Emma Lord in-conversation with Lauren Keegan

Piper Manning survived the apocalypse. Barely. She recovered from the virus that killed millions, but it left behind a new, uncontrollable power that's forced her to isolate herself from others — for their sake. Then an injured boy shows up at her mountain hideaway. And what hurt Seth is out to get her, too. Now she's on the run, risking everything for a shot at an actual future. But to get there, she'll have to trust a stranger, control her abilities … and face her ghosts. Because the end of the world was just the beginning.

A high-octane YA debut, Anomaly will force you to question destiny, memory and how far you would go to survive.

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Emma Lord's writing career began when her mum discovered only a notepad and pen could keep her from escaping her pram and running off (it was the ’80s…they make better prams now). Thankfully, she found a better means of escape: reading and writing stories. A copywriter by trade, she’s written everything from TV commercials to articles for The Sydney Morning Herald, HuffPost, and The Chaser. She has also tutored courses in creative writing. Emma loves all things sci-fi, fantasy and horror, but has a particular soft spot for reading and writing YA. Her debut novel Anomaly — a work of YA speculative fiction — was selected for the Varuna and Affirm Press Mentorship Award in 2020. Emma lives in Sydney’s inner west with her husband, daughter, and Lieutenant Aubrey (an extremely affectionate Bordoodle).

Lauren Keegan is a psychologist, writer and mother who lives in the Wollondilly Shire; the land of the Dharawal and Gundungurra people. She has worked in public mental health for twelve years, has two young girls and drinks more tea than is sensible. Her debut novel, All The Bees In The Hollows, will be published by Affirm Press in October 2024.