My guest on the blog this week is author Caroline J L Thomason whose debut novel is a fantasy romance novel featuring a blind doctor who uses echolocation to “see”. The book is aimed at a young adult audience, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story so I think it really does have a wider appeal. Here’s a quick book summary before we meet Caroline ….

BOOK SUMMARY

Close your eyes and look into the light. What do you see?

Now click with your tongue, then face a wall and click again. What do you hear?

Using the rebounding echoes from these clicks is how Ambarenyll sees his world ever since he became blind in a Darmé rebel attack. Thirteen years have passed, and he feels comfortable enough to pick up his stethoscope and practise medicine once more. But the fragile relation between the Mané and Darmé factions in Landaïla is threatened with a new series of rebel attacks, and the doctor winds up in the middle of the conflict when he has to treat Princess Jade, heir of the Mané King. He is confronted with the past he long buried. Matters become more complicated as the attraction between Ambarenyll and Jade grows. Little do they know that a dark family secret is the very foundation for the ongoing conflict and could plummet everything into even deeper chaos.

This novel will be enjoyed by people who love fantasy with elements of romance and medicine. It will appeal to readers who enjoyed Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne and The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen.

THE INTERVIEW

Hi Caroline & welcome to the blog!

Hello! I’m Caroline otherwise known as C. J. L. Thomason the author of “Crown and Scalpel”, my debut novel. I’m from Belgium, Flanders more specifically and speak four languages (Dutch, German, French and English), though not all equally well. I was born in the German-speaking region of Belgium to two Flemish parents in 1988. When I was 6, I moved to Flanders, where I still currently live on a farm with my dad and paternal aunt. Apart from writing fiction I enjoy carriage riding with my Shetland pony Harold and going for a walk with my two corgis Ginny and Lenny. I have a second Shetland pony JJ, and both of them are accompanied by my aunt’s horse and another pony of a girl living in the neighbourhood. 

I currently teach at a college and hope to combine this with food and packaging research in the future. 

Who or what inspired you to write “Crown and Scalpel”? 

Crown and Scalpel has two main sources of inspiration. The first dates back to when I was about 16 years old as I createdthe characters Ambarenyll, Jade, Faraiël and Raven together with my friend, Rose (she is also the first one whom I dedicated this book to). None of these characters are the same as they were at that time, only the fact that Jade was a Princess and Ambarenyll her love interest made it into the final story. But after we created these characters, I would start writing scenes with them and show them to Rose and she would comment. When I told her I wanted to write a story featuring these four characters, she was very excited and remains to this day still one of my biggest supporters. The second inspiration was Daniel Kish (and the second person I dedicated this book to). After I saw a video of him on YouTube demonstrating echolocation and how he as a completely blind person used it to ride a bike and go hiking all by himself, I was inspired to write a story about a blind protagonist. I also get asked why a doctor? Well, my dad is a veterinarian and I’ve always had a fascination for medicine, maybe in another universe I might have become a doctor in medicine instead of a doctor in engineering technology. 

“Crown and Scalpel” is a young adult fantasy romance novel featuring a blind doctor, Ambarenyll, who uses echolocation to “see”.  Although aimed at a younger audience, this older female actually enjoyed the romantic story line with a hint of mystery 😊 The characters are well written  –  I had a fondest for Ambarenyll  but I also liked the forthright Princess Jade!  She made me giggle at times. Did you base a lot of your characters on you and people you’ve met in life? Which character did you enjoy writing about the most?  Which character was the hardest?

I can’t outright say that I based my characters on people I’ve met, with the exception of George, who strongly resembles Daniel Kish, both in the way he became blind and his teaching approach of echolocation – something Daniel himself noticed as well and to which he replied he was “humbly gratified”. I did base several characters or at least certain characteristics on myself or based on situations I’ve encountered in my life. Jade, for example, holds many similarities to me, she is strong-willed and has a fierce temper, but is very fragile on the inside. Which is something I would use to describe myself. And the way Ambarenyll deals with his grief comes from my own experience of losing my mum in a car crash when I was 12.

Writing most characters came easily to me, so if I must pick one that was the hardest then I probably pick Raven, because she was the character originally created by my friend Rose and I wanted to do her justice. The one that I enjoyed writing the most about, was definitely Ambarenyll, that’s why he is the protagonist. 

As this was your debut novel, were there any aspects of writing the novel that surprised you, pleasantly or otherwise?

Not the writing itself but when I was looking for ways to publish this novel, I contacted Daniel Kish, because I wanted to be sure that Ambarenyll’s blindness and use of echolocation was portrayed right. I was amazed with how open and helpful Daniel was with sharing his insights. And he complimented me by saying: “Thanks for your diligence in portraying the blindness bit right. I’d say you’ve probably come closer than any other author I can readily think of. And yes, I can see you’ve done your homework.” He was also incredibly supportive to help get the book published. And I was again pleasantly surprised when Siobhan Meade, a blind vlogster also reacted extremely positively to the book with: “it’s more than a story; it’s a reflection of my reality in blindness. Ambarenyll’s use of echolocation and his resilience deeply resonates. This book captures the essence of perceiving the world beyond sight. Great read”. 

