Paige is
the teen star of the hit YouTube channel The Haunting of Sunshine Girl.
What began as a simple “girl and her haunted house” story has grown to a
multi-webisode network with stories of zombies, ghosts, Sasquatch and lots of
Sunshine! Full of positivity, humor and plenty of scares, The Haunting of Sunshine Girl has allowed Paige to
spread her unique brand of adorkableness to other teens (and many adults) all
over the world! At the age of 16, Paige (along with her mother, actress
Mercedes Rose and producing partner, Nick Hagen) co-founded the production
company Coat Tale Productions. The Weinstein Company recently optioned The
Haunting of Sunshine Girl for a multi-book and film deal. Paige lives
in Portland, Oregon.
1.
Please share a little of your personal story so our readers can get to know
you.
I'm a pretty typical teen, I
think. Middle child, raised in a small town, did well in school even as I faced
off against a Mean Girl. While still in high school, I started a YouTube
channel along with my mom and a friend of ours that was a film director. We
wanted to put something fresh and unique on the web. And we wanted to have a
ton of fun! The Haunting of
Sunshine Girl was the result
of that wish. So many doors have been open to me now because of the show. As its
popularity (and views) grew, so did the interest in taking Sunshine's story to
other platforms...films, comics and, most recently, a series of YA books.
2. How did you get started with the work you’re doing?
Last year (on Halloween,
ironically!), an amazing literary agent contacted me asking if I was at all
interested in having a book about my adventures. The answer was, of course,
YES! I was especially interested in the fact that this book will be among the
first to tell a story that originated on YouTube. Until now, books from Tubers
have been nonfiction, biographies or how-to type of reads. The Haunting of Sunshine Girl will be a fun YA fiction that just
happens to have a companion on YouTube for readers to explore further. It will
also be very much in the Teen Horror world which is fun!
3.
Was this a dream that you always had, or did you discover this passion or gift
after going through a personal experience?
Never in my wildest dreams did
I think I would have a novel with my name (and photo!) on the cover! I like to
write and my journal and tweets are eloquent, naturally, but a BOOK!? A whole
book? Actually TWO whole books with likely more to come!? Crazy talk! Luckily,
I have an amazing co-writer that makes my job that much easier!
4. Where do you find that most of your inspiration comes from?
The basic story for this first
book comes straight from the story already living on YouTube: a girl determined
to prove her house is haunted that goes on an adventure leading to many huge
discoveries and even more mysteries. There are many more details and some
changes from the YouTube, of course, but fans of the show will recognize their
beloved characters and new fans will feel right at home in this haunted house.
As book two carries the story arc there will be many new adventures for
Sunshine to explore. I care very much that this series be true to who I am (as
I am Sunshine!) and so there is no swearing, drinking or even a love triangle.
Sunshine chases ghosts, not boys! Not to say there isn't a great male
counter-point for Sunshine. Nolan (a nerdy James Dean type) is her best friend
and partner in adventure and as they learn the secrets of Sunshine's world,
Nolan's place in it becomes vital!
5. Where can fans purchase your work?
Book one hits stores on March 24th (book two in October just in time for
Halloween) and is available for pre-order now from all the usual suspects:
