Q&A with Simon Stephenson

 

 

 

Simon Stephenson is the author of the new middle grade novel The Snowman Code. His other books include Sometimes People Die. He is also a screenwriter, and he lives in Los Angeles.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Snowman Code, and how did you create your characters Blessing and Albert?

 

A: Before I was a writer I was a children's doctor and I worked with kids in the care system. I always wanted to write something they might see themselves in.  Blessing is a kid like the ones I knew, and embodies much of the strength and resilience I saw in those kids.

 

At the opposite end of the scale, I always find it very funny when somebody is certain they are correct while clearly being wrong and Albert embodies that. There is another part of him, though – a kind of polite formality – that I think comes from my beloved late grandparents.

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between them?

A: They are quite opposite in many ways. Blessing is the more responsible and worldly of the two, and has to do a lot of humoring Albert. They can certainly bicker but do also care deeply for one another. In that way, I suppose it is kind of a sibling relationship.

Q: This is your first book for young readers—why did you decide to write for kids?

A: It was something I'd wanted to do since I worked in the children's hospital. I also work as a screenwriter and I'd worked on a couple of big children's movies - Paddington 2 and Pixar's Luca - and so it seemed liked the obvious next step.

 

Q: What do you think Reggie Brown's illustrations add to the book?

 

A: So much! I fell in love with Reggie's work from his Instagram and when he started delivering images they were beyond anything I could have dreamed of.

 

They elevated the work in ways I had not possible, but I think overall the biggest thing about Reggie's illustrations is their heart. I think it's one thing to be able to write with heart when you have 200 pages to do so, but to bring such emotion to a single image is such a rare skill. He’s brilliant. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Right now I am working on a TV adaptation of my most recent novel, Sometimes People Die. It is a couple of years since the book came out and it has been fun to revisit it.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: There's a snowman festival in Japan in February every year and it looks amazing. I'm hoping to go sometime, but if you get there first please take some pictures for me.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Nora Ericson

 

 

 

Nora Ericson is the author of the new children's picture book The Bunny Ballet. Her other books include Too Early. She lives in Portland, Oregon. 

 

Q: You’ve said that your daughter and niece, who had taken a ballet class, were dancing around the house wearing leotards and bunny ears, and one of them suggested you write a story about a bunny ballet. Can you say more about how you created your bunny characters?

 

A: It was mostly coincidental, as it was just the timing of my daughter’s ballet class coinciding with Easter bunny ears. But bunnies also have a wonderful tradition in children’s literature. The Runaway Bunny, of course, and the bunnies in Goodnight Moon.

 

I must admit that ever since I read the wonderful exchange between Ursula Nordstrom and Clement Hurd in Dear Genius (the collected letters of Ursula Nordstrom) regarding whether or not the characters in Goodnight Moon should be humans or bunnies, I’ve wanted to write a bunny story!

 

Q: What do you think Elly MacKay’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Elly’s artwork adds SO much!! It really adds the magic! She is such a master of layering and light and one of my favorite spreads is at the beginning when you see the bunnies leading the kids through the leafy tunnel into this other world. It just gives the book that “through the wardrobe” quality that I so loved as a kid –and still love as an adult!

 

I have an art background (I studied painting in college), so I tend to clearly visualize the art when I’m writing a picture book. But then since I don’t actually do the art for my own books, it never ends up looking the way I imagined. Which is usually a good thing!!

 

When I was writing The Bunny Ballet, I pictured the children sneaking out into a city at night and stumbling upon this underground theater of bunny dancers. And I actually envisioned the bunny dancers as these elongated, willowy hares!

 

So when I first saw Elly’s sketches, I was quite surprised and asked about making the bunnies taller/longer to better match my vision, but was told that she’d already tried that and found it made them look “creepy!” I had to laugh! My whole vision was a tad creepy!

 

So yeah, I think it is a very good thing that Elly brought her absolutely beautiful and charming interpretation to this story, because I’m pretty sure kids prefer it to my dark and creepy version. :)

 

Q: Did you need to do any research to write the book, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I did a little research about ballet moves. I never intended my book to dive very deeply into the intricacies of ballet, but I wanted to include at least a few ballet-specific terms.

