Bethany Griffin has always admired Edgar Allan Poe's short stories. "The Masque of the Red Death," which this novel reimagines, is one of her favorites.

"I've always loved the amazing atmosphere Poe creates," she says. "But ‘The Masque of the Red Death' is one of his shortest stories. I wanted to know more. I wanted characters and their stories within the context of this devastating plague. And that's where this story originated." Bethany Griffin lives with her family in Kentucky.