Sarah Painter

Author of contemporary fiction with a touch of magic

Archives for February 2014

The Secrets of Ghosts Publication Day!

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The Secrets of Ghosts coverThe Secrets of Ghosts is released into the wild today!

[Shameless Amazon link]

It’s the follow-up to The Language of Spells and, as some of you may know, it put up a bit of a fight. I can’t quite believe it’s finished. And I really can’t believe it’s now Out There.

I’m delighted, though. In a year I’ve gone from being unpublished to having two books out, which feels pretty amazing.

Plus, although the book was hard to write, it’s stuffed with things I think are fun:  A 1930s mystery, a reformed con man, ghosts, and revisiting Pendleford and the Harper family.

Thank you for reading my waffle and for your continued support. And, if you do read the book, I *really* hope you like it. Meep!

The Secrets of Ghosts: Book collage

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When I’m working on a book, I make a collage. Definitely a digital one and, usually, a paper one, too.

bookshelf_office_smallYou can see the collage for The Secrets of Ghosts on my bookcase in this picture. This was taken during the first draft, so the collage is nowhere near complete. It’s a lot busier now!

Choosing pictures and objects that ‘feel like my book’ and positioning them on the collage gives me ideas for plot twists and insights into character. Also, the pictures that I choose to ‘cast’ the characters help them to become real in my mind (especially during the early stages, when everything feels very sketchy).

Since The Secrets of Ghosts is out on Wednesday (eek – two days!), I thought I’d share with you the casting for two major characters.

ellen pageThe first, Katie Harper, is represented by an actress I’m very fond of – Ellen Page.

Whether fourteen (as in The Language of Spells) or twenty-one, as she is in the new book, Ellen Page portrays the perfect mix of strength and fragility. Plus, she delivers sarcasm beautifully.

JamesMcAvoyMax is a new character. A reformed con man who turns up at the country house hotel in which Katie works.

I cast James McAvoy as Max early on and found him, ah-hem, inspiring.  Staring at pictures like this for hours at a time is tough work, but someone has to do it.