Interview with HAUNTED’s Chris Eboch

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Chris Eboch is the author of HAUNTED, a middle-grade series from Aladdin that will begin with THE GHOST ON THE STAIRS and THE PHANTOM PILOT, both in August, and continue with three books a year. The series’ main character, John, doesn’t believe in ghosts, even if his mom is married to a man who researches ghost sightings for TV. But when his younger sister claims to see ghosts, and then wants to help them, John’s life gets interesting.

Chris found time to talk with The Spectacle readers recently, and we’ll give away a copy of the first book in the series as soon as we get our hands on one!

Q: What drew you to this genre?

I’ve written a lot of historical fiction, but it’s so hard to sell. This idea had commercial potential and also seemed like it would be great fun to write and read. The series even gives me a chance to indulge my love of historical fiction, since the ghosts are essentially historical characters.

It’s a surprise to me that I’m writing what might be considered horror, because I’m generally not a fan. One exception is the TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” My audience is younger, but I want to find that same great blend of spooky action, humor, complex character development over time, and occasional exploration of tough issues.  There are definitely elements of danger, but nothing to give a kid nightmares. I want these books to be fun and exciting, especially for boys who may be reluctant readers.

Q: What sparked the story?

I came up with this idea about 10 years ago — so long I can’t even remember where the original spark came from. I wrote half a dozen chapters at the time, but feedback showed me some fatal flaws. I set the manuscript aside for about five years and then started brainstorming again. Now I think the characters goals are believable, and the text has an emotional depth.

Q: Do you believe in ghosts yourself? 

I’m extremely practical and down to earth. I don’t believe in ghosts or UFOs… but on the other hand, I don’t absolutely NOT believe. I try to be an open-minded skeptic, and that comes through in the books. My message is: don’t believe everything you are told, but don’t assume things can’t be true. Investigate, and make decisions for yourself.

I fully believe that there are forces in that universe we don’t understand, much the way previous generations didn’t understand electricity or gravity. Science isn’t just something you learn in schoolbooks; it’s an ongoing process, and that makes it so much more exciting.

Q: What was the hardest part of writing or publishing this series?

The Well of Sacrifice

My first novel, THE WELL OF SACRIFICE, came out in 1999. It’s a historical adventure set in Mayan times, and it’s still in print and used in many schools. But since then, I’ve written about 10 original novels, none of which I could sell. I’ve published eight work for hire books, and I was starting to feel like my place might be teaching, editing and work for hire. So selling an original idea — and not just one novel, but a series — was a major career highlight and convinced me I was going in the right direction.

Book One took about eight years, because I was struggling to fully develop the characters, premise, and background. I learned a lot from ghost writing a Nancy Drew book and getting editor feedback on that. Now that I have the premise and characters working, sequels take me two to three months — relatively easy!

When the editor called me about the first HAUNTED novel, however, he said, “I love it. I want to buy it. It needs to be twice as long.” I didn’t want to pad it with extra description or repetition, so I had to find more plot opportunities. I added some twists, made it more complicated to figure out who the ghost was, and used secondary characters more. I think the book is stronger for the changes, but the request definitely gave me a moment of pause!

Q: What’s on your own reading list?

I was one of those kids who needed a weekly trip to the library to get another stack of books. Now I read a lot of mysteries, and I enjoy fantasy, especially when solidly grounded in reality, like Joan Aiken’s work.

I enjoy reading books by people I know. It’s especially fun if I get to read a draft and then see the final product. I got to see Louise Spiegler’s award-nominated novel, THE AMETHYST ROAD, through two drafts before the published version. [Ed. note: We'll be interviewing Louise later this summer.]  I also can’t wait to see some of the novels of Molly Blaisdell, author of the picture book REMBRANDT AND THE BOY WHO DREW DOGS, in print. My current list includes new and upcoming books by writing friends, such as Sydney Salter’s MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, Anna Levine’s FREEFALL, and your own THE FARWALKER’S QUEST.

Q: What’s next for you?

I’m developing a picture book concept that could also be considered “horror light,” as well as an idea for a middle-grade contemporary mystery. And of course, I’m at work on book four of Haunted, THE GHOST MINER’S TREASURE, which was inspired by the story of The Lost Dutchman’s Mine.

 Sounds like you’ve found a vein of writing treasure of your own, Chris! Thanks for dropping by!

 – Joni Sensel, who thinks 10 unsold novels sounds like a well of sacrifice, too

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