Natalie Kikić

Natalie Kikić is a Croatian American speculative fiction writer who grew up on stories of her parents’ lives in the former Yugoslavia. She holds a Bachelor’s in Slavic Languages & Literatures from the University of California, Berkeley and her work explores Balkan folklore, belonging, and hauntings, both ghostly and romantic.

When not writing, Kikić can typically be found wrapped in a blanket with a cup of chai, meticulously planning her next travel itinerary, or listening to Taylor Swift on repeat. Originally from California, she is a dual Canadian–US citizen and currently resides in Massachusetts with her husband and two polydactyl cats.

Kikić's new novel is The Haunting of Lavender House. My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

The title of my book, The Haunting of Lavender House, does an excellent job introducing readers to my story, but it’s actually not my original title. For years, while I was writing the novel, I called it House of Lavender. While I like the simplicity of it, it doesn’t really communicate the gothic elements of my story—the house in my novel is haunted, you see. And so, my publishing team introduced the new and current title, which I love. It evokes other gothic horror tales, such as The Haunting of Hill House. And it still keeps the lavender element, which is common flower along the coastal region of Croatia, where my story is set. So in the end, my title is a perfect combo of gothic and Croatian culture.

What's in a name?

The name of the island setting of my book—Tolba—is a fictional name I made up for creative freedom, but I chose it because it contains most of the letters from the real Croatian island that inspired it, Olib. Olib is where my dad is from, and it’s remote island vibe inspired much of the setting.

As for the characters, the protagonist’s name changed many times over the course of writing this book. I landed on Petra because I liked that it evoked the word “petrify”—a very fitting sensation since she contends with a frightening spirit that gives her sleep paralysis.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

I think she would be surprised at first, but after thinking about it, not at all. I’ve always been a huge scaredy cat, especially when it comes to horror films, so my younger self would be surprised that I became a horror author. Yet, that same teenager loved gothic stories like Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. So it makes sense that I eventually came around to appreciate gothic horror as a genre, and now write stories within it.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

Endings are always so much harder for me to write. I think I am initially too scared about hurting my characters too much. But I think the best stories are ones that seize your heart, that make you think, how will they ever resolve this?

For The Haunting of Lavender House, since the story is gothic, I was eager to lean into a lot of common gothic elements, such as madness, isolation, and the dread. So you’ll see that turned up to the max towards the end. But I also wanted to provide hope—ultimately my story is about the protagonist, Petra, finding belonging in her parents’ homeland of Croatia, so despite the terror, there is a happy ending too.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

Petra and her feelings about her identity are very much inspired by own experiences. As a child of Croatian immigrants, I’ve always felt like I didn’t fully belong in my parents’ homeland. This was largely due to the fact that they didn’t teach me their native language. So I wanted to write about a character with a similar sense of disconnection from her heritage. I wanted to explore the other-ness diaspora can feel, not fully belonging to a culture that is supposed to be their birthright. In my opinion, it’s a great setup for a gothic heroine, who typically struggles with autonomy and isolation. When she arrives in Croatia, she already feels a bit alone and anxious, and then the haunting experiences amp up all her fears.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Taylor Swift is a huge inspiration for me. Her music covers so many emotions so beautifully, from falling in love, to heartbreak, to rage. In particular, her album, Midnights, captures a lot of the vibes I associate with The Haunting of Lavender House—that liminal, mysterious aura that the middle of the night brings. I have some easter eggs to her lyrics in the book, such as a nod to the song, "Lavender Haze."

I am also very inspired by movies; I often imagine scenes I am writing like a movie scene playing out. I love the big drama and romance of Baz Luhrmann films, and also the eerie visuals of Guillermo del Toro. Like these directors, I try to create bold and haunting visuals in my stories that will come to life in the readers’ minds.

Also, a special shout-out to Nosferatu by Robert Eggers—the scene where Ellen, the protagonist, is drawn out of bed with the window curtains billowing in the wind directly influenced a dark scene in The Haunting of Lavender House.

Visit Natalie Kikić's website.

--Marshal Zeringue