1. What drew you to YA fantasy? Have you always wanted to be a writer?

When I was a kid, I found books in the library like the Changeover by Margaret Mahy and The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones, and I just thought ‘books about life and death and magic, at a time in your life when you’re trying to work out who you are and what you want? YES. That’s what I want to do.’ I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was five years old, but I admit there was a brief flirtation with wanting to be a ballerina. As I have all the grace of a drunk buffalo, that dream died quite soon…

2. You’ve spent a good portion of your life in Ireland, will we ever see a book series with an Ireland backdrop?

I honestly don’t know: I’d love to write a series with an Irish backdrop that reflects the REAL Ireland (note to people writing about faerie princes on the hill of Tara – the hill of Tara is covered in sheep poop and beer cans) but I haven’t got a specific idea for it yet! So – MAYBE. I’d definitely like to write a short story about a male banshee set in Ireland. Call me, anthology editors!

3. What drew you writing a book about dark magick?

Oh, I’ve always thought that power of any sort comes at a terrible cost – makes you responsible for so much, and so capable of hurting other people – so it only makes sense to me that magic would have a cost, and need a sacrifice. And it’s fascinating to think of the different reasons people want power, the different things they would do with it, or for it.

4. How would you describe the Demon Lexicon series to someone who isn’t familiar with it?

Two very different pairs of siblings fight for their lives against a secret world of magicians and demons – and find out that every family has their own dark secrets.

5. Can you give our readers a brief description of Nick and Alan Ryves?

You know that riddle about two guards, and one always tells the truth, and the other always tells a lie? Nick, the narrator of Demon’s Lexicon, never lies, but is also always kind of terrible: tall, dark and dangerous to know – because he’s bad-tempered, unfeeling,  and upsettingly good with a sword for someone so bad-tempered. With nothing but his good looks and his unshakable loyalty to his brother to recommend him, really… but I love him anyway. Alan is mild-mannered, sweet, kind, loves books, music, kittens – and guns. You shouldn’t believe a word he says, but you probably will anyway.

6. Can you give us a sneak peek into the final book of your trilogy?

Sure! Here’s a tiny snippet from The Demon’s Surrender, out in June: She remembered Merris’s face, and how demons kept their bargains. That did not stop her from swinging to her feet, taking another drink of fever-touched water and going over to the spot by the fire where Nick and Alan were sitting. Nick was stretched out like a portrait in charcoal, all black and white in lovely lines, and Alan animated and firelit in red and gold.

They looked up as she came towards them, identically wary.

“Time for our dance?” Nick asked.

Attractive brothers, dancing, danger, and demons. It is just how I roll.

7. What’s next on your writing schedule after the end of this trilogy?

Well, I can’t talk very much about these things because neither is official just yet – but there’s a secret project I’ve co-written that’s coming out in 2012 that I’m over the moon about, and I’ve also written a Gothic mystery-and-romance with a sassy reporter heroine. Because who doesn’t love a sassy reporter heroine? I hope to be able to talk more about both soon, and I hope readers will be a tenth as excited as I am…

8. Do you have any upcoming scheduled appearances?

I update my schedule here: http://sarahreesbrennan.com/appearances/

9. How did you land your literary agent? Were you part of the ‘slush’ pile or did you meet at a writers conference?

I was absolutely part of the slush pile – I sent off an email to Kristin Nelson (and nobody else, it was one of those late-night spur-of-the-moment in-the-morning-oh-dear-GOD-what-have-I-done things) and was lucky enough that she a) didn’t decide I was crazy and b) after reading the full manuscript, decided yes she’d like to represent me.

10. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever been given? If you can’t think of anything specific, then what advice would you give someone who’s trying to break into YA fantasy?

Oh, gosh. I’ve been very lucky – I’ve been given some amazing advice over the years. (Notably from Holly Black. I think she has magic powers: she can advise you on your book, your career, your writing habits, anything, and make everything a zillion times better. Holly Black for president!) Some advice I’ve received or that I just think might be good advice for those trying to break into YA: To always write what you want to read, and not pay attention to trends. Real enthusiasm sets other people on fire too – and that creates trends. To think about what your characters want, and what they’re going to get. To read, a huge amount, and everything you can lay your hands on, in your genre and out. To find writers who write what you write, with what you feel is a similar sensibility – find out who their agents are (it’ll be in the back of their books) and submit to them! And of course to always bear in mind the fact that Sarah Rees Brennan may be totally wrong.

Sarah Rees Brennan was born and raised in Ireland by the sea, where her teachers valiantly tried to make her fluent in Irish (she wants you to know it’s not called Gaelic) but she chose to read books under her desk in class instead. The books most often found under her desk were Jane Austen, Margaret Mahy, Anthony Trollope, Robin McKinley and Diana Wynne Jones, and she still loves them all today.

After college she lived briefly in New York and somehow survived in spite of her habit of hitching lifts in fire engines. She began working on The Demon’s Lexicon while doing a Creative Writing MA and library work in Surrey, England. Since then she has returned to Ireland to write and use as a home base for future adventures. Her Irish is still woeful, but she feels the books under the desk were worth it.

The Demon’s Lexicon trilogy is her first published work.