The Obsidian Mirror Blog Tour | Interview with Catherine Fisher

A little while ago, you may have noticed that I reviewed The Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher, and rated it 5 stars! I love the books of Catherine's that I've read so far, and Obsidian Mirror really was no different. It's full of mystery, time travel and magic, and has a great, new world to explore!
So I'm really excited about today's post. I'm lucky enough to have been included on the Blog Tour for the book, and be able to interview Catherine :)
If you want to read my review of the book, click here.




I'd like to start by welcoming Catherine to Pen to Paper. It's wonderful to have you here!

First of all, Catherine, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I live in Wales, and like reading, walking in deep forests and drawing.

Did you read much as a child? And if you did, what were your favourite books? Did they inspire you to start writing your own books?
I read a lot and was a regular at the library. I enjoyed fantasy and sci-fi, things like Alice, Treasure Island, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Alan Garner's The Owl Service. They taught me a lot about how stories work. Also older stuff like Welsh myths and legends.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, what else did you want to be, and when did you decide to finally put Pen to Paper?
I rather wanted to be an archaeologist. But I was writing from at least eleven years old, mostly poetry. By about twenty I had decided I wanted to be a writer.

I absolutely adored both The Obsidian Mirror, and Incarceron. Which world was your favourite to write, and why? And which one was the most challenging to create?
Thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed them. Incarceron was definitely the most challenging book, having to create not one world, but two- the Prison and the Realm. Obsidian was fun as it involves lots of different voices and time shifts, which keeps me entertained.

Where did the idea for The Obsidian Mirror come from? What inspired you to write it?
I just wanted to explore time travel and also to have a folklore element. I had thought of the character of Oberon Venn first, and the story just grew around him really.

The Shee have to be, for me, one of the most fascinating creatures I've seen in a fantasy book. Where did the idea for them come from, and will we be seeing more of them in the next book?
Lots more. The Shee are a vital component. In much folklore there is a tradition of the faeries being deadly, dangerous and fascinating creatures, with no humanity. I wanted to follow that path, and to use the legend of a changeling who has lived with them for centuries in a land where there is no time but now. Also the fairy Queen, Summer, crops up in lots of my books in different guises.

If you could choose one of your characters to walk out of the book, and come into the real world, who would it be, and why?
That is tricky as I'd like to meet them all. Perhaps Maskelyne, the scarred man, as he has many secrets and knows a great deal about the mirror.

If you could step into any fictional book, and live in its world for a day, which book would you choose, and why?
Wind in the Willows. I would drift on a boat with Ratty and Mole and then go for tea at Toad Hall.

When you're working on a book, do you set yourself a writing schedule, or daily targets?
I try to write something every day if possible. It's not always easy, but on some days I can do more. I usually write in the mornings and do other things in the afternoon.

Do you have a special place that you like to go to, to write?
I have a room in my house with a door onto the garden so I can pace in and out. I have books and a music centre in there and I do most work there.

Aside from reading and writing, do you have any other hobbies?
I like drawing and painting; I also do some fencing.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Venice. I love Italy and have visited it many times but have never yet got to Venice.

If you could do anything you wanted to do (money not being an issue), what would you want to do?
Just generally cure all the world's ills I suppose.

What's your most embarrassing moment (that you don't mind telling us about)?
I tend to forget embarrassing things immediately.

Do you have any odd or interesting habits (that you don't mind sharing)?
Sorry. I probably do, but I think them normal.

And finally, what are the simple things in life that make you smile?
Birds, trees, blue sky, the stars.

The Obsidian Mirror is released today, and is available from all good bookshops, and online:
Waterstones | Amazon UK | The Book Depository | Amazon US
Please note that US release is not until April 23rd 2013