Sarah Jules is an indie horror author from Yorkshire, best known for the supernatural horror duology You Invited It In and You Need to Leave, alongside the slasher novel Don't Lie and her debut, Found You. A freelance writer and editor by trade, Jules brings a plan-every-chapter precision to her scares. In this interview, she talks about the fraudulent-psychic idea that started it all, her love of true crime and slasher movies, and why she's doomed to be a planner for life. Whether you're a longtime reader or just discovering her work, Sarah's answers offer a glimpse into the mind behind some of indie horror's most addictive fiction.
What's a typical weekend like for you when you're not writing?
That's a tricky one because I feel like I'm never not writing! I'm a freelance writer/editor and have been for almost eight years now, so I usually try to organise my days off around my partner's days off (and he works shifts). Therefore, pedantically, it's rare that my 'weekend off' is actually over a weekend. On days off, I love to have a slow morning – read my book, have a cup of coffee. One of my favourite things to do is get out and about and explore local towns, villages, cities, especially their charity shops: books, clothes, trinkets, yarn (I recently got into crochet, and I'm living my best grandma life!). Days off also include spending time with family and friends, just hanging out or going for lunch dates. I'm a homebird at heart, so an evening in front of the TV watching a documentary or comfort programme is the perfect way to round out a day off. I feel like I need to postface this by saying I am only thirty one – I just like the slow life!
What book (by another author) has stayed with you the longest, and why do you think it stuck?
I can't imagine a world in which I don't say 'A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. While not 'horror', this book is absolutely heart-breakingly terrifying. It follows a group of friends as they try to navigate life. The story orbits around a character called Jude, and slowly begins to peel away the secrets and traumas of his past. This book caused me to spiral. It filled me with existential dread. And, while I've only managed to read it once, it's the book that will stay with me forever. I'm always recommending it (but with an asterisk for trigger warnings because, my god, is it dark). It's beautifully crafted, beautifully written, and reminds us what it means to be human.
What's a comfort TV show or film you always find yourself returning to?
Oh my god, I have so many TV shows! I'm one of those people who prefers to rewatch the same programmes a thousand times instead of starting something new. I'm currently re-watching The Middle, The Office (US), and Modern Family. But other favourites include Superstore, The Inbetweeners (UK), Derry Girls, Brooklyn 99, and Motherland. I love comedies. If I'm in the mood for something a little darker, I'll rewatch Skins or Shameless (UK – I'm sorry, it's better!). I grew up begging my mum to let me stay up late on school nights to watch these two. In my eyes, they're just perfection.
It's actually fairly rare that I'll decide to sit down and watch a full film at home – my attention span just isn't there – but if I was going to, it'd probably be something starring Melissa McCarthy. I LOVE her!
What attracts you to the horror genre?
I'll be honest, I found this really hard to answer because I genuinely have no idea.
I was the kid at sleepovers who begged to watch horror movies and then spent the rest of the night not daring to go to the bathroom by myself. I was the first person to suggest haunted houses and ghost trains, and then spent the whole experience freaking out. As I got older, the 'scares' became less scary but I still loved anything horror-adjacent. Everything from slasher movies to true crime podcasts, I devour. I'm the person who's always asking 'why', likely to the annoyance of those around me. There's something so interesting about exploring human behaviour and why we do what we do. Why, when we think there's a killer in the house do we run to the cellar? Why does a person who, on the outside, has the perfect life, the perfect home, the perfect family, SNAP and kill them all? To me, horror is all about the 'why'. It's about the choices we make, and the sliding door moments, and what should have been. It explores both the best and worst of humanity.
When did you start writing, and when did you first publish?
I came to writing in a roundabout way. It's a long story, and I won't bore you with the gory details. It starts with me being a primary school teacher, having a breakdown for a number of reasons, and needing to find a job that didn't leave me on the brink of burnout. When I left teaching, my partner suggested I tried freelancing – editing/writing, that kind of thing. It was one way to try and put the degrees I'd spent years working towards (and paying for!) to use. I signed up for a bunch of different platforms and started proofreading for people and writing blog posts. One day, a lovely gentleman reached out and asked if I'd be interested in ghostwriting his memoirs. I spent a couple of years ghostwriting for other people before I put pen to paper for myself. I self-published my first novel, FOUND YOU, in October 2022. I winged the whole thing, and I'm pretty sure only friends and family read it for the first year or so, but I'm proud of that book. Would I change some things now? Sure! But who wouldn't?
