Meet the YA Writing Duo: J.R. Matheson & Lee Bice-Matheson

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes the mother-son writing team of Lee and J.R. Matheson who co-write a supernatural fiction series.

First, a bit about both:

J.R. and Lee are co-authors of Destiny’s Gate, Book Two in the Paige Maddison series, which is a literacy series and included in The Battle of the Books, 2012-2015. Destiny’s Gate holds a special place in Lee’s heart as it is her dream to write with her son, J.R., and they are the first Mom-Son supernatural fiction series writing team.

J.R. has always enjoyed writing. His first story—at the early age of 7 or 8—was a horror story about a young family being tormented by gremlins. At 11, he wrote his first full-length novel about a haunted island, but scrapped the project when a similar TV show was released (Lost). Now, over a decade later, he is overjoyed to be taking on a series project: co-authoring the Paige Maddison Series with his mom. He plans on pursuing graduate studies in pharmacology and neuroscience, with aims to improve the quality of life for people living with psychiatric illness.

Lee Bice-Matheson is the author of Wake Me Up Inside, Book One in the Paige Maddison Series, and is the recipient of the Literacy Award from the Readers' Advisory Panel of the Orillia Public Library. She has also contributed narratives to The Big Book of Canadian Hauntings. She found inspiration for the Paige Maddison Series through the encouragement of her beloved son, J. R. Matheson, and her husband and best friend, Kevin. Lee began with storytelling as a way to ward off bears along the trails her family often hiked. Lee is passionate about exploring ghosts, spirituality, family relationships, and higher awareness in her writing.

Why did you pick to write books for YA?

Lee:  I began to write for Young Adults as our home was a haven for our son and his friends. I thought if I’m going to write a series, why not for teenagers who have so much to deal with in this turbulent world we live in. Our series is an outlet and escapism for teens who deal with so much stress and pressure. And I am a teen at heart.  J.R. and I are happy to report that tweens are also reading our books and as are readers of all ages. That’s been a wonderful development for us.

What types of books do you like to read?

J.R.: I don’t necessarily have a favourite genre – I tend to freely float between horror, mystery, fantasy, and even some literary fiction – but I tend to be drawn to books with relatable, well-developed characters. I like books about friendship, loyalty, and love, but always set against the backdrop of some horrific events or dark worlds.

Lee: I like to read ghost stories, some horror, family relationships, but mainly non-fiction for me. I do not like to read fiction while writing our series.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

J.R.: When I’m not writing, I’m usually studying. I’m fascinated by neuroscience and psychiatry, and even now that I’ve graduated with my B.Sc. and have a little bit of a break before I go off to graduate school, I’m still always learning about advances in neurology and neurobiology. Occasionally, you can also catch me playing video games or watching TV series online. I probably play League of Legends too often, and I think I’m watching about 5 or 6 shows at the moment.

Lee: My husband and I hike on trails. We love to explore Georgian Bay by boat and enjoy nature. I love loons, so anytime there’s a sighting, I’m overjoyed. We like to ‘unplug’ over most long weekends to experience life and travel often.

Tell us about Destiny's Gate and how the story came to be.

Lee: Destiny’s Gate is a continuation of the first book in the series titled Wake Me Up Inside. It begins exactly where the first book ended. I’ve read ghost stories since I was a little girl, and it is natural for me to write about this genre. I am fascinated by the idea that there is life after death and what it means to human beings. I am very lucky that J.R. loves the supernatural too.

Here's a peek at Destiny's Gate:

Live from a place of love. It conquers all that is evil.

Shaken by the haunting from Conall, Paige Maddison hopes to put it behind her. When Paige’s premonitions, nightmares, and ghostly visions return, however, she realizes there is no way of getting back to the normal she once knew. Try as she might to adjust to her new life at the O’Brien Manor, dark forces begin to brew on the grounds of the haunted O’Brien estate. Paige becomes the unwilling target of the Earthbounds, anguished souls who seek revenge and retribution.

But where there is darkness, there is also light. Through an enigmatic string of events that has her questioning who she truly is, Paige soon learns that she is not only being watched over by guardians of both the spirit and mortal realms, but also being called upon by a greater power beyond her wildest comprehension. As her world is turned upside down, Paige faces a life-changing dilemma: Should she embrace her special gift and fulfill the destiny that is unfolding before her? Or will she succumb to the evil that surrounds her and deny her true identity? 

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.
J.R.: I wrote a novel when I was a wee lad about a haunted island. I’ve gone back to it a few times, but it needs so much work I don’t know if I’ll ever consider publishing it. It was about a group of students who end up crash-landing on an island in the Atlantic, only to find out that there are dragons, zombies, and other horrific creatures inhabiting the island, and that the ruler of the island has drawn them there with a special plan in mind.

Lee: Not before starting this series. Previously, I wrote Wake Me Up Inside, Book One in the Paige Maddison Series. I took a writing course from the Children's Institute, and my mentor advised me upon graduation that I could begin writing a novel. I was thrilled to hear this endorsement from Cheryl Zach, author of over 40 books! http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/z/cheryl-zach/

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?J.R. & Lee: We are working on Book Three in the Paige Maddison Series, and we think it’s going to be our best yet. Sorry, we don’t want to give anything away about our next book, so we’ll leave it there.
 
