The House That Lies follows 14-year-old Emma and her friends as they investigate a mysterious mansion where ghostly encounters, unexplained disappearances, and secrets challenge everything they believe about the supernatural. What inspired the setup of your story?

I have always loved mystery novels, especially those with possible supernatural aspects to them. That love for the mysterious came out in this novel, helping me set up not only the world itself, but the belief or disbelief from the characters’ mindset.

Emma approaches supernatural mysteries with skepticism and logic. What inspired you to give her this analytical mindset in a world filled with magic?​

I have always loved Star Trek, especially Mr. Spock. I used a great deal of his influence to give Emma similar reasoning skills. As far as magic, she never really believed in it until she was exposed to the portal for the first time and transported herself to a distant book world. (See Book 1—The Journey to Nirisia)

Ashford House feels almost like a character itself. How did you develop its disturbing history and atmosphere to deepen the mystery surrounding Dunhallow?​

I believe nearly every town or city has a creepy, haunted houses that carry a history. (Whether it is real or not is for you to decide.) I love stories where the houses are, or seem to be, alive or haunted by past deeds, and so on. I used that same energy to invent the Ashford House.

The story explores Emma’s growing awareness that her friendships may change as their lives take different paths. Why was this emotional thread important to include?​

In book #1, Emma is a brilliant, introverted girl who hated leaving her own house. She had no friends to speak of and was quite comfortable at home with her cat. Once she discovers magic and travels to Nirisia she realizes what she had been missing all along—friends. Now, the thought of losing her friends back to their world is heart wrenching. So, that thread is woven into every book since her friends have become an important part of her everyday life. 

Author Website: https://mark-k-mcclain.com