John Mantooth walks a haunted path with “Holy Ghost Road”

From the opening pages of John Mantooth’s newest horror tale, “Holy Ghost Road,” we’re plunged into the thick of the action. The story is seen through the eyes of Forest, a 15-year-old who’s just witnessed Pastor Nesmith forging a pact with a demon. She’s on the run to find her grandmother, the only person who can make sense of what’s happening and maybe, maybe put a stop to it.

Unfortunately, Granny is 40 miles away, and Forest is on her own with no car, no phone, and an entire congregation on her trail. To reach Granny, Forest will have to learn to see the world true, even as the demonic and the sacred wage war for her soul.

This book has been a great read, and so I’m very excited to talk all things scary with the author. John and I talk about the choice to make this a first-person viewpoint and how that influences the story. He shares some of the real-life influences and their role in the book.

John’s also a crime writer, having written three novels under the pseudonym Hank Early, and he talks about how the two styles cross over and which of the two genres is his favorite. We also go into his recent time with Cemetery Dance Publications—through which this book was released.