Welcome to an exploration of mystery, the supernatural, and the unseen world through the lens of Anneke Barnard’s latest work. Born in the heart of Portland, Maine, Anneke’s journey earning her bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Southern Maine speaks to her dedication and passion for storytelling. A certified teacher and a devoted sibling among three brothers, including an intriguing twin connection, Anneke’s life is rooted in family and the enigmatic charm of her hometown. Her debut book Heaven’s Ghosts captivates readers with its intricate tale of a young boy’s drowning, the protagonist Sam’s clandestine ability to communicate with spirits, and a decades-old enigma that binds them all. Join us as we delve into the depths of Anneke’s imagination and learn more about the intriguing mysteries of her Heaven Maine Mysteries.
Could you introduce us to the Heaven Maine Mysteries series? What inspired you to delve into the genre of ghost mysteries?
Heaven Maine Mysteries is an anthology series that follows a group of middle to high school aged kids as they solve mysteries in their hometown of Heaven Maine. The mysteries have a paranormal element. In the first book Heaven’s Ghosts, you are introduced to Sam, Vi, Jasper, and Cleo, who I affectionately refer to as the Heaven’s Ghost Crew, as they try and solve the death of Vi’s brother Kip Green.
The paranormal aspect of this series comes from the fact that Sam, who was born deaf, has the ability to see and speak with spirits. In Heaven’s Ghosts, Sam is approached by the spirit of Kip Green and is persuaded to start investigating Kip’s death which has been ruled an accidental drowning, and along the way he pulls in the others to assist him. My goal for this series is for it to be reminiscent of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books with a hint of Scooby Doo thrown in.
Including the element of ghosts and the paranormal world in this series was primarily because of Sam. My writing process always starts with characters. I’m a very character driven writer. With Heaven’s Ghosts, Sam was the linchpin for the rest of the book. I had this idea of having a character that was deaf but could speak with spirits and the spirits became more like friends than terrifying apparitions. I thought the duality of having a character that existed both in the world of the dead and the world of the living was an interesting approach to telling a ghost story because it made the ghosts allies and victims instead of evil or villains.
The mystery aspect of the story came from my love of mysteries, especially mysteries where the detectives are amateurs. At its core, the story is a coming-of-age about a kid coming to terms with his ability and his place in the world. It’s just told through the lens of a murder mystery.
Heaven Maine Mysteries often blend elements of the supernatural with traditional mystery. How did you come up with the concept for this series, and what themes do you explore within it?
As I said above, the concept for this series started with Sam. When I originally started writing Heaven’s Ghosts I didn’t intend on it being a series. But when I finished the book, I realized there was an opportunity to write more and explore more with these characters and the town. I wanted the series to explore the themes typical in a coming-of-age book while also including mysteries. The ghosts are a great foil to Sam and his friends because they can’t physically age but even they still mature and move on. I try and explore themes of death, grief, acceptance, growth, etc.
Tell us about the main characters in the series. How do they interact with the supernatural elements, and what challenges do they face?
The main character and narrator of the story is Samson Roe, 14 years old. Sam is the one that can communicate with ghosts and is the reason the others get involved in the investigation. He was born deaf. His sixth sense was triggered when he was five, when his father died. After that, Sam was bombarded with messages and requests from spirits who wished him to communicate with their loved ones. Sam’s mom is a con artist who pretends to be psychic and often Sam uses his mom to pass on the messages from the spirits that contact him. Sam is the only deaf kid in his town and communicating with the living is often more difficult than talking with the dead so most of his friends are spirits. Kip’s death and the investigation are the catalysts for getting Sam to interact more with the living.
Kip Green is the second main protagonist of the story. He is fifteen, and dead. He’s the spirit that comes to Sam and asks for his help in investigating his death. Kip is goofy and charming, and even though he is investigating his death, has an optimistic approach to the world. Though the book is Sam’s coming of age story and is primarily about his growth it is also about Kip and his story and growth.
Vi Green is Kip’s younger sister, age 14, and she gets pulled into the investigation when Sam shows up at her house claiming he can speak with Kip. At first, she doesn’t believe him but soon comes to accept it and begins to help Sam with the investigation. Contrary to Sam, Vi is very popular amongst her peers, but like Sam she feels removed from them at the same time. She puts on a mask and very rarely shows her true self to her peers. She struggles with the death of her brother and the pressure of her parents’ expectations.
