The Ghost Files, Volume I by Apryl Baker
Cherry blossom lipstick: check
Smokey eyes: check
Skinny jeans: check
Dead kid in the mirror: check
For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too.
Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally.
Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance.
Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim…
Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?
Q and A:
Q: So tell us a little bit about Apryl Baker.
A: Well, in a nutshell, I’m the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. Seriously, sometimes I can be mid-sentence and I’ll get an idea and stop talking so I can write it down. Terribly rude, I know, but my friends and family are used to it!
Q: Mattie is a very, well, let's call her unique. What inspired you when you created that little bundle of attitude?
A: LOL! She is that, isn't she? Well, honestly, I had some foster kids living down the block from me and I had the opportunity to get to know them. It took me the better part of a year to get them to trust me enough to open up. I have to say they were the bravest, most courageous kids I've ever met. They are tough as nails, loyal only to each other, and they will break your heart. Some of the stories they told me made me want to just cry. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great foster homes out there, the one they were in at the time I got to know them was one of those, but there are just as many bad ones as well. I got to hear up close and personal just how bad some of them were.
Those experiences shaped those kids into the people they were. They all had serious trust issues and sometimes the haunted look in their eyes made me hurt. When I got the idea for this story, Mattie in my mind was a foster kid. I wanted to show people that those kids are more than just the tough facade they show to the world, that they are vulnerable and sweet underneath their layers of shields. I rolled all their attitude into Mattie and there's a little bit of each of them in her.
Mattie Louise Hathaway is that tough as nails foster kid who looks after her own and will deck you as soon as look at you, but underneath all that attitude, there's still a sixteen year old girl who's scared, alone, vulnerable, and well 16! She still notices the cute guy while being that sassy, snotty brat!
Q: I know that most writers have to have music when they are writing. Let's face it, music has inspired so many different stories over the years. What was on your playlist when you wrote The Ghost Files?
A: Wow, well, I did listen to a ton of different music, but these were my favs:
Fall Out Boy: My Song Knows What You Did In the Dark (this song alone is responsible for the last five chapters of the book!)
Evanescence: Bring Me Back To Life
Bruno Mars: Just the Way You Are
Demi Lavato: Heart Attack
Taylor Swift: I Knew You Were Trouble
Taking Back Sunday: Make Damn Sure
My Chemical Romance: I Don't Love You
My Chemical Romance: The Ghost of You
Korn: Freak On A Leash
Dashboard Confessional: Slow Decay
Valora: I Waited For You
Q: What advice would you give struggling authors in today's market?
A: My best advice is to never give up. I still have stack upon stack of rejection letters sitting on my desk. It sucks! That will never change. You write this amazing story, polish it up a hundred times, then send out the query letter you slaved over for weeks, only to get rejection upon rejection upon rejection. Huge blow to anyone's confidence. Here's the thing though, you have all these rejection letters, but it only takes that one yes to make it all better. I almost gave up on writing, but I'm so glad I didn't. I have an amazing writing group, an agent that believes in me, and a publisher that is downright awesome. Just believe in yourself. You can't see your dreams come true if you don't keep trying. Give yourself a minute to wallow in pity, then get up, dust yourself off and try, try again!
Q: So why should we all rush out to buy The Ghost Files?
A: That's simple! It's awesome! No, really, it's a fun, but scary read. I have been advised by all the Wattpad crew who read it before it was published that you cannot read it in the dark. Scared them senseless. There's a hint of romance, but the book itself is centered around the mystery of who killed Mattie's foster sister and the fact that Mattie now has to face her own weirdness. She can see ghosts? Um, not something she advertises. Then there's Officer Dan...yum, all I'm saying.
About the Author:
So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friend Chazz laughs at me when I scare myself watching them and tells me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.
Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama on you. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters.
Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my family and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol.
I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.
PS: DO NOT GET IN MY WAY IF THERE IS A SALE ON AT TARGET - my home away from home!
Connect With Apryl:
Don't forget to check out Apryl's other books, The Promise and The Awakening!
