Haunting the Deep Event Recap

On Sunday, October 22nd, I was fortunate enough to attend a book event at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA hosted by Wicked Good Books. Adriana Mather and Kali Wallace packed in a huge room full of book lovers. Adriana and Kali talked a bit about their current novels and answered questions from the audience. A book signing occurred after the talk and hot apple cider and delicious donuts were served!

I was able to see Adriana last October when her debut novel, How to Hang a Witch, was published. She had an event at Hawthorne Hotel last year as well. It was amazing to see how many new fans she gained over the year. Last year the event was fairly small and this year the hotel staff had to find more chairs for attendees!

When Adriana was looking for a particular book the only place that had it was in Salem, MA. When she inquired about the book, the lady at the bookstore said Mather is name not popular around Salem. This sparked the idea to write How to Hang a Witch. When Adriana was at her grandmother's house, she found a desk with older letters and old journals. There she found a letter about the Titanic and how a relative survived. Of course, Adriana did her happy dance when she found the Harper letter. This letter was inspiration for Haunting the Deep. Did you know the Harpers that Adriana is related to is also the Harpers of Harper & Brothers which is now HarperCollins? Adriana mentioned that the third book in the series (if she writes it) will take place in Sleepy Hollow since she is related to some people there. Adriana hit the trifecta jackpot for being a descendant.

The audience asked some very interesting questions this year. One person asked Adriana if she makes her books into movies. For those who don't know, Adriana is also a screenwriter in California on top of being an author. Adriana shot her book trailers in Salem, MA and in CT at her mother's house which is at least 300-years-old. How to Hang a Witch is optioned as a TV show but Adriana can't let us know the network or any of the details yet.

In terms of historical research, one person asked how was the research with the Titanic compared to the Salem Witch Trials.  With the Salem Witch Trials, the research was limited due to how far back in time the events occurred. Adriana used letters and written accounts. For the Titanic, it was a blackhole since there were so many people involved and there were a lot of interviews to comb through. One of the stories that Adriana told the audience was about Ester Hart who didn't want to go on the ship but her husband insisted. She had a feeling something bad will happen. Because of this feeling, she slept all day and at night she stayed in her day clothes. Another story was about a ship cat  who took her kittens off the boat one by one on a ramp at the last port before New York City. Adriana also read a lot of conspiracies whether it be socioeconomic, sociopolitical or even environmental.

Adriana spoke about her favorite scene that she wrote. She likes writing about Mrs. Meriweather's bakery called Sugar Spells. Adriana loves everything to do with the bakery whether it be the interior design to the bakery's sweet treats. Adriana's favorite character within the How to Hang a Witch duology is Alice. She has a soft soft for people who can't keep their mouths shut and she loves a good flawed character.

One person asked Adriana if she would bring back Sam's mother or grandmother in the series. Adriana said she was toying around with the idea to bring back an immediate family member or even Jaxson's father. In terms of a prequel, Adriana possibly will consider the option especially if the How to Hang a Witch TV show kicks off. Everyone seems to love Elijah and would love to read more about him before he met Sam.

For inspiring writers, Kali recommended to "keep writing. Your voice matters. You're the only one that can tell the story. Go with what you you like. Do it! You have to love it!" 

Adriana mentioned, "There is no right way to write. Complete it and you can break it apart. Have fun and learn. Keep writing. You learn stuff you don't know. Write what is interesting and fun for you."

Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather

Title: Haunting the Deep
Author: Adriana Mather
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date: October 3, 2017
Pages: 368
Source/format: ARC from Rachel's Book Reviews

Rating: ☆☆☆☆1/2

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

The Titanic meets the delicious horror of Ransom Riggs and the sass of Mean Girls in this follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller How to Hang a Witch, in which a contemporary teen finds herself a passenger on the famous “ship of dreams”—a story made all the more fascinating because the author’s own relatives survived the doomed voyage.

Samantha Mather knew her family’s connection to the infamous Salem Witch Trials might pose obstacles to an active social life. But having survived one curse, she never thought she’d find herself at the center of a new one.

This time, Sam is having recurring dreams about the Titanic . . . where she’s been walking the deck with first-class passengers, like her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, in Sam’s waking life, strange missives from the Titanic have been finding their way to her, along with haunting visions of people who went down with the ship.

Ultimately, Sam and the Descendants, along with some help from heartthrob Elijah, must unravel who is behind the spell that is drawing her ever further into the dream ship . . . and closer to sharing the same grim fate as its ghostly passengers.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Samantha Mather is still living in Salem and her father is doing better than ever. After the events that occurred in How to Hang a Witch, Sam goes on with her life living it as any normal teen does until she starts seeing ghosts and having dreams about the Titanic. It also doesn't help that Salem High School is having a Titanic spring fling theme. Her friends, who are part of the Descendants, try to ease her worries but Sam is afraid that history is going to repeat itself.

A spell is cast and a warning of a death looms over Sam. As time runs out, Sam deciphers the clues to the mystery of the Titanic with the help of her friends. A love triangle exists but romance isn't the focal point of the plot. Adriana Mather penned a riveting and an immersive novel. Haunting the Deep brings readers back to Salem with familiar faces but readers are introduced to the enigma of the Titanic! Join Sam in flashbacks and modern day as she solves the Titanic mystery with her Descendant friends.

Sam's father is very supportive of everything she does except for magic, which he blames for the death of his wife. Although a single parent, Sam's dad always looks for the best interest for his daughter despite the craziness that has been happening in Salem. It's inspiring to see Sam's dad protect his daughter in anyway he can. Sam has been growing closer to Susannah, Mary and Alice and she becomes part of Descendants' circle of friends. They are very close and would do whatever it takes to help one another out. Elijah is one of my favorite characters from How to Hang a Witch and I was estatic to see him in Haunting the Deep. There were a couple of loose ends that I would have loved explanations to such as Mr. Wardwell, Niki, Blair and of course Jaxon.

This fast paced historical mystery will intrigue your senses and it will transport you back into time while chilling the bone. Pick up Haunting the Deep this October! I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy paranormal fiction, time traveling, the Titanic, Salem, magic and friendship.