Interview with Rebecca Rook, Author of False Haven
14 Feb 2024
What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write False Haven?
False Haven is a young adult horror novel in which Vivienne Barston experiences supernatural encounters while serving a court-mandated service term on a trail conservation project in rural Oregon. Viv travels to Grafton Stake, a derelict place with a haunting history.
While all of the scenes in this novel are fantastical, some of them draw inspiration from historical events and locations. Specifically, False Haven was inspired by two very real locations in the Pacific Northwest: Starvation Heights and Northwestern State Hospital, both in Washington State. The abuses that occurred in these historic medical environments are a horror of their own and lent themselves to the genre and my story very easily.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of False Haven, what would they be?
I create playlists for each of my novels, which means False Haven has its own soundtrack! You can find the playlist listed in the front matter of the novel and through Spotify.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I love genre fiction. If the novel has horror, science fiction, fantasy, or mystery, I will likely want to read it. So it’s no surprise that I now write in these genres. As a storyteller, I love the possibilities and scope of imagination afforded by these genres.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
The Hacienda by Isabel Canas, My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix, and Get in Trouble by Kelly Link.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
I adored writing the spooky scenes in the novel. It’s an incredibly fun experience, and in one memorable instance, I scared even myself when writing a scary scene when the unexpected arrival a delivery man coincided with my drafting a haunting moment. The unexpected knock on my door then shaved a few years off my life from fright.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I don’t have any quirky writing habits and I try not to accumulate them. I worry that fixating on a writing ritual or a habit would quickly become an excuse to avoid writing altogether if I lack the lucky pen, the right eucalyptus candle, etc. So I try to focus on having a solid outline of the novel and working, bit by bit, on whatever stage I’m currently in.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
The right time to do something is now.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I want people to remember that they are valued, loved, and not alone.
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