Truth be told I stumbled upon Elise's blog when I was searching for something else. I cannot remember what that something else was, but I saw Elise's blog and it instantly caught my attention. There is so much her site has to offer whether you are a reader or a writer. Her website Magic Writer is a true gem and I encourage you all to check it out.
I am so excited to host her on my blog today!
Author Interview
Tell us a little about yourself:
I live in the south-west of the UK, near the city of Bristol. I'm married and I have two cats, and I'm an accountant by day and a writer by night.
How long have you been writing for?
I've been writing on an off since I was quite young as a hobby, but I never really managed to finish anything. Then about three years ago, I decided I wanted to give it a serious go again and joined an online writing critique site. My main aim was to try and see if I could actually finish a novel – and I'm pleased to say I succeeded!
What inspired you to be a writer?
Oh, I'm one of those people who has always wanted to write a book, for as long as I can remember. I've always been an avid reader, and spent a lot of my childhood with my nose in in a book.
How many books have you written?
I have one published book, Where Carpets Fly, and a sequel in the works. The sequel is complete but needs more editing. I can also lay claim to a few part-finished novels that may or may not see the light of day!
Do you have any places you go to write?
Well, I have a busy day job so I really just have to fit writing in as and when I can. So I don’t have a particular writing place. I write on my smartphone in my lunch break and when commuting, and at home I have a laptop and write in the lounge or a spare bedroom. I'm not picky really!
What do you do when you have writer's block?
I'm thankful to say I've never had a prolonged period of writer's block. However, I do get days where I'm just not in the mood. Normally, I just take a couple of days off and allow myself to relax – take some walks, read some old favourite books, or watch something mindless on TV – and after that I'm normally happy to get back on track again.
Where did you get the idea to write Where Carpets Fly?
I've always been a fan of both children's fantasy books and school stories – long before Harry Potter came into the world. I grew up on Enid Blyton and Narnia. So writing a fun, immersive fantasy story full of adventure but also including school and coming of age themes is basically me writing the book I wanted to read as a kid! It's got a bit of everything I enjoy reading about.
Flying carpets have always held a fascination for me. There's something exciting and exotic about them, and I wanted to capture that feeling in my world. I read a Diana Wynne Jones book about flying carpets (Castle in the Air – the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle), and I can say she's also influenced my writing.
Can you give us a little more details about Where Carpets Fly? Perhaps a quote or small excerpt you would like to share.
Yes, of course! Where Carpets Fly is about a teenage girl, Elina Faramar, who escapes life in her dull village to take magic lessons in the nearby city. And of course, unexpected adventures happen...Here’s a snippet from the first chapter where Elina and her parents fly into town on their magic carpet:They travelled along the main thoroughfare, through the cheerful yellow buildings, flying level with the top storey. Below them lay a street market with rails of caftans and shawls displayed under striped canopies.Shops lined the main road, and people dashed in and out of the bakers, grocers and confectioners. People were dressed in either loose pants and flowing tunics, like Elina, or the more traditional red and yellow caftans which often came out at Festival. Elina’s stomach growled as they passed the baker who stood outside his shop with a floating tray of mini cream cakes, handing them out to passersby. Shame her Tangible wasn’t good enough to whizz one up to her.Elina lay on her front again. A man strode up the road with a whole procession of crates levitating in front of him. He made it look so easy, and she’d struggled to get that stupid doormat off the floor.Winding cobbled side streets showed glimpses of bookshops and household wares. Elina craned her neck and spotted a china shop and a musical instrument store. Beyond, sat an open square with a large fountain in the middle, where a dark-skinned dancing girl spun and twirled with coloured spiral ribbons. A young lad directed jets of water from the fountain over and around her, not hitting her once.“Wow, look! Mother, d’you think I could learn to do that? It’s Elemental Magic, isn’t it?”Her mother opened her mouth, but her father answered first. “Frivolous waste of time. I don’t expect to see any of that nonsense from you, Elina. You need to focus on Tangible.”Elina glared at his back and caught her mother’s eye. Her mother gave a quick shake of her head, and Elina bit back the hasty retort that had risen. She didn’t want to risk her father turning the carpet around and going back to Darien.
Plaintive music drifted from the square, but they flew by in a few seconds.
“Oh, can’t we stop and look around?” Elina begged.
“No, I want to get to Clauda’s. There’ll be time to go out later in the day.” Her father pushed the rug onwards.
