1) For the benefit of those reading who have not yet read any of your novels, how would you loosely describe your style and themes?

I'd say that I write supernatural thrillers, or perhaps dark fantasy, or perhaps gothic bodice-rippers. I like to think I write like a cross between Stephen King and the Bronte sisters. As for themes, well they're different for each book, but a universal theme is how people relate to each other: I do a lot of betrayals, friendships, passionate desires, family dysfunction and karmic debts.

2) You have said in several interviews that you have written stories for as long as you can remember. How long have the themes you currently write about been of interest to you - your subject matter of choice?

The very first novel I wrote when I was nine was about three orphans who inherited a haunted house, so there you are. It's about an intense familial relationship under pressure from something supernatural. I pretty much still do the same thing. Also, when I was little I was obsessed with Misty magazine, which was a comic book for girls full of spooky stories about Victorian governesses and possessed cats.

3) How did ‘Angel of Ruin’ come to be released as ‘Fallen Angel’ in the UK?

My UK publisher didn't like the Australian title, that simple. In fact, my title for the book was "The Ruin'd Angel" but a much bigger author than me had a book called "The Crippled Angel" released in the same month, so I had to change it.

4) Are any of your characters inspired by anyone in particular, in either physicality or personality?

To a certain extent all of them are. As a writer, you're a serial borrower of details. So you might start with one fact about a person which you find interesting, and build a whole character from there. And occasionally, to amuse my friends, I'll write them in as a minor character.

5) Have many of your family and friends read your books? Do you find a difference in the way you feel about your loved ones’ reading your words compared to the general audience?

All my friends and family read all of my books. They're very generous with their time and their praise. I worry more about what they'll think, because if they think I'm a loser it could make life a bit difficult. But they don't think I'm a loser, or at least they say they don't. When I knew "The Infernal" was going to be published, I freaked out that my grandma would read it, because it's so full of violence and sex and swearing. But you know what? She died two months before it was published, and I realised then that she wouldn't have cared about the content. She would have just been so damn proud to have seen my name on the cover of a book. That still haunts me.

6) Have you ever been approached about the possible production of films or TV series based on your work? If not, what would your initial response be?

Actually, my first three books have all been optioned: The Infernal by an Australian company, Grimoire by an English company, and The Resurrectionists in the US. I don't know if the movies will ever get made, but the money's nice. It's like getting paid for doing nothing.

7) You have said previously that you do not hate any of your characters. What do you personally feel are the ‘redeeming’ features of Peter Owling? Lily Kirkwood? Doctor Aaron Flood? In an allegorical sense, what do these characters represent?

I don't think they have an redeeming features, but they're not completely hateable. They're a little bit pathetic. I've changed my mind about hating characters, btw. Immanuel Z., the billionaire faery hunter in my latest book "The Autumn Castle" is stomach-turningly awful. I actually surprised myself with how vile I could make a character. I really hate him. I don't know that nasty characters represent anything allegorical, really. I'm not making grand statements about the nature of evil. People often do awful things with very practical reasons.

8) What kind of subjects, if any, do you feel promote universal horror – capable of inducing fear in any human being?

Death, the grave, live burial. But if I think of what I'm really afraid of in my own life, it's losing the people and pets that I love. That's the stuff that brings you out in a cold sweat or keeps you awake at three a.m. I had an intense fear response when giving birth recently; I truly thought I might die (I was nowhere near death, really, it just felt that way!). I was trying to memorise the way I felt so that I could write better about fear later. That's the problem with being a writer, you're always 2% outside the moment, taking notes.

9) In reading previous interviews you have done, I found your comments related to your cats particularly interesting – my cat Rosie has been my companion since I was ten and remains a source of great adoration and inspiration. Have the differences and similarities between humans and our fellow animal species inspired you in any way as a writer?

I don't think so. My love for animals, and especially for my sweet girls, very much transcends my career aspirations as a writer. I worked out very early on that if my writing career went down the toilet, my cats could comfort me. But if my cats died, my career would provide me no comfort at all. Our companion animals teach us compassion and unconditional love, they make us more human I think.

10) From any contact you have had with your readers, do you find that any characters in particular are popular with them? If so, which ones, and why do you think they obtain this reaction?

Prudence from Grimoire has been very popular, probably because she's colourful and frank and larger than life. When you think about it, she's actually a bit annoying. I'm also really interested that Maisie from The Resurrectionists has been quite popular. I went out on a bit of a limb with her, I feel, because she's a spoilt middle-class girl with a very self-indulgent case of melancholia. For centuries now, men have been able to be middle-class and melancholic (think Byron), but women melancholic characters are a bit thin on the ground. I'm glad that a lot of women really clicked with her. She's actually the character most like me of all the characters I've written. Except I'm not from a privileged background. But I'm definitely given to fits of melancholia and it's very self-indulgent, really.

11) Name three of your characters who you would not want to bump into on a dark night

I do not want to bump into a Resurrectionists wraith on a dark night. Immanuel from The Autumn Castle I would cross the street to avoid. And Lazodeus from Fallen Angel would be a bit dangerous I think, simply because he's so sexy and evil.

12) Finally, assuming you could come face to face with the creator of the universe (whatever he/she/it may be), what one question would you ask?

I'd like to say something very witty and clever here, but I think in all honesty it would be something like, "Am I okay?" I'm a bit needy, and couldn't resist asking for some positive feedback on how well I'm fulfilling my duties as a citizen of the world.

Thanks once again, and I look forward to reading your answers!! By the way - do you have any plans for another adult fiction book in the near future? (Does that count as a sneaky extra question?!)

The Autumn Castle is the first in a dark fantasy trilogy based on myths and folklore of Germany, Scandinavia and Russia. The first one comes out in May next year in Australia. No idea whether my UK publisher will be interested, but my fingers are crossed.

(© scaerie faerie productions 2002)