Do you love escape rooms? I’ve only done one, and I thoroughly enjoyed that experience. But I haven’t talked my husband into doing another one yet. Today, Gina Holder is chatting about real life escape rooms, books about escape rooms, and more. I think you’re going to want to dive into this fun series!
Gina, I know you were drawn to writing stories from an early age. What made you choose to focus on mysteries and suspense?
I never set out to write mysteries and romantic suspense. I always thought I would write historical romance or women’s fiction. My debut novel is even a historical one. The shift happened when I wrote my second novel, No Greater Love. The hero is a police officer, so I decided he should try to solve some crimes in the book. And then, someone started threatening the mayor … and the rest is history, as they say. I love the twists, the unexpected turns, the clues, red herrings … creating a story that keeps readers guessing makes me happy.
In your new book, you’ve written about two characters who basically end up in an escape room that could kill them if they don’t figure it out. What inspired this idea?
The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. My husband had read an article about it, and I immediately thought, “I’m going to use that in a book.” It’s this sprawling Victorian mansion built by Sarah Winchester, the widow of the man behind the Winchester rifle fortune. After her husband’s death, she became convinced she was being haunted by the spirits of those killed by the rifle—and that the only way to keep them at bay was to keep building.
So… she did. For nearly forty years.
The result is a house that feels like a real-life puzzle—staircases that lead to nowhere, doors that open into walls, windows in the floor, and hallways that twist and turn with no obvious logic. It’s chaotic, eerie, and strangely fascinating.
What is one of the most interesting things you’ve learned while researching for your novels?
The Voynich Manuscript. It’s this mysterious, centuries-old book written in a language no one has ever deciphered. Cryptographers, linguists—even code breakers from World War II—have tried to crack it, and no one can agree on whether it’s a real coded text, a lost language, or an elaborate hoax. What makes it even more intriguing are the illustrations—strange plants that don’t exist, astronomical diagrams, and pages filled with what look like recipes or scientific notes. It feels like it should make sense, but it doesn’t.
Can you give us a sneak peek of what’s coming next?
I’m currently writing book 3 of The Game Masters series, The Missing Piece. When Ginny Clarke’s best friend disappears under suspicious circumstances, she refuses to believe it’s coincidence. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes she’s stepped into something far bigger—and far more dangerous—than she ever imagined.
As cryptic clues begin to surface, Ginny and Detective Freddie Hood find themselves racing to make sense of a pattern no one else seems to see. But in a game where every move is calculated and every message means something, missing even one piece could prove deadly.
It’s a story about loyalty, truth, and the risks we take when we refuse to look away—where nothing is as simple as it seems, and every answer comes at a cost.
I know your earlier books were indie and you’ve recently switched to being published by Scrivenings Press. What inspired that change?
I entered my manuscript, “The Puzzle Within,” to Scrivenings Press’s “GetPubbed” writing contest, and it won the grand prize — a publishing contract!
Nice! Last but not least, what is one random fact about yourself that very few people already know?
I love animals that look like they’re wearing a mask– red pandas, sloths, pandas, raccoons … these are my favorites. Hmm, makes you wonder …
Liam Shepherd, a missionary with a passion for puzzles, is desperate to find his missing sister. His investigation brings him to Silver Falls, where his path collides with Demi’s in ways neither of them expects.
Drawn into a deadly escape game designed by a brilliant and vengeful mind, Demi and Liam must unravel twisted riddles and confront buried secrets before time runs out. Losing could cost them everything. Their faith and each other may be their only means of escape.