An Interview with Kayra Lilith Öztop

I’m Kayra Lilith Oz, a teen author who published my first book at the age of thirteen. Mythology and horror are my biggest inspirations, and as I approach my sixteenth birthday, I continue writing, hoping that my stories will reach and resonate with more people.

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Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

For 32 Hours in Queverland, my third published book, I wanted to create something that gives readers the same thrill I get from playing horror games lately. It’s the first time I’ve leaned this heavily into horror, and I absolutely loved writing it.

I’ve never had the best relationship with aquaparks since I was little, so I thought: Why not mix that fear with the excitement of a horror setting and build a whole new universe out of it? I hope readers will have as much fun exploring it as I did writing it.

(And honestly…I’m not a brave person at all. When I was younger, after playing horror games with my friends in the basement, I couldn’t sleep for nights. So yes, maybe I wrote a slightly traumatic story to share that experience with you too. Kidding. Or am I? Well…you’ll have to read it to find out.)

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I haven’t worked in any other profession yet since I’m still a student, but when I was a kid, I really wanted to become a psychologist. I grew up reading psychology books, trying to understand how the mind works. Now, I use what I’ve learned to make my characters’ emotional worlds more realistic and layered.

Something readers might not know about me is that this fascination with psychology still drives my writing. Even in my darkest stories, the horror isn’t just in the monsters, it’s born from the characters’ own inner worlds.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Most of the time, the first thing I find is actually the title. The only book I ever started without a title was Death Ceremony, and even then, I came up with the name halfway through writing. Usually, a title just pops into my mind, I write it down somewhere, and later I see if any of my ideas match that title.

For 32 Hours in Queverland, the very first thing I had was the title.

Why 32? Why is the aquapark called Queverland? I honestly have no idea. And if you’re wondering, no, I’ve never been trapped in an aquapark for thirty-two hours straight. But once you read the book, you might feel like you have.

What part of publishing your book made it feel real for the first time?

I think the first time it felt real was when I wrote a character so cruel that I actually felt the need to apologize to them. That was the moment I realized, ‘Wow, these people only exist in my head, but they still matter to me.’

And of course, when my first book was printed. I was on vacation when the author copies arrived, and I opened the package with a pink pen in my hand, ready to sign it. I’ll never forget that excitement. Holding my own book for the first time made everything real.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

If 32 Hours in Queverland had a soundtrack (and trust me, I love making playlists for my books), it would definitely include Bunny, Bunny, Bunny by The Golden Orchestra, and Swimming Pool by Marie Madeleine. Both songs capture that mix of fun, fear, and are somehow disturbing.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

Of course, I hope they’ll be excited for the sequel – but more than that, I want them to walk away thinking about Pierro’s different versions of himself. How good and evil can live inside the same body and the same mind without destroying each other…until a single trigger decides which one takes control.

I want readers to realize that obsession isn’t a side effect – sometimes, obsession is the entire effect. And even when they go to sleep at night and lay their heads on the pillow, I hope the tension between good and evil stays with them, pushing them to question what side truly rules within all of us.

(And well, I can’t wait to see the discussions about whether Pierro is good or evil – I’m excited to watch readers pick sides. And since Pierro is very…charming, I guess my side is obvious. Also, I change my mind super fast, so…don’t get too comfortable.)

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

For sure the feedback. Hearing how readers react, which moments make their hearts race, and which scenes stay with them long after they close the book is the most exciting part of publishing for me. Knowing that my words can get under someone’s skin, even just a little, means everything. And sometimes when I hear ‘I couldn’t sleep after that chapter,’ I know I succeeded.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

Right now, I’m working on a new standalone book called Joe 16. It’s a very personal and meaningful project for me, so I can’t wait to share it with readers once it’s finished. The first chapter is already available in both Turkish and English on my Substack page – if anyone is curious, they can take a look there while I keep writing the rest!

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