Category: Magical Realism

+Author Interview+ Andra Wakins [author of “To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis”] sits down after a long day on the Natchez Trace!

Posted Thursday, 3 April, 2014 by jorielov , , 4 Comments

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_+ I am happy to welcome Andra Wakins

to Jorie Loves A Story! _+

As you might have noticed, I have garnished a deep appreciation for Ms. Wakins whilst I read her intriguing debut To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis!

I was taken by the inspiration she felt for her character Meriwether Lewis as much as I was struck by the breadth of the story which emerged out of her and found its way to the page! Her book transcends our reality and delves into the space between what we may or may not be willing to accept as plausible but is altogether possible!

I love the fact this novel is a genre-bender which is difficult to place on a bookshoppe’s shelf and is knitted together in such a way as to cause a rumbling of electric excitement for each reader who picks it up and feels the energy in which is was given to the world.

Let me step back for a moment and allow you to read the conversation which encompassed Ms. Wakins and I, on the verge of her final day on the Natchez Trace!

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Andra Wakins

Hey. I’m Andra Watkins. I’m a native of Tennessee, but I’m lucky to call Charleston, South Carolina, home for 23 years. I’m the author of ‘To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis’, coming March 1, 2014. It’s a mishmash of historical fiction, paranormal fiction and suspense that follows Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark fame) after his mysterious death on the Natchez Trace in 1809.

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I like:

  • hiking
  • eating (A lot; Italian food is my favorite.)
  • traveling (I never met a destination I didn’t like.)
  • reading (My favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo.)
  • coffee (the caffeinated version) and COFFEE (sex)
  • performing (theater, singing, public speaking, playing piano)
  • time with my friends
  • Sirius XM Chill
  • yoga (No, I can’t stand on my head.)
  • writing in bed
  • candlelight

I don’t like:

  • getting up in the morning
  • cilantro (It is the devil weed.)
  • surprises (For me or for anyone else.)
  • house cleaning
  • cooking

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To Live Forever by Andra Wakins

When I first heard of the premise of “To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis” via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours (of whom is hosting this blog tour!) I must confess, it was such a startling theory for a book to explore that I remember I immediately wanted to read the story! Whilst you were creating the novel, what was your initial impetus to write about Meriwether Lewis in such an extraordinary different vein of existence?

Wakins responds: When a ghost speaks to you, you listen, right? Seriously, I’ve always been fascinated with the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Because Lewis died too young in an unsolved incident, I wondered what would happen if he were given more time, more life. Thinking about what he might do with that time got me started on this story.

I think when you get the impetus to create a story like this one, you cannot back away from the character whose voice is as strong as Meriwether Lewis! Because although, his personality comes across as a bit more sedate than ‘strong’, its his overall presence which for me felt strong rather than introvert. He has a quiet manner about him unless there is something happening which is placing someone he cares for in harm’s way. He is a quiet soul whose strength shines in the moments where his brute grit to overcome endears you to him in a way that is hard to explain. I found him quite unexpectedly lovely!

Did you initially want to pull back the veils of convention and write a historically enriched genre-bender!?

Wakins responds: Yes. Characters from history are rich with new stories, I think. I’ve always been a history geek, but I wanted to take people from history, put them in new situations, and see what might happen.

I oft-wondered if history and the historical past were re-envisioned in the manner in which you undertook Meriwether Lewis, then perhaps the younger generations who feel distant and disengaged from history might endeavour to think that perhaps it’s not as intangible as it feels? History can become daunting to soak into unless the voice behind the historical facts is giving history a light not yet seen as it reflects a different point of view than what is expected. A lot of history is hidden in the shadows, because I think a lot of the truths of how people lived and how they died gets cast away into an unknown file. When you dig and root around in the past, I think we might all be happily surprised by what we uncover! And, your quite right, his untimely and unknown exit in this world is fuel for fodder!

I consider the book to be pioneering the idea writers do not have to hedge themselves into pre-conditioned genres which may or may not speak to their muse. Afterall, inspiration arrives in different ways for different authors. Do you think writers like you are being bold enough to change the mind-set of both publishers and readers? What do you think it will take for writers to realise they have the freedom to tell their stories?

Wakins responds: I think ‘where do I slot this book?’ hampers creativity, and I assert that it is dumbing down both writing and reading. I think the only thing that will change the mind of bigger publishers is money and success, but I think readers crave the new-and-different. I’m a reader, and I know I do.

