?’