Posts Tagged scary stories

The Secret Dead Club: Interview with Author Karen Strong

By on August 23, 2024   /   Articles, Author Interviews   /   Leave a comment

I recently got on a scary-story kick and am eating up all the horror books I can find—especially ghost stories. The Secret Dead Club by Karen Strong was a fun one as you jump right into the terror.

About the Book

Hi Karen! Super fun book (I ended up reading the whole thing in one day because I couldn’t put it down!). Can you give us a short summary about The Secret Dead Club?  

After a perilous encounter with a wicked ghost leaves Wednesday Thomas shaken and terrified, she decides to ignore the dead. Never mind that she and her mother have moved back to Alton, Georgia, and into the haunted Victorian house where her mother grew up. Wednesday swore she’d stop talking to the dead, but at her new school, she receives an invitation to be the medium of a secret club and learns there’s a lot more going on with the ghosts in Alton and the girls who can see them.

When another malevolent ghost threatens to harm Wednesday, it will take the help of new friends both living and dead banish the evil being to the spirit realm where it belongs.

 

Did you have any particular type of reader in mind when you wrote it?

I think this book will be perfect for readers who like a mix of spooky moments and heartfelt relationships.

About the Author

Karen Strong is the critically acclaimed author of middle grade novels Just South of Home, Eden’s Everdark, and The Secret Dead Club. She is also a Star Wars contributor featured in Stories of Jedi and Sith, and the editor of the young adult anthology Cool. Awkward. Black. Her work has been praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and School Library Journal and has also received recognition as a CYBILS award finalist, Ignyte award finalist, BCCB Blue Ribbon, and Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. Born and raised in Georgia, Karen is an avid lover of strong coffee, yellow flowers, and night skies.

 

So Karen, what is your connection to the supernatural?

I’ve always grown up around ghost stories so that kind of storytelling has always been a part of me. In the American South, ghosts play a major part in the culture.

 

What is something from your childhood that you snuck into the book?

The setting of The Secret Dead Club is based on my hometown, so there’s plenty of inspiration from actual landmarks.

 

What was your favorite scary book growing up?

When I was a kid, I read a lot of Stephen King, so that was my introduction to horror. One of my favorite horror books for kids is Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn. This book also plays an important role in The Secret Dead Club.

 

Ah yes. Neat how you were able to work that in. What was/is your favorite scary movie?

The movie that has left the most lasting imprint on me is Aliens. Ripley’s character was so inspiring because she was brave, and the aliens were also very scary.

 

Do you share any personality traits with Wednesday?

Wednesday has to start over at a new school in seventh grade, so she has to figure out the best way to make friends. I was in the same situation in seventh grade, so I shared some of Wednesday’s anxieties.

 

Research/Writing

What was your original spark for The Secret Dead Club?

I’ve always wanted to write a book about friendship, but since I write in the horror genre, I also knew that I would incorporate spooky elements into the story. I was inspired by the Baby-Sitter’s Club Netflix series as well as the Pixar film Turning Red, so I wanted to focus on a group of girls with very different personalities and how they would come together for a common cause.

 

There were different types of ghosts in your book with particular rules they adhere to. Is any of this based on research?

Since I’ve written other novels with ghosts, some of the previous research helped me determine what kinds of ghosts would be in The Secret Dead Club. However the ghosts in this book to have simple rules and common names because I wanted the focus to be on the girls and their friendships.

 

What kinds of research did you do for the book? Did anything you discovered steer you in a new direction for the book?

I did some research on the Victorian houses in my hometown, which mainly focused on their architecture and history. But one of the things that came after the first draft of The Secret Dead Club was the concept of the “Callahan House” vignettes, which are scenes that take place outside of Wednesday’s point of view. My editor and I discussed how these could play a role of showing the haunted house at different times featuring some of the supporting characters in the story. One of these vignettes also plays a major role in the climax of the book. I’m pleased at how these scenes turned out as they were not originally a part of the story.

 

Can you share any tips for writing scary/horror books?

I have a spooky scene workshop that I teach to young writers and one of the tips I share is that a writer can elevate the horror and suspense by letting the reader’s imagination fill in the blanks. By staying in the moment of terror and having the character react to what is not yet seen but anticipated lets the reader’s imagination go to scarier places than the writer could ever imagine.

 

How can we learn more about you?

My website, www.karen-strong.com, is the best place to find about upcoming events and new books. I’m also on Instagram @karenmusings.

 

Thanks for your time, Karen!

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Should Parents Let Their Kids Read Scary Books?

By on October 8, 2020   /   Articles, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers  

It’s the season of all things spooky, and readers of all ages are reaching for scary books. But for middle-graders, should parents, teachers, and librarians step in and vet kids’ frightening picks, or let their newly-independent readers decide for themselves how much spookiness they can handle?

