Hi, everyone! Today I'm pleased to present an interview with Lindsay Currie, author of the MG novels The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street, and the upcoming Scritch Scratch, which releases in September.
The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.
Would you please tell us a little about Scritch Scratch?
Absolutely! Scritch Scratch is a ghost story/mystery set in Chicago. Though it does have these things in common with my debut MG, The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street, the books are not connected in any way. My main character in Scritch Scratch is Claire Koster and I just can't wait for you to meet her! Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She's a scientist, which is why she can't think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she's made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There's something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour...he's gone.
Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad's ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.
Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it's too late.
If you liked Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, or perhaps read and enjoyed City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, then I think you'll like Scritch Scratch!
You write such great spooky MG books! Have you always been interested in ghost stories?
Aww, thank you! I guess I have always been interested in paranormal things to some extent. When I was young, Halloween was my favorite holiday (still is) and I distinctly recall being the only girl in my entire grade to dress as something sinister or macabre every year. 😂 Seriously, I was a zombie/ghost/witch in a sea of fairy princesses every. single. year. It was hilarious. Honestly, I think my interest in ghosts stems mainly from my interest in history. The concept that every place has it's own history, past residents, and stories to tell is a fun one to explore - especially when you're in a city with a history as interesting as Chicago. Did you know that a huge chunk of my neighborhood used to be a graveyard over 100 years ago? It did! And each of the locations on the Spirits bus tour in Scritch Scratch are brimming with real history as well. Things that happened in those spots often generated ghost legends that circulated for years - many of them still existing today!
Random Question! What’s your favorite Disney movie?
Whoa! This might be the hardest question I've ever been asked in an interview, haha! I'm a HUGE Disney fan. Visit WDW every year and adore Disney movies. Right now, I'm going to go with a classic - The Little Mermaid. Though I do really love Moana, Aladdin, and Frozen as well. They're all SO good!
Excellent choices! :)
If you're able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?
Ooh, yay! A chance to talk about my work-in-progress! Currently, I'm finishing the first draft of my next MG mystery release, tentatively titled WOODMOOR. WOODMOOR is scheduled to release in Fall 2021 from Sourcebooks Kids - hooray!
Unlike my previous books, this one doesn't take place in Chicago. I know, weird, right? It takes place in Michigan near a town where I actually visit often on solo writing retreats. WOODMOOR follows the story of Ginny Anderson, a 12 year old Agatha Christie fan, who is spending a month of her summer in Michigan because her father (a restoration specialist) has taken job in a dilapidated manor from the 1930's. Once there, Ginny discovers there are a variety of sinister legends about the area - legends she wants no part of. From the Melonheads to the Shadow People, the entire town is afraid of Woodmoor Manor. Combined with the fact that Ginny is already missing out on the writing workshop she's been looking forward to for an eternity, the rumors about Woodmoor make the summer feel like a total flop. Things get much, MUCH worse when spine-chilling things begin happening inside Woodmoor Manor's walls - things only Ginny seems to experience.
Can a 12 year old channel her inner Agatha Christie to solve a mystery even the adults seem afraid of? You'll have to read to find out!
Ooh, this sounds really good! :)
What are some of your favorite MG books you've read? And what are some that you're looking forward to reading?
Ohhh, so many MG novels I adore. First off, I do love spooky books so a special shout out to the Spooky MG group I'm a part of. The other members in this group have written some killer books I love, so look them up when you have time! I'm a fan of Katherine Arden, Mary Downing Hahn, and of course R.L. Stine! My most recent MG read that I adored was A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat. It was wonderful!
I read so many Mary Downing Hahn books when I was younger! They were so good! :)
Thank you to Lindsay Currie for participating in this event! :)
Author Bio: Lindsay Currie lives in Chicago, Illinois, with her high school sweetheart turned husband and their three amazing children. While she didn’t go to school to be a historian, researching her city’s complex, and often spooky history is one of Lindsay’s favorite things to do—especially when there are ghost legends involved!
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