This Must Be The Place follows Alex Whitaker and his friends, who must unravel the dark secrets of a town before its promises of perfection become their trap. What inspired you to create the surreal, almost dreamlike setting of Harmony Springs?

The inspiration for Harmony Springs came from that eerie feeling we all get sometimes when something seems too perfect. You know those small towns in Hallmark movies where everything is just right? I wanted to take that concept and give it a dark, psychological twist. Through my own travels, I’ve experienced those unsettling moments where something just feels “off” about a place – that inexplicable sense that something isn’t quite right, even if you can’t put your finger on why. The town became a character itself – beautiful but suffocating, perfect but deeply wrong. I drew from classics like The Twilight Zone and modern works exploring liminal spaces, as well as my personal experiences with places that just didn’t feel quite right, to create a setting that feels both familiar and unsettling. The idea that paradise could be a prison was fascinating to explore.

Alex grows increasingly paranoid as the story progresses. How did you balance his perspective with the allure of the town to keep readers questioning the truth?

That was such a delicate balancing act! I wanted readers to feel the same uncertainty Alex experiences – is he losing his mind, or is he the only one seeing clearly? By contrasting his mounting suspicions with his friends’ contentment, I tried to create that nagging doubt we all feel when we’re the only one noticing something’s wrong. Some readers have noted the repetitive nature of certain elements in the book, and that was absolutely by design. I consciously used repetition as a literary device to create an almost incantatory rhythm, a deliberate echo that mirrors how certain thoughts and memories continually resurface in our minds. While this technique may feel intense at times, much like how our own recurring thoughts can become overwhelming, it serves to draw readers into the emotional landscape of the narrative. The repetitive elements were specifically designed to make readers feel that same mounting tension and desperation to “get out.” The town’s perfection had to be seductive enough that readers would understand why others might want to stay, even as they root for Alex to uncover the truth. It’s like that moment when you’re having a nightmare but part of you doesn’t want to wake up – that’s the feeling I was chasing.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

t its heart, “This Must Be The Place” explores how we deal with loss, grief, and acceptance. Through Alex’s journey, I wanted to examine the weight of family expectations, particularly through his complicated relationship with his father. The book also dives into questions about reality versus illusion, and how far we might go to maintain comfortable lies rather than face difficult truths. Identity and self-discovery were crucial themes – each character has to confront who they really are beneath the roles they play. Plus, there’s the eternal question: what price would you pay for perfection?

Each character in Alex’s group feels vividly unique. How did you approach crafting such distinct personalities while keeping them central to the story’s suspense?

I was fortunate to draw inspiration from my own life for these characters. I have four very special friends who I’ve known for decades – the kind of friends you’d actually want to go on a road trip with – and we’re all uniquely different from each other on so many levels. Those real-life dynamics and contrasts helped me create authentic, distinct personalities for Alex’s group. I wanted each character to have their own “perfect trap” that Harmony Springs could offer them. Casey’s desire for athletic glory, Morgan’s pursuit of knowledge, Jamie’s artistic ambitions – these weren’t just character traits, but potential weaknesses the town could exploit. By giving each friend their own arc and struggles, their resistance or surrender to the town’s influence became part of the larger mystery. It was important that readers care about each character’s fate while wondering who might be next to succumb to Harmony Springs’ allure. The genuine differences between my own friends helped me create characters who feel real and whose unique perspectives add different layers to the story’s suspense.

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