The following is an interview with Christina Henry regarding the upcoming release of the haunted house novel, The Place Where They Buried Your Heart, through publisher Berkley. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Henry about the creative process for bringing the world and characters to life on the page, why Berkley continues to be the perfect home for her catalog of books, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of The Place Where They Buried Your Heart! What can you share with us about the premise of this gripping horror tale?
Christina Henry: Jessie Campanelli is a 13-year-old Chicago girl, stuck at home because she’s been grounded. Her little brother Paul annoys her, so she dares him to go into the abandoned house down the street, and he never comes home because the house eats her brother. She, and her parents, never really recover from this event. The book grapples with the fallout of a silly childhood dare, as well as the continuing menace of the house, which keeps taking victims.
BD: You are no stranger to the horror genre, having amassed an incredible catalog of bestselling horror titles. What do you find to be the most compelling aspects of storytelling within the genre? Likewise, how would you describe your creative process in bringing this story and its characters to life on the page?
CH: I think horror is often dismissed because folks think it’s just about slashers and gore. It can be about that, sure. But there are lots and lots of ways to tell a horror story, and some of them don’t involve any gore at all. Horror is more than just a genre for scares. It’s a place to explore deep emotions—grief, love, family bonds—and heighten those emotions through tension and thrills.
All of my books start from either one image or one line. In the case of this book, I saw three boys going into a house and only two of them coming out. I write chronologically without outlining, because I like to discover the book as a reader would. Very often things happen in a book that surprise me just as much as they’d surprise the reader, and that’s a huge part of the joy of writing for me.
BD: What makes Berkley the perfect publishing partner for this story?
CH: I’ve been at Ace/Berkley for the entirety of my career. Over the years they’ve done something that’s pretty rare in publishing these days – they let me build a catalog and take chances on different kinds of stories. I’m deeply grateful for the whole team there, from editing to publicity to marketing and beyond.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Jessie’s may connect with and impact readers?
CH: I think the book is about coming to grips with loss, which is something that affects everyone at some point in their life. But it’s not only about the people you lose—it’s about the people you find, and the people you learn to love and love you back. It’s about community and how much we need it, always.
BD: Are there any upcoming projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
CH: My next book, tentatively called PINFEATHERS, is about a woman who believes her baby is turning into a bird, and what happens after that. It’s got some Firestarter vibes and a lot of body horror.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about The Place Where They Buried Your Heart?
CH: My website, www.christinahenry.net, has up-to-date information on the book, including all my book tour stops. My publisher’s website, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/230381/christina-henry/, has my full backlist, as well as an option to sign up for alerts when I’ve got a new book coming out.
