SPFBO Finalist Interview: Christopher Mitchell, the author of The Mortal Blade

AUTHOR INFO: Christopher Mitchell is the author of the epic fantasy series the Magelands. Christopher’s first memory is of Elvis dying. His gran told him it was because he’d eaten too many cakes, and Christopher believed her. She also told him that there were fairies at the bottom of her garden, and he believed that too. He counts himself very fortunate to have a supportive wife and four beautiful children. He loves deserts, which is too bad as he lives in Scotland, but the mountains, glens and lochs more than make up for it. His other love is Greek Tragedy, especially Euripides, and he also reads history, science, fantasy, and pretty much anything about the Beatles…

Visit him at www.christophermitchellbooks.com

Publication Date: August 28, 2020 Publisher: Brigdomin Books Ltd Page Count: 496 Cover: Miblart

INTERVIEW

Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Before we start, tell us a little about yourself.

Hi. My name is Christopher Mitchell, and I live in Scotland with my wife and four children. I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember, and dabbled with plots and story outlines throughout my teens. I wrote a couple of (rubbish) books in my later teens/early twenties, then gave up for a long while. I lived abroad for a few years, in Greece and the Middle East, then came back to Scotland. I credit my wife with persuading me to try writing again after so long – she gently pushed me into it, for which I will be eternally grateful. To be able to write full time is a dream come true.

Do you have a day job? If so, what is it?

I left my job in IT in September 2020 to become a full time writer, so my day job now consists of writing, as well and planning and editing my books.

Who are some of your favorite writers, and why is their work important to you?

I think Tolkien is one of the greatest writers in the English language. He was the master of all strains of writing, from hobbit-talk to the high grandeur of the Silmarillion (and everything in between). I also greatly admire the writing styles of Robin Hobb, Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence. Since I started writing the Magelands, I have found it very difficult to try to read any other works of fiction, as my brain can’t stop analysing the sentences and plot, which completely ruins the experience; but I still read a lot of non-fiction, especially history.

What do you think characterizes your writing style?

I try to focus above all on the characters, and the relationships between them. My aim is to make the reader feel something, and therefore the whole plot is character-driven. I also aim for readability, and try to keep the writing flowing in a clear manner, with as few distractions as possible.

What made you decide to self-publish The Mortal Blade as opposed to traditional publishing?

I had gone down the route of self-publishing for the ten books of my first series (Magelands Epic), and didn’t alter that approach for the Eternal Siege series, of which The Mortal Blade is the first book.

What do you think the greatest advantage of self-publishing is?

From a writing aspect, the great advantage of self-publishing is being in control of the whole process, from planning and drafting, up to the final stages of publication. Having experienced the freedom of self-publishing, I wouldn’t like to hand over any of that control to someone else.

On the other hand, is there anything you feel self-published authors may miss out on?

I suppose that depends on what each author feels they need. In my case, I can’t think of anything I’m missing by being self-published, but you can’t miss what you’ve never experienced! My wife handles all aspects of publishing, promotion, ads etc. which leaves me free to concentrate on the writing.

Why did you enter SPFBO?

I was a bit hesitant to enter the SPFBO this year. I entered in 2019 with The Queen’s Executioner, and it didn’t make the semi-finals, and I presumed that The Mortal Blade would be destined for the same fate. In the end, I thought “what the hell”, and entered anyway.

What would you do if you won the SPFBO?

I’d fall off my chair in shock.

How would you describe the plot of The Mortal Blade if you had to do so in just one or two sentences?

In a world overrun by demonic greenhides, a single City stands alone. In it, a group of misfits, outcasts and exiles fight not only the enemy beyond the walls, but the cruel gods who have governed the City for millennia.

What was your initial inspiration for The Mortal Blade? How long have you been working on it? Has it evolved from its original idea?

I had long wanted to write a story about a city that had been under siege for hundreds or even thousands of years. I planned out the series in December 2019, and wrote The Mortal Blade in April 2020, after I had completed the last book of the Magelands Epic series. The link between the two series is that a character (Corthie Holdfast) is abducted from the world of Epic, and dropped into the world of Eternal Siege, where, because of his fighting ability, he is sent out to battle the greenhides.

If you had to describe it in 3 adjectives, which would you choose?

Claustrophobic, violent and funny (others may disagree!)

Is it part of the series or a standalone? If series, how many books have you planned for it?

The Mortal Blade is book one of a sixteen-part series called Eternal Siege (twenty-six books if Magelands Epic, which comes chronologically before Eternal Siege, but is set in the same universe, is also included). The Mortal Blade was designed to be a new entry point into the world of the Magelands, and Eternal Siege can be read on its own without having read Epic. As of the end of October 2021, nine books of Eternal Siege have been released. Just seven to go!

Who are the key players in this story? Could you introduce us to The Mortal Blade’s protagonists/antagonists?

Every book in Epic and Eternal Siege has to have a character from the Holdfast family somewhere in it – in the case of The Mortal Blade, this is Corthie Holdfast, the youngest of four siblings. In Epic, he was a thirteen year old boy, but in The Mortal Blade he is now a renowned warrior, employed by the City to fight the enemy beyond the walls. He gets his unique fighting ability from his parents, who were both mages, though of different types. Mortals with these powers are unknown in the world of the City, and the people there love him and fear him in equal measure.

How did you select the names of your characters?

I have spent (wasted?) many days ruminating on the names of the characters, and try to create differing systems for the separate peoples etc. that inhabit the books.

Does your book feature a magic/magic system? If yes, can you describe it?

There are six different flavours of ‘magic’ or mage powers within the books – life/healing/death; fire; stone; water and ‘vision’, which runs on a scale from ‘battle-vision’ (the ability to fight well) up to inner-vision (the ability to read people’s minds). The sixth power is the rarest – ‘dream’ powers, which encompass vision powers as well as the ability to manipulate people’s thoughts, and occasionally catch a glimpse of future events.

Cover art is always an important factor in book sales. Can you tell us about the idea behind the cover of The Mortal Blade?

The cover star of The Mortal Blade is Aila – a demigod protagonist who has a double life as a sneaky assassin. She has the vision-related ability to make people think she looks like someone else (like a shape-shifter, except she doesn’t physically change, she only makes people think she has, as an illusion). I think the cover captures the moody atmosphere of the book, and the subdued browns reflect the strange light that permeates the world.

Which question about the book do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

‘Who was really behind the attempted assassination of Corthie Holdfast?’

I can’t answer that here, as it would be a spoiler! (The culprit is finally revealed in book nine…)

Can you, please, offer us a taste of your book, via one completely out-of-context sentence.

I opened the book at random, and found this:

“Alright, I’m sorry; sorry you’re such an ugly lizard. Nature can be cruel.”

What’s your publishing Schedule for 2021/2022?

All six books ear-marked for 2021 have been released. Books ten to twelve of Eternal Siege will be released in the first half of 2022, and books thirteen to sixteen will come out late 2022/ early 2023.

Thank you for taking the time to answer all the questions. In closing, do you have any parting thoughts or comments you would like to share with our readers?

I would like to say how surprised and happy I am that The Mortal Blade has reached the final of SPFBO 2021; it’s a great honour to have been selected. Writing can be a lonely business, and positive responses from readers to my work is what makes it all worthwhile. A single good review can bolster my spirits and maintain my motivation for days, so I’d like to say thank you to the readers for everything.