Picture a Southern storyteller who conjures ghosts and witches with a banjo’s twang—meet Erica Waters! This Nashville-based author has carved a niche in Young Adult fantasy and horror, blending eerie supernatural vibes with heartfelt human struggles. Her debut, Ghost Wood Song, hooked readers in 2020, and her Bram Stoker Award-winning The River Has Teeth cemented her as a rising star.
Waters’s stories pulse with Southern Gothic charm, weaving magic into contemporary settings. With a knack for crafting complex, queer characters and atmospheric worlds, she’s redefining YA literature. Ready to dive into her haunting tales? Let’s explore her journey!
The Making of Erica Waters
Born in the pine woods of rural Florida, Erica Waters grew up surrounded by the kind of haunting landscapes that inspire her novels. Her love for bluegrass and folk music, sparked after moving to Nashville, Tennessee, infuses her work with a lyrical quality. With a Master’s degree in English, Waters honed her craft as a university writing tutor, nurturing her passion for storytelling. Her debut novel emerged from this rich blend of Southern roots, musical inspiration, and a fascination with the supernatural.
Waters’s path to authorship wasn’t just academic—she’s a self-professed dog lover, sharing her home with two scruffy pups, Nutmeg and Luna. Her creative process often draws from Nashville’s nature parks, where she finds inspiration in native flora and eerie settings, shaping the vivid backdrops of her books.
Erica Waters’s Unforgettable Stories
Waters’s debut, Ghost Wood Song (2020), introduces Shady Grove, a teen who summons ghosts with her father’s haunted fiddle to solve a murder. This Southern Gothic tale, steeped in bluegrass and queer romance, blends mystery and magic with a haunting atmosphere. Critics praised its vivid prose and emotional depth, calling it a “captivating spell.”
In 2021, The River Has Teeth upped the ante, earning the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel. Set in a Tennessee nature park, it follows two girls—one seeking justice, the other hiding a monstrous secret—amid witches and river sirens. Its blend of horror, feminism, and sapphic romance tackles socioeconomic injustice with a thrilling edge. The Restless Dark (2022) dives into true-crime obsession, exploring survival and revenge in a cursed canyon, while All That Consumes Us (2023) delivers dark academia chills at a haunted college.
Waters’s style is unmistakable: lush, creepy, and deeply human. Her queer characters shine, navigating love triangles and trauma against supernatural backdrops. Drawing from folk horror and bluegrass traditions, she crafts worlds where magic feels as real as heartache, earning her a devoted following.
Why Erica Waters Matters
Erica Waters is more than a YA author—she’s a trailblazer for queer representation in fantasy and horror. Her stories give voice to marginalized teens, blending supernatural thrills with real-world issues like grief and injustice. By rooting her tales in Southern culture, she brings fresh perspectives to the genre, resonating with readers who crave authentic, diverse narratives.
Her Bram Stoker Award and critical acclaim signal her growing influence. As she continues to write, Waters is shaping the future of YA literature, proving that spooky stories can also be profoundly moving. Her work invites readers to confront darkness while celebrating resilience and love.
- Born: Rural Florida
- Key Works: Ghost Wood Song, The River Has Teeth, The Restless Dark, All That Consumes Us
- Awards: Bram Stoker Award (2021) for The River Has Teeth
- Fun Fact: She’s learning to play the banjo!
Snag Ghost Wood Song or The River Has Teeth and dive into Erica Waters’s spellbinding world of Southern Gothic horror! Her stories will haunt you—in the best way possible.