27 Nov 2012

UK appreciation month: Karen Mahoney - Interview


Please tell us a little bit about yourself?
-I was born in London and have lived in or near to the city all my life. I love everything about books and writing, am into very geeky things (I still read superhero comics, for example), and have a mild cat obsession. A typical writer, basically!
At what age did you write your first book?
-I don't know if you mean my first serious attempt or not... I wrote my first ever, EVER book when I was about 16. That was a very bad Star Wars rip off. And was only 50 pages long. Not sure it counts! :) My first attempt, much later on, to write a novel with the intention of trying to get it published came when I was about 33.
What was your inspiration for writing your book The Iron Witch?
-So many things! My interest in alchemy was one of them, along with a fascination with everything to do with faeries. But probably the biggest inspiration was a less well known fairytale called The Handless Maiden. It has lots of other names, depending on the country or culture you're looking at (The Girl with Silver Hands, The Armless Maiden, etc.). I wanted to think of a way to use the central image, and some of the themes, in a contemporary fantasy for young adults. That's where Donna's iron tattoos came from.
Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
-The part that resonates most strongly for me is Donna's journey, throughout the whole trilogy: from a girl who is unsure of herself and trapped in a life she doesn't want, to a much stronger young woman growing into her power. That's something that came through in my latest book, too, Falling to ash. The main character, Moth (an 18-year-old vampire), is forced into this terrifying life of Otherness and has to learn to figure out how to survive - and hopefully, one day, escape.
How can our followers connect with you?
-My website: http:www.kazmahoney.com
 Email: writerkaz@gmail.com
 Twitter (which is my favourite place!): @kazmahoney
UK related Questions:

Where’s your favourite place?
-London!
What’s your favourite thing about living here?
-The NHS. Seriously. Although I'd love to move to Boston (it's one of those dreams you know you'll never really live out in real life), I know too many people in the US who suffer through lack of affordable healthcare. We're very lucky here. Things are far from perfect, but we'd miss the NHS if it went anywhere.
Is there one place you would like to visit, that you haven’t yet?
-Japan. Oh! You mean in the UK. ;) I've never been to Edinburgh, which is shameful. I should go there!
Do you have a favourite British band?
-Florence and the Machine.
Do you have a favourite British movie?
-Casino Royale.
Do you have a favourite British actor/actress?
-It's a tie between Naveen Andrews and David Tennant for favourite actor. Dame Judi Dench for actress.
When you think of Britian, what’s the first thing you think of?
-Diversity.
Which place in Britain would you most like to live other than where they do live?
-Brighton. My second favourite place after London.
When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood's father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy--the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane. But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin--even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect.

Author bio
In my varied career I've been a professional Tarot reader, a college counsellor, a dating agency consultant and a bookseller. Ever since I was six years old what I really wanted to be was Wonder Woman, but have instead settled for being a writer which is the best job of all!

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