Jasper Jacobson is Sam’s only living friend. He is 12 years old, but he skipped two grades, so he is in the same grade as Vi and Sam. He and Sam became close because they were both outsiders amongst their peers. Jasper is one of the only people in town that knows sign and can communicate easily with Sam. He is highly intelligent, loves history, and is often the voice of reason amongst the group that no one listens to. Jasper gets pulled into the investigation when Sam and Vi need his help finding information pertaining to a clue they discover.
Cleo Roe is Sam’s older sister, 17 years old, she is often more of a mother to Sam than his actual mother and protects and cares for Sam. She is the “adult” of the group and gets pulled into the investigation a bit later than the other characters.
Leo is a spirit that Sam has known since he was five. Leo was Sam’s first friend and acted as his protector, keeping other spirits away when he is trying to sleep or needs a break.
How do you balance the eerie and mysterious aspects of the ghostly elements with the more grounded elements of a mystery plot?
Sam. Having Sam be the narrator allows the reader to go from the world of the dead to the living easier. Sam belongs to both worlds and so he is involved in both the ghostly elements of the mystery and the work that he and his friends do. With Heaven’s Ghosts my goal was to make the ghosts feel like any of the other characters; I wanted the reader to forget that they are dead until they do something like fly through a wall.
I think because of this it was easy to balance the two aspects. Because of Sam’s relationship with the paranormal world and the ghosts they encounter the paranormal world is portrayed less eerie than in other ghost stories you might read. In later books I explore the paranormal world more and delve into the different kinds of spirits; in those there is more of an eerie tone to the ghostly elements, but even in those Sam helps ground it.
Atmosphere is crucial in ghost mysteries. How do you create a setting that enhances the supernatural ambiance of the story?
Having the story set in a small town was one of the ways I tried to enhance the supernatural ambiance of the story. There is an isolation and loneliness that Sam feels being the only deaf kid in town and not knowing many who know sign. Because of this isolation the ghosts he encounters become friends and they are as real to him as the living, sometimes even more so. One of the key settings is the Valentino Villa which stands on the cliff and overlooks the rest of the town. My goal with the Villa was to create a building that feels like it is part of the spirit world; almost like it is home for spirits not the living. Having places throughout the town, like the Villa, that feel a bit darker adds to that supernatural/mysterious ambiance.
Are there real-life locations or experiences that inspired the settings in your Heaven Maine Mysteries series?
For sure. I grew up in Portland Maine, so definitely the coastal aspect of Heaven Maine comes from my experiences living in Portland. I also would visit my family’s camp every summer in Wayne Maine and the small town feel of Wayne greatly influenced the atmosphere of Heaven. As for experiences, Sam in many ways is based on my mom and the stories she used to tell me about her childhood. Not that she talked to ghosts and solved mysteries, but she grew up with two deaf parents and often acted as an interpreter for them. Much like Sam she was part of two different worlds, the deaf community and the hearing. Many of the characters have characteristics of people I know and grew up with.
How do the supernatural elements influence the personal growth and development of your characters over the course of the series?
The supernatural world is the reason these characters go on the adventures they have, which lead them to grow and change as they discover new things about themselves. They are also confronted with adult issues at a young age such as death and grief and violence because of the paranormal world. Sam has dealt with these issues longer than the rest of the characters but through Sam and the mysteries they investigate the others become confronted with these issues as well. With each mystery the characters see the evil of the world and lose a bit of their innocence each time.
Are there specific challenges in character development when dealing with both human and supernatural characters?
The biggest challenge comes with the supernatural characters. I wanted the reader to see that even though they are dead the ghosts still evolve; they might not age physically but they are still experiencing the world and learning and changing. My solution to this was by having the story told through Sam’s eyes; by doing this the reader gets to see the ghosts as people and friends, they are not just side characters or clues.
Ghost mysteries often rely on building tension and suspense. How do you approach pacing and structure to keep readers on the edge of their seats?
With Heaven’s Ghosts I made each next moment in the progression of solving the mystery a bit more dangerous. With every clue discovered a bit more of the mystery is revealed. Having Kip also not remember how he died, and it slowly come back to him is another way I chose to build tension. You never know when he is going to remember something that could be the missing piece of the puzzle. In other books I also introduce other methods of communication between Sam and the ghosts including dream visions which adds an element of tension and suspense as the reader experiences the dreams along with Sam.
