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Young Adult Supernatural Mystery — Dark and Shallow Lies

Young Adult Supernatural Mystery, Dark and Shallow Lies, by Ginny Myers Sain launches September 7th!

Author Interview + Book & Author Info + Author Pet Corner!


Young Adult Supernatural Mystery

Dark and Shallow Lies


Dark and Shallow Lies, a Young Adult Supernatural Mystery by Ginny Myers Sain

Tell us about your road to publication with Dark and Shallow Lies:

I come from a family of writers. My mother has 20 traditionally published novels, mostly middle grade historical fiction, and my father was a poet and non-fiction writer. Even my brother is a past Poet Laureate for the state of Oklahoma! So writing is in my DNA.

I actually didn’t start out as a writer, though. The theatre has always been my true love. My degree is in theatre and I’ve spent my whole adult life, up until now, working in the theatre. I only started writing when I moved back to Oklahoma. I needed some new direction, and my mother convinced me to become involved in SCBWI.


SCBWI = Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. To learn more, click the link here.


Originally, I was just looking to meet some cool people and learn a little bit, but I’ve been seriously working toward publication for about five years now.

I did write two novels before this one, and although I got a lot of good feedback and lots of full requests for those manuscripts, they just weren’t quite ready. Once I wrote Dark and Shallow Lies, though, things went pretty fast. I finished the first draft in about four months, and it was only another couple of months before I got an offer of rep from an agent.

I had the full out with several agents by that point, so I let them all know I had an offer, and I was lucky enough to end up with several offers. I was able to pick an agent I’d always wanted to work with, and the rest happened really fast. I signed with my agent, Pete Knapp at Park & Fine,  in July.

We did one quick round of minor revisions, went out on sub, and sold the book at auction a week later. That was fall of 2020, so when it comes out in August 2021, it will have been about ten months from auction to release. So very fast! It’s been kind of a whirlwind, in the most awesome way.

That’s amazing! Congratulations!

Describe La Cachette, Louisiana, the location of the novel:

La Cachette, Louisiana, is the self-proclaimed “Psychic Capital of the World.” It’s a town that’s deep in the bayous of southern Louisiana, accessible only by boat.

La Cachette itself is not a real place, of course, but the town was very loosely inspired by two actual places. The first is the tiny town of Cassadaga, Florida, which I was lucky enough to stumble upon  during a road trip across the sunshine state. Cassadaga really does bill itself as the “Psychic Capital of the World” and its home to palm readers, tarot card readers, astrologists, and mystics of all kinds. However, Cassadaga was a bit too accessible for what I had in mind.

I needed a place that was more cut-off from the world. Somewhere a little harder to get to…and to escape from. I had spent a lot of time in Louisiana over the years and had fallen so deeply in love with the swampy landscapes, the culture, and the people, and my mind went back to a little place called Pilottstown, which served for years as a home to riverboat pilots on the Mississippi River, so that became the inspiration for the geographical location.


Young Adult books usually have a protagonist between the ages of 13 and 18, and focus on situations important to teens.


What draws you to writing Young Adult (YA):

I taught and directed theatre with high school students for years, and I just loved working with that age group. They are so funny and fierce and loyal and brave. And it’s such a time of change. Everyone is becoming someone new, and they are all feeling their way through that process. It’s a kind of metamorphosis.

You always feel like you’re right on the cusp of something that will either be a wonderful adventure or an absolute disaster. It’s just a time when anything can happen. And the stakes are huge!


Supernatural Mystery: having the conventions of a mystery, but with events that transcend our natural world.


Dark and Shallow Lies is a supernatural thriller. How do the supernatural aspects of the story manifest?

Everyone in the town of La Cachette has some kind of psychic ability, so we have psychic empaths, psychic artists, a girl who is clairaudient, clairvoyants, a little girl who’s a physic healer, a boy who has the power of bilocation. It’s just this mix of very ordinary people with very extraordinary gifts.

You have a background in theater. How has theater been a part of your life? How does it impact your storytelling?

I think the main thing is that I see the scenes in my head very visually as I write them. I’m always very aware of what a scene would look like on stage. Where would the set pieces be? What would the actors be doing with their bodies? How are they relating to each other physically? What would the lighting look like? Then I try to write it the way I would direct it.

What are you working on now?

I had a two-book contract, so I’m working on book two, which should be out in the fall of 2022. I can’t say a lot about it, but it is also a YA mystery/thriller with some magical/paranormal elements. Think waves, lighthouses, salt in the air.

It’s actually set in the world of the theatre, so I’m excited to bring my love of theatre and my love of writing together for this project!

Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:

Don’t be afraid to screw things up.

By that I mean, don’t be afraid to experiment, try new things, stretch outside of your comfort zone, and do the things that scare you. If it’s ends in disaster….so what? At least you tried something new.

That’s always been hard for me, because I’m kind of a perfectionist. I like to get things right the first time, But, when it comes to art, that really holds you back. It means you never create anything that truly challenges you.

Author Pet Corner!

Shipley!

I have one pet, a nine-year-old Doberman named Shipley.

She was named after my son’s favorite donut shop.

Shipley is afraid of everything.

Her list of phobias includes (but is not limited to): slippery floors, strange water dishes, roosters, TV trays, the Chihuahua down the street.

Things she loves: blankets, cheese, possums, and the Rachel Maddow show.


Ginny Myers Sain

Young Adult Supernatural MysteryGinny Myers Sain is the author of DARK AND SHALLOW LIES, her debut YA novel available 8-31-21 from Razorbill/Penguin.

Although she comes from a long line of writers, her first love has always been the theatre. She has a degree in theatre and has spent most of her career teaching acting and directing plays and musicals. ​

Ginny currently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her teenage son and a very cowardly doberman named Shipley.

When she is not working in the theatre or writing, you’re likely to find her listening to true crime podcasts, taking pictures of alligators, eating tacos, or planning a trip to Walt Disney World.

To learn more about Ginny, click on her name, photo, or any of the following links: Instagram, TwitterFacebook


Elena Taylor is the author of All We Buried, available now in print, e-book, and audio book format at all your favorite bookstores and on-line retailers.

For more information on All We Buriedclick on the link here to visit the home page.

Silver Falchion Award Finalist, Best Investigator 2020

Foreword INDIE Award Finalist, Best Mystery 2020

Elena Hartwell

Author and developmental editor.

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