If you could visit any country/place in the world, to base a future novel in, where would you go and why? 

I’ve been several times to Japan during my PhD years, because the company where I did my PhD is part of the Japanese manufacturer Kuraray. I also love series and stories set in Japan, certainly Edo Period. But if I would write a story set in Japan, who knows. There are many other places I would love to visit, but not necessarily to write a story about.

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book? 

Maybe not as much as I used to be due to time constraints. As a child I really loved reading, especially right before bedtime. I participated in many events related to book reading. In Flanders there used to be a yearly youth book month, in which children would be given a chance to read a selection of books within in certain age category and review them. This event would always end with a themed activity day where the authors would be present for reading and signing sessions. I still have several signed copies on my shelf. My favourite genres are fantasy and cosy detective. My favourite authors growing up in the ’90 and 2000’ were Marc De Bel (a Flemish author), J. K. Rowling and Eoin Colfer. A few years ago I came across the thriller “Aquila” by Ursula Poznanski, an Austrian writer. I read it in German – the advantage of being a polyglot – and really loved it. I definitely recommend it and put some other books by her on my list. As for Kindle or actual books, I see the advantage of eReaders and do have one myself, but I still like actual books a bit more. 

Is “Crown and Scalpel” available to purchase worldwide?

“Crown and Scalpel” is available worldwide through the website of my publisher Palavro and Arkbound. It’s also on Amazon both in eBook as well as printed version. 

Growing up had you always wanted to be an author or did you have other career aspirations?

If you’d asked my dad this question, he would undoubtedly say I was quite young when I said I wanted to become a writer, how young I’m not sure. I think it was after my mum died in a car crash when I was 12 that I first mentioned I wanted to become a writer. For a brief period, I wanted to become a biologist. Yet I majored in economics and languages in secondary school and afterwards decided to study languages and literature at the University of Leuven. It only took one year for me to realise this wasn’t the right path for me and then I switched to sciences. First, I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Agro- and Biotechnology and later I obtained my Master’s and PhD in Engineering technology – Packaging technology. I’ve worked in the industry, but found that I enjoy teaching and academic research way more. In the meantime writing became a hobby and I’m still happy with that decision. 

You were born in the German speaking region of Belgium, to two Flemish parents, just how difficult was it to write and publish English fiction as a non-native speaker?

I learned English when I was in my second year of secondary school and to be honest in the beginning, I was really rubbish at it. But I was an avid reader and a huge fan of the Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl series amongst others. When a new book was published, I generally couldn’t wait for a Dutch release, so I started reading in English and learned on the go. Additionally, when I grew up, only kids shows and films were dubbed in Dutch, so we used to watch most series and films in their original language with subtitles which also helps with learning another language. And most Flemish are able to speak 2 or 3 languages.

When I first started writing in English, it wasn’t anywhere near as what it is today, but over time my English improved and I often relied – still do, by the way – on using the Dictionary app on my laptop, which also includes a Thesaurus. I would start with words I knew and then by looking them up in the Thesaurus expand my vocabulary. 

Although I didn’t finish my studies in Languages and Literature, it was still helpful with improving my language skills and after I took a turn into sciences we were regularly confronted with English course material and scientific papers, and I did my PhD in English as well. It was also during my PhD years from 2015 to 2019 that I really got into writing “Crown and Scalpel” as I found it very relaxing at the end of a workday. The first draft was finished around the same time as my doctoral thesis.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

It varies a bit, most of the time when I’m at work I’m wearing jeans a simple blouse or vest and sneakers. But during the summer I wear dresses more often. In general my look can be described as sporty but elegant. 

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

I prefer visiting physical shops to online shopping because I like to feel the fabrics. The shop I visit most is probably LolaLiza, which is a Belgian brand. 

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Probably some new white sneakers and maybe some new summer wear like a dress. 

Boots or Shoes?

That’s a tough one, most footwear I own are shoes, mainly sneakers because they’re very comfy. But I do love well-fitting boots especially in the Winter, unfortunately I used to have very skinny legs, making it very tough to find a good fit. My solution to this is ankle boots.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

Website: https://www.cjlthomason.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555839655225

X: @CJL_Thomason

Instagram: cjl_thomason

https://palavro.org/product/crown-and-scalpel-by-c-j-l-thomason

https://arkbound.com/product/crown-and-scalpel-by-c-j-l-thomason

Thank you Caroline for the copy of “Crown and Scalpel” for reviewing.

