So. Ghosts.
I’ve been working on AKMG (that’s Always Kiss Me Goodnight to those of you who just arrived) and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m dreaming about it, the scenes are coming out fairly strong in rough draft–they’re a mess but they’re a good mess–and I’m really enjoying the research. Which is on ghosts.
It’s a tribute to how little atmosphere my house has that I can research ghosts in the middle of the night and not feel spooked, although I am going to save re-reading The Haunting of Hill House until a nice bright sunny day. I want to get the theory of this as correct as possible since one of the characters is a parapsychologist, but I also want to get the spook factor right, thus Shirley Jackson. But my editor said something that’s making me think. She said that she thought ghosts might put off my readers because they think of Crusie books as grounded in reality. I’ve never thought of my books as grounded in reality, they’ve always taken place in Crusie World–write what you know, people–but I think that’s exactly what she meant: Are there ghosts in Crusie World? More to the point are the Bad Ghosts in Crusie World? Or as she put it, “There are an awful lot of ghosts here, and they ain’t Casper.” (Have I mentioned I love my editor?)
Of course my position is that if I write ghosts, there are ghosts in Crusie World, but that’s just me being stubborn. I do have to write the book the way it needs to be written, but how I write those ghosts, how they come across, is going to have a major impact on reader satisfaction. There are still some people bitching about Crazy for You because “stalking isn’t funny.” Okay, first, I don’t write funny stories. I write stories and sometimes parts of them are funny, but I am not a laff riot, looking for the joke on every page, I do not consider myself a funny writer. Second, did I write it as if stalking were funny? No. I made the bastard pay. But that ignores the point that people are still upset about that. They tuned in for a laff riot and got a stalker. Short of having my publisher put “Not A Laff Riot” on the front of my novels, I’m not sure how to deal with this misperception that everything in a Crusie will be Light and Humorous. it never was.
On the other hand, there haven’t been ghosts before, either. So I’m thinking of it as widening my parameters. Because the story has to be what the story has to be.
And because I want to write ghosts.
Ghosts are about the most maintstream paranormal element–meaning not that your idea is mainstream but that your readers will probably take it in stride. And everyone loves a ghost story.
So, ghosts.
I don’t know that I believe in them, but I am not ruling them out.
I have a pretty rational life and set of beliefs, but I had an Incident about 18 years ago, and it still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. That was my reality.
You want to write ghosts? Write ghosts.
I’m perfectly willing to believe in ghosts in Crusie World. After all, C.W. also holds True Love and Happily Ever After and eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts without guilt.
Of course my position is that if I write ghosts, there are ghosts in Crusie World, but that’s just me being stubborn.
..No, that is you writing a Crusie
I do have to write the book the way it needs to be written, but how I write those ghosts, how they come across, is going to have a major impact on reader satisfaction
..Granted. I read something today (in my senior moments I do not remember where ) that the major influence in publishing is the woman who tosses a book into her shopping cart in the grocery store . Having said that.
Readers who ‘expected’ found that DLD was ‘not a Crusie’
..WGandTS. Write your ghosts
Okay, that comment might have been a wee bit on the cynical side. I’m sure it’s possible for some people to eat KK doughnuts without guilt.
How about funny ghosts? Like the Kirbys in Topper? (Should I duck and run…)
You gotta write what you gotta write - thats being a Writer.
And we will read it because they’ll be Crusie ghosts and we are Crusie readers.
Smart arse, wise-cracking, snarky ghosts. Or dark, angry, scary ones. Casper’s been done. Bring it on.
Can’t wait.
It’s not the lack of ghosts that makes Crusie-world seem real, it’s the presence of so many things that are mundane. Like doughnuts and guilt and not wanting to feel guilty, and being intensely fixated on how much you hated your ex-boyfriend’s furniture. Add the ghosts and it will still feel real, so long as the struggles over Krispy Kreme guilt still remain.
Personally? Through a ghost or two into a novel and I’m hooked.
Be you. The muse writes what she wants to write.
