Wood Island, a small, windswept landmass off the coast of New Hampshire, has long carried an air of mystery. Once home to a Coast Guard station and later abandoned, the island has developed a reputation for unexplained lights, distant voices, and stories circulating among local fishermen. Now, bestselling thriller author JD Barker is adding a new chapter to its history, using it as the setting for his upcoming novel, Something I Keep Upstairs, and an unconventional promotional contest.
Barker invites one winner and three guests to spend the night in the island’s only house, a historic structure with a documented past of eerie encounters. The contest, tied to the May 2025 release of his book, is an experiment in immersive storytelling. Barker tests the boundaries of audience engagement in publishing by bringing readers into the location that inspired his novel.
A Novel Strategy to Reader Engagement
At a time when digital interactions often supplant tangible experiences, JD Barker’s initiative stands out. He offers readers a chance to inhabit the setting that fuels his narrative, a solitary house on Wood Island, off the coast of New Hampshire. The contest winner and three companions will be ferried to the island at sunset, left to navigate the creaking floors and whispering walls until dawn.
Wood Island’s history is steeped in maritime lore. In 1908, the U.S. Life-Saving Service constructed a station to aid distressed vessels, a precursor to the modern Coast Guard. The station’s crew, known as “surfmen,” braved treacherous waters to rescue shipwrecked sailors. Over time, tales of unexplained phenomena, flickering lights, disembodied voices, and shadowy figures have become part of the island’s mystique.
Barker’s decision to use this locale is both strategic and evocative. He immerses readers in the novel’s environment and deepens their connection to the story. “I wanted to create something that makes the story feel real before people even turn the first page,” Barker explained. This method transcends traditional marketing, offering a visceral experience that resonates personally.
The Intersection of History and Horror
Wood Island’s past is not merely a backdrop but a character in its own right. The life-saving station, a Duluth-style structure designed by architect George R. Tolman, was built by the Sugden brothers of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It replaced an earlier station on Jerry’s Point in New Castle, requisitioned by the military. During World War II, the U.S. Navy utilized the island to protect submarine manufacturing at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from German U-boats patrolling the Atlantic coast.
After the war, the station fell into disuse, and by the early 1950s, it was abandoned. The ensuing decades saw the structure succumb to the elements, its once-sturdy frame weathered by time and neglect. In 1973, the Town of Kittery acquired the island with the stipulation that it be maintained for public recreation. However, limited resources led to further deterioration, and by 2009, demolition seemed imminent. A dedicated group of preservationists formed the Wood Island Life-Saving Station Association, embarking on a meticulous restoration to return the station to its former glory.Today, the station stands as proof of resilience, its restored facade a reminder of the island’s storied past. Yet, the tales of hauntings persist, adding an intangible allure to JD Barker’s contest. Participants are not merely stepping into a story but into a living history, where the echoes of the past intermingle with the present.
Social Media’s Role in Modern Storytelling
Much of the contest’s success will depend on how it spreads across social media. JD Barker’s challenge, “Would you spend the night in a haunted house on an isolated island?” has generated engagement on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram. The eerie premise invites discussion, speculation, and, most importantly, participation.
This type of marketing has been effective in other industries. Netflix, for example, has used real-world pop-up experiences to promote shows like Stranger Things, creating immersive attractions that fans eagerly document online. The music industry has followed suit, with artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé turning album releases into multimedia spectacles.
JD Barker’s contest is a test case for publishing, which has traditionally been slower to adopt experience-based marketing. If it succeeds, it may encourage more authors and publishers to rethink how they connect with readers.
The Line Between Fiction and Reality
While the contest is designed as a marketing initiative, it also highlights a broader shift in storytelling. Readers are increasingly seeking stories that do not just exist on the page but extend into real life.
The contest winners will not just be characters in JD Barker’s book, they will become part of its legacy. Whether they encounter anything unusual on Wood Island remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the experience will linger long after they leave.
Barker demonstrates how fiction can intersect with reality by grounding his novel in an actual location with an interactive twist. As audiences become more engaged with immersive experiences, the lines between storytelling and lived experience blur. Whether that makes stories more effective or simply more marketable is a question that authors and publishers will ask in the coming years.
Additional details on the contest can be found here.
