Interview with M. Kevin Hayden, Author of Willow Rose

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Willow Rose?

The layered synchronicity of how this story arrived is far too complex to spell out completely here, but I’ll do my best. Last summer, I was alone in a remote cabin when I heard a soft knock at my door in the middle of the night. It was so unnerving that it made me freeze in place. What an eldritch feeling. The events that followed became the seed for *Willow Rose.* It wasn’t just a tiny knock on the door—it was a rap at the door of my imagination. Then the idea of Comet Goodwin came to me in a sudden flash of thought, and the rest of the story followed, almost fully formed, like a memory of something I hadn’t actually lived. I didn’t choose to write it; I was compelled to and couldn’t stop. I was stuck in that seat until the final page, with stiff knees to prove it. I like to joke that this story held me by the throat and wouldn’t let go until I was done—I was bound in place, like the bull elk in the story (IYKYK). Parts of this story are drawn from real events… but I’ll leave which ones a mystery.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Willow Rose, what would they be?

Ha! They already have theme songs—every single one of them. Some have more than one. They’re tucked into the playlists included with the book. I’ll let readers decide which belongs to whom. I often drop tiny story breadcrumbs in the music choices as well. Listen to those lyrics. “Heartbeat” by Taana Gardner is one.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

My favorite genre to read is time-travel fiction. There’s just something about bending time that tickles my brain. I’m excited to tell my own time-travel story—when the moment is right. Or when I decide to travel to that perfect moment.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I just finished In the Woods Somewhere by Sam Evans—I loved it. Now I’m buddy-reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro with a friend. As for my TBR? It’s dumb-high. There’s probably snow on The Long Walk (Stephen King) as I climb this mountain toward Katabasis (R.F. Kuang).

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

There’s a scene that centers around our “perfect purple presence.” When it came to me, I was bristling with chills, and the tears were flowing. I didn’t start this story with the intention of that happening—it just did. It felt like the story was writing me. I won’t spoil it here… but trust me, you’ll know when you get there. I only hope it moves readers the way it moved me.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I often write with a cheap little planetarium projector, throwing stars across the ceiling. My favorite slide is of the moon. The room has to be as dark as possible, with my desk light dialed to its lowest setting. My keyboard glows, so I can still see what I’m doing anyhow. But the non-negotiable? Music. I have to have it. Right now I’m listening to ‘Spill the Wine’ by War. The lyrics kind of fit the answer to my last question in a fun way.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I sincerely believe we’re not here for ourselves, but for one another.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I wrote this for them. Every word. And I hope they feel that.