An Upcoming Paranormal Mystery for Teens
The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter by Moriah Chavis is a new book is hitting shelves this September! Not only is it a YA paranormal mystery, but it is perfect for fans of amateur detectives and stories in which the MC aids a restless ghost.
Short Blurb:
Leighanna Pauley barely escaped consumption. Now, she’s claimed by both Life and Death. Fascinated by justice and why she survived when so many others haven’t, she has a new obsession: the murder of a fellow socialite. But the police have no leads.
In a race against time, Leighanna hunts for clues across Stornshire. Will she be able to solve the case before the murderer strikes again, or will she become just another forgotten victim?
Interview with the Author of The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter
I had the opportunity to serve as an early beta reader for this book. Here is my short, spoiler free review:
“An excellent whodunnit with Life and Death personified, a cute cat companion named Stan, themes of gender and social inequality in context of the 19th century, providing a voice to the voiceless, and growing pains in relationships that often occur as people change and grow themselves over time.
YA and adult readers will love this book for the characters, the mystery, and the snark. This is 10/10 one you most certainly need to add to your shelf!”
The author of The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter, as well as other clean reads for teens, is here today!
Meet Moriah Chavis!
Moriah is the author of the 3-times Realm Makers finalist young adult fantasy, Heart of the Sea, and various short stories. Her next novel, The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter, is coming from Twenty Hills Publishers September 2025. She is a two-time graduate from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and a Master’s in Library and Information Science. It’s been said you can find her perusing bookstores, attempting to persuade strangers to read her favorite books, oscillating between watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy (her husband’s favorite) or Harry Potter (hers), and keeping her books from the clutches of her two feisty cats. Welcome, Moriah!
Q & A
Writing Life
Q) Your Young Adult paranormal mystery, The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter, is releasing this fall! So exciting! Can you tell us what inspired you to write Leighanna’s story?
A) I created Leighanna for a short story. I pitched to Twenty Hills Publishing writing a series of novellas about her character but wound up writing a novel inspired by that first short story.
Q) Do you prefer the drafting or editing stages best? Why?
A) I think I enjoy pieces of every part of it. I like drafting because I’m still discovering the story, but I like editing because I’m finding how it all fits on the page. Right now, I’m in editing mode and trying to remember why I like it. 🙂 It’s been a while since I’ve worked on something completely new, so I am excited to get back to that.
More About Moriah
Q) Based on previous conversations, I know you studied English and history in college (I did, too!) Have you been interested in 19th century London for a long time or did you research this place and time specifically for this book’s historical context?
A) I think the Victorian Era is very fascinating, especially Europe. I’ve never been but their history is very old and rooted in tradition. It’s interesting to me how that has affected their modern day.
Q) What are your favorite books to recommend?
A) There are always a few books that I can reread without growing tired of them. For younger readers, I love Harry Potter. For older readers or teens, I’m currently obsessed (once again) with The Hunger Games thanks to the new book coming out this March. I also recommend anything by Jaime Jo Wright, Gabrielle Meyer, and Melanie Dickerson. I’ve always been someone who read widely, so I have a book for almost any situation.
Q) Those that follow your social media most likely already know about Leighanna’s adorable cat companion, Stan. Do you have any pets? Did their temperaments or personalities influence your writing of Stan in any way?
A) I do! I have two cats. The oldest is a female tortie. Male torties are very rare, but that’s what makes Stan so special in the books.
YA for YA
Q) Speaking of your social media, you are very vocal about the need to keep YA books appropriate for YA. This is so very important! Can you tell us a little bit about why this topic matters?
A) There used to be a clear divide on what to expect in books. We didn’t have to think that age inappropriate content would make its way into a novel meant for teens. YA books have always been for teens. I’m not saying books shouldn’t handle tough topics. They should! But there are ways to tell stories that give the audience the knowledge without the experience. Books are supposed to be a way to help us see the world better, not to expose us in a way that’s not safe.
More of Moriah’s Books!
Q) In addition to your upcoming book, The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter, you have a YA fantasy, Heart of the Sea, and a short story, The Thorn of Winter, available for readers. Will you share with us a little bit more about these?
A) Heart of the Sea is my YA romantasy and is about a girl who is on the hunt to save her sister. She steals a pirate ship to do so, but the guy who captains it has been ordered by an evil queen to kill her for his freedom. [learn more through this spotlight here on The Unicorn Writer’s blog!]
“Thorns of Winter” is a gender swapped Beauty and the Beast Retelling. It originally appeared in an anthology, and I edited it and smoothed out some of the rough edges to make it into a mini book of its own.
Q) I can’t believe out time together is coming to a close! Thank you so very much for being here today, Moriah! For our final question, what advice would you give other authors?
A) Keep writing! Your story matters, and you are the only one who can tell it. Another piece of advice is to finish the story. Sometimes staring at the blank page can be the most difficult part of writing. Get the story down and figure out the kinks later.
Connect with Moriah!
Connect with Moriah through her website and on Instagram.
Help Moriah with the release of The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter!
If you are own Goodreads, add The Curious Case of the Midnight Specter to your TBR!
Preorder your very own copy of Moriah’s upcoming YA paranormal mystery through Amazon or directly from her through her Etsy shop!
The Unicorn Writer 
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