Where did the inspiration for Carnies come from?
Carnies was a very long-term project for me. In fact, in my biography for my 1992 story in Aurealis magazine, “Shifter”, I mentioned my plans to write a werewolf novel combining psychology and extreme violence (with apologies to the Young Ones!). The book came out of a lifelong obsession with werewolves, combined with numerous caving trips in the Margaret River area of WA’s south-west. I’m not certain where the carnival itself came from, possibly from my own crippling fear of clowns. Or maybe Howling 6. But the heart of the book is the concept of loneliness and alienation, and the desire to be loved and to belong. And really, that’s about the oldest story there is! Were there some worrying moments for you when Hachette Livre took over Lothian? I’d have to say yes. There was a period of about a week where it could have gone either way for all of the authors picked up for this line. I wouldn’t have blamed Hachette Livre if they just cut their losses, paid out our contracts and never publ
