From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep comes a haunting romance set deep in the magical snow-covered forest, where the appearance of a mysterious boy unearths secrets that awakens the enchanted, but angry, woods.
We had the pleasure of chatting to author Shea Ernshaw ahead of the release of her new novel, Winterwood. She talks about writing Winterwood and the inspiration behind it, along with her writing process and book recommendations!
You can find Shea on Instagram and Twitter, along with at her website.
Hi Shea! Tell us a little about yourself!
Thank you so much for hosting me!
I’m a YA author living in a small, mountain town in Oregon—a place where I find most of my inspiration for my stories. I love getting lost in dark forests, growing wild things in my garden, and devouring all the vegan cupcakes.
Your new novel, Winterwood, publishes on November 5th. If you could only describe your book in five words, what would they be?
Eerie forests, witches, & lost boys.
Now let’s hear a little more! What can readers expect?
WINTERWOOD is about a boy named Oliver Huntsman who goes missing from the Jackjaw Camp for Wayward Boys, and a girl named Nora Walker who finds him weeks later deep inside the snowy Wicker Woods—a place where only her family (rumored to be witches) dares to go. This story is about our connection to the natural world, to our family lineage, and to ourselves. And there’s kissing in it too.
Where did the inspiration for Winterwood come from?
The setting for WINTERWOOD was inspired by a real-life lake in the northern Cascade mountain range of Oregon. Over the years, I’ve heard many stories about the woods surrounding this lake, local folklore about the sinister things that live deep inside this remote wilderness. And I wanted to tell a story built on these local legends.
I think the best fictional tales come from a grain of truth.
Winterwood follows Nora and Oliver. How did these characters come to be?
I began drafting Nora Walker’s character first, and I imagined a girl whose ancestors were so connected to the land, to the forest where they lived, that it was believed they sprouted up from the ground itself. In some ways, Nora’s character is meant to represent the history we all share—a time when our ancestors depended on the land where they lived for survival. For most of us, however, this deep connection to the earth has been lost. But for Nora, she still feels bound to the land and the women who lived in these woods before her. She knows this forest is where she belongs.
Oliver’s character was more of a mystery to me when I first started drafting this book. And initially I imagined Nora and Oliver would only remain friends, but as the story grew and developed, so did their relationship. And without my realizing it, they fell in love somewhere along the way. And now, I can’t imagine the book without this important story thread. Their relationship developed in the sweetest, most unintentional way, and it’s one of my favorite elements of the story.
How long, from start to final revision, did Winterwood take?
One hundred million years—give or take a few decades.
But in truth, once I had a solid plot mapped out and after several chats with my brilliant editor, the actual writing took about four to five months. It was a quick turnaround with this book.
Your debut novel, The Wicked Deep, published last year. What has it been like since you became a published author?
I always imagined the world of publishing was like a magical castle atop a steep cliff with a high stone wall all around it. For years, I would lob my manuscripts over that wall, hoping someone would think it was good enough to lower the drawbridge and allow me to step inside. But for a long time, they would chuck my manuscript back over the wall at me, shouting “not good enough yet. Keep trying.” So I kept writing, I kept tossing books over the wall, until one day, a few editors read THE WICKED DEEP and exclaimed, “Yep, this is the one!” And when I finally stepped across that drawbridge into the castle, I stood there for a while, stunned, certain they would realize they had made a mistake and usher me back out. Yet somehow, I’m still here, wandering the dark castle hallways, scribbling down story ideas, still unsure if they’ll let me stay.
I’ve spent most of my life dreaming of becoming an author, so to put into words how it feels to have my stories in print, sitting on bookshelves, is nearly impossible. I only wish I could go back and tell my ten-year-old self that persistence is everything. Don’t stop until they lower the drawbridge.
What’s your writing process like?
I am an excessive outliner. I usually start with a rough three act structure which I sketch out on a white board. Then, I like to write the story down, chapter by chapter, in a word document—some chapters are more detailed than others, with a few lines of dialog and description, while others might just be a mood I need to convey in that chapter or a key point of action that needs to happen.
Once I start the actual writing, I track everything in an excel spreadsheet that I call my ‘book map.’ This includes page numbers, where the scene takes place, and the main action/purpose of the scene. I live and die by this Excel spreadsheet, and it’s my lifeline when I start revisions because I can easily make notes within the spreadsheet for what needs to be edited in each scene.
So yeah, I really like to outline!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for us?
I love what Moira Fowley-Doyle writes! Her feminist, witchy tales are always raw and captivating and weave in story threads that touch on current social issues. She’s one of my favorites right now.