Through a ghost?
Bah … it’s late.
Throw. Throw. Throw.
I’m going to bed.
I thought the stalking in Crazy for You worked well, and frankly, was glad to see someone get it right and show a woman prevail.
Write what you want to write. I don’t think you’re being stubborn, I think you’re listening to your instincts. Whether or not the audience will follow is a marketing issue that no one can judge anyway, so why let it interfere with the creative process? That’s like asking your worst enemy to sit on your shoulder and approve the words in the rough draft.
Your fan base is going to trust you. Trust them.
Toni’s write about your fan base trusting you. I trust you. I mean it will be a departure for you, but departure’s a good. You don’t grow as a writer if you don’t try new things. And while I do go to your books expecting them to be funny, looking back at Fast Women and Don’t Look Down and even Bet Me, I remember that there’s a lot of funny stuff, but good lord, some of that stuff when I stop and think about it is really dark. Go for it. I among others are really looking forward to it.
One of the things I like about your books is that you never do the same story twice. You want ghosts? Then put in ghosts. And no, I wouldn’t expect them to be light and fluffy Caspars.
ghosts are good. our house has one that helped raise our teenager, her sterio would snap off when I yelled to turn it down and she wouldn’t, if a door was slammed, that door always pop’d open, mandy knew she would have to open and close it 10 times nicely,Mrs. O’Heada, previous owner, helped.
I say bring them on. I grew up on Topper. And,I have a wip with a ghost of my own.
You’re editor is right, I would never expect a ghost story in a Crusie book, so other publishers (I’m thinking of the international market, because I met your books first in translation) might be sceptical, too. But I, personally, am not against trying out something new if it’s written well. Which your books are, so write what you have to write. And I’ll read it for sure.
Doris in Munich
Well, I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it here, too.
Everybody takes their best guess at what makes a Crusie a Crusie, and no one really knows. To me, there’s a certain zing in your writing - not necessarily the funny, but often it is funny - that is just there, no matter what you’re writing about. You’re sharp and honest and you make everyone work for what they get. I can see why the publishers would be nervous, if they think Crusies are all about light and funny and non-paranormal southern Ohio, but the publishers are mistaken on this one. You write like a surgeon wields a scalpel, and I see no reason why you can’t do that with ghosts. As a matter of fact, the very thought makes me extremely happy inside, seeing Crusie do something new and exciting. I think it’s gonna be wonderful.
I think that when people take a dramatic departure, it can be unsettling for the publishers. If you started writing dark paranormal historicals, I could see a little shaking in their boots. But here, you’re really just expanding on what you already do, what already makes you great. No worries, luv. No worries.
I should think that if someone was going to name a Crusie book that wasn’t a laugh riot it would be “Tell Me Lies.” Parts of that book still make me cry. But it was also probably one of your best. And while it sure wasn’t a comedy, it did have the elements of snarky humor that we love to read in a Crusie book.
To me it’s the characters you write that are ‘grounded in reality.’ Because they are women who are mostly just living their lives and this stuff happens. And it’s how they deal with the stuff that happens that makes a Crusie heroine. She’s the heroine we all want to be, complete with a sharp witty tongue.
So you go ahead and write about ghosts, Jenny. And you’ll make us believe in the possibility. You’ll also show us how a Crusie heroine deals with it and we’ll all feel better prepared for the possibility.
God I love Lani - perfectly put my dear friend. Couldn’t have said it better. Of course I kind of remember Jenny recently telling some crazied writer in Western NY to write it the way “I” felt it needed to be written.
Talk about a departure in writing for me. Nice cozy romances to a mondern day frankenstein with a twist that will leave you feeling a bit unsettled, to say the least.
There are ghosts in Crusie land. I think it will be wonderful.
And for the record, you are funny. Very funny. Your voice has a certian sound to it that is very funny. Not over the top funny but funny. I can’t explain it, but it’s wonderful.
Go Jenny!
Will it have a smart, snarky heroine who carries around just a smidge of self-doubt?
