2004 News Archive

Questions and answers with Scott A. Johnson

Why did you choose to write this book?

I've always been fascinated by ghosts and things that go bump in the night. My family moved into an old house and we experienced the unexplained noises and cold chills, so it seemed natural build a story around them. While the story is greatly exaggerated, the actual house did give me the inspiration.

How long have you been writing? What got you started?

I've always been making up stories, whether to entertain myself or my friends. I started writing these down in college. In a creative fiction class and I decided to write stories that I wanted to hear. The professor made me feel my stories were worth something.

Who is the biggest influence on you as a writer?

There are far too many influences to name just one. The writers that come to mind are H.P. Lovecraft, Poe, Richard Matheson, John Blair, Miles Wilson, King, Clive Barker. Anything that I've ever read, seen, heard, has influenced, but the masters of the field I consider my mentors.

Where do you get your ideas?

My ideas come from everywhere. A large inspiration is my family. My daughters are always providing me with quirks and ideas that grab my interest. Also, my wife — who is wonderful — shares my passion for writing and reading, and is always there to say "What if ...?"

Why Horror?

The oldest of all emotions is fear. What is writing, but an attempt to make some kind of emotional contact with the reader? Horror is visceral, it's universal. Everyone knows what it's like to be afraid, and everyone likes a good scare. It allows you to escape into a world where you've lost control, and then returns you safely to your chair. Horror is the best and worst of emotions.

What can you tell us about your characters?

The main characters of this story are Gabriel Rosewood, his wife, Trish, and their two daughters, Lizzy and Shannon. Gabe is the father who wants to do right, and it kills him that many of his decisions up to this point have turned out to be wrong. Trish is the quintessential mother. Elizabeth, or Lizzy, is the typical little girl filled with pre-teen angst, thinking that no one understands her, and finding her only friends in her cat, Bishop, or in the ghost of the little girl who haunts this house. Then there's Shannon, who's two. There's far more going on there than anyone knows behind her eyes.
The most interesting characters to me are the ghosts in the house. There are two, a mother and daughter, who are trapped in a cycle of pain and hatred that's lasted for the better part of a century. Of course, the house itself is a character, as are all haunted houses.

If you could be doing anything you wanted in the world, what would it be?

Exactly what I'm doing now — raising a family, playing golf occasionally, teaching Karate, and writing.

For more information, please contact Carrie McCullough, associate publisher, at carriemccullough@bellsouth.net or (706) 738-0354.