Hi all. I live in Peterborough with my family, including a neurotic golden retriever and a Clumber spaniel. My poor mum keeps thinking she’s rid of us, but we all end up moving back in ‘to save money for our own place’. It’s great though as I get to help out with looking after my nephew. I spend most of my time and money on travel, study, and books. I’m a serial student, usually history and classics, but I’m doing a maths degree right now. I also have 3 cats and am definitely one of those people aiming for crazy cat lady status.
Welcome to the Asylum! Take a seat by the fire, have a glass of beverage of your choice and tell me something about yourself!
I’ll take a dark rum and lemonade, then fall in to moody silence while I try to think about something to say…
What blogging means to you?
Reviewing is an amazing privilege – not only do I get to read books months before the general reader, I’ve also met the most amazing people. In my ‘real life’, I hardly know anyone who reads, never mind those who can’t wait to talk at length about books and more books. It’s a great time to be a geek.
You are locked in an asylum. What did you do to end up there?
Well, it’s pretty likely that it started with me talking to myself and escalated from there.
Which fictional character and/or author would you like to live with in an asylum?
Poor Stephen Erikson, my new roomie, is going to be mercilessly grilled about certain characters. Or maybe i’ll just get Delat himself in here, quiz him directly…though I doubt I’d get any straight answers from that tricksy character.
Which fictional world would you like to live in?
None of them. You read the same books as me, are you crazy? These people live terrifying, dangerous lives full of death and disaster. There’s so much responsibility in saving the world and I am way too lazy. But maybe there are a few bars I’d like to visit in Malaz or Darujhistan once all the drama died down a bit. Equally, Kate Daniels’ world and its waves of magic/tech has always appealed to me so much. If I had to choose a disaster to happen to our world, I’m going for this. Modern life with added swords and monsters is where it’s at.
If you could switch lives with any character in a book, who would you choose? Would you like to have the author along as a fellow character?
It’d have to be someone with some serious juice. I’m all about the power. As much as I can see the appeal of all these magic systems where people have some form of magic tax that limits them, I like to see what characters can do when they have world shaking sorcery. Is there anything quite so breathtaking as those scenes where you can feel the power bleeding out of the page….Rake’s arrival, Quick Ben using all his warrens, Bottle’s protection… (if you can’t tell what my fav series is by now, you haven’t been paying attention, but no I’m not an arsehole about it). But then what about the quiet footed assassins, blade-ready and silently deadly? Or humans who stand up when they have no chance of a win…
Hang on, what was the question again…
Er, maybe I’ll just be Sorry/Apsalar. I have some questions for Dancer and Shadowthrone too. Erikson’s already been locked in my asylum room with me, can I really force him to come with me?? Yes?? Excellent. I need a mule.
You are a treasure hunter, about to retrieve a chest of gold from a sunken pirate ship, when a beautiful mermaid/merman approaches you, trying to stop you. How do you react?
I offer them legs in exchange for their help. They agree. We all move on with our lives.
[Why are you trying to make everything violent Timy, damn lady, chill]
Your family allows you to keep one fantastical creature at home. What do you choose?
I already have three cats, so I’d convert my grey supercat into a familiar of some sort. Something dark and shadowy and powerful that talks to me with a bit of snark.
Or Toothless. Apparently we share the same tortured smile. Hashtag Twinning. xoxo
You can have one magic ability for a day. What can you do and how do you spend that day?
I’ve always wanted to be able to read and understand every language that’s ever been created, so I guess it’d be a REALLY busy day reading as much as I could. It’d be a Flowers for Algernon type tragedy though. I’d need forever, not one day. So maybe I need to choose teleportation, time and space.
You are a magical creature living near a village. How do you get on with humans?
I am an incarnation of divine Bastet: the villagers worship me and bring me tribute, they sing songs in my honour and tread carefully along the boundaries of my will. In return, I protect them from Outside … and don’t kill every last stinking one of them. A truly fruitful relationship.
While you are locked in here for eternity, we will allow you one book – what would you choose?
No. Such cruelty will not be borne. I reject every part of this notion.
Well then, we hope you’ll enjoy your stay in the Asylum! Any last words? *locks door*
I’m hungry.
Emma is one of my fellow SPFBO judges at Fantasy Book Review, and we had become besties. Kind of. I think. Anyway, follow her if you don’t already!
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