Then, I think it’s a Crusie.
I agree with what seems to be the consensus that it’s ghosts in Crusie world, so I still think the “recognizable” Crusie would be there. Also, it’s really easy to put a ghost on the cover and then everyone (should) know what they are getting into.
Grounded in reality? Really? Not the first thing I think of. As for not being funny, Jenny, you are funny. Not in a “laff riot” kind of way, but in a sharp, incisive, wry, intelligent way that makes an angry woman stabbing her frustrations into a frozen brownie one of the funniest laugh out loud scenes I’ve ever read. You make us see humour where there maybe shouldn’t be any. That’s good. But no, it’s not joke telling.
If you can write about a hitman and a witch with blue sparkle dust, I don’t see why not a few ghosts. Just don’t write about, um, let’s see, thinking here– clowns, maybe. Yeah, clowns. Don’t write about clowns. That would be weird. I mean, I’d still buy the book. But I don’t know that I’d read it.
Of course, that’s just me.
Who am I kidding? Probably I’d read even a Crusie about clowns. But you’d have to let Bob pick the title.
Have a little faith, woman. Write the story. And convince them to use that gorgeous collage for the book cover. Really.
You are never going to please everyone at the same time so you might as well please yourself by writing the story you want/need to write. If someone complains-well screw em.
On the back cover of AKMG: “On her blog, arghink.com, Crusie says ‘There haven’t been ghosts before in my writing. So I thought of widening my parameters.’”
That should take care of it. Truth in advertising.
You know, reality is the wrong word. Your stories are grounded in truth. You tell the truth, even when it’s filled with fear and pain and anger. Especially then.
So tell your ghost story and tell the truth, however you see it. Not real, not acceptable. True. You’ll be fine. And readers will be satisfied.
By the way, this would be a great tagline:
“There are an awful lot of ghosts here, and they ain’t Casper.”
You write it, I’ll read it
Though if you channel Shirley Jackson and The Haunting of Hill House, I’ll save it for a sunny day myself! That is the freakiest book I’ve ever read, and it still makes me reread it. Even laff riots have a dark side - it’s what makes CW 3 dimensional instead of flat.
Ooooh, would love to read a Crusie ghost. Doesn’t matter if it’s dark and scary or a Casper. Just finished up Beyond the Shadows which I’d written last year. I used Rox’s deconstruction on it and then reconstructed. It has a witch antagonist who refused to cross over. Her spirit dabbles in lots of wrongdoing but it’s all for a good purpose. I had so much fun writing this story. So go, write, have fun with it, explore all possibilities. I think your fans will love it.
BTW, does the ghost get a pov? *grin*
Ghosts? Well, I didn’t think I would ever read a vampire book but then Nora came out with her Circle Trilogy and guess what? Yep, I read them because they were Nora’s and I knew that they would be excellent, and of course they were. So if Crusie decides to write about ghosts I’ll be reading that also. I happen to like ghost stories, so I think I will love this one.
Like someone else said, have faith. We know that your books aren’t comedies–they just happen to have laugh-out-loud moments in them that catch us by surprise. And knowing you, those ghosts will be the snarkiest ghosts ever! I have never been disappointed in a Crusie book and I don’t think I will be disappointed with this one either. You’ve got a rare talent, Jenny. Don’t be afraid to explore it and see where it takes you.
Go for it Jenny.
I think you should cut and paste these comments into an email and send it to the editor and publisher if necessary for these are your readers and we say “Let Jenny write what she wants to write. We will read it.”
I was talking about you to a friend last night, and this “grounded in reality” thing came up. Not that the stories necessarily are, but the characters are. I love that the heroines are like me, meaning NOT skinny rich 22-year-old CEOs being abducted by sheiks and who know exactly what a man likes despite the fact they’re virgins. Who’s reality is that? Not mine. So go ahead and write about ghosts; they’re more realistic to me than the aforementioned scenario. I’ll be waiting to buy it when you’re done.
