Author Interview: Tracy Badua and Ghoul Summer Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m super excited to have Tracy Badua back to share about her new MG Ghoul Summer. Tracy also did a guest post with her agent, Natalie Lakosil, in 2022 to celebrate the release of her debut MG Freddy vs. The Family Curse and a guest post with co-author Alechia Dow earlier this year to celebrate their MG Their Just Desserts. I’m super excited to read Ghoul Summer from reading the blurb and Their Just Desserts. 

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

 

In this beachside ghost story that’s perfect for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Wednesday, twelve-year-old Barnaby is forced to spend his summer helping his grandpa move, only to be confronted by Maxwell—a moody ghost boy with some unfinished business. 

Barnaby had grand plans for his summer. He should’ve been spending his days watching movies and gaming with his friends. Instead, his parents drag him to the boring beach town of Sunnyside to help his grandpa move.

Just when he thinks this summer can’t get any worse, a ghost boy named Maxwell shows up in their vacation rental home to kick Barnaby and his family out.

Barnaby tries everything to get rid of Maxwell on his own. But when his attempts fail and Maxwell actually becomes stronger, Barnaby realizes that there’s only one solution to his ghost helping Maxwell figure out his unfinished business. If he doesn’t, the ghost might ditch the rental home for Barnaby’s body instead.

With the clock counting down to the end of the trip, Barnaby is forced to enter an uneasy truce with Maxwell to find the truth—or be haunted forever.  

Hi Tracy! Thanks so much for joining us. 

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer. 

Hello again! I write middle grade and young adult books, and I’m thrilled that my eighth book, Ghoul Summer, is finally out in the world! I’m also a lawyer, though I’m in the process of transitioning to full-time writing. Maybe this means I’ll finally start getting some sleep! 

2. Where did you get the idea for Ghoul Summer? 

I went on a mini writing retreat with some awesome author friends a few years ago, the week before Freddie vs. the Family Curse came out. While we were all hunched over our laptops, we started noticing something weird: every time someone flushed the toilet, one of us had a writing-related breakthrough, like figuring out a way through a tricky scene or unlocking a hard-to-understand character. Our over-caffeinated fiction-writer brains landed on a wacky explanation: our vacation rental was haunted…with a helpful ghost. That joke ended up sparking the idea for Ghoul Summer, though the ghost in my book isn’t nearly as supportive and encouraging. 

Your Writing Process 

3. What a cool way to come up with a story idea. How long did it take to write and revise your first draft before sending it to your agent and editor? What was the process like? 

I wrote the first three chapters of Ghoul Summer in May 2022, as part of the contract negotiation for a two-book deal (sorry, legal stuff!). I then set those chapters aside to work on Thea and the Mischief Makers, which also entered its final stages of polishing right around the time I needed to finish that draft of Ghoul (it’s not uncommon for authors to be working on a lot of different projects on the same time, but whew!). So I drafted the rest of Ghoul Summer on and off for six months beginning in November 2023, revising along the way as needed, with a full read-through revision before sending it to my editor in May 2024. 

4. Maxwell’s unfinished business sounds intriguing. How did you decide on the leads they’d have to follow to try to uncover why he’s haunting the rental house they’re staying at? And why did you decide to have him haunt the house since the 1980s? 

If I found myself alone as an eleven-year-old, I’d probably wonder where my parents were, so that was naturally the first part of Maxwell and my main character Barnaby’s quest. And if they’re not there with Maxwell, why not? I set the boys’ search for answers against the deadline of the vacation rental’s sale and demolition to make way for a cookie bakery, to raise some of the issues that had been simmering in the town since Maxwell’s time. 

When I was fleshing out this idea, I knew I wanted the ghost in Ghoul Summer to be modern enough to relate to Barnaby. One of our musings about our own writing retreat ghost a few years ago was whether it would’ve been a spooky Victorian-era one like we see in the movies or something more recent, and I always thought a contemporary ghost would be fun to write (though I’ve heard from young readers that the 1980s are ages ago). 

5. Ghoul Summer has been described as heartfelt and funny. How did you add humor to the story? What tips do you have for other writers on including humor in their writing? 

I try to think of what my younger audience would find amusing – which often isn’t hard, because my sense of humor is frozen in that era too. For those far more mature than I am, I’d suggest making an effort to read and watch kids’ media created within the last five years: jokes that were funny decades ago may fall flat or raise eyebrows today, and seeing how other creators set up and execute humorous situations is both educational and entertaining.   

Your Journey to Publication 

6. You’re lucky you have a natural sense of what’s funny. Your tips for the rest of us are great. How did Natalie Lakosil become your agent? 

After amicably parting ways with my first literary agent, I was on the lookout for new representation, and I thankfully had some wonderful writer friends who were willing to refer me to their agents. I reached out to Natalie, who saw promise in what became my debut novel Freddie vs. The Family Curse. 

 7. You’ve published two YA books and six middle grade books since 2022. Share about how your career as an author has grown since you were a debut author. How have you been able to publish so many books in such a short time? 

I feel like I’ve gotten a much better sense of story and character development with the help of some amazingly talented editors who challenge me to improve with each book. As for the number and the short time frame, I’ve always been a fast writer (one of the side effects of the lawyer job), and, more importantly, I have plenty of support at home with my husband, parents, and mother-in-law all happy to distract the kids or send over food when it’s crunch time. 

8. I wish my skills as a lawyer would have translated to being a fast writer too. You’re also an attorney by day and have a family. How do you find the time to also write and be as productive as you are? 

I’ve been scolded before for not sleeping and for the amount of caffeine I ingest, so please don’t look at that for advice on how to maximize your time! I’m starting to focus my energy on writing full-time though. Even then, I’ve been finding it challenging setting a reliable routine for writing, especially because I’m the kind of person who tends to fill their free time with more work like lawyer associations and home improvement.  

Marketing Your Book 

9. How are you planning to promote Ghoul Summer? How has your approach to marketing changed over the years? 

I’m doing more on-the-ground work with Ghoul Summer, so more school, library, and bookstore visits to meet readers where they are. My marketing in the past has typically been very social media based, but being online that much gets exhausting! I find in-person interactions more impactful and enriching, so I don’t mind the occasional drive to do face-to-face outreach; plus a lot of bookstores sell chocolate. 

10. What are you working on now? 

As I wait for word on some proposals we have out, I’ve been toying with some new ideas and really focusing on figuring out what I want my next writing career step to look like. I’d love to stay in middle grade but I’ve been considering dipping into writing for other age ranges as well. 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Tracy. You can find Tracy at www.tracybadua.com or on Instagram at @tracybaduawrites. 

Giveaway Details

Tracy is generously offering a hardback of Ghoul Summer for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by October 11th. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address. 

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or follow Tracy on her social media sites, mention this in the comments, and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S. 

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog. 

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops 

Wednesday, October 1st I’m participating in the Scaredy Cat Giveaway Hop and have an interview with author Julie Berry with a giveaway of her YA If Looks Could Kill and my IWSG post 

Monday, October 6th I have an agent spotlight interview with Renee Runge and a query critique giveaway 

Monday, October 13th I have an interview with author Lynne Kelly and a giveaway of her MG Three Blue Hearts 

Wednesday, October 15th I have an agent spotlight interview with Sophie Sheumaker and a query critique giveaway 

Thursday, October 16th I’m participating in the Silly Pumpkin Giveaway Hop 

Monday, October 20th I have a guest post by author Claudia Mills and a giveaway of her MG The Last Apple Tree 

Monday, October 27th I have an interview with author Dusti Bowling and a giveaway of her MG Holding on for Dear Life 

I hope to see you on Wednesday!