Lost
in the Light by Mary Castillo
had me on the edge of my seat for so many reasons. Not only is it one of the better ghost
stories I have read but it is also full of love, laughter, heartache, and
tears.
Dori Orihuela is the
main character, a cop who recently was shot and is out of work on
administrative leave pending an investigation.
While on leave she goes through with the purchase of an old
mansion. Turns out that Dori will need
to do a lot of restoration to the house to make it livable. Her grandmother, Grammy, sends Gavin, an
ex-boyfriend of Dori’s, to attempt to fix the house. There is a love story here, but it is not the
only one. Not long after Dori sets up in
the house she discovers that it is haunted by a man who was murdered in the
house. Vicente’s spirit is trapped in
the house where he died, wandering in an out of the world we know. Dori helps Vicente try to find the love of
his life, as that is the only thing he is obsessed with. There is so much more to this story than just
this, but if I talk to much more about it, I will give the story away!
Mary has a unique
way of tying the past and its history to the events that unfold in the
present. The tale was rich with history
of National City and of the Mexicans that emigrated there. The characters are unique, each having a life
of their own, not in least bit contrived.
I could picture myself sitting in the kitchen with the characters as
they held their conversations, and the tension between Dori and Gavin was
palpable. I raced from page to page,
pouring over the novel as I tried to figure out what happened to Vicente and
wondered if Dori would pull it together.
I loved this story, and cannot wait to see more of Mary Castillo’s work! There were times that I jumped and times that
I wanted to cry. To me that is the mark
of a great story, the ability to elicit emotion from the readers.
Check out Lost in the Light by Mary Castillo! It is a fantastic read that will pull you
into the world of ghosts, crime, and love that lasts longer than a
lifetime! It is so worth the price of
admission to Mary’s world!
Our
conversation with author of Lost in the
Light, Mary Castillo!
Mary: Strangely for Lost in the Light it was not my personal experiences growing up in
a haunted house. The inspiration for Dori's story came from a moment when I was
a "rookie" in the Laguna Beach Police Department's Citizens Academy.
There had been an officer-involved shooting a few months earlier that I had
also covered for the local newspaper. One night, the officer who had shot and
killed an armed robber, returned to active duty and to our Citizen's Academy.
The police chief commended him for his bravery and when everyone stood up to applaud
his bravery, the officer bowed his head. The expression on his face – regret,
humility and relief to be alive - has stayed with me ever since. So when the
idea was kicking around in my head, I connected Dori Orihuela from a novella I
had published in Names I Call My Sister
with this moment I had witnessed.
R&M:
When did you first know that writing was what you wanted to do as a career?
Mary: The third
grade! I've always been a writer. I just didn't realize it until I was a
sophomore at USC that I could make a living at it! My first goal was to write
screenplays but it was never quite satisfying enough because the form is very
lean. There's no room for descriptions of anyone's intense eyes, or the feel of
the sea on their faces because that is the actor's job! Finally in 1996, I
decided to heck with this, I'm just going to "try" a novel about a
recovering alcoholic who can see ghosts. I kind of finished it … okay, I
didn't! But once I started, I couldn't stop.
R&M: When you
are working on a book, do you plan ahead, or do you let the story flow as you
write?
Mary: I outline
but I'm open to spontaneity. The outline is really helpful during the revision
phase, which for me is quite arduous but also my favorite time with a story. I
use it as a map and even if surprises come along, I can quickly go back to the
outline, mark where I need to make changes in previous chapters and then keep
plugging along.
R&M:
Are any of your characters in your books based on people that you know in real
life?
Mary: Grammy Cena
is my Aunt Irma, who passed away in September. When my mom read her the first
chapter of the book, my Aunt Irma said, "I would never wear mango!"
She died the next day. While I hate it that she's gone, I'm also happy that she
knew how much I loved and admired her by creating this character after her.
R&M: What
does your family think of your writing?
Mary: They seem
to get a kick out of the whole thing and of course they read my books to see
whom I've based the characters from. They never guess who is who and I just nod
my head and smile when they say that I based the heroine on them!
R&M: How has
being published changed your life, if any way?
Mary: At my first,
and so far, only RWA Literacy Signing, a reader ran up to me with copies of all
my books. She then slammed them on the table and out of breath, asked me to
sign them. So I did while she took photos of me like she was the paparazzi! It
reinforced my mission, so to speak, as a writer which is to connect with
readers; to bring joy and a sense of camaraderie. The moment was a little
strange but also humbling because when someone goes out of their way to leave
work, drive to a huge hotel, pay for parking and then wait in a long line
outside a ballroom carrying all of my books, I realized that what I do affects
real people. I've never forgotten that.
