SG I wrote two ghostly mysteries for young adults before Ghostlight, so I’d already spent several years researching ghosts and the paranormal. What kind of research on ghosts and troubled spirits did you do before you wrote Ghostlight ? I believe this preference lends itself well to spooky fiction for younger readers. Stories with strong, likable characters captivate me, and in those stories the tension involves fear and dread for the characters’ safety more often than physical terror in reaction to plot events.

I like to be spooked, but usually I don’t enjoy scenes of violence, gore, or intense terror. SG I have always preferred ghost stories that were more mystery than horror. Was it difficult to write a book that involves the supernatural and yet keep it from being too frightening for young readers? I know a story that appeals to everyone is a rare or even impossible thing, but I still want people to like my story babies! My stories are the children of my imagination, and I flinch a bit when people criticize them. Writing can also be hard on one’s feelings. I love being alone, but I still have moments where I feel like an outcast from society, especially when I’ve had too many days at home staring at the computer screen without ever changing out of my pj’s. And as a former teacher, I grab any opportunity to talk about stories with readers and writers, especially young ones. (Perhaps this explains why so many writers are introverts?) It truly is a thrill for me to have a career in telling stories.

SG Stories in all their forms enrich my life almost as much-and sometimes more than-human relationships. Tell us a little bit about what you like about being a writer. Sonia Gensler photo by Eden Wilson Photography

The revenant by sonia gensler