Sonya Hartnett Author of the Children of the King HC: 978-0-7636-6735-1 • E-Book: 978-0-7636-7042-9 272 Pages • Age 10 and Up
A conversation with sonya hartnett author of the Children of the King HC: 978-0-7636-6735-1 • E-book: 978-0-7636-7042-9 272 pages • Age 10 and up Q: You start with a scary opening scene. If I hadn’t been told that this was a “mild ghost story,” I might not have gotten past it. Some of your other writing can be very unsettling. What made you decide that this story would be more mild? A: Questionsofmildnessnevercameintoit.Anideacomestoyou,anditbringswithititsown spirit—someareeerie,somearequiet,someareloud,someareslinky,somearestrange.Iknew thiswouldbeastoryforchildrensetduringthewar.Theagegroupcreatescertainlimitsaround whatyoucanandcan’twrite.IneverthoughtofitasbeingaghoststoryasIwroteit,soIdidn’t spendanytimemakingtheboysscary.Iwantedthemtobeabletobemistakenforrealchildren bythereader,soIkeptalidontheirscariness.Theopeningsceneis,I’mtold,alittlescary.Ithink abookshouldstartwithabang,andsothesceneisakindofbang.IusedtoplayMurderinthe Darkasakid;itterrifiedme.Iplayitwithmydogsometimes;itstillterrifiesme. Q: What inspired you to write the story-within-the story, weaving the tale of a family evacuating from London to a country estate during World War II with the mystery of the missing princes, nephews of King Richard? How do those two elements, World War II and the mystery of the princes, resonate for you, if they do? A: I’vealwaysbeeninterestedinthestoryofRichardandtheprinces,andI’vealludedtoitafew timesinvariousnovels,butIalwayswantedtowritesomethingmoresubstantialaboutit—to reallylookinsidethecharacters’heads.I’vealsoalwaysfoundthewholeevacuationsagatobe
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