To get advice, I turned to two experts: Derek Furr, Associate Professor of Literature & Dean of Teacher Education at Bard College, a reading specialist and former schoolteacher, and Trish Grace Malone, a children’s book author and psychotherapist based in the Hudson Valley. 

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

To start, it’s totally common if the children you know love reading frightening tales. After all, Malone says, “Scary stories are as old as storytelling and they fulfill important human needs. They draw us in with an immediate and compelling message – What would I or could I do if I were in this kind of scary situation? We are hard-wired by evolution to be very interested in how to survive,”

“There is satisfaction, even a kind of physical pleasure, that comes from not knowing, wanting to know, and finding out.”

A frightening page-turner’s attraction may be the same reason that such texts appeal to adults, adds Furr. “When reading a novel for pleasure, most of us read for the plot. A burning question pulls us in, suspense keeps us turning the pages, and a resolution is gratifying (especially if we’ve been right!) There is satisfaction, even a kind of physical pleasure, that comes from not knowing, wanting to know, and finding out.”

Beyond the engrossing thrills and chills, scary books can be beneficial for kids for a variety of reasons.  According to Malone, these books “Teach us lessons, like a ‘Beware of Dog’ sign for the psyche. Children need to know what might put them in danger. It might not be safe to trust a stranger with a house made of cookies and candy. Children also can feel a vicarious sense of courage and triumph by reading about how to defeat the monsters that lurk in dark corners.”

And Furr says that when he taught middle school, his students “devoured” the Goosebumps and Animorphs books, and that doing so seemed to set them up for more challenging ‘horror’ like Poe and Shirley Jackson down the line. Any genre that gets kids reading at this stage is, in his opinion, fantastic. “Remember that the intermediate years (grades four through nine) are crucial for the development of reading fluency—that is, increased reading speed by rapid word/vocabulary recognition and a sense of prosody. Reading volume–just the sheer amount of reading that a young person does, regularly–correlates with fluency and vocabulary development. Unsurprisingly, it has also been shown to correlate with academic achievement.”

“Exerting some kind of creative control over what scares us is one of the most powerful ways to deal with our fears.” 

I asked both my experts if parents should intervene if they’re concerned their student is going to scare themselves silly. Furr says, “I always think that it’s best to follow the child, especially if they’re reading,” but if your concern is that the subject matter may be inappropriate, he suggests reading along with the young person so you can discuss the book together.

Image by Peter H from Pixabay

Image by Peter H from Pixaba

Malone believes that most kids are smart about choosing the level of scary they can tolerate, and typically stop reading if the material is too much for them, but, “if you have a child who is dealing with anxiety, they may need support in avoiding scary stuff that other kids their age find fun, especially as they may feel some shame at their own sensitivity.”

But facing their fears in a safe way — inside the pages of an amazing book or story — is healthy and enjoyable for most #kidlit readers. And, Malone adds, “Ultimately, exerting some kind of creative control over what scares us is one of the most powerful ways to deal with our fears. That drives a lot of writers to write scary stuff in the first place, including me.”

Experts: 

Trish Grace Malone, a children’s book author and psychotherapist based in the Hudson Valley 

Derek Furr, Associate Professor of Literature & Dean of Teacher Education at Bard College

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Spooky, Scary Stitchers

By on August 17, 2020   /   Articles, Author Interviews  

For those of you who love spooky, scary middle grade, I have a treat for you. The Stitchers (ABRAMS/Amulet 2020), by debut author Lorien Lawrence, releases this week, and alongside that spooky scary goodness, it’s SO. MUCH. FUN.

The Stitchers Cover

About The Stitchers:

Thirteen-year-old Quinn Parker knows there’s something off about her neighbors. She calls them “the Oldies” because they’ve lived on Goodie Lane for as long as anyone can remember, but they never seem to age. Are they vampires? Or aliens? Or getting secret experimental surgeries? Or is Quinn’s imagination just running wild again?

If her dad were still around, he’d believe her. When he was alive, they’d come up with all sorts of theories about the Oldies. Now, Quinn’s determined to keep the investigation going with the help of Mike, her neighbor and maybe-crush. They’ll have to search for clues and follow the mystery wherever it leads–even if it’s to the series pond at the end of the street that’s said to have its own sinister secrets. But the Oldies are on to them. And the closer Quinn and Mike get to uncovering the answers, the more they realize just how terrifying the truth may be.

Interview with Debut Author Lorien Lawrence

Welcome, Lorien Lawrence, to the Mixed-Up Files! As I often do, I shared your book with my son, who’s a middle grade and young adult reader.  He loved the Stitchers–which meant he and I got to collaborate on these interview questions.  NOTE: This interview has been edited slightly in order to group topics and transitions.

HMC: I am always curious about origin stories – where did you get the idea for the Stitchers?

