About the Author -
Sidney Fox was born in Buffalo, New York, where a love for movies, music, and all-things spooky, flourished. Moving with her family to the lush southern city of Atlanta, Georgia, when she was twelve, she experienced a “life-changing” event; a surprise meeting with the spirit of civil-war soldier. From that moment on a life-long interest in the paranormal began.
During her teens Sidney sang in a band and did some acting. After high school, she briefly worked at a psychiatric hospital, "a truly eye-opening experience", before deciding to pursue acting seriously. Heading to New York, she studied drama at the Studio Arena Theatre. Missing the south Sidney moved back to Georgia to the funky college town of Athens to live with a friend who needed a singer for a new local band; The Whirligigs. And she found herself living in an old house of the haunted variety, and her fascination with ghosts grew.
After a near-death experience courtesy of a drunk driver her priorities changed, as did her life. She made the decision to move to Los Angeles to study film production, screenwriting and acting at UCLA. Her first job in Hollywood was giving tours of Paramount Pictures, before working as a production assitant on different televion shows and movies. During this time Sidney wrote several screenplays and co-founded the writers group at the studio; DeMille’s Illegitimate Children. After doing voice-over work for Grammy-winner, Madonna, she began writing articles and interviews for the legendary singers - ICON Magazine.
It was around this time Sidney and her future husband Douglas moved into yet another old house in N. Hollywood, which they were suprised to find out...was still inhabited by its long-dead owner. It was at this time the author decided to heed the old adage, "write what you know", and always loving a good ghost story, she came up with the idea for her supernatural tale, HAUNTED LILY, her first novel. Currently Sidney lives in Florida with her husband, son and dogs.
Q&A WITH SIDNEY FOX
Q: Do you really believe in ghosts?
A: Ahh-ha! The number one question I am asked! Yes, I have seen things that I simply can not explain. When I was a kid I was very into music, and could care less about anything supernatural, that was, until I met up with a Civil War soldier one night while getting ready for bed. It shook me to my foundation and truly changed my life. Over the years, I have lived, worked, and visited many different, what I would call “haunted” places. I have experienced many ghostly occurrences which just fascinated me, and made me more and more curious about the paranormal world. This curiosity has led me to amazing, sometimes frightening, adventures.
Q: What is the significance of your title, HAUNTED LILY?
A: Actually, I had a hard time deciding on a title. My husband came up with the title after reading the first draft of the manuscript. The story is not just about haunted houses or haunted places; it’s about a haunted person…Lily.
Q: What compelled you to write HAUNTED LILY?
A: I spent many years writing screenplays I thought other people, Hollywood people, would like. Then it came to me, “why am I wasting time writing for other people?”
At a time when I was becoming ever-increasingly disenchanted with Hollywood, my husband Douglas and I moved into an old house in N. Hollywood. Very quickly “things” began to happen in the house. We were told that the previous owner, an older gentleman, had a heart attack and died in the house. We had doors and windows slam shut by themselves. Things would disappear and re-appear, you would hear your named called out when you knew you were alone. One evening just after we moved in I was home alone washing dishes, and saw the shadowy figure of a man walk by a hall doorway. My dogs freaked and I was so scared I sat out on the front porch until Doug came home around midnight. On another occasion, when my sister was in LA visiting us...she was "patted "on the head by unseen hands. The ghosts name was “Sam” and he did not seem to want to leave his house. We chatted with him, and treated him with respect. He did the same for us.
All the memories of eerie experiences I had over the years came back to me. One night I had a dream that I was asleep in a school hallway and a transparent, naked girl dripping with water, woke me. I followed the dead girl through the school as she showed me how she, and what seemed like dozens of other kids, became ghosts. The dream was frightening and at the same time exciting; ideas came flooding to me, I got up in the middle of the night and began writing.
Q: Have you always been interested in writing?
A: I was always interested in stories and storytelling in books, plays and movies. It wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles that I really took writing seriously. I wrote monologues for my actor friends auditions which was fun. I would work all day at Paramount and then drive to Westwood and sit in front of Royce Hall at UCLA, before my classes, and write...I produced several screenplays sitting out there.
