I had a chat with Helen Callaghan, the author of Dear Amy. I recently reviewed this book and it was released today! (16th June).
A huge welcome from No Safer Place to Helen Callaghan.
1. The 16th June sees the release of your debut novel! Can
you tell us about it?
It’s a thriller called Dear Amy, and it’s about a teacher
and part time agony aunt called Margot Lewis who receives a desperate letter
from a girl called Bethan Avery. Margot takes the letter to the police and
finds out that Bethan Avery was kidnapped nearly twenty years ago and is
presumed dead, and the letter is a hoax. But Margot is uneasy - particularly as
a girl at her school, Katie, has gone missing and is assumed a runaway. She
thinks these things are linked and starts to investigate, and things start to
unravel for her from there…
2. I’ve seen so many positive reviews about Dear Amy from
people of all ages. Did you write this book with a target audience in mind?
Thank you! Well, in a way - I guess that the target audience
would be me! I wrote the kind of book that I would want to read, and Dear Amy
is full of the things that intrigue me or frighten me or that I feel passionate
about. You wouldn’t do it, I don’t think, if you weren’t into it, because
writing is so thankless usually and so uncertain. You have to really love what
you’re about.
3. What inspired you to write this book? Did you do a lot of
research before starting to write it?
I did a fair bit - I read a lot of sad books and watched
some very upsetting documentaries about kidnapped children. Most of the
research was while the book was underway, however, because things like social
care policy and police procedure change all the time.
4. Do you share any character traits with the main
character, Margot Lewis? If so, which ones? I personally found her mental
health extremely relatable.
You know, I don’t think so. In many ways Margot is more
idealised to me than anything - she’s someone I’d like to be like. She always
tries to be brave even in the face of her demons within and without, and she
tries to be kind. She makes mistakes and has issues, but she bears up to them.
5. Most readers always have a handful of favourite books, as
opposed to one. What are some of yours?
Oh, wow. We could be here all day! I suppose my favourite
book is probably Jane Eyre, but there are so many things I love - like Donna
Tartt (The Secret History was a huge influence), The Crow Road by Iain Banks,
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.
6. Dear Amy is obviously a thriller/suspense novel. Is this
a genre you’ve always been in love with?
Because I worked at bookshops for most of my life, I’ve
always read a ton of things, including most genres (never been big on romance,
funnily enough). I think it’s fair to say they I do love a good thriller, but
mostly I love any well-constructed mystery that takes risk with form and
narrative - Gone Girl is a great example of that.
7. If you could write another genre, what would it be and
why?
I love archaeology and history, and would love to write
something historical - I’m already thinking about the third book and that will
have archaeological elements. I also write speculative fiction when left
unsupervised, but again, all of these things are constructed as heists, or, as
in the case of Dear Amy, as mysteries - I think it’s the thing I like doing
best of all!
8. Can you tell us about any upcoming projects you’re
working on?
Yes - the follow up to Dear Amy, which I'm very excited
about. I better not give too much away on that for now!
9. Last Question. Give us a quote that motivates you!
“A word after a word after a word is power” - Margaret
Atwood.
The news of a Dear Amy sequel has absolutely made my day! Will be (not so patiently) waiting for that!
The news of a Dear Amy sequel has absolutely made my day! Will be (not so patiently) waiting for that!
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