Searching for a Haunting Halloween Read?
“Mirror Mirror: Halloween Party of the Century” is what you’re looking for. Follow an ordinary Sandy Tillman into a party where extraordinary paranormal adventures and horrific conflicts crush the ordinary when an interdimensional spirit possesses her, taking her out of this world to a different time… more than once.
Want a peek inside Mirror Mirror? Below is a Q&A I completed for the Novelaire Book Club earlier this year that opens the kimono…
- What inspired you to write Mirror Mirror: Halloween Party of the Century?
Mirror started as a short story of about 2,000 words, posted to my blog over ten years ago. - How did the original concept for Sandy Tillman’s story first come to you?
I needed an ordinary person to hurl into extraordinary circumstances. She knew nothing of my plans until they crashed into her ordinary life. - Why did you choose a Halloween party as the central starting point of the narrative?
The party was a prop, a catalyst to bring the supporting cast of characters together to begin the adventure. What happened at the party was the first domino to fall.
- Were any personal experiences or observations influential in shaping this story?
Researching the concept of different dimensions took a great deal of time when I decided that the Entity reflecting out to Sandy from the mirror was from the 11th dimension. I got quite an education. I reconfirmed what the book of Ephesians says about the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Turns out the Holy Bible is one of the best horror stories I’ve ever read. - How did you develop the rules governing time travel and parallel universes in the story?
My Relentless Wench Muse suggested time travel until the story needed a solution to a crisis that developed when the party went sideways, never mind several escapes from law enforcement, and a jailbreak to avoid a 15-year prison sentence to Reidsville State Penitentiary. Parallel universes emerged from research into the 5th dimension and those beyond. Sandy knew nothing of time travel and approved of none of it. The Entity had to convince her to trust him enough to agree to go willingly. - What role does the Mirror Mirror book itself play in the broader universe you created?
The book is ground zero for everything that opens up into Sandy’s ordinary life when she pulls it off the library shelf and discovers she now has powers the book outlines. She wanted none of it.
- How did you balance science fiction, thriller, and psychological elements in one narrative?
The word balance may be a stretch, but that’s where the Relentless Wench Muse pushed the story. An early reviewer felt it was in the horror genre. I didn’t see it. Spooky, weird, sure, but not horror for me. As a genre-bender, I’d even add a dash of paranormal. Some readers were very intimidated by the idea that the mirror could be a portal to other universes and timelines. Maybe that’s the horror aspect. No matter, I don’t write to satisfy rules and labels. I want to put an engaging story into readers’ hands.
- Were there any influences from existing science fiction or fantasy works in your world-building?
Not so much in this first novel, but then one person’s fantasy world may be reality to another. There are some in the Dreamscape series where the SAI Mod-3 Humanoid asks not to be called the HVT and use his real name – Hal. The 1968 Stanley Kubrick movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the onboard computer, the Heuristic Algorithm (HAL), begged me to include it.
- How would you describe Sandy Tillman in your own words?
Sandy is a 32-year-old real estate agent trying to live as an ordinary, uncomplicated, unencumbered person, without a male relationship by choice. She liked being safe and in control of her emotions. She was certainly adaptable, as evidenced by the range of emotions she experienced while the Entity had her under his control.
- What makes Sandy’s journey unique compared to typical protagonists in time travel fiction?
Time travel was not on the agenda. Sandy knew nothing about time travel and wanted nothing to do with it when Paul, the Entity, suggested it. I almost did not want to go there because I strive to maintain authenticity in my stories. Still, the application in Mirror was an emergency option I hadn’t planned for until different plans called for it.
- How did you approach writing her emotional and psychological evolution?
My theory, and it’s also the theme of my blog, Learning By Living, is at the core of my work. You can’t overlook emotional evolution in character development. I don’t, as a rule, tell the reader about a character’s emotional or psychological state. I let my characters show the reader what they say, think, or do, and I let the story show where they are and how they progress or regress depending on the story’s stresses.
- What role do secondary characters play in shaping Sandy’s decisions?
The Entity, whom Sandy eventually names Paul, drives the bus after she decides his absence poses a greater threat than his guidance. Melissa Merriweather, her roommate and best friend, serves as a sounding board and runs interference to prevent law enforcement from attempting to arrest her on multiple occasions. Marcus T. Hawthorne III, Mel’s dead grandfather, who was not so dead on one fateful trip back in time, showed how nasty the man was.
- The story escalates rapidly. How did you approach pacing such a complex narrative?
I make every effort to hang on tight and get the story out of my head. Rereading is essential when attempting to keep the story authentic and believable, given that it is fiction. Mirror is filled with complexity that sneaks into the story, with twists and turns the reader likely won’t see coming. - How do you decide when to introduce major twists like murder, fire, and dimensional shifts?
Sorry if this answer sounds like a dodge, but the storyline dictates that kind of timing. I suppose I could blame the Relentless Wench Muse, but I don’t want to break bad on Her because She is a blessing and a curse.