 

One thing not necessarily very surprising, but a bit tricky, was that many ballet terms are French and difficult for Americans to pronounce. This becomes especially problematic in a rhyming book because it’s important to choose words that people will pronounce the same way so that the meter/rhyme scheme works.

 

This is my first rhyming book and I guess something that really did surprise me was discovering how MANY words there are just in English that have a range of pronunciations. Words that different people stress differently or even pronounce with different numbers of syllables.

 

A few examples off the top of my head: elementary, pecan, syrup. Any word like this becomes very difficult to use in a tightly metered story and led to a few hair-pulling moments!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m a bit all over the map! I always have a bunch of picture books simmering away on various burners, but I’ve also been working on some longer pieces for the last few years that have been hogging a lot of my head space. We’ll see what happens!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: My daughter now wants a bunny for her birthday. We already have two dogs and two cats, so wish me luck!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Selene Castrovilla

 

 

 

 

Selene Castrovilla is the author of the children's picture book George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles: The Glasses That Saved America. Her other books include Revolutionary Friends. She lives on Long Island.

 

Q: What inspired you to write George Washington’s Spectacular Spectacles?

 

A: I’ve spent many years researching George Washington, and during that work, I discovered the Newburgh Conspiracy—a little-known but astonishing moment at the end of the Revolution. His officers, pushed by outside influences, were on the brink of treason, ready to storm Congress and demand their long-overdue pay.

 

Washington had recently begun wearing spectacles but hid them out of embarrassment. At Newburgh, he quietly put them on and said, “Gentlemen, please forgive me. I have grown grey in your service and now find myself growing blind.” That single moment of vulnerability dissolved the rebellion into tears.

 

I was stunned by the power of that small act—and by how it revealed Washington’s humanity. I knew children needed to “see” this story of courage through vulnerability, even if it took me over 10 years to bring it to life.

(Fun fact: Alexander Hamilton was the one who pushed the officers toward treason!)

 

Q: Can you say more about how you researched the book? What surprised you most?

 

A: My research focused on primary-source accounts of the Newburgh Conspiracy and on-site visits to Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh, New York, and other surrounding historic locations. Immersing myself in the places where these events happened helped me understand the emotional stakes of the moment.

 

What surprised me most was the deep bond between Washington and his men. He felt genuinely heartbroken at the thought of their betrayal—and yet he trusted that if he reminded them of the truth of who he was, they would remember who they were. And they did.

Q: What do Jenn Harney’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Jenn’s illustrations are extraordinary. She brings George Washington to life with a tenderness, humor, and humanity I’d never seen depicted in children’s nonfiction before.

 

The biggest surprise was how naturally the story revealed its humor—a funny book about treason! Jenn was the perfect partner for that unexpected tone. She highlights the subtle frailties we all try to hide, making Washington instantly relatable for young readers.

 

Q: The New York Times wrote that the book “reminds us that even the most revered figures have insecurities — and revealing them can be the bravest act of all.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love it—and I’m deeply grateful for it. That’s the heart of this story. Washington’s courage didn’t just come from battles or strategy; it came from moments of honesty and humility. Revealing his insecurity about his glasses at that critical moment is what saved democracy.

 

That message speaks so strongly to young readers, who often worry about being judged. Sometimes the bravest act is simply showing who you really are.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently writing my first young adult nonfiction book, about the Chicago Eight. These activists gathered at the 1968 Democratic Convention to protest the Vietnam War and were met with violence, arrests, and false accusations.

 

When Nixon took office, the federal government charged them with conspiracy—even though some of the defendants had never met. Their unjust and highly influential trial helped shape the political and cultural landscape of the late 20th century. I’m excited to bring this pivotal story to teen readers.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: As we approach July 4, 2026—the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—I’m excited to offer in-person and virtual programs for schools, libraries, and organizations. This anniversary is a powerful opportunity to reflect on the people who paid the high cost to secure our freedoms.

 

My new middle grade book, Freedom’s Cost, follows Benjamin Tallmadge, the schoolteacher-turned-spymaster who led the Culper Spy Ring. The war fundamentally transformed him, and his emotional journey reveals the personal sacrifices behind our nation’s survival.

 

And in February 2026, Twice Enslaved will be released. It tells the remarkable true story of Henrietta Wood, who was enslaved twice—and who fought back to win the largest known reparation for enslavement in U.S. history.

