Welcome to FIVE QUESTIONS. In this feature on my blog, you'll learn about new and exciting books from the author's themselves. You'll hear about the book, their characters, the inspiration behind the book, and other insider details. All through five simple questions.
What is your new book about?
In GHOST TAMER, aspiring-comedian Raely is the sole survivor of a disastrous train wreck. While faced with the intense grief of losing her best friend, she realizes someone is following her—and has been following her all her life. Unfortunately, no one else can see him, but Casper's not so bad. He might even be the partner Raely needs to fight the evil spirit hell-bent on destroying her. Raely and Casper must learn why this demonic spirit is haunting her and how she can stop him before he destroys her life—and her soul. Which, much to her chagrin, means she needs the help of a psychic (although she's sure they're all charlatans) and must rid herself of the pesky ghost hunter who's interested in exploiting her new abilities.
What was the inspiration behind the book?
I had a nightmare that I was riding the El in Chicago with a friend of mine after an Improv class and the train flew off the rails. At the time, I'd been living in Nashville for two years, was kind of in a creative depression and had nothing else to write about. So I wrote the nightmare. Then decided to add a ghost. Or two. Or three...
What was the hardest scene to write?
I think there are two different kinds of hard, at least for this book. Whenever I had to look at the funeral scene; when I first wrote it, when I did edits, proofreading, any time I looked at it, I cried. The most difficult scene to get on paper was one near the end when Raely visits Bill Cole. I don't know why, but every word was like pulling teeth. When I showed it to my writers group the next day, I was like "fix it," and I was shocked when they said, "this scene is amazing, no notes." Funny enough, neither of those scenes changed much from when they were first put down on paper.
Which is your favorite minor character and why?
James the lawyer. He was easy to write and he's easy to read. Betas liked him too. He did everything he was supposed to do as a minor character and all I had to do was type. I really feel like he just leapt onto the page fully formed, like, "I got this scene, you just relax."
Of all the books out there, why should readers choose this one? (What makes your book stand out from the rest?)
If I've been successful, you will both laugh and cry and have a great time doing it. The book deals with grief, survivor's guilt, and broken families, but Raely is a comedian, even if she thinks she's walking away from the stage, she can't turn it off, so humor is rampant through the book and keeps it from getting too heavy. And in the end, she realizes that she's loved more than she ever knew, as I think most of us probably are.
You can purchase GHOST TAMER at the following retailers.