Mississippi Wizards follows two women from different eras whose lives become intertwined through violence, grief, and the haunting presence of a persistent ghost named Nancy. Where did the idea behind this novel come from?

I’d had a few conversations with two of my closest friends, both of whom, unfortunately, have had experiences with some form of racial hatred or another, including with the KKK. I wanted to show just how broad those hate groups are in who they target, and I wondered what would happen if one of them targeted a family member, and what would happen if that person became a ghost. What lengths would they go to, if they could, to protect another family member? The idea just sort of expanded from there.

The novel combines supernatural horror with survival thriller elements and social issues. How did you balance those different genres and themes?

I’ve always been a firm believer that human monsters are far worse than the literary ones. Sometimes, they turn out like Billy- evil, hateful, and violent- but I also wanted to be careful to show that there are those of us in society who, though we may not consider them monsters, certainly succumb to bigotry, hate, and fear. To do so, I did extensive interviews with people who had real-life stories to offer. Though none of them exactly matched this story, I hope I was able to get the essential message across: Together, we are all stronger than hate.

Nancy is both frightening and deeply connected to the characters’ histories. How did you develop her personality and decide what kind of ghost she would be?

When I thought of Nancy, I considered what it would have been like for her to be betrayed in such a final, ultimate fashion. I wondered what she would do to keep someone else in her family from experiencing the same fate, and how frustrating it would be if her plans were foiled over and over again. I felt that, for anyone else, desperation and anger would play a key role, but that desperation would take precedence for Nancy, since she wasn’t a bitter person in life.

The final scene suggests that there may be another strange story waiting to unfold. Did you always envision Mississippi Wizards as potentially opening the door to another story?

Yes and no. When I first thought of this story, I loved the idea that Cassandra could see ghosts and help them, and I thought it would be cool to have her eventually transition into a role where she could help lay spirits to rest. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it would be the choice of the ghost to show itself to her, not the other way around. For that, there needs to be some type of connection. Without that, I didn’t think Cassandra or Liza would get into the proverbial ghost-hunting business, as neither of their personalities would match with that. They were forced into it; they didn’t choose it. If I ever write another story with Cassandra and Liza, it won’t likely be a ghost story.

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