I first read The House at the Edge of Magic back in December and found it a wonderfully magical world to disappear into, and particularly loved the mysteries of the house so I am thrilled to be hosting Amy on my blog today who is talking about the secrets of the house.
Behind the scenes…
My favourite thing about writing ‘The House At the Edge Of Magic’ is that I am constantly surprised. I’m one of those people who loves new adventures, loves learning new things and loves spontaneity. The House delivers all these things to me, wrapped up with a bow which will probably explode into stars when I touch it.
I didn’t plan too much with this story but let the adventure unfold, especially inside the House. I didn’t think too hard about what would be behind every door, or lurking up the chimney, or the drawer in the kitchen dresser. I have no idea how many rooms the House has, but my guess would be hundreds. Although possibly not always at the same time. And maybe they all shrink a bit on Tuesdays.
I loved exploring the House along
with Nine, so when she discovered something new, it was often the first time I
had thought of it, too. I love writing off the top of my head. The wonder – the
delight of knowing very little about the House is that there is sooooooo much
more to explore and it all feels very unpredictable and changeable. There is an
entire world within this House and I’m keen to discover its secrets.
One thing which really intrigues me
is the huge spiral staircase (p. 91, in case anyone’s interested!). Nine
describes that it reaches right up to the ceiling, which appears to be a fair
hike away. This seems to be a central feature of the landing. Some doors are
reachable by it, but also… what’s at the top? What is such an important-looking
staircase leading to? I was saying to my lovely editor, Gráinne Clear, the
other day, that I have no idea but can’t wait to find out what’s up there. I’m
resisting thinking about it too much. I want to discover it the same time Nine
does and not spoil the surprise.
I’d also love to see into some of
the bedrooms of the other characters. What does Flabberghast’s bedroom look
like? Or Eric’s? I’m a little scared to venture into Spoon’s, which will
probably explode and cover me in yellow gloop the moment I set foot over the
threshold, but still, I’m curious.
I’m also very intrigued about some
of the inanimate (or seemingly inanimate) objects in the House. Often, things
aren’t quite as they seem. The umbrella stand inside the doorway has a blue arm
zooming out of it, which catches cloaks. Who on earth – or what on earth – does
this belong to??? And where does it take the cloaks? Who or what is in the
sugar bowl? Or is anything in the sugar bowl? (Whispers: is it even
really a sugar bowl??). The House often raises more questions than it answers,
but that’s the joy of something mysterious. I will explore these things one
day, but all in good time. I think it would be fun to enjoy the mystery for a
little longer.
This House is full of so many
secrets and surprises that if I devoted the rest of my writing life to
exploring it, I still don’t think I would have all the answers. And that’s what
makes this such a fun story to write. It’s a world where the impossible is possible.
Where magic turns expectations upside down. Where chaos rules and sweeps you
along for the ride.
I hope readers enjoy reading about the House as much as I enjoy writing about it. Step into the world with me. Because sometimes you’re a whisper away from magic without even realising it. (And you might want to double-check your sugar bowl…)
Thank you very much!
You can find my full review of The House at the Edge of Magic here:
https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-house-at-edge-of-magic-amy-sparkes.html
Why not check out some of the other blogs from the tour this week?
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