Really, this story creeps up on you -- it seems quite innocent at first, a story of two sweet old ladies in the hospital, maybe a little superstitious....but just as you relax into it, it gets quite frightening. Do not read before sleep! A fun and shivery ghost story.
Carla: Warren, how did you go about writing this duppy story?
Warren: It is actually based upon an experience my mother had when she was in the Spanish Town Hospital. One night she saw a duppy sitting beside the bed of a lady next to hers who faded away while she was looking at him or rather while they were staring at each other.
Carla: Do you believe in duppies?
Warren: I haven’t had much dealings with them but I believe there are all sorts of spirit beings, yes. One of the experiences in the book was actually my experience but I attributed it to one the characters.
Carla: Are you afraid of duppies or anything like that?
Warren: Not at all. They are probably afraid of me.
Carla: It seems obvious that your mother believed in duppies.
Warren: Yes she did. She was also not afraid of them. She could see and know things and had premonitions and so on.
Carla: How did you develop the story from what your mother told you?
Warren: What she told me was a really straightforward duppy story. The description of the duppy fitted the woman’s dead husband. There were some questions about the duppy and the woman’s illness and someone was actually contracted to sort that out and that is in the book. I added some events and characters to make it into more of a mystery story, a ghostly mystery story. I added some intrigue and suspense.
Carla: Do you believe your mother’s story?
Warren: I believed it at the time and still do.
Carla: Are you superstitious.
Warren: No. I look for rational explanations for everything but I do believe the five senses are limited compared to what is out there but everything is according to law which can be explained.
Carla: I see you also designed the cover.
Warren: Yes, most people would know me as an artist not a writer. That is what I taught at KC as well as IT and being a jumping coach on the track team for several years. The duppy on the cover was done with oil pastels. I spent several days trying to get a suitable image from the internet but couldn’t so I got vexed and did one myself. A lot of people like it.
Carla: Are you planning on writing more books?
Warren: Definitely, There are two more in this series where some of the loose threads in this first story will be developed. I will be using the stories to explore jealousy, depression and other psychological and religious concepts.
Carla: Well, Warren, I wish you all the best and I look forward to reading the other books but I won’t read them just before I go to sleep.
Warren: Read them in the morning to give you time to recover and be sure to read the 23rd Psalm first for protection.
The Amazon link is here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FT4KDCW
Watch the YouTube trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP7RS6fixm8&feature=youtu.be