Book Title: THE GHOSTKEEPER
Character Name: Dorian Leith
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
It was rather lonely. My older sister was adventurous and fun, but passed away when we were young. My parents are florists by trade; my father is traditional and strict, and my mother is kind but overly concerned about the business and our family’s social reputation. I remember my home was always filled with flowers. When I was five years old, I found myself in a… situation, where my left eye formed a permanent glowing white ring around the pupil which causes me to see ghosts. Doctors could not figure out the how or why of it. In fact, no one really knew what to do about me. I struggled to distinguish the living from the dead back then, so I would often chat with ghosts in public. Mother forbade me from talking about or acting on my “condition,” and everywhere we went, she apologized for my behavior and told people I suffered from hysteria. Friendships were difficult to make, as you can imagine.
What was your greatest talent?
I think I’m quite skilled at understanding peoples’ feelings and calming their emotions, and I usually know what to say to help them feel at ease when they’re upset.
Significant other?
Oh no, I don’t have one… though I must admit I’m fond of my flatmate, Mr. Brody Bringhurst; he’s the proprietor of The Book Rook. We live on the second floor of the bookshop. He’s kind, funny, well-read, and an agreeable host. But it would be improper–not to mention unrealistic–to assume he’d ever feel the same way about me.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
Well, I talk to ghosts for a living, so people tend to get scared off pretty quickly. To be fair, I’m not very good at letting people in. I have never felt safe enough with anyone, nor am I interested in the more… intimate aspects of relationships, as it were. So it’s probably for the best that I remain a bachelor.
Where do you live?
The town of Rookwood, near the moors. It is beautiful: surrounded by forests and hills, plenty of small local shops, and just enough townspeople out and about to feel bustling without being too crowded. The seasons are mild, though it does rain a lot. It’s also the most haunted town I’ve ever lived in.
Do you have any enemies?
I’m not generally well-liked by townspeople, because they tend to have a disfavorable view of those who interact with ghosts. I do my best to be courteous and pleasant, but I have found it best not to stay in one place for too long. People talk. I tend to move on to the next town before they start to talk too much.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
I like living in Rookwood! So long as I don’t draw too much attention to myself, and try not to make too much eye contact, the people in town are nice enough and the small talk is pleasant. There are an awful lot of apothecaries and science laboratories here, though… which isn’t ideal, because that means exorcists tend to hang about more often than I would like. But on the bright side, there are so many ghosts here!
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
I have a cat! Well, Brody has a cat. Her name is Shadow, she’s a small black cat who lives in the bookshop and charms the patrons by sitting on the shelves and watching them shop.
What do you do for a living?
I visit haunted houses and give therapy to the angry ghosts and spirits that have regrets, unfinished business, or difficulty moving on from the mortal plane into the afterlife for one reason or another. I help them work through their emotions and cure the rot that weighs down their souls. Sort of like a doctor, but for sad ghosts.
Greatest disappointment?
I have not spoken to my parents since leaving home and may never reconcile or find closure with them. I do my best not to let that affect my work, though. At least I still have my grandmother Lazarus to support me.
Greatest source of joy?
It’s very gratifying to help a ghost find peace with their passing, and to know that I was able to help them.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
My grandmother tells me wonderful stories of her time as a stage magician performing magic tricks for audiences all over the country and gives me demonstrations sometimes! She was quite the controversial performer when she was alive, depending on her audience’s feelings toward magic and witchcraft, but I think it’s delightful. I also like to travel out into the hillside or sit down by the fireplace with a good book and a cup of tea.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
If only I had been more careful, my sister might still be alive today.
What keeps you awake at night?
The thought that I might be unable to cure a ghost of the rot that burdens them. That they might succumb to the rot, and that it might fester and spread until there is nothing left of them. If I can’t help them, then who else will? It’s not like anyone else can see them.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
The exorcists are in town again. Exorcists utterly destroy ghosts through chemical means. I need to soothe the ghosts that haunt Rookwood before they attract the attention of exorcists.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
I just want the ghosts to find peace. They have been through so much as it is… they deserve rest.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
The key to Death’s Door seems to have been stolen by a ghost. If I don’t find that ghost and get the key back, all of the wayward ghosts will be trapped here in the living world.
Perfect for fans of everything from Lockwood & Co. to The Haunting of Hill House, this gothic graphic novel follows a young medium with the gift—or curse, as some might say—to communicate with the dead. This ghost story “powerfully, tenderly, and empathetically examines death, grief, and the afterlife” raved Kirkus in a starred review!
Dorian Leith can see ghosts. Not only that, he listens to their problems and tries to help them move on to the afterlife. It’s a gift that’s made him an outcast to everyone in town. That is except for his dearly departed grandmother, who he’s partnered with to turn this paranormal ability into an honest living, and the local bookshop owner, who seems to be the only non-deceased person willing to give him a chance. But it’s all worth it to Dorian, who feels like he’s been given a bigger purpose. A chance to save those who cannot save themselves.
Then one day, the key to Death’s Door is stolen, trapping all the ghosts in the land of the living. Since he’s only one who can see them, the spirits rely on Dorian to retrieve the key before it is too late. If they can’t move on, they’ll soon be consumed by a ghostly rot that has begun to plague them.
As it continues to fester and spread, and the ghosts become desperate for relief, Dorian must do whatever it takes to find a way to bring peace to the restless dead—even if that peace comes at the cost of his own….
Young Adult Fantasy | Graphic Novel [G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, On Sale: July 23, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593526668 / ]
Johanna (she/her, pron. Joe-HANNAH) is an American freelance illustrator, concept artist with a BFA in Animation, and creator of the YA graphic novel THE GHOSTKEEPER (Penguin Putnam, 2024). She has a BFA in animation, and focused her studies on concept art, storyboarding, and sequential storytelling. She is an avid player of tabletop RPGs, and contributed artwork to the ENnie award-nominated Uncaged Anthology, The Venture Maidens Campaign Guide, and other RPG-based publications. She also enjoys reading Victorian classic novels over tea, nordic skiing, and feeding crows.
Johanna is a member of the Cartoonist Cooperative, and has contributed comics and illustrations to independent publishers such as Limit Break Comics, EEP, and 2CGaming; and publishing houses such as Oni Lion Forge, Penguin Random House, and MIT Press.
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