Rebekah Faubion is a queer author and screenwriter living in Los Angeles. She is the author of rom-coms The Lovers and The Sun and the Moon. She enjoys reading tarot, bingeing horror novels way past her bedtime, and thinking up places to bury the body—for the plot, of course. Her latest novel is the chilling young adult speculative thriller Lost Girls of Hollow Lake, and she recently talked about it with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.
What was your inspiration for Lost Girls of Hollow Lake?
Lost Girls of Hollow Lake is my ode to the 90s/2000s slasher movies that I grew up loving and still hold dear, combined with my fascination with forbidden, mysterious places we’re told never to visit, plus my absolute feral love of the show Yellowjackets. Each one of these inspirations adds context to the themes of girlhood, grief, trauma and isolation that I wanted to explore in the book.
Are Adalyn, Blake, Callie, Evie, Gaby, Megan, Sunny, Vivian, or any of the other characters in the novel inspired by or based on specific individuals?
Evie is definitely based on a version of myself as a teen. I was totally a "loner rebel without a clear cause" (as Evie is described in the book lol) who loved her dog more than anything. In some ways, I am still that girl all grown up, though my causes tend to be a bit more clearly defined in these times. The other Lost Girls are such a cool, fun, messy individuals, and I had a lot of fun coming up with the dynamics that would be the most interesting when they were lost on the island, and when they were being hunted down back at home. They feel like whole, real people to me, each one. But I didn’t have a single person who lent inspiration for any one of them!
You dedicated Lost Girls of Hollow Lake to your dog, Samson, and in your Acknowledgments, you explain how he influenced your novel. Can you tell us a bit about Samson and how he influenced the relationship between Evie and her dog Tiger?
Of course! I am the doggiest dog person, always finding the dog in the room, introducing myself to dogs on the street. Samson was my dog, like as close to a magical familiar as you can get in this real world. I loved him fiercely, and while we were together, he was the most loyal companion and friend who constantly reminded me I could be soft and squishy, and it was okay to need love. Evie and Tiger find each other when they both are in desperate need of someone to soften them and their experience in the world. They become each other’s faithful allies and friends through dedication and care. When Evie is lost, Tiger is the force of love drawing her back. I think this world is incredibly brutal, out to get us in a lot of ways, but the love of a dog is unconditional, and it is not based on us being perfect, which is such an unbelievable gift.
How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters or scenes that were lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?
I had a very strong idea of what this book was going to be before I wrote the first draft because I sold it on proposal, so I spent a lot of time crafting out the story synopsis and beats. But of course, there were still so many surprises as I got into it, especially with how scenes I planned actually showed up on the page. The biggest edit came with how much was revealed about the island in the final version. I realized during revision that I couldn’t explain the truth of the island because the experience the girls have while lost doesn’t provide them those answers. I had written an entire chapter from the perspective of the island that had to be cut. Tragic! But I really think it was the right move.
Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had an encounter with something paranormal?
I believe this existence is full of the unexplained, so I will never rule anything out. I have theories about what the phenomenon of ghosts really is, and I don’t know if I think it’s inherently a one-to-one soul trapped between life and death thing. Life and death is so complex! I’ve had A LOT of paranormal experiences in my life, and I’m quite psychically inclined (or just way too empathetic and good at pattern recognition), so I fully believe we can have those experiences and they are something real because what is real is determined largely by observation.
Are Hollow Lake and Dead Refuge Island inspired by or based on real locations?
The closest inspiration would be Crater Lake National Park, though there is no Dead Refuge Island there, and as far as I know, the Mad Woman doesn’t roam the waters seeking girls to steal away.
Your biography says that you currently live in Los Angeles. Do you have any favorite places? A hidden gem that someone visiting should not miss, but would only learn about from a resident?
Los Angeles is truly a living organism, constantly changing. I adore living here so much, and most of my life is lived in parts of this city that no tourist ever sees. Villas Tacos is amazing, though Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show shout-out to them may have fully taken them out of hidden gem status. There’s a cool bar in the Arts District called Death & Co. which feels like walking into another time. And every reader coming to L.A. should check out the incredible indie bookstores sprinkled around the city and visit the public library—I am obsessed with the beauty of the Central Library in Downtown!
Your biography also states that, in addition to writing novels, you also work as a screenwriter. Does your work as a screenwriter inform or influence your work as a novelist? Does your work as a novelist inform/influence your work as a screenwriter?
Absolutely! In all my writing, no matter the medium, I am very visual. So I am always thinking of how best to show the scene, which often means interrogating my way into scenes to get to the best possible setup. Screenwriting is economical and mathematical in a way that novels aren’t, and novels are internal in a way that a script can’t be. I find that strengthening those muscles alongside each other overall helps me as a storyteller.
