And because I’m a sadist, apparently, I then decided to inflict yet more trauma on them by unleashing a new killer. Naomi and Kyle wear their scars differently, but their lives are shaped by them, and I wanted to explore how two people might find one bright, shining, happy thing in the wake of something so terrible. The inspiration came from thinking about how violence leaves scars beyond the obvious ones you see - beyond the victim of the serial killer. But someone isn’t prepared to let the past die, and when bodies start piling up on campus, it seems the Bonebreaker’s legacy is very much alive. Except she doesn’t recognise him, and as much as Kyle wants to pretend Naomi doesn’t exist, he can’t deny the spark between them. When Kyle moves to a new school and sees Naomi, his hope for a fresh start is thrown under the bus. You have two books coming out in 2016, BREAKER and PURGE, can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration for those stories?īREAKER comes out in May, and tells the story of Kyle, whose father has recently been executed for a string of brutal murders, and Naomi, whose mother was the Bonebreaker’s last victim.

But it takes a lot of hours to write a book, so I have to be strict with myself if I want to keep writing one or two books a year. They’d look at me as though I’d just said I was busy playing with my Barbie dolls.

I felt like a fraud at first, telling people I was working on my book when they wanted me to go shopping or to a party or something. The major thing has been changing how I view writing itself I went from viewing it as a hobby to seeing it as my job. Now that you’re a published author, what would you say has changed in your writing life? Maybe that’s just my own inner critic at work, though, because I always feel I could do more, about everything. but I felt like I should have done more, got out there more and shouted about my book to more people. I’ve felt that way about characters in books I’ve read, and it was so wonderful seeing it from the other side.Īs far as things I’d do differently… I did a lot of events, school visits, interviews, etc. I think the best feeling overall was hearing a pair of teen girls whispering about how much they loved the characters (*cough* Sean, the love interest, might have been mentioned in particular). There were so many amazing firsts during my debut year – my first author panel, first book launch, first sighting of BLACKFIN SKY out in the wild – and it really was an overwhelming and incredible experience. What were the highlights of your debut year? Anything you’d do differently? I’m very pleased to share another interview with a YA author today! The wonderfully kind and talented Kat Ellis, whose debut BLACKFIN SKY came out in 2014, hasn’t got one but TWO books being releasing this year!īLACKFIN SKY came out in 2014.

Going Geek by Charlotte Huang