Farah Oomerbhoy

Author of The Avalonia Chronicles

Farah Oomerbhoy

Interview at Miranda’s Book Blog

Miranda's Book Blog

I’m honored to be on Miranda’s Book Blog for an interview. Read the excerpt below and check out the full interview on Miranda’s Book Blog.

What inspired you to write The Last of the Firedrakes?

Every reader at some point in their lives comes across a book that inspires them to think beyond the boundaries. For me that book was Harry Potter.

The wonderful world of Hogwarts and the magical beings that lived within it made me look at the world of magic in a completely different way. I had always loved reading fantasy stories, and Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings series; along with C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series were already my favorites. These books inspired me to write a story that would combine the best of the three, and so The Last of the Firedrakes started to take shape. I started thinking about this book nearly ten years ago. Building the world of Avalonia whenever I got time. The actual world creation started with a tapestry in my grandmother’s house. One day I stood before it and wondered, what if I could step into the tapestry? Where would I end up? And so the world of Avalonia sprang into existence.

From then on, the person who stepped into the tapestry was a young sixteen-year-old girl who didn’t know who she really was, her name was Aurora, and this is her story.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Nothing is impossible, and it is ultimately your choices in life, strength of character, and courage in the face of adversity, that will determine who you truly are.

I think Uncle Gabriel expresses this very well in the book, when he tells Aurora:

“When difficulties come, we must see them as what they are—opportunities and a new path to discover your potential. How will you ever know the magnitude of courage that you are capable of, if you have never experienced the hopelessness of fear?”
Full Interview on Miranda’s Book Blog

Interview at The Not So Public Library

Interview at The Not So Public Library

I’m honored to be on The Not So Public Library for an interview. Read the excerpt below and check out the full interview on The Not So Public Library.

1) How old were you when you started writing?
I must have been in the sixth grade when I started writing poems. They were really quite bad. I then tried writing fiction, but I would never finish anything because of schoolwork. It was only after I finished my Master’s that I started creating Avalonia, and finished my first book

 

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?
My main aim is to tell a good story. To make the reader feel involved in the world and identify with the characters. At the same time I want my readers to feel like something about the story helps them to deal with other difficult situations in life.
Nothing is impossible, and it is ultimately your choices in life, strength of character, and courage in the face of adversity, that will determine who you truly are. I think Uncle Gabriel expresses this very well in the book, when he tells Aurora: “When difficulties come, we must see them as what they are—opportunities and a new path to discover your potential. How will you ever know the magnitude of courage that you are capable of, if you have never experienced the hopelessness of fear?”

 

Full Interview on The Not So Public Library

Interview at Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl Part Two

Interview at Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl

I’m honored to be on Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl for the second part of our interview. Read the excerpt below and check out the full interview on Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl.

How do you overcome writer’s block?

 I have faced writers block quite a few times, and sometimes it’s hard to get out of it. But you have to push yourself to keep writing, even if you are never going to use it, just put something on the page, and the rest will sort itself out.

How do you juggle writing & family life?

 It does tend to get difficult since I have three little children and it gets hard to write at a specific time. Usually I prefer to write at night, after the children have gone to sleep and the house is quiet. But during the day when the children are at school I do research, read, and make notes about the book. Then I sit down and write when I have some time in between chores. I think I really should have some sort of schedule. I do intend to follow one from now on and try and write everyday, since I have to get going with books 2 and 3 of this series.

Full Interview on Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl

Interview at Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl

Interview at Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl

I’m honored to be on Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl for an interview. Read the excerpt below and check out the full interview on Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl.

What is next on your to read list?
The Red Queen, Queen of Shadows, Queen of the Tearling, and Orphan Queen. Looks like I’m a bit obsessed with books about queens at the moment.

What one item would you eat for the rest of your life?
Chocolate!

Full Interview on Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl

Interview at Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything In Between

Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything In Between

I’m honored to be on Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything In Between. for an interview. Read the excerpt below and check out the full interview on Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything In Between.

1. To get the ball rolling, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a happily married mother of three wonderful kids and live in Mumbai in India. But I think I would rather live in Narnia. 🙂

2. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I think that started a very long time ago when I started writing four line poems and sticking them all over my mother’s walls. I think I was seven. Since then I would write a few pages of different stories and then start a new one. When I became a teenager I continued writing my poems. I think my grandmother had a box somewhere where she would store them, since she was the only one who was interested in reading them. After that I went on to study English literature in university. After that there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be an author, I wanted to write stories and share them with the world.

Full Interview on Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything In Between