Name of Author: Apryl Baker
Title of Book: The Ghost Files
Favorite Authors: Kim Harrison, Steven King, Lindsay Sands, Christine Warren, Kerrlyn Sparks, Christopher Pike, Delsheree Gladden
Bio: Crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up!
"The Ghost Files"
https://www.wattpad.com/story/5922157
Can you explain what your book is all about?
Mattie Hathaway has been able to see ghost since she was five. 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.
The problem is the ghost she sees is her foster sister, Sally. Everyone thinks she's just another runaway. Mattie knows the truth, though—she's dead, murdered. Mattie teams up with Officer Dan to try to figure out the truth.
Now the killer has set his sights on her. It's a race to find the truth before the serial killer finds her.
Who is your target audience - and why?
Well, I originally wrote this for teens 15+ as it dealt with high school issues and then challenges most teens face in their everyday life like peer pressure and acceptance, but truthfully, its spiraled into a massive audience from all ages.
What is 'paranormal' about your story?
Well, my main character can see ghosts – not those ghostly images in pictures, but see them like a real live person. They terrorize her as they appear to her in the condition they died in – some are super creepy some are just sad and confused.
Does it contain other genre elements, if so which ones - and why?
It's a mystery at heart. I fell in love with old noir mysteries growing up and no matter what I write, it always tends to have those elements to it.
Tell us about your writing process - how do you get from story idea to a Wattpad published story?
I'm not your typical writer that sits down and plots things out. I don't write synopsis' or anything like that. Truthfully, I have no idea what I'm going to write when I sit down. I just have a general idea and most times, that goes out the window and the characters end up writing their own version of their story. I'm a Post-It Note girl. When I have an idea I write it on a post it note and slap it on the office wall to come back to later
Did you encounter any challenges when writing, if so - how did you overcome them?
I get writers block quite often. I solve it by going to pen and paper. I start writing something completely different in a notebook. Some of my best writing has come to me that way. It's the best way to write honestly.
You often hear that 'writing well' is the baseline for success. What does that mean for you?
It's not about writing well, it's about having a good story. I've known some people who couldn't write well at all, but the story they told was amazing and I overlooked the poor writing. That can be fixed, but you can't fix a bad story.
((Check out the external link for a Character Interview with the protagonists of The Ghost Files! ))