Are there particular writing techniques you find effective in creating a chilling atmosphere?
The use of figurative language such as metaphors and similes when describing settings and the characters’ feelings. Telling the story in first person narration but having Sam speak directly to the audience so that you feel part of the story and adventure. I also chose to write the story in present tense because when you read the book it feels like the events are happening in real time and you don’t know what is going to happen.
Did you need to conduct any specific research into paranormal phenomena for your Heaven Maine Mysteries series? How do you balance creative license with real-world supernatural lore?
For Heaven’s Ghosts I didn’t do much research because other than the ghosts that Sam interacts with there isn’t much of the paranormal world in it, and I wanted the ghosts to feel alive and for the reader to forget they were ghosts until something happened that reminded them. However, in the second book The Forgotten Treasure the paranormal world is explored a bit more as the crew is confronted with different types of spirits. When trying to balance creative license with real-world supernatural lore what I do is I use the real-world lore as a base and put my own take on it. For example, in my books, phantoms are a specific kind of ghost that haunts people, places, or even things and they are bound to the person, place, or thing. Much of my research is knowledge I gained from other books, shows, and movies.
What kind of experience do you hope readers will have when reading your Heaven Maine Mysteries? How do you want them to feel as they navigate the supernatural and mysterious elements of the story?
I wrote these books for middle school aged kids, but I also wanted them to be enjoyed by all ages. I hope that when someone reads these books they are absorbed in the mystery and can connect with the characters. For any adult who is reading this book I hope it evocates happy memories of their childhood, and for those who are younger I hope it inspires them to be themselves and to strive for adventure and what makes them happy.
Do you have a favorite moment or scene from the series that you enjoyed writing?
Any scene that Leo is in I love writing, especially his entrances and the way Sam responds to him. Leo and Sam’s relationship and their conversations is super fun to write because they have a very witty banter between them. In Heaven’s Ghosts I loved writing the Valentino Villa scene. There was something magical about the setting and it features all the main characters and showcases how they all interact with one another. It also introduces Mrs. Valentino who I thought was an intriguing side character and who really added to the ambience of the setting.
How do you ensure that your supernatural elements are both intriguing and believable within the context of the story?
By having the story narrated by Sam the conversations and interactions with the ghosts are like they are with any other character. Sam speaks with the ghosts almost better than he does with the living and because he is the narrator you are never taken out of the story when the ghosts get involved. Sam switches from talking to Vi and Jasper to Kip and Leo without missing a beat. Also, the strength of Sam’s power is believable because it is enhanced by his deafness, when one sense is lost another is heightened, in Sam’s case it just happens to be his sixth sense.
Can you offer any insights into the future of the Heaven Maine Mysteries series? Are there new ghostly challenges or mysteries on the horizon?
I am currently editing and in the process of publishing the second installment and have plans for a third and fourth book. The second follows the crew as they search for a forgotten treasure, discover more about the paranormal world, and make new friends both living and dead. As long as I have ideas for compelling mysteries there will be more stories and adventures in store for the Heaven’s Ghost Crew. I’m also fiddling with a couple ideas for a spinoff series but those are in the very early stages.
Are there particular themes or aspects of the supernatural that you’re excited to explore in future installments?
In the second book I’ve enjoyed exploring the different kinds of spirits that Sam meets. I’m looking forward to delving more into the world of psychics and psychic abilities beyond just communicating with the dead. Sam is part of this world not only because of his gift but also because of his mom’s job and I definitely have plans to explore that more. Every time I start planning out the next book I look forward to figuring out what new aspect of the paranormal the crew will experience.
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Heaven’s Ghosts
A young boy’s apparent accidental drowning, a mysterious drifter, the town recluse, a deaf boy who can hear the voices of spirits, and the mystery that connects them all.
Samson Roe comes from a family of fake psychics his mother being the most recent perpetrator of the con. However, Sam has a secret that he has not revealed to anyone, he can speak with ghosts. The only problem is that Sam is deaf. So, though he can hear the voices of the dead, the living are silent to him. When a boy named Kip Green drowns in the picturesque town of Heaven Maine nobody suspects anything sinister; that is until Kip makes a visit to Samson and reveals that he believes his death to be anything but an accident. Together they begin to investigate what really happened and in the process begin to unravel a thirty-seven year old mystery.
