hardcover and audio CD.
Q. The Blackthorn Key takes place in England during the 1600s. What drew you to this time period and location?
A. At first, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to place it. In fact, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to set it in history; for a while I considered making it a pure fantasy. Through my research, I ended up drawn to the 1660s because it’s such a fascinating time of extraordinary intrigue—plots and conspiracies everywhere—and also because we had so much amazing detail for that period, especially from contemporary writings like Samuel Pepys’ diary. It was basically too good an era to pass up.
Q. Throughout the book, Christopher has to decipher several codes and puzzles in order to reveal clues. What inspired this element of the story? How did you create the puzzles?
A. I’ve always loved codes and puzzles; each one is like its own self-contained mystery, challenging you to find out what’s hidden underneath. For the book, I tried to think of a number of different puzzles that would be fun, and worked to find some way to bind them together. Some of the codes and devices, like Christopher’s cube, are my own invention; others are tweaks of ciphers that really existed at the time.
Q. The friendship between Christopher and Tom is an incredibly important element of the story. Did you base this relationship off of any friendships in your own life?
A. No, because I make it a hard and fast rule never to write about people I know! Mostly, I was inspired by the stories I grew up reading as a boy. The ones I loved best were always, at their heart, tales of friendship, loyalty, and courage.
Q. Christopher also has a special bond with his pet pigeon Bridget. Did you have pets as a child?
A. To my disappointment, no. I’ve always loved animals, but my parents didn’t want any in the house! I did finally convince them to get a dog—a delightful if rather highly-strung sheltie—but by then I’d almost left home. When I was very young, Snoopy from Peanuts was my surrogate dog.
Q. The Blackthorn Key features characters that the outside world labels as “crazy,” but whom are actually very wise. What inspired that idea?
A. Probably my scientific background. A lot of the greats were in some way out of the mainstream—think a wild-haired Einstein, an iconoclastic Galileo, or a temperamental Tycho Brahe, who lost his nose in a duel over a mathematical formula! So I’ve always had this image of wisdom, or outright genius, possessed by those who may be considered on the fringe of society. Plus, crazy types make for interesting characters.
Q. In The Blackthorn Key, we meet a fellow orphan girl named Sally, who shows a great deal of spunk. Will we be seeing more of Sally in the future?
A. Indeed we will! Sally returns in the very next book, and joins Christopher and Tom in playing a critical role throughout it. No hints as to what that is!
Q. Finally, who are your favorite authors? What are your favorite types of books to read?
A. If it’s a thriller, mystery, or adventure, I’m in! As for favorite authors, do I really have to choose just a few? All right...for adults, I’ll say Michael Crichton, Stephen King, and Dick Francis. For children, J.K. Rowling, Jonathan Stroud, and Frances Hardinge.
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