Hello readers! As a special treat, we have one more queer YA debut interview to share before the new year! Huge thanks to Ryan Douglass, author of the THE TAKING OF JAKE LIVINGSTON (July 13, 2021), for participating!

Question 1: What part of being a debut are you most excited about?

I’m excited to see how readers who like it are impacted by it but I’m also somewhat worried about the level of exposure that comes with having a book out in the world.

Question 2: Have you received any great debut year advice?

I think “take some time off from Twitter” has been the best advice. Every time I’ve taken a hiatus, I’ve been more productive with my projects and achieved mental clarity. It helps me to remember my immediate surroundings and keep track of my wellbeing.

Question 3: Tell us about your book!

The Taking of Jake Livingston is a horror novel about a 16-year-old boy who can see the dead. He’s navigating life at a majority white private school when he finds himself haunted by the ghost of a school shooter. We follow Jake’s journey to mastering his powers and banishing this spirit all while navigating racism, a budding romance with a new Black student, and the fallout of his parents’ divorce.

Question 4: One huge writer dream we likely all have is to see our work adapted on the big or small screen. Have you fancast your own writing? What songs would definitely be on your adaptation’s soundtrack?  

It’s hard to fancast a YA book with Black teens since we don’t have a lot of young actors who are known, but I would love for an unknown to play Jake in the adaptation, and my dream is to give opportunities to new actors.

And there are so many cursed songs I got into while writing this book that I think perfectly capture the vibes. Some of my faves are:

Ex E Ex by LYZZA
AS Too Wrong by Amnesia Scanner
Aliens by Sega Bodega

Question 5: What do you hope teens will take away from your book?

I want them to know that when they’re inducted into toxic cycles that they have the inner strength to break them, and that they don’t have to be violent toward others just because people were violent toward them.

Question 6: Can you give us a sneak peek about your favorite part of the book, or one of the most meaningful scenes you got to write?

Semi-spoiler alert but there’s a scene toward the end where Jake is visited by certain spirits who help him understand the key to his power and how to use it. It made me cry every time I wrote it because it’s such a cathartic moment for him and a huge step in his character development.

Question 7: Is there anything the online community could do to help make your unconventional debut year better?

I appreciate all support for my book. Every like, RT, every shoutout. I don’t want anyone to feel obligated to support it as I know horror isn’t for everyone, and I think we should all boost what we are interested in and what we like. But I do appreciate seeing enthusiasm about the book and it makes me happy that people are excited to read Jake’s story.

Ryan Douglass is an author, poet, and freelance writer from Atlanta, Georgia. His work on race, literacy, sexuality, and media representation has appeared in The Huffington Post, Atlanta Black Star, Everyday Feminism, Nerdy POC, Age of Awareness, LGBTQNation, and Medium, among others.

His debut novel, THE TAKING OF JAKE LIVINGSTON, is a YA horror out through Penguin/Putnam July 13th, 2021.