Christina Henry Author Interview

Photo by Kathryn McCallum Osgood

CHRISTINA HENRY is the author of the CHRONICLES OF ALICE duology, ALICE and RED QUEEN, a dark and twisted take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as LOST BOY: THE TRUE STORY OF CAPTAIN HOOK, an origin story of Captain Hook from Peter Pan.

She is also the author of the national bestselling BLACK WINGS series (BLACK WINGS, BLACK NIGHT, BLACK HOWL, BLACK LAMENT, BLACK CITY, BLACK HEART and BLACK SPRING) featuring Agent of Death Madeline Black and her popcorn-loving gargoyle Beezle.

ALICE was chosen as one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Year in Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2015. It was also a Goodreads Choice Award nominee in Horror and one of Barnes & Noble’s Bestselling Science Fiction and Fantasy novels of 2015.

She enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with samurai, zombies and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.

        

What was your first introduction to literature?
I was always a reader – I don’t really remember not reading. When I was pretty young I got a boxed set of classic children’s works for Christmas. It had ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND and THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS by Lewis Carroll, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Grahame, and THE JUNGLE BOOK and JUST SO STORIES, both by Rudyard Kipling. I read and re-read all of those books more times than I can count, and I still have those well-love copies.

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?
The last television show I watched regularly was DEADWOOD. I’m not much of a TV watcher, although I love movies.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I’ve been writing since grade school. When I was about 12 I wrote my first “novel” – it was a poor copy of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, which was my favorite book at the time. The first book I finished as an adult was BLACK WINGS, and I sold that book to Penguin/Ace when I was 34.

What was the greatest thing you learned at school?
To read books that I didn’t think I was interested in. A lot of younger readers are put off the classics because the language is archaic, but if you just relax and let yourself sink into the book you’ll be rewarded.

How would you describe yourself in three words?
Stubborn; probably hungry.

Which character have you enjoyed getting to know the most over the course of writing LOST BOY: THE TRUE STORY OF CAPTAIN HOOK?
I loved teasing out all the facets of Jamie, the main character. He’s strong and smart but he’s also foolish and uncertain. He tries to do the right thing but he makes a lot of mistakes. I really wanted to get at that sense of being caught between childhood and adulthood, and the way it makes you feel mixed-up and unsure of your place in the world.

From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a familiar story with a dark hook—a tale about Peter Pan and the friend who became his nemesis, a nemesis who may not be the blackhearted villain Peter says he is…

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.

Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.

Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever.

Praise for LOST BOY

“Christina Henry shakes the fairy dust off a legend; this Peter Pan will give you chills.” —Genevieve Valentine, author of Persona

“Multiple twists keep the reader guessing, and the fluid writing is enthralling...Henry immerses the reader in Neverland and genuinely shocks...This is a fine addition to the shelves of any fan of children’s classics and their modern subversions.” —Publishers Weekly

“This wild, unrelenting tale, full to the brim with the freedom and violence of young boys who never want to grow up, will appeal to fans of dark fantasy.” —Booklist

“Turns Neverland into a claustrophobic world where time is disturbingly nebulaous and identity is chillingly manipulated...a deeply impactful, imaginative and haunting story of loyalty, disillusionment and self-discovery.” —RT Book Reviews

“Once again, Henry takes readers on an adventure of epic and horrific proportions...Her smooth prose and firm writing hooked me up instantly and held me hostage to the very end.” —Smexy Books

“We all have a soft spot for the classics that we read when we were growing up. But…this retelling will poke and jab at that soft spot until you can never look at it the same way again.” —Kirkus Book Reviews

“Lost Boy owes more to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies than it does Barrie, as Henry examines the darker side to leaving a bunch of boys to fend for themselves… This audacious and gripping treatment of this well-known story is expertly told by Henry’s emotive, evocative prose.” —Starburst Magazine

“Lost Boy is a fantastic adventure story with a Lord of the Flies sensibility… Henry’s writing is among the most substantive and touching in the fantasy genre.” —I Smell Sheep

You can purchase Lost Boy at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you CHRISTINA HENRY for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Lost Boy by Christina Henry.

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