Interview with Katie Fitzgerald, Author of The Healer’s Heir

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Healer’s Heir?

The short answer is always Tolkien, isn’t it? While I always loved The Fellowship of the Ring, I was a little irritated that the elves were all white and blond. My teenage brain invented an entire world where darker hair meant greater power. I wrote my first serious novel in high school—deeply flawed, of course—but the backstory was already there. Years later, when I wanted to start fresh, I returned to that history. The Healer’s Heir and the books that follow explore the events leading up to that original story. The funny thing is that the high school book will never see the light of day. Now that The Healer’s Heir has become the main event, I’m rethinking how the whole series will end.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Healer’s Heir, what would they be?

“Be My Hero” by October Project.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Epic Fantasy—yep, the same genre I write.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

The Keyhole Wizard, Kings of the Wild, Mistborn: The Final Empire

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

That’s a tough one. How do I choose without spoilers? Near the end of The Healer’s Heir, my main character, Nirrél, finally frees his mother. It’s an intensely emotional scene, layered with atonement, family tension, and love; it made me tear up even as I wrote it.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I think all of me is quirky. Beyond that, I’m very process-driven. I keep a chapter development checklist because there’s no way I can hold everything in my head at once. For example, I do separate writing passes for each character in a scene, viewing the events from their perspective to keep them true to themselves instead of just going where I need them to go. My characters tend to balk if I push them according to what’s convenient; listening to them usually leads to a better solution anyway.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I do, though I’m not sure the original wording is printable! A gentler version would be: “Try to be kinder.” It’s simple, but it guides both my writing and my life. My author slogan is “Epic fantasy with soul.”

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

There’s a quote attributed to Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good…[people] to do nothing.” In my stories, good people choose to do hard things. I hope readers come away with this: if you’re in a position to do good, take the opportunity. And enjoy the read!