Name of Author: Juliet Lyons
Title of Book: My True Love Ghost
Favourite Authors:
Marian Keyes, Philippa Gregory, J K Rowling, Daphne Du Maurier, D H Lawrence, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen.
Bio:
I hail from the South of England, but spent most of my childhood in Fairyland - my head rooted firmly in the clouds. Eventually I moved to London, where I dropped out of my BA Hons in Creative Writing to study Spanish. What can I say? The year abroad program appealed to the escapist in me. These days, I work mornings in a school and spend my afternoons writing (when I'm not sidetracked by Wattpad of course). I'm a busy mother to a lovely 11 year old who plans for us to move to LA when I'm a famous author. Needless to say, I haven't packed my suitcase yet. ;)
Link:
http://www.wattpad.com/69135117-my-true-love-ghost-chapter-one-in-the-beginning
What is your book about?
My True Love Ghost is a YA paranormal romance novel about a sixteen year old girl named Angeline. Following her parents' acrimonious divorce, Angeline and her mother move to an apartment in a large stately home. Half of the mansion is converted to flats and office space, but one part, the East Wing, is derelict due to a preservation order. Angeline and some friends break in one afternoon and later, when she returns alone for a lost pair of sunglasses, she meets a mysterious and handsome young man named Tom. At first, Angeline believes Tom works on the estate but eventually he confesses all... He has been dead for over one hundred years.
Who is your target audience and why?
My target audience is young adults from 12+. Apart from a passion for Young Adult fiction, I have worked in schools with young adults for the past five years. I like to think I know what makes them tick. The main protagonist is sixteen, she has the worries and anxieties most young people have at this age - first kisses (or lack there of), crushes, insecurity, parental discord. I like to think that this combined with the romantic nature of the story makes it an enjoyable read for teens.
What is paranormal about your story?
The hero Tom died on the battlefields of World War One. Instead of leaving earth however, his spirit stuck around, returning to his childhood home of Wentworth House. Angeline is the only person who has ever been able to see him - which baffles them both, as Angeline is NOT a medium and has never had a psychic experience before. She sees him as flesh and blood and they are able to touch too. Without giving too much of the plot away, angels also form a big part of the story.
Does it contain other genre elements? Why?
As its title suggests, My True Love Ghost is essentially a love story, so it crosses largely into romance. I'm a romantic sort of person, so my stories are almost always rooted in romance. Toward the end, there is some action too.
Tell us about your writing process? From story idea to published WP tale.
For this book, my writing process was fairly whimsical. One night I dreamt of a ghost boy dressed in old fashioned clothing, carrying a girl in a prom dress. The girl was upset and there was the sense that somehow the ghost boy had rescued her. This was the initial inspiration and it went from there. I didn't have a plan at first, but after a few chapters I realised I needed some kind of plot, so I brainstormed and came up with a big twist. I would never start another story without a basic storyline in place first however, but this was my first ever full length book so I was learning as I went along.
Did you encounter any challenges when writing? How did you overcome them?
As I mentioned, my biggest challenge was coming up with an entertaining enough plot to carry the story. I overcame this by putting a lot of thinking time into it, jotting down notes, asking myself the questions, why? how? I do this with my other works too.
What does "writing well" mean to you?
To me, writing well means creating vibrant characters readers care about and placing them in entertaining scenarios. I think you can be the most grammatically perfect writer in the world, but if readers don't relate to the characters or feel excited by the plot, then you've lost them from the get go. Saying that however, a basic grasp of good grammar is essential. If I read a piece with say, no capital letters, I find it too distracting to continue. Reading published books is a fun way of learning grammar. I often read as a writer these days, paying attention to how the story is written. It's slightly more interesting than ploughing through a massive writing handbook. Wattpad has some excellent short guides however, and I read those all the time.
