Interview with Helen Harper, Author of Gifted Thief + Giveaway

Please help me welcome Helen Harper to the blog! She's here to talk a bit about her new novel, Gifted Thief.

Tell us about the main characters in Gifted Thief.

The main character is a young Sidhe woman called Integrity who, ironically enough, is a career thief! She should have been living a life of wealth and privilege but her father slaughtered her Clan when she was just a baby and she was dumped as an orphan on someone else’s doorstep.  All Sidhe are Gifted with magical abilities when they are thirteen years old but Integrity ran away before that could happen.  She’s perfectly happy to stay as far away from that world as possible … but circumstances conspire against her. 

Despite her lack of family, Integrity is fortunate enough to have a strong group of friends about her: a merman who’s afraid of the sea, a blue-haired pixie, a warlock and a human.  She also comes into contact with rather smart-arsed genie called Bob who becomes her side-kick.  And then there’s Byron, the Sidhe lordling who was horrid to her when she was a child, but who is very, very sexy!

What was your inspiration while writing?

I’ve always been fascinated by the phrase ‘honour amongst thieves’.  A lot of Integrity’s character is drawn from that idea – that you can have someone who might break the law and live in the shadows but when it comes to their own has more integrity than anyone else more law-abiding.  Equally, as a Scottish lass myself, I’ve long wanted to write a book which uses the old clan system.  Instead of Scotland being annexed by England in the eighteenth century, I’ve created a world where demons took over half of the country instead.

Will this be an ongoing series?

It will! The second book, Honour Bound, is being released on February 29^th and book three is already in the works.  It’s currently slated for publication in May.

Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what type of music in on this novel’s playlist?

Nope.  I block out any sounds when I’m writing so music wouldn’t work for me!

If you could visit any fictional place, where would you go?

I always wanted to visit Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree. I strongly suspect it’s one of those stories that wouldn’t hold up to the test of time but the thought of being able to climb up into the branches and end up somewhere different and wholly magical is just wonderful.  Blyton had a truly terrific imagination.

What’s your favorite TV show or movie?

I’ll always go back to Buffy the Vampire Slayer! I’m definitely on Team Spike.  Angel was always far too brooding and depressing for me but Spike knew how to have fun.  It was so ridiculously exciting when he and Buffy got together!

What’s your go to comfort food?

Hmmm.  I live abroad in Malaysia so my comfort food is often that which I can’t get - pork pies, pickled onion crisps, that kind of thing.  When it comes down to it though, it’s probably beans on toast, covered in grated cheese and with a dollop of Worcestershire sauce for good measure!

Where can readers find you online?

My website is http://helenharper.co.uk and I’m on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HarperFire

Gifted Thief

The Highland Magic Series, Book One

Helen Harper

Urban Fantasy

January 29, 2016

Amazon | B&N

Orphan. Runaway. Thief.

Since the moment I was ripped from my mother's womb, I've been an outcast amongst my own kind. The Sidhe might possess magical Gifts, unbelievable wealth and unfathomable power but I don't want a thing to do with them. I ran away from their lands in the Highlands of Scotland when I was eleven years old and I've never looked back. I don't need a Clan. I've got my own family of highly skilled thieves who mean more to me than any Sidhe ever could.

Unfortunately for me, the playboy heir to the Moncrieffe Clan has something I desperately need. To get it back, I'm going to have to plunge myself back into that world, no matter what the consequences may be. I suppose it's just as well I have sense of humour. I think I'm going to need it.

By bestselling author Helen Harper, Gifted Thief is the first book in the Highland Magic series.

About the Author

After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time although she still fits in creative writing workshops with schools along with volunteering to teach reading to a group of young Myanmar refugees. That's not to mention the procession of stray cats which seem to find their way to her door!

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.

Helen currently lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with far too many cats - not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere.

You can find out more - and learn how to get a FREE copy of Corrigan Fire - by visiting Helen's website: helenharper.co.uk

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