In your Acknowledgements you state that the Horror genre is "your happy place." What are some of your favorite novels, films, and/or series? Who are your favorite authors and/or filmmakers?
One of my all-time favorite novels is The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. It broke me in a beautiful way, but it also taught me so much about how you can use structure to manipulate the reader. I am a huge Rachel Harrison fan, I love CJ Leede, Liz Kerin, Monika Kim, Carlyn Greenwald... look, I could go on and on. Movies and TV are a whole other beast for me. I would categorize myself as a movie fiend. Growing up, movies specifically were my escape from a lot of the horror of real life, and the dream of making movies remains a driver for me to this day. Some faves: OG Scream, though all of the movies up until this most recent one hold a place in my heart. But Scream is on the list as my number one most-watched movie, and a comfort watch for sure. Midsommar, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Nightmare on Elm Street, Carrie, The Haunting of Hill House & Bly Manor, Jennifer’s Body, Ready or Not... this could take a while.
Do you have a least favorite? (I realize that you may not want to address this one, and if that is the case, please don't. But I also realize it might be so bad that it could be fun to answer.
I have a beef with auteurs in general, so take from that what you will, but my most legendary one-sided nemesis is Quentin Tarantino (he has no idea I exist, of course). I despise his movies, and I know that is a deeply unpopular attitude to have as a film nerd.
What do you think it is about Horror that draws you, as an author and/or reader, to these types of stories?
Fear is something all human beings experience, but it lives in the parts of us that we often do not want to explore because they are so personal. There is something tender and true about allowing yourself to be vulnerable to your fear and let that vulnerability strengthen you.
If/when Lost Girls of Hollow Lake is adapted to a film or series, would you want to write the screenplay adapting the novel? Who would your dream cast be?
We are trying to get it turned into a TV series! I don’t want to jinx it by saying any names, but rest assured, I have dreams of this for sure.
What’s currently on your nightstand?
Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward—just released and just acquired! First Light—sequel to Night’s Edge! My Kindle with blurb books to read! A tiny ceramic skull, a lamp, jewelry I discarded before bed, and a glass of water from last night that I need to put in the dishwasher.
Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?
Stephen King, Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth—their YA phenomenons are what lead me to YA. All of my author friends because they teach me to be a better writer by writing amazing books.
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I was a weird kid. I loved to cry and was deeply dramatic. The first book I remember loving was Charlotte’s Web, and I just sobbed and sobbed, it was so cathartic. But I read Narnia, and To Kill a Mockingbird, and Little Women, and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and American Girl books, The Boxcar Children... I was all over the place, lol, and never wanted to pick favorites.
Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?
Lady Chatterley’s Lover when I was 15. But my mom was actually fairly chill about it, despite it having so much "content," because it was still classic lit.
Is there a book you've faked reading?
I’d never admit this in print!
Can you name a book you've bought for the cover?
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne has such a creepy cover, and I kept seeing it everywhere to the point that I HAD to buy it. But I ended up really enjoying the book, too, so it was a win. Well done, marketing.
Is there a book that changed your life?
The Hunger Games is the first book I read that made me believe I could write novels. The style it was written in was like nothing I’d personally read before, and her background in screenwriting spoke to me.
Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?
Ahh, if I had to choose, it would probably be The Last House on Needless Street, but that book is super dark and triggering, so I wouldn’t say "everyone" should read it.
Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater because of the reveal. Nothing quite hits like a 2010s YA fantasy.
What is the last piece of art (music, movies, TV, more traditional art forms) that you've experienced or that has impacted you?
Hamnet (the movie)!!! What a masterpiece, seriously, and Jessie Buckley is breathtaking. I sobbed my way through it, but it was so worth the headache and puffy eyes.
What is your idea of THE perfect day (where you could go anywhere/meet with anyone)?
Oh man, a day when I can get up at the time I want without an alarm, slowly drink coffee and contemplate, take a hike and spy some creatures and natural beauty, eat food I don’t have to cook that is delicious and satiating, write some words without any pressure, have a deep conversation with someone I love, and then watch TV in bed.
What is the question that you’re always hoping you’ll be asked, but never have been?
What makes you happy right now?
What is your answer?
This. Talking about books and movies and the art I made.
What are you working on now?
I am briefly on a break (after a marathon year of dual deadlining). I just finished copyedits to my adult horror debut What a Nightmare, which releases October 13, 2026, and am about to revise my 2027 young adult release, A Darkness Lives There. So I am savoring the moment in between. But I am always, always cooking up a new project and have a couple of secret things I’m super excited to start work on soon.
