YA Paranormal Mysteries: Q&A with Author D. L. Cocchio

Our literary tastes begin early in our reading life, and classic literature may be the catalyst. Somewhere within the pages of “having to read” certain books dictated by our teachers we begin to find topics that pique our own interests. Believe it or not, the characters in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream or Orwell’s Animal Farm can start a reader on the road to reading paranormal mysteries. The popularity of young-adult (YA) novels that delve into the paranormal is good evidence of this.

D.L. Cocchio is an author who excels at writing for the YA crowd, and the books in her The Psychic Circle series are YA paranormal with a nice mix of romance and elements of mystery. They follow the formula of mystery but, because they are written for younger audiences, sexual connotations are downplayed. Murder and violence are not part of the stories either, making them true cozy YA mysteries.

I met D. L. Cocchio at the NJ Book Fair for authors, where we were both signing copies of our books. Having read her work, I can say that she writes characters and stories that are very readable and relatable to the YA audience. I highly recommend them for those aged 11 to 18.

The following is an interview with her about her muse, her books, and what’s coming next.

How many books have you written?

I’ve written a total of four books: The Psychic Circle ~ Souls Entwined, Be Careful What You Wish For, Magic By Moonlight, and So You Wanna Read Tarot? I am currently working on my 5th novel—book two of the Psychic Circle Series.
 

What do you consider to be your literary “muse”?

They say to write about what you know, and so I did. The Psychic Circle ~ Souls Entwined was based on a journal I kept on the very real experiences I had when I joined a Psychic Development Circle. The characters are all fictional, but they carry the blended qualities of my friends and family. The thoughts and feelings described by the teenagers in the story are that of typical psychic teenagers, exploring their psychic abilities. Only a few of the experiences are embellished, and I added some much needed romance. Some of the experiences were so awesome that I wanted to share them with people.

I also tend to write about places that I have visited that capture my interest. In my historical fiction books, I have written about experiences that I have had during my trips to Salem, Massachusetts (The Salem Witch Trials) and The Renaissance Fair (Renaissance and Medieval England’s castles and customs), and in my YA novel—Gettysburg (The Civil War battle).
 

Why did you decide to write paranormal?

I guess you could say my life is anything but normal. I can read the Tarot Cards and have been a Tarot instructor. That is where the idea for So You Wanna Read Tarot? came from. I also belong to a local group of New Jersey ghost-hunters called GSPS (the Garden State Paranormal Society), where I am one of the lead investigators. I find myself so intrigued by the magic and mystery of the paranormal that I have this intrinsic urge to know more.

I know that the paranormal world is a hot topic right now. This was a great opportunity for me to expose young adults to a very real, unexplainable world out there, helping to awaken their spirituality and allow it to grow and unfold. I am hoping they take essential messages of trust, friendship, and the importance of protecting themselves from the unknown out of my stories and use this knowledge to strengthen their own daily lives.

You can find out more about D.L. Cocchio and her books here.

Kristen Houghton is the author of nine top-selling novels, including the best-selling new series, A Cate Harlow Private Investigation.She is hard at work on book 3 in the series. This summer, she will begin writing a series that features a paranormal investigator with distinct powers of her own.

She is also the author of two non-fiction books. Her short horror stories appear in The Horror Zine anthologies.