The Scavenger follows three teens fighting their demons who make a wish at a mysterious well and find their lives are flipped upside down by the supernatural when something ancient, dark, and deadly starts to stalk them. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

As with a vast majority of stories, it started with a ‘What if” scenario i.e. what if three teenage kids, all close friends but all with their own personal issues, make a wish at a cursed well but their wishes come true in a twisted way? This came to me in mid-2019 and stayed in my mind for a few months. I then started to become familiar with the characters, getting to know their likes, dislikes, what makes them tick, etc. Once all the characters were fleshed out, I began plotting each chapter when I was very familiar with the main protagonists.

But I also think the inspiration came from Stephen King’s IT and the movie, Stand By Me, which apparently was based on one of King’s short stories too. I wanted to capture the same element of friendship or strong bond like the characters had in those stories. I must have pulled it off because fans really resonated with Jessica, Adrian, and Jared.

Jared, Jessica and Adrian are typical high schoolers on the surface, but are each facing struggles that weigh them down. What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?

I know this is a cliché but I really enjoyed writing all the characters, especially Jared’s spooky scenes. They were fun because I always tried to up the scare factor each time something supernatural occurred in the book. Jessica, however, was a character I found hard to write because her scenes with her mother, Bertha, are raw and edgy. There’s always a tension there. It’s like a powder keg ready to explode.

There is another reason why her character touched me. When I was a kid, I knew some friends who were in exactly the same predicament she’s in. They had abusive parents, too, so writing those scenes in a way, brought it all back to me. Now that I’m older and can understand more of what they went through, my heart goes out to them.

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

The themes that were really important for me are: accepting yourself when people around you can’t and having the strength to stand up against someone/something far stronger than yourself. It’s gratifying to know that people find a sense of hope in The Scavenger‘s, conclusion.

Where does the story go in the next book and where do you see it going in the future?

When I first started writing, The Scavenger, it was only meant to be a one-off. However, the reaction by readers was so strong that I decided to write a sequel. That was in 2021; fast-forward to present day and it has now turned into a four-book series.

In the next book, Unlucky Charm (Second Edition), we’re introduced to two new characters, Reggie and Zane, who are also long-time buddies. When one of them buys an antique pocket watch for his mother, little does he know that it will set off a chain of events that will ultimately change both their lives. Jared and Aunt Maybelle are called in to help. In this book, Jared develops his abilities even more and comes into his own. Jessica also develops a strong bond with her mom. An event at the end of the book sets up a HUGE rollercoaster ride in book three – Dark Secrets, where Jessica will come face-to-face with a shocking secret from Bertha’s past that will make her question everything she knew about her mom!

The final book of the series, Lurking Beasts, will hopefully be released in November of this year.

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