As to writers having the freedom to tell their stories, they just have to believe in themselves and their stories, invest in their passions, and make their books happen. Don’t expect anyone else to believe in your story more than you do. Your passion will inspire others to believe, too.

I never truly understand why everyone has to fit into a pre-determined ‘box’ either! And, this goes well past books on a bookshelf, straight back to when in childhood there was this perception that everyone had to ‘fit’ somewhere and be placed in one category or another. I think we’ve become a compartmentalised society and have forsaken the free-spirit nature of our past! Writers never used to have to be hampered and pinned to a specific genre, they merely wrote where their inspiration led them to go and the books were accepted on the merit of what was inside by the audience eager to read them! I completely agree writers need to own and defend their stories. Come what may, a writer whose confidence doesn’t falter is the author who will curate an audience in the long run! Readers have a way of being attracted to the writers who remain bold and daring!

Congratulations are in order for you to be the first person (male or female) to walk the Natchez Trace! What inspired you to walk the Trace, aside from the natural curiosity of by-passers to want to read your book? It’s clever PR, but I felt there might be a second reason?

Wakins responds: I’m the first living person to walk the Trace as the pioneers did. Many people walked it before me, but that ceased with the rise of steam power in the 1820s. I wanted to walk the Trace to have a final adventure with my dad. He’s almost 80. While he was still able, I wanted to do something memorable with him, something amazing, that would wring the most out of the life he has left.

I find it commendable that you wanted to give such a beautiful memory to your Dad! The fact that you had your family with you whilst walking the Trace (as seen in your videos) is something that made me smile! I loved seeing the antidotes enter into your videos, and how your expedition became a family affair!

What is the one aspiration you had to learn about yourself as you walked? And, what is the one revelation you had not expected to receive whilst walking?

Wakins responds: Much like writing a book, I had to learn to think about the day I had to walk rather than the DAYS I had to walk. I didn’t know whether I could finish. I’m not an athlete. I’m writing this response on April 2, just nine miles from the finish line. I’m stunned that I’ve done it.

I was equally stunned that I would receive your reply to my Interview, as I was delayed in giving it to you, and somehow I had missed the fact you were walking the Natchez Trace! I wish I had realised it far sooner than I had, as I would have rallied with you on your blog and sent in a Reader Question or two to encourage you on your way! I think I was caught up in my own life and hadn’t thought to look and see what events you were doing ahead of my presence on the blog tour! I agree with you on focusing on one singular day rather than the long stretch of days — I can personally relate to this and I agree that it is the best way to live through any moment in our lives which becomes adverse and difficult to process if we envelope the whole experience in one swallow!

How would you summerise the impact of walking the Natchez Trace after you had spent time researching and writing about Meriwether Lewis? What do you think his observations might have been thus far forward from the time he was there himself!?

Wakins responds: I appreciate the Trace even more than I did. It is an ancient, precious thing we Americans have, and I hope people will take better care of it going forward. I think Lewis would be curious about the cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles that travel the Trace today. A few people ride horses on or near it, but nobody walks.

I find that most curious! Every transportation option we have, we’ve forgotten that most of us were bourne walkers at a time in our historical past where fossil fuels were not a part of our lives! I would have suspected you would have seen more horse-back riders, but the plethora of motorised transportation was a bit surprising! Two January’s ago, I started to walk in nature with my Mum, and I must confess when we first attempted to walk a mile and a half it felt as though our legs were not going to carry-on the will of our hearts! Then, the surprising bit is that with each day we attempted to ‘go a bit further’ we were building up our stamina! And, yes, we are far more sedentary now than we used to be, so for us to even broach past a few blocks in a regular neighbourhood is quite the decisive action to take!  Whilst we walk, we notice that others would rather do anything but walk themselves! And, those that we do encounter are too blind to their surroundings as they are in nature for an agenda only they understand! Yet, not to stop and see where they are?! To forego the animals and birds and flowers?! Not to notice the changing colours of the trees and fauna!? I find that even more startling than humans have forgotten how to walk!

I thought it was quite a brilliant idea of vlogging your Reader Questions whilst walking the Natchez Trace! Was there a question you were hoping someone would have asked you and didn’t?!

I hoped more people would ask questions about the book, but people were really curious about my 444-mile walk….especially all the details of going to the bathroom in thin woods next to a road.

I was a bit taken back by how fastidious the questions were in-bounding on this one particular mundane area of our lives!  I am sorry they didn’t ask more interesting questions about the characters and subtext!

