Lowcountry novelist Lorna Hollifield crafts an atmosphere of elevated suspense, richly textured characters, and the soulful pull of Southern storytelling.
By Jenna Lachenman, Photos by Cristi Marshall
Hollifield has always known she was a writer. Before she could even form letters on a page, she scribbled with a pen and paper, lost in stories only she could see. Growing up in the mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina, she spent her days absorbing the world around her, learning not just from school but from the storytelling influence of her grandmother.
“My grandmother taught me all day long,” Hollifield recalls. “She read to me often, and we watched soap operas together. I think that storytelling was always a part of my DNA because of her.”
Her love for literature and stories never wavered. Even as a self-described “bookish cheerleader” in high school, she knew there was only one path for her. A teacher once wrote in her report card, I think Lorna is an author. That declaration became a prophecy.
However, the journey to becoming a published novelist was anything but easy. Hollifield attended UNC Asheville, where she eagerly consumed literature courses but ultimately left before finishing her degree. “I was a proud college dropout,” she laughs. “I just couldn’t bring myself to finish the math. And in the back of my mind, I didn’t want a ‘Plan B.’ I wanted to write.”
And write she did. It took ten years to land her first book deal, with Tobacco Sun serving as her breakout novel. The road to publication was filled with rejection, multiple agents, and setbacks, but she never let them stop her. “When you’re a writer, those things don’t stop you,” she says. “I will write books until the day I die.”
While her roots are in the Appalachian Mountains, Hollifield always felt an inexplicable pull toward the South Carolina Lowcountry. When her husband’s job brought them to Summerville, it didn’t take long for her to know she had found her forever home.
“Summerville grabbed my soul,” she says. “It’s authentic, it’s not planned, and it has a rough edge to it. I really feel like the Lowcountry is my place in the world.”
It’s more than just a place to live; it’s the backdrop for her stories. The South, its culture, its landscape, its deep sense of history, weaves itself into every book she writes. “Climate is everything,” she muses. “I really believe that.”
Reading Hollifield’s work, you’re immediately drawn in by her characters, each one a testament to her gift for crafting intricate inner worlds that are just as compelling as the stories they inhabit. Hollifield’s writing process is deeply character-driven. “I see characters first,” she explains. “They show up, and they start talking. Then the plot comes.”
Her first novel, Tobacco Sun, was born from a character named Jimmi-Lynn who simply appeared in her mind. Music often inspires her writing as well, triggering new ideas and emotions that fuel her storytelling. “I love to write to music. It stirs something up for me,” she says.
Unlike many writers who dabble in short fiction, Hollifield has never written a short story. “I see the long haul or I see nothing,” she admits. Her stories demand space to unfold, developing into layered, suspenseful narratives that explore family ties, personal struggles, and the complexity of the human spirit.
Her latest book introduces Eliane Pangolin, a 27-year-old struggling writer and wannabe dancer fighting an uphill battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a character who, for the first time, carries pieces of Hollifield herself. “She’s far more troubled and has led a more chaotic life than I have, but there’s an affinity there. I think that character was me working things out in a very exaggerated manner.” I thought, What are the things I’ve been scared to write about? That became the heart of the book.”
Hollifield’s novels blend elevated suspense with elements of family sagas, all set against the Southern landscape. Her latest book, coming out this spring, is no exception. “It’s a coming-of-age story with a huge suspense element – a stalker being stalked,” she teases. “There’s an absurdity about it, capturing the chaos of early adulthood, which, to me, is one of the most turbulent times of life.”
The Lowcountry writing community has embraced her, and she is passionate about giving back. “It’s important to support other writers,” she says. “Lowcountry authors are very supportive of each other. We help each other.”
Hollifield doesn’t separate her writing life from the rest of her world. “Every part of my life is integrated. I don’t compartmentalize,” she says.
Her writing schedule is fluid. She writes mostly at night or whenever inspiration strikes, but she’s disciplined. “I don’t procrastinate,” she insists.
As for her literary influences, Hollifield counts Taylor Jenkins Reid, Stacy Willingham, Mary Alice Monroe, and Patti Callahan Henry among her contemporary favorites. But her all-time love belongs to F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. The book that first made her want to write? Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. “I read it in the fifth grade, and I remember thinking, She understands what makes people tick. I want to do that.”
With a new book on the horizon, Hollifield is eager to connect with readers. “Follow me on social media,” she encourages. “Reach out and say hi—I’ll say hi back.”
For Hollifield, writing isn’t just a career; it’s part of her very being. “Writing is one of my appendages,” she says. And as she celebrates the launch of her next novel, she knows there’s no place she’d rather be than in the heart of Summerville. “I found myself here. I found my tribe. And this is where I’ll stay. Climate is everything.” AM
Connect with Lorna on Instagram @lornahollifield
