Lindy Ryan is the author of the new novel Another Fine Mess, which is a sequel to her novel Bless Your Heart. She is a professor at Rutgers University.
Q: Why did you decide to write a sequel to your novel Bless Your Heart, and what inspired the plot of Another Fine Mess?
A: Bless Your Heart is the series start for these four generations of Southern monster slayers, with Another Fine Mess picking up right where the first book leaves off: the first full moon after the events that took place on the Evans Funeral Parlor lawn.
The plot of the second book was inspired by the simple thought: what fresh hell comes next as these women, this family, continue to keep watch over the restless dead in their small, Southern town. ;)
Q: How did you create your characters Lenore and Luna, and how would you describe their relationship?
A: Each of the Evans women are inspired by the women in my family—Lenore being based on my grandmother, and Luna a version of my teenage self.
The relationship between these two characters is much like my own with my grandmother: close, but chilled. Like Lenore and Luna, it took the two of us a long time to find one another, but eventually—and to our great surprise—we did.
My grandmothers are all gone now, but we were extremely close, and it’s a joy to have them back with me, even if it’s only on the page.
Q: The writer Katrina Monroe said of the book, “Balancing grief and duty, monsters and men, the Evans women are characters to sink your teeth into.” What do you think of that description?
A: Katrina is such a lovely writer (and wonderful person), and I love her blurb for Another Fine Mess because she really honed in on the polarity of the Evans women’s legacy. There is great horror here, as well as a lot of heart (and humor). There is dignity but obligation, beauty and burden—and I think her description captures that.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: I think every project comes with its own surprises along the way (especially as the characters begin to take over their own plotlines!), but the Evans women have been living in my head and heart for a very long time, and feel like their store lives, unchanging, in my bones.
Q: What are you working on now? Will you continue writing about the Evans family?
A: I’ve just finished putting the final touches on my upcoming standalone suburban slasher, Dollface, due out from Minotaur Books in February 2026 (and from Solaris Books, in the UK, in summer 2026)—and definitely look forward to diving back into the Evans world very soon!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I love to connect with readers, librarians, and booksellers online on IG @lindyryanwrites, and via my Substack, at https://lindyryanwrites.substack.com/.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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