I’m sooper excited to welcome author Lora Senf to the Stoomio blog!
In the enchanting world of middle-grade horror, Lora Senf emerges as a captivating storyteller who weaves her tales from the most unexpected sources. Drawing inspiration from the vivid dreams of children, the picturesque landscapes of Montana’s road trips, and the eerie atmosphere of an abandoned abattoir, Senf’s writing resonates with a unique blend of curiosity and darkness.
From her earliest days as a reader, Senf was drawn to the macabre, fostering her literary passions with the likes of classic fairy tales, the mesmerizing narratives of John Bellairs, the haunting prose of Ray Bradbury, and even the chilling worlds crafted by Stephen King. An indelible memory remains of her eight-year-old self reading “Cujo,” experiencing both terror and an irresistible allure that marked the beginning of her fascination with the horror genre.
I don’t know about you but I’m tingling already!! Let’s get into it.
Hey Lora, thanks for coming on, tell us a little about yourself and why readers should check out your work…
Hi Everyone! I’m Lora Senf. I write dark and twisty stories for all ages. My first book in the Blight Harbor series, The Clackity, came out last June and the sequel, The Nighthouse Keeper, is coming this October. My stories are for scared-but-brave-anyway kids (and the grownups who used to be those kids).
My Blight Harbor books are middle grade but really are for anyone who loves a spooky story. I also have an unrelated YA book, The Losting Fountain, coming in early 2025.
What is your local bookshop and how can people find it?
I have two favorite local bookshops here in Spokane, Washington – Auntie’s Bookstore and Wishing Tree Books.
Auntie’s is a community institution and Wishing Tree is a lovely neighborhood bookshop that specializes in children’s books (but they carry plenty of other stuff, too.).
Bonus – if you order any of my books from either of them, you can request signed copies!
My books at Auntie’s: Search | Auntie’s Bookstore (auntiesbooks.com)
My books at Wishing Tree: Wishing Tree Books | Browse (wishingtreebookstore.com)
Tell us all about your ‘Blight Harbor’ series and where the idea came from.
The Blight Harbor books are currently planned as a three-book series (although I hope to write more in the future). They center around 12-year-old Evie Von Rathe who lives in Blight Harbor (the seventh-most haunted town in the United States per capita) with her Aunt Desdemona (who also happens to be the local expert on all things paranormal). In the first book – The Clackity – Evie has an encounter with an entity called The Clackity who sends her on a quest through a very strange neighborhood in an even stranger otherworld. Throughout the series, Evie spends plenty of time in that otherworld where she has to fight to save others and often herself and, hopefully, her parents who she believes are not actually dead but are instead missing.
The Clackity started as a random text from my sister that just said, “Haunts from Heloise.” Those three words left me gleefully envisioning a sort of otherworldly Dear Abby who would solve paranormal problems in outlandish ways and who had a column in a small-town newspaper. Not long after, I was on a road trip with my family and we stopped in my husband’s hometown of Butte, Montana. There was a building he just had to show me. It turned out to be a rather cool (and I am 100% certain haunted) abandoned abattoir, and it was love at first sight. By the time I finished trespassing and got back in the car, a story was coming together
There’s no doubt you have an affinity with horror stories, how did that come about?
My first favorite author was John Bellairs whose work I discovered in my local library. He wrote gothic horror for kids and I was immediately hooked on all things spooky. Bellairs was quickly followed by Stephen King (yeah, I skipped a few steps) when I “borrowed” Cujo from my babysitter.
I was a kid with a lot of anxiety who was scared of loads of things except scary books and movies – those were the places I practiced being brave. Today, I hope that through my own stories I’m providing kids with that same opportunity to practice their own bravery.
Both ‘The Clackity’ and your upcoming book ‘The Nighthouse Keeper’ have incredible covers! Some of my favourites if I’m honest. Who designed them?
I am absolutely, unapologetically in love with the covers of my books. All credit for those goes to brilliant illustrator Alfredo Caceres and equally talented designer Karyn Lee. I am so very fortunate to work with such talented humans. They absolutely “get” the aesthetic and vibe of my stories and have translated them in such a beautiful way.
The Clackity by Lora Senf – Cover art by Alfredo Caceres
Can you discuss the process of developing your characters? How do you make them relatable to children while also placing them in frightening situations?
I wish I had a brilliant answer to this question. My characters are equal parts completely made up and based on characteristics of people I know. And honestly, Evie is who I wanted to be when I was a kid
I like a mix of characters – some very trustworthy, come very untrustworthy, and others somewhere in between. I think frightening situations can actually make characters more relatable, because we as readers are rooting for them and we can empathize with their fears and anxieties and doubts.
Some readers enjoy a book for what it is but others may see something deeper, how do you think readers will relate to the main character Evie and the story itself?
Sometimes a monster is just a monster, and a story is just a story. For readers who aren’t interested in subtext, I hope they’re able to take The Clackity and the other Blight Harbor books at face value and enjoy them for the spooky adventures they are.