 

Writing the book in free verse brought me closer to her emotional world; each stanza challenged me to honor her experience with accuracy, compassion, and truth. I hope her strength stays with young readers long after they close the book.

 

Please visit https://linktr.ee/selenecastrovilla to find out more about my books—and me!

 

Thank you for inviting me to share my journey with your readers, Deborah!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Selene Castrovilla. 

Q&A with Elisa Boxer

 

 

Elisa Boxer is the author of the children's picture book Beam of Light: The Story of the First White House Menorah. Her other books include The Tree of Life. She is also a journalist.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Beam of Light, and why did you decide to have the piece of wood narrate the book?

 

A: Back in 2022, I read an article about this menorah, and was immediately struck by the fact that it had been made from a salvaged wooden beam, scrapped during a Truman-era renovation of the White House.

 

To me, this beam had the energy of a survivor. Here was this piece of wood that was headed for the junkyard, and yet it became the first-ever permanent menorah in the White House holiday collection.

 

The refrain “I was supposed to be destroyed” came to me first. After that, I knew there was no other way to tell this story than from the point of view of this wooden beam that had witnessed its near destruction and ultimate triumph.

 

Q: What do you think Sofia Moore’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: I knew it was going to be a big challenge to illustrate a story told from the point of view of a wooden beam. Sofia’s illustrations bring more warmth and emotional depth to the story than I could have ever imagined. She strikes just the right balance between tragedy and hope.

 

Because of her attention to detail and her ability to so beautifully portray the passage of time (one of my favorite illustrations is the calendar spread showing the wooden beam sitting in the storage warehouse through 13 presidents), we’re able to follow the beam along on its journey from scrap to survival.

 

From the moment I first saw Sofia’s preliminary sketches, one thing that stood out to me was her depiction of light.

 

There’s one spread in the book where the wooden beam is remembering President Roosevelt’s refusal to accept Jewish refugees from Europe, and the absolute devastation that resulted. On those pages, we see the candles progress from luminous to dark. It’s so incredibly powerful.

 

Throughout the book, Sofia gives each candle a glow that becomes a visual metaphor for strength and survival.

 

Q: The School Library Journal review of the book says, “The story of the beam, by itself, is compelling even without the additional information woven in about World War II atrocities and the Holocaust, but it all blends with the theme of survival and renewal.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love that description. That was my goal in writing the book, to weave Holocaust education into the story of the beam, and to carry the theme of renewal as a thread throughout.

 

I think that many of us have had experiences where something that initially feels like the end actually turns out to be a beginning -- a rebirth. I hope the story of the beam and its transformation can be a source of inspiration to young readers who might be struggling with something.

 

I hope that children of any religion think of this beam that was supposed to be destroyed, and remember how it instead became a symbol of strength and light.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My next book, Under the Rubble, tells the story of a secret archive in the Warsaw Ghetto, and the prisoners who risked everything to bury it before the Nazis could find it. The book is illustrated by Ukrainian artist Oksana Drachovska, who fled her home country during the war. It comes out in March 2026 from Behrman House/Apples and Honey Press.

 

In 2027, I have my first work of fiction: Drawn from the Heart (Little, Brown), illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld. It’s the story of a budding artist who learns to navigate criticism and listen to her inner voice. 

Next up in 2027 is my first middle grade book, Unexpected Undercover: Forty Fearless Female Spies (Abrams). And then Words of Welcome: How Emma Lazarus Gave Lady Liberty a Voice, illustrated by Selina Alko and published by Abrams.

 

Rounding out 2027, I am so excited that Selina Alko and I have another book together, my third with Rocky Pond/Penguin. It’s called Saving the Star, and it’s the true story of a Star of David rescued from a burning synagogue during Kristallnacht. Like Beam of Light, this is also a story of destruction, resilience, and rebirth.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: During a recent school visit for my book The Tree of Life, I was talking about resilience, and the parallels between the tree that the children planted in the prison camp, and this menorah in Beam of Light.

 

One of the students raised her hand and asked “What’s a menorah?” I had completely taken for granted that they would know what a menorah is! So I took the opportunity to talk about Hanukkah, and the story of the victorious underdogs, and the miracle of light, which is part of the book. So that’s one way this can be a teaching tool, in addition to the parts about the Holocaust.

