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Hi Keren! Welcome to Empire of Books, and thank you so much for answering some questions today. Why don’t we start with a bit about your new book, Another Life. What can you tell us about it?

Now, most of Another Life is written from the point of view of Archie, Ty’s cousin. Was this a conscious decision, and what do you think it brings to the book having a new outlook on the story?

Ty’s not always sharpest knife in the drawer (no pun intended, given the book…) but he’s just so likeable isn't he? What is it about him that drew you in to do a third book?
Haha, some reviewers seem to think differently. I've seen him described quite a few times as 'very intelligent' which always makes me laugh. He's very thoughtful though and he usually gets there in the end. He's just a typical teenage boy really, like Archie, sometimes quite bright and sometimes so dim you want to slap them.
I'm glad you think he's likeable, he has to be, really, to get away with doing some very bad and stupid things in the course of three books. I think readers feel for him and a lot of boys identify with him. They want things to work out for him. I really wrote Another Life for all the readers who wrote to me and talked to me demanding a third book about Ty. I kept on saying no, there won't be another book, and then I began thinking about how it could be done.
Something that struck me when reading this book is the amount of research you must do. Legal bits and bobs. Medical jargon. Geography. How much of that research actually makes it into the book?

How do you feel Ty/Joe has changed from the first book, When I Was Joe, through to Almost True and now finally in Another Life? Has he changed the way you thought he would or have there been some surprises along the way?
I've put the poor boy through so much! He did surprise me along the way, and not always in a good way, but I think his best qualities - his loyalty, courage, resilience and ability to love - grow and develop in trying circumstances. He's grown up a lot, but he's been struggling with mental illness which threatens to overwhelm him in this final book.
Is this it for Ty then? It does seem pretty final.
That's it for now. I can imagine Archie and maybe some other minor characters popping up at some point perhaps in a completely different story.
Now, I for one am excited about your next book, Salvage. It’s due out in 2014. What can you tell us about it?

As well as Salvage I'm also working on another book, which is a bit of a departure for me as it's historical - a historical crime/romance experiment! I still have to find a publisher for that one though, I will keep you posted.
Thank you so much for your time, Keren. It’s a massive honour and I cannot thank you enough! Thank you thank you thank you!
Thank you! I owe a lot to all the bloggers out there, because they really spread the word about When I Was Joe, even though a lot of them weren't at all sure about reading a BritGrit book. So thank you Ryan and all the other lovely bloggers too.
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Would just like to say a massive thanks to Keren for this! She's awesome and you should all go out right now and check out her books! You will not be disappointed!
These look like great books and I might have to pick them up! I'm finishing up a pretty great book now called "Three Fugitives" by Nat Howler, it's part of the Six Stones Trilogy. You can check out him and the book on the website http://nathowler.com/. Thanks for the review and suggestions!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview - I'm a huge fan of Keren's books!
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