Tiffany D. Jackson is the author of the new middle grade novel Ghost in the Night. Her other books include Blood in the Water.
Q: What inspired you to write Ghost in the Night, and how did you create your character Harmony?
A: During a brunch with some Scholastic folks, I mentioned how my favorite pastime is to go on ghost tours in different cities, but mentioned that I always seemed to be the only black girl on the ghost tour. My editor overheard that and said, “Now there’s a book.” So the story was born from a casual conversation.
When thinking of potential main characters, I wanted a girl who was whip smart and determined yet vulnerable in her grief. Harmony was a natural fit.
Q: Why did you choose Savannah, Georgia, as the setting for the novel?
A: I love cities that can turn into their own characters.
Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the novel says, “[E]vocative detail surrounding the blues, voodoo, and historically Black locales add texture to this cerebral offering.” What do you think of that description?
A: Don’t you love it when a reviewer nails exactly what you were trying to accomplish? It’s such a satisfying feeling, music to an author’s ears.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic among your characters Harmony, Robby, and Myah?
A: They’re my favorite little trio. All hilarious in their own ways but also extremely supportive of each other, despite their differences. Example, Robby doesn’t believe in ghosts but happy to tag along and find out the truth while injecting his own knowledge.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Right now, I’m working on an outline for a few upcoming projects. (I have an outline, I literally can’t work without one.)
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Tiffany D. Jackson.
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