What is the title of your latest release?
THE DROWNED SIREN
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A dark academia thriller on obsession, love, and violence.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
It’s set in St Andrews, a small town in Scotland where I go to university! As soon as I arrived to start my degree, I knew the mix of small-town intrigue and gothic setting (have you seen our castle?) would be perfect for a novel.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Not in a million years - as the only survivor of a mysterious accident, Eleanor isn’t someone you’d want to hang around.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Obsessive, delusional, and ambitious (do you see why I don’t want to hang out with her?)
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learnt a lot about pacing - THE DROWNED SIREN is structured through a series of jumps forwards and backwards in time, and keeping them all straight while keeping the tension building was a fun challenge that helped me work on keeping things structured.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I try and wait until I’m done, but sometimes the temptation is too much! I don’t always write in order though - I’ll jump forward and back to sections I think are interesting - which can mean I have to edit a bit more during the main drafting process.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I love cherry tomatoes. I’ve had to cut back because I was spending half my monthly food budget on them.
Describe your writing space/office!
I write anywhere: in my bed, at the library, on a sofa. Oddly enough, the one place I don’t really like to write is a desk - that’s much too formal!
Who is an author you admire?
I think Gregory Maguire is endlessly creative - I’d love to come up with the kind of stories he does.
Is there a book that changed your life?
THE ILLIAD. It inspired me to study Classics, which has been a subject that’s been enormously influential on both my writing and my course of life.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I first heard the offer was in the works on a walk down the street: I’m pretty sure I screamed. I definitely jumped. And then I sprinted all the way home to scream some more.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I do love psychological thrillers - that’s why I write them. I’m just finishing up my final university module, which is on crime fiction, so I’ve been reading a lot of that lately as well. I also like anything strange and avant-garde and would like to start reading more fantasy again.
What’s your favorite movie?
I hate picking favorites! The best film I’ve seen this year was Project Hail Mary though.
What is your favorite season?
Spring. Everything is so fresh and new - it’s the season of possibilities.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
It’s in the midst of January, so ideally something in the snow. I love skiing in all forms (downhill, backcountry, cross country), snowshoeing, or even just a snowy walk.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
One of my favorite podcasts ever is an NPR series called Hidden Brain on psychology: I always learn something new from it!
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I adore Thai food.
What do you do when you have free time?
I’m an avid member of my university’s triathlon team, so you can catch me swimming, biking, or running!
What can readers expect from you next?
Another thriller! I’d like to do a different setting than a campus novel though - something exotic and exciting!
Eleanor Sanders’ friends are dead. Everyone knows that. But the exact circumstances of their deaths… she’ll take that to the grave.
She was driven by success. Now, she’s driven by obsession.
After years of being viewed as plain and boring, university student Eleanor is thrilled when the beautiful Cheyenne notices her and starts showering her with attention. Soon, the lines between friendship and love become blurred, at least for Eleanor. Until she realises that Cheyenne’s love isn’t unconditional …
Years later, Eleanor’s life has changed completely. After moving to LA to pursue her dreams, she now lives mostly in isolation. Her days are spent locked up in her hotel suite, dreaming up revenge fantasies.
As her past and present collide, Eleanor is forced to ask the question she dreads most: what happens when your darkest fantasies become reality?
Thriller Psychological [ Datura Books, On Sale: May 17, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781917415187 / eISBN: 9781917415194 ]
Callisto Lodwick was born in New Jersey, then lived for many years in Switzerland and San Francisco, finally settling in England. She is currently studying English Literature and Classics at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She has been a finalist in Building U’s $1000 for 1000 Words, Peninsula Library Systems’ YANovCon and the Layla Beben Writing Contest.
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