Questions for Mary Hoffman

[Arianna932]

Dear Mary Hoffman,
thank you for your reply and I hope that your Italian holiday will be good.
I expect your new book "City of Secrets".

[Mark Robson]

I've got a stravagation question for you that arose in City of Secrets.

*Spoiler Alert* Will type in white to avoid giving things away for those who don't wish to ruin the story.

When Phillippo di Chimici momentarily stravagates to the party I don't understand why the talisman took him there at all. The talisman is from Talia, as is he. Why would his momentary unconsciousness in Talia with a Talian object cause him to make the leap to our world?

Spoiler complete.

[Mary Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Mark Robson

I've got a stravagation question for you that arose in City of Secrets.

*Spoiler Alert* Will type in white to avoid giving things away for those who don't wish to ruin the story.

When Phillippo di Chimici momentarily stravagates to the party I don't understand why the talisman took him there at all. The talisman is from Talia, as is he. Why would his momentary unconsciousness in Talia with a Talian object cause him to make the leap to our world?

Spoiler complete.

Spoiler alert answer! (I don't know how to type in white.)

All will be revealed in City of Ships. Matt had put a paper bookmark, very thin, in the page with the counterspell for the Evil Eye and forgotten to take it out. It's that that took Filippo to our world, rather than the spell book itself.

Mary

[Mark Robson]

I knew there would be a reason!

To type in white, look to the right of the font size box in the task bar above, which is similar to that in 'Word'. There is a captial A underlined in black, signifying the colour of the typeface you are using. Click on the expand triangle to the right of the A and you will be given a colour palette to choose from. Select white and 'Hey presto'! Your writing becomes almost invisible.

[Mary Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Mark Robson

I knew there would be a reason!

To type in white, look to the right of the font size box in the task bar above, which is similar to that in 'Word'. There is a captial A underlined in black, signifying the colour of the typeface you are using. Click on the expand triangle to the right of the A and you will be given a colour palette to choose from. Select white and 'Hey presto'! Your writing becomes almost invisible.

Can you read this, mark? because I can't!

Mary

[luciano]

Cool! I was wondering about that....

[Mark Robson]

Originally Posted by Mary Hoffman

Can you read this, mark? because I can't!

Mary

Yes I can read it, Mary. The trick is to just select the block of text in the normal way - it then highlights as blue. But those who don't want to see the spoilers won't see them inadvertantly - they have to deliberately select the text if they want to read it.

You can write it in black first if you like and then when you've written what you want, just select the bits you want to hide and change them to white - that is somewhat easier than writing in white.

[ArmidaRossi]

Hello
I have one Question about the books.
The name of book six of Stravaganza is posted on the forum.
But what's the name of book 5?
I can't find it.
And I realy want to know it.
And when come's book 5 out?
(On english)
Goodjes and kissed from Do&Daphne

[Niki.]

Hi Mary,

I just finished reading your 4th book, city of secrets, and I was wondering about 2 things. One is already answered (about Filippo stravagating with Matt's talisman) so I was wondering if you could help me out with the other one too:

When Matt was stuck in Talia, Luciano and Dethridge went to Londen to find an other Talisman for when the worst would happen. Luciano points at the book that sleeping Matt is holding. Dethridge answered that there is some problem with two objects of the same kind being at the same time in the same world.
(I hope you're still following this in my crappy English)
But.. When Filippo transfer to the halloween party with Matt's Talisman, Matt is still sleeping with the same object in his hands, in the same world.
So, how is that possible?

Hopefully this forum isn't dead and you'll still read this and answer ^^


Niki

[Mary Hoffman]

[quote=Niki.;1210498]Hi Mary,

I just finished reading your 4th book, city of secrets, and I was wondering about 2 things. One is already answered (about Filippo stravagating with Matt's talisman) so I was wondering if you could help me out with the other one too:

When Matt was stuck in Talia, Luciano and Dethridge went to Londen to find an other Talisman for when the worst would happen. Luciano points at the book that sleeping Matt is holding. Dethridge answered that there is some problem with two objects of the same kind being at the same time in the same world.
(I hope you're still following this in my crappy English)
But.. When Filippo transfer to the halloween party with Matt's Talisman, Matt is still sleeping with the same object in his hands, in the same world.
So, how is that possible?

Hopefully this forum isn't dead and you'll still read this and answer ^^ Niki quote]

Wow! How nice to have such a close reader!

It really is an instantaneous flip back and forth between the two worlds that Filippo does; he isn't in ours long enough for anything seriously bad to happen to the equilibrium between them.

But the stravaganti from our world do talk about this in the book I am trying to write now (I have been greatly interrupted) and try to work it all out. It would have been really bad if Filippo had stayed for any longer.

I hope the resrt was all satisfactory to you?

Mary

[Niki.]

Ah thanks a lot ^^
And no, their isn't any negative word to say about the rest.
Nice that it will be discussed in the next book.
Success with finishing it, I look forward to read it! =D

Niki

[DuchessaIbby]

Dear Mary, I hope you don't mind answering these. They're just things I thought of and wondered about.
If a stravagante from our world said something in Italian, would the Talian's understand?
And if a stravagante got wet, would they be wet when they wake up in their own world? I think they probably would be but I'm not sure.

[Mary Hoffman]

Originally Posted by DuchessaIbby

Dear Mary, I hope you don't mind answering these. They're just things I thought of and wondered about.
If a stravagante from our world said something in Italian, would the Talian's understand?
And if a stravagante got wet, would they be wet when they wake up in their own world? I think they probably would be but I'm not sure.

These are very tricky and ingenious questions, DuchessaIbby!

To take the second one first, in the new book, City of Ships, Isabel DOES actually get wet several times but is dry on her return to her own world.

Your first question has yet to be put to the test. no Stravagante from our world so far has known any Italian but I shall ruminate on what would happen if they did. To be consistent with Doctor Dethridge, I think they would be understood but their accent wiould seem futuristic.

At least that's what I think so far!

Mary

[DuchessaIbby]

Thanks! I really wondered about them. I thought of another couple which I hope you don't mind.I was looking at the Guide to Talia on the talisman page and it said the talisman for Volana was a flute.Would that be a flute a they are now or a recorder type instrument?Sorry to ask because you probably haven't thought about it but I thought it was quite interesting.Also, when your children(or is it child) were small, did you ever get inspiration from their imaginary games?I get a lot from mine and my brothers.

[DuchessaIbby]

Oh, I forgot this. I think it's great that you take the time to come on here and answer all these questions! Thankyou so much!!!!!!!
:-)