I love your quirky sense of humour as evidenced in your videos. Especially conceiving the idea to hold up either the book itself or your calling card for it. Quite brilliant, indeed! You and your husband have a lot of light and joy as it comes across in the videos. What do you consider your secret for focusing on the light and joy in life?

Wakins responds: Thank you! We can let life live us, or we can live life. I prefer to live life, to proactively seek experiences that enhance the time I’ve been given, to focus on things that matter. I have my moments of doubt and disappointment like everyone else, but I don’t stay in those moments long.

You’re quite welcome! And, your response mirrors my own family’s mantra for living! You are as blessed as I am!

I am a champion for writers owning their stories and having the daring belief in themselves that their story has merit to be a book. Why do you think writers sometimes struggle against their own intuition whilst on their route to publication verse the few who boldly seek an alternative path for a publisher who understands their vision?

Wakins responds: The publishing industry is a brutal beauty pageant of words. Think about that. Beauty pageants are some of the most grueling, mortifying things imaginable. It was hard to accept that I was never going to be crowned Queen, but once I did, I found a better, kinder path for myself, my characters and my story.

A kinder and more graceful entrance into publication which gave you literary freedom!

Do you think publishers short-change the industry by not believing in the reader’s choice to read a book such as “To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis”? On the level, that they might not realise the full scope of where our true interest might lie and are only basing their choices on bottom-line statistics? Which in an economical state at present might not be a true perception of the reality of reader’s choices. (especially if a lot of us are borrowing books through our local libraries)
Wakins responds: Publishers want to make money. Period. Many of them don’t care about good writing or a decent story, as long as they can sell the same old thing repackaged and re-purposed a hundred or a thousand times. That’s not every publisher, thankfully, but it’s a lot of them. I knew in my heart that readers would champion my book, and that’s proving true.

Yes, and I think more publishers need to realise that there is this entire well of stories being undiscovered because they are approaching it a bit backwards. The bottom line is one thing, but to use that as a wand to measure against the possibility a book has to enhance a reader’s life is simply wrong. Or at least it is to me. Statistics are never a good measure of what is possible or what can be accomplished.

I recently found you on Twitter, and noticed that you adore sending postal mail! I was interested in writing letters by Post from a young age, as my grandfather collected stamps. I started letter-writing at the age of 11 and have continued to write to friends world-wide to this day. What is your most beloved memory of writing letters and/or exchanging correspondences in the Post? What excites you when you go to send a letter?

Wakins responds: One of my aunts made me love travel by sending me postcards from all over when I was growing up. I do that now. I send postcards to children all over on every trip I take. It excites me to think a postcard might make them curious about the world, that I might be making the same difference my aunt wielded in my life.

And, I find this to be heart-warming and fantastic! I am hopeful when I have children I can get them to be lit with the joy of postal mail, too! I am thinking that they will enjoy having “Aunties” surprise them with postal loveliness as I am able to do myself. There are some aspects of our lives which have to be kept alive by passing forward the tradition of why they are in our lives. A lot people want to believe postal mail is dying — I hate to tell them the opposite is true! Too many letter writers are uniting online and are willing to prove that in reality a heap of mail is being sent each year! I am thankful to be a part of the movement, even though truly, I joined it because I wanted to reach out and get to know someone who lived in a different country other than mine! The world is brought closer to us with each connection we make and if we can make those connections by using the Post? Priceless.

How did you convey Meriwether Lewis in such a startling familiar way as to reach through the portal of time itself and present him in a way where readers could recognise him as though he were real?

Wakins responds: I wasn’t joking when I said he talked to me. I heard his voice very clearly, but that may have come from reading everything he ever wrote. I tried to imagine what his voice would sound like if he lived for 200 years, and I distilled that into something that I hoped would appeal to the modern reader while still honoring his voice.

His voice is very apparent and honest in To Live Forever! You cannot mistake his voice for another nor his personality! You wrote him as true as though he were here to verify his presence! Your research merged into your words in a very eloquent way!

Did you find difficulty in writing the character of the Judge as he is such an evil spirit and nemesis for Lewis?

Wakins responds: Absolutely not! He’s one of history’s juiciest bad guys. I wanted to honor that history with my story.

I hadn’t realised that!? Truly!? Oy vie. Wells, I tip my hat, Ms. Wakins! You have succeeded in honouring him! He was of course, my least favourite character!

What staid with you the most on behalf of Lewis over Clark? How did you choose or elect to focus on Meriwether?

Wakins responds: I thought Lewis was harder to know, and that made him more interesting to me. That and his short life. He was 35 when he died.