 

And this isn’t Jewish history, but I think it’s fascinating that the Truman White House was literally falling apart, to the point where the first family looked up at the ceiling and saw a piano leg poking through from upstairs!

  

Thank you so much for this interview, Deborah. It’s always such a pleasure to join you!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Elisa Boxer. 

Dec. 15

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Dec. 15, 1896: Betty Smith born.

Q&A with Danielle Bainbridge

Danielle Bainbridge is the author of the new book Dandelion: A Memoir in Essays. She also has written the book Currencies of Cruelty. She is Assistant Professor of Theatre, Black Studies, and Performance Studies at Northwestern University, and she lives in Chicago. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Dandelion?

 

A: I initially set out to write just one essay (“The Hospital: The Spit in My Mouth Heals the Wounds on My Tongue”) about one particular hospitalization experience.

 

Once that got published I realized I had more to say about race and mental health and how Black women navigate these complex realities. So I wrote another essay… and another one … and then soon I had a series of short essays that I wasn’t sure what to do with.

 

Then I began thinking of them as a collection and the rest is history. So I guess the first essay inspired me to finish the collection. 

 

Q: The author Myriam Gurba said of the book, “Deftly reconstructs, in spare yet elegant prose, the beauty, pleasure, and horror of Black remembrance and Black forgetting...” What do you think of that assessment?

 

A: I think it’s interesting because so much of memoir is about what we remember and what we chose to withhold or forget. I was talking to my spouse the other day about how even with everything I’ve written in the book I still have so much more that could have been said.

 

I think that’s why I love essays so much. They force you to distill your thinking down to the most essential information and you can challenge and shift form and structure in interesting ways.

 

I was really touched that Myriam Gurba chose my book to win the Uplift Voices Award from Jaded Ibis Press and I cherish her assessment of the book. It gave me even more to think about!

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: So the book’s title comes from my family’s childhood nickname for me. Some members of my family still call me that actually, which I find sweet and endearing.

 

I think the title was meant to draw on the duality of the dandelion: that it’s something that is both a stubborn weed and a beautiful flower. As I was reflecting on the various stages of my life I felt that metaphor applied to me and my story so I chose the name based on that. 

 

Q: What impact did it have on you to write the book, and what do you hope readers take away from it?

 

A: Writing the book had a profound impact on how I relate to my mental health journey and to myself. I feel like it was one of the first times I gave myself permission to speak so freely and openly about the challenges I’ve faced in my life.

 

It honestly felt liberating to put it down on paper and publish it. It also felt (at times) terrifying because I kept realizing people would read it and engage with it and share it.

 

I hope that my readers are able to see themselves or someone they love in the pages of this book. I hope it gives them a greater sense of empathy and understanding for mental illness. And I hope it starts necessary conversations within their own community about the issues raised in the book. I really want this work to travel to the people who need it most. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Right now I’m working on something totally different. I’m writing a novel called The Mondegreens about an improv comedy camp and cult run by a mysterious older Black woman named Sweet Mother Divine in upstate New York.

 

The protagonist, Sidra, is a young black woman who is tasked with a “mission of faith” to kill The Host--Sweet Mother Divine’s rival and a late night television host. But she has to determine if she wants to complete her mission or leave behind the camp for a life in late-night TV.

 

After working on so many heavy topics for so long I really wanted to do something that would be playful and funny, while also tackling some big questions about power, abuses of power, and human nature. It’s been a lot of fun jumping into fiction for my next project. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Not at this time but thank you for the interview!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Amaka Egbe

 

 

 

Amaka Egbe is the author of the new young adult novel Run Like a Girl.  

 

Q: What inspired you to write Run Like a Girl, and how did you create your character Dera?

 

A: The idea of Run Like a Girl came to me years ago, while I was just entering high school. In the city I went to high school, there were actually feeder high schools for 9th and 10th graders who would then go to one of three senior high schools for 11th and 12th grade.

 

While I was in the junior high school, I discovered that there wasn’t a track team for female athletes. While the 9th and 10th grade boys had their own team, 9th and 10th grade girls would need to join one of the senior high track teams.

 

This option wasn’t always accessible, as you would need your own transportation to practice. While many girls made it work out, the situation made me wonder what would happen if there wasn’t any alternative team for girls…which led to the basic premise of Run Like a Girl.

