Justine Larbalestier has an interview fairy!

It's author interview season here at Librarilly Blonde. Today's interview is with Justine Larbelestier, who took some very precious time during her How to Ditch Your Fairy tour and kindly answered questions for me. Justine, thanks for your answers! May your tour be fun and your book go into many printings.

Carlie Webber, who has a people-ask-her-for-directions fairy: Where did you get the idea that lots of people have personal fairies?

Justine Larbalestier: It came from spending a holiday with a friend who has a parking fairy. I began to wonder what it would be like to have such a fairy if you hated cars (which I do) then Charlie and the world kind of grew from there.

CW: What's your fairy? If you don't have one, which one would you wish for?

JL: I'm not sure I have one. But there are many many fairies I'd love to have. I've been on tour for the book recently and I could totally use a can-talk-while-signing-books fairy.

CW: The world Charlie lives in seems to be a mashup of different cultures from around the world. How did you create it? Is there any one culture you drew from the most?

JL: I'm poking a lot of fun at Australia in it. Especially Sydney. And also at the USian celebrity fixation. But really the world just grew up around Charlie and her parking fairy. The end result is its own place.

CW: What part of the book was the most fun for you to write?

JL: All of it. I've never had as much fun writing a book as I had writing HTDYF. Probably because I wasn't under contract. HTDYF was my fun book that I wrote for myself in between other books.

CW: The names in How to Ditch Your Fairy are so cool. How did you come up with them?

JL: Many of the names come from teenagers I signed books for while doing appearances for my earlier books. I also took the surnames of many of my favourite sportspeople.

CW: Describe a typical day in the life of Justine.

JL: Gym. Breakfast. Procrastination. Lunch. More procrastination. Panicked commencement of work. Dinner. Procrastination. Bed.

CW: What's one book, written by someone else, that you wish you had written?

JL: I've never wished to write someone else's book. I only want to write my own.

CW: If you weren't a writer, what career would you like to have?

CW: There's no other career I'd like to have.

Everyone, if you haven't already read HTDYF, go out and read it right now. And coming soon to a blog near you, an interview with Siobhan Vivian!