Crusie World is what it is because you dreamed it that way. If you dream ghosts, then there are ghosts. Please don’t let anyone box you in - nobody puts Baby in a corner! Where you lead, we will follow, any-anywhere…
BCB writes: You know, reality is the wrong word. Your stories are grounded in truth. You tell the truth, even when it’s filled with fear and pain and anger. Especially then. ::
This is it in a nutshell. It will still be a Crusie book, ghosts or not. So pah. You just wrote a witch and nobody said “boo” (sorry) about that, right? So what’s wrong with ghosts?
As it happens, I just finished up a YA with a ghost. It’s still me, with my characters and blend of angst and humor and such, just with a soupcon of The Other. And it’s still grounded in reality, or truth, or whatever you want to call it. My core storytelling hasn’t changed, even if one of the characters is a bit less substantial than usual.
A ghost in your voice? I am so there.
I know a few people who don’t care for ANYTHING paranormal at all in their reading. I know far more who will read about vampires, ghosts, werewolves, sensitive, but strong and confident men…
Wait, sorry, I got carried away.
No, Jenny, we don’t want to keep you in a box. I think the consensus is that you’d be unhappy there, and that we want you happy (especially if that means you’ll write more; if we had to choose, well…).
There have been a very small number of authors about whom I decided I would read one style of their writing but not another - but it’s been very small, and it certainly wasn’t over anything as insubstantial as a ghost. Not even a mean one.
Jenny, I’m hoping that you haven’t experienced many dead bodies in real life Crusie world, yet you write about the discovery of those bodies pretty realistically.
Have some people over for dinner — I would be inclined to invite mostly women, and women from the creative arts at that. After a good dinner (cater, pot luck, whatever) and a fair amount of wine or mojitos, with only candles on the table, start telling real life ghost stories.
Really really good. Spooky but not necessarily scary.
I am personally looking forward to the Crusie paranormals. It will be two of my favorite things combined.
If you are trying to get a really creepy you must read it in the daylight try the Shadowlands website and Guardian Tales. On Guardian Tales read Jan’s Tales which are the creepiest things ever. I only read them a few times are year at high noon. Then I sleep with a nightlight, my bible and a container of sea salt (all of which I keep in my room since I like to prepare for anything.) But anyway away from my need to contact people to the website they truly need I am looking forward to this novel since I love your heroines which are strong and feel very real to life without having the too stupid to live feel to them. Also whose to say that there hasn’t been any ghosts in previous novels that just didn’t show up onscreen.
Of course I belive in ghosts but I grew up near Antietem Battlefield so virtually everyone I know has a ghost story. In fact I only have a handful of firends who don’t. So I tend to accept ghost as real. But best of luck and I am sure that we will all love the book.
Write what you have to write. Not that you are at all like Grisham, but I picked up “A Painted House” looking for another fast-paced law-based thriller, pure fluff, to while away the hours at the airport and on a plane. Instead, I find one of the most delightful reads I’d picked up in years.
Did Grisham change his style and genre? Absolutely. Was that OK with me? Yes. I think it’s his best book by far.
I think when you write what the muse demands, the readers end up the winners for it. Your other books may be fabulous, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have even better in you… GO FOR IT!
Adding my voice to the chorus: you write ghosts, I’ll buy ghosts. Seeing a Crusie heroine react to ghosts should be good.
I think people read your books because you push the boundaries, so keep it up. If you feel there are ghosts in Crusie World, then there are and they’ll probably complain if you try to kick them out.
The stalking worked because it was realistic, it was scary and it wasn’t the hero. I believe the ghosts will work for the same reasons.
Uh, NOT the hero, right?
Actually, now that I think of it, maybe it’s odd that there haven’t been ghosts in Crusie World thus far.
It’s after 10 pm, the house is dark and quiet, and I’m getting spooked by this blog, for Pete’s sake.
Someone has already said this, but honestly, you get even a few folks together and get them to trust each other, and out come the personeal-experience ghost stories. People love ghost stories because they hint at something everybody feels and nobody can prove: THERE IS MORE. Oh, Horatio, there must be more.
