Trick or Treat with Casey Lyall!

Hi, readers, writers, and jam lovers, too! You’re in for a super exciting (and tasty) treat today -author Casey Lyall is here to share another book jam-packed with humor, fright, and fun!

Vampire Jam Sandwich is a tale so tall and tasty, it’ll leave you coming back for seconds. Follow along as a sly, jam-loving vampire spins his legendary story, one almost too spooky (and delicious) to believe. Can you trust your narrator? Is the Vampire Jam Sandwich real? And most importantly… is your jam safe?

Want to know more about Casey and her delectable new book PLUS want to know whether she’s brought along a Trick or a Treat? Read on, if you dare... 🥫🦇

Q: Thanks for joining #SeasonsOfKidLit for our Annual Trick-or-Treat Event! We’re thrilled to have you and hear all about your book. It’s perfect for the spooky season! Please tell us a little bit about how the idea for this book came to you. Which came first, the idea or the title? 

A: I had the idea for this book years and years ago when I was sharing an apartment with a friend. We were on completely opposite schedules—she worked night shifts and I worked day shifts—so we would use a white board to communicate. Important stuff, but also fun notes too. One time, she left a note that said she wanted a jam sandwich and I doodled a little cartoon sandwich under it. That stayed on the board for awhile and eventually, just because, I added fangs and boom! Vampire Jam Sandwich was born! The actual story itself took a long time to come together, but that original idea has been around for ages.

Q: What made you decide on this fun, tale retelling-based story structure? Were there others you considered? Love it, by the way! 

A: This version of the story came about after I did a huge overhaul of the original drafts and rewrote the whole thing. The first version was much more straightforward, from Terrence’s perspective, and had a different main plot. It was fun, but it wasn’t working.

When I sat down to revise, I took the elements that I really loved and just started from scratch. The spooky, campfire tale vibe popped into my brain and the whole thing unfolded from there. I was really happy with how it all came together in the end.

Q: What’s your favorite spread and why?

A: The way this question has me tempted to share the whole entire BOOK! 😂 Seriously, Nici Gregory’s artwork is so incredible and just fit the vibe of the story perfectly. I love every single spread she came up with—it’s too hard to choose! One that makes me cackle every time is the scene where the vampire is taking a bit out of the jam sandwich. That droplet of jam is so perfectly placed. I love it.

And the first glimpse of the Vampire Jam Sandwich is also always amazing. She did fantastic things with the character.

Q: Please tell us a little bit about your process for writing a trickster tale? Do you start at the beginning? Work backwards? What should writers consider when writing a trickster tale? 

A. I don’t know if my process for this was all that interesting! 😂 The biggest battle, I think, was figuring out all of the ways that didn’t work first. I had those original versions that just weren’t clicking and like I said in the previous answer, when I started my complete overhaul of the story, the campfire tale vibe happened immediately. I started feeling out the draft and had kind of a lightning bolt moment where I thought “Oh, you know what would be really fun?” and the twist at the end came to be. It was really a case of realizing I had to stop trying to force what I thought the story should be and relax a bit more—let my brain wander and see what it came up with on its own. Once I did that, the story started to take its proper shape. 

Q: How do you best get in the writing/illustrating spirit? (i.e. music, movies, after a jog etc)? 

A: I try to end any previous writing sessions at an unfinished point in the story so we’re right in the middle of things and my brain is itching to return. It almost always helps me to dive back in with enthusiasm.

BONUS: What’s both your favorite and least favorite candy? What would you be thrilled to receive in your candy bag, and what would you desperately try to trade?

A: I love Starburst and peanut butter M&Ms (not together though! 😂) I would definitely be excited to find those in my candy bag. Not a fan of candy corn though and would trade that in a heartbeat.

Would you like to leave a Trick or a Treat for our readers?

A Treat: I'd love to leave a signed copy of Vampire Jam Sandwich. This giveaway is open for anyone in the U.S. or Canada.

WOW - What a jam-tastic treat. Thanks again for stopping by, Casey. It was a real treat having you back with us and hearing all about your new book!

Giveaway Details: Readers, to enter Casey's giveaway, 1) leave a comment below to thank her for stopping by and 2) share her post on social media. Jam-filled GIFs are of course welcomed, too.

Please Note: Casey's giveaway will be shipped in the U.S. and Canada only.

*Special Reminder: Those who like, leave a comment on, and share all posts will be entered into a drawing and be eligible to win:

• One (1) of five (5) Rate Your Story Speed Passes perfect for quick MS feedback, provided by Editor Lynne Marie & Author Heather Macht and/or

• A Query Critique from Agent  Lynnette Novak with The Seymour Agency 

Winners will be drawn and announced on or about 10/22. 

About Casey Lyall:

Casey Lyall lives in southwestern Ontario where she works at her local library. When she's not writing, Casey loves to bake, doodle, and learn extremely groan-worthy jokes to tell her friends. Casey is the author of the middle grade novels Gnome is Where Your Heart is and Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities as well as the picture books A Spoonful of Frogs and Vampire Jam Sandwich.

For more about Casey, check out the below links!

Website: https://www.caseylyall.com/

Instagram: @caseyklyall

Bluesky: @caseylyall.bsky.social

Amazon (for book reviews and purchases): Amazon.com: Casey Lyall: books, biography, latest update

---