Interview with Donell Jackson, Author of Jeremy – NewInBooks

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to write a different kind of horror story. When people think of horror, they often imagine the same familiar formula—an evil ghost, a haunted house that randomly terrorizes people, and a story built mostly around jump scares or supernatural violence. I didn’t want Jeremy to be like every other horror story. Instead, I wanted the horror to come from something deeper and more unsettling: the idea that places can remember what happened inside them. The concept behind Jeremy: A Horrible Truth began with a simple but disturbing question: What if a house wasn’t just haunted… what if it was remembering something terrible that happened there? From that idea, Jeremy’s story started to take shape. Jeremy himself isn’t meant to be a typical villain or monster. He represents something more tragic and complex. His presence is tied to the pain and injustice he experienced while he was alive. The house becomes a kind of witness to that trauma, holding onto it and eventually forcing the truth to surface. So instead of the haunting being random or malicious, it becomes something almost purposeful.

The house reacts to fear, reflects it, and slowly reveals what was buried in its past. The horror grows not just from supernatural events, but from the realization that something terrible happened to a child, and the world chose not to see it. That was the emotional core of the story for me. I wanted readers to feel unsettled, but also reflective. The real horror in Jeremy: A Horrible Truth isn’t just the ghost or the house—it’s the idea that suffering can go unnoticed, that terrible things can happen behind closed doors, and that sometimes the truth has a way of forcing itself back into the light. In that way, Jeremy: A Horrible Truth isn’t just a horror story. It’s also about memory, justice, and what happens when the past refuses to stay buried.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?

If I had to pick a theme song for the main character, I’d probably go with “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy is my favorite genre to write. Building worlds is something like no other.

It really opens the door for creativity and leaves the door open for the reader to walk into a world or story like no other.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Don’t have any at the moment.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

One of my favorite scenes in the book is the moment when Jeremy truly shows Mark and Elena that he means business. Up until that point, the strange things happening in the house could almost be explained away—unsettling noises, objects moving, the feeling of being watched. There’s tension, but there’s still that small part of them that hopes it’s just their imagination. Then Jeremy removes all doubt. That scene is important because it marks the turning point where the haunting stops feeling mysterious and starts feeling intentional. The house isn’t just reacting randomly anymore—it’s sending a message. Jeremy forces Mark and Elena to confront the reality that something powerful is inside the house, something that understands fear and knows how to use it. What makes that moment so powerful to me is that it changes the entire tone of the story.

Mark and Elena realize that they aren’t just dealing with a ghost or a strange house. They’re dealing with a presence that has purpose, one that wants them to see the truth about what happened there. From that point on, the story shifts. The house isn’t just haunted—it’s revealing something. Jeremy isn’t just lingering in the shadows anymore. He’s making it clear that the past is not going to stay buried. For me as a writer, that was the moment when the story truly came alive, because it’s the scene where the reader understands that Jeremy isn’t just part of the house… he’s in control of what it remembers.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

One writing habit that really helps me stay creative is listening to music while I write, especially R&B or jazz. There’s something about those genres that helps open up my mind and puts me in the right space creatively. The rhythm, the emotion, and the atmosphere of the music allow me to relax and let my imagination flow more freely. When I’m writing, I try to create an environment where my mind can fully focus on the story and the characters. R&B and jazz have a smooth, almost cinematic quality that helps me visualize scenes and feel the emotions I want to bring onto the page. Sometimes the music even helps set the tone for certain moments in the story, whether it’s something intense, emotional, or suspenseful. For me, writing isn’t just about putting words down—it’s about getting into the right mindset. Music helps me reach that place where ideas start flowing naturally, and the story begins to unfold in a way that feels real and alive.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

“The best stories don’t just live in imagination—they come from the truths we refuse to ignore.” — Donell Jackson

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

One thing I hope readers take away from *Jeremy: A Horrible Truth* is the importance of paying attention to the things people try to ignore. At its core, the story isn’t just about a haunted house or a supernatural presence—it’s about what happens when pain and injustice are overlooked for too long. Jeremy represents the voices that were never heard and the truths that were buried instead of being confronted. The haunting in the story is really a reminder that the past doesn’t simply disappear.

When something terrible happens, and no one speaks up about it, that silence can have lasting consequences. If readers walk away from the book thinking a little more deeply about empathy, awareness, and the importance of acknowledging difficult truths, then the story has done its job. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply choose to see what others might try to hide.