The Missing Children of Blackwood follows a sharp, quirky, and self-assured girl who gets swept up in the town’s haunted and dark past and needs to solve the mystery of the missing children to save her parents. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

My daughter was the inspiration for the setup of my story. She inspires everything I do. I’m a bit of a nervous dad, so if we are walking together in a grocery store or a restaurant or whatever, and I turn to grab something or look away for just a moment—and when I look back I don’t see her, even if it’s only a split-second, I panic. I mean, I really do. I swallow my throat into my stomach every time. She thinks it’s hilarious, but it scares the living shrimp out of me! I’m not a helicopter parent, (not fully) but I couldn’t imagine being separated from her for even a day, especially under circumstances like in my book where I have no control over it. Just the thought is scary. So, when writing the book, I tried to imagine what it might be like for her to feel the same way, and then tell it from her point of view. Obviously, there are some really terrible ways in which a parent and child could be separated in real life that may be more serious and less fun for a kid to read compared to something a bit far-fetched and fantastical, so I decided to go more supernaturally with it and keep it fun, for the most part. I wrote DaPhne to be brave and kept the focus of the story on her conquering whatever obstacles were thrown at her—be it the sadness of separating from her parents and eventually Sparrow, giant rocks of falling death landing razor close to her human body as she watched in her ghost form helpless to do anything about it, or the ground opening up like a monstrous mouth to swallow her whole. I wanted her to be strong and capable through it all and to keep moving forward, no matter what.

When creating DaPhne, did you have a plan for development and character traits, or did it grow organically as you were writing the story?

I never had a solid plan when writing this story. I started in the middle and worked backward. I knew, more or less, where I wanted to go with it, I just needed to find the right path. But I always had a clear vision of how I wanted to write DaPhne. I wrote her based 100% on the personality and style of my twelve-year-old daughter. I simply toned down the snark, and the sass (not kidding). One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed when writing the character, was feeling like a kid again, myself, and getting the stamp of approval from my wife and daughter about making sure not to sound too much like a “dude,” when writing the female characters. I got it wrong a few times, I’ll admit—even the editor called me out on it—but it all came together in the end and I’m pleased with how it turned out.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

One of the most important themes for me, when writing this book, was perseverance. I never wanted DaPhne to give in, even when it seemed like all hope was lost. I wanted her to be a little fighter, just like my own DaPhne. I also wanted kids who read the book to feel like they can be little fighters—mighty, just like DaPhne —and that if they ever find themselves in a tough situation like DaPhne (whether it’s a ghost town possessed by a witch or something else), I want them to know they have the power to forge on and keep fighting, no matter what the odds are—because they do! We all do. Aside from that, I didn’t want the reader to become too settled. I took a few chapters in the beginning to plant the seed and get the story growing, but afterward, I wanted something happening (or about to happen) in each chapter. I have severe ADHD (three extra scoops of ADHD in a cone made of ADHD), and so does my daughter, so my main goal was to keep the suspense gripping as well as a fast-paced story told by a relatable character so as not to lose her attention. I figured if I could get her to read it, and she enjoyed it, I might have a chance with others her age. And of course, the humor. There needs to be humor in everything. The more humor the better. Thor 1 and 2 were good (anything with Chris Hemsworth is a winner), but Thor Ragnarok was GREAT : ) because it had more humor.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?

I don’t think I have fans just yet, but I like the idea : )

As far as the book goes, it was actually written to be a stand-alone book. I personally like the cliffhanger ending, I always have. The editor is the one who introduced the idea of a series. If I do decide to make it into a series, I have a few ways in which direction I could take it. All I can say for now is that the trucker lady would definitely be returning as one of the main characters—transporting some precious museum cargo that is more than just cargo—along with DaPhne and her parents and a few new characters, (DaPhne’s friends) for a new adventure. But like the weather, that could all change.

Fun fact, that bit in the book with the gum actually happened … to me : (

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