Remember, you have until THURSDAY of this week to read my review of her book and today's interview, and comment on it (leaving me some contact info, please). Friday I will announce the winner.
So here are 13 Halloween questions for Author Linda Schmalz:
1) Your previous book, "A Lonely Sky" was set in London, New York, and Chicago. The setting for "What Dead Women Want" is very different. Can you tell us why you chose a small town?-Yes. The house that I based Carly's house on was an actual house I babysat in as a teenager, in Delavan Wisconsin, a real life small town.
2) Ghosts and spicy calendars are central to the plot. Which came first when you were thinking about the book?--The ghosts. The calendar idea came to me when I wrote the first draft, but by the final draft, although it wasn't central to the plot anymore, it was such a fun aspect of Mike (our hero), that I kept it in.
3) Carly is a lot of fun to read. What was your inspiration for her?--After writing "A Lonely Sky" and the tragic Julia, I really was in the mood to write something lighter and a story in which my sense of humor could shine.
4) This book is also a bit of a departure for you because it's a paranormal. What inspired you to write a ghost story?--I definitely wanted to write something different from "A Lonely Sky" and am an avid watcher of "Ghost Hunters." That show inspired this book, as did an Irish ballad I heard about two sisters. I put two and two together, and "What Dead Women Want" was born!
5) Do you believe in ghosts?-Yes. I believe that not all of us go directly up or down after we pass. I believe some of us hang around a bit longer to make sure messages get passed to our loved ones, or we finish something we left undone.
6) Have you seen a ghost?--I believe so. I read an obituary in the paper about a cashier who passed away at a store I frequent. The next time I was in the store, I clearly saw "her" in an aisle, stocking groceries. Believe me, I did a double take. I went home and pulled out the obit to make sure she didn't have a twin. She didn't. A few weeks later, I saw her again, walking alone in an aisle and then I saw her one last time at a register, but not doing anything. Haven't seen her since. I hope she finally finished the work she felt she needed to and passed on. :-)
7) Once again, your side characters are a riot, and almost steal the show. Who, in this book, is your favorite?--Thank you. I LOVE my side characters a lot too, because you can have so much fun with them. I think my two favorites were Sunny, and Larry the Plumber. Writing Sunny was like bringing a Barbie Doll to life, and I based Larry on Jack Black's"School of Rock" character. It doesn't get much more fun than that!
8) What's your favorite Halloween tradition?--At a very young age, my son (now almost fifteen) decided he didn't like trick or treating. So instead, we started a tradition of having pizza delivered and watching a scary movie or two! Last year we watched two very old classics: "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Uninvited." This year it will be "Paranormal Activity."
9) What's your favorite Halloween Movie?--"The Uninvited","Poltergeist" and "Dracula" with Frank Langella.
10) Have you developed any fears because of something spooky? (For example, I can't go into dark basements now because I saw "Night of the Living Dead" when I was 13.)--I will forever and always be afraid of spiders. Not sure how this fear developed. There's a huge black on my front porch right now. Usually the husband or son will kill it for me, but this time both said "no". Yep, it's that big.
11) When people read this book, what would you like them to take away from it?--I hope I provided a fun and entertaining read!
12) What music did you listen to when you wrote the book?--When I wrote "A Lonely Sky", I listened to a lot of melancholy music, but for this one, to keep the pace fast and the tone light and fun, I listened to lively music, such as the soundtrack from "Bridget Jones Diary."
13) Can we expect more ghostly stories from you?--I would love to write another ghost story someday! I have the opening line already..."It was a dark and stormy night...".
Thank you, Linda! Now readers, it's your turn! Leave comments on today's interview or on yesterday's review and you will be entered to win a free copy of "What Dead Women Want!"
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