Books

Interview with Donnette Smith, Author of Buried Alive


master mentalism tricks

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Buried Alive/The Spirit Walker Series Book 2?

What’s your biggest fear? Mine is being buried alive. The thought of waking up in a casket buried six feet under with no way to escape sends shivers down my spine. Being the lover of horror tales that I am, I happened across the story of Dr. Johann Gottfried Taberger, who in the 1800s, came up with the bell system. A bell was placed above a person’s grave, and it was secured to a rope, routed down into the casket, and tied around a corpse’s finger in the event someone happened to be buried alive. They could pull on the string, ringing the bell, and alerting the cemetery worker, who would then dig them up. This is a true story. That laid the groundwork for the next harrowing ordeal our feisty little psychic, Jenna Langley would encounter in book 2 of the Spirit Walker Series, Buried Alive. How long could someone survive in a casket with no ventilation? This dilemma is put to the ultimate test when someone seeking revenge kidnaps Jenna and forces her to face the unthinkable.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Buried Alive/The Spirit Walker Series Book 2, what would they be?

During the writing of book 1 and book 2 of the Spirit Walker Series, the song, A Thousand Years, from The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 2, kept playing in my mind over and over. The lyrics reminded me so much of Jenna and Cole. They loved each other from the time they discovered what love was…from a teenager to an adult so many years later. Time did not wash away what they’d found in each other. They had loved each other for a thousand years.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love to read everything from horror to mystery, thriller, fantasy, and paranormal. I feel there is a bit of mixed genre in my writing. But when I write a story, romance is always the biggest driver of all.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I know authors get asked this question a lot. And I would like to answer with the names of at least five titles that are sitting on my desk waiting to be cracked open right now. But that would be disingenuous of me. I know reading is expected of authors. After all, we are in the business of creating stories. But if I read, I’d do it so often I’d never get any writing done. I must confess, I have this compulsive side. Once I delve into something, it’s hard to tear myself away. And it doesn’t help that every time I open a book, all it does is make me want to create another story. So, there’s the truth of it. I can’t read when writing is on my brain. And lately, writing is on my brain constantly.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I think the moment Cole stumbles upon Jenna’s burial site. I can’t say too much about it or I’ll give away too much of the story. But I can tell you, the emotions exploding through him are profound. I had to reach deep into the heart of this tough man, this gritty detective, and lay it bare like I’d never done with any other character. I will never forget the tears streaming down my face by the time I finished writing that scene.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

A cup of hot tea, a laptop, and my imagination is all that’s required.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Yes. Many. But a few of the important ones regarding writing are: For the love of God, don’t argue with your editor. They are there to make you look good. Don’t break the rules, unless adhering to the rules is what’s keeping you from being the writer you are meant to be. Then break them as many times as you need to. You’ll know when a little rule-breaking is called for.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

The next book in the series is coming…and it’s going to be even better than the one you just read.

 

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

Read The Full Article Here


trick photography
aespas LEMONADE Effect Invites Creators to Step Into Their World
aespas LEMONADE Effect Invites Creators to Step Into Their World
Inside Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzeneggers Relationship Timeline: Marriage, Kids and More
Inside Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzeneggers Relationship Timeline: Marriage, Kids and More
Ariana Grandes Boyfriend History: From Big Sean to Ex-Husband Dalton Gomez, to Ethan Slater & More
Ariana Grandes Boyfriend History: From Big Sean to Ex-Husband Dalton Gomez, to Ethan Slater & More
Gordon Ramsay Unveils Limited-Time Buffalo Chicken Pizza for UK Diners
Gordon Ramsay Unveils Limited-Time Buffalo Chicken Pizza for UK Diners
Absurd: Netflix Fires Back After Paramounts Poison Claim Over WBD Deal
Absurd: Netflix Fires Back After Paramounts Poison Claim Over WBD Deal
Stranger Things Broadway Show Set to Close
Stranger Things Broadway Show Set to Close
Feast or Famine – first-look review
Feast or Famine – first-look review
Best Netflix Movies & TV Shows Arriving This Week Include Beloved Hugh Jackman Film & More
Best Netflix Movies & TV Shows Arriving This Week Include Beloved Hugh Jackman Film & More
Diarra From Detroit Season 2 Gets New Network & Premiere Date
Diarra From Detroit Season 2 Gets New Network & Premiere Date
10 Best Monster Of The Week Shows, Ranked – TVLine
10 Best Monster Of The Week Shows, Ranked – TVLine
Hercule: Everything You Need to Know About the New Agatha Christie Series
Hercule: Everything You Need to Know About the New Agatha Christie Series
Euphoria Star Colman Domingo Has Played Multiple Law & Order Characters – TVLine
Euphoria Star Colman Domingo Has Played Multiple Law & Order Characters – TVLine
Ousmane Dembélé and Ninho On Their Biggest Victories, Defeats and Sources of Inspiration: They Saw Me When I Had Nothing
Ousmane Dembélé and Ninho On Their Biggest Victories, Defeats and Sources of Inspiration: They Saw Me When I Had Nothing
Study – Where U.S. Musicians Are Finding Their Practice Spaces in 2026
Study – Where U.S. Musicians Are Finding Their Practice Spaces in 2026
Peter Bjorn and John Announce New Writers Block 20th Anniversary Tour Dates
Peter Bjorn and John Announce New Writers Block 20th Anniversary Tour Dates
Kelsey Lu Announces Fall Tour Dates
Kelsey Lu Announces Fall Tour Dates
New Mystery and Thriller Books to Read | June 9 – NewInBooks
New Mystery and Thriller Books to Read | June 9 – NewInBooks
Lives Shaped by What Remains: 6 Literary Fiction Books – NewInBooks
Lives Shaped by What Remains: 6 Literary Fiction Books – NewInBooks
Love Worth Every Consequence: Romance Novels For You – NewInBooks
Love Worth Every Consequence: Romance Novels For You – NewInBooks
Dark Schemes and Deadly Puzzles: Mystery & Thriller Novels For You – NewInBooks
Dark Schemes and Deadly Puzzles: Mystery & Thriller Novels For You – NewInBooks
Timothée and Kylie Are the Best Dressed Courtside Couple – Shop Their Looks From
Timothée and Kylie Are the Best Dressed Courtside Couple – Shop Their Looks From $20
7 Summer Beauty Essentials Worthy of Wearing to the French Open
7 Summer Beauty Essentials Worthy of Wearing to the French Open
Turn the Page: The Second Chapter of Hermèss Fall 2026 Unfolds Behind the Gates of Bel Air
Turn the Page: The Second Chapter of Hermèss Fall 2026 Unfolds Behind the Gates of Bel Air
Not Black—the Unexpected Heel Color Alexandra Just Wore in the Monaco Paddock
Not Black—the Unexpected Heel Color Alexandra Just Wore in the Monaco Paddock
The Real Horror Behind Vampires: The Corpses That Created a Monster
The Real Horror Behind Vampires: The Corpses That Created a Monster
Why Horror Needs More Weird Little Freak Movies
Why Horror Needs More Weird Little Freak Movies
Leprechaun Revenge Brings Back the Magic of the 93 Original
Leprechaun Revenge Brings Back the Magic of the 93 Original
Key of Bones: Curse of the Ghost Pirate Drops Its Official Trailer!
Key of Bones: Curse of the Ghost Pirate Drops Its Official Trailer!