American Author and Screenwriter

His works include
• the Blackwater series
• Cold Moon Over Babylon
• The Amulet
• Gilded Needles
• Katie
• The Elementals
• Toplin
• Beetlejuice
• some work on The Nightmare Before Christmas as well.

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McDowell's earlier works fall into two basic categories -- turn-of-the-century period pieces and creeping southern horror stories, often featuring angry ghosts. Gilded Needles and Katie fall into the first category.
All of his novels that I have read are well-written with a nice sense of pace. In lesser hands they would seem slow, but he lets it build patiently. His later work with Tim Burton seems to have a much more developed sense of humor.