Q&A With A Reader: Spooky Season Edition

There's something special about this time of year for readers. On a personal level, as a romance gal, I'm looking forward to vampire romance, werewolf romance, witch romance... You get the picture. Because once October hits, so does spooky season.

In celebration of that season, I sat down with Donna, a reader who fell in love with ghost stories. (Maybe I should add some ghost romance to my TBR?)

Q: When did you get into reading?

A: I actually wasn't much of a reader until the past 10 years or so. I was busy raising kids, and didn't dedicate time to reading for myself—just reading to them or having them read to me. I've had a "love of reading" in the sense of wanting them to enjoy it, but when we'd go to the bookstore or library, I wouldn't buy anything for myself. I was too busy getting 40 books at a time for the kids.

Q: What drew you to the books you like to read today?

A: I love stories that explore the past, especially mystery ghost stories. I like it when there's a haunted house that has unfinished business from 200 years ago, when there's a mystery that needs to be solved for the ghost to pass to the other side. I'm not into gory stories. It's more about the history, even if it's fiction in the form of psychological thrillers and suspense.

Q: What are your favorite tropes or themes?

A: In a lot of the books I read, there's a haunted house. The main character might inherit it or buy it, and they might find something in the attic. They ultimately have to figure out why the house has been abandoned. My favorite trope, though, is family secrets.

Q: Do you have any one-click authors? What got you into them?

A: Darcy Coates. Her books are full of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. The first one I read was Ghost Camera, and I was hooked from there. I especially loved the Gravekeeper series, which follows a woman who can communicate with ghosts and tries to help them move on. Since it's a five-book series, you really get to know all the characters and their stories. None of them was about shock value—they were about uncovering each ghost's past and understanding why they were still stuck.

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Q: Why does Darcy Coates stand out to you?

A: I love her settings. From Below takes place under the sea, Parasite is in space... She's even set stories on a snowy mountain, a tropical island, and a forest. My favorites are still her haunted house stories, but seeing her explore different settings has made me want to branch out, too. I started following her on Instagram, subscribed to her newsletter, and kept up with everything she's written. I even went back to read her short stories, which are just as engaging as her longer books are. Her writing has such an easy flow that keeps my interest, so for someone who wasn't an avid reader, she made me become more of a reader.

Q: What's one book you've read by her that would make a great movie?

A: All of them would be good. But I think From Below, for the visuals. Or maybe The Carrow Haunt, which is about a tour guide that hosts a paranormal investigator and a medium in a house with the ghost of a serial killer.

Q: What would you recommend to someone getting into Darcy Coates?

A: If you're not big into reading and you want quick, interesting, spooky tales, start with her collections of short stories. They pack a lot of punch, and you definitely get your spine-chilling suspense.

Q: What did you recently finish reading?

A: Gravewater Lake by A.M. Strong and Sonya Sargent.

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Q: What are you currently reading?

A: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell.

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Q: And just for fun... What's your favorite thing to watch during spooky season?

A: I think my love of mystery started with Scooby-Doo. It's fun that they'd suspect one person, but the big reveal would show that it was someone completely different. I also like watching ghost shows on the Travel Channel. You learn about the history behind the land or houses they visit, and uncover the stories of why people believe those places might be cursed. I don't usually watch just horror stuff. I'm more about the most haunted places in America.

Happy reading!

~Meg