Photo Content from Colleen Oakes
Colleen Oakes is the bestselling author of books for both teens and adults, including the Queen of Hearts Series, the Wendy Darling Saga, The Black Coats and Sister of the Chosen One. She recently moved to New England with her husband and son. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, forest strolling, traveling or immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. Her newest series, Second Favorite Daughter's Club, will arrive in 2023 from Pixel + Ink, followed by Eleven Houses with Simon and Schuster.
Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why?
My favorite classic is Jane Eyre; it’s a vision of feminist gothic writing, and my favorite contemporary is probably The Time Traveler’s Wife, a love story that tore me apart and put me back together.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Years ago, I had a reader come up to the me at a signing and tell me that she used Wendy Darling with some of the women she was counseling to have an example of desire inside of an abusive relationship. It was so meaningful to know my writing was being used in that way.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
I would say not to let the culture of writing (conferences, signings, social media, writing groups) overtake the writing. I saw this happen often. The writing culture is wonderful; a place where you can find your people, make connections and feel understood, but it is also so overwhelming that it can become the goal, rather than a benefit.
What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
A pandemic and a child who went a year without in-person school. Really, the internet was nothing compared to this juggernaut of sound and time.
Can you tell us when you started ELEVEN HOUSES, how that came about?
I wrote this book in the pandemic when I - like everyone else - was feeling anxious, nervous and leaning into a growing sense of dread as the pandemic stretched on and on. That was one spot of inspiration; the other came from my love of violent, rocky shores, big seaside houses, atmospheric gothic settings, cults and the ghost stories of seaside towns. My ancestry is linked to Nova Scotia, and so that also contributed. All this mixed together into one bubbling cauldron of dread, an angry sea holding the dead and the secrets a family can hide.
What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your characters?
That Mabel had A LOT of secrets.
What were your inspirations for the character development?
While her personality is introverted, stubborn and brave, Mabel’s physical characteristics are based on the actress Alia Shawkat from Arrested Development and Search Party. I just love her look, and Mabel is based on that idea. (With tweaks, of course.) Miles is based on my friend Tony when he was in his teens; a heartbreaker too cool for his own good.
Your Favorite Quotes/Scenes from ELEVEN HOUSES
This is one of my favorite scenes from the book, when Miles, the new kid on the island, is finally getting some answers by Mabel, lifetime resident and shy girl who has the unfortunate job of telling him the unbelievable.
This is one of my favorite scenes from the book, when Miles, the new kid on the island, is finally getting some answers by Mabel, lifetime resident and shy girl who has the unfortunate job of telling him the unbelievable.
“When the Storm comes, the dead that live underneath the Dehset Shore move across our island, from the sea to the bridge. They are attracted to and guided by the foundation stones inside our eleven homes. Our job is to trap them, diminish their strength and number as they move across the island. Moving them through our eleven houses buys us time as we wait out the dawn.” I pause. “One night. One purpose.”
Miles has not moved. “Explain what you mean by the dead rise up from the Dehset? Is that a metaphor for like technology or something?” I wish. Instead it’s the uncomfortable, tragic and beautiful truth of our lives on Weymouth. It’s terrifying story and a fact of life, all at once. It’s the reason we have this gorgeous island, hidden away from the world. And it’s the reason I don’t have a Dad anymore. I want to laugh and cry for him.
Nothing could have prepared me for how out of my depth I feel at this moment, and my feelings for him are making it even harder. “Umm, nope, not a metaphor for technology. The dead come up out of the water, where they bide their time between Storms. They don’t really walk per say – it’s more like a float - ”
He points towards where he thinks the Cabot house is. “Do you mean THAT Dehset Shore, like the ocean right outside by bedroom window?” Oh boy; this kid has no idea where he is. I gently take his arm and redirect.
“It’s this direction. And yes, the Cabot house is the first to the sea, so yes, that Dehset Shore, the one outside your window.”
What is the first job you have had?
I was a busser at the Original Pancake House; I always smelled like blueberry pancakes and syrup, and my boss thought me, and my best friend Megan were one person.
Best date you've ever had?
Best date you've ever had?
The first date I had with my husband was to the movie Moulin Rouge, and later the words to “Come What May” were on our wedding cake.
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
I hate mornings + where is my caffeine + where is my water + why are mornings a thing + I should not have watched true crime documentaries until midnight.
What is your most memorable travel experience?
Last year I got swim in an ice-cold Cenote in Mexico, winding through the most awesome caves in the cleanest, purest water you can imagine. It was a once in a lifetime experience.
What event in your life would make a good movie?
I got a tattoo under duress. It’s a long story, and a good one.
Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?
I always try to be ready to confront someone if they are bullying another person or if there is an unequal balance of power – hi, Enneagram 8 – and I have yelled at two people who were yelling at other people: once in a Walmart parking lot (no surprise there) and once at a gas station.
On a forgotten part of Nova Scotia, there lies an island.
On that island are Eleven Houses.
In those houses sit eleven ancient families.
And they are waiting…
Mabel is one of the last surviving members of House Beuvry, one of the eleven houses on the haunted island of Weymouth. Her days, like all the other teens on the island, are spent readying her house for The Storm: a once-a-decade event that pummels the island with hurricane-level wind, water, and waves. But that’s not all the Storm brings with it—because Weymouth Island is a gate between the world of the living and the dead.
When Miles Cabot arrives on Weymouth Island after the death of his mother, he realizes quickly it isn’t like other places—and Mabel Beuvry isn’t like other teenagers. There’s an intense chemistry between Miles and Mabel that both feel, yet neither understand—nor the deadly consequences that will come with it.
With the suspicious death of an island elder, a strained dynamic with her younger sister Hali, and the greatest Storm in years edging ever closer, Mabel’s life is becoming as chaotic as the weather. One thing becomes clear: if the fortified houses of Weymouth Island can’t stand against the dead, then she—and everyone she loves—will pay the price.
Fares Well the House That’s Ready.
You can purchase Eleven Houses at the following Retailers:
And now, The Giveaways.
Thank you COLLEEN OAKES for making this giveaway possible.
1 Winner will receive a Copy of Eleven Houses by Colleen Oakes.
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