Q & A

Would you read my novel manuscript and give me feedback and advice?

Please check out the details on my new Writing Services page. US clients interested in discussing collaborations can contact me through Iowa Wordwrights or my agent, Richard Abate.

When is your next YA novel coming out?

Mu most recent YA novel is UNBROKEN, a sequel to RUINED. I’m also working on another YA novel for Scholastic, set in Rome and due for publication in 2014. Like DARK SOULS and the two RUINED novels, it’s a ‘haunted city’ mystery.

Are there going to be more sequels to RUINED?

Maybe. UNBROKEN has just come out, and I may revisit the characters in a year or so …

Is there going to be a sequel to DARK SOULS?

Maybe. Watch this space!

When is the film version of RUINED going to be released?

I signed the contract for film/TV rights early in 2011, so an actual film version may be some years away. I’ll report more on this as I get more information. Please note: I really have no idea when this film will be made, and I have no say about casting!

Are all the locations in RUINED and UNBROKEN based on real places in New Orleans?

The neighborhoods mentioned are real (Treme, the Garden District), as is Lafayette Cemetery. But none of the houses are based on real ones, and all the schools are imaginary. Also: the Krewe of Septimus and its bizarre parade route are entirely fictional.

How can I buy the books published by Penguin New Zealand?

At present, you have to use a New Zealand-based bookseller to buy my Penguin titles. There are links at the bottom of each book’s page, but most New Zealand online book shops are reliable. You can also order by calling shops like Unity Books, Time Out and The Women’s Bookshop (all in Auckland) directly.

In your bio, what do the words “Ngati Wai” mean?

This is my (New Zealand Maori) tribal affiliation. Ngati Wai is a northern iwi (tribe). The marae for our hapu (subtribe) is Te Kiri/Omaha near Leigh.

Can you visit our store/library/school/conference?

I’m based in the UK at the moment, but I return to both the US and New Zealand on a regular basis. If you’d like to invite me to an event, please contact me directly or through my agent (see details on the Contact page of this site).

Can you send me bookplates, bookmarks or posters for your YA novels?

I’m afraid I don’t have any promotional material.

I’m doing a school project on you and/or one of your books. I need to know lots of things about you like when you were born, where you live, if you’re married, where you get your ideas, etc. Can you email me with this information?

I get dozens of requests like this a week, and I’m very sorry that I can’t reply to them in a timely way. A lot of the information you need can be found on this web site, or on the other web sites linked on my Biography page. Please note that some information is personal, and you won’t find it anywhere!

I want an ARC of UNBROKEN to review on my blog. Can you send me one?

All review copy requests have to go through the publicity offices of my publishers – Penguin in New Zealand, and Scholastic in the US (see details on the Contact page of this site).

I’ve heard you’ve written a ‘Jane Austen story’. Where can I find it?

The story is called ‘Premises’ and it’s published in an anthology called LOST IN TRANSLATION (Random House NZ, 2010), edited by Marco Sonzogni. You can also read it online at the New Zealand Herald site.

How do I find the blog posts you wrote during Hurricane Katrina?

I now have these archived on my blog.

How can I read the interviews you’ve done with other writers?

Many of the interviews I’ve conducted for the Listener can be found on its site, including Michael Ondaatje; Pico Iyer; Joanna Trollope; Hermione Lee; Christina Thompson; Charles Frazier; Emily Perkins; and ZZ Packer.

You can also read my interview with the great screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce on my blog.

Is it true that you’re a friend of Salman Rushdie’s?

Sadly, no – but we threw a party for him in Iowa.

Who is Mr. Morris P. Moody?

This is an imaginary figure who stalks our lives. For more information, see my account of him here.