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Enter to win a signed print edition of The Ghost Files just by Liking Apryl's Author page on Facebook!
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The Ghost Files- Character Interview
Hi, my name is Thelma and I will be your host. We have an exciting show for you all today with lots of wonderful character interviews from so many different books.
Letís welcome Mattie Hathaway and Dan Richards to the show to start things off. They are the stars of the Amazon best-selling novel, The Ghost Files written by Apryl Baker. They are going to tell us a little about the book and the roles they play.
Mattie Hathaway
Officer Dan Richards: Isn't he just adorable?
Thelma: Letís start with Mattie. Can you tell us a little about yourself Mattie?
Mattie: Um, what if I donít want to?
Dan: Squirt, just the answer the questions and stop being a brat.
Mattie: Make me.
Thelma: Easy question first. What describes you in a nutshell,
Mattie: Mutant penguin butterfly.
Dan: Oh, God, not that again.
Mattie: Shut up! There is nothing wrong with Pengy!
Dan: (shakes his head) Five minutes of my life I'll never get back Googling that thing.
Mattie: It's cute. Here let me show you!
Thelma: That is just adorable!
Thelma: (chuckles) Let's get back to the interview. I understand your hesitancy to talk, Mattie. Itís not everyday we meet a real live ghost whisperer.
Mattie: (glares at Thelma) Did we really have to go there first?
Dan: Mattie is sensitive about herÖerÖgift.
Mattie: (laughs outright) Dan has issues accepting the fact I can see ghosts. He doesnít really believe in things that go bump in the night.
Thelma: Have you always been able to see ghosts?
Mattie: No it started when I was five.
Thelma: Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Mattie: (sighs loudly) Well, as you know I grew up in the foster care system. When I was five, my mom went nuts and tried to kill me. She stabbed me and when I woke up, I could see the little buggers.
Thelma: Wow, that had to be scary.
Mattie: (shrugs) No big deal.
Dan: It is a big, deal. That event shaped her into the person she is today. Sheís tough as nails, more street savvy than the average sixteen year old girl, and she hides behind all the walls she put up.
Thelma: It sounds like you know her pretty well, Dan. I bet that wasnít an easy task.
Dan: You just donít know the half of it. Mattie isÖwell, sheís a handful.
(Mattie kicks Dan, causing him to glare at her.)
Mattie: I am not a handful, I just donít take crap from anyone. When you grow up in the system, you learn to defend yourself. Itís not my fault Iíve had to fight on more than one occasion over the years.
Thelma: So how did you two meet?
Dan: I was one of the police officers who interviewed her when her foster sister, Sally, went missing. No one else believed her when she said the girl didnít run away, but I did. There was just something about her frustration that rang true. Then when she started spouting off about Sally being killed and needing to find her killer, I knew there was something going on she wasnít telling me. I just never expected it to be the bombshell she dropped on me. Do you believe in ghosts, Officer Dan she asked me. (Shakes his head) I still canít believe it sometimes.
Thelma: Was it hard to open up to him about your gift, Mattie?
Mattie: I still blame my blabbing about it on the drugs. He met me in the hospital after Iíd had a run in with Mirror Boy. Up until then I didnít know ghosts could hurt you physically, but boy was I ever wrong! They can do some serious damage. Anyway, I found myself just blurting things out that night and then he wouldnít leave it alone. He left me no choice but to tell him.
Dan: (chuckles with amusement) I thought you said it was my eyes?
Mattie: What?
Dan: You talk in your sleep, Squirt.
Thelma: Are you twoÖyou know together?
Mattie: No, weíre just good friends. Dan has stayed with me a few nights in the hospital to keep me company is all. He shouldnít be repeating things he hears people mutter in their sleep, though. Itís rude!
Thelma: So back to Sally. Dan believed you about her not running away?
Mattie: Yeah. I knew she didnít run away because I saw her ghost. She had her hands bound behind her back and her mouth was taped over, but it was the bullet hole in her head that made realize something bad had happened to her. I had to find out what happened to her.