A street merchant’s display filled the road ahead and people crowded around, buying fireworks for the evening festivities. The salesman’s cheery voice projected far and wide. “Ladies and gents. Finest fireworks here! Make your display tonight go with a wallop!” He started letting off bangers to demonstrate.
A loud zap went off right underneath them, and Elina’s father cursed. Elina let out a giggle.
“Calm down, Mikal.” Her mother laid her hand on his arm. “It’s only a bit of fun.”
“I don’t want scorch marks on my biggest carpet.” Elina’s father glared at the salesman below, receiving a wave in return. “Up.” Once more the carpet rose above the houses. “Keep an eye out for Clauda’s place.”
Elina stared around. The glint of water in the distance must be where the docks were. There appeared to be some kind of seating under construction near the river. She couldn’t work out what it was from here.
Elina’s mother pointed. “Over there.” Aunt Clauda’s thin townhouse was visible, unusually painted light blue.
They flew closer, and the chipped brickwork and shabby paint stood out. A large garden sprawled beyond the house. Bougainvillea climbed the fences with abandon, and weeds ran riot. Vibrant purple and green caftans spun on a clothes line.
Elina’s father eased the carpet down onto the landing pad—a large clear rectangular area directly behind the house—until they hovered a foot above the ground. Elina jumped off and stretched her legs, unbuttoning her cloak in the morning sun. The scent of flowering grasses rose around them, making her mother sneeze.
Yes, of course! Where Carpets Fly is about a teenage girl, Elina Faramar, who escapes life in her dull village to take magic lessons in the nearby city. And of course, unexpected adventures happen...Here’s a snippet from the first chapter where Elina and her parents fly into town on their magic carpet:They travelled along the main thoroughfare, through the cheerful yellow buildings, flying level with the top storey. Below them lay a street market with rails of caftans and shawls displayed under striped canopies.Shops lined the main road, and people dashed in and out of the bakers, grocers and confectioners. People were dressed in either loose pants and flowing tunics, like Elina, or the more traditional red and yellow caftans which often came out at Festival. Elina’s stomach growled as they passed the baker who stood outside his shop with a floating tray of mini cream cakes, handing them out to passersby. Shame her Tangible wasn’t good enough to whizz one up to her.Elina lay on her front again. A man strode up the road with a whole procession of crates levitating in front of him. He made it look so easy, and she’d struggled to get that stupid doormat off the floor.Winding cobbled side streets showed glimpses of bookshops and household wares. Elina craned her neck and spotted a china shop and a musical instrument store. Beyond, sat an open square with a large fountain in the middle, where a dark-skinned dancing girl spun and twirled with coloured spiral ribbons. A young lad directed jets of water from the fountain over and around her, not hitting her once.“Wow, look! Mother, d’you think I could learn to do that? It’s Elemental Magic, isn’t it?”Her mother opened her mouth, but her father answered first. “Frivolous waste of time. I don’t expect to see any of that nonsense from you, Elina. You need to focus on Tangible.”Elina glared at his back and caught her mother’s eye. Her mother gave a quick shake of her head, and Elina bit back the hasty retort that had risen. She didn’t want to risk her father turning the carpet around and going back to Darien.
Plaintive music drifted from the square, but they flew by in a few seconds.
“Oh, can’t we stop and look around?” Elina begged.
“No, I want to get to Clauda’s. There’ll be time to go out later in the day.” Her father pushed the rug onwards.
A street merchant’s display filled the road ahead and people crowded around, buying fireworks for the evening festivities. The salesman’s cheery voice projected far and wide. “Ladies and gents. Finest fireworks here! Make your display tonight go with a wallop!” He started letting off bangers to demonstrate.
A loud zap went off right underneath them, and Elina’s father cursed. Elina let out a giggle.
“Calm down, Mikal.” Her mother laid her hand on his arm. “It’s only a bit of fun.”
“I don’t want scorch marks on my biggest carpet.” Elina’s father glared at the salesman below, receiving a wave in return. “Up.” Once more the carpet rose above the houses. “Keep an eye out for Clauda’s place.”
Elina stared around. The glint of water in the distance must be where the docks were. There appeared to be some kind of seating under construction near the river. She couldn’t work out what it was from here.
Elina’s mother pointed. “Over there.” Aunt Clauda’s thin townhouse was visible, unusually painted light blue.
