V.S. Lawrence: Author Spotlight Interview
Meet the author of 80s Ghosts: A Thrilling Paranormal Suspense!
V.S. Lawrence is our second author for the indie author spotlight series on this blog. I adored her book and am thrilled to present her interview to you all!
The Interview
Q: Let’s start with everyone’s favorite: tell us a little about yourself.
A: Oh boy, I’m so bad at these! I’m a writer of spooky stories currently living in Utah. I have a sweet little pup named Rigby who helps me brainstorm book ideas.
Q: When did you know that you wanted to be an author?
A: I always wanted to write, but I wanted it to be a career when I was a teenager. Unfortunately, I listened to the voices who said I would never be able to make money doing it, so I gave up in my mid 20s. But in 2021, I was exhausted (as was the rest of the world) and I booked myself a cabin in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the country. While I was there, I had an idea to write a book, and the rest is history!
Q: Your bio says that you grew up being scared of everything and still are. I giggled at that a little bit, knowing the genre that you write. What made you want to write in this genre?
A: Yep, I am a huge scaredy cat! I grew up reading Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, so of course horror runs through my veins. But I’m a wuss, and even those cheesy haunted houses scare the pants off me.
Q: What was the inspiration for 80s Ghosts?
A: So, one night, as I was getting ready for bed, I caught the scent of hairspray. At this point in my life, I didn’t use or even own any hairspray, and my first thought was that it was a ghost. A hairspray ghost. A…ghost from the 80s? The idea of a ghost making its presence known not by its perfume or pipe smoke, but from its hairspray, just made me ridiculously happy, and so I decided I needed to write a book about ghosts from the 80s!
Q: How do you feel about 80s Ghosts and its release now that it’s been out in the world for a few months?
A: I’ve been blown away by the support I’ve received as a brand new author. I honestly only thought a handful of people would ever read it, so it blows my mind that so many people have bought it and read it, and loved it! It has been crazy and scary at times, but the horror and book community has been absolutely amazing and made this journey so incredible.
Q: Why did you choose to self-publish your book?
A: I loved knowing that I would have full control over the final product. I got to pick the cover designer, the editor, the formatting, etc.
Q: What are some of your favorite books and/or authors?
A: One of my favorite books of all time is My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. I haven’t read anything from him that I didn’t absolutely adore. I’m also a huge Stephen King fan. I can never pick a single favorite, but Needful Things and The Stand are in the top five. Simone St. James and Jennifer McMahon are the other authors that are auto buys for me.
Q: What are some things that you enjoy outside of writing?
A: Outside of writing, I read (obviously), play video games, travel, and bake! I spent the entire summer of 2020 perfecting my French macarons, and haven’t made them since.
Q: Are you working on another book and could you give us some hints on what it may be about?
A: I actually have three more books in the works at the moment (because I’m a little bit ridiculous) The one that will be coming out next is a summer camp slasher with a little bit of a twist! It’s set in a girls camp in Utah, and I think it’s going to be a ton of fun!
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
A: I’m terrible at giving advice, but one thing I wish I had known from the beginning is to be kind and gentle with yourself. There’s so much advice out there telling you to write every single day, or to hit a certain number of words a day, or X hours a day. But it’s not a one size fits all thing. You have to find the rhythm and schedule that works best for you. No matter what that is!
The Book
The year is 2009, and Chrissy Rodriguez is determined to make her ghost hunting vlog an internet success. She’s only one more failed investigation away from financial ruin and having to move back home. When she receives an email asking her to investigate Merlin High, a school that burned down in the 80s, she is presented with a unique opportunity that could make or break her.
As they explore the decaying halls searching for evidence of the paranormal, Chrissy notices that her team is acting a little…off. Everything begins to unravel, blurring the lines between past and present. With her team stretched to its limits, Chrissy realizes that some secrets want to be found. And some of them have even been waiting.
Wrap Up
You can check out my review of 80s Ghosts here.
80s Ghosts is available on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Lawrence also offers signed copies! You can get the book on any of those platforms here.
Thank you so much for reading! I absolutely loved this book and think that V.S. Lawrence is an amazing author and person. I can’t wait to see what she releases next. If you want to keep up with her and her upcoming books, be sure to follow her on Instagram!
