I grew up on the campus of an abandoned boarding school in eastern Kentucky. I got to play in the gymnasium, auditorium, empty classrooms, and dorm rooms. It was the best backyard ever. 

Rebecca Patrick-Howard – 15 June 2014

The Back Flap

Windwood Farm has a terrible secret–one that’s been buried for more than 75 years…

Thirty year old Taryn Magill has spent her professional life exploring historical buildings and abandoned homes. With degrees in Art and Historical Preservation, she uses her camera and oil paints to recreate the once beloved and grand structures of yesterday for her clients, showing them how the buildings would have appeared in their prime. With her latest assignment at Windwood Farm, however, she may have bitten off more than she can chew.

Now, when Taryn looks through her camera, she sees more than decay and empty rooms; she’s finally able to see the past come alive as the formerly grand house begins to fill with furniture and belongings before her very eyes.

Every old house is supposed to be haunted, but this one seems to take the cake. Why does the young woman weep from the upstairs bedroom? Why is the sense of evil so strong that even vandals have stayed away for more than 50 years? What happened to the young neighbor who disappeared in the 1920s and does his disappearance have anything to do with the house’s mysteries?

More importantly, will Taryn herself be able to escape with her sanity and life before the house comes down? Because now it seems like someone is trying to kill her! Using what her camera reveals to her and her wits, she’ll try to unravel the mysteries of the farm and get out before it’s too late.

About the book

What is the book about?

Windwood Farm is the first book in my paranormal mystery series. The series is about a woman who sees the past when she looks through her camera. She uses this to solve mysteries. In the first book, she’s taken a job at an old house in central Kentucky. She’s supposed to be painting a picture of it, but then finds herself caught up in ghosts, attempted murder, and a mystery that’s almost 100 years old. Chaos ensues.

When did you start writing the book?

I actually started writing this book around 6 years ago. I didn’t get very far into it, though. I put it up but continued to think about it. I finally sat down and finished it last winter.

How long did it take you to write it?

Almost 6 years…But the majority of it was completed in around a month, not counting editing time and rewrites.

Where did you get the idea from?

In the book, there’s a bedroom in this abandoned house that looks untouched. Although the house has been empty for more than 75 years, the bedroom looks perfectly intact–like someone just got up and left and never came back. I actually discovered a bedroom like that in an old house I explored years ago. I started making up a storyline for it: who lived there, what happened to them, why the bedroom remained untouched. The book developed from that.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Yes. The middle. I knew how I wanted it to start and end but everything in between there was hard. My husband helped me out and threw some ideas to me and I kind of ran with them.

What came easily?

The backstory. I had no problem forming the backstory. It almost wrote itself. I love old houses and imagining their stories and what went on in them. I loved being able to put some of these ideas on paper.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

I’ve borrowed from a few people. There’s a waitress in my book, for instance, who is loosely based on my favorite server in a restaurant here in my town. She’s one of my favorite characters. Also, I totally stole my neighbor’s name for another one of the characters. My protagonist has a lot of the same interests as me, but isn’t really me. The “bad guys” are all made up.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Mary Downing Hahn was the first ghost story writer I read as a kid and I’m sure she influenced me a lot. What I’ve had trouble with is the fact that a lot of my favorite authors are Victorian ones like Wilkie Collins and I want to write like them. I’m not comparing myself to them or saying I’m as good as Dickens or something but I want to write these really detailed books with loonnngg introductions and backstories. Readers today don’t want that, though. They want to dive right into the story from the get-go. That’s hard for me. I really like Gillian Flynn and her voice, as far as new authors go, and I love Holly Goddard Jones’ way of writing about small towns and subtle nuances without resorting to stereotypes. Stephen King’s book ON WRITING has been my guide for a lot.

Do you have a target reader?

My book is definitely for an adult audience, or at least older teen. I think the people who would be interested in this are those folks who are into good old-fashioned ghost stories with a little mystery thrown in.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I make outlines for my novels. I also create soundtracks and assign my characters theme songs. I write best late at night. I have kids and trying to get them to do anything is like herding cats so it’s hard to find time to write during the day.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I do outline my novels but I don’t get really detailed with the outline. Before I start writing, I have most of the story mapped out in my head. I like to know where it’s going, though that’s usually subject to change.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I’m terrible at self-editing. I can’t find a darn thing. I usually wait until I’ve finished before I go looking and then I’ll send it to a few friends and have them look before I send it to my editor.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes. And she tries to whip me into shape and get rid of my bad habits. I’m particularly bad at writing dangling participles.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Yep. I need alt-country or Americana. I really like story songs. I was raised in the mountains and all those old murder ballads were sung to me as a kid. I don’t get into modern country so much but love people like Tift Merritt, Kelly Willis, and Allison Moorer.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Not anymore.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I really like the control I have over the process. I get to design my cover, take charge of the marketing, and have a say over everything.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I’ve designed all of my book covers myself, except for this last one. I love taking pictures and really get into the whole graphic design thing. I would’ve designed this one, too, but then I met this online artist who did a beautiful job of putting together a cover that suited my book perfectly. I couldn’t have done it better myself. I like her so much, in fact, that I am writing another book based on one of her illustrations which means my series will now have four books instead of three.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I have a vague plan, but since I learn something new every day I try to incorporate that into what I’m doing, too. It can get really overwhelming!

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Start building your platform now. Don’t wait until your book is out.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on the campus of an abandoned boarding school in eastern Kentucky. I got to play in the gymnasium, auditorium, empty classrooms, and dorm rooms. It was the best backyard ever.

Where do you live now?

I live on a ridge in eastern Kentucky with my husband (a souvenir from my time in Wales), my two kids, and a bunch of animals that aren’t really ours.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I love meeting people and talking to them. When I set up at festivals and stuff I always tell folks to come by and visit with me, that they don’t have to buy anything–I just like talking and hearing their stories.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on the sequel to Windwood Farm. It’s called Griffith Tavern and there’s lots of murder, mayhem, and mystery. It’s loosely based on a creepy story my mom told me when I was a kid. She made it up on a long car ride in the dead of winter and it gave me nightmares. I’m hoping my readers find it just as disturbing.

End of Interview:

For more, visit Rebecca’s website, the website for the book, or you can follow her on twitter or whatever the proper term is on Pinterest. 🙂

Get your copy of Windwood Farm from Amazon US (paper or ebook), Amazon UK (paper or ebook), or Barnes & Noble.