Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
My name is Dana McSwain. I am an author from Cleveland, Ohio, USA. I have written five books, including Winter Unscripted, Brennan’s Lament, Bangkok Vengeance, and Winter’s Gambit. Roseneath, my debut horror novel, is my fifth book. Roseneath is available for presale now and will be released October 6, 2020.
Q2. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Roseneath’?
Roseneath is the name of a magnificent mansion built by on the shores of Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, in the United States in 1903 by Scottish immigrant Alexander Winton. Roseneath burned down in 1962 and now all that remains is the walled entrance of the estate, giant stone gates capped with massive urns with Roseneath carved into them. I walk past these relics all the time and spent years daydreaming about this mysterious manor house. As for the cover, I wanted to reimagine the gates of Roseneath as they might have looked when the estate was new.
Q3. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I like to take preconceptions about genre and common literary devises and throw them out the window. I am always interested in where it takes me as a writer and I think makes for a more enjoyable experience as a reader.
Q4. What does success means to you?
I measure success through hard work. Clicking “save” at the end of a long day of writing or editing is success. Everything else is a bonus.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
I think for a writer, being able to write with confidence is key. And the key to confidence is research. I spend months researching anything and everything that I might call upon when I am writing. That could be architecture, clothing, music, food, literature, mythology. Research greatly aids the flow of writing.
Q6. How long did it take you to write this book?
Roseneath is the culmination of eight years of drafts and eighteen months of editing.
Q7. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
The Olympic Peninsula in Washington State is spectacular. The rainforest, the lakes, the mountains, and the ocean all conspire to create an otherworldly atmosphere. It’s primordial, tranquil and deeply quiet and I feel fortunate to have spent so much time there.
Q8. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Roseneath’ book?
It’s difficult from a point of view perspective to write about possession. I did a lot of research on the classical modes of demonic possession and ended up throwing them all out because they seemed to eliminate the possessed person from the experience. It forced me to be really creative to make sure the character of Nathan Pritchard, although possessed by an foreign entity, was still present enough to provide his point of view.
Q9. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Anne Rice has been a huge influence on me as a reader and a writer. Rice luxuriates in the written word. She is in love with language and it is thrilling as a reader to spend time in the universes she creates with her prose. Rice takes her time, literarily speaking, and that immersive extravagant experience is one I try to keep in mind when I am working.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
It’s a fresh take on the concept of ghosts. Something always bothered me about the classical portrayal of ghosts: rattling chains, ladies in white, frozen in time, that sort of thing. Edith Harkness, the ghost in Roseneath, is a singular creation that breaks that classical mold and reimagines what an afterlife could be. The house she inhabits, Roseneath, is a microcosm of existence, where horror meets mythology and fantasy in an everyday battle between good and evil.
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Roseneath
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