Interview with Morgan Shamy for The Redpoint Crux
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
Synopsis:
Fans of The Phantom of the Opera and Black Swan will enjoy this thrilling debut.
When Megan Van Helsburg gets kicked off the U.S.A. Climbing Team, she has no choice but to return home and leave her climbing career behind. With no coach, no money, and no prospects, she joins the corps de ballet determined to improve her strength and agility. But the ballet theater is in dire straits. Not only do a series of murders break loose, but the ballerinas are becoming deathly thin and brain-dead. As Megan investigates, she meets Bellamy, a tortured young man who lives beneath the depths of the theater. Megan falls hard and fast for Bellamy, who becomes her mentor, but something is off about him.
It isn't until the company announces they're doing Giselle for the fall performance that Megan realizes the parallels between the ghost story and the lives around her. Megan must find a way to not only save her climbing career, but balance her feelings for Bellamy, and stop the murders and dying girls before she, too, is numbered among the dead.
Can you briefly describe THE REDPOINT CRUX and its characters?
Fans of The Phantom of the Opera and Black Swan will enjoy THE REDPOINT CRUX! It’s about 17-year-old Megan “Red” Van Helsburg who’s gets kicked off the U.S.A. Climbing Team and has no choice but to return home and leave her climbing career behind. With no prospects, she joins the corps de ballet determined to improve her strength and agility, but the ballet theatre is in dire straits. Not only do a series of murders break loose, but the ballerinas are becoming deathly thin and brain-dead. As Megan investigates, she meets Bellamy, a tortured young man who lives beneath the depths of the theatre. She falls hard and fast for him, but something is off about him. It isn’t until the company announces they’re doing Giselle for the fall performance that Megan realizes the parallels between the ghost story and the lives around her. She must find a way to not only save her climbing career, but balance her feelings for Bellamy, and stop the murders and dying girls before she, too, is numbered among the dead.Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
Definitely Bellamy! He’s a tortured soul, who lives beneath the depths of the theatre. I love everything about him—the way he speaks, the way he moves, the way he’s determined to help Megan. Even though there is something very off about him, I think his relationship with Megan drives the story forward.
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
When I was 19 years old, I visited Halifax Nova Scotia. I spent time at a specific bell tower, and it was the most magical place I’d ever been. I knew in my heart there was a story to be told there, and when I started writing it, I couldn’t stop.If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
It’s kind of a creepy song…but it was the inspiration behind The Redpoint Crux. It’s called MK Ultra by Muse. You should look it up. I love it!If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?
Don’t laugh at me, but because of the song by Muse, I pictured Bellamy as Matt Bellamy in his earliest years. (Which is why I named him Bellamy!)
What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
Oooo. Definitely hot chocolate, in a haunted theatre.Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish THE REDPOINT CRUX?
Great question! I’d say Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, and The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma.What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Not doubting yourself. It’s so easy to get caught up in the world, and how gifted everyone else is. I’ve learned you HAVE to write for you—because I truly believe we all have incredible stories within us.What’s next for you?
I’m working hard with my agent on a couple different projects! One of them is very dear to my heart, and I’m excited for it to be out in this world!
Morgan Shamy is an ex-ballerina turned YA writer. She is represented by Kelly Peterson of Rees Literary Agency.
Morgan has been immersed in the arts since the young age of 4, where she trained under the tutelage of Julie and Stacey Orlob. She performed various roles alongside a professional ballet company for over seven years, and has danced on prestigious stages like soloing at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
She has taught hundreds of girls in her fifteen years of teaching, where some of her students have received full-ride scholarships to schools like School of American Ballet, the Harid Conservatory, Kirov Academy of Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet, to name a few.
Morgan discovered writing when her three-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. It was through that experience which instilled the need to share art and magic with children through words on the page. Morgan currently lives with her X-Games gold-medalist husband and four children in the cold mountains of Alaska.
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