Monday, October 5, 2009

Interview: Possessions by Nancy Holder


1. So what happens in Possessions?

In Possessions, a girl named Lindsey Cavanaugh arrives at Marlwood Academy, a posh boarding school high up in the mountains of Northern California, after the semester has started. She's escaping San Diego, where she had a nervous breakdown after 1) her mom died and 2) she risked everything to get into the popular clique, and lost everything, including her crush. She's feeling high strung and on display at Marlwood...and is super-ultra cautious about not crying wolf, despite the bizarre things she begins seeing and hearing--faces in mirrors, moving statues, and worst of all, the truly terrifying and evil behavior of the girls who rule the school. Lindsay learns that the girls are evil...and the vengeful spirits from over a century before are stalking the students. Then someone dies...and there's a good chance Lindsay will be next.


2. Where did the inspiration come from to write this novel? How long did it take you to write?
My editors at Razorbill and I talked over the concept for this book. They originally wanted to set it in Vermont, but I suggested Northern California. I live in San Diego and was born near San Francisco, and not all is sunshine and orange blossoms in Cali! It's hard to say exactly how long it took me, as I did a couple of rewrites, but I had a wonderful schedule: I would get up every morning and watch a horror movie, then start working. (I had to watch them in the daytime because I'm too chicken to watch horror movies at night!) I did this for months and if you want to know what scary movies to see, e me at nancyholder123@gmail.com, or twitter me at nancyholder, or facebook me, and I'll give you the downlow.

One of the major inspirations, though, was something that happened to me when I was about eleven or twelve. My grandfather had died, and I was visiting my grandmother. I was staying in his study, and I wasn't sleeping very well. One morning I was taking a shower in the bathroom next to the study. The shower stall had a frosted glass door. I finished taking my shower and started to open the door, when I saw a figure standing in the doorway to the bathroom. It didn't move. It just stood there. I could hear my grandmother upstairs. I tried to call out but I was so afraid I couldn't make a sound. Finally I pushed open the door...and there was no one there.

I found out later that my grandfather had died in the room I was sleeping in. I thought he had died at the hospital. When my cousin went to stay with my grandmother, she said the same thing happened to her. I think it's interesting that both of us were so scared. We both loved our grandfather very much, so if that figure was he, we weren't capable of handling it.

3. What is your main character Lindsay like, and who's your favorite character?
Lindsay comes to Marlwood to escape a terrible situation, only to find herself thrust into a worse one. Because of what she's been through, she's very self-aware. She's also very kind, and wounded. I feel for her. She's afraid she'll have another breakdown and she needs to be together to handle what's going on. She could walk away but she feels a need to protect the other girls who just don't see what's going on. I really admire her for that. I know how it feels to be the odd girl out and have to deal with everyone anyway. Lindsay fights hard and cares so much. I would love her to be my friend if I was in trouble.

I think the main character of a book is usually an author's favorite, but coming close is Miles Winters. He's the brother of Mandy, who is the ringleader of the mean girls. He's wicked sexy and brilliant and creepy and enticing. I like Miles so much that he gets a bigger role in POSSESSIONS: THE EVIL WITHIN and will really come into his own in Book 3 (as yet untitled). I also like Julie, who is Lindsay's best friend, and this crazy nonconformist named Rose. I guess there are a lot of characters in POSSESSIONS I like!

4. What are you working on right now?
Right now I'm working on CRUSADE: CONVERTED, which is the first book in a spinoff of the WICKED series, with my coauthor Debbie Viguie. It's a dark fantasy about vampire hunters, werewolves, and witches. One of the characters from WICKED anchors the series and we may have some "guest stars." We're both just loving it. I'm watching the old TV series V for inspiration. I'm also watching a lot of Spanish films--our hunters are headquartered in Salamanca, Spain. I speak some Spanish and I just love listening to it. Some friends of mine moved to Madrid so I'm e'ing and Skyping a lot with them.

5. Anything you'd like to add?
I hope everyone has a fantastic Halloween. My daughter and I go trick or treating with our dog, Panda, who has more costumes than we do. Sometimes he's a little devil, or a surfer, or a clown, and this year it looks like he's going to be a pirate, Arrrr! He carries his own treat bag in his mouth and he goes to every door with us. He only gets dog treats, no candy. (Please remember that chocolate is toxic to dogs!)

