MYSTIFIED received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Julia Ash.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
MYSTIFIED was published in March 2022.
What’s the book’s first line?
“Juliette Annabella Parker stood near the edge of her parents’ pool, entranced by the long brown hair rhythmically swaying at the bottom of the deep end.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Being strangled in her parents’ pool was the last memory 15-year-old Jules Parker could recall…alive, but it wasn’t the most shocking. That was finding her drowned corpse and realizing she was a ghost. Now she’s joining forces with the new teen next door—someone who’s not afraid of the paranormal, someone who wants to help unlock the mysteries surrounding Jules’s life and death. No doubt, the secrets that surface will be the greatest shock of all.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
My childhood home, built in 1872, was inhabited by more than my family. We had a ghost who had a documented living past in the house. Eventually, sharing residency with Ms. Pinkerton became less of a haunting and more of a co-existence, which inspired me to learn more about spirits who get stuck on Earth. At the same time, I’ve always been intrigued in the root causes of domestic dysfunction. MYSTIFIED was inspired by combining both interests. Ultimately, my novel suggests that domestic dysfunction can be far scarier than the paranormal!
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Most readers want to guess “whodunit” before a mystery’s climatic reveal. I think MYSTIFIED keeps them guessing, offering plot twists which change the direction of the story, and which keep readers engaged. The thrill of a page turner is the main reason someone should read MYSTIFIED!
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
I’ve always been sensitive to the heart wrenching, real-life stories about people who look perfectly happy on the outside but are hiding secrets behind the façade. The 2021 national tragedy of Gabby Petito is just one example. So heart breaking.
My main character, Juliette Annabella Parker, suffers from this tragic assumption…that because she’s beautiful, is a public figure, and has wealthy parents, her life must be ideal.
I hope readers will feel empowered by Jules because she learns to open her eyes to her circumstances and to advocate for herself, even as a ghost. One of the resounding themes in my book is that it’s never too late, that changing circumstances can start…now, wherever, whatever, or however now is.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
I’ve always answered this question with my all-time favorite classic: DRACULA by Bram Stoker. But recently, I read a modern-day masterpiece by a debut novelist, Stuart Turton. THE 7 ½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE is a book that skyrocketed me to the highest levels of awe. Wow, just wow! Not only is the plot one of the most original that I’ve read in a very long time, but Turton’s writing is also impeccable. Yes, I certainly wish this book was my masterpiece…lol! I think that’s called author envy!