Embark on a journey into the realms of mystery, the supernatural, and the unexplored vistas crafted by Anneke Barnard in her debut published book. Hailing from the vibrant landscape of Portland, Maine, Anneke’s academic pursuit leading to a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Southern Maine reflects her dedication and passion for the art of storytelling. As a certified educator and a cherished sibling among three brothers, including a special twin connection, Anneke’s life echoes the values of kinship and the alluring mystique of her native city. Her inaugural book, Heaven’s Ghosts, unfurls an intricate narrative surrounding the haunting aftermath of a young boy’s tragic drowning, protagonist Sam’s cryptic ability to commune with spirits, and an age-old enigma binding the character’s fates together. Venture with us into the depths of Anneke’s imagination, discovering the captivating lore behind the first book of her Heaven Maine Mysteries series.
Introduce yourself and tell me about what you do.
My name is Anneke Barnard. I’m 23 years old, turning 24 in June. I have three brothers, an older brother who is 25, a younger brother who is 22, and a twin brother. I’ve lived in Portland, Maine my whole life, attended Portland High School and graduated in 2017. Then I attended the University of Southern Maine and graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s in English and as a certified teacher for grades 7-12th. Currently, I am working at my old high school as a dedicated sub. Though I love working with students, my true passion is writing and telling stories.Tell me more about your journey as an author, including the writing processes.
My journey as a writer began when I was young. I was creating characters and stories as young as eight but it wasn’t until high school that I thought about doing it for a living. When I started, I didn’t complete numerous books. But I finally finished my first when I was a freshman in college, which I very quickly scrapped. However, though I did not end up pursuing that book it showed me that I do have the ability to finish one. In the summer of 2020 when we were all stuck in quarantine, I started my next book which ended up becoming the book I am promoting now: Heaven’s Ghosts. I finished the first draft that summer. But because my final year of college was coming up and I was making that final push to graduate, I did not get to spend a ton of time editing it until the following summer. I decided to self publish because I wanted to retain the rights to my book and have more control and say over the final product. However, I realized I did not love the marketing process, mostly because it took away time from writing. So I decided I would go a different route for my next book which is how I found MindStir Media. My second book is a sequel to Heaven’s Ghosts, and after finding MindStir, I decided to do marketing for Heaven’s Ghosts before going through the process of publishing my next book.
My writing process starts with the spark of an idea which can be as simple as “a deaf boy who can hear the voices of spirits.” And if I really like a certain idea, then I start the process of developing that idea. When I start developing an idea into a novel the first thing I do is figure out the characters. Who are the people that are going to lead this story? To me, characters are the most important part of any story because they are what commands the attention of the audience. I’m an avid reader and whenever I read a book it is the characters that pull me in. So when I set out to write my own it’s characters that I focus on primarily. After I have a good sense of who the characters are, I move on to the plot of the story and try to map out the main events of the story. When I am writing a mystery I have to map out both the crime that was committed. This means figuring out the who, what, when, where, and why of the crime, while also mapping out the investigation the characters conduct. I have to plant red herrings and clues without making the ending too obvious. Also, with this specific book I had to figure out the roles of the spirits and the rules of the paranormal world and Sam’s abilities. If Kip had remembered who killed him, there would have been no story so I had to figure out why he would not remember. Eventually, no matter what I’m writing, it gets to a point where I can’t plan anymore and I just have to start writing. I find that once I start writing there are things that come up that I never planned to have but from the process of finally writing the story they pop up and ultimately make the story better and more complete. When I start writing I usually hand write the first draft. I do this for a couple reasons. One, there is something about the act of putting pen on paper that helps my mind focus on the task at hand. Two, when I go to type up what I’ve written I find myself editing at the same time and it’s easier for me to catch holes in the plot. For example, sometimes I might have a backstory for a side character but it changes as I start writing so what I write about them in the first chapter might contradict what I write in the last, and if I hand write the first draft I can catch and fix this error much easier.
Tell me about your book.
Heaven’s Ghosts is the first in a series of books that center around tween and teen characters who solve mysteries in their small town Heaven, Maine (think Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Scooby Doo). In Heaven’s Ghosts you are introduced to the characters who make up this group of sleuths. Sam, Cleo, Vi, Jasper, Kip, and Leo. What is unique about this group is that not all of them are alive. Kip and Leo are both spirits who communicate with the others through Sam. Sam is a deaf boy that can hear and see spirits. This book follows Sam and the others as they investigate Kip’s murder and in the process unravel a thirty-seven year old mystery. My goal with Heaven’s Ghosts was not only to write a mystery but also a coming of age book, so you have a group of kids solving mysteries but they are also figuring out who they are. Sam is the narrator and the main character. I decided to write from his perspective because he is the glue to the group. He is the one that connects the dead and the living since he’s the one that can communicate with the dead.What is the appropriate age for readers?
I wrote this book geared to middle school students. So it’s primary target is kids ages 12-15, but I wrote it so that anyone of any age can enjoy it. The reading level I geared towards a younger audience but I tried to make the story engaging for any age. For those younger than 12 I would suggest a parent/guardian reading it first and deciding if their child can read it. It has maybe two swear words but it does deal with topics such as murder and grief.
Do you have any messages for our readers?
This story is as much about the journey of self discovery as it is about investigating a murder. Though the mystery does take center stage in many ways it is about how Kip’s death and the investigation into his death impacts each character, especially Sam. I also want people to know that the main character and narrator is deaf which I chose to do for a couple reasons. One reason is that I love the duality it creates in his character and how it makes him a bridge between two worlds and cultures – the dead and the living, the deaf and the hearing. Also, he is loosely based off of my mom, in that my mom grew up with two deaf parents but was hearing herself and she often acted as a translator for them. She, much like Sam, acted as a bridge.
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.