I hope that people will read POSSESSIONS during this spooky season of the year and if they like it, will help spread the word. I went through a lot writing it, lol--I watched THE RING and THE GRUDGE so many times that I have to leave the lights on in the hall and make super-double-extra sure that the TV is off. I have to reach forward to press the off button because our remote no longer works and that screen is flickering and I know that woman is crawling down the stairs...I SUFFERED and I hope I can make everyone feel a little creeped out while they're reading my book.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!



Thanks for the interview Nancy!

Yikes, those girls from THE RING and from THE GRUDGE totally freak me out. Those movies always give me nightmares!
Visit Nancy's website to learn more about her!


- Lea

31 comments:

  1. Ghosts. That's the only thing that really scares me. And zombies. But that's different. Zombies don't exist in real life.

    Anyways,
    I liked this interview. She was very clear and detailed in all her answers and gives me a good idea of what I will found in her book Possesions.

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  2. When my grandma died, I was taking a shower and behind the curtains I thought I saw something, like a dark shadow staring at me... It was nothing, but this scared me when I was 16 years old.

    Spirits and ghosts, I like the stories. Possesions sounds like a entertaining book. Hope to get it soon.

    :)

    Mary

    ps. I saw The Ring, but I wasn't scared. I watch horror movies in daytime too.

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  3. Superb interview. I love scary films when I'm with other people. Although I have been known to watch scary films on my own at night. But there were other people in the house asleep so it doesn't really count. But I don't get scared when other people are watching it too. I usually end up laughing because the people in the film do something stupid and I then think they deserve to die.

    I really want to read Possessions now!

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  4. Ooo! I didn't realize Possessions was going to be a series! I haven't read it yet -but it sounds really good.

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  5. That was a great interview! That makes me want to read the book even more! And what happened to her and her cousin, if that would have happened to me I would have freaked!


    jmoose09@gmail.com

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  6. great interview! this book is on my tbr list.

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  7. Well, I'm interested in some spooky stuff, for a change :)

    Nice interview!

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  8. Mary D
    zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

    I LOVE that they take Panda trick or treating and that he has little costumes - I bet he's adorable :)

    Nah, ghosts don't scare me really, demons maybe - yuk. But I think what scares me the MOST are the living LOL

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  9. great interview! :)
    i can't wait to read these!


    -Briana
    randomlybree@att.net

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  10. Thanks a lot for this interview! I can't wait to read a book from Nancy :D!

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  11. Awesome interview! Possessions sounds really interesting and kinda scary. Cant wait to read it.

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  12. Great interview. So cool that she watched horror movies every day while she was writing it.
    That's a creepy story about her grandfather.

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  13. Possession sounds so intriguing!

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  14. Great interview! I love that she did so much research for writing her books - even though some of it scared the cr-p out of her! And I love that they take the dog trick or treating, so cute! :)

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  15. Great interview!

    i can't wait to read these!

    vanesa.

    vane_18410@hotmail.com

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  16. Great interview. I really like the sound of Nancy Holder's books.

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  17. Amazing interview !! the books sound great !!

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  18. I really think Nancy Holder's books sound awesome! Great interview! I totally believe in ghosts so the incident with the grandfather would have scared me senseless!
    These books are going on my wishlist :)

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  19. Great interview. I didnt really know what this book was about but it sound really interesting. ghost scare me the most because there the one supernatural thing i truly believe in.

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  20. I've been seeing these books around the blogs. I am definitely intrigued!

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  21. Possessions sounds so awesome too! I love thriller books, so it's fun to see a creepy one for teens!

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  22. I don't think I could watch all those scary movies all the time. You are one brave soul Nancy.

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  23. To tell you the truth I don't think I've ever read any books by Nancy before (Please don't kill me!)! I have been meaning to read the Wicked series, but I just can't spare the money right now, and they are ALWAYS checked out of my library with a huge waiting list. Anyway, Possessions really sounds like the type of book I would enjoy. To tell you the truth I hate horror movies with a passion (I've always thought they were boring and plot-less), but I absolutely LOVE horror books! I really hope I get the chance to read this book sometime soon!

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  24. If I watched horror movies that much I would have to sleep with my lights on!

    Elie (Ellz Readz)

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  25. Great interview. Possessions sounds like a great book to read during the Haloween season.

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  26. Oh my gosh!! About her grandfather! Wow!! I would have been so f-ing scared!

    I gotta say that's my favorite answer. I'm totally curious about the scary movies she recommends. I love them but am also too chicken to watch them at night hehe I'm gonna email her now :)

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  27. Oh cool! There is going to be a spin off series! Great interview.

    ~Briana

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  28. great interview.Possession sounds great.
    I look forward to the spin off series of Wicked.

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