By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org

West Michigan author Erin A. Craig has been making headlines with her macabre fairy tales – and her new release, The Thirteenth Child, is no different.

Released on Sept. 24, The Thirteenth Child was celebrated at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, with its New York Times bestselling author in attendance.

The dark and Grimm

Craig’s fourth foray into the fantasy realm is inspired by the Grimm brothers’ classic tale, Godfather Death – but with a twist.

“I like to take fairy tales and think of all the ways you can make it even darker than the Grimm brothers did,” said Craig. “[The Thirteenth Child] is no different. This is a retelling of Godfather Death, which is one of their classic top ten fairy tales.”

Though Craig typically enjoys more obscure tales, she confesses The Thirteenth Child is her favorite work to date.

“Usually I like the darker fairy tales that Disney hasn’t really touched on,” said Craig. “They were always the ones I was drawn to as a kid. There’s something fun about being scared.”

While Craig might fantasize about shadows and crave chills, the author exudes light – in more ways than one.

Clad from head to toe in sequins and sparkles for the book launch, the 6’1” author wields a quick wit, sparkling humor and easy smile that are in direct contrast to the dark tales she weaves.

180 rejections and a trademark twist

Before becoming a bestselling author, Craig lived out her love of dark fantasy on theatre stages.

After obtaining a B.F.A. in Theatre Production and Design from the University of Michigan, Craig worked as a stage manager for tragic operas. A ten-year tenure as Director of Production at Opera Memphis in Tennessee led Craig to her husband and, subsequently, the birth of their daughter. The family of three moved back to Michigan in 2020.

“After I had my daughter, I realized the opera stage manager lifestyle doesn’t compete with newborns.” Craig added with a laugh, “She didn’t really like the sopranos. Did not like them.”

Staying home with the newest family member, however, left Craig feeling a bit lost.

“My whole identity is what I’m doing,” says Craig. “If I’m not a stage manager, who am I? I wanted to show her that Mom can do all these things…and set a good example.”

Craig unearthed a novel she wrote in college and queried agents, hoping to receive a book deal.

“In my head, this [novel] is the best concept ever!” Craig paused. “I racked up about 180 rejections in six months. I realized this is not the book that’s going to do it.”

Craig decided to retell Annabel Lee, a favorite work of Edgar Allan Poe, with her trademark twist.

“I had the idea to add in The Twelve Dancing Princesses. That became House of Salt and Sorrows.”

After a pitch contest tweet ended with 80 agents asking Craig for the manuscript, she pitched it to ten – and received five offers before the week’s end.

Small Favors, a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, came next. House of Roots and Ruin, a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Bluebeard, followed.

A twist on the familiar

Craig’s inclination for retelling fairy tales is due to her time as an opera stage manager.

“There are many wonderful modern operas being created right now, but we go back to those classics for 200-300 years,” said Craig. “We want to hear that story told again in a different way and set in a different location. The wonder of taking something familiar and twisting it is always fun.”

The Thirteenth Child explores a unique view on death.

Hazel, the thirteenth child of a couple struggling to make ends meet, is given to Merrick, the god of death. Godfather Merrick gives Hazel the gift of healing and the ability to see the exact cure needed to treat the sick. However, Merrick’s gift comes with a price, and Hazel is also tasked with permanently ending the suffering of those Death claims.

Then Hazel faces a predicament that requires her to choose between her heart and the will of her godfather, sparking a philosophical twist.

Humanity, meet Death

That philosophical aspect was what caused Merrick to claim the title of Craig’s favorite character.

“It was really interesting to take death as a character because we have so many cultural representations of him,” said Craig. “The one thing that really drew me to this story wasn’t that [the parents] gave Hazel away to Death, it was that Death came to her. That Death wanted this child.”

Craig pondered what that meant for Death, and what that said about him as a person.

“It was such an eye-opening look into his backstory and his character. He wants this child, he wants someone to care for…he wants a human companion. He wants a legacy of sorts. It was a really fun exploration, and a different look at death.”

Creative and quirky rituals

When asked if she is ever not thinking of a storyline, Craig laughed and said she tries, but gets antsy. “I need something to get characters and banter out, or my head gets very cluttered.”

Craig keeps a strict writing routine, beginning at 5 a.m. every morning to hand draft her books.

“I really like when the house is dark and quiet. I’ve got this huge window, and when it’s dark outside, all I can concentrate on is the words. And my coffee – I have to have that.”

After taking her daughter to school, Craig types what she has written into the computer, using that process as a first edit. Afternoons are reserved for research.

Since Craig heavily outlines her novels, writer’s block is nonexistent. However, on days when she doesn’t feel like writing, Craig goes for a walk to stimulate creativity.

Craig chooses a particular song for each book she writes, listening to it at the beginning of each writing session to get her into the right headspace. A musical playlist is also assigned to each novel, and is retired after the book is finished.

Fun Facts about Erin A. Craig

Erin A. Craig…

• doodled words instead of pictures as a child
• carried a Thesaurus throughout childhood and experimented with new words in sentences
• owns a mint condition pink 1953 Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter that receives more tune-ups than her car does
• knew her husband was “the One” when he revealed he owned an Underwood typewriter
• collects typewriters: “We had 67 when we hit our peak. We pared it down to 23.”
• loves the horror novel, The Woman in Black by Susan Hills
• regrets listening to the audiobook, Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman, at night
• has watched The Others with Nicole Kidman 50 times – with the exception of one scene where she closes her eyes every time
• has a secret love of cheesy romance stories
• prefers sci-fi over paranormal
• hates fairies and substituted fairies in her upcoming adult debut novel (a retelling of Tam Lin) for vampires instead
• will not choose between scary stories and horror movies: “Both. That’s a mean question!”

What’s next?

Craig’s adult debut novel, A Land So Wide, will be released in 2025 by Pantheon Books. She is currently working on another adult novel inspired by Elton John’s final concert at Dodger Stadium that she dubs “the Elton John cult book.”

Craig is also drafting the third (yet unnamed) book in the Sisters of the Salt series.

Signed copies of Craig’s books can be ordered through Schuler Books in Grand Rapids.

To learn more about Erin A. Craig and her books, visit her website.