FAQ

HOW DID YOU FIRST COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR
IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS?

As I mention in the Author's Note at the end of the novel, the earliest seeds for this story were planted way back when I was twelve. I watched an episode of the TV show Ripley's Believe It or Not! and learned that during the World War I time period, two girls in Cottingley, England,* claimed to photograph fairies in their backyard. Adults who were devastated by the war wholeheartedly believed the girls' phony photos were genuine, including scholars and expert photographers. That struck me as a sad yet fascinating nugget of history.

It took nearly three decades, a couple manuscript attempts, and a conversation with my agent, Barbara Poelle, before the plot of In the Shadow of Blackbirds fell into place, but that show about those fake fairy photos and the widespread grief during the WWI era is where everything first began.

HOW DID YOU FIND AN AGENT?

I've actually had two agents over the course of my long career as a struggling, pre-published writer. In both cases, I sent query letters that contained short, one-paragraph synopses similar to the types of blurbs you'd see on the backs of book covers. I always showed my manuscripts to early readers before ever submitting my work, to make sure everything looked as strong and polished as possible. Both times, the agents selected my manuscripts from their slush piles, which goes to show that method can indeed work. Before In the Shadow of Blackbirds sold to Amulet Books in 2011, two other agent-represented manuscripts of mine made the rounds to publishers, without any success.

WHY DO YOU WRITE YA FICTION?

I give a detailed answer to that question in a post at The Young Adult Connection.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS ENJOYED GHOST TALES?

Yes. I became hooked on them when I discovered a book about "real" ghosts in my elementary school library, probably around the age of seven or eight. Before that point, I only thought ghosts appeared in fictional stories. I didn't think real people actually believed in them, especially not grownups. My earliest ghostly reads came from my school's Scholastic Book orders: 13 Ghostly Tales, edited by Freya Littledale, and The Ghost Next Door, by Wylly Folk St. John. I also loved creepy 1980s kids' movies like The Watcher in the Woods and Something Wicked This Way Comes. If a story gave me nightmares, I held it in high regard.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MARY SHELLEY BLACKS'S FATHER AT THE END OF IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS?

I've answered that question on a Goodreads Q&A forum.

WILL THERE BE AN IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS MOVIE?

So far, no film rights have been sold. If that status changes, I'll definitely let you know.

IF THERE IS EVER A MOVIE, WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD PLAY MARY SHELLEY AND STEPHEN?

It's hard for me to imagine actors playing the parts after getting to know these characters so well. All I know is that I'll be signing up to play "Woman in Flu Mask" in one of the crowd scenes.

HOW DID YOU CONDUCT RESEARCH FOR THE NOVEL?

Visit www.blackbirdsnovel.com to see some of my favorite reference books, history-related websites, historical images, and 1918 movies, all of which helped me with my research. I also pored over WWI letters, personal accounts of the Spanish influenza, and literature from the time period. I've lived in the novel's two primary locations, Portland, Oregon, and San Diego, California, and I've been a member of the San Diego Historical Society. 

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?

The Cure for Dreaming, a Gothic young adult novel involving hypnotism in 1900 America (Amulet Books, October 2014), and The Uninvited, an adult novel set in 1918 America (William Morrow, publication date TBA). I'm also a contributor to the YA horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys (Dial, Fall 2015).

WILL YOU READ MY MANUSCRIPT OR QUERY LETTER AND GIVE ME ADVICE?

Unfortunately, I don't have the time, and for legal reasons, it's not always wise for an author to read unpublished manuscripts. I suggest joining local writer's organizations and critique groups. If you write for teens and kids, check out the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators.

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*A short clip about the Cottingley Fairy hoax: