1. What drew you to YA paranormal romance writing?
I didn’t really plan to write YA. I never made a conscious decision to target a specific audience. Carrier of the Mark was the first book I ever attempted to write. When the book came to me, the MC was a seventeen year old girl. So I sort of fell into YA, and I’m so glad I did. I love it. It’s such a fun, dynamic market to be part of, and readers are so media savvy and interactive, you get to connect with them on a personal level through social media. I’m really enjoying it so far.
2. You were discovered by HarperCollins on their own website, can you tell us a little bit about Inkpop?
Inkpop is a site for aspiring writers and readers of teen fiction. People get an opportunity to sign up and upload their novels, short stories, poems, and other writings. Once there, the work will be read by thousands of people in your target audience. They get to comment and offer advice or opinions. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get real and honest feedback in a controlled and safe environment. There are also the forums where people gather to chat about what’s going on in their lives, how their projects are going, or discuss their favorite reads.
3. What inspired Carrier of the Mark?
The inspiration for Carrier of the Mark came from a few places. Firstly, I was living in Kinsale at the time. Kinsale is such a beautiful place, its rugged gorgeous coastline, pretty multicolored village, and the absolutely stunning historical sites screamed to be written about. The history and mythology that inspired me has been with me since I was a child. I grew up in Dublin, Ireland. I went to a convent school, grew up in the Dublin Mountains, and went on these amazing school tours to various historical sites around Ireland. All this things contributed to Carrier of the Mark, and we work our way through the trilogy, you’ll see more and more of it come out.
4. Why did you choose Ireland as the setting for the novel?
Because it is my home, I know it so well. I was born in Durban, South Africa, to Irish Parents. My dad is from Cork and my Mom is from Dublin. When I was still very young, they moved back to Ireland, where I grew up in Dublin. Then, when I was in my twenties I moved to Cork, finally settling down in a small town just outside of Kinsale, where the book set.
5. How would you describe Megan Rosenberg?
Megan Rosenberg is your average kind of girl, but the loss of her mother when she was six made her very close to her father. Living with a man who is haunted by his grief, and constantly moving to escape the pain, has made Megan protective of her dad. She’s also very sensitive to other people’s feelings. Constant moving has also made her very independent. She’s never had much experience with guys, and she’s never had close friends because of her Dad’s nomadic life. Now that she’s a little older, she’s really looking for some stability, and some proper heartfelt friendship.
6. How would you describe Adam DeRís?
Adam DeRís is good looking and standoffish. He’s the type of guy that Megan Rosenberg would normally distance herself from. But Adam is much more than a good looking face. He carries with him a great sadness. The loss of his mother, father and baby sister. He also carries the burden of responsibility to his twin sister Áine and even his older brother Rían, who is a bit of a wild card. He’s had to grow up fast in a dangerous world, making decisions with the help of his guardian, which someone his age should never have to make. He’s actually sweet, very caring, and capable of fierce friendship and deep emotion; he just keeps this hidden so he can put distance between him and potential danger.
7. Do you have any tours/book signing planned in 2011/2012?
I keep my events page updated on my website here: http://leighfallon.com/events.php
8. Where is the best place for readers to find you on the internet? Do you twitter or have a Facebook fan page?
You can find me on my in loads of places. Website – http://www.leighfallon.com/ Blog – http://www.leighfallon.blogspot.com/ Facebook & @Leigh_Fallon on Twitter
9. What’s your next project after Carrier of the Mark?
I’ve just finished writing the sequel to Carrier of the Mark. I have the third and final installment of the Carrier trilogy up next. I’m also working on a standalone ghost story, and I have another series on the back burning screaming to be written. I can’t wait to get stuck into it.
10. What advice would you offer aspiring young adult fantasy writers just starting out?
The best advice I could give aspiring YA writers would be to take your time. Write what you love. Don’t try and conform to publishing trends. Remember, by the time you’ve finished writing a book, the publishing world will have moved onto the next big thing. Write what you’re passionate about, and you could be that next hot thing that everyone will be raving about and trying to emulate.
Join a writer’s forum and get involved with a critique group. Learn all about editing. Prepare yourself for the critiques and for your work to be stripped down and taken to pieces. Do the same for others. You will meet people in these forums and groups that will be your advocates and friends when you finally venture into the world of publishing. It is an amazing place to be, but it’s also an overcrowded one, filled with highs and lows. Build a supportive network of friends, family, readers and other writers, who will be there to support you.
It is never too early to start building your network. It will stand to you in the future. Good luck!
I started out life in South Africa. A year later my parents moved home to Dublin, Ireland. When I was older and realized my parents had moved me from exotic Durban, to sedate Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, I was rightly ticked off. I fantasized about the amazing life I could have had in South Africa, and that fantastic accent that could have been all mine. Instead, I got myself a fine Irish brogue growing up in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains where I went to a convent school and had to contend with uniforms, gabardines, and nuns. During college I met a dashing sailor who swept me off my feet, all the way to Cork in the south of Ireland. I worked in corporate treasury and traveled Europe doing all sorts of fun finance stuff. When I had my children I decided to take a career break, and soon discovered a love of writing. That career break became a career change when I wrote my debut novel, Carrier of the Mark. I posted Carrier of the Mark on a HarperCollins website called inkpop. Within weeks it was voted into the top five books of thousands on the site, and was reviewed by a HarperTeen editor. Two months later that same editor offered me my first publishing contract. My husband swept me off my feet again, this time in a westerly direction, we landed in Massachusetts, USA, where we now live with our four children and one double pawed cat.