In December’s newsletter (catch up HERE if you missed it) I interviewed Sarah Naughton about her chillingly festive YA thriller, You Better Watch Out, which sees Eleri receiving increasingly threatening advent gifts from a sinister Secret Santa.
This is a fantastically gripping read for any time of the year, but especially perfect for the Christmas season!
Enter the 5 Random Questions!
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
I can only think of people, which is way too worthy, so I guess I’ll say my first laptop. My husband gave it to me for our first Christmas and I wrote The Hanged Man Rises on it.
You’re lost in the jungle. Which of your skills is most likely to help you survive?
My ability to kill without conscience in order to appropriate your food/shelter/map.
If you could trade places with any book or movie character for a day, who would you choose?
Howl or Jonathan Strange.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
I am aware this is cultural appropriation, but I am particularly good at Gangsta’s Paradise.
What are your top 3 movies of all time?
It’s a Wonderful Life, The Exorcist, Guardians of the Galaxy.
BONUS QUESTION (because it’s Christmas!)
Describe your perfect Christmas.
I imagine it’s the same for a lot of people: to be able to go back to the Christmases of their childhood. Growing up it was just me and my mum, but we would spend Christmases with my grandparents. Uncle Ray and Auntie Frances would come over with a huge box full of presents for me. They were only small things, a pen, a Curly Wurly etc, but each one was a massive dopamine hit for my 6 year old brain. Afterwards I would sit in an armchair and listen to audio tapes of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. I can still quote them (‘…for a hundred years, which is far longer than you or I are likely to live…’). I might go for a walk with my lovely grandad, then later on he would fall asleep in his armchair and I would wake him up by pulling his moustache. It was just like Josef Stalin’s and as a result I am constitutionally unable to view Stalin as anything other than a delightful, affable old darling.
About Sarah Naughton
Sarah Naughton is the Costa-shortlisted author of thirteen novels translated across fifteen languages. Her work spans thrillers for adults and young adults, a Sherlock Holmes reimagining co-authored with Anthony Horowitz and an upcoming serial killer series. Before becoming an author, she worked as an advertising copywriter, where her creative range extended to angry sausages and singing knickers. Sarah lives in London with her husband and two sons.
Find out more about Sarah and her books on her website, and you can also follow her on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook.
If you missed my newsletter interview with Sarah Naughton about You Better Watch Out, check it out here. Also remember to sign up for my newsletter which I send out every month – the first one for 2025 will go out on Friday, 3rd January and will feature an interview with Dan Smith about his new YA sci-fi horror series opener, The Deadsoul Project. Don’t miss it!
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