Blog Tour: 10 Quirky Questions with E Lockhart

Photo credit: Heather Weston

KBR is delighted to welcome E Lockhart, as part of her blog tour for her new book We Were Liars. She's also the first author to tackle our 10 Quirky Questions!

1. What's your hidden talent?
I make very creative birthday cakes using a lot of food coloring.

2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Uriah Heep from David Copperfield. He is so obsequious. It is terrifying.

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party; which five authors would you invite (alive or dead)?
I would invite raconteurs. Caitlyn Moran, Chimamanda Adichie, David Sedaris, Oscar Wilde, Mario Batali (always good to have a chef at your house). Then I’d just shut up and listen.

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
The world of Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, where all people are accepted no matter their color or orientation.

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Avoidance. Blood. Coffee. Terror. Laughter.

6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
Funny. Emotional. Controversial. Erudite. Interesting.

7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
Laptop. Coffee maker. Coffee cup. Couch. Friends. I often write with other writers in the room with me, whether it’s in a café or someone’s home. I like the sense of camaraderie.

8. Grab the nearest book, open it to page 22 and look for the second word in the first sentence. Now, write a line that starts with that word.
The nearest book was Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Signed, by the way! In silver pen.
The second sentence is 'It’s disappearing!' which is rather dull, so I’ll choose the third instead. (I don’t follow directions well.) The third begins: 'A spectral fog enshrouded the island …'
My line: Spectral visitors ask for glasses of wine and 'something to eat' with worse manners than fleshy visitors, but they always help with the dishes, which is saying something.

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I would ask Agatha Christie what happened when she disappeared for that week.

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'? 
Never write another story. Reading is a great pleasure. Writing is an emotionally difficult job I am grateful to have.

We Were Liars is available now; Allen & Unwin, $17.99. 

Find out more about E Lockhart at her website.