LL I think I say this in another!er interview, but there’s nothing scarier than losing someone you love. I wrote this story after my dad suddenly died. I had just moved back to my hometown with my husband, and we would go for these really long walks and try to make sense of what happened. Eventually, my childhood streets brought back happy memories and feelings of nostalgia instead of sadness. And we started to play a “what if” sort of game, where we took turns wondering “what if that house was haunted?” or “what if that pond was magical?” Eventually, one of these “what ifs” turned into THE STITCHERS. So I guess writing Quinn’s story helped me come to terms with my own grief.

Writing About Loss for MG

HMC: (As you just mentioned,) your main character, Quinn, is coping with the loss of her father … and picking up where he left off, investigating the same mystery. Loss and fear are pretty scary subjects no matter how old you are … how did you balance respecting your middle-grade readers’ maturity with knowing when the subject matter needed to be age-appropriate?

Finding this balance was probably the most difficult part of the writing experience for me. I knew I needed to show Quinn coming through the other side, so to speak. She doesn’t miss her dad any less, but she learns how to live a new kind of normal. Her dreams continue, her friendships continue, even though she herself has changed. But the change isn’t all bad: she’s stronger. She’s braver. She’s more determined and more vulnerable. And she realizes that she’s still surrounded by people who love her.

Questions from HMC’s Son

HMC’s Son: What was your favorite part of this book to write? 

LL: Great question! My favorite part to write was the scene in the basement of the funeral home. I won’t give it away, but it was delightfully gruesome and fun to imagine!

HMC’s Son: What did you like most about Quinn? 

LL: Another great question! I like that Quinn is flawed. She lies. She hides the truth. She hides her true feelings. But these are things that normal 12 year olds do. And by the end of the book, she makes things right.

HMC’s Son: This book is the beginning of a series. Can you give us any hints about what is coming up next for Quinn and Mike?

LL: The next book in the series is called THE COLLECTORS, and it comes out next fall. It follows Quinn once again as she and Mike launch into a new supernatural investigation – but I don’t want to give too much away! 😊 I can say that it picks up directly where THE STITCHERS leaves off.

Stitchers Fan Art

                                                                                Stitchers Fan Art, by Elle Jauffret

Eternal Youth, Monsters, and Witches

HMC: Another interesting theme in your book is about the eternal quest for youth … and how it can make people do strange things. (!!) What takeaways do you think this element in your plot has for the middle-grade reader?

I think I was inspired by the day-old conundrum of kids wanting to be older, and adults wanting to be younger. In reality, we need to just learn to appreciate where we are in the moment.

HMC: In this book, I found lots of literary and theater connections, from Frankenstein to the Crucible. Did any of those influence your writing?

LL: Oh my gosh, I’m thrilled that you noticed! YES! I’ve always been taken with Frankenstein and The Crucible – really the whole idea that society creates the monsters, not the other way around.

Open Mic Question

HMC: What do you want us to know about The Stitchers that we haven’t asked?

LL: A quick fun fact: I have tiny clues hidden in THE STITCHERS and THE COLLETORS that hint towards future books in the series!

THE PANDEMIC QUESTIONS

HMC: I’ve begun a new line of pandemic questions in all my interviews because I’m curious about how we as kidlit authors are going to handle the pandemic in our writing going forward. You’re a middle school teacher in New England – will you be going back into the classroom to teach this fall, or will you be teaching virtually?

LL: As of right now, I still don’t know where or how I will be teaching. I am assuming that I’ll be teaching virtually as I did in the spring. I’m from Connecticut, and our state got hit with the virus early, so my school closed in early March and remained closed for the year. Whatever I end up doing, I’ll try to make the best of it!

HMC: How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your writing life?

LL: I grew up with (and still struggle) with anxiety, and writing has always been a coping mechanism for me. So I’ve actually been writing a lot! I wrote two new manuscripts during quarantine. I don’t know if these books will ever see the light of day, but it helps me to throw myself in a made-up world when times are scary.

HMC: Will Quinn and Mike have pandemic related conversations in your new book?

LL: This is a great question! I honestly don’t know the answer! They won’t be talking about it in the first two books in the series, but if I’m able to publish more adventures of Quinn and Mike, I’ll have to have a serious think about what to do with that. Maybe I’ll ask my students if they would be interested in reading about something so scary and recent. I’m sure they’ll have strong opinions either way!

((More about pandemic writing in this archived post on Writing Prompts for a Pandemic))

HMC: Thanks so much, Lorien. Congratulations on your debut and best of luck to you!

Debut Author Lorien Lawrence

Lorien Lawrence

Lorien Lawrence is a writer and middle school English teacher from Connecticut. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found hunting ghosts with her family. The Stitchers is her debut novel.

Where to find the Stitchers:

  1. Bookshop.org
    1. Click on this link, then search for THE STITCHERS — or any other book.
  2. Amazon

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