Yay For Middle Grade Books! Interview With Jake Burt!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Jake Burt, the author of The Ghoul of Windydown Vale, which is out now! He is also the author of multiple other MG books, including Cleo Porter and the Body Electric.

Would you please tell us a little about your book, The Ghoul of Windydown Vale?

Absolutely! THE GHOUL OF WINDYDOWN VALE is an upper middle grade mystery that’s all about monsters, mayhem, mud, and the macabre. The Ghoul in the title? He’s our protagonist. Copper Inskeep, a fourteen year old boy, dresses up like a fiendish ghoul every night, and he stalks the swamps surrounding Windydown Vale. He’s proud of it, too: it scares folk away from the dangers of the bog, and it gives Windydown its very own legend. And it’s working like a charm…at least, until chapter one, when a terrified girl rides into town, claiming that she and her father were attacked by the Ghoul. That’s news to Copper, who has never seen this girl in his life. Before he can even start searching for the girl’s lost father, or untangle the first knot in her story, there’s another fateful arrival in the Vale: the world’s most ruthless and successful monster hunter. He heard the girl’s plight, and now he’s there to rid Windydown Vale of its “ghoul problem.” Welcome news!

Unless, of course, you’re Copper Inskeep.

What was the inspiration for the book?

I’ve always been fascinated by local legends: goblins in the caves outside of town, the turtle-people of Bricksburg Lake, the ghost of Whistlin’ Johnny. Even their colorful names have intrigued me. Thinking about them made me wonder not just about the source of the legends, but how the people of a town, county, state, etc., incorporate that legend into their culture. I wanted to explore what happens when a dark, mysterious legend becomes so entwined with a town’s identity that they have trouble separating myth from reality. That’s just one of the themes I enjoyed tinkering with in GHOUL.

Random Question! What’s your favorite time of year?

I’m a fall sort of fellow. It’s the time of year I most associate with colors (the leaves!), flavors (apple cider donuts! Pumpkin pie!), sensations (sweatshirt weather again!), and celebration (Halloween! Thanksgiving! My birthday!). Of course, as a teacher, I’ll always have a special place in my heart for summer, too.

If you're able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

I’m almost done with the research and outline for my sixth book, and I’ll start writing it this summer. I can’t tell you the title, the plot, or much else, but I can leave you with the central question the book asks: “What do you call a kid with three wishes?” and its answer: “The single greatest threat to global security the world has ever known.”

What are some of your favorite MG books you've read recently? And what are some that you're looking forward to reading?

I’ve really enjoyed reading several of my friends’ newest releases: the third installment in James Ponti’s CITY SPIES series, FORBIDDEN CITY; Christina Diaz Gonzalez’s CONCEALED; and Erin Soderberg Downing’s THE PEACH PIT. I also just finished Emma Carlson Berne’s SHABBAT SABOTAGE, which was a perfect getting-ready-for-summer read. I think the book on my TBR stack I’m most excited about is Christina Soontornvat’s THE LAST MAPMAKER. Everything she writes is gold, as far as I’m concerned.

Thank you to Jake Burt for participating in this event! :)

Author Bio: Jake Burt is an author of middle grade fiction and a 5th grade teacher. He lives in Connecticut, plays the banjo, and enjoys ultimate frisbee. He has yet to meet a rabbit hole he won't go down.

Here are a few links:

His Website

His Twitter

His Instagram