Q&A: Skyla Arndt, Author of ‘House of Hearts’

We chat with author Skyla Arndt about House of Hearts, where solving her best friend’s murder means infiltrating a secret society, resisting a forbidden love, and running from a vengeful ghost…

PLUS we have an excerpt for you to read at the end of the interview!

Hi, Skyla! Welcome back! How have the past two years been since we last spoke?

Wow! Two years already. I’ve simultaneously felt every minute and also no time at all. I feel like I’ve grown so much in my life since the launch of TOGETHER WE ROT. From personal heartbreaks to amazing career highs, I’ve come a long way since my debut.

Your latest novel, House of Hearts, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

• Romantic
• Haunting
• Whimsical
• Spooky
• Atmospheric

What can readers expect?

HOUSE OF HEARTS is a mix of Alice in Wonderland and dark academia. Readers can expect a story that reads like a modern-day fairytale—deadly curses, forbidden romance, and doomed lovers—all set against a haunted gothic backdrop.

Where did the inspiration for House of Hearts come from?

I was recovering from burnout and navigating “second book syndrome” and I needed a story that was purely for me.  HOUSE OF HEARTS was the perfect rabbit hole for me to fall into. It was sweepingly romantic and hauntingly eerie. Page by page, I found my love for writing rekindled.  

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

My absolute FAVORITE scene to write was the ghostly masquerade scene! I really feel like that moment perfectly encapsulates the “horromance” genre blend: there’s a thunderstorm raging in the background, a mysteriously handsome young man asking Violet to dance, and an undead girl weaving through the ballroom and luring Violet away from the party. It was such a treat to write!

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

Halfway through revision, personal tragedy struck and I lost my cat, Pyro, to lymphoma. I had no idea how I was going to write a book about heartbreak when my heart was shattered to pieces. Despite the difficulties I faced in the beginning, returning to the book’s world proved to be incredibly therapeutic. I needed a space to channel all the feelings of loss and anger I was experiencing, and Violet’s story was the perfect place for it. It also meant the world to me in the end to be able to dedicate the story to him. <3

Were there any key lessons you learned between your debut novel and House of Hearts?

Expanding on my last answer, I learned to accept my own grief. Violet and I went through a similar mourning trajectory (though I can’t say I enrolled into any cursed academies…) and it was so special to be able to heal alongside her.

As far as what I’ve learned between my debut and this book, I definitely figured out how to manage burnout and keep myself from getting into the same mental space as I was after the release of TWR. I truly feel like our debut years are pivotal learning periods for us and they teach us how to balance social media promotion, deadlines, and life without getting overwhelmed. I won’t say I never experience writer’s block or moments of exhaustion still, but I would say I’m far more equipped to deal with it now than I was in my debut year.

What a gorgeous cover! Can you tell us about the cover coming to life?

I owe Marcella Bolivar my life! She is the same artist who worked on the cover for TOGETHER WE ROT and she continues to amaze me each time.

Before I saw the initial sketch, I knew there were a couple elements I really wanted to see in a potential cover: I wanted an image that was both haunting and romantic, and I also wanted a strong red color scheme. Each book takes on a color palette in my head and while my debut was a mix of earthy and winter tones, HoH was very clearly blood red. We experimented back-and-forth with different edits for HoH and I LOVE what Marcella came up with! The dark blue backdrop provided the perfect pop for the creeping red vines and floating petals and the final image SCREAMED “Alice in Wonderland” in the best way!!

What’s next for you?

I’m working on two different projects right now–one I can openly scream about and the other I have to be aggressively vague about, haha.

The one I can discuss at the moment is an adult thriller called GOOD TASTE. It’s different from my typical YA books, but I hope readers will still enjoy it and see traces of my signature style on the page: an “unlikeable” female protagonist, zany/dark humor, and a heavy heaping of romance. It’s about a conwoman who meets her boyfriend’s rich family for the first time on their private Antarctic cruise ship, but quickly realizes that these foodies may be hungry for more than generational wealth—and she will be next on the menu, unless she can find an unexpected ally.

My second project is another adult book, but instead of being a thriller, it’s a gothic romantasy! I can’t say much about it yet because it hasn’t been taken out on submission, but I am crossing my fingers for it to sell so I can shout about it.

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

My favorites this year:

I’m looking forward to reading:

 Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray, Hollow by Taylor Grothe, Gilded in Vengeance by Lyssa Mia Smith

Will you be picking up House of Hearts? Have you already? Tell us in the comments below!