Thelma: It sounds like it was very important to you.
Mattie: Yeah, foster kids take care of each other. We depend on each other and she needed someone to find her, to let people know she wasnít just another statistic. I had to help her even if that meant talking to the ghosts for the first time in my life. Usually, I just ignored them and they went away, but now they know I see them and I canít get rid of them. They pop up all the time and the most unexpected moments.
Thelma: Did you find out what happened to her?
Mattie: (grimaces) Yeah, a serial killer had murdered her and then I got taken captive by the killer. Itís not a pleasant memory.
Dan: It isnít for me either. Worst three days of my life. I went nuts trying to find her.
Mattie: You? You werenít the one who was being tortured!
Thelma: You were actually kidnapped and tortured by the killer?
Mattie: Yes, but Iíd rather not talk about that. It brings up too many painful memories.
Thelma: I understand completely. It must be very hard.
(Mattie nods and looks off into space. Dan takes her hand and squeezes it causing her to smile at him.)
Mattie: Yeah, it is most days, but I finally have people who care about me and that helps a ton.
Thelma: I take it Dan is one of those people?
(Mattie nods.)
Thelma: So do you two think youíll ever hook up in the future? Youíre so cute together.
Mattie: Iím not sure. Heís very important to me and I love him, I just donít know if I love him like that or not. I donít do feelings usually. I know everyone expects me to be this mature person with all this depth because I grew up in the system and I survived being taken captive and tortured, but Iím still just a sixteen year old girl. I still have the same insecurities and doubts every other sixteen year old has and I get scared sometimes. I usually do stupid stuff when I get scared and lash out at people, but Dan stuck around. Heís family no matter what else might happen in the future.
Thelma: And you Dan, what do you think? Will you and Mattie have a relationship in the future?
Dan: Iím in for the long haul whether that means we are life-long friends or if it develops into something else. Right now weíre friends. I mean, Iím twenty and sheís only sixteen. Sheís still jailbait. But I plan onÖ
Thelma: Shh, Dan, donít give it away! I have a feeling that weíll be hearing more from you in the future, but for right now, letís end it there and leave everyone hanging.
Mattie: (laughs) I knew I liked you!
Thelma: Thank you both so much for joining us today and sharing a few things! And thanks to DelSheree Gladden for hosting our show on her blog!
Mattie: (jumps up and waves her hand before the camera pans away) Wait, you didnít let me tell you about the giveaway Apryl is hosting!
Thelma: Oh, my I forgot!
Mattie: I did promise Iíd tell everyone about it, even though Iím mad at her for all the nonsense she put us through when she wrote the book. She is trying to get 1000 likes on her Facebook author page so sheís hosting a giveaway. Like her page for a chance to win a signed edition of my story, The Ghost Files.
Dan: Uh, we forgot something else!
Thelma: (frowns at them and glances at her watch) Go ahead, Dan.
Dan: First here's a little bit about Apryl Baker, our creator who we usually love, but sometimes want to strangle for putting us in certain situations...
Mattie: Like Ollie the snake.
Dan: (shudders) Yeah, Ollie. Anyway here's a bit about Apryl:
Well you can catch up with Apryl at any of these places:
Pinterest
And don't forget to check out her other books!
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Thelma: Okay, thanks so much for reminding us of that, Mattie! Thank you both and lets hear it from our sponsor, Writerís Anonymous, for those who just have a problem with writing way too many stories at one time!
(Dan and Mattie leave the studio arguing about who is going to drive home)
(Fades to Writerís Anonymous commercial)
Diana Nixon is a poet and the author of fantasy and contemporary romances.
She was born in Minsk, Belarus, where she currently lives. In 2008 she graduated from Belorussian state University. She has a Master of Law degree and speaks several foreign languages, including English, Polish and Spanish.
Official page: http://www.diananixon.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianaNixon9
Buying books: http://diananixon.blogspot.com/p/buying-books.html
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