Between the Living and the Dead follows a teen girl whose friends die in a hit-and-run accident, causing her to discover she has the ability to interact with ghosts and leading her to uncover long-buried secrets about her heritage. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

There were multiple inspirations for this story. When I was a teenager for some reason I was convinced my bathroom hallway had magical potential. I had recurring nightmares and dreams about magical events happening in there. When I was a kid, I was curious and often volunteered to investigate “mysteries” for friends at school. Most of the time it was trivial stuff, but in my imagination, I dreamed of solving Sherlock Holmesian-like mysteries. As I grew older I fell on some Hercule Poirot books and I devoured them. I am also an adoptee from Venezuela and the search to find my origins has been a major part of my life in recent years; I chose to incorporate that into my main character’s journey. I have always loved ghost stories, (even though I was thoroughly spooked about the idea of ghosts for a while in my teens). I thought it would be cool for an average teenager who had nothing but curiosity, observation, and gumption going for her to suddenly have magical powers and being able to see things in the “In Between” having just enough of a different lens of the world to see what others cannot.

The supporting characters in this novel were intriguing and well-developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?

This is a hard question; probably Cavilla; she is heavily modeled on me, and she is what an alternate version of me would have been (minus the magic powers of course!)

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

The most important themes for me were: cultural heritage and identity. Growing up in a white family that didn’t acknowledge my ethnic origins was a challenge. Having my birth family and adoption papers withheld also added a layer of complexity and grief. I think others can relate to this experience. As I did research on Peruvian lore and mythology as well, I found it was almost impossible to find authentic source material and primary resources about it. So much has been erased by colonialist retellings. So I took the liberty to adapt and add to the original lore. I am a 90s baby, so I incorporated that 90s feel in the story; a generation that is often teased now for being “old” but there were many cool things despite there being less tech for example. Most importantly the themes of friendship, solidarity, and following your gut were key to this book. Encouraging kids to explore, to keep digging, and care for their friends and family is vital.

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?

Yes, it is the first book in the series. I have no idea when the next book is coming out. The sequel(s) will expand more into the different pachas, Cavilla’s powers, more cases for her to explore as she gets older, and more into her birth family.

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