Today I have the extreme pleasure of welcoming Amy Lukavics, author of Daughters Unto Devils (Harlequin TEEN), to my blog! In Daughters Unto Devils, Amanda Verner, a girl haunted by the sin she carries, moves with her pioneer family to the prairie only to find the inside of their new cabin soaked in blood. But does evil lie in the land—or did Amanda bring it with her? Amy stopped by to chat about the Alien soundtrack, her favourite scary stories and finding the right tone for her chilling debut.
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Bookish Notions: How did the idea for Daughters Unto Devils come about? Were you inspired by anything in particular?
Amy: I knew I wanted to do something that didn’t take place in modern day, and the idea of a pioneer horror really stuck in my mind—I thought it sounded so capable of being chilling and viscerally scary. So many aspects of that life are raw and sort of naturally add to the atmosphere and tone.
BN: One of the things I loved most about Daughters Unto Devils was the unnerving, dark atmosphere. Was it difficult to maintain the high level of creepiness throughout? And what tricks did you use to maintain such an eerie tone?
A: For atmosphere, I’d draft in the dark to candlelight and listen to the Alien soundtrack, which I hoped would unnerve me enough to translate into the text. It was important for me to try and keep a creepy tone in between the more horrific scenes.
BN: What did you enjoy most about writing Daughters Unto Devils and what did you find the most challenging?
A: I enjoyed writing the last 30% or so of the book the most. The story got to the point where the tension came to a head and it was time to really unleash the horror hounds, and it was truly a blast. The most challenging aspect was probably rewriting it twice before getting the draft that would eventually become the finished product.
BN: What was your favourite spooky read as a kid? Or what is a favourite spooky kids/YA book you enjoy now (aside from your own book, of course)?
A: As a kid, I was very into the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. I read them over and over again, obsessing over the illustrations and how perfect they were for the stories. I also loved Carrie by Stephen King.
BN: What are you working on now?
A: I’m in the process of editing my next book (to be released in 2016,) but at this point the details are still a secret. I can say that I have a Wattpad story coming out in four chunks, for free, starting on October 9th. The story is called “The Feeding” and it involves a boy who is new to town, a carnival, and an unhappy clown who is obsessed with spiders.
BN: Last question: Trick or treat?
A: As an avid candy fan, this question is easy…TREAT!!
BN: Thanks, Amy!
Enter to win a copy of Daughters Unto Devils here!
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Amy Lukavics “lives with her husband, their two precious squidlings, and an old gentleman cat by the name of Frodo. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and playing games across many platforms.”
You can find Amy on her website, amylukavics.com, or on Twitter @amylukavics.
Bookish Notions 