What music are you into? Any particular artists or bands?
I love music. I have music on constantly at home. I'm probably what you'd describe as an 'elder emo'. I listen across most genres but, at the minute, I'm loving the softer pop punk/punk rock stuff: The Menzingers, The Airborne Toxic Event (who I've only just discovered and I'm obsessed with), Hinder, Theory of a Deadman, that kind of thing. A couple of artists that I love (and have loved for years), that don't really fall into the 'emo' category, are Matt Nathanson and NEEDTOBREATHE. I'm also super into musicals – so the Hamilton, Heathers, and The Book of Mormon soundtracks are staples in our house.
Read the rest of the interview
Do you have any pets?
In May of last year, we lost our dog Buster. He was a rescue and we'd had him for almost seven years. He was/is our soul dog. We still talk about him every single day, and our house has turned into a bit of a shrine to him (which he'd have loved). We talk about getting another dog, but neither of us is ready for that yet – but we're very much dog people! Buster was absolutely insane, goofy, just plain weird, so we have plenty of stories to tell!
We donate to our local dog shelter in Buster's name, and plan to start helping out dog walking for them this year. This is our way of helping rescue dogs, until we're ready to take another into our home.
Where do your story ideas usually come from? Can you give a couple of examples of where the ideas for certain works came from?
That's another hard one! I think story ideas come from everywhere. I'm always writing things into my notes app when we're out and about. Often, the finished story looks absolutely nothing like the original idea. The idea for YOU INVITED IT IN started when I saw something on social media about a psychic helping out in a murder investigation. I'd describe myself as 'open but sceptical' to the idea that psychics are real, but I really wanted to explore a worst case scenario involving a fraudulent psychic. From there, Lilith Lavelle and the Eastwood family were born. Another example, my idea for THE THINGS IN THE WOODS (the second TINY TERRIBLE TALE) came from my real-life experience of watching a loved one die from dementia. I spent a lot of time in a nursing home by my Nannan June's side watching her lose herself, and writing this short story was a really cathartic way for me to process that experience.
What does a typical writing day look like for you?
I procrastinate as long as possible, and then I procrastinate a bit more. I hardly ever sit and write at my desk because I associate that with 'work', so I'll be huddled under blankets somewhere else in the house, usually the conservatory. I'll have at least two different drinks: a coffee, a water, and probably something fizzy too. I'll then alternate between writing and doom-scrolling on social media. I'm far, far more productive if I go and work from a coffee shop but my bank balance would not thank me if I did as often as I wanted to.
What's your absolute favourite meal?
Stone baked margherita pizza. The ones you get from the restaurants that are super thin and crispy on the bottom. I could live on pizza! For dessert, some kind of chocolate or hazelnut ice cream. I'm a simple gal!
Are you more of a planner, or a 'see where it goes' kind of writer?
I'm a planner. I'm a plan each chapter out in detail before I even start writing, kind of planner. If I don't, I'll never finish the manuscript. I have a graveyard full of half-written manuscripts that died before I figured this out about myself. I have post it notes, whiteboards, documents full of research… I WISH I was one of those writers who could just sit down and 'see how it goes'. But, sadly, no. I'm doomed to this way of writing.
For readers discovering your work for the first time, which book would you recommend starting with?
The book that readers seem most drawn to is YOU INVITED IT IN, which is the first book in a duology of the same name. It follows the Eastwood family as they deal with the aftermath of inviting a fraudulent psychic into their home. YOU INVITED IT IN includes my favourite character I've ever written, Specs – the rescue staffy. I promise readers faithfully that all dogs will be safe in my books.
Explore Sarah Jules's Books
By purchasing through the links below, this website may earn a small commission...
