KIM HARRINGTON
Sleuth or Dare
What made
you choose Darcy & Norah, who are so different from one another, as your
heros?
Norah and Darcy seem like opposites on the outside. Norah is a “good
girl” while Darcy gets into trouble. Norah quietly blends into the background
while Darcy has more of an edge to her. But they’ve been best friends since
they became neighbors in fourth grade and, despite their differences, the
friendship works—with a lot of humor! What I love most about them is that
they’re nerds and proud of it. And they have their own interests and hobbies
that they unapologetically geek out over. Norah’s biggest aspiration isn’t to
become one of the popular girls. It’s to be an astronomer. She thinks more
about math than nail polish. And Darcy is a tech guru and spy gadget lover. I
can totally see her growing up to work for the CIA. I chose them because
they're so much fun to write!
Which do
you have the most in common with?
There is a lot of young Kim in
Norah, from her dog to her telescope, to some of her likes and dislikes. But I
have a little Darcy in me, too. I like to say that Norah is who I was at that
age and Darcy is who I wanted to be.
When you
were a kid, who was your favorite mystery detective?
I don't think I had a favorite
detective as a child, but I was addicted to the Choose Your Own Adventure
series and loved getting to be the one who decided what the characters would
do. Even then, I wanted to write the story.
