Tori Bovalino (she/her) is the author of three YA horror novels, including My Throat an Open Grave, and edited the Indie-bestselling anthology, The Gathering Dark. Tori also writes adult fantasy as V.L. Bovalino. She is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now lives in the UK with her partner and their very loud cat. Tori loves scary stories, obscure academic book facts, and impractical, oversized sweaters. She can be found on Instagram as @toribovalino.

Welcome to the Hive, Tori. Congratulations on your YA horror, My Throat is an Open Grave! Can you tell us a bit about it? What can readers expect?

The funny thing about this book is it’s actually VERY hard to talk about it without spoiling it! But essentially, it’s about Leah, who has grown up in a very restrictive small town in Pennsylvania. When Leah’s baby brother is taken by the Lord of the Wood, the threatening folk monster who comes every few years to claim one of the town’s children, she must do everything in her power to get him back. Leah enters into a bargain with the Lord of the Wood, but discovers there are many secrets about the Lord and his relationship with her town, and investigating them puts her own life at risk. It’s about the expectations we put on girls and the punishment that comes when they’re unable to achieve perfection. 

Your book is largely inspired by the film Labyrinth. Which aspects of the film did you significantly draw from? Do you have any favourite scenes from the film?

So, funnily enough, it’s not so much Labyrinth itself but the Maurice Sendak children’s book, Outside Over There, which Labyrinth is based on (the book is included in the set for Labyrinth as well!). That aside, I think the moment Toby stops crying in Labyrinth is such a great, creepy scene–you can see all of the fear on Sarah’s face, and it’s just a chilling moment. That emotional connection was something I drew on (with changes, of course!) when I wrote the disappearance scene for My Throat an Open Grave. 

And what aspects of folk horror did you draw from? 

I wanted it to feel like a campfire story! While editing The Gathering Dark, I spent a lot of time thinking about folklore and urban legend, and how it impacts the way we perceive our own towns. There’s a lot to be said about urban legend relating to women’s behavior and the warnings those stories hold: don’t look too closely, don’t go too far, don’t let yourself slip, or else, these are the consequences. I wanted to capture that feeling of being at a sleepover with your friends, telling the scariest stories you can think of.

For the Lord of the Wood, this translated into a soft magic system within the world, and a legendary character based on fear. They don’t know what he is or who he is, but that doesn’t actually matter: he’s just a fear, just a threat. 

Can you tell us about your characters Leah and the Lord of the Wood? What kind of dynamic do they share?

Yeah, absolutely! Leah is, honestly, just very weary. She’s a character who does not have much agency in the small town where she lives, and she’s resigned herself to the fact that she was born there, she lives there, and she’s going to die there. She has been through so much and she’s only sixteen, and she doesn’t really see things getting better–but when she’s forced to confront the Lord of the Wood, she understands immediately that they will get worse.

Tristan (the Lord of the Wood) is a god-like creature of the forest, derived from a mix of Pan mythology and fae lore. He didn’t ask to be in the position that he is now in, and he struggles with the decisions and expectations that come along with the title. 

Other than Labyrinth are there any other classic fantasy films that you are drawn towards and would possibly be inspired to write a novel on? 

There was quite a lot of content that I used for touchpoints for this book. A lot of the creeping dread draws on films like The Ritual (which was a book by Adam Nevill first), The VVitch, The Village, and The Blair Witch Project. There had to be that feeling of “there’s something in the forest and, though we cannot define it, we believe in it.” I also drew on musicals quite a bit, including Spring Awakening and Hadestown. Hadestown in particular played on a loop during most of the time I was working on this book. 

We see such varying opinions from authors when it comes to the time of editing their books. How have you found the editing process? Enjoyable, stressful or satisfying?

Funnily enough, this book was different from my usual editing process! In many cases, I do a fast draft, then rewrite 2-3 times to add 20k words and make it more coherent. Because this book is first person (and a very close first person, at that), editing it was far more difficult. There are reveals that happen at 50%, 75%, and 85% through that, though hinted at in the beginning, had to remain concealed. For that reason, editing this book was like pulling teeth–I never rewrote it from the beginning, like I usually do, but instead focused on a lot of scene and character work in the middle. I usually love editing (I probably enjoy editing more than writing the first draft) but this book made it very difficult because of the closeness of the perspective and the mysterious aspects of the narrative. 

We always appreciate a beautiful book cover and yours is beautifully gothic! How involved in the process were you? Was this a particular aesthetic you hoped they’d portray?

Oh thank you!! I LOVE this cover. Nat (@missnatmack on Instagram) did the Maidens cover as well and consistently knocks it out of the park. I didn’t have much input but it doesn’t matter–when they sent me the final cover, I basically just shouted, “Yes, that’s it!” and was happy to sign off on it. The imagery in particular comes from an element of the book called the memory garden, in which memories from those who were previously in the wood are planted and revisited. The cover itself beautifully shows the cycle of memory and how it’s represented in the story. Honestly, I’m just so delighted with it and I’m honored that my words have been given such a beautiful face. 

One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why?

OOOH that’s so difficult! I have a huge soft spot for The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, and though I would not survive a second on one, I’m going to go for a water horse. I think the particular one she used was a Each-uisge, so let’s go for that. 

Tell us about a book you love. Any hidden gems?

My beloved recommendation forever and ever is Fire by Kristin Cashore, which I read when I was young and never put down and try to reread once a year. Everyone should read it, so go now! 

A couple of other new releases that I have thoroughly enjoyed include The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers and Faebound by Saara El-Arifi. I’ve just started So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole and I already know I’m going to adore it. Finally, I had the privilege of reading and early version of Hungerstone by Kat Dunn and I cannot say enough how GOOD that book is.

Can you tell us a little something about your current work(s) in progress? Have you any upcoming projects which you can share?

Yes! I’m branching out into fantasy, and my adult fantasy debut, The Second Death of Locke, is coming out next autumn. It’s about two codependent childhood best friends on a doomed quest, tasked with delivering a prisoner who is rumored to have the power to restore the failing magic system. I’ve been poking that project on and off since about 2013, so the fact it’s going to be a real book is utterly surreal (and I will take early drafts of the YA version of it to my grave, thank you very much). 

I am also sneakily working on my next horror book. I can’t say much about it now as it is truly just a work in progress in every definition and may never see the light of day, but it leans heavily into dark academia and includes everything I love about London. It’s in the same vein as The Devil Makes Three but a little darker and a little grosser. 

Are you planning anything fun to celebrate the release of My Throat an Open Grave? Do you have any upcoming virtual events our readers may be interested in?

I am! I’m currently doing a couple of events in the United States, but I’ll be back in the UK for the launch event with Kate Dylan on February 29th at Waterstones Tottenham Court Road. Nothing virtual planned just yet, but I’ll be on Titan’s socials talking more about the book as well.

Oh that’s a lovely Waterstones, they have this fab little basement cafe!

Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?

Usually, I just want them to have a good time and come away feeling like they’ve been on an adventure! For this book in particular, I hope readers see the message that you do deserve to be loved, no matter what has happened to you. In any case, when there’s a choice between two bad options, there’s sometimes the opportunity to forge a new path.  

Thank you so much for joining us today!

Thank you for having me!

My Throat an Open Grave is out now from Titan Books. Order your copy on Bookshop.org