Christine Haggerty is a mutant author

Christine Haggerty
Mutant Author

Christine Haggerty is still fresh from the release of her first novel, The Plague Legacy: Acquisitions, last Friday. She dropped by the Blog Mansion to compare mutants and talk books.

Johnny: Congratulations on your book. Pretty exciting isn’t it?

Christine: It’s definitely better than being transmogryphied into an intergalactic mutant with an insatiable hunger for human flesh.

J: Yeah.... I was thinking the same thing. Good thing that kind of thing never happens. So, tell me about your book. Give us your pitch.

C: The Plague Legacy: Acquisitions - Cameron Landry is a plague orphan shipped across the ocean to be sold as a slave in a new civilization. Of course, he’s not one of the cool guys—the kids who have mutated into superhumans because of the plague. Cam’s supposed to be one of the immunes, but things are more complicated than that as Cam discovers something special about himself.

J: Have some tea?

C: Oh, my God! What the hell is that?

J: That’s Luna. My Metaluna mutant. She works for me.

C: Where’d you find it?

J: Her. She has feelings. I don’t know what they are, but I’m sure she has some. Or one at least. I’ve seen her hungry. And I told you, She comes from Metaluna, the distant planet from This Island Earth. Surely you’ve seen that.

C: I’ve never seen one this close before. Is that spaghetti on her eyes?

J: Mutant cataracts, I think. Just don’t hit her exposed brain, okay. She’s very vulnerable there. I thought you’d like her because she’s a mutant.

Luna, Beauty Shot

C: I’m not biased, I’ll give her a shot. Of course, my mutants are still mostly just human beings from Earth, more like enhanced humans that mutants. Here, Luna, how ‘bout a hug?

J: Immune, mutant, no-code. You have a complex situation of engineered plague in Acquisitions. How’d you come up with it?

C: (Face turning red.)

J: Oh, ooops. Yeah, take it easy, Luna. I need Christine to breathe so she can finish the interview. I’m sure she will give you another hug before she leaves.

C: (Gasping.) She’s quite a lover. Anyway, you were asking about my inspiration for the premise of The Plague Legacy. I’m a history minor and always had a fascination with early European history, particularly the Black Plague and the Crusades. This is my version of history repeating itself.

J: Who’d you model Cam after? And Tara? Is there a Devon in your life?

C: Cam is modeled after my somewhat moody and temperamental teenage son, Liam. Of course, Liam still has two living parents and goes to high school instead of fighting off mutant bullies. Tara and Devon, and many of the other characters, are both formed from the residue of my years teaching at a residential high sch—.

J: Sorry about that. Luna’s claws don’t do well with china.

C: It’s only tea.


J: And mutant spittle.

C: What?

J: Luna drools sometimes. You always have to consider that when she’s around.

C: What will it do to me?

J: Did you drink any tea?

C: Yes.

J: Well just have a cookie. There’s antidote in them.

C: What cookies?

J: You didn’t get any?

C: You ate them all.

J: Well, uhm, you’ll probably be fine. Luna get some more cookies.

C: It’s eating through my clothes.

J: Here’s some baking soda. That’ll stop it.

C: Now it’s eating through the baking soda. Is this your plan to get me naked?

Luna being Sassy!

J: What makes you think any of this was planned? I mean, past the cookies and the tea and the mutant who drools acid?

C: (Glare.)

J: Tell me about your journey to get published.

C: My journey mostly involved being in the right place at the right time. I had decided to ditch my career in education to be around more for my kids and to give the writing thing a real shot. I went to a conference and learned the basics of building a fan-base, joined a writing group, and started making connections. I suppose it helps that I can write, too.

J: Tell me about working with Fox Hollow Publications. Are they nice?

C: Fox Hollow Publications has been amazing to work with. I think altogether I really lucked out becoming connected to them.

Luna sad –  
fetching more cookies.

J: How many books do you foresee in The Plague Legacy?

C: The Plague Legacy will be a trilogy. Each book will have its own plot arc as well as the arc for the series. I know it drives some people crazy to deal with uncertainty at the end of a book, especially when you have to wait until the next one comes out to continue the story, but I promise I’ll only do it to you twice.

J: I know the first one just came out, but when can we expect the next installment?

C: The Plague Legacy: Assets will be released Fall 2014.

J: The mutants in your book don’t have exposed brains. Why not?

C: I thought exposed brains would leave them too vulnerable. The mutants in Plague have weaknesses, but they are more emotional than physical.

J: Who besides me and my newly published debut occult thriller, BEATRYSEL, now available on Amazon just in time for the holidays, do you find inspiring?

C: I was inspired by classics like the Lord of the Flies and Brave New World and by modern young adult dystopian fiction like The Hunger Games.

J: Where can my readers find out more about you?

Website/Blog
Amazon
Goodreads
Facebook
Fox Hollow Publications
Twitter: @chaggerty99

J: Great, here’s Luna with more cookies.

C: I can’t pick them up.

J: You’re just not used to your new claws. It’ll come to you.

C: I feel funny.

J: I can see your brain. Wait a minute – Luna, are these antidote cookies? What do you mean we're out? Don't blame me. They were delicious. Now look at lovely Christine. She's mutating. Don't just stand there Luna, get the exoskeleton polish.