The Devil's Tree
by Susan McCauley
Genre:
YA Horror
YA Horror
Kaitlyn didn’t believe in ghosts—not until one killed her boyfriend and
her best friend. Now she must stop the spirit haunting the Devil’s
Tree, or she could be next.
Seventeen-year-old
Kaitlyn wants to escape her drunk mama and her trailer park home life
to enjoy a Saturday night off work. Instead, her boyfriend, Hunter,
convinces her to go with him and their best friends, Dylan and
Keisha, to photograph a desolate tree with an evil past. A terrifying
presence chases them from the tree, killing Hunter and Keisha. Left
alive with Dylan, Kaitlyn must struggle with her unexpected romantic
feelings for him, come to terms with her loss, and face being trapped
in a dead-end town. Kaitlyn is desperate to put the past to rest, but
when their friends’ spirits begin haunting them, she and Dylan have
no choice but to seek help from a Catholic priest and attempt to set
the trapped spirits free.
Kaitlyn wants to escape her drunk mama and her trailer park home life
to enjoy a Saturday night off work. Instead, her boyfriend, Hunter,
convinces her to go with him and their best friends, Dylan and
Keisha, to photograph a desolate tree with an evil past. A terrifying
presence chases them from the tree, killing Hunter and Keisha. Left
alive with Dylan, Kaitlyn must struggle with her unexpected romantic
feelings for him, come to terms with her loss, and face being trapped
in a dead-end town. Kaitlyn is desperate to put the past to rest, but
when their friends’ spirits begin haunting them, she and Dylan have
no choice but to seek help from a Catholic priest and attempt to set
the trapped spirits free.
Reviews:
“Susan McCauley delivers a poignant and frightening tale of love and
redemption against a backdrop of evil, both supernatural and not.
It’s a fast and exciting read filled with demons, ghosts, and
stolen kisses, and it does an excellent job of reminding us that both
revenge and love can be eternal desires. This is one teens and adults
will both enjoy.” ⎯JG Faherty, multiaward- nominated author of Hellrider,
The Cure, and Cemetery Club
redemption against a backdrop of evil, both supernatural and not.
It’s a fast and exciting read filled with demons, ghosts, and
stolen kisses, and it does an excellent job of reminding us that both
revenge and love can be eternal desires. This is one teens and adults
will both enjoy.” ⎯JG Faherty, multiaward- nominated author of Hellrider,
The Cure, and Cemetery Club
“Evil is not always the only enemy you should fear . . .
Fast-paced and deftly written, with emotional depth from the darkest
of characters, this is a ghost story to savor.” ⎯Peter
Adam Salomon, Bram Stoker Award® nominated novelist, author of All
Those Broken Angels and Eight Minutes, Thirty-Two Seconds
Fast-paced and deftly written, with emotional depth from the darkest
of characters, this is a ghost story to savor.” ⎯Peter
Adam Salomon, Bram Stoker Award® nominated novelist, author of All
Those Broken Angels and Eight Minutes, Thirty-Two Seconds
Guest Blog Posts
What is something unique/quirky about you?
Well, I’m very tall (for a woman). I’m just over 5’ 10’’
tall, and I’m naturally quite pale. I’m also a very compassionate and friendly
person who loves to write dark/horror stories, which confounds my mother,
family, and friends!
Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to
you!
While living in London, I made a trip to Tenerife, Spain.
While visiting a zoo there, my ex-boyfriend and I went into an enclosure where
we were allowed to feed (and even pet) the animals. There were iguanas, tamarin
monkeys, and a variety of other critters. Well, leave it to me, to get bitten
by a tamarin and then peed on by the same one!
Where were you born/grew up?
I was born in Webster, Texas and grew up in the Houston area.
I lived in Nassau Bay, Texas from birth to age 18. Across the street from my
old neighborhood is the Johnson Space Center, which houses Mission Control. So,
my childhood was an interesting mix of boating, spaceships, and theater.
Something quite cool from when I was a pre-teen: when former Head of NASA,
Charles Bolden was an astronaut, he took a poem I wrote up to space with him on
a mission he piloted.
What inspired you to write this book?
I love going on ghost tours and researching haunted and
historic places. I often listen to these stories and legends in an attempt to
spark my imagination for a short story or book. When I heard the story of the
Devil’s Tree in New Jersey, my imagination was ignited. However, I wanted to
give the story a southern feel and address certain themes, which is why I set
my novel in Texas.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I except I’ll have another novel or novella out in the next
year, and the first book in a YA ghost story series following that. I’m also a
professional screenwriter. One of my short films (“The Cask”) is available now
on YouTube, and another of them is currently at festivals. There are two
feature films I’ve written that are in development. So, hopefully, in the next
few years you’ll see some feature films I’ve written either in the theaters or
on Netflix (or both)!
Do you read yourself, and, if so, what is your favorite
genre?
I read every night before bed—for at least an hour, but more
if I can. My favorite genres are MG and YA horror and dark fantasy. Some of my
favorite books are Took by Mary
Downing Hahn, The Lockwood & Co
series by Johnathan Stroud, and The
Spook’s Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney.
Susan McCauley was born and raised on the gulf coast of Texas, not far from
Houston. She spent several years in Los Angeles, California acting,
writing, and teaching college English. In 2002, she moved to London
to further explore professional theater. While in London, her stage
adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's "The Nose" was performed at
the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art's George Bernard Shaw Theatre; and,
scenes from her play The Prisoner: Princess Elizabeth were performed
at HMS Tower of London. She returned to the U.S. in 2005. In 2007,
she was the line producer of the Emmy Award nominated Civil War short
film Now & Forever Yours: Letters to an Old Soldier. She has had
short stories published in several anthologies, and her short story,
"The Cask," was made into an award winning short film.
Houston. She spent several years in Los Angeles, California acting,
writing, and teaching college English. In 2002, she moved to London
to further explore professional theater. While in London, her stage
adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's "The Nose" was performed at
the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art's George Bernard Shaw Theatre; and,
scenes from her play The Prisoner: Princess Elizabeth were performed
at HMS Tower of London. She returned to the U.S. in 2005. In 2007,
she was the line producer of the Emmy Award nominated Civil War short
film Now & Forever Yours: Letters to an Old Soldier. She has had
short stories published in several anthologies, and her short story,
"The Cask," was made into an award winning short film.
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