They flew closer, and the chipped brickwork and shabby paint stood out. A large garden sprawled beyond the house. Bougainvillea climbed the fences with abandon, and weeds ran riot. Vibrant purple and green caftans spun on a clothes line.
Elina’s father eased the carpet down onto the landing pad—a large clear rectangular area directly behind the house—until they hovered a foot above the ground. Elina jumped off and stretched her legs, unbuttoning her cloak in the morning sun. The scent of flowering grasses rose around them, making her mother sneeze.
What are some writing tips you have to share with inspiring authors? The best tip I have is to find your tribe! I never managed to get properly motivated with writing until I found a group of fellow writers online to get feedback from and chat about writing with. Having other people to bounce ideas and problems off, whether online or in real life, is great.And my second tip is never stop learning. There is a lot to learn about writing craft and the publishing industry, so take all the opportunities you can to improve
Are you working on anything new? If so, can you share a little about your current project.I have a couple of projects on the go at the moment. The first is the sequel to Where Carpets Fly, which is undergoing edits and critique at the moment.And the second is a Fairytale Retelling. I belong to a group of writers who produce short story anthologies and I’m working on a piece for a future anthology.
Your blog site is really wonderful, can you tell us more about your blog Magic Writer?
Thanks! I started Magic Writer because everyone says writers need an online presence. I’d had blogs on different subjects before so a blog seemed like a good place to start.Now I’ve built it up into two sections: one for readers which has fantasy book reviews and interviews with fantasy characters from indie authors.
And the other section is for writers and has a lot of information on general writing advice as well as a special section on worldbuilding.
I love learning about new fantasy worlds whether reading about them or creating them, so that’s the broad theme of my website.
Before you go, is there anything left you would like to share with our readers?
Well, when people ask me that, I always have to share cat pictures. Meet my furry writer buddies, Rafferty and Anushka. They both help and hinder my endeavours, depending on their mood.
Thanks for having me today!
About Elise Edmonds:
Elise Edmonds is a new writer from the South-West UK. Reading and writing have always been her doorways into another world—a way to escape and spend time walking with wizards, flying with fairies and dealing with dragons. By day she is a finance professional, and in her spare time she pursues writing as a creative outlet, to put the magic back into everyday life. In addition to reading, Elise enjoys watching movies, playing the piano, and going to Zumba classes. Her greatest loves are God, her husband, her family and friends, and her two beautiful cats.
Check out her novel, Where Carpets Fly!
Book Summary:
Book Summary:
Fly for fun … fly for fear … fly for freedom …
Restless teen Elina is bored of village life. When she starts magic lessons in the city, her only concern is exploring the sights with new school friend Kara. However, life takes a darker turn. Her magic teacher is hiding a secret, and odd happenings pile up, like unsociable Simeon's shady dockside deals. But Elina’s questions go unanswered.
When Elina and Simeon develop a magical mind link, she suspects his involvement in foreign spy work. But an unexpected ship tour-turned-voyage throws her and Kara right at the mystery’s heart—in the volatile, dangerous country of Pallexon.
Alone and with no ID, things worsen when a terrorist act blows Kara’s cover. With her own freedom at stake, Elina must rely on her wits and magic to save her friend and unravel Pallexon’s secrets—before it's too late.
Friendships are forged and loyalties tested in this magical fantasy adventure from debut author Elise Edmonds.
Read now and let your imagination fly!
Restless teen Elina is bored of village life. When she starts magic lessons in the city, her only concern is exploring the sights with new school friend Kara. However, life takes a darker turn. Her magic teacher is hiding a secret, and odd happenings pile up, like unsociable Simeon's shady dockside deals. But Elina’s questions go unanswered.
When Elina and Simeon develop a magical mind link, she suspects his involvement in foreign spy work. But an unexpected ship tour-turned-voyage throws her and Kara right at the mystery’s heart—in the volatile, dangerous country of Pallexon.
Alone and with no ID, things worsen when a terrorist act blows Kara’s cover. With her own freedom at stake, Elina must rely on her wits and magic to save her friend and unravel Pallexon’s secrets—before it's too late.
Friendships are forged and loyalties tested in this magical fantasy adventure from debut author Elise Edmonds.
Read now and let your imagination fly!
Purchase Link:
Amazon
Amazon
Thanks Elise for letting me host you on the blog today! Now for a fun question! If you could take magic lessons, what abilities would you want to learn?
Thanks everyone for stopping by!
Thanks everyone for stopping by!
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