What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write a horror story that went beyond simply trying to scare people. With “Into Satan’s Den”, I became interested in the idea of a place that doesn’t just know what you fear—it knows what you love, what you regret, and what you would give anything to have back. That became the foundation of the Den. A lot of horror focuses on escaping the monster, but I wanted to explore what happens when the monster offers you something you actually want. What if the most dangerous thing waiting in the darkness wasn’t something chasing you, but something promising to take away your pain? That’s where Cassie’s journey really came together. Her grief became just as important to the story as the supernatural horror surrounding her. The deeper she travels into the Den, the more personal the horror becomes, until she has to confront things about herself that she has spent years avoiding. I also wanted the reader to constantly question what is real. The shifting tunnels, distorted memories, familiar faces, and the history of the Wychwood estate all allowed me to build a world where you can never completely trust what you’re seeing. At its heart, “Into Satan’s Den” is about grief, temptation, identity, and learning that sometimes healing doesn’t mean getting back what you lost. Sometimes it means finding the strength to live without it. I wanted to create the kind of horror story where the reader closes the book and still thinks about what was waiting down there. Because sometimes the scariest door isn’t the one leading into the darkness. It’s the one inside us that we refuse to close.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
This is a fun one because “Into Satan’s Den” is so dark that giving everybody a theme song almost feels like I’m creating the soundtrack for a horror movie. For Cassie Reynolds, I’d choose “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. Cassie spends so much of the story fighting against grief, memory, and something that understands exactly what she wants. That song has an emotional desperation to it that fits her journey. For Professor Salem, I’d go with “Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones. Salem is fascinated by darkness instead of immediately running from it. He wants to understand what’s beneath the surface, even when that curiosity takes him somewhere he was never supposed to go. For Malcolm Wychwood, I’d choose “The Sound of Silence” by Disturbed. Wychwood carries decades of guilt, loss, and knowledge about the Den. There’s something haunting about that version of the song that fits a man who has spent so long living with the consequences of what he uncovered. And for Evelyn Wychwood—the Lady in Red—I’d have to have a little fun with it and choose “Lady in Red” by Chris de Burgh. It sounds romantic and innocent, which makes it even creepier when you know what the woman in the red satin dress represents in the story. As for the Den itself? “Every Breath You Take” by The Police. Because once the Den knows you, it watches you, learns you, remembers you…and apparently has absolutely no respect for personal boundaries. That might be the most terrifying theme song of them all.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I’ve always enjoyed stories that pull me into another world and make me forget that I’m reading. Horror, suspense, supernatural fiction, fantasy, and psychological thrillers are some of the genres that really grab my attention. I especially enjoy stories where there’s a mystery underneath everything and you’re constantly trying to figure out what’s really happening. When it comes to writing, I’d say horror and supernatural fiction have become some of my favorite genres because they give me so much freedom creatively. With a book like “Into Satan’s Den”, I can take something very human—grief, regret, fear, or the inability to let someone go—and turn it into something terrifying. That’s what I enjoy most. I don’t want the horror to exist just because something scary jumps out of the darkness. I want there to be a reason behind it. I want the characters to have something emotional at stake. So yes, there’s definitely a connection between what I enjoy reading and what I enjoy writing. But as a writer, I also like challenging myself with different genres. No matter what kind of story I’m writing, my goal is always the same: Make the reader care about the characters, pull them into the world, and give them a reason to keep turning the pages.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
One of my favorite scenes to write was when Cassie begins realizing that the Den isn’t just trying to scare her—it’s actually learning her. Up until that point, you can still wonder whether some of what she’s experiencing is fear, trauma, or her mind playing tricks on her. But then the Den starts using familiar voices, memories, and emotions against her, and suddenly the horror becomes very personal. I loved writing that because the danger changes. Cassie isn’t just asking, “How do I get out of here?” She has to start asking, “Can I even trust what I’m seeing?” That gave me the opportunity to play with the reader’s mind too. I wanted readers questioning things right alongside Cassie. Is this person real? Did that conversation actually happen? Is the Den showing her a memory, or has it changed the memory into something else? Those scenes really capture what I wanted “Into Satan’s Den” to be. The scariest part isn’t necessarily what’s hiding in the darkness. It’s realizing the darkness has been paying attention to you.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Just like listening to R&B music, helps me relax and clear my mind.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
One philosophy I try to live by is: “Your past may explain your scars, but it doesn’t get to write your ending.” Life is going to give you setbacks. There are going to be times when things don’t happen the way you planned, people doubt you, or you even start questioning yourself. But I believe you have to keep moving forward. I try to take everything I’ve experienced—the good, the bad, the mistakes, the losses—and turn it into something that helps me grow. That philosophy carries over into my writing as well. A lot of my characters are dealing with things from their past that they can’t change. The question becomes whether they allow those experiences to control their future. That’s especially true in "Into Satan’s Den". At its heart, the story deals with the danger of holding on to something so tightly that you stop allowing yourself to move forward. So I remind myself that you can't rewrite yesterday, but as long as you're still here, you still have a say in what happens on the next page.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
If there’s one thing I want readers to remember after reading “Into Satan’s Den”, it’s that sometimes letting go doesn’t mean you stopped loving someone—it means you’ve finally decided to keep living. That’s really at the heart of Cassie’s journey. We all carry something. It might be grief, regret, guilt, fear, or something from our past that we wish we could change. Sometimes we hold onto that pain because it feels like letting go of it would also mean letting go of the person or the part of our lives connected to it. But pain can become its own kind of prison. That idea is what makes the Den terrifying to me. It doesn't only threaten people with what they fear. It learns what they desperately want and offers it back to them. And sometimes what we want most can be more dangerous than what we fear. I hope readers enjoy the horror, the mystery, and those moments that make them question what’s real. But when they reach the final page, I hope something deeper stays with them: You can carry the memory without carrying the pain forever. Some things can't be changed. Some people can't be brought back. But accepting that doesn't erase the love that was there. Sometimes accepting the truth is how you finally find your way out of the darkness.
