The Ghost of Pickleball Past combines sports fiction, murder mystery, supernatural intrigue, and broad comedy as pickleball enthusiasts confront a new death, a Hollywood film about past crimes, and a ghostly spiritual mission. What did you most want to accomplish with this installment?

By providing Hollywood movie stars, humor, a ghost, a prison break, and murder, I am able to bring the world of pickleball into a more exciting light. Pickleball novels from other authors force upon the reader a boring, typical Sherlock Holmes feel, thrown in with a cheesy, forced romance. My novel introduces the reader to an unlimited pickleball world that combines adventure, mystery, and unconventional out-of-the-box methods to solve incredible problems. The ultimate protagonist, Ghost Elaine, guides the reader through this adventure as she haunts the man who previously murdered her, who is the ultimate antagonist – Peter Weatherford.

Did you want readers to sympathize with Peter, understand him, or simply witness his transformation?

Although it would be difficult for any sane person to sympathize with a serial killer, I do hope that the novel emphasizes the fact that there are very few true narcissists in the world who are completely incapable of developing a strong sense of morality. And yes, I do want the readers to witness his transformation. I am the director of the Larned State Hospital psycho-education program. Through education, role-playing activities, and classes that help the patients delve into the reasons they have committed horrendous crimes, over time most of our patients do change for the better. Some even go on to earn their freedom from this locked-down institution and develop into productive members of society.

How did you balance spiritual themes with the novel’s broad comedy?

I like this question because I do feel as though humor should be added to spirituality. I feel as though most churches push people away for not treating people as real individuals with real feelings. In many churches, God is portrayed as a serious person who loves you but is constantly warning you to follow a ton of unrealistic rules set by churches. The world I provide the reader expresses that people overall want to enjoy life without feeling confined to a set of rules that do not include sex, laughter, and fun. I view God as a funny being that not only loves us all but truly wants us to have a good time. Evidence of this is in the bible. Jesus chooses his first miracle to be turning water into wine at a massive days-long wedding celebration. Do you really think that people were simply drinking alcohol to quench their thirst?

If readers could take one idea from the novel into their own lives, what would you want it to be?

The idea I would like people to take to apply to their own lives is to know that no matter how bad their situation is, there is always a path to happiness. Enjoy life. Try your best not to hurt others, but if you do, there is always room for forgiveness and retribution.

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