A House in shadow reader questions

 

A House in Shadow is a hard book to talk about without giving spoilers. I constantly have trouble at in-person events when people pick it up and ask follow-up questions after reading the blurb. It’s so easy to spoil bits of the story when potential readers ask specific questions about the content (valid questions, that I want to shout YES! to, because they are usually the type of question that tells me this person will love this book, but alas, I have to stay calm and wishy-washy. Because the only thing worse would be to spoil the twist. Here are a few questions I can answer about aHiS and its storyline.

 

 

 

 

Do you believe in ghosts?
Why not? There are tons of things we cannot explain so I am entirely open to all kinds of beliefs. Whether the ghosts are actually spirits of people who have died or some form of leftover energy from impactful events I couldn't tell you, but humans only live in a very small part of everything. Animals can see/hear frequencies that we cannot, plants can communicate in ways we can barely imagine, so why not allow space for ghosts to exist? And if they make for fun, spooky moments... all the more!

 

Have you ever been in a haunted house?

I live in one! My house is over a hundred years old and it surely has seen things. My little brother had toys that would make sounds as you played with them that would go off when stored away neatly in his closet. Indiscriminate chatter can be heard in my halls, you can never make out the words, just that something is being said, and on more than one occasion we have been woken up by knocks. You know, everyday life. I also love to visit haunted places, though I have never had an experience while at one. I’ve checked off the Lizzie Borden House, Eastern State Penitentiary, Trans Allegheny, Ventfort Hall, and might even be writing a book set in Dudleytown Forest (not that I intend to trespass to go there...)

 

Is the symbol real? Or based on a real one?
The symbol that Tristan sees is very specifically not a real one. I didn’t want to step on any toes or appropriate anything with a specific meaning that I would twist toward evil. I did look at tons of symbols in various cultures to get a feel for what felt right for the book. Originally I didn’t have anything particular in mind, letting it be...symbolic. But my brother jumped in and said I needed something ‘real’ even if I didn’t use it in the book. I showed him some of the ones I had been researching and he came back with a page scribbled in symbols based off them. A few stood out and we landed on the one that I now add next to my signature when I sign them.

 

What inspired this book?
I always wanted to write a haunted house book. At first, I thought this might be a straight out horror genre story, but the thriller writer in me wanted more. I’d never read a supernatural thriller before (I didn’t even really know that was a thing) but coincidentally my hold for Hidden Pictures came up at my local library and I dove in, turns out it was exactly what I needed to see at that moment. Supernatural thrillers were a thing! I could take my haunted house story and turn it into something more. I had also recently read The Housemaid’s Secret and loved the way the twists in that series were doled out. I went back to book one and mathed out proportionally where the reveals were and studied the structure so I could put it to use in my book. I really love the idea of the big twist coming at the midway point leaving the reader unsteady as they try to decide if the rest will be straight forward or not, only to have another twist drop at a more traditional point near the end. 


Who is the ‘good guy’?
I get this a lot about this book, and it’s a hard one to talk about because... well spoilers. I;m more than happy to chat about it in DMs on Facebook or via email. I love to hear what readers think. For A House in Shadow I’ve heard some very different takes on the characters and I love hearing how people interpret Tristan and Allison’s actions and outcomes. I like to write complex characters who view the world in their own specific ways, from each of their own perspectives. I'm sure both would say they are the good guy, or maybe neither is.