Worlds within worlds

One of the things about many 'other world' books is that the ordinary world starts to feel just that: ordinary. I'd like to retain a sense of wonder at our own world, and the many worlds it contains. For example, the book definitely takes place in winter. Winter is the 'night' of the world, a time of dreams and magic, when the night is given full rein. And that makes it a world in itself – it's utterly different from the stifling, dozy time of Summer, all blowsy and blooming and bright.

Winter is a subtler and oddly more wakeful time. The chill gives you a buzz and sharpens you up, whereas the sun makes you drowsy and slow, like a sleepy bumble bee. I like the idea that Winter, and the night, are both times of heightened awareness, when magic comes to the surface. But it's magic we can all experience. Magic doesn't have to be Narnia and wizards. It can be standing in an open field on a winter's night, among a throng of stars.