There’ll still be warm, solid, lovable heroes and witty, suspicious heroines and a great HEA, right? Happily EVER after.
I’m sure it was you who said it but people buy books for voice. It’s why even if someone hated your last book they still buy the next. It’s an addiction. It’s why we read your blog.
I have to agree with BCB, it’s also the truth in/about your characters that makes it a Crusie. And my opinion is the people who didn’t like certain books, it’s probably because the subject matter hit too close to home.
Ghost? I say go for it, but I may be biased I live for the month of October.
Haven’t had a chance to read all the comments, but . . . .
For goodness sakes, who reads fiction for *reality*? Just how real is art forgers trying to buck their destiny and go straight? You made that real — you can make ghosts real, too.
As Abraham Lincoln said, “Some people bitch all of the time, and all people bitch some of the time, but nobody never bitches none of the time.” (-: Or something like that. If *you* like it, go for it. Many people will buy it just because it’s a Crusie. (Me, for example.) And it seems a logical step from sisters with magic powers.
If I’m repeating what someone else said, well, maybe it bears repeating. And if the ghost of Abraham Lincoln haunts me, well, maybe I deserve it.
P.S. Laughter needs a dark side — that can make it really work. Humor needs the cutting edge that Truth provides. Otherwise it wouldn’t be funny.
Just read the comments. Your fans are very wise.
Maybe your publisher can start the Crusie Paranormal series — spooky yet fun books written or edited by Jennifer Crusie. Or trusted minions. There’s a market out there for it.
Thank you all very much. It’s good to get feedback, especially this kind of feedback.
And my editor said to go for it, too, so she’s probably drinking right now but she’s supporting me, bless her heart. She puts up with a lot. Thank god she’s a saint.
am i the only person who thought Casper was sad? oh, ok, guess it was just me then.
and of course write your ghosts. my question is when can i get the book?
and micki re: Abe’s quote: LMAO.
Abe’s spinning in his grave. You notice, I posted that at 21 minutes past the hour — there’s a superstition that any sudden silence in the conversation at 20 past the hour is Abe’s fault. Creepy guy, Abe. I’ve been googling him all afternoon.
http://www.wintersteel.com/Superstitions.html
Great ghosty superstitions, here, and a little past half-way down, under Sudden Silences, you’ll see the “20 minutes past” superstition.
You could write the phone book and I’d enjoy it. Looking forward to the ghost book!
Syne
Ever since I discovered GHOST HUNTERS on the SciFi channel last year, I have been fascinated with the paranormal in reality. Wait, that sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But you turned me on to Ace of Cakes, Jenny, so may I suggest you watch Ghost Hunters? New season starts within the week, I think. I know Jodi Piccoult worked with Jason and Grant and the team while she was working on SECOND SIGHT. So I bet they’d allow you to go with them on an investigation as well. Now wouldn’t THAT be cool? Talk about research!
You may also want to watch the BBC show MOST HAUNTED on the Travel Channel on Friday nights. This Friday, June 1, this Britshteam, which works with a parapsychologist, is investigating Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. LIVE for 7 hours. Really interesting stuff.
And I’m a reasonably intelligent 55 year old. Who’d buy anything you write. No matter what. In hardback.
Reasonably intelligent, maybe, but a lousy typist. I meant “British team”
There’s never anything wrong with a good ghost story, but I have to ask…
What happened to You Again?
It seems to me that there is only one expert on Crusie World, and that would be you.
Therefore, it would seem to me that whatever you think belongs in Crusie World, would ultimately be a good fit.
Besides, I would think you have one of the most rabidly loyal fan bases ever, and I’m pretty sure they would follow you anywhere.
And if not, eh, you’ll pick up some new ones along the way.
Real life frequently sucks, and when it does we need to cope with it. Humor is the best zero-calorie non-pharmaceutical coping mechanism known to mankind. That’s why there’s so much humor in Crusieworld, and why Crusie’s in ours.