The problem was whenever a producer would be interested in any of my stories, I would back down when I heard how they were going to change everything to suit their own vision, which I assure you was never anything close to mine. As with most writers, I take a lot of pride in my work. So to have someone else want to change it…is frustrating. In writing novels you really can write what you want...which is so wonderful and freeing.
Q: Which writers have influenced you and your own writing?
A: I read Interview with the Vampire when I was a teenager and just loved it. I instantly became a fan of Anne Rice’s. I have always loved Charles Dickens, and have a strange affection for Miss Haversham (wish I had thought of her). I also love A.A. Milne, Edgar Allen Poe, Hemingway, Roland Merullo, Edward P. Jones, Paula Yates, Gregory Maguire, Alice Walker and Vicki Pettersson.
I love Stephen King, especially Carrie…it’s so powerful and poetic. As a child I was absolutely terrified by Carrie White, all covered in blood. I was told by my next-door neighbor that Carrie lived in my closet and came out at night to visit me while I was asleep. I was already a very skittish kid, I didn't need to hear that Carrie visited me. Now I have such a strong affection for that charater. I actually read the entire prom sequence every once in a while, it's so well done.
Shakespeare is also a favorite of mine. The man was a genius, as contemporary as any writer today. I love J.K. Rowling and her boy, Harry. As far as screen-writing, I love John Hughes and Jennifer Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous is one of my all-time favorite shows.
Q: How does music affect your work?
A: Music has always played a huge part in my writing. I honestly don’t think I could write without music. While writing Haunted Lily I found myself listening to certain songs in particular during different chapters. So I decided to name each chapter after the song I felt suited the feel of the chapter. Basically, if I put a song in the chapter, I was listening to that song while writing…sometimes over and over again.
All through the writing I found myself listening to the brilliant ghostly music of Midnight Syndicate, which my husband and I play at our Halloween parties, and on Halloween night as ambient music for our excited trick-or-treaters. And writing the last chapters of the book, I listened to Requiem Aeternam by Mozart over and over, it’s so beautiful and haunting.
Q: Most memorable/significant day of your life?
A: There were two days that most stick out in my mind. The first was the night I met my husband, Douglas. It was at a Heaven and Hell party some of my friends/neighbors were having. They say there is no such thing as love at first sight, they are wrong. I knew right away I wanted to be with this man…forever! The second, as cliché as it sounds, was the day my son was born.
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: My life…experiences, good or bad, happy or sad. Places I’ve been, adventures I’ve had. People I have met, who I have learned from. Everyone has a story; it’s just a matter of listening.
Q: Do you have any advice for writers just starting out?
A: Absolutely, read a lot! Write a lot! Try to write whenever and wherever possible…everyday. We are so lucky in this day and age to have the convenience of the internet. It’s like having an entire library at your fingertips. There is no excuse for not doing proper research. I love to write at night after my son goes to bed. I put on my headphones and completely absorb myself into whatever story I am working on. I also get up very early to work, but I prefer to work at night. Time seems to fly by when I’m writing. But when you love what you do, you’ll happily find the time.
Don’t get discouraged if you stumble, work through it. That is why there is a sharp end on a pencil and an eraser on the other. I don’t remember where I heard that saying, but I always liked it.
Dining with the Dead
During my time living and working in Hollywood, I spent a lot of time in the cemeteries…dining with the dead!
I would visit with Marilyn and Bette, Nat King Cole and Walt Disney. I know that may sound a bit strange, but while working at Paramount Pictures, which was literally backed up to the Hollywood Memorial Cemetery, now called the Hollywood Forever Cemetary, I would spend some of my break time having breakfast or lunch, while visiting with some of my favorite movie stars! Cemeteries were sort of a safe place I could go to write; it was peaceful, beautiful…and rather quiet.
I took this picture of Cecil B. DeMille's grave, note the strange light...
Mr. DeMille saying hello perhaps?
HALLOWEEN – OUR (slight) OBSESSION
Over the years my husband and I have become known as “The Halloween People” for our extravagant Halloween parties, called The Nightmare Ball! Last year we had hundreds of happy trick-or-treaters of all ages (literally) come by to say hello and get some treats.
Left - Doug & Sidney in front of their corn maze and 30 ft scarecrow.
Below bottom - My beloved demon husband. And, sans make-up, filling one of our many candy bowls with shrunken heads.
