Today, Olivia from YA-Mag is has brought back Kira Snyder, author of POST MORTEM, the second novel in the Parish Mail series! Check out our first interview with Kira here: /Browse/Article/1686
Autumn in New Orleans means Homecoming, romance—and murder. When a friend vanishes, Celia believes a desperate letter about an unsolved Civil War-era murder holds the key to unraveling the mystery.
As she searches for answers, Celia enlists the help of quirky witch Tilly, and either all-American boy Donovan or, enigmatic Luc–you get to choose.
As the gang follows the missing girl’s trail, danger turns up on all fronts. A vicious stranger threatens Celia’s family. Celia’s nightmares–about a shadowy, ominous villain–get worse. And a new ghost has appeared: beautiful Angelica, who shares a past with Luc.
It will take all of Celia’s will and wit, and the faith of her friends, to solve an unspeakable crime. And no matter which path Celia takes, she will discover that sometimes the past can come back to haunt you.
Olivia with YA-Mag: Hello Kira! We’re excited to have you here at YA Magazine! We’re going to be talking about the second book in the Parish Mail series: Post Mortem!
But these are hardly your first work to see an audience. You also write for Syfy Channel shows like ALPHAS and EUREKA! What first got you into writing?
Kira Snyder: I’m so excited to be back at YA Magazine. Thank you for having me!
I’ve always been an avid reader and writer. I did a lot of local theater as a teen, and went on to major in drama in college, focusing on playwriting. From there I transitioned into computer game design for companies such as Microsoft and Electronic Arts – I’m still a gamer, when I have the time to play!
A move to Los Angeles led to a career change back to dramatic writing, although as you can probably tell from Parish Mail’s interactivity, I still have games on the brain. In TV, I’ve been fortunate to work on shows I genuinely love, from “Moonlight” and Mick the sexy vampire detective to “Eureka” the quirky town of geniuses, to the super but human heroes of “Alphas.”
YA:Tell us a little bit about this latest work. What is different about POST MORTEM, and what does it bring to the Parish Mail series?
KS: In DEAD LETTER OFFICE, the first book in the Parish Mail series, the main character Celia is freshly arrived in New Orleans and faces all kinds of culture shock: a new city, her father’s family whom she’s never met before, a new school, new friends, new boys (grin)… But most of all the fact that there’s a world of ghosts and magic right alongside our own.
In Post Mortem, Celia’s gotten more comfortable with all of that, as well as the curious letters whose mysteries she seems destined to solve, but the twists of the story throw everything she thought she knew into confusion. The central case of the book is more personal to Celia than in DLO: a friend goes missing right before Homecoming. This case also connects directly to the series-long mystery that began on Halloween night in DLO, and Celia learns alarming details about Luc’s dark past.
Also, Post Mortem is an active fiction book like DLO, and contains even more opportunities to play detective. The choices you make for Celia – which clue to follow? Which suspect to chase? – determine whether the killer gets away or not. Finally, Celia’s relationship with the boys in her life takes a BIG step forward. And YOU the reader get to choose which boy.
YA:How did you first meet teen detective Celia? How did you know she was the right protagonist for this series?
KS: I’m a big fan of strong, smart, resourceful teen heroines like Veronica Mars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even Harriet the Spy, so it’s no accident that Celia has traits in common with those amazing girls. Parish Mail is about mysterious centuries-old letters containing clues to crimes happening in the here and now, and I thought it would be interesting to have a paranormal skeptic as the main character. As you might expect from a sleuth, Celia believes in evidence and science, things that can be proven. Celia only comes to believe that witches and ghosts and magic exist when she witnesses them with her own eyes. And even then she’s not totally on board with it all.
YA: When you were a teen, what were your favorite books? Now that you’re a published YA author, what are your favorite modern-day YAs?
KS: As a teen, I loved Judy Blume novels and classic YA such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, My Side of the Mountain, and Mark Twain’s books, but what I really couldn’t get enough of was science fiction and fantasy. Tolkien, Piers Anthony, Ray Bradbury, myths, fairy tales, fables, ghost stories… anything along those lines. These days it’s not much different: YA books I love include Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, His Dark Materials, China Mieville’s books, and of course Coliloquy’s collection of terrific interactive ebooks.
YA: Sometimes a book’s title is perfect; sometimes it goes through a lot of changes! What’s the story behind POST MORTEM?
KS: Because the strange letters that Celia finds are the heart of Parish Mail, all the books in the series have mail-themed titles. I brainstormed a whole list of them, and as you’ll see in the book, Post Mortem – “after death” – was the perfect title for this particular story.
YA: What were your specific influences for this book? Films, literature, music, other stories?
KS: The city of New Orleans and its amazingly rich history is a constant inspiration for the entire series. Post Mortem’s specific influences include Edgar Allan Poe and the movie The Ring/Ringu. Fun fact: the abandoned church in the book is drawn directly from one that served as a rather creepy rehearsal space for a theater company I was in one summer.
YA: If you could spend one day hanging with Celia in New Orleans, where would you go and what would you do? What would you want to tell Celia?
KS: Confession time. I’ve actually never been to New Orleans! I am dying to go, of course, and hope to make the trip soon. In writing these books I’ve done a ton of research and spoke at length with NOLA natives, whose input was invaluable. I’ve gotten many positive comments on the authenticity of my depiction of the city, which is a massive compliment.
So to answer your question, I’d love to have Celia show me the first-time-visitor sights. The French Quarter, the Garden District, Jackson Square, the cemeteries, a jazz club or two, and Café du Monde for beignets and café au lait (maybe if we go at night, Luc will be there…). And I would tell Celia to have faith in herself. Our teenage years are so full of uncertainty: who am I? What’s my place in the world? Post Mortem deals specifically with that self-questioning, and how much strength it takes to rise above it.
YA: Kira, I hope you have a chance to check our New Orleans some time, and I certainly recommend the beignets! All right, last one: What’s up next for you?
KS: I’m busy working on a few different TV projects, and of course more Parish Mail. Stay tuned!
YA: Thank you very much, Kira! And again, from YA Mag, congratulations on your latest work! We look forward to hearing a lot more from you in years to come!
—
Readers, be sure to check out Kira Snyder at her website www.KiraSnyder.com. Or follow her on Twitter @Sugarjonze.
POST MORTEM: PARISH MAIL #2, published by Coliloquy, is now available at your favorite retailers and local independent bookstores!
Olivia Hennis is a transplanted New England girl dropped by a tornado into the magical Land of Jersey. For more info, follow her on Twitter or at her blog, Olivia’s Secret Reading Room.