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Caroline J L Thomason. Photo Credits: Marianne Peyffers, Oana-Maria Pop, Caroline J L Thomason, Liesbeth Driessen .

Linda x

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I recently read “Silenda” by Kelsie Stoker – it’s a young ( and not so young as it turns out!) adult fantasy novel by 22 year old debut Scottish author, Kelsie Stoker. This story is set in an alternative universe but explores human reactions over life after death. It is a young adult book and yet I found the book interesting, the storyline entertaining and thought provoking. and wow, what a powerful debut! I would certainly recommend the book to those not so young adult readers too! After reading the book, I couldn’t wait to chat to Kelsie about the inspiration behind her novel. But first, here’s a quick book summary…..

BOOK SUMMARY

‘Silenda’ is told from the perspective of two alternating narrators. Horatio Young is an introverted bystander to his own life, afraid of his own agency, but afraid of feeling ‘static’. When he is thrust into a life-threatening situation, he must act. Carson Whitmoore doesn’t know a lot about herself. In fact, she knows hardly anything at all. Carson wakes up in an empty apartment with no memory of how she got there. She must retrieve her lost memories and expose the source that took them. 

Horatio and Carson are forced to navigate a world split in two – the Umbras who believe in eternal nothingness beyond the grave, and the Luxies who believe in an unending afterlife. 

When terror strikes the city and political tensions rise, Horatio’s powerful uncle recruits him as an insider to exploit Umbra secrets, but Horatio and his friends uncover something far more sinister – an underground organisation named Silenda who will go to dangerous lengths to uncover the ultimate truth; what really happens when we die?  

THE INTERVIEW

Hi Kelsie and welcome to the blog 👋

Hi ! My name is Kelsie Stoker and I am a 22-year-old fiction writer from Glasgow. I’m a passionate feminist and a lover of the arts! I adore fashion – I think the body is a canvas and that self-expression really extends our influence and gives life meaning. In ten years’ time, I’d like to see myself in some big-shot New York apartment clutching a glass of red wine, but for now I can be found listening to Hall and Oates and cuddling my mini poodle. ‘Silenda’ is my debut novel and I think a lot of my personality shines through in it – I’d say I’m like a hybrid of Astrid and Horatio!

“Silenda” is your debut novel – a young adult fantasy story set in an alternative universe.  It is a politically aware book exploring aspects of religious diversity, sexual orientation, labelling, life after death and how society rejects the “grey” areas of life. Who or what inspired you to write “Silenda”?

When I was fourteen, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. I think having that sort of diagnosis at such a young age very much accelerated my existential thinking – it was the first time I became very aware of my own mortality. I was brought up in an atheist family, so I’d never really had a relationship with God, but after my diagnosis, I had a lot of questions for the guy – if he existed, why would he do this to me? So, for me, it’s a struggle to believe in any divinity, but I found myself envious of those who could. I’ve always felt my emotions very intensely so trying to find somewhere to direct my faith was an intense personal struggle. I’m a very empathetic person, so it’s always been very important to me to respect and try to understand people from different walks of life. Having a committed relationship with God is something I can’t really relate to, so understanding it really matters to me. 

I’m a lover of people – I think we are all just so complex and fascinating. We are all made from the same material but we are moulded and transformed in such different ways. We aren’t born with a purpose, the universe doesn’t seem to have prescribed us one, so we spend our whole lives trying to find one. For me, embracing the ‘grey area’, means not exhausting ourselves trying to belong to anything or conform to the confinements of something because we think we’re supposed to. Fluidity is so important, to learn to just be, and if whatever you are doesn’t have a name, that’s okay! Our language is a system that is supposed to cater to us, not the other way around.  

You are a young adult yourself – so are your characters based on observations of people you’ve come across in the past and incidents you’ve experienced ? Who were the hardest characters to portray?

I think I realise now, having written the novel, just how much my characters are an amalgamation of people I know. When I was writing it, I didn’t consciously mould a character to fit any particular person. I’m not really a planner in any aspect of my life, and the same applies to my writing. I let the characters make their own decisions based on what I learn about them as the story goes on. I think we write what we know whether we realise it or not – or we write interpretations of things we don’t know – which just end up being reliant on the things we do know! It’s all very subconscious but influence from people I know is definitely in there. When I was writing for Horatio, I was writing pretty much as myself, I think. His existential thinking, his struggle with his bisexuality and his fear of being static, is definitely straight from my own brain! With Carson’s perspective, I definitely felt that I was trying to channel someone other than myself. If I was in her position, I’d probably just cry. In regard to my other characters, the only other influence that is obvious to me, is Hayden’s dark and snappy sense of humour – that’s definitely my sister, Nikki!

Were there any aspects of writing your novel that surprised you, either by being harder or easier to write about than you expected ? 

