A Book(ish) Life: Interview with 2024 Debut Nicole Wolverton
Setting goals and seizing joy
Welcome to Book(ish)! Please introduce yourself, and share a little bit about your latest book.
I feel like I’m in a horror-lovers anonymous group: I’m Nicole, and I’m a fear enthusiast! I write horror and thrillers for adults and young adults, including my most recent novel–the YA horror-mance novel A Misfortune of Lake Monsters. Beyond writing novels, around 50 of my short stories and creative nonfiction works have been published in magazines, magazines, and podcasts. I live in Philadelphia, where I earned a masters in horror and storytelling, but I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, and that experience inspired A Misfortune of Lake Monsters.
What’s one highlight from your debut journey?
One of the things debut authors from prior years will tell you is to set your goals way ahead of when your book comes out–it’s so easy to get caught up in comparing how your book is doing to others and what your publisher is doing for you compared to others that it makes sense to solidify what success will look like for you in your own mind before the psychological self-owns leave you miserable and feeling like a failure (I’m only half kidding with that last part). So early on I decided that one of my goals was to do a book event outside the U.S.--and it happened: I was invited to do a panel discussion at Iceland Noir in late November 2024! It was also my last event of a very busy year (in total, I did 19 book events in about five months–many in partnership with my fellow 2024 debut authors–like the one with you at Bethany Beach Books in Delaware, Jenny!), which made it extra special. The book overlords must have really wanted to make it memorable, because in a single 24-hour period, there was a volcanic eruption just outside of Reykjavik, my panel discussion (with fellow 2024 debut Hildur Knútsdóttir, moderated by the fantastic Dr. Noir herself, Jacky Collins) went very well, and I was able to see the aurora borealis from the patio of my hotel room. The whole thing was bonkers, and I feel really great about ending my debut year that way.
Describe your ideal writing scenario. What would a perfect writing day look like for you? Where would you be?
I’m currently working on a project that is the intersection of several of my niche interests: unique perfumes, international travel, radical feminism, and murder–so my ideal writing scenario involves wearing a weird scent from my collection and writing somewhere scenic–for instance, sitting on the side of a canal in Venice, Italy with a notebook and pen after stopping in to a perfumery to say hello to an acquaintance who teaches workshops there and visiting St. Christina (she’s an incorruptible saint on display at the Church of San Francesco della Vigna–I’m fascinated by the bodies of incorruptible saints despite being an atheist)–and my perfume of choice for the day would be Death & Floral’s Pieces of October, which (no lie) smells like tortilla chips and chilies.
If your book had a themed scented candle made for it: what would it smell like?
Oh, A Misfortune of Lake Monsters’ scented candle would give murky lake water, green botanicals, and blueberry muffins, with an underlying note of blood, rot, and gasoline. I know that sounds odd, but I bet it would smell amazing!
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? How long did it take you to reach publication?
I’ve been writing stories since before I could actually write–my mom kept a series of stick figure drawings I made as a little kid that detailed the adventures I took with my imaginary friend Mona (a little girl with knives for fingers who eventually appeared in a short story that was published in The Half That You See anthology in 2021)... and while I knew I wanted to be a writer early on, the practical side of me decided that it wasn’t feasible as a career goal–no one escapes poverty through publishing anymore unless you’re extremely lucky. I didn’t even try to have my creative writing published until I was in my mid-30s… so my first short stories were published around the time I was 37ish.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given in your writing career?
Aside from the goal-setting advice I received, the single best piece of advice is that you don’t have to do anything that makes you unhappy–there are a million ways to be published, and a million ways for people to discover your writing. From traditional publishing with a Big 5 house, to traditional publishing with a small press, to self publishing–it’s all valid, and each brings with it pros and cons. Find the thing that brings you the most joy, and do that.
What advice would you give to future debuts?
Again, I’m leaning on that goal-setting advice–comparison is the thief of joy, so decide early what’s going to make you feel as though your book is a success and ignore the rest.
How do you celebrate your writing/publishing wins?
Lately, I’ve committed to buying a new perfume that reminds me of the thing that’s been sold/acquired/published. It’s a little thing that doesn’t have to cost a lot, especially if you just buy a sample size (for instance, I recently sold a short story involving a menopausal vampire, so I bought a perfume sample of Sucreabeille’s Fresh Blood (notes of dark cherry and rosewoods, osmanthus, and fresh blood). When A Misfortune of Lake Monsters was acquired by CamCat Books, I got a tattoo of lemons on my right inside forearm (Lemon is the name of the protagonist in the book).
What’s something you’re looking forward to?
I have a few book events scheduled for 2025, none of which I can talk about just yet–and my 25th wedding anniversary is this year, so my husband and I are hoping to visit somewhere neither of us has been to before. I’m also looking forward to seeing where my writing takes me this year–I’m determined to seize joy wherever I can!
ABOUT A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS
Lemon Ziegler wants to escape rural Devil’s Elbow, Pennsylvania to attend college—but that’s impossible now that she’s expected to impersonate the town’s lake monster for the rest of her life. Her family has been secretly keeping the tradition of Old Lucy, the famed (and very fake) monster of Lake Lokakoma, alive for generations, all to keep the tourists coming. Without Lemon, the town dies, and she can’t disappoint her grandparents . . . or tell her best friends about any of it. That includes Troy Ramirez, who has been covertly in love with Lemon for years, afraid to ruin their friendship by confessing his feelings. When a very real, and very hungry monster is discovered in the lake, secrets must fall by the wayside. Determined to stop the monster, Lemon and her best friends are the only thing standing between Devil’s Elbow and the monster out for blood.
Buy A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS:
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