Stillwater author Lisa Courtaway signing copies of new middle-grade paranormal mystery novel Saturday at Bliss Books & Bindery

Oct. 3—A Stillwater author is releasing her third book this month — the first in A Haunted Hallways Mystery series — about a girl dealing with celiac disease.

"Nova and the Ghost — A Haunted Hallways Mystery" is not Lisa Courtaway's first book, but it's her first adventure writing for readers aged 9-12.

Courtaway will be signing copies of her new book from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday at Bliss Books & Bindery located at 120 E. Ninth Ave.

"Nova and the Ghost — A Haunted Hallways Mystery" follows Nova Eckley, a 13-year-old girl who has celiac disease, as she faces the hardships of a broken home and moving to a new town. On her first day at her new school, she makes two new friends.

One is a goofy boy named Ayden Simmons.

The other is an unwanted new companion — a ghostly girl who follows Nova through school, begging for help.

"When her father left their family behind, Nova's picture-perfect life crumbled. Her mom is never home because of her new job, and they had to move," the book summary reads. "... With the aid of two friends, one new and one old, Nova is determined to solve the mystery surrounding the desperate specter who's haunting her."

The book is filled with adventure, a terrifying, baffling mystery and a "skosh" of humor, Courtaway said. But the story is important because it also highlights what it's like to suffer from celiac disease and food allergies from the perspective of young people, while revealing the consequences of food bullying and promoting allergy awareness.

Courtaway moved back to Stillwater (where she grew up) just after the pandemic started. The free time she suddenly had drove her back to her writing, which she had set aside for a time.

She released her first two novels in her series "Shadows of Camelot Crossing." Those two, "Deep Water" and "Red Water" were about a fictional neighborhood that blends 1980s and modern-day Stillwater locations. Her third in that series, "Muddy Water," is forthcoming.

"Each one of them has ... a little chunk of my life in them, and then there's ghosts, as well," she said. "I just love ghost stories."

Her new release is based, in part, on her career in education. As a former elementary school media aide, she noted how students responded to various books and what intrigued them.

"Working in public education offered me a different perspective on what young readers are looking for in a story," Courtaway said. "Seeing young people with a thirst for books is so inspiring. This story was written with those kids in mind."

To write the book, Courtaway sought input on the story from the celiac community, a group she considers herself a member of since her teenage daughter was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease before she was 18 months old.

"It has been a goal of mine to feature a main character who has celiac disease," Courtaway said. "Having experienced the trials and tribulations of a child with celiac disease, I knew I could write a story true to the experience of those with dietary limitations such as celiac and food allergies."

Courtaway said there were times when her daughter experienced food bullying.

"Raising awareness of what it is like to have celiac disease has always been important to me and I knew engaging the middle-grade audience was a great place to start," Courtaway said.

Courtaway followed guidelines for the age group, adding vocabulary words that would challenge them. She didn't dumb the work down in any way, shape or form.

As part of her research, Courtaway reached out to middle-grade readers who have celiac disease, a venture she said was surprisingly enjoyable.

"(I) was really blown away by their insight," she said. "... Celiac disease, like many autoimmune diseases, is a very personal journey. No two people react to ingesting gluten the same way."

The "beta," or test middle-grade readers helped out with more than just the writing part of the process. They also suggested edits and gave insight on the book cover, and one former student even suggested the series title. Courtaway named one of the main characters after him.

"It was important to me to hear from others so I could present a well-rounded character who kids with celiac disease could relate to," Courtaway said. "One of my young beta readers told me how much of herself she saw in Nova, and that was one of the best compliments I could receive."

Courtaway said some people with celiac disease have silent symptoms, and others — like her daughter — have extreme reactions. Between those two degrees is a wide range of symptoms.

Each family deals with the disease differently, as well. Courtaway said her daughter uses humor as a way to manage the difficulties of her disease. Being able to laugh about the limitations has helped the whole family deal with the disease.

But it wasn't always that way.

"When she was first diagnosed, our anxiety was high and we questioned everything," Courtaway said. "After navigating the world of a gluten-free diet for years now, we are a bit more relaxed. But you can never drop your guard. Products change recipes, restaurants come and go and the knowledge staff have can be minuscule when it comes to the needs of people with celiac. Constant awareness is a must."

The eBook version of the book released Oct. 3, and hard copies will be available at both Bliss Books & Bindery and the Stillwater Public Library.