J.R.: I’m also working on a solo novel (or rather, have been working on and off for years), and I would really like to get that out there one of these days. It’s about a girl in her mid-twenties who inherits her parents’ estate after they die in a car accident, and her subsequent realization that there’s something wrong with the house she grew up in. It’s not a ghost story, by the way! I leave that area to my mom.

What advice do you have for other authors?

J.R.: The best advice I can give is to never give up and to stay positive about your writing. You will inevitably get some criticism because not everyone is going to like your work, but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer! I believe there’s an audience for everyone’s work, so just never forget that, and keep writing no matter what happens.

Lee: Practice, practice, practice. And write daily! Even when you think you have nothing to write, sit at the computer, or at your notebook, and see what happens. You’ll be surprised at what can come to mind.

Anything else you want readers to know?

Thank you so much, Cheryl, for hosting us on your blog! We were delighted to be asked and  thrilled to be a part of your world. We are also grateful to all of the Independent Bookstores that host us as well as the Canadian chain, Chapters.Indigo.ca.

Where can readers find you and your books?
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Destiny's Gate
  
Friesen Press
Amazon CA
Amazon US
iBook
Chapters Indigo CA

Meet MG/YA Author Kay Lalone

Join me in welcoming MG/YA author Kay Lalone to Carpinello's Writing Pages. Kay's debut book Ghostly Clues was released in November 2012 by MuseItUp Publishing.


Kay, tell us a bit about yourself.

I have been writing for most of my life. Some of my short stories have been published in children’s magazines. Other short stories have grown into MG and YA novels. I have an interest in the unexplained things like ghosts, dreams, witches, demons, and just things that are weird so most of my stories reflect that interest. Ghostly Clues is my first book to be published. I live in Michigan with my husband and youngest son.

What types of books do you like to read?

Mystery mostly. I love the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series. I like books that have believable characters who are put into weird and strange situations that upset their normal life, routine. It is entertaining to see how they survive the situation and see how their lives change. 

Why did you pick to write books for Middle Grade/YA?

Children and teenagers have an open mind and wild imagination so it is fun to write MG and YA. Writing for that group of people is a challenge to dig deep into my own imagination and view the world like my readers would and to be creative and entertaining. I picked writing books for MG and YA because it gives me a chance to be a child again through my characters.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family whether it’s play games or watching movies. I have two adult sons and one teenage son at home so family time is hard to come by with everyone being so busy. My husband and I love to go to auctions and buy antiques. I love camping with my sons and doing things that interest them like playing video games (even though my youngest beats me all the time.) When I want to relax, I love to read.

 Tell us about Ghostly Clues and how the story came to be.

Ghostly Clues started out as a short story. I was around thirteen, same age as the main character, Sarah Kay when my grandma died. That was when I had my first encounter with a ghost. It was a ghost hand that crawled up on my bed and grabbed a doll. The next morning the doll was found way under my bed. I believe it was my grandma telling me I was too old to sleep with dolls. This memory has haunted me all these years. And I started asking myself what if questions and soon Ghostly Clues developed into a novel.

Blurb:

The sweet scent of lilacs permeates the air around Grandma’s gravesite. Only Sarah Kay can smell Grandma’s favorite flower, and they’re not even in bloom.

Sarah Kay and her best friend, Mary Jane, believe the lilacs are a sign from Grandma’s ghost. The girls follow one ghostly clue after another, uncovering a secret that Mom never wanted Sarah Kay to know.

Grandma makes sure Sarah Kay gets the message even from the grave. As the evidence piles up, Mom still refuses to accept the possibility Sarah Kay’s father is alive.

Sarah Kay finds Dad’s parents. A set of grandparents she didn’t realize existed. They make it clear her father is alive but days and miles separate the father and daughter reunion because Dad is a truck driver on a long haul.

Sarah Kay waits. The news reports a fatal car accident involving a semi and Sarah Kay fears the worse. She runs away which leads to Dad and the truth, Mom wanted Dad to remain dead.

Dad had faked his death so why not just stay dead.  The ghostly clues of Grandma wouldn’t allow Dad to remain dead to Sarah Kay.


Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

I have written other books but they aren’t published yet. One manuscript that I am finishing up and will send to MuseItUp is a YA novel entitled Family Secret. It’s about a fifteen year old boy named Tom whose mother died and his father leaves him with a family friend to go away on business and try to figure out who killed his wife. Tom feels abandon by both parents. Strange things start to happen to Tom and he discovers the family secrets his parents have kept from him will put him in danger.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

Yes. I am always working on new stories. I have a lot of stories running through my head. But another story that is almost complete is a YA novel Mysterious Visions. It is about Nicole who has visions, one of her parents' fatal car accident, and how she deals with her friends knowing her secret.  Also, strange things that happen in the caves on the island.

What advice do you have for other authors?

The best advice I was given is read, read, read, and write, write, write. Reading is important not just for entertainment, but to see how other authors write. As an author it is hard to find the time to write. So you need to discipline yourself to sit down and write. If you don’t have that discipline or drive to write, than learning to how to write a story is useless.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I would like to hear from my readers. I think the great thing about technology is that you can facebook or even email your favorite authors. I always wished I could do that when I was a kid, but way back then it was harder to contact an author. So I love hearing from my readers to find out what they are thinking and what they would like see in a story.

Where can readers find you and your books?
My website is Kay Lalone Author  and my blog is www.kaylalone.blogspot.com. 

Ghostly Clues can be found at MuseItUp Publishing.