The Ghostwriter of New Orleans by Laura Michaud - YA, YA Paranormal - What if fate got it wrong this time?
.png)
by Laura Michaud
Genre: YA, YA Paranormal
Publisher: Pelican/Arcadia Publishing
Date of Publication: 3/28/22
ISBN: 978-1455626243
ASIN: 1455626244
Number of pages: 192
Word Count: approx 55k
Cover Artist: Julie Buckner
What if fate got it wrong this time?
When a boy dies and becomes a ghost in his high school, he creates life-changing consequences for the entire student body when he communicates with his girlfriend by underlining passages in her favorite book in the library.
But he finds that he also has a decision to make–accept his fate or take a dark path back and start a new life?
Interview with Laura Michaud
Welcome to JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder
Tell us about your newest book.
First of all, thank you for having me here to talk about it! My book is a YA novel called, “The Ghostwriter of New Orleans.” It’s the first in a series, and it’s about a boy named James who dies and becomes part of a group of ghosts in his high school. He’s having a hard time playing by their rules though, and he starts communicating with his grieving girlfriend by underlining passages in her favorite book in the school library. That in itself has consequences, but when one of the other ghosts tells him that she knows a way they can go back and start new lives, he must decide whether to accept his current fate or go back and risk dark consequences to others.
Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing The Ghostwriter of New Orleans.?
Time. I am a mom of two and work full-time as a school librarian. I am very fortunate to have summers off and that’s when I do the bulk of my most focused writing. But during the school year, it can be a challenge to carve out writing time.
They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
I think one thing I would tell that much younger writer is that there is a lot of value to outlining. Sometimes it’s great to just write and see where it takes you. I love that part of the writing process! But, when it’s time to try to put it all together having that path is helpful. I would also tell her to keep making the time to write. It’s something that takes work to do, but the payoff for yourself is worth it.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second book in the series!
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
I really read everything. I begged my mom to teach me how to read in Kindergarten because she was reading “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” aloud to me, and I would be so frustrated that I couldn’t keep going on my own when she had to put it down and move onto something else. So, I hit the ground running reading-wise and didn’t stop. I remember loving “The Boxcar Children” so much that I made my own pretend boxcar set up in my yard. I also remember my school librarian reading, “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” to us and then going on to read every other Judy Blume book I could find on my own. “Starring Sally J. Friedman As Herself” was a big favorite.
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
I’d love to encourage readers to reach out to me! I love engaging with people about not just my own book, but also about books and reading in general. I’ve been enjoying getting to know people and hearing from them when I’ve been out at signings, and I’d love to grow that circle.
Good luck with The Ghostwriter of New Orleans, and thank you for being with us today.
Good luck with The Ghostwriter of New Orleans, and thank you for being with us today.
Thank you again for having me and thank you to anyone reading my book for their support!
Excerpt:
How many times have you forgotten to do something small? Shut a window before it rains? Take your phone with you? Do up a button on your shirt? Grab your homework on your way out the door? On the day that seals my fate, I forget to look over my shoulder.
Right before it happens everything is the same. I get the same rush of freedom that I always get in my stomach when I leave the school parking lot, hit the gas, and make a right turn onto St. Charles Avenue. The same line of live oak trees cast their tunnel of shadows over the street. I see their branches moving, so I turn the air conditioning off, roll my windows down, ignore the text messages blowing up my phone, and turn the Jimi Hendrix music (that I only listen to when I am by myself) way up. The sweat starts to pool up around the white collar of my school uniform, but the feeling of the wind across my face is totally worth it. What I do not know is that this is the last time I will ever do it.
I guess if you asked me what I do know for sure in those last moments I would say that I am a pretty fast runner, I am decent at guitar, and that Margot Cramer is the love of my life.
Right before it happens everything is the same. I get the same rush of freedom that I always get in my stomach when I leave the school parking lot, hit the gas, and make a right turn onto St. Charles Avenue. The same line of live oak trees cast their tunnel of shadows over the street. I see their branches moving, so I turn the air conditioning off, roll my windows down, ignore the text messages blowing up my phone, and turn the Jimi Hendrix music (that I only listen to when I am by myself) way up. The sweat starts to pool up around the white collar of my school uniform, but the feeling of the wind across my face is totally worth it. What I do not know is that this is the last time I will ever do it.
I guess if you asked me what I do know for sure in those last moments I would say that I am a pretty fast runner, I am decent at guitar, and that Margot Cramer is the love of my life.
About the Author:
Laura Michaud grew up with her face in a book, so it was natural that she would spend some time in the publishing industry before becoming a children’s librarian and writer. A native of New York and New England, she has called the amazing city of New Orleans home since 2004. The Ghostwriter of New Orleans is her first novel.
Comments
Post a Comment