I definitely wanted to write a story that I would love to read – so the story came easy to me, which was lovely. It’s packed full of things that I care about so it was a very cathartic process. However, because it’s a very politically aware novel, I definitely felt under pressure to do it well. There’s always the fear of being branded ‘too woke’, but I wrote things the way I see them, and the way I believe them – it’s my version of the truth, so it’s all I can really do! I wanted to make some sort of point about straight, white, cis men in power, but I tried to make that apparent without having any of my characters say anything outright about it. I wanted to make it clear that the diverse, colourful and fluid group of young people at the centre of the story, were not being represented by their leadership. 

I also tried very hard to simplify complex issues and use ‘umbrella’ terms for religious / spiritual and non-religious groups. I really did not want to imply that I was writing about any particular faith, because that is not the case, and would go against the whole point of the story!

Hypothetically speaking, if “Silenda” was made into a film, who would you love to see portraying the characters, especially Horatio and Carson? 

Seeing ‘Silenda’ on the big screen is a dream! I think Sadie Sink would be a great fit for Carson. I imagine Carson to be petite with red hair. I think Sadie Sink would be great at embodying Carson’s innocent look paired with her fiery ambition. Coincidentally, I met my boyfriend, Sean Munro, after the novel had already been written and he looks eerily like how I imagined Horatio…he’s also an actor so has helped me with promotional content. 

As for my other characters, it’s hard for me to cast them because they are so original in my head. Although I think a young blonde Evan Peters would have made a great Hayden!

Although “Silenda” is based in an alternative universe, is your fictional town/urban area inspired by any city/town/area in the “real” world?  If so, what was it about this place or places that ignited your imagination and got the creative juices flowing? 

Yes! The Rowleys is entirely influenced by the Gorbals, a historical part of Glasgow that has been infamous for its social problems; poverty, deprivation, and gang violence. Especially in the 1920s and 1930’s, the Gorbals were a very undesirable place to live, although many did due to overcrowding. The Gorbals became pretty synonymous with the working-class, and possibly even the marginalised. In 1954, the legend of ‘the Gorbals vampire’ was born, with the story spreading among school children that a 7-foot-tall vampire with iron teeth was on the loose! This legend inspired ‘the Rowleys vampire’, a story terrorising a derived part of the city.

West Town is a bit of an amalgamation, with the landscape inspire by the mountainous beauty of Glen Coe and Bellumside village inspire by the architecture of Edinburgh Old Town. I love my country so there is a lot of Scottish influence, but The Urb is a very futuristic city, channelling aspects of Tokyo. I think it’s crazy that in the post-modern world, such contrasting architecture can exist in such close proximity to each other.

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book? 

I am a bookworm! Reading stories that excited me as a child definitely inspired me to write. I used to read a lot more than I do now because I’m always thinking about what I could write next, but when I can find the time, it’s so relaxing. I love fantasy novels and grew up reading a lot of YA fiction, but I love Gothic Horror, especially the classics, i.e. Shirley Jackson, Mary Shelly, Henry James…

The first YA book series I became really invested in was The Hunger Games, it’s still a favourite!

I 100% prefer a book, I think the smell of a good book is part of the reading experience!

 Is “Silenda” available to purchase worldwide?

Yes! It can be purchased on Amazon, via the Waterstones website, Palavro.org, Arkbound.com and Blackwell’s online!

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I love a chunky boot! Pairing something very girly and soft with 70s boots is something I love to do. I also love a fur coat – faux of course! I think my style is very feminine – I love pink, leopard print and sparkles – it borders on mob-wife sometimes. I’m always trying to channel Barbie as well…I love how experimental she is.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

I visited Vienna in December and stumbled across a store called ‘Glitzerwelten’. It was fabulous! Lots of faux fur, glitter and lots and lots of pink. I bought a gorgeous baby-pink fur wrap while I was there – I put it straight on! I’d love to go back.

As for online, I love shopping on Vinted – I think it’s very important to promote sustainable fashion. 

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I’d really love some sundresses this summer – something quite elegant and classy. Maybe florals? Something that makes me look picnic-ready at all times! Maybe I could pair it with a thatched sunhat – that would be super cute.

Boots or Shoes?

Boots, definitely! I just adore chunky boots. I’m also 5’11 so a little platform empathises my height and makes me feel very confident. I love being tall!

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

Read my blog here: www.kelsiestokermode.com

Instagram: @kelsiestoker/insta

X: @KCStoker_Author / twitter

TikTok: @kelsiestoker/ tiktok

Fabulous chatting to you, Kelsie and congratulations on a fantastic debut book. Thanks also for the copy of Silenda for reviewing.