For readers looking for more, there’s a lot in the books about living, and thriving, with anxiety. There’s also plenty about bravery and friendship and family and trusting ourselves to do more than we believe possible. All of this was done with middle grade readers in mind; that said, I believe middle grade is truly the one age category that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.
What was it that inspired you to become a writer?
I truly can’t remember not being able to read. I mean, I know I had to have learned at some point (and my parents make some pretty outlandish claims about how young I was when that happened) but books were always just part of my life. Mom and Dad read to me when I was tiny – and not just kids’ books. My dad liked to read me poetry from Poe and Longfellow instead of traditional bedtime stories.
Growing up we were very working class so there wasn’t a lot of extra money. That meant we relied on our local library to support my voracious reading habit – my mom took us there at least weekly, walking or riding our books and bringing home as much as we could carry.
So, when I found out an author was a thing a person could be I immediately knew that was what I wanted as well. It took me a long time to get here, but I’m so grateful to be in a position today where I can share my stories with readers.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I’d let her know that, in the end, we do it.
I was not a very confident kid and by the time I was a young teen had given up on the idea of being an author. I didn’t believe I was smart enough or special enough or…magical enough to tell stories that people would care about. It turns out, writers are just people – nothing fancy about us. It took me a long, long time to understand that but I’m so grateful I finally did.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
That’s something I always believed. I grew up with my parents telling me, “Words mean something.” So that was always in my head. And as a reader I saw time and time again – and still do to this day – how transportive words can be.
While I’m not magic, I do think there’s something about books that is. It’s incredible to me that I can write words down in my house in a notebook or on a computer and then – years down the road and a world away – readers can read those words and have thoughts and feelings and experiences because of them. It’s magic and time travel and just so, so cool.
Did your editor ever question your content? This may seem like a strange question, but with so many ‘grown-up’ gatekeepers, how did you manage to put young readers first?
I’m so blessed to work with an amazing editor – Julia McCarthy at Atheneum Books for Young Readers. She and I have such similar visions for the Blight Harbor stories that she’s really never asked me to tone anything down or remove anything “too scary.” Not yet, anyway!
Many writers describe themselves as “character” or “plot” writers. Which are you? What do you find to be the hardest part of writing?
I’m definitely a plot-driven writer but a good plot doesn’t get you anywhere without characters that readers can connect with. So I suppose I’m story first and then the characters comes in next to help me make that story matter.
Oof – feelings are the hardest thing for me to write. I have to be very intentional about including feelings in my stories but, thankfully, my editor is very good at feelings so she helps me bring that out in my writing.
How do you like to work? (For example, with snacks, with music, or serenaded by the tortured souls of a thousand unused notebooks? Do you prefer to type or to hand-write?) Tell us a little bit about your writing method!
I wish I had a reliable writing process! I have a full time job and nine-year-old twins so I write when and where I can. Side note to people with busy lives – if you want to write a book it can be done (it isn’t easy but it’s doable)!
When I’m drafting a story, that happens on the computer but I do a lot of brainstorming with a pencil and a notebook. Those notes probably wouldn’t make sense to anyone else but they help me a whole lot.
I do write to music occasionally but just as often I’m writing in silence or to the drone of the television while I’m hanging out with my kids. Like I said, what little process I have is messy to say the least!
In the unfortunate event you have to defend your lands from an evil race of brain numbingly dumb and vicious Blarknarks (because that could totally happen), which book characters are you recruiting to stand by your side and what is your weapon of choice?
Okay – I won’t be that person and choose my own main character but I will take her backpack. It’s full of useful little odds and ends and magical things that can get a person out of any number of sticky situations.
I’ll fight alongside Coraline Jones. She’s smart and brave and would be a fabulous ally.
Tell us about a book that’s excellent, but underappreciated or obscure.
I think more people would be reading Eden’s Everdark by Karen Strong. It’s beautiful and spooky and folks should be talking about it more. Strong writes with an elegance that I really envy.
What is your favourite item of stationery? We all have at least one 🙂
I love, love my Pilot G-2 .07 pens with navy ink. Best pens ever.
If you could summon anything to you, what would be your Mjolnir?
A really good cheese plate because a really good cheese plate solves nearly everything.
Do you Google yourself?
Sometimes! But not nearly as often as I did when my first book was coming out. Back then, I was anxious to read reviews but I’ve since backed away from them. Reviews – good and bad – have a way of getting into my head and making too much noise.
What are your goals for the future? Do you have another story bubbling away in the background?
I suppose I just want to keep writing stories people want to read. I have loads of ideas and not enough time in the day (which I think is a common problem). Middle grade will always be my first love, but I do have a YA book coming in 2025 and a couple adult stories I’d like to tell as well.
Finally and most importantly… What is your favourite biscuit?
Shortbread is the only correct answer to this question.
With her books, Lora Senf provides readers, young and old, a chance to experience the thrill of confronting the unknown and the delight of practicing their own courage. If the allure of spooky adventures, relatable characters, and beautifully crafted stories intrigues you, then don’t hesitate—dive into the pages of Lora Senf’s works and immerse yourself immediately!
Don’t forget you can follow Lora on twitter here.
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