Fresh New Voice of YA- Interview with Karen Healey

1) How did you get the idea for Guardian of the Dead?

I was sitting in my fabulous seaside mansion, idly sculpting a unicorn from pink-veined marble, when my fairy godfather appeared in a burst of purple glitter.

"Hi, Fred," I said. "Mimosa?"

"Don't you have any beer?" he asked. Fred is opposed to orange juice, and indeed to all fruit-related substances.

"The panther drank the last of it," I explained.

"Oh, never mind," he said. "I'm here to give you an idea for a YA novel. Young woman discovers self, forges friendships, fights magical crime. Set in New Zealand; that's your sort of thing, isn't it?"

He handed the idea over. It came in a little velvet box, and was surprisingly light in my palm.

"Thank you," I said. "It's very pretty. Would you like to hang around? I could play the harp for you in a rippling waterfall of beautiful sound."

"Nah, I'm off to the rugby," he said, and vanished.

And that's how I got the idea for GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD.


2) What are you working on now? Can you tell us anything about it?

My next-to-be-published book is currently titled SUMMERTON. It's a paranormal YA set in a fictional small town in New Zealand's West Coast, where everything is beautiful and perfect, and it never rains from Christmas to New Year's Day and three teenagers are investigating the real cause behind their older brothers' apparent suicides.


3) What's your favorite snack to have while writing?

Diet Coke is my dark master.


4) What was The Call like? Tell us all about it!

I had just arrived from Australia to visit my best friend in the USA, and for the purpose of the stay she had got me a tiny pink cellphone. My agent had the number, and he called me to say that Little, Brown had acquired the book, and then he very prudently held the phone away while I started screaming. Smart guy, my agent.

The best part was definitely having my friend right there to hug and jump up and down with - usually I'd have to do it via videochat!


5) You're part of the Tenners. How did you get involved with that? Has it helped you prepare for your debut?

My friend Stephanie Burgis, who has the same agent, told me about the Tenners, and I joined straight away. Having a number of other people around all going through the same thing is enormously helpful. Especially when they can reassure you that your fears and hopes are normal, not symptoms of your incredible crazy.