 

As for the character of Dera, she was easy to create! She started as a typical “tough girl” concept and became a more refined image the further I went in the story. 

 

There were certainly some differences between her original version and the one who made it to print (her name used to be Jordan, for example), but the core of her character has remained the same. Over time, I dug deeper into her background and motivations to bring out a more well-rounded and complex character.

 

Q: The author Mariko Turk called the book a “captivating debut about a girl fighting for herself and her dreams, told in a voice that is both funny and fierce.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Thank you, Mariko; that was certainly the goal! I wanted to really highlight Dera’s determination to hopefully leave teens and children with positive stories about sticking to your dreams.

 

In life, people are often discouraged from chasing their dreams or put down for being themselves. I wanted to write something that helped nudge them away from self-doubt and towards self-love.

 

Additionally, I wanted to show how impactful community can be when it comes to someone trying to achieve something. When we have the support of our friends and family, arduous tasks can become that much more achievable.

 

As for the humor, that’s something I enjoy weaving into my work. While there is certainly a time and place for more somber texts, this was one that I didn’t want to be too preachy or heavy. Humor helped cut through the emotional moments and uplift the overall tone of the book.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: When I was growing up, you’d often hear taunts like “you run like a girl,” “you throw like a girl,” “you do this like a girl.” Rather than stick with the negative connotation, I wanted to spin it into something positive and kind of reclaim the phrase and girlhood (as many others have done, too!).

 

Q: How would you describe Dera’s relationship with her parents?

 

A: Dera and her mom are like five and six! In other words, her and her mom are very close. Dera’s mother was her primary guardian for most of her life, so the two are very comfortable with each other.

 

Her father, on the other hand, is someone that Dera isn’t very familiar with at the beginning of the story. Due to the circumstances surrounding her parents’ divorce, he was estranged from Dera for many years with sporadic visits to keep their barely-there relationship alive.

 

On the surface, there’s a lot of discontent and tension between the two, but as you go through the story, you start to see that there’s more to their relationship than what’s immediately visible.

 

Exploring their relationship amid their past and their present cultural differences was one of the most interesting aspects of this story for me.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: A few different things, actually, in both the adult and young adult genres. What I think will be coming sooner than the other projects is an adult contemporary romance that follows a Nigerian-American young woman who’s trying to balance her family’s expectations, friendship drama, and romance that sprouts from a very unexpected place.

 

I have a few other projects in the works that I'll share as time passes.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: If you want to keep up with my activities, feel free to follow my Instagram account or subscribe to my newsletter!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Fred Bowen

 

 

 

Fred Bowen is the author of the new middle grade novel Special Teams, the latest in his Fred Bowen Sports Story series. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Special Teams, and how did you create your character Leo?

 

A: My son is the head baseball coach at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He had a player who was a very good pitcher but also wanted to play in the field and bat when he wasn’t pitching. He was not as good a player as he was a pitcher.

 

After a couple seasons my son sat him down and told him, “Luke, you are just going to have to be satisfied with being the best pitcher in the conference.”

 

He did become the best pitcher in the conference for the next two seasons. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals and is now pitching in their minor league system.

 

In Special Teams, Leo wants to play wide receiver because those are the players who score touchdowns and get all the glory. His particular skill set, however, makes him better suited to be a defensive back. The book is about how Leo comes to terms with that.

 

The writer and professor Scott Galloway has advised young people (mostly young men) not to “follow their dreams” but instead to find something they are good at and that contributes to society. I think that is good advice and applicable to sports and life in general.

 

Q: What do you think the book says about the role of special teams players?

 

A: I think it says that a team needs lots of different kinds of players with different kinds of skills. Not everyone can play the glamour positions – quarterback, wide receiver, running back – but everyone can help in the best way they know how.

 

The special teams players, the players who are on the field for punts and kickoffs, are important too. They sometimes are the difference in the final score.

 

Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: Years ago, I listened to a friend’s presentation on one of her children’s books. She described all the research she did to write the book. Later I confessed to her that I felt like a fraud because I didn’t do anywhere near the research for my books that she did for hers. She said, “Fred, you have been researching your books for your entire life.”

 

In a way that’s true. I write sports books for kids and I have been a sports fan since I was 5 years old. I also coached more than 30 youth sports teams. That passion for sports has helped me get 30 books written and published.

