Welcome Damara Allen to the Mixed-Up Files !
A great big WELCOME to Damara Allen. Damara lives with her supportive husband, daughter, four cats, and a dog. She enjoys horror movies Halloween, crafting, and travel, and her debut novel was just released. For authors, she also keeps a fantastic list of writing resources on her website. I’ll share the link below.
Congratulations!
But first, a great big CONGRATULATIONS on her debut release THE SKELETON FLUTE! 
The legend of the Pied Piper meets Sal and Gabi Break the Universe with a touch of Coraline in this spooky and suspenseful middle grade adventure about a boy whose wish goes horribly wrong and his fight to reunite with his real family.
I immediately ordered a copy, because who doesn’t love a creepy book, Halloween will be here before you know it, and the reviews! Wow!
I wanted to create a creepy twist on an already creepy story. Almost all of my stories have some sort of creepy/horror element to them because I have a lifelong love of horror and all things spooky/creepy. I’m a panster, so I didn’t know exactly where I was going with this story, but something else that was important to me was to see my character, Sam, working through some real-life struggles. Why? Because real kids deal with real problems and they deserve to see themselves represented in books. Not because I think kids want to sit around reading books about awful things happening to other kids, but because I want them to know they’re not alone. I want them to know that even if life is hard sometimes, there’s still hope, even when things don’t work out the way we want them to. That’s the great thing about writing horror for kids – sometimes fictional monsters aren’t just monsters. Sometimes they represent the hard things we have to deal with in life. Seeing a character find the bravery to battle those monsters might be everything to someone who is struggling themselves.
How hard was it to get this book published?
I had a very non-traditional path to publication, I think. I started out in the query trenches, sending out hundreds of queries, getting tons of rejections, entering the odd pitch contest and mentorship program just like everyone else. Then, I got accepted to PitchWars in 2021, where I had the opportunity to work with two wonderful mentors who helped me revise and elevate this book to prepare for the agent showcase at the end. I had a number of agent requests during the showcase, but in the end, I signed with my agent who was not participating in the showcase. We went on sub to editors in July of 2022 and received an offer three months later. To say my path wasn’t hard isn’t exactly true, because I went through hundreds of rejections across multiple books, and I know the disappointment of spending years working toward something only to be disappointed. But I also know that there were a lot of opportunities opened for me when I got to work with my amazing mentors and participate in the agent showcase. For most people, the path to publication is hard, and the work doesn’t stop once you have an offer in hand.
What is your current or latest read?
I’ve been really into wilderness horror lately, so the last two books I read were S.A. Harian’s Briardark and the sequel Waywarden. Before that, I read Jenny Kiefer’s This Wretched Valley. Amazing books if you’re into stories that make you question whether you should REALLY go into the woods, or just stay home where it’s safe.
Your book is a spooky adaptation of the Pied Piper. I confess to having always been a little creeped out by the original story. Have you considered adapting any other stories?
This is a great question! I have actually written a twisted adaptation of the myth of Persephone and Hades and have also dabbled with the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. I love taking something that’s familiar and twisting it in a way that’s unexpected, but also layering in those little hints that connect my story to the myth/story and seeing who picks up on them. The thing with adaptations is that you’re kind of free to interpret them how you want and if you do it badly, you can deny everything.
Music soothes the savage beast, and in your book, it seems to stir up trouble. Do you think most people turn to music in times of stress?
Oh, for sure. I know I do. In The Skeleton Flute, Sam discovers that music is the doorway to the “non-ordinary reality.” And while I’m not sure about that personally, I do think music is the doorway to the soul. Not just in times of stress, but in happy times too. A lot of my core memories have soundtracks behind them, if that makes sense. Music always helps me feel good, even when I’m feeling down. There’s just something about belting out the words to a powerful song when you’re all alone in the car that makes everything feel better in the moment.
Do you play an instrument? OR Do you have a favorite playlist you used for this book? If so, will you share it?
I don’t play an instrument. Well, I guess I should correct that. I played the violin for three awful years in elementary school and never got past the “sounds like a dying cat” stage. Music is not in my blood. But, I love listening to it and singing along (badly) to my favorite songs. While drafting, I listened to a lot of atmospheric instrumental music to get me in the mood, particularly the soundtracks to The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor – superbly creepy if you need some mood music
Do you have author friends and if so, how have they helped on your journey to getting published?
I have a couple groups of friends that I connected with over various points in my writing journey. The first was the MGNarwhals – formed via the MGHub on Twitter. We connected back in 2020 while we were all getting ready to submit to a mentorship program. We started a group chat and we’re still going strong after all these years, though we’ve changed platforms a couple times. I owe so much of who I am as a writer to these amazing friends. They’ve been the best support I could have asked for – from helping me brainstorm ideas and book titles, to helping me become better at critiquing, to doing beta reads for me and providing amazing, insightful feedback. I don’t know what I would have done without them! I’m also very close with the group of MG writers who went through the last class of PitchWars together. We still chat and critique and brainstorm new projects, and they’ve been so supportive. It’s been amazing seeing them get agents and book deals as well. It’s nice to have friends at all stages of the process to provide support, information, or a shoulder to lean/cry on. I always recommend to other writers to find their people. It’s one of the best things to come out of my writing journey.
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