THE GHOSTWRITERS

She's funny, cynical, and kinda crazy, but she knows how to tell a story.

A struggling writer living in Manhattan, Jacy McMasters is the first to admit she's a terrific liar and a screw-up. Then the ghost of the famous novelist JD Balinger asks her to "channel" a follow-up to his classic coming of age book, The Watcher in the Sky. Along with her new boyfriend, a bear of a man who has no patience for mind games, the ghost in Jacy's head forces her to confront a lifetime of secrets—dark secrets. Secrets she's been keeping from herself.

Originally from Boston, Mickey J. Corrigan lives and writes and gets into trouble in South Florida, where the men run guns and the women run after them. 

Mickey writes spicy fiction with a sense of humor. The men run cool and deep. The women are tough and can take care of themselves, thank you. But most find time for the deserving lover in between creating dream protection software, learning the art of professional grieving, morphing into gorillas, busting billion dollar hedge funds, and other everyday activities.

Mickey's work has been compared to the Matrix and the Twilight Zone, so don't expect to sit back and coast on any of these wild fictional rides. And watch out for the mindblow twists, they're around every corner.

Interview with Mickey J. Corrigan, Author of The Ghostwriters

What inspired you to write this book?

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is one of my all-time favorite novels. When the author died in 2010, I wondered if his estate would release the novels he had held back from publication during his lifetime. Rumors had circulated for years about a sequel to his classic story about a young man hanging out in Manhattan while slowly (and somehow hilariously) falling apart. In 2013, a documentary on the reclusive author was released and the producers claimed his unpublished novels would follow. So far, they haven't. 

In my novel The Ghostwriters, a young writer meets the ghost of the famous novelist JD Balinger, who convinces her to help him write a sequel to his classic novel The Watcher in the Sky. Jacy McMasters has some issues she's dealing with, and they come to a head while she's ghostwriting with her ghost.

Did you ever consider writing yourself into your book?

I have done quite a bit of ghostwriting, some for minor celebrities. I can imagine what it would be like to ghostwrite with a top author. Not easy, no matter whether he (or she) were alive or dead! But this is Jacy's story. None of it is from my own life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I admire the toughness of Jacy, and her struggles as a woman and a writer are familiar. Being independent, following your instincts, feeling confused, doing the wrong things in the search for an authentic life, we all deal with that in our lives. I also like Jacy's family. Writing about her crazy mean mother was fun. Who doesn't know a critical mom like that? Jacy's roommate at Renew is a great character, full of surprises. Then there's Jacy's boyfriend. What a cool guy. Love him.

Were there any characters that you did not like?

Jacy's mother is not the nicest person, but I still like her. JD is annoying and kind of a perv. And there's the skinny model at Renew. What a bitch! But I like my bad guys. They have soul, even when they lack kindness.

What made you choose to write a book on this topic?

I work as a ghostwriter and it's challenging. You have to please clients who want a very particular book written. They are imagining the story like a movie in their own mind. Or they are remembering their lives like a film. To translate that and bring it to life on the page is difficult. I also had family drama as a young person, so I know what it feels like to try to heal and move on when you are in your 20s.

Did you base any of the characters on real people?

JD Balinger, the famous author of the story, is based on J.D. Salinger, the author of The Catcher in the Rye, a classic book we all read in high school. He died in 2010.

What made you decide to become an author?

I've been publishing books for many years, first college textbooks, then educational books for high school students, then poetry, short stories, and novellas, now novels. It's been a process that has evolved over time.

What advice would you give to your readers?

Read books! Buy books! Support your local authors! Keep on reading.

My Review

The Ghostwriters is a title that is a very interesting a funny play on words because not only does main character Jacy McMasters act as a ghost writer in the novel, but she is in fact a ghost writer for a ghost. This is a brand new concept that I have never seen before and it interested me as soon as I read the description of the book. I was very happy to get the opportunity to review this book and boy was I NOT disappointed. The book is a mix of supernatural ,mystery, and humor that are all blended together perfectly. My favorite aspect of the book was the main character Jacy McMasters. I really liked how Jacy McMasters devolved as a character throughout the book as she came in to herself more and more with each page turn.

I was sent this book for free for only my honest and unbiased review. I welcome both positive and negative feedback.