Gretchen McNeil is a YA debut novelist. Her book, Possess, is a creepy tale of a girl who can hear demonic voices. Gretchen McNeil is just as unique as her writing, she has had five interesting jobs including being a singer for Cirque Berzerk.
POSSESS Synopsis:
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.
Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons’ plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.
Tell us 5 random facts about yourself?
How about my five random “careers”?
Opera singer, television producer, voice over artist, circus clown, writer.
Tell us a little bit about your process and how you became a writer.
Well, in a former life, I was a classically trained opera singer. I stopped doing that professionally several years ago but was lucky enough to fall in with a crazy circus troupe called Cirque Berzerk back in 2008 where I sing with the band as one of the Sirens.
Writing sort of evolved around the same time as I started singing with the circus. Honestly, I just woke up one day and said, “I’m going to write a novel.” It sucked, but I learned how to write. Two novels later, here I am!
What was your favorite chapter/scene to write and why?
My favorite scene involves a phantom cat. It was based on something that actually happened to me – the only possibly paranormal events that’s ever affected me. My cat visited me three days after she died. I think she knew I needed to say goodbye. So I immortalized Pocket by putting her in a book!
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
It’s always hard to hear that a character “isn’t likeable.” I’ve gotten that a few times with Bridget. She’s a prickly girl, wounded and protective with a sharp sense of humor. A lot of people really love her, but others just don’t connect. I totally understand, but I have a great affection for Bridget – and maybe more than a little in common with her – so it always hurts to hear.
One of my critique partners took to calling me “Hitchcock” based on my ability to create suspense and spin a mystery. While I’m not about to compare myself to the Master of Suspense, to me, there is no greater compliment.
Where’s your favorite place to write?
Crazily enough, I love to write in bed, propped up with pillows, with my laptop. Something about my bedroom is so soothing. I know, it’s weird, but I’ve never been a “desk” kind of girl!
If you could have lunch with one of your characters who would it be and why?
Hector, Bridget’s best friend. He’s hilarious and I feel like we’d have an awesome time shopping together.
What are you working on now?
I just finished revisions on my next project TEN, a stand alone horror novel about ten teens trapped on an island with a serial killer. I wanted to do something creepy and chilling, but without paranormal elements, kind of a throw back to Lois Duncan, Christopher Pike and the scary books that kept me up at night when I was a teen, convinced that every creak of the house was a hooded madman wielding and ax who was coming to get me!
TEN is scheduled for Fall 2012, also with Balzer + Bray.
You can visit Gretchen on her website or follow her on twitter.