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Kelsie Stoker

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This week I am so pleased to be able to welcome onto the blog the internationally published Portuguese author, João Cerqueira. João is author of 9 books and has been published in 8 countries. His latest novel, “Perestroika”, is a political/historical novel that was originally published in Portuguese in 2023 and was published in English in January 2024. Although it is a fictional novel, set in a fictional country, it is based on insights and incidents that occurred in the communist era of Eastern Europe during the 1970s/1980s. Here’s a quick book summary:

BOOK SUMMARY

The story opens in 1978 and introduces the citizens of Slavia (a fictitious Eastern European country). Among them is Ludwig Kirchner, an artist who is struggling to survive in concentration camps whilst the terrifying elites of the regime live in luxury and moral depravity.

However, for the citizens of Slavia, everything changes in the late-1980s, with the advent of Perestroika. In the revolutionary turmoil that follows, former crime boss Ivan Fiorov leads the newly formed “Freedom Party”, heralding a wave of insecurity and oppression that resembles the previous dictatorship.

INTERVIEW

Welcome to the blog, João…. please, introduce yourself 😊

Hello. I am João. I was born and live in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. I completed a PhD in Art History at the Faculty of Letters of the University of Porto. I teach at the Escola Superior de Educação de Viana. I have written nine books, published in eight countries and I have won five literary prizes in the United States and one prize in Italy.

My childhood was spent in the countryside and on the beach, so I have always had a very close relationship with nature. Despite shooting birds and killing mice as a child, today I am a defender of nature and its creatures. I live on a farm where I grows fruit trees and vegetables with my wife and our daughter. I can’t have dinner without drinking wine, and I love champagne.

Who or what inspired you to write “Perestroika”?

The novel “Perestroika” results from the profound impact of the images of the fall of the Berlin Wall and people demanding freedom in the streets of communist countries. In addition to bringing freedom to half of the Europeans, Gorbachev’s Perestroika ended the Cold War and the threat of nuclear war. However, oddly enough, the topic was forgotten. To my knowledge, there is no film, TV series, or novel—except mine—that addresses one of the most important changes of the 20th century.

Furthermore, I visited Cuba three times and saw with my own eyes how a communist country works: there is no freedom of expression, there are no free elections, there are no human rights, and anyone who protests is arrested.

Additionally, some characters in the book are taken from European history: 

The painter Ludwig Kirchner, Lia Kirchner’s father, was inspired by the German expressionist painter of the same name, whose works Hitler considered Degenerate Art.

The People’s Commissar for Culture, Zut Zdanov, was inspired by the Stalinist leader Andrei Zhdanov, responsible for culture in the USSR, who defended socialist realism in art and banned modernism.

President Alfred Ionescu was inspired by the playwright Eugène Ionesco, creator of the theatre of the absurd – which brings us back to the absurdity of communist regimes.

I really enjoyed reading your book, “Perestroika” and I particularly enjoyed how you portrayed the characters of Lia Kirchner, Helena Yava, Silvia Lenka  & Ivan Fiorov. What character did you particularly enjoy writing about? What character was the hardest to portray?

I tried to ensure that no character was one-dimensional: good or bad. They are people of flesh and blood with qualities and defects who are forced to change their behavior due to Perestroika.

That said, my favourite characters are the Commissar for Education Helena Yava because she understands that she served a dictatorial regime and tries to redeem herself; and, of course, the main character, Lia Kirchner, the girl trained by the communist regime, who will become its main opponent.

Researching for your novel must have been quite interesting..… did you discover anything that shocked you or uncover some nugget of information that was unexpected? 

I consulted a wide range of books, including the works of Anne Applebaum Gulag and Iron Curtain, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s The First Circle and The Gulag Archipelago, Victor Kravchenko’s I Choose Freedom, Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon, and others.

The horrors of communist regimes didn’t surprise me. What surprised me was that the party members, as they rose through the ranks, began to live more and more like capitalists. The communist leaders were authentic bourgeois.

The novel is based in fictional country of Slavia – although reading the novel I could  visualise the images of the news reports on TV that I remembered seeing in the 1970s/1980s of Communist Eastern Europe. What were your reasons for picking a fictitious location for the novel?  

Perestroika could have taken place in the Soviet Union, Poland or another communist country. But that would impose limitations on my creativity. In order to be able to write the story I had in my head, it was necessary to create an imaginary country: Slavia.

Growing up, did you envisage yourself as a writer or did you have other career aspirations?

My love of books was instilled by my father, who bequeathed me a library with over a thousand books. I looked at those books and dreamed of doing something similar. I thought those writers were the most important people in the world. I wanted to be like them. 

In this library I discovered the classics of world literature. Among the reference books, I discovered, as a spiritual guide and instruction manual for the winding road of life, Erasmus of Rotterdam’s “In praise of Folly.”This is why humor is so important in my writing.

Is “Perestroika” available to purchase worldwide?

Yes, Perestroika is on Amazon and in the main online bookstores.

If you could visit any place in the world to inspire your next novel, where would you go and why? 

