Eighth-grade sleuth, Campbell Olson, wanted to be class president. What she got was a dead rat, a clue, and a ghost from the past.
Many of you know me as a teacher. But I am also a writer. When my husband's job relocated us to England for a few years, I joined an eclectic group of writers who taught me the craft of story telling. They were tough task masters but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world! I've been putting pen to paper ever since. The original idea behind the The Ghost, The Rat, and Me was actually born during that time.
When I started writing the The Ghost,The Rat and Me, it was my husband who brought me to task. I had created a ghost world as the protagonist's side-kick. I was looking at the mystery and he wanted to know more about the ghost, Temple Black.
Since Bell Olson is a sleuth, I was concentrating on her emotional state at having lost a best friend and the ensuing mystery. But I wanted the story to be something different. When the idea came to me to make Temple a ghost, I didn't realize the doors it would open. Temple demanded to be front and center. And he wanted Bell to know how things work in his new world and how it relates to her world. Much to my delight, I discovered the ghost world is totally fun to write and Temple teaches me something new about it everyday.
The protagonist Bell is a very independent young lady, who is not afraid to challenge herself. And Temple is not afraid to voice his opinions. They are a conglomeration of the girl/boy relationships that I’ve watched over the years as both a teacher and a mother.
The core personality behind Bell is my own daughter, who did not differentiate when it came to friends. She was the champion of the underdog, and friend to all. And age did not matter to her. My girlfriends were also her girlfriends. I once referred to a close friend of mine as my girlfriend, only to be corrected by a six year old who informed me that my friend was also her girlfriend, too. And she was right!
The mystery is ultimately a tale of two best friends. The relationship between Bell and Temple and the next clue is what drives the story. I want the reader to feel like they are in the middle of the room watching these two friends react to each other. I want them to see that Bell is brave but full of angst inside. I want them to see the know-it-all, super brainy side of Temple but also the caring, silly side. I want them to feel the characters’ emotions, laugh at their jokes, and worry about what takes place next. If that happens, then maybe, I’ve come close to doing my job.
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