Mandy McHugh
Author Interview - Mandy McHugh
Author of Chloe Cates Is Missing and It Takes Monsters
About It Takes Monsters:
She had decided to kill her husband. But then somebody else got there first.…
Victoria Tate has had enough of her controlling, incompetent husband Warren. But planning the perfect murder is more difficult than it looks. When the social event of the year, an over-the-top costume ball, is rescheduled for the date she has selected for her crime, Victoria has to scramble to make sure she will still be able to follow through. But even hours of listening to crime podcasts cannot prepare her for the next wrench that is thrown into her plans: Warren turns up dead by someone else’s hand.
Now Victoria finds herself at the center of a murder investigation in which she is actually innocent. The real killer taunts her, making it clear that they knew what she was planning all along. With the police closing in and her neighbors turning on her, Victoria is going to lose everything she had hoped to gain from Warren’s death, unless she can figure out who wanted her husband dead and why. It turns out that Warren was better at keeping secrets than she ever could have guessed. But which secret is the one that led to his death? And even if she can find the answers, does Victoria have what it takes to confront a real murderer?
About Chloe Cate Is Missing:
When 13 year old YouTube sensation Chloe Cates goes missing, her family is desperate to get her back. Detective Emilina Stone is assigned to investigate the disappearance, only to discover she has her own ties to the case--and Chloe's mother, Jennifer--ties that threaten to unearth buried secrets amidst a social media firestorm.
Author Interview - Mandy McHugh
Author I draw inspiration from:
2023: For so long Stephen King was my go-to answer but there are so many amazing writers currently putting out inspiring work. Ashley Winstead’s The Last Housewife gutted me. Jaime Lynn Hendricks is the queen of the twist, especially in her latest I Didn’t Do It. Christina McDonald never fails to create characters that grip my heart, so you won’t want to miss These Still Black Waters. Cina Pelayo is putting out some of the best horror I’ve ever read, and if you don’t believe me, check out the Children of Chicago series.
I also read across genres, so I often find inspiration in romance, lit fic, and poetry. I will devour anything by Ada Limòn, Tracy K. Smith, Andrea Cohen, Clementine Von Radics, Gregory Orr, and Richard Siken, to name a few.
2022: Stephen King was my first inspiration, but there are so many amazing authors in the genre that it's hard to pinpoint just one. Jennifer Hillier's writing is next-level amazing. Chevy Stevens is an automatic add-to-cart. Zoje Stage, too--phenomenal writers who have mastered complex characters and guttural thrills.
Author Interview - Mandy McHugh | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
2023: In my living room corner when it’s raining but I will read anywhere that isn’t a car
2022: My book nook (aka the corner in the living room I've sequestered for myself away from the LOL dolls and Avengers action figures that seem to take over the rest of the house)
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
2023: Roland Deschain from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. He was the first character who ever made me cry. I imagine him questioning the very existence of the elevator, maybe asking for a popkin or two OR ignoring me the entire time while I question my life choices.
2022: Roland Deschain, The Gunslinger (from Stephen King's Dark Tower series). He'd either find a way out of said elevator or have endless stories to pass the time.
Author Interview - Mandy McHugh | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
2023: I don’t think I have one defining ah-ha moment. I’ve always loved writing, but for the longest time, being an author seemed like a dream. For all the hours I spent roaming the shelves of Barnes and Noble and my favorite independent or used bookstores, being an author seemed unattainable and far fetched. I had no idea what publishing entailed but I knew that regardless of what happened, the only place to start was writing the damn book. So I started with poems. And short stories. And worked my way up to a full-fledged manuscript. Typing “the end” on that last page was one of the most exciting moments in my career.
2022: I was obsessed with R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books when I was in elementary school, but it wasn't until I graduated to Fear Street books that I knew I wanted to write, too. I read The Thrill Club and as soon as I finished, I broke out my notebook and multicolor pen and wrote my first story (pretty sure it was about the ghost of a murdered child haunting the new kid who moved into his old house).
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
2023: All of the above depending on my location and mood. Love an ebook for convenience. It’s so easy to bang out a few chapters in the pickup line. Hardback when I’ve got time to spend in a cozy chair. Paperback for beach reads, traveling, or just to have in my purse. Audiobooks for cleaning and car rides.
2022: ALL of the above. Depends on my mood and where and when I have the opportunity to read. I love having audiobooks for the car (because school pickup lines are long and full of terrors), a paperback in my purse, ebooks for ARCs, and hardcovers whenever I get the time to cozy up in the book nook.