When I travel around the world, I always discover something that ends up in my books. More than the places, it’s the people who inspire me. On a tropical island or at the North Pole, human beings can show solidarity or fight each other.

Are you a bookworm yourself? If so, what genres (or authors) do you usually like to read? And are you a kindle or “proper book” fan?

I only read paper books. My favorite writers are Marcel Proust, Pär Largerkvist, Mikhail Bulgakov, George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Phillip Roth, Paul Auster, W. G. Sebald, Italo Calvino, Henrique Vila-Matas,, José Saramago and Lobo Antunes.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I try to keep up with fashion and dress well. I like to combine classic and modern styles. As for shoes, I like Timberland and Fred Perry trainers.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

Those that are on sale, with low prices.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I need to buy a brown blazer for spring and light blue shirts.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perestroika-Jo%C3%A3o-Cerqueira-ebook/dp/B0CP1B88PX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=INHATTANHBXU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aGY-KmHxpNGUgtIvG7Ovlw.fLTp-LrL2LDB5PMVFeopalbyTiNTZao8_SIUORkQ9Do&dib_tag=se&keywords=perestroika+an+eye+for+an+eye%2C+a+tooth+for+a+tooth&qid=1708537943&s=books&sprefix=perestroi%2Cstripbooks%2C141&sr=1-1

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perestroika-Eye-Tooth/dp/1926716779/ref=monarch_sidesheet

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202719173-perestroika

Author page: www.joaocerqueira.com

Thanks so much for chatting with me today João – “Perestroika” brought back memories of TV news and my travels in the 1980s! I loved the book, so thank you very much for my review copy.

Linda x

All photographs have been published with kind permission of João Cerqueira.

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I’m so pleased to be part of the “Mercy and Grace” book tour, introducing a very emotional and well written story by author Anoop Judge.

My thoughts? This is a whirlwind of a story – the raw love of two young people from different religious backgrounds whose lives are torn apart; an “orphan” born out of love who discovers her back story in an unusual way; a mother reunited with her daughter; cultural differences, lives behind closed doors…. and things are not always what they seem. And an abundance of love in its many disguises. Can you tell that I loved the book?

BOOK SUMMARY

At twenty-one years old, Gia Kumari finally leaves the Delhi orphanage where she was raised. With few prospects for the future, she receives an unexpected invitation from a stranger named Sonia Shah, in San Francisco: an internship at Sonia’s weddings and event company. Jia and America. It’s love at first sight as she navigates an unfamiliar but irresistible new world of firsts. 

It’s Gia’s first real job: her first meeting with her only known family, her uncle Mohammed Khan, and her first romance, with Sonia’s quirky yet charming stepson, Adi. But it might be too good to be true. Gia’s newfound happiness is unfolding in the shadow of a terrible family secret, the impact of which is still being felt in a place Gia now calls home. To save what matters most, Gia must come to terms with a tragic past she’s only beginning to understand—and a lifetime of lies she must learn to forgive.

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (September 19, 2023)

ISBN-10: 1662509219

ISBN-13: 978-1662509216

ASIN: B0BQNBFVBR

Print Length: 283 pages

THE INTERVIEW

Welcome to the blog, Anoop! 😊

Who or what inspired you to write “Mercy and Grace”?

I really enjoyed reading your book, “Mercy And Grace ” and I particularly enjoyed the characters of Gia Kumari, Sonia Shah and Adi. Which character did you particularly enjoy writing about? Which character was the hardest to portray?

Researching for your novel must have been quite interesting…for example, the wedding event business,  the Hindu/Moslem relationships, the orphanage, the Indian communities in California … although you were born & raised in India  and now reside in California, did you discover anything that shocked you or uncover some nugget of information that was unexpected? 

Growing up, did you envisage yourself as a writer or did you have other career aspirations?

Yes, they are. Thanks to the power and reach of Amazon.

If you could visit any place in the world to inspire your next novel, where would you go and why? 

Are you a bookworm yourself? If so, what genres (or authors) do you usually like to read? And are you a kindle or “proper book” fan?

Yes I am. The genre I like to read the most is what I write in which is book club fiction, also called upmarket fiction: a combination of commercial and literary fiction. It has universal and relevant teams everyone can connect to, and a hyper-focused plot but doesn’t necessarily end in doom, gloom and suffering. I always loved the feel of an actual book with pages, and never thought I would convert to Kindle, but my techie son who is an engineer got me started on Kindle. Now, I can’t give it up because it’s just so darn convenient. I’m always reading a book and it’s the first thing I turn to when I’m standing in a long queue, or I’m feeling bored.

Apart from being an author, you have appeared in the US TV reality series, Gems of Ruby.  Did you enjoy being in a TV reality show? Was it nerve racking? 