 

For Special Teams, however, I did have to do some online research. I was surprised to find so many terrific videos on YouTube showing drills for defensive backs. I described Leo doing some of those drills in the book.

 

I also researched the players who have scored the most “non-offensive” touchdowns in the history of the National Football League (NFL). Those are touchdowns that are scored when the other team started with possession of the ball. They are plays such are kick returns, interceptions, etc.

 

I write about some of those players in the special sports history chapter that I put in the back of each one of my Fred Bowen Sports Story series books.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: Most of all, I want my readers to have fun. I have written 30 books in the last 30 years and that is always my overriding objective when I write a book. The point is to make the reader want to know what is going to happen next and by doing so fall in love with reading.

 

A couple years ago I read the obituary of the writer Dan Greenburg. He wrote, among other things, the kids book series The Zack Files. He said, “There’s nothing more fulfilling than hearing that you’ve turned a kid on to books. That’s enough for a career right there.”

 

Over the years I have had dozens of people tell me that my books have turned their kid into a reader. I hope Special Teams does that with more kids.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am taking a bit of a break from writing books. I have had 21 books published in the last 16 years. So I think I deserve one.

 

I also stopped writing my weekly kids’ sports column for The Washington Post when the paper discontinued the KidsPost page in 2023. (The Post now has a different kids section under the KidsPost banner.)

 

I am still writing. My daughter gave me Storyworth as a gift last Christmas. Kerry sends me a question every week and I answer it in the form of an email. Storyworth collects the questions and answers and will turn them into a book after a year.

 

For example, last week’s question was: What were you like when you were 30? While I was tempted to give my all-time shortest answer … a thinner redhead … I wrote an essay about what my life was like at that age.

 

The gift has proven to be great fun and a wonderful way for Kerry and me to “talk” to one another. It has also kept my writing skills in tune.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: As I have mentioned above, I have been writing for kids for a long time. I am very proud of my books and Washington Post columns. But most of all, writing the books, visiting schools and speaking at conferences have made my life more fun. It has been a wonderful second career (I was a lawyer for 30 years).

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Fred Bowen. 

Q&A with Johnny Compton

 

 

 

Johnny Compton is the author of the new story collection Midnight Somewhere. His other books include The Spite House.  

 

Q: Over how long a period did you write the stories collected in Midnight Somewhere?

 

A: Some of these stories were published in other magazines or anthologies several years ago, but most of the previously unpublished stories were written within the last five years or so.

 

Q: The author L.P. Hernandez said of the book, “Compton shines a light on the walkways between liminal spaces, invigorating tropes with fresh perspectives.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I'm grateful for L.P.'s positive feedback to the book, firstly. I think it's a fitting description of this collection.

 

"Liminal space" is a popular term in the horror community currently, and I love to see it in use, but I also think of it in a more classical sense, which is partly what my writing explores. Old haunted houses, the woods at night, and abandoned churches are, to me, liminal spaces just as much as the famous "backrooms."

 

I appreciate L.P. saying I'm offering a fresh perspective to the tropes I explore, because I love vintage elements of horror, but I like adding something unexpected, where appropriate, to the scares people might be more familiar with.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: I came up with the title. To me it signifies that the dark is always present, even when it's not hovering high over our heads. Midnight is often associated with an eeriness, but also a certain amount of magic.

 

These stories aren't exclusively set at night, at least not every scene, but each evokes the feeling of thinking anything could be out there in the world after dark. Things you don't believe in, things you've been told can't be real, all of it's possible at midnight, and it's always midnight somewhere.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: Hopefully readers come away entertained, terrified, moved emotionally a little bit, and even amused.

 

It's a book that showcases my range. There's monster horror, there are ghost stories, there's a crime story, some harder to identify fiction on the more bizarre side, and even some comedic horror. I want readers to feel like they've experienced a variety of sensations.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Working on my fourth novel, a crime horror hybrid about a violent man with a criminal past returning to his hometown to try to solve the murder of his childhood friend.

 

I'm also working on a sci-fi horror novella inspired by The Thing, The Philadelphia Experiment, the short story "The Fly," and a little more.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Horror has had a great 2025. I'm thrilled to be part of it. I love this genre.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb