Author Interview: KYLE PERRY

Kyle Perry is a counsellor who has worked extensively in high schools, youth shelters and drug rehabs. In his work he encounters stories and journeys that would fill a hundred books. Kyle’s mother grew up in the foothills of the Great Western Tiers, in Tasmania’s heartland, where his grandfather was called on for search and rescues in the mountains. Kyle himself has been lost in Tasmanian mountains twice, and once used ripped pages of a journal stuck on branches to find his way back out. He has also seen strange things in the bush that defy explanation and are best not spoken about. Kyle divides his time between his small country hometown in Tasmania’s North West and Hobart. The Bluffs is his debut novel.*

*author image and bio from Penguin Books Australia. 

Kyle was kind enough to stop by the blog to answer some questions about his debut novel (which I loved),The Bluffs, but before we delve into that, take some time out to read my 5 star review on this blog and over on Goodreads. 

(Josh) The myth that is the Hungry Man adds an element of otherworldly to the story and heightens the fear-factor tenfold, where did the idea originate from? 

(Kyle) The Hungry Man is based on a blend of real experiences, as well as the legend of Alexander Pearce - also known as the Cannibal Convict who is rumoured to have hidden out in the Tiers - and a bush myth my mate once told me about, called the Tall Man . . . apparently, if you’re in his bushland and look behind you three times, the Tall Man will take you.

The Bluffs echoes the female adolescence noir stylings made popular in recent times by Megan Abbott, are you familiar with her work and do you think this is a theme you will continue with in the future? 

No, I’m not – I just researched her and her novels look great! The female adolescence stories came from real experiences as a youth worker in high schools, and the fascinating and disturbing politics and lawlessness of teenage girls. It’s a theme I’d like to continue with in future for sure, there’s a lot of stories to be told, but I’d like a bit of distance right now, too, from that job, so at the moment I’m not sure expecting it to feature in my next book.

There are some truly memorable characters in The Bluffs, notably Madison Mason, how hard was it balancing these diverse character personalities and ensuing each had sufficient page time to tell their side of the story? 

A great question, mixed with the kind of feedback an author loves to hear! At the moment, I’d say it’s a writer’s instinct – when you’ve written as many stories as I have you eventually get a feeling for which character fits where and which chapter needs who – but this was matched with the dream-team of agent, publisher, and editor who give me the perspective to keep the characters and their energies balanced. Here, the diversity was a strength – whose energy will blend with whose to get the right tension or catharsis in this scene; which personality needs to clash right now vs which personality needs to blend right now; etc.

I’d also add that part of my strength as a writer is my profession and background as a counsellor, which gives me a few extra tools for how to dive deep into characterisation and the tiny cues and comments that bely the deeper things going on. I’m glad you liked Madison (or hated) – she was loosely based on a real student, but I’ll never, ever say who!

The Bluffs reads like it's part of a much broader story, are there plans to revisit the characters in future books? I'd personally love to read more about the Jaguar Girls.  

Awesome to hear that, too! The idea of a good story is that it’s taking place in a wider universe, and we’re just capturing one frame of that universe. I’m still unsure on revisiting that universe. If enough people want it, I might consider it, but when I held the final copy in my hands I felt it was nice and complete and didn’t feel like it wanted to be revisited. But that could change, once I finish my current novel – which is a standalone.

What would your elevator pitch to sell The Bluffs to prospective readers be? 

Four teenage girls go missing on a school camp in the Tasmanian mountains, where an urban legend stalks the trees. When a body shows up with the shoes nearby, neatly tied, the story twists and turns until the final page.

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Many thanks to Kyle, and Jess from Penguin Random House Australia for arranging this interview. 

If you've not done so, head over to one of these sites to pick up a copy of the book, you won't regret it: Amazon AU / Book Depository / Dymocks