Reality-wise, the majority of the world’s population believes in God in some form or other, and that concept’s a lot more difficult to explain scientifically than the concept of ghosts. In fact, one of my favorite sayings is, roughly, “Some people say they don’t believe in God because they don’t understand how He’s possible. Well, I don’t understand electricity, but I’m not going to sit in the dark until I do”.
On a personal note, my in-laws are about as grounded in reality as any group of people I’ve ever met. There’ve been a couple of incidents, though, that have made us aware of, well, possibilities. My sister-in-law, a level-headed junior-high special education teacher, was in the shower one afternoon when she got the feeling she wasn’t alone in the bathroom. Assuming it was her husband (only other person there), she spoke to him. When she didn’t get a response, she peaked around the curtain. Nobody else was in the room, but in the fog on the mirror was written “good-bye”. Of course, she assumed her spouse was being cute about running out to the store or something. So, she gets out, dries off, and walks into the bedroom to find her husband on the phone getting the news that his grandfather had died unexpectedly. She dragged him into the bathroom to see the fading message. It was a pretty emotional moment for him.
The other incident, or series of incidents, happened when we came home from overseas and moved in next to my mother-in-law (an absolute peach of a woman–I can definitely say I’m the envy of all my acquaintance in that department). The place hadn’t been lived in since DH’s aunt died the year before. Well, the next month my brother-in-law came home for Christmas, bringing his dog. When the dog walked into my kitchen, he stopped just inside the door and started shaking so hard we thought he was having a seizure. It wasn’t until we carried him out of the house that he quit shaking. Turned out that’s where my m-in-law found her s-in-law, just inside the kitchen door. Could there have been a lingering scent? Possible, but I personally bleached the heck out of that floor when we moved in. Couple months later, we kept a friend’s dog for the weekend. Now, this dog was the biggest chowhound on the planet, and the most obedient, but he would not step foot in that kitchen no matter what you offered him, not then or at anytime in the next 3 years. Also, the clock on the stove (working previously) stopped at 7:03. The m.e. put the aunt’s time of death at around 7pm.
I’ll take oath on whatever you like that I have not exaggerated these strange-but-true experiences. They may have many non-ghost explanations. I’m pretty much a “show me the empirical research” kind of girl, though, and I’m now a believer in, at least, the possibility of ghosts. Isn’t it a statistical law or something about unexplained events that there comes a point when you’ve ruled out all other possibilities, the next most likely possibility is a miracle?
Anyway, apologies for way too long a post! Just wanted to add my voice to the ‘reality and the supernatural are not mutually exclusive’ chorus.
I say go for the ghost story. Ghost stories in Real Life ™ abound. I know of three well known haunted structures in my local area. I’ve never experienced the gosts there myself, but one of them freaked the local police force out.
I also know that my late brother haunts the family farm up to and including manifestations. He’s not Casper either. He’s just Mike doing Mike-like things.
This is great stuff, Marta.
And the research I’ve done makes the whole ghost thing seem completely believable and possible. Not the ghosts who come to kill you in the night, but the kind of thing you’re talking about.
I love my work. I learn such interesting things and get to hear such great stories from people. I may steal that writing in the foggy mirror bit. That’s terrific.
I haven’t read any of the comments, I’m just responding to Jenny’s initial post. So … if I say something somebody else did, sorry about that. ;=)
First, *I* classify your work as funny/humorous. Regardless of which road to Oz you take to tell a particular story, the voice I hear tickles my funny bone. Whether you set out to do that or not, that’s the overall feel that I get from your books. I didn’t have a problem with the stalker thing. You didn’t set out to make stalking funny and I didn’t see stalking as funny in your book. There were places where your characters were scared or reacted seriously, and that was appropriate. But the “Crusie-world” was still one based in general self-confidence, optimism, and snark, and that always colors the situation. I’ve read dark, grim, scary, and icky stalker books. I prefer your presentation.
