How I Created a Candle with Grady Hendrix
Let me be honest: if someone had told me years ago that I’d get to work side-by-side with my favorite horror author since Stephen King, I would’ve laughed & laughed. But that’s exactly what happened when I collaborated with Grady Hendrix on a candle inspired by his novel How to Sell a Haunted House.
For anyone who doesn’t already know, Grady Hendrix is a New York Times bestselling author, journalist, screenwriter, and all-around horror genius, the kind of writer whose work I devoured long before I ever dreamed of crafting scent narratives of my own.
Why This Collaboration Feels So Personal
Grady is one of those rare authors who blends heart, humor, and horror in a way that sticks with you. He’s written standout titles like Horrorstör, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, The Final Girl Support Group, and of course How to Sell a Haunted House all in his unique & unmistakable tone.
How to Sell a Haunted House isn’t just another haunted house story as Hendrix weaves real emotional tension, including family, grief, and memory, into a very creepy and super atmospheric narrative that sticks with you.
The Collaboration: Grady Involved in the Scent
This isn’t a situation where I designed the scent and label after being inspired by a work of horror, as is my usual fare. Grady Hendrix was actively involved in shaping the scent and the label design so the candle would feel like a true extension of his novel How to Sell a Haunted House.
I hadn't yet read the book when we collaborated and had to go on “haunted house notes” as well as some hints that I was given about the story. We talked a bit about how the climax featured a storm (no spoilers!) and how important it was to him to capture the scent of sea salt that is often a part of rainfall in the Carolinas. Grady didn’t just hand me a brief but instead he shared what the book's characters & location meant to the story, and we built the fragrance together from that foundation.
What You’ll Notice in the Candle
The goal was to reflect the texture of the story in scent and to follow the plot So when you light this candle, you might pick up:
- Subtle dusty warmth - this is the first layer, representing the beginning of the novel, like rooms that haven’t been opened in years
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Hints of sea salt and petrichor - this comes out at the midway point of the candle and towards the end of the book, the scent of a storm coming in off of the Carolina coast
These are the kinds of sensations that worked on an emotional level in the novel and they work beautifully as a burning scent, too.
Why This Matters to Me (and Maybe You Too)
I’ve been a Hendrix fan for years! Horrorstör was hilarious & terrifying, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires made me feel clautrophobic & melancholy in the best way, and How to Sell a Haunted House (when I finally got to read my copy!) was so atmospheric & perfectly captured grief in a horrific way. Have you read his Witchcraft for Wayward Girls yet? Sooo good!
Getting to collaborate with him feels like one of those full-circle moments where a horror fan becomes a horror collaborator & idol becomes a working partner. It was amazing and I can't thank Penguin Random House and Grady Hendrix enough for working with me.
If you love horror that sticks with you, and if you love experiences that go beyond the page, this candle (and all TSOF scents) are made with that spirit in mind.
