The House that Adelia Built by Mya O´Malley

It all started with a woman and a lighthouse. THE HOUSE THAT ADELIA BUILT spins a tale full of love, lies, and betrayal at the hands of a man Adelia calls Augustus—her own husband.

In the late 1800s, Augustus finds a job as lighthouse keeper on a beautiful but isolated island. He can’t wait to bring his new bride home to the lighthouse, set on majestic bluffs, which have laid claim to many shipwrecks.

Augustus soon suffers from the effects of self-induced isolation, as Adelia watches her husband’s gradual decline into madness.

Meet Hope, a modern-day quiet, quirky young woman with a case of agoraphobia—or so it would seem. She feels an inexplicable pull toward the lighthouse and the bluffs beyond. Hope struggles with her internal battle and seeks to find the truth about her unsettling recurring nightmares. Maybe then she can discover why she has always felt so alone and unusual.

The Big Thrill sat down with Mya O´Malley to discuss her novel, THE HOUSE THAT ADELIA BUILT:

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

The conclusion that Adelia’s tale, as horrifying and gut-wrenching as it was, is a story that deserves and needs to be told. Closure comes at a price, but in the end, there’s no other way.

How does this book make a contribution to the genre?

A mixture of mystery, thrills, horror, and romance spiraling to a descent of madness and beauty contributes to this genre.

Was there anything new you discovered, or that surprised you, as you wrote this book?

That characters can sometimes take a switch on you, right before your eyes and surprise even the writer.

No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?

That sometimes a descent to madness is the only way to gain closure, and therefore provide the peace and beauty a character deserves.

What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?

Stephen King, James Patterson, and Nicholas Sparks.

All have influenced me because of the fact that they’re so skilled at creating masterpieces within their respective genres of horror, mysteries/thrillers and romance. I enjoyed weaving a delicate mixture of all the elements within my novel, THE HOUSE THAT ADELIA BUILT.

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Mya O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter and step-daughters. The family also consists of two boxers, Destiny and Dolce. and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students.
Mya’s passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since she was a child. Mya spends her free time reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and loves to create stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to travel; she has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Costa Rica. Mya is currently working on her eleventh novel.

To learn more about Mya, please visit her website.