- Was the storyline planned in full before writing, or did it evolve organically?
The only planning I did, beyond research, was listening to what the Relentless Wench Muse whispered in my head when she read the short story version. She said, “Nice, but there’s more story here, Mate. Finish it!” So, I did, and a novel gelled around an amazing storyline. I honestly don’t know the ending until I arrive. In “Untethered,” the Muse interrupted my writing and said, Mate, this story ended three chapters ago. Where are you trying to go now? No outline can contain that kind of visibility, at least not in my head.
- How do you manage maintaining suspense while navigating multiple timelines?
Suspense needs to be mobile and agile to cover the storyline and not necessarily suspenseful all story long. It’s a tool in the toolbox. Again, I must remain vigilant about where the story is headed. I must stick to the story’s momentum and follow wherever it leads. I can’t manufacture suspense, but I can feel it, and I want my readers to get the same rush.
- What deeper message do you hope readers take away from Sandy’s experiences?
I’m not sure how deep this answer will sound, and I can’t say a message was present from the beginning. Even ordinary people get hurled into circumstances of chaos they neither planned for nor ever considered they’d be up to their necks in. If there is a message, I’d offer that even the ordinary can survive and thrive in the extraordinary. - How does the novel explore the concept of fate versus free will?
Good question, and I think the answer is a personal one for each of us. In my stories, fate shows up, and the characters must exercise their free will to deal with whatever comes their way. - Do you see the Mirror Mirror book as symbolic in any way?
I never considered Mirror, my first novel, as symbolic except for reaching my milestone of becoming a published author.
- What does the story suggest about identity across different realities?
I treat different realities in terms of timelines in parallel universes, where things may look identical to the current reality. However, nothing, especially people, may be the same, no matter how exact things look around them. Remember, a different reality can exist for each of us because reality is based on perception and the influences we receive.
- How do justice and truth function in a world where reality itself is unstable?
Hah, good luck with making that connection in this story. Everything about Sandy’s world went from stable to chaotic. Law enforcement’s dogged pursuit of an ordinary, innocent Sandy Tillman, and the tumultuous trial, are perfect examples of that imbalance. We can all think of the beating truth and justice take at the hands of our world’s instability. Great question…
- What does your typical writing process look like when developing a story of this complexity?
I feel stories and write quickly to get them out of my head, Relentless Wench Muse-willing, until the words stop flowing. Stephen King said, “Write…then write right.” Since leaving the corporate hamster wheel seven years ago, I’ve been free to follow his advice. I write, then reread aloud, then edit, then reread aloud, then rinse and repeat until I clearly hear the story. If it doesn’t sound right, it won’t read right, especially when I use extensive dialogue to equip my characters to show the story. Editing is essential, and you pursue it until you run out of time…or you die.
- How did you feel when you were first invited to be featured in the Novellaire Circle Book Club Author Spotlight?
One-word answer – Pumped. I’ve been writing novels since 2020 and have seven novels so far, with marketing and promotion efforts that match the funds available…also known as scarce-to-none. Writing is therapeutic, and it keeps me out of jail. I’ve been preparing unknowingly for this interview for a few years. - What does it mean to you personally to have Mirror Mirror: Halloween Party of the Century selected for this feature?
I’m finally focusing on visibility, and this kind of interaction is a path I’ve taken to get my work into readers’ hands and minds. I’m a Writer of Things, not a marketer of things I’ve written, and I hope my “blind squirrel” strategy will pique an agent’s or publisher’s interest. - How do you feel seeing readers from Novellaire Circle engage with your work in a structured book club setting?
I love getting the sense that club members actually read the book and not just the abstracts. I enjoy my readers getting the chance to interact with the crazy man who writes crazy things. But hey, it’s my crazy, and it fits. - Did being featured in this spotlight change how you view your own story or its themes in any way?
No. The outcome should validate that I’m doing something right. An earlier book club exchange turned into 44 rankings on Goodreads… all 5-star. My change is the desire to interact with readers at every opportunity. - What emotions did you experience when reading the curated questions prepared by the Novellaire Circle leadership?
I’m proud of my work, humbled that you’ve asked me to participate, and thankful for your engaged membership.
- How important is reader interaction like this to you as an author, especially through book clubs such as Novellaire Circle?
Reread answers to #25 – #27. This kind of interaction is essential validation of my voice in stories I write.
- What impact do you hope this feature will have on your connection with readers and your future work?
I hope to do this again…there are 7 more tales to share. - If you could describe your overall experience of being part of the Novellaire Circle Author Spotlight in three words, what would they be?
I’m fired up!
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“Mirror Mirror: Halloween Party of the Century” – https://bit.ly/3C4qWqK
Mirror Mirror Goodreads Reviews – bit.ly/4sSgsn5
Video Trailer – https://bit.ly/3GTztmG
Author Website – Learning by Living – https://learningbyliving.blog
(Search on Mirror Mirror for all related articles and extras.
