Interview with David Fitz-Gerald, author of She Sees Ghosts - The Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls

 

A blazing fire killed her family and devoured her home. A vengeful demon haunted her. Ghosts of the Revolutionary War needed help that only she could provide. A young woman languished, desperate to survive, and teetered on the edge of sanity.

Mehitable grew up in a freshly tamed town, carved from the primeval forest. Family, friends, and working at the mercantile filled her days and warmed her heart. For Mehitable, life was simple and safe, until tragedy struck. When her family perished in their burning home, she retreated into a world of her own making.

As a young girl, she had seen glimmers, glimpses, and flickers of the spirit world. She closed her eyes. She turned her back. She ignored the apparitions that she never spoke of, desperately hoping they would leave her in peace. She was mistaken.

Grief-stricken, Mehitable withdrew from the human world. Ghosts were everywhere. They became bolder. She could no longer turn her back on the spirit world. Her friends feared for her survival. Nobody understood her. She would have to find her own way.

Fans of TV’s Ghost Whisperer and Long Island Medium will especially love She Sees Ghosts. This historical novel features memorable characters and delivers bone-tingling, spine chilling goosebumps. It stands on its own and it is the next installment in the Adirondack Spirit Series by the award-winning author of Wanders Far―An Unlikely Hero’s Journey. David Fitz-Gerald delivers a historical novel with a bittersweet ending that you won’t see coming.

Would she save the spirits’ souls, or would they save her? Only time would tell.

Interviewing David Fitz-Gerald

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

What a fun question. One of my favorite locations to write about is also one of my favorite places to visit. It is an undeveloped 100-acre lake in the Adirondacks of New York State, near Lake Placid. It is called Copperas Pond. It requires a short hike, and it’s well worth the trip. 

Copperas Pond

What is the first book that made you cry?

I wish I could remember. I’m sure it was a horse book, and there’s a good chance it was Thunderhead by Mary O’Hara.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?

If this aspiring writer is any indication, perhaps it is going into too much detail about things I care about but that most people would not. For example, sometimes I go into too much detail about how things are made when a reader might just want a little taste of that.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Commas. My cousin, who is my editor, must think I’m untrainable when it comes to commas. Perhaps if she keeps at it, she will get somewhere with me.

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I’m finding that indie authors are very supportive. I’m pretty new at this, but I’ve had a chance to interact with a growing number of other authors. It’s great sharing triumphs and tribulations and helping each other by providing feedback. In the case of She Sees Ghosts, Elizabeth Bell, author of the Lazare Family Saga, made several observations that made my book better. One point I most appreciated was not to lose track of the cat in the book. Author Paul Bennett lent me a character from his series, The Mallory Saga, for a crossover appearance in my book. It was fun to do, and I think it fits the story perfectly.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Maybe I would tell my younger writing self not to major in accounting. However, maybe I was not meant to write as a youngster.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

The experience of participating in blog tours is so wonderful, I’d easily say that’s the best money I’ve spent as a writer.

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

I think it might be when I read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown. I remember reading it as a kid when we were on a camping vacation while I had poison ivy. You can tell that language has power over you when it sticks to you for fifty years.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

I recently read a great book by Eileen Charbonneau called Seven Aprils. I think it should be a best-seller.

What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?

Clearly, I owe my grandfather a lot. My first book was about the business he built in the 1960s. After writing that book, I was hooked, and I continued writing. She Sees Ghosts is my third book, and it is at least somewhat inspired by a visit my grandfather paid me after his passing. Although I didn’t appreciate it at the time, thank you for visiting me that night, Grandpa.

What does literary success look like to you?

Anytime someone tells me something specific that they like about my book, that’s what success feels like to me. Recently, someone told me that I was her favorite author, and I was blown away. And the sense of satisfaction when a book is finished and ready to share with readers is worth all the time and effort that goes into creating it.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I like going to the locations I write about, visiting museums, and reading books. I’ve also found tremendously useful information in old newspapers and on Ancestry.com. I love old postcards, and many of them have inspired scenes in my books. In the case of She Sees Ghosts, I also binge-watched Ghost Whisperer and Long Island Medium episodes. I think the amount of research required before writing a book varies. I find that as I’m writing, I discover I need to do more research along the way.

What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?

I think this is a very important question. Most of my historical characters are fictional. I try not to drift far from the facts or take creative license with the characters who lived real lives. She Sees Ghosts is set far enough in the past that I feel a little more comfortable fictionalizing them than I felt when I wrote my first book, which was set in the 1960s and early 1970s. I was cautious, knowing that I was writing about living people, their parents, and grandparents.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

I read every book review. The positive reviews keep me writing. Critical reviews tell me a lot about what needs improvement and can help me write better in the future. On the other hand, not every book is for every reader, and sometimes a critical review reflects that. All that said, a harsh review sure can ruin my day.

What was your hardest scene to write?

Chapter 19. I shouldn’t say too much about this chapter since it occurs three-quarters of the way into the book, and I don’t want to spoil it, but maybe I could say a little something about it. I think readers will be surprised to find a romantic storyline at this point in this book and be surprised by our protagonist in this situation. I always had this scene in mind for this point in the story, yet for some reason, it was the hardest one for me to write. I’m grateful for my collaborator’s suggestions, and I love the way it turned out. Aside from advancing the plotline, I think it adds a welcome respite from the ghostly elements in the rest of the book.

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

Leisure time. Oh wait, I already did that! I can’t think of a more rewarding hobby than to spend all my free time writing, so I guess that’s my answer.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Helping my stories find the people who will love them is the most difficult challenge. It could be because my books don’t fit solidly in one genre and aren’t immediately comparable to other titles. If you know of other books that are similar to mine, please let me know. You can reach me at dave@itsoag.com.

If you had to do something different as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

Strangely, I am finding 8^th grade English very helpful as a “home school teacher.” It turns out these lessons are valuable in real life. I wish I had paid more attention to grammar lessons in school.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

So far, about one year, but I’m getting faster. I’ve noticed that some stories are more challenging to write than others, and it also depends on how much research is necessary.

Do you believe in writer’s block? If not, why? If so, why?

I do believe in writer’s block, having experienced it. Fortunately, I’ve been able to write around the block, and my collaborator has been able to help me when I’ve gotten stuck. Most of my blocks have been attributable to trying to force something into a story that doesn’t belong. Once I figure out why it doesn’t fit, I’m usually able to conquer the block. Sometimes the scene gets cut from the story.

Buy Links:

 Amazon

¸.•*´¨)✯ ¸.•*¨) ✮ ( ¸.•´✶

About the Author

David Fitz-Gerald

David Fitz-Gerald writes fiction that is grounded in history and soars with the spirits. Dave enjoys getting lost in the settings he imagines and spending time with the characters he creates. Writing historical fiction is like making paintings of the past. He loves to weave fact and fiction together, stirring in action, adventure, romance, and a heavy dose of the supernatural with the hope of transporting the reader to another time and place. He is an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked all of the highest peaks in New York State, so it should not be surprising when Dave attempts to glorify hikers as swashbuckling superheroes in his writing. She Sees Ghosts―A Story of a Woman Who Rescues Lost Souls is the next installment in the Adirondack Spirit Series.

Connect with David

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram