C.J Daley, BestGhost Books

Author's Interview : C.J Daley, BestGhost Books

C.J is one of the Indie Authors I discovered in 2025 and as I binged read his Novelette BestGhost and his debut novel Welcome to Cemetery in a few hours, I wanted to know more about my new favorite Indie from Hudson Valley, NY. Enjoy the interview!

Could you introduce yourself for our readers C.J ? 

My name is Connor. I have written on and off for most of my life, but nothing ever seemed to stick fully until I brewed up Cemetery and Abigail Williams. I work full time, and wrote the novel and accompanying short stories mostly at cafes in the mornings before work. Iced coffee works best, yes, but a big mug with a latte is also fine. As a horror fan, I’m actually very new to the genre, only a few years in at this point. But I am a huge reviewer of all genres too.

BestGhost, your novelette in the Tales from Cemetery Collection has been available online for a while now - my favorite by the way - and you are about to release your debut novel Welcome to the Cemetery in March (that I had the pleasure to read). So, what's Welcome to Cemetery is about and what were your inspirations for this novel ? 

Cemetery, which became Welcome to Cemetery, was my idea of what would happen if you mixed the true crime show, the First 48, with vampires. Or at the very least, what would happen to the first 48 key hours if bodies continued to be found? And I know some reviews have said I left things too ambiguous…I never said “no.” And from there I also have this deep fascination with writing/releasing shorter stories that introduce or peak at the world at large. That’s why BestGhost name drops Cemetery, but isn’t quite in town. And that’s also why the teens’ disappearances are name dropped in the novel. I hope once Tales From Cemetery, the full short story collection (Fall 2025), comes out, readers may go back and realize I peppered even more mentions throughout!

"Welcome to Cemetery, a town with a strange name where real and horror may begin to blend. Detectives Abby Williams and Ed Reyes stand against the tide, but will they fall to the bloody current?"

I know it's like asking a parent who their favorite child is, but could you tell us which work of yours keeps a special place for you and why ?

BestGhost at the time of writing was a very special story centered around my “portrayal” of the members of Ghost Files and Buzzfeed Unsolved. My partner and I at the time had been watching through everything of theirs and I really wanted to give a haunted story my own take, while also making it feel like a YouTube crew.

Which part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?

For me it was probably the ending. Whether I went too fast or too slow, or if there wasn’t enough. That’s a big ask when writing anything, but I’d imagine it’s even harder just simply as a debut. Believe it or not, there’s a version out there somewhere that’s probably 100 pages shorter. There’s probably one 200 pages longer too. It’s once again all about finding that balance and hoping it’s enjoyable in the end. There were definitely also versions to the ending that were much less ambiguous, far more supernatural. And believe it or, versions that were even less so. But I believe this is the way I wanted to end the book.

And what part of the book was the most fun to write?

The chapter Home Alone was a scene that popped in my head before I even started writing. When I finally got to where I wanted to place the chapter I was so excited, and the writing really flowed for me. Is this the first, real, sense we’re getting of something else, something supernatural, or is this one more spiral of our detective losing it? I know what I believe. I hope in time readers may have some differing opinions there too!

What is your writing process ? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser? Are you planning everything and start writing to just say "the hell my plan, the characters are speaking to me", and just write freestyle ? or do you prefer to follow the skeleton you prepared from A to Z?

I am of the variety that loosely fills in their outline as the chapters start rolling in. At least in this novel. Full pantser. Sometimes maybe not even wearing pants it was so fluid. Sometimes you end a chapter and you’re like, “well I guess we’re going HERE now.”

What comes first for you ? The plot, the world building or the characters development, and why?

As I stated above, Cemetery was really the first idea to stick for me. I knew I wanted to name the town something different, something that would mark it as obviously fiction. For me this brought to mind Josh Malerman’s Goblin or Samhattan, though others have said Stephen King or R. L. Stine. (NOT the writing or quality or anything lol, just the naming). And I also wanted to make Cemetery be part of the Hudson Valley where I’m from, and the idea stuck when I read Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, and his version in English was set there too. Cemetery is geographically, mostly Monroe, New York where I grew up. As for the world building of making it crime ridden and dangerous, that is entirely fictionalized. And yet with all of that being said, I kind of also knew immediately that Abby Williams would be my detective and be struggling to prove herself throughout. Here’s a hint for the dear readers though, her back story is another hint for a short story! So for this “universe” in particular, they kind of spawned simultaneously.

How are you building your world and developping your characters ? Are you using people you know as inspiration, things you see, and work around it or are you more the kind to build the world first with tons of research to create everything from scratch ?

Abby Williams is in part, a boss of mine named Michelle. Not the earlier parts of her, her struggle, but the bad ass, cursing, alcohol drinking self assured version. While that didn’t stick or work throughout the earlier parts of the novel, that’s how she was shaped. Ed Reyes is named after the indie author E. Reyes, who also has his own fictional town called Devil’s Hill. While his characteristics are purely me, the name is a nod to him. As for what made them struggle from point A to point B, a lot of that was shaped not only by the evolving plot, as I am not much of a plotter, but also the developmental work done by my editor, Ed Crocker, and I. 

While writing is typically a very lonesome thing, (unless you co-author) sometimes you really do just need someone else to point a finger at something and ask why, how, and where. (Thanks Ed!) I also did a lot of research. I know some people have pointed out some key things in terms of believability with how policing works in the story, and they’re 100% valid, but I would love to share that I did do the research. Not only online, but my younger brother is a police sergeant. And personally, I found a lot of what real police do, just does not translate to something people would read. I mean, not to mention that it is all happening in a fictional town to begin with, but the detective, police procedural things on TV and movies are dramatized, aka, fictional too. So while I spent hours familiarizing myself with how much blood is in the body, how much is removed and how easily, and how autopsies worked top to bottom, I did try to find a balance between something real and something readable! I can only hope it translates as enjoyable.

Your main character Abby Williams is hell of a badass when she's letting the serious cop mask lose. She's a multi-facet character, queer, determined and focus on her goal even when her insecurities and "mistakes" slow her down at first. I really liked her. Would you and Detective Williams get along?

If she was truly like my boss Michelle? Hell yeah, we have a great relationship. If she’s full Abby, she’d be far too busy for hanging out! And all things crazy happen to her! I’d rather talk to Katherine. 

How do you come up with character names for your stories?

Some of them are very important. And sometimes readers don’t pick up on that, and that’s okay. I had a professor in college that pointed out that everything from the name had a meaning in a poem we were working through and that stuck with me…

Abigail Williams is a figure from history, what exactly did she do that could apply to my Abby?

What's your favorite quote from your book ?

Nothing truly came to mind, but I do enjoy this: “The mist and fog had continued rolling in, giving the street an eerie appearance in the overcast morning. Williams looked down either side of the street, the fog distorting in places, clouding in others. The trees lining the street reached overhead, practically touching the trees on the other side. The bare branches of late October made a skeletal dome above her.”

Which famous author would you like to see write a fanfiction based on your work and what would be the twist ?

I would love for Josh Malerman to be aware of my book. That would be enough! Let alone to want to write in the world. If anything, it’d be cool to see a set of stories revolving around the town, either crime shorts, or more straight horror style like Tales From Cemetery. I think the twist would be that a much cooler writer would be named as the author!

If you were to write a spin-off about a side character, which would you pick?

Well I technically have two novellas in the works already (very, barely, hardly, in the “works”) that feature Williams and Ed on vacations (separately) where they get to solve a crime outside of the craziness of Cemetery. These would be more along the lines of Agatha Christie style mysteries, or what people today are dubbing cozy. I just thought it’d be fun to take them out of Cemetery and see what happens. Or, to answer your question more directly, maybe a short or novelette depicting the background work of the villain. Is it like a gang or cult? Is it a criminal mastermind working in the background and pulling strings? I think it may be nice to add depth to them.

If your book were made into a movie, which actors would play your characters? And who is the movie director (both could be alive or dead). 

There’s some gifs I’ve seen of Rachel McAdams giving attitude as a cop in I think True Detective. Although I’ve never actually watched it, the little of that I’ve seen has been what I pictured for Abby Williams a lot. For Ed, I’d love for it to be David Zayas, his work as Batista on Dexter definitely influenced Reyes as a character. I’m not sure on director!

What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused? And what are the tools you are using in your writing habits ?

Coffee. Always coffee. That hyper focused feeling of being over-caffeinated. I mentioned I mostly wrote at cafes, and that’s not to be a cliche, although it is, but it’s because for me, it’s the idea of going somewhere with a singular purpose. I go there to write, so I write. When I sit at home, I can read, eat, nap, play video games, slap the TV on. The endless options create a noise that’s too much for me to singularly focus. I do my best work when I go to a place to do so.

Yeah, I get that. I'm editing and posting this interview from my favorite Coffee place, or else I have too much distractions at home to be really productive. 

I tend to have skittles, separated by colors (yeah, neurospicy brain if you wonder) and a massive cup of tea (homemade brewed thanks you very much) near my working station when I'm not working from a coffee or tea shop. What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?

I drank mostly French Quarters from Fuego Coffee in Rochester NY while writing these stories. It’s iced coffee brewed with chicory, agave, and milk. It’s a great drink! They also served these vegan fruit squares that were like shortbread with jelly in the center and then topped with like coffee cake topping almost? Incredible.

If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose? Dead or alive. And why ?

Dead: Tolkien. He is a major key in the why of me being a reader and wanting to be a writer. He’s so poetic and efficient, while being brilliantly creative.

Alive is much harder. I’ve spoken online a few times with Josh Malerman, even being sent a personal copy of his of Ghoul N the Cape (still blows my mind) but I think hanging out with him would be incredibly informative! Bird Box was a huge hit for me and one of my earlier horror reads and then watches. To understand that humans will picture the worst while you tell them next to nothing is an elite skill. Not show don’t tell, don’t do either, and let it be scarier for it!

R. L. Stine? How does he create so many different stories just by coming up with a title? I don’t care that he writes mainly MG and Ya, truly a king of horror.

Margaret Atwood? What deal did she make to write so many things that seem prophetic? The Handmaid’s Tale, which I first read in 2013, truly showed me something new and scary, and while it’s poetic and lovely in prose, it taught me how to be more empathetic and human.

What is your kryptonite as a writer?

Anything else. It’s hard to write, it’s hard to dig deep, and it’s really hard to make a story presentable, then throw it out into the world where people may hate it. That unknown has been hard for me. So for me, the ability to do literally anything else, is quite dangerous! I do not write on a schedule. Sometimes not for months. And reeling that back in is hard.

When was the last time you Googled yourself and what did you find?

I don’t really google myself but I have googled the titles of my stories to see if anything comes up! I found a few reviews I was never tagged in so that was nice.

Do you play music while you write — and, if so, what’s your favorite?

Sometimes in the cafe I’d throw in headphones to drown out some of the background noise, although I’m pretty good at cutting it out myself. I have this fantasy lo-fi album I’d listen to sometimes, called Blurred. I also listened to a lot of Dark Sun by Dayseeker, Divine Inner Tension by Hail the Sun, and hours of Color Decay by The Devil Wears Prada. Whether or not these influenced anything, I don’t know.

Where are you self publishing and what criteria did you take in consideration for this choice ?

Right now BestGhost is available for ebook and print through Amazon. As it is free with my newsletter, I didn’t release it wider than that, because I will literally send it to anyone that wants it!

Welcome to Cemetery is set for release on Amazon, but is not in any way set to be exclusive. I’ve purchased my own ISBNs, and can release it as wide as I’d like, and I believe it is order-able direct from Ingram.

I will share for those that aren’t aware though, that as much as I hate the world monopoly giant Amazon as much as the next guy, they do a lot for indie and self publishing. Not necessarily out of any kindness or desire of course, but it has some of highest royalties, some of the easiest distribution, and some of the easiest outreach. For a lot of these writers just starting out, or particularly hard up for money, they make it hard to argue with…not that I won’t release elsewhere, because it’s not about money to me, but just some info!

What is making your blood boiled in the writing/book world ? Why ?

I tend to avoid the drama, if that’s what you’re asking! But just be kind!

What bothers me really is the divide between trad and indie/self. Many of us have stories we love and believe in, so we don’t want to see them collect dust. The trad publishing world, which many still consider “making it” (which blows my mind) is all about trends. It has nothing to do with just talent. I had an agent tell me they loved the premise and had no idea how to sell it. It was a simple as that. I mixed

genres, and therefore it was hard to sell. It doesn’t matter if they love it, it doesn’t matter how much they care, traditional publishing is simply business. While I 100% understand that and why, I don’t think that means indie/self is inherently bad. That’s a notion I’d love to see disappear.

What is your opinion about people using Ai to create book cover or helping in the process of writing "their" books ?

Frankly unacceptable. AI art steals from artists, AI writing does not make you an author. If you’re stuck, have a conversation aloud with someone, it doesn’t have to be another writer. Another perspective can shake things up and that’s all you need. Having a computer steal information for you isn’t the answer.

If you’re broke, Canva is free and you can make covers. 90% of the sites you can use to release also include a cover creating system where you can add an image and build a full wrap yourself. I know that depending on genre that makes things a harder sell, but personally I made BestGhost’s cover from a stock photo and edited it myself. I love it and couldn’t see anything else being the cover.

Tell us about your book cover ? The artist who created it and the process to come with this one especially.

I went with Miblart for Welcome to Cemetery. They are a team of artists/digital designers and they have several really affordable tiers. I had the idea of the road sign and the street from the initial crash scene in the book and we ran from there. Honestly I made them tweak it one million times and they were nothing but professional and sweet to me! I would definitely recommend them.

As I made such a point to place the book not only in NY but in the Hudson Valley, I wanted to show that.

Do you participate in writing challenges on social media? Or write based on prompt idea sometimes ?Do you recommend any?

Welcome to Cemetery was a NaNoWriMo baby! Back before some of the bad stuff came out about the organization. Haven’t done anything like it since though. I enjoyed the daily structure and goal though. I definitely achieved the goal early and blew it out of the water.

When you’re writing an emotional or difficult scene, how do you set the mood?

There is a very special someone that died in this book. I wrote it in a sunny cafe drinking my coffee the same as every other scene! Although I did picture emotional things like loved ones, that certainly helps.

Whom do you trust for objective and constructive criticism of your work?

Writer friends and family first, for beta readers I accepted really anyone. Sometimes you need to reach outside of who you know to get a real feel for the writing.

How are you dealing with negative reviews of your work ?

It’s hard. This book was years in the works. So for anyone not liking it, it’s a hit to heart for sure. I try to remember that as a reader and reviewer I observe the right to dislike whatever I want. And mixed reviews are actually a good thing. If something is universally liked, it normally makes people think something fishy is up.

Protect your peace. If you can’t handle negative reviews, don’t look.

And a friendly reminder, if you disliked a book, rate it, review it, scream from the mountains it sucked, BUT do not tag the author. That’s just unkind.

Totally agreed with this last point. As a book reviewver I tend to post and recommend a book only if I liked it. I don't see the point to kick an author just for the sake of posting a review. Liking or disliking a book is subjective. But I often see reviewer kicking hard the writing in their public reviews. 

Are you using book reviewver before publication to give a start to your work with "professional" reviews ?

I have an eARC link and I also did a month of NetGalley and two giveaways on LibraryThing to gather some early reviews. Having a feel for how the book will do before release not only helps the author, but helps readers decide whether or not to buy it!

I wouldn’t necessarily call any of these professional though. If you want to read my book, I want you to! I don’t care what you do for a living/reviewing.

What books do you enjoy reading?

I read from fantasy, sci-fi, horror and more. I’m currently reading Ghoul N the Cape by Josh Malerman, The Forsaken Planet by Bryan Wilson, and Stone & Sky by Z.S. Diamanti. 

Tell us a fun fact about yourself, book related or not.

Not sure about fun, but since the start of the year, I have been studying Spanish as a form of mental enrichment.

Are there any books or authors that inspired you to become a writer?

Tolkien, Atwood, a boy who lived that I no longer support. Many. Every writer before me has been an inspiration. Whether I liked them or not. They did it, releasing is hard.

What was the first book you remember liking as a kid ? Did you reread it as adult ?

The Hobbit! I reread it all the time.

Of course you do ! It's a classic ! (totally subjective and biased comment as a Tolkien's fan myself)

What's on your TBR this month ?

Releasing my own book is priority right now sadly.

As author and reader, what's your stand on library ? Have you used an app to borrow ebooks or audiobooks from the library?

I think the library is a wonderful resource. The ability to find new books and worlds when you can’t afford them, or when you’re not sure if they’re for you, is an amazing outlet.

Personally I am a collector, so I like to own whatever I’m reading. I want to see it on the shelf, I want to own enough to be called a library myself if anything.

And as an author, I’d love my book to be in a library! Request it please !

Where are you buying your books ?

I have been on a semi-serious, somewhat loose book buying ban for over a year. I really had to dial back what I was spending. I do still receive hard copies from authors and publishers for review, but I really haven’t been buying. I love me a special edition though, the latest I snagged was Eragon by Owlcrate. I also used to spend a lot with ThriftBooks too for secondhand. As much as I love a good bookstore to walk around there aren’t many in my area.

As for ebooks, I do mostly read on kindle, even if it’s a free file I just send it there.

Describe being an author as if you were speaking to a five-year-old child.

I use words to tell stories

Ok, big angry subjects now. How do you approach inclusivity (women, Queer, disability, diversity...) and acts and bigot beliefs (sexism, mysoginy, racism, transphobia...) as an author ?

As a man, I knew I wanted my main to be a woman. And although I tried so dang hard to not be the typical, one reviewer still said I was the typical “man writes woman.” And that’s okay, their opinion is valid and I’m okay with it. But I will say, my beta team featured several women and one of the main questions I was after was how Abby read. It’s in part why there are very little descriptions of her body, her looks, and why the date sequence does not lead to sex. She was not a sexualized object, she is my lead and the impetus that moved the mystery along. As for the LGBTQ side romance, her bi history mostly follows my own, and through sharing that, I felt as if it was okay to have, even if this was a F/F relationship instead.

It’s also really one of the only pure things that happens in the book, and that was important to me. I know some have read it as a useless stick-in, but it’s not. It’s pure and true, and it’s something that’s not only a part of Abby, but she deserves it.

As for bigotry in fiction, I guess I understand the very real existence of it, and that’s why it bleeds into fiction. I mention Abby’s mother being weird about her being bi. I speak of Reyes being Mexican with a trill in his accent and how he dealt with racism coming up the ranks. That’s just sadly the real world. And as such, it makes characters more grounded and real to the reader. But as for featuring those things, or creating a character that ultimately shows that hatred and darkness, or uses the actual slurs to get the message across, I don’t think is really for me. I know some authors do so and I don’t believe they are all evil or bad. We are not our characters necessarily, but I wouldn’t include it myself really—unless that was ultimately what the story was tackling.

There is so much girl power in this book. I loved that ! Could you tell me why ? 

Yeah I’ve always had a really strong relationship with my mother and two older sisters (who are not weird about me being bi). I grew up working retail jobs where women were always in charge of me. I think that just engrained in me the respect and common courtesy that everyone deserves. 

And one thing I hope readers pick up on is the fact that she said she doesn’t really like to talk about it, or shares it often… but Reyes knows. 

And as for how much feminine strength is in the novel? Honestly I knew I wanted her to be the lead. And as I was working Katherine back into the plot she became a love interest. I wanted this to be pure, so if Abby was spinning out, then she had to be pretty solid. 

Then I thought Abby needed someone strong to show her that you can be strong while still messing up, and that was Colfax. 

More stories coming from your universe in the future ? 

Tales From Cemetery will be out this Fall! I’ve got a cover all ready to go too.

This one is for fun. On a scale of one to ten, how weird do you think you are, and why? And how it is reflecting in your writing?

I think we’re all fairly weird, at least in how we may be perceived by others. I’m not sure about a scale! I am just me. Whether that’s a 1 or 10. I mixed mystery and thriller with cop action and horror descriptors. Some may call that weird, I think they go hand in hand.

Thanks C.J for your time and for sharing with me both of your books. I have so much fun reading them. 

And now everybody, go pre-order Welcome to Cemetery and read BestGhost, you won't regret it ! 

Jude.