R&M:
What are you currently working on? We
would love to know what is coming next from you.
Mary: Yes, I'm
"renovating" a novel that I've been working on for the past five
years! The Ballad of Aracely Calderon
is about the oldest daughter of the world's most famous mariachi singer. She
turned her back on her family heritage, Mariachi Calderon, after suffering her
father's emotional abuse. But when he dies, Aracely is shocked when he
bequeaths the Calderon violin, which has been passed from the first son to the
first son for generations, to her with the stipulation that she take over
Mariachi Calderon.
R&M:
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?
Mary: The same
advice I was given by my writing teacher, Ben Masselink, which is that
discipline protects the talent. Writers write. They write in spite of the fear
that the words on paper will stink. They write in spite of rejections, the
state of the industry or lack of book sales. They write because they have to
and they love going into their imaginary worlds to see what those characters
will do next.
R&M: What was
the hardest part of writing your book?
Mary: Writing the
first draft is the hardest part of any book. When I'm at this stage, I can't be
on a computer with email and Internet access. So every night when I shut down
my office, I remove my keyboard and place my AlphaSmart on the pull-out tray.
In the morning, it is right there and I can just jump in right where I left
off.
New material is
like walking through a dark house: you either get scared stiff, or you're
bumping into things while looking for the light switches. I've learned to make
life easier on myself and accept that the AlphaSmart is the best way to get
into new material. The screen is tiny so I can't see all the typos and mistakes
and just plain terrible prose that I've written. It keeps me in the moment with
those characters. Like Nora Roberts has said, you can't fix a blank page!
Fun
Questions:
1.
Favorite flavor of ice cream: Dark chocolate gelato
2.
Favorite color: Purple3.Favorite animal: My black pug, Rocky
4.Favorite season of the year: Fall
5.Favorite Author: Isabel Allende
6. Favorite drink: Malbec
7.Favorite food: Mexican
8. Favorite Halloween Candy: Popcorn balls
Our guest blogger for
the day, author Mary Castillo!!
Mary: Thank you R&M! It’s a pleasure to be here!
Lost
in the Light is not just my
homage to one of my all-time favorite movies, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, but it is also a journey into my family
history. Much of my childhood was spent at my Great Grandma Nana's house in the
Westside Barrio of National City. I remember watching the first runs of the San
Diego trolley and flagging down the ice cream man during the summers. When I
smell pink naked ladies flowers, or peppertree and ivy, I'm taken back to her
house where she had grown yerba buena next to the white shed and used a
scrubbing board to clean clothes.
Like Vicente, the ghost in Lost in the Light, my great grandmother, Eduvijen Holguin Melendez
and her little brother, Ceferino Holguin arrived in National City in 1925 from
Douglas, Arizona. Their grandmother, Maria Duran, moved them out west because a
nephew had said there was a lot of work to be had with the Santa Fe Railroad. Back
then, the barrio was a muddy rail road town. Families lived in make-shift train
cars and little clapboard shacks with chickens in their yards. My Grandma
Margie remembers her mother washing her father's work clothes in kerosene.
While researching at the Local History Room at the
National City Public Library, I found my great grandmother and grandfather's address
in the 1926 city directory, my great great great grandmother's listing as well
as my mother's grandmother. I also listened to my Great Uncle John Mendez's
oral history and found out that my great grandfather on my mom's side had been
shot in a gambling hall! By looking at those addresses and the Mexican last
names, it was plain to see that the Westside of National Avenue in the 1920's
up till the 1970's was the Mexican side of town. Anglos, the term my Grandma
Margie still uses, lived on the east side that had paved streets, lawns and
running water. The Westside got a sewer system and paved streets in the 1940's.
The research that went into Lost in the Light has given me a greater perspective of exactly how
far my family, like many Mexican Americans, has come from those early days. In
1996, when my Grandma Margie saw me in my USC cap and gown, she said,
"Look at this. Everyone told me that my sons would grow up to be bums. One
is a fire captain and the other an engineer. Now my granddaughter is a USC
graduate."
One of my fondest hopes with this book is that it will
honor the humble, but hard-working people I come from.
A special thanks to our guest for the day and author of
the novel Lost in the Light, Mary
Castillo! Thank you for sharing with us
some of your thoughts about your work!
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Thanks for such an awesome event ladies and I cant wait to read Phoenix Burning
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