The last book I read:
2023: I just finished Holly James’ The Deja Glitch which was one of the most adorable books I’ve ever read. A take on Groundhog’s Day, Gemma and Jack must fall in love before their time is up in order to break the time loop. Fluffy and fun and totally binge-worthy.
I also finished Josh Malerman’s upcoming collection Spin a Black Yarn, which was dark and creepy and utterly engrossing storytelling.
And to round out my list, I picked up an older collection of Wendy Cope poems, Serious Concerns. The sarcasm, humor, and reflection on the ordinary was absolutely delightful.
2022: Well, the last physical book I read was actually the poetry collection Some Things I Still Can't Tell You by Misha Collins. I just finished an ARC of The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson (which was phenomenal) and I'm currently reading Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.
Author Interview - Mandy McHugh | The last book I read
Pen & paper or computer:
2023: BOTH. I always have notebooks on me to take notes, record questions, workout character details, or snippets of lines that sound good. For the actual writing of a WIP, though, I need to type.
2022: Both! I usually keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas or questions so I don't forget, but when it comes to drafting--laptop, all the way. I admire the authors who still draft by hand.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
2023: I still say Finlay Donovan from Elle Cosimano’s series. She’s sarcastic and realistic and entirely lovable and I can see us sharing an iced coffee whilst debating the mechanics of hit men and homicides.
2022: Finlay Donovan (from Finlay Donovan Is Killing It and Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano). She's sarcastic, witty, and really just tries to be the best mother she can be while finding herself in precarious situations. 10/10 would recommend.
Author Interview - Mandy McHugh | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
2023: A college professor oooor a bookstore owner. Like a wine bar and bookstore combo that also does karaoke nights.
2022: An English professor. Or a professional karaoke singer. That's not a thing, but I'd make it a thing.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
2023: It is certainly not the flashbacks to the 90s that’s currently overtaking the market. I cannot do the spaghetti straps and lime green silk camis. I’m firmly in my “whatever makes me comfortable and confident” era—which, to be fair, is extensive and wide ranging but will never include sparkly butterfly clips.
2022: OOF. Listen, I've made some questionable fashion choices in my past. There wasn't a day in the 90s that I didn't go without glitter gel, blue eyeshadow, and butterfly clips. I have a soft spot for Cher Horowitz style plaid mini skirts, and my daily wardrobe lately consists of band t-shirts and mom jeans. BUT! I love a good A-line dress and a mod aesthetic.
Place I’d most like to travel:
2023: I’ve never been to the west coast, so California is high on my list. I want to go back to Colorado to really explore Denver (and Estes Park because the Stanley Hotel is bucket list). I’d also love to visit Norway. See a fjord.
2022: I'd love to go back to Paris and Dublin. Or St. Thomas. Rome. Maldives. I spend a lot of time daydreaming about travel since the pandemic.
My signature drink:
2023: Alcoholic—whiskey and ginger ale is my go-to. Non alcoholic—I drink an iced americano with a splash of oat milk every morning and chug water all day, but I also switch it up with various teas.
2022: Water and iced coffee. Everyday. Alcoholic? I'm a certified whiskey taster.
Favorite artist:
2023: My playlist is the most chaotic experience. Radio Company to Iron Maiden to Burlesque soundtrack to a random viral tiktok song with a splash of Celtic instrumental and a throwback NSYNC before I clean the kitchen to Forgot about Dre and Judy Garland.
Don’t even get me started on my running mix (although feel free to check out my Spotify list if you’re looking for a truly astounding collection of songs to motivate your cardio—authormandymchugh).
2022: I read this as musical artist, so I'm going to say Radio Company (either Volume, I have both on repeat because you can't go wrong with Jensen Ackles). Also, The Fray.
(Artist, artist--I love Gustav Klimt and Toulouse Lautrec).
Number one on my bucket list:
2023: Stanley Hotel. Writing the best book of my career.
2022: Stay at the Stanley Hotel (the inspiration for The Shining).
Anything else you'd like to add:
2022: This was so much fun! Thank you so much!
Find more from the author:
Instagram—@acmchughwriter
Twitter—@writeracmchugh
Threads—acmchughwriter
Bluesky—@mandymchugh
About Mandy McHugh:
Mandy McHugh is an author from upstate New York. Chloe Cates Is Missing was one of Popsugar’s best mysteries and thrillers of 2022. Her sophomore thriller, It Takes Monsters, is forthcoming in October 2023. When she’s not working on her next book, Mandy enjoys planning adventures with her kids, poetry, baking, and exchanging an unlimited chain of memes with her friends.
