What is your favorite fictional character or creature?

Hmmm….just one?

What is the one writing tool you couldn’t live without?

I am old-school. As much as I love Scrivener and Word for drafting manuscripts, I always fall back on pen and paper to work through revisions and shorter pieces. I think better when I write by hand. To some authors, this is tedious, but it’s like I put an open tap on my creativity when it flows out in ink.

What are you looking forward to at Comic Con?

I am looking forward to dressing up (early Halloween!) and to getting to know the other authors in the booth. I also can’t wait to pop into the panels that some of my fellow authors will be speaking on.

When did you know you were a writer?

From forever ago. Like, really, forever ago.

If you could be any character in one of your stories, who would it be and why?

I would be Charyn from The Plague Legacy: Assets (due out this year). She’s a role model for the gladiators she trains and is pretty badass at fighting too.

What path did you take to publication?

I have a traditional publisher. We met in person, which saved me a lot of query time. Now I get to write, write, write!

How long have you been writing?

I think I’ve been writing recognizable stories since I was in third grade. I think I even illustrated them back then.

Favorite author who inspired you?

My inspiration goes as far back as literature. I studied the classics as an English major. I had quite an obsession with Edgar Allan Poe through elementary school, then branched out into more fantasy and science fiction. One of my favorite inspirations is Michael Ende, who wrote The Neverending Story. My older brother gave me a copy of that book when I was about fourteen. I still have it, although it’s a little worn with love now.

Favorite read in the last six months?

Most of what I’ve read in the last six months have been books by other Utah Fantasy Authors. I suggest checking out what Lehua Parker, Johnny Worthen, Daniel Coleman, Angela Hartley, Teri Harman, and J. Abram Barneck have available on Amazon.

Which of your characters would you expect someone to dress up as during Comic Con?

I don’t know that dystopian orphan is much of a look for Comic Con, but for my next book I have some pretty cool futuristic gladiator costumes on their way. I think people should list it for next year.

What books will you be selling at Comic Con?

I will be selling my first novel, The Plague Legacy: Acquisitions at Comic Con just in time for readers to be ready for Assets.

How do you organize your thoughts into a cohesive storyline?

I am still discovering a lot about myself as a writer. Acquisitions seemed simple enough, but Assets has taken a couple of turns and I’ve finally stepped away from the computer and moved to notecards organized on a bulletin board to figure out the best order for my scenes. I think I’ve got it, but I’m letting the story sit for another week just to be sure.

What inspired you to write?

Reading! And teaching high school language arts. And having kids, and walking my dogs, and karate, and sunshine, and the rain, and . . . .

Would you consider writing a fan as a character in one of your books?

I write nothing but fans in my books. My characters are all based on my interactions with people, and I hope that I can make many of them fans. So, maybe the question is fan first? Or character first?

When can fans expect your next book?

The Plague Legacy: Assets is due for release late November/early December 2014. There’s just enough time to read Acquisitions!

Christine Haggerty
www.christinehaggertyauthor.com