In general, I am ready to read anything you write. Based on your books to date, you like to write stories that travel on paths I enjoy taking. So whether you put in stalkers or ghosts or radioactive rutabagas, I will still read your books and I expect that I will still enjoy them.
And even if you start to take writing roads that diverge from the paths I want to travel, I think you should still write what you want to write. I might stop reading your work, but others will find you and take my place. Nobody can be all things to all people. It’s my opinion that you have to write what’s in your gut, otherwise you’re just wasting your time. ;=)
As far as ghosts and stuff go, my personal opinion meshes with the line from Hamlet, “There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” And while I think there are indeed weird things out there that go bump in the night, I also think there are a lot of charlatans and histrionic folks out there. I got fascinated looking at the supernatural from the sceptical perspective. From a sceptical investigator’s viewpoint, you might want to look at some of James Randi’s books. He was a professional magician, who now investigates psychic stuff. If you have a sceptical character, you might be able to use some of his investigation material in some way. I particularly liked the book “Flim Flam”.
Here’s a link to his website: http://www.randi.org
If Jenny wants to write about ghosts, I will read about ghosts.
I know somebody as already mentioned this, but I thought it could bear emphasizing: we all took Fate in stride, why not ghosts? Bet Me had a Fate that would took control of the lives of two people in a very palpable way. If we’ll not complain about that, why ghosts?
Also, I 635th the idea that we will read whatever you write, as long as you write as you.
I personally enjoy a good paranormal novel. Reality is much too boring.
Marta - I got chills just now reading your post about the shower incident. That’s the kind of ghost story I *luv* to read about. :0
I worked at Disneyland while I was in college and one night near closing time had an incident at the Haunted Mansion - I kid you not. I was alone on the loading dock and thought I heard the next group coming down the hallway - laughter and running footsteps - and no one came ’round the corner. I hightailed it to the office and refused to be down there alone the rest of the night.
Jenny - I picked up Fast Women at the Denver RWA in 2002 in the goody room and couldn’t get out to the bookstore fast enough when I got home to slurp up your backlist. You could publish your grocery list and I’d buy it. Hardcover. TMI??
Two things.
One. I like supernatural stuff in books and would read a Jenny ghost story in a heartbeat.
Two. Most of us believe our spirit lives on after we die. Isn’t that another way of saying ghost?
My nephew died at age 17, and my mom swears he has talked to her. I believe her.
Ghosts really echo with us human beings. I don’t know what’s behind that. I’m not sure I want to know, because I know at least one rat-bastard who when he dies, I hope he rots and has NO power to come beyond the grave.
I live in Japan, where there’s a ghost story around every corner, and even I felt the willies when great-grandmother passed away. It would be nice to think she’s still looking after us, and enjoying her morning offering of rice.
Anyway, I don’t care what the *reality* of ghosts are, but I do know they make fantastic fiction. I liked Topper as a kid (wasn’t so crazy about the re-read in my 30s), and the Ghost and Mrs. Muir certainly survived the decades with style and class.
You know what one of my favorite parts of Faking It was? The teeth on the little animals in the quilts. Jenny knows how to handle the Dark Side of the Psyche, and I trust her with ghosts.
(Marta, I loved your stories, too.)
Jenny,
Consider the foggy mirror yours. Must say I think what disturbed my sis-in-law the most at the time was realizing she’d been naked.
Thank you, Marta. The naked part is good, too.
we have friends who have ghosts in their house and periodically people read about them in ‘ghosts of the south’, or something like that, and show up at their house. the ghosts do not like visitors so it can get pretty weird:) i’ve always lived in newer homes but i think we have one and he really likes to use the remote controls.
i think any world you create can have ghosts because they get to be the kind of ghosts that you create. if they want to sit around and drink margaritas,or something like that, then that could be fun. if they are serious type ghosts then that could be fun, too.
ghosts, no ghosts. funny, not funny. if you write it i’m reading it.
Whatever you write I’ll read it. And sure, your books are funny, but they have a serious core. Did I mention I got my sister Crazy for You for Christmas?