I enjoyed shooting the reality TV series, in part, because it was with friends I knew well; women who I consider my best friends and who would keep safe from any dark secrets I didn’t want exposed, haha. It was nerve-racking, only in the sense because we didn’t know what would finally come out of the editing room and how we would be portrayed on screen. It’s also crazy how addictive being on screen can be— the cringe-worthy aspect of seeing yourself on screen goes away very quickly when people begin to recognize you, and talk to you about the scenes they’ve seen you in.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I’m not a very casual person, so you won’t find me lounging around in sweats, except when I attend my Pilates classes. Usually you’ll find me in jeans with bright-colored blouses, and tailored jackets or in a dress if I’m going out.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

I mix-and-match high-and-low, so you’ll find me shopping both at Nordstrom and at Shein. It’s what catches my eye. I don’t like to break the bank on outifits because I’m trendy, and enjoy being a seasonal shopper.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

A white faux fur jacket.

Boots or Shoes?

Boots because they instantly make you look polished. I always like to be well turned-out when I’m going out because looking good instills a confidence in me, and makes me feel strong.

BOOK SUMMARY

Thank you Anoop for inviting me onto your book tour, for a review copy of the brilliant “Mercy And Grace” book and for agreeing to be interviewed.

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Anoop Judge.

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I’m finishing off the year with an interview with author Mitesh G Desai and his novel “ The Big Shot Trader”. This entertaining and funny novel is based on the world of market trading where everything is driven by money and status. And Mitesh should know because he was a former trader!

BOOK SUMMARY

Does Kerpal have what it takes to get ahead in the high-pressure world of finance? Young, naive and drawn in by the excitement and the money, can he keep up without losing who he really is?

Kerpal has just landed a job working as a trader at an investment bank. He’s about to crash land into a seat where the pressure and expectations are sky high and the tolerance for naivety and mistakes is close to zero. Follow his journey as he fumbles through work, love and family all whilst trying to discover what it takes to be a big dog.

The Big Shot Trader is a fast-paced comedy with real insight into the world of finance and the sacrifices, risks and moral choices that those in the industry make in order to survive, thrive and get paid.

THE INTERVIEW

Hi and welcome to the blog! Please introduce yourself…

Hi! I am Mitesh. I’m an author and have just published my debut novel, “The Big Shot Trader”.  I grew up in North London (the green suburb bit, fortunately, rather than the slightly destitute inner city bit) and then following an Economics Degree I found myself living in New York working for one of the biggest banks in the world. It was 2008, the financial crisis was unfolding and it was a crazy time. Every morning there were protestors outside the offices and nobody seemed to have any idea what the next day would hold in store, let alone the next week or month. Things were so volatile at the time that nobody had the capacity to think about years. 

I found my way back to London and continued working in finance for five years. Following that I did lots of stuff; I taught Economics for A-Level students at a school in Hertfordshire, wrote a textbook about how to pass an exam to study social sciences at Oxford and eventually ended up running an E-Commerce business which I still work in to date. I also got married in the midst of everything and am now blessed with a two year son and a mother in law who could win awards for her cooking. 

What inspired you to write “The Big Shot Trader” ? 

It actually started off as a blog. I was working in the City and was increasingly disillusioned with my existence. It was a cathartic experience to write about this fictional character and the way he felt as things just happened to him. It probably helped me to exercise some of the demons that were troubling me day to day as I started to plot a life outside of finance. 

I spent a long time ignoring the book and constantly thinking I should really get it finished but not making a great deal of effort to do so. When I discovered my wife was pregnant I decided it was now or never so worked on it consistently until it finally got into a place where I could feel happy with it. 

As you were a former trader, are your characters based on observations of people you’ve come across in the past and incidents you’ve experienced ? Who were the hardest characters to portray?

On the one hand  the characters are fictional and yet it’s amusing that all of my friends who work in finance can identify so readily with each and every character that appears in the book. I’ve fielded at least five phone calls where I’ve been asked if it was their specific boss or colleague that I was depicting. I think the truth is that so many people who work in finance fit a certain character mould and so there’s a lot of reality in the behaviour of the people in the story. 

My protagonist, Kerpal, was really tough to bring to life. He arrives at the start of the book as this smart guy and it was hard to craft a story in which he remains relatively passive throughout. This felt true of the finance experience; it’s quite rare that a junior banker can do much beyond doing what their told and hoping they get asked politely. I think there are places in which it will frustrate the reader as they think, ‘but I would treat this so differently’ but in the context of a high pressured environment it’s not realistic to think you would stand up to someone who is far more experienced and towering over you as they shout and push you to comply with some method of working, regardless of legality or any other moral consideration. 

I also loved writing about Kerpal’s family. The moments where you take him out of the work environment and make him a child again at a dinner table is a chance to show he’s immature side. This kid is only 22 years old and gambling millions of dollars by day and I felt like it was important to show readers he was so much more than just this City Boy.

