Q&A: Archer Sullivan, Author of ‘The Witch’s Orchard’

We chat with author Archer Sullivan about The Witch’s Orchard, which is a wonderfully atmospheric novel that introduces private investigator Annie Gore.

Hi, Archer! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I grew up in Appalachia but I’ve been a bit nomadic. I’ve moved thirty-seven times and for the last several years have lived in the LA area where I write full time. I’m a hermit so I observe all four of SoCal’s seasons (Rainy Season, Lizard Season, Fire Season, and Spider Season) mostly through my office window. As often as I can, I get back to the mountains where I feel most at home. If my roots are anywhere, it’s there, in that beautiful Blue Ridge. My voice as a writer tends to reflect all of this: the Appalachian childhood, the moving, the time away, the homesickness, and the torn feeling of loving a place but not living there.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’m hyperlexic and started reading very early. I was obsessed with language and the way words could be woven together to create whole worlds from nothing. It always seemed like magic to me. Because I moved around so much it was characters in books, more than real life people, were my most reliable companions. Early on, I was obsessed with Little Bear and the Lang’s Fairy Books. Later on, it was Sherlock Holmes. And, from the time I was twelve until sometime in college, I kept a dog-eared copy of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology in my pocket. To this day, I’m always carrying at least one book in my bag.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Days With Frog and Toad
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Princess Bride/Slaughterhouse 5
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold

Your debut novel, The Witch’s Orchard, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Tough chick seeks truth, pie.

What can readers expect?

I love the mystery genre in general and the private investigator sub-genre specifically. I created Annie Gore because she’s a character that I desperately wanted to read about who did not yet exist: a tough mountain girl who returns to the hills a stranger and pokes around in a cold case until she stirs someone into action. Readers can expect heaps of atmosphere and a driving plot with a determined, smart-ass woman at the wheel.

Where did the inspiration for The Witch’s Orchard come from?

In a general sense, the inspiration is the same as all writers: My deepest creative self was formed from the weird cocktail of my childhood. For me that means a mix of Sherlock Holmes, The X-Files, Masterpiece Mystery, Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, Columbo, Shakespeare, fairy tales, and all the handed down stories I heard from my elders.

In a more specific sense, several years ago, during a protracted and distressing health crisis, I found myself turning to the same authors over and over. Robert Parker, Sue Grafton, Rex Stout, and PD James all wrote investigators who were smart without ever being superior and gritty without ever losing their humanity. They never verged into cynicism or lost the earnestness that drove them to do the job in the first place. Still, whenever I’m low and need to be lifted, I reach for one of those books. But, as I mentioned, none of those books reflected the culture or the people I grew up with. Eventually, it (an investigator and a story cut and quilted from Appalachian cloth) was something I craved so desperately that I just decided to write it myself.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I loved writing Mack, the plumber. Any time I get to write an ornery coot, I’m happy. Despite appearances, this does often include Annie herself.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

The Witch’s Orchard is a twisty-turny journey into one small, Appalachian town and the secrets hidden within it. This means there are a lot of interconnected threads woven together. A lot of the earliest issues came from some of those threads being tangled, frayed, or otherwise simply not strong enough to hold under tension. The subsequent revision process focused heavily on either eliminating or strengthening those weaker threads and then checking and double checking the way they all connect.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on the second Annie Gore novel, Brimstone Hollow.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

My reading habits are all over the place but the ones that spring to mind are: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Unruly by David Mitchell, and They All Fall The Same by Wes Browne. I’m looking forward to the latest of Lois Bujold’s Penric and Desdemona series but have been saving it for a special occasion. I also recently acquired an old collection of Patricia Highsmith stories and I’m itching to dig in.

Will you be picking up The Witch’s Orchard? Tell us in the comments below!