To send the ghosts back, the kids learn Black history, find courage, and fight with love.
As some of you may know, I never really set out to write ghost stories. I actually don’t watch many horror movies at all, and have a hard no set around certain horror topics. But when I started writing my debut novel, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, I realized that if I was going to write about abandoned, segregated cemeteries, the novel would have to be pretty scary. But don’t worry – if you’re like me, and don’t like too much horror, I always make sure to wrap up my ghost stories in a happy and hopeful bow 🙂
So in case you aren’t familiar with my novels (or maybe you are, and want a refresher in time for GIRL FROM THE ASHES!) I want to briefly discuss the Black History in my Middle Grade Horror novels (with honorable mention of my Young Adult RomCom, RHYTHM AND MUSE!)
THE FORGOTTEN GIRL: Segregated Cemeteries and Schools
My debut novel tells the story of Iris and Daniel, who, after being (a little too) excited about the first snowfall of the season, sneak out to play in the woods in their neighborhood, and in turn, discover an abandoned and segregated graveyard. While there, they “awaken” a ghost named Avery. After Avery seems a bit dangerous, they decide to figure out who she is so they can send her back.
This was loosely based off of a cemetery in my hometown, named Randolph Cemetery. I have family members buried there, and at one point in time, it was abandoned. The caretakers moved up north during the Great Migration. It was going to be built over, but a woman named Minnie Simmons Williams stopped the process. During my research of this particular cemetery, I realized that abandoned, segregated cemeteries are more common than you might’ve thought. I wanted to talk about this interesting (and sad) history, wrapped in a story of love, forgiveness, and friendship.
THE GIRL IN THE LAKE: Segregated Swimming Pools
My second novel tells the story of Celeste who, at the beginning of the story, feels sad that she “failed” her swimming lessons, while her brother Owen passed them. Celeste’s family is big on swimming, so her parents decide to send her and her brother to her grandparents lake house for the summer so she can learn how. This lake house turns out to be haunted.
While writing THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, I spent a lot of time in Lake Norman, NC, and really got a taste of lake town. I started to get the idea of writing a lake house story, while also dealing with the fact that I can’t swim.
I wasn’t alone. According to the USA Swimming Foundation, 64% of Black children don’t know how to swim, and when the adults in the house don’t know how, only 19% of the children in the house will learn how to swim themselves. I wanted to know why.
Basically, when swimming pools were desegregated, it wasn’t exactly sweet – riots broke out at pools, nails were thrown into pools, and public pools were closed down and moved to backyards and country clubs. This shift in swimming left a lot less places for Black swimmers to swim in, affecting the culture around swimming and the access to even learn how. This effect was generational.
I made this a lake story because a lot of the Black swimmers who did learn how to swim in these times learned in lakes, which can be dangerous.
Because of this story, I was able to present to the Nile Swim Club, the first Black swim club in the COUNTRY that was founded for these very reasons. It was truly an honor to speak to them, and see this beautiful club that’s still up and running today!
GIRL FROM THE ASHES: Astronaut Ron McNair and Segregated Libraries
GIRL FROM THE ASHES is my fourth book, but my 3rd Middle Grade Horror. This one is the first MG that follows a boy. Carter John is just starting middle school and not really used to it yet. He’s antsy, fidgety, and growing into his long limbs and tall body. His teacher misinterprets this as mischievousness. The more trouble Carter John gets into, the more he feels like something is off, especially with the library…
When I was visiting Johnsonville Middle School in South Carolina, the kids made me a travel guide filled with their favorite places in their small town, including the Ronald E. McNair Life History Center. Being a South Carolinian, I was already familiar with Ron McNair as the 2nd Black American Astronaut to go to space, one who was a part of the tragic Challenger explosion. But what I didn’t know was that, at age 9 years old, he had the police called on him for wanting to check out a book that wasn’t allowed for Black readers. Ron McNair refused to leave, and when the police arrived, they thankfully didn’t arrest him, but this had me thinking about segregated libraries everywhere.
Some libraries wouldn’t allow Black readers to check out anything, some would only let Black readers check out books from certain sections, and some would only let Black readers check out books for White readers.
As someone who loves and grew up in her public and school library, this was another fact that made me interested. Carter John and Gianna, two kids who love learning, also discuss other notable figures in Black history when trying to figure out who to present their project on. As always, this is a story of love, friendship, and courage.
Honorable Mention: RHYTHM & MUSE: Black Musicians
RHYTHM & MUSE is a Young Adult Romantic Comedy, which follows Darren, a shy perfectionist who loves to sing and has a crush on the popular girl Delia, of the podcast Dillie D and the Place to Be. He’s stopped singing for reasons we don’t know, and he hasn’t told Dillie about his crush, for fear of rejection.
Dillie is hosting a contest, and the winner gets to sing the theme song for her podcast. Someone anonymously sends in audio of Darren singing a love song about Dillie, and the audio makes its rounds and becomes a hit! But Darren has to decide whether he will take ownership of this song, which will put him back in the spotlight as a singer and force him to admit his crush on Dillie, or do nothing because the circumstances aren’t ideal.
This is a musical story, so a lot of Black artists are mentioned: Whitney Houston (the first artist to have seven consecutive Billboard Hot 100 #1 hits!) Beyoncé (the most awarded person in GRAMMY history!) Jodeci, Christopher Williams, Tamela Mann, the list goes on!
If you’ve read, or plan to read, any of my novels I’d love to know! They are available anywhere books are sold, but I’ve conveniently placed links for you here.
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