This month’s Author Spotlight features H. D. Hunter!
H.D joins us to discuss A Lake With No Bottom, a poignant, timely, and utterly terrifying supernatural thriller perfect for fans of Internment, She Is a Haunting, and You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight.
What inspired you to write A Lake with No Bottom?
H.D Hunter: Lake Lanier is a legendary location for Georgians. The lore runs deep and everybody seems to be at most one degree of separation away from some spooky event on the lake. I wanted to tell a story that had a hyperlocal relevance, but with universal themes. I’m always writing to paint the South with dignity, to invite readers to see and love the real us—not a romanticized or caricature version.
What did your research process look like for telling this story? How did you get started?
H.D.: I love researching. It’s honestly my favorite part of the writing process. I get so excited about an idea or topic and spend months collecting information until my brain is full! ALNB was no different. First, I utilized resources from The Atlanta History Center to learn about the true story of what happened in Forsyth County, Georgia in 1912. Then, I read official military documents and local journalism about the establishment of Lake Lanier. Finally, I dove into podcasts, social media posts, blogs, and anything else that told stories about eerie occurrences on the lake. Finally, I actually visited the lake to take photos and do some sensory immersion. But I didn’t get on the water!
Why did you go the horror/supernatural route to talk about this forgotten history?
H.D.: I love using speculative fiction to imagine a better world for people who have been wronged; a world where we can all do a little better and pull a little closer to one another. If you can imagine anything, why not a miraculously earned happy ending for all? Some of the aspects of Lake Lanier’s history are truly horrific and I don’t think we should shy away from that. Through confronting horror with storytelling, we can face it and overcome it. My hope is always that these types of narratives give us more courage to overcome our real-world horrors.
What is something that challenged you when writing this story?
H.D.: So, this is the first book that I ever wrote without an outline! I had an idea of where I wanted to go, and over the course of a year and a half, I chipped away at it. I’m usually very organized and very scheduled with my projects, but I didn’t want to feel like I was rushing this one. Pacing wise, this story flows gently downstream instead of being a rushing rapid like some of my other work. So, the main challenge was just doing something new and stretching myself to write a different sort of book in a different sort of way.
Is there a message you hope young readers will take away from the book? I think there’s definitely a lesson in facing hard truths here.
H.D.: My main hope for readers is that they understand the courage it takes to stand up for what’s right. I hope they understand that our safety and freedom can only be achieved when we band together. I hope they walk away knowing that even if the worst thing has happened, it’s never too late to do your best to make it right.
Can you tell us about a librarian or educator that positively impacted you?
H.D.: My fourth grade teacher was named Ms. Green. We found each other online a few years ago. She was the first person to explain to me what it meant to be an author, and I fell in love with the idea immediately. I had many, many encouraging, empowering teachers over the years who complimented my work and told me to stick with writing. But, I always have a special shoutout for Ms. Green because I left fourth grade seeing myself as a writer. And I never looked back.
What are some stories/books you’ve read that helped shape your writing career? Feel free to share a couple that have impacted you!’
H.D.: The legacy of Zora Neale Hurston comes through heavy for me. Writing about the south. Writing about black life. My favorite author is P. Djeli Clark. In many ways, I’m aspiring to his level of blending with history, genre, and speculation. I feel similarly about Stephen Graham Jones. Growing up, I was a Goosebumps kids, so I always like to thank Mr. R.L. Stine for producing so many little horrors that never seemed to end or lose speed. I’ve always loved fairy tales and fables as well–the idea of a fantastical story with tenderness and a moral. I like to think I’m writing that in novel form for today’s readers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hugh “H. D.” Hunter is from Atlanta, Georgia. He’s the author of the Futureland series and Something Like Right, winner of the 2025 BCALA Children and Youth Literary Award for Debut. Hugh is committed to stories about Black kids and their many expansive worlds.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A Lake With No Bottom by H.D. Hunter
Ages 12-18
When Sidney Cromwell moves to rural Forsyth County, Georgia from the big city of Atlanta, all he wants is to fit in at his new high school. But when Sidney nearly drowns in Lake Lanier, an allegedly haunted lake that is the site of numerous inexplicable freak accidents and deaths, he becomes a social pariah as he starts to suffer terrifying visions from the past and hauntings by apparitions calling him to Lanier.
Sidney returns to the lake for answers, and he finds in its murky depths the spirits of former residents from Oscarville, the Black town that lies beneath the man-made lake. They enlist Sidney to remind Forsyth of its devastating history and push its citizens to make amends so that the souls in Oscarville can finally rest.
But Sidney soon learns that people will go to great lengths to avoid facing truths they’d rather not hear. The people of Forsyth County refuse to acknowledge the past, and as Oscarville’s populace starts to lose their patience, their rage and thirst for vengeance rise like a tidal wave.
Poignant, timely, and utterly terrifying, this gripping supernatural thriller is perfect for fans of Internment, She Is a Haunting, and You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight.
Praise for A Lake With No Bottom
“Hunter skillfully explores themes of memory, accountability, and the dangers of sanitized history… The novel’s blend of horror and history makes it a compelling, if at times heavy, read.” –School Library Journal
“A Lake with No Bottom dives into the real-world horrors of Lake Lanier, cleverly intertwining scares with mixed media and fantastical elements. An exciting read!” –Trang Thanh Tran, New York Times bestselling author of She Is a Haunting
“Eerie and haunting, A Lake with No Bottom will pull you under with its delightful spell.” –Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation
“A coming of age tale set in a town haunted by buried past. A Lake With No Bottom deftly weaves together hidden histories, a supernatural mystery, and one boy’s search for the truth. An imaginative, gripping, and enjoyable read!” –P. Djèlí Clark, author of Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold and Ring Shout