Were there any aspects of writing your novel that surprised you, either by being harder or easier to write about than you expected? 

Having the idea to write was easy, the rest was really challenging! Planning a story and then trying to put it together is so difficult. I have always loved reading but have a newfound and epic amount of respect for writers who have churned out a lot of novels in their careers. Like lots of first time authors, I was working a full time job in the background and trying to balance family, friends and all my other committments and then when you throw in a new baby too it was a real challenge to find the motivation to sit down and write in the gaps. I settled into this groove of putting my son to sleep and then writing for an hour before then giving myself an hour to unwind before bed. It was slow and inefficient, probably, but eventually I got there.

Hypothetically speaking, if “ The Big Shot Trader ” was made into a film, who would you love to see portraying the characters, especially Kerpal? 

This is such a tricky question! I loved Kunal Nayyar (Raj in the Big Bang Theory) but not sure if they could make him look young enough to get away with playing a young trader. I think Aziz Ansari also has the right kind of face and stature to play the role. 

Have you always wanted to have a career in the financial field or writing or did you have other aspirations? 

I think when I was young I was guilty of falling into the trap of thinking that finance was the only career worth aspiring towards. I was sold by the perceived glamour, status and wealth it could provide. It’s a reflection of my own stupidity that after completing internship after internship and not enjoying the experience I still took a graduate job with a bank. That really should’ve been a wake up call to go and find something to do that I was passionate about but that thought never occured to me at the time. 

I love writing so much but I think I have always seen it as a hobby. I have a note pad with about eight book ideas and I don’t lose much sleep wondering if I’ll ever write any of those novels to be honest. I contribute to a football website (my other passion) regularly and love writing to entertain. I am always pleased when I write something and, this is particularly true of football, people can take off their tribal hats and just be amused or tickled by something for what it is. 

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book? 

I am a huge reader! I love fantasy but try to stop myself falling into the trap of only reading fantasy novels. That said I recently read the first two books in the “Six of Crows” series by Leigh Bardugo and just loved everything about them. I can’t wait for the third to be released. 

I always think the way to judge a favourite book is based on how many times you’ve gifted it and on that basis my favourite book is definitely, “A Fraction of the Whole” by Steve Toltz. It is hilarious, awkward and a wonderful story. He is such a talented writer. 

For a long time I loved printed books but made the switch over to Kindle a few years ago and will never go back. First of all it’s much easier to travel with a kindle than with three books in your hand luggage, it’s more environmentally conscious (I hope) and I sometimes read late at night and if I am dropping off whilst reading it’s less painful when a kindle falls on your face compared to a 500 page book! 

Is The Big Shot Trader available to purchase worldwide?

Yes! It’s on Amazon now and I think a few independent book stores are starting to pick it up too. If you’re in London then Daunt Books in Marylebone is my favourite book shop on earth and I believe it’s available. I think it’s an old monastery and the bank has the original stained glass windows in place; it’s an utterly wonderful place to get lost in a story. 

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Something comfy! I am lucky enough to run my own business so I don’t feel the need to conform to any particularly dress code. I’ll be in a pair of jeans, a jumper and a comfy pair of trainers most days. My marketing team sent me a “Mitesh toolkit” picture which showed my staple clothes items and it was incredibly (and alarmingly) accurate.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites ?

I live in Marylebone so Daunt Books is amazing. I’m guilty of reading a book in there for an hour and nobody has ever kicked me out. The staff are so friendly and helpful and love books themselves. 

I don’t do a lot of shopping in truth but I like Reddit. Any website that can show me global current affairs, sports, a  good joke and a picture of a cat wearing a hat on a single page is going to get my vote. 

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I am actually in the market for a pair of smart brown or navy shoes. The pair I own have seen better days and those better days were probably about a decade ago (like I said, I don’t shop much). I actually looked at getting them restored as a lazy option but the cost of restoration is not vastly dissimilar to buying a brand new pair! 

Boots or Shoes?

Generally I favour shoes. Boots are a bit too heavy and I feel like my feet get tired wearing them all day. I own a couple of really cool pairs of hightop trainers and I will avoid wearing them if I think I’m going to do more than 5000 steps in a day. 

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

You can find my novel here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shot-Trader-Mitesh-Girish-Desai/dp/B0CKB12YH4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1MCFSVUFG8AN&keywords=The+big+shot+trader&qid=1700658644&sprefix=the+big+shot+trader%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1

I am on twitter as @mdesaiauthor but in the most sporadic and inefficient way that it almost renders the whole venture pointless. I should really get involved a bit more I suspect. 

Thanks for the chat, Mitesh ! I will definitely check out Daunt bookshop! 😊 Thanks to Mitesh for the review copy of The Big Shot Trader ( & Ben Cameron of Cameron Publicity & Marketing). All photographs were published with kind permission of Mitesh Desai, apart from where marked.

Linda x

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