When I read the hour of his death occurring in his thirty-fifth year that hit home for me, as I am to have turnt thirty-five myself this Summer.

Since I have staid in Bed & Breakfasts whilst travelling myself, what is your favourite reason for staying in a B&B verse staying in a hotel or roadside lodge? Personally, I find staying with the individual innkeepers is delightful due to the fact they are quite engaging about the surrounding area & townespeople. A more personal approach to travelling with the added benefit of home-cooked meals.

Wakins responds: On the Trace, the bed & breakfast model was most similar to the stands that populated the Trace in the early 1800s. Since my walk mimicked the route of the boatmen, I wanted to honor the stands in the places I chose to stay.

I am not sure what the differences are between the stands on the Trace and the B&Bs that I am familiar with!? Hmm,… I’ll have to do a bit of research!

I feel your pain in regards to the conditions of your feet whilst you walk. I had a similar misfortune whilst hiking in the deep woods of the Appalachian Trail. Where to begin? I wasn’t prepared for the aftermath of hiking, did you go in knowing you could end up with blood blisters and deep callouses or were you as surprised as I was? For me personally, it was a revelation and caution about how to be better prepared next time I make a monumental decision to walk a great distance!

Wakins responds: I never knew how much my feet could hurt until I did this. If I had trained enough to cause blisters and extreme pain, I might not have done the walk in the first place. (Much like your experience with the Appalachian Trail.)

Yes, that is quite true. Except for one exception for me, I learnt later that I had attempted to break in new hiking shoes whilst walking the Appalachian Trail and that is ultimately what led to my blood blisters & foot surgery! In that regard, I would have befitted a bit of knowledge in foot care & the proper way to hike, which is why I felt for you when I saw your videos on the conditions of your feet! The hours I spent dealing with those toes of my own, can back to mind as I saw you facing the same conditions I had! I do hope yours do not lead to surgery,… that is a bird of quite a different feather!

You revealed in a vlog you found a Lewis & Clark nickel around the area of where Lewis made his fatal entrance onto the Trace. I find this especially interesting on two fronts: my grandfather (the one who inspired me to write letters) collected coins, and secondly, it felt as though Lewis was sending you a signal that he appreciates your work. Do you ever feel that you make discoveries and arrive in places where your meant to traverse?

Wakins responds: I always view things like that nickel as a sign. I hope it was Lewis telling me he’s happy with the book. I know I was meant to write this book, and I’m grateful for everywhere it’s taken me.

I completely agree with you!
When you were asked about what you were eating on the Natchez Trace, you thankfully confirmed your diet differs from Lewis & Clark, but I was curious what did you eat exactly? I would imagine it would be energy givers like trail mix, coconut water (natural electrolytes), granola bars, and peanut butter?

Wakins responds: Lots of peanut butter sandwiches, fruit and energy bars, plus big country breakfasts. On hot days, I downed two or three bottles of Gatorade in addition to water.

In lieu of coconut water, Gatorade works wonders! I had a feeling you’d have one of them or the other! Your hat I know came in handy on the hot days, but oh! I bet you were hungry too! I was happy to see you packed wisely! Even though I know in one of your videos you mentioned you would run out!

Aside from videoing your Reader Questions, did you take photographs along the way? Or, did you opt instead to write in a journal the reflections of your days?

Wakins responds: I kept a photo blog at  tumblr.com/blog/andrawatkins. I liked the way Tumblr displayed my photos, and that’s why I chose that platform.

Photography is the best way I have discovered for capturing the essence of the moment as I see it myself. I love seeing what I can capture through the lens, and it never fails to amaze me or melt my heart even by how close I can walk up to birds of prey or marsh rabbits. The hawks have a surprising level of depth befitting an old soul, which I previously attributed to an owl! I attempted to view your photography but I do not have a tumblr account.
What was your most perfect day on the trail and what if any birds or wildlife did you appreciate seeing?
Wakins responds: My most perfect day was my hardest one. I started it with diarrhea, and I ran out of toilet paper. I had to walk 13 miles stinking. I was on my period, and I was trying to get a migraine. It was the second week. I was ready to quit, because it didn’t seem like I would ever be finished. At my lowest point, I rounded a bend and saw a field of daffodils winking in the sun. I hauled myself out there and spread out amongst them. I listened to the birds and the applause of the leaves. When I got up, I knew I could finish. It was perfect.

My most unique wildlife sighting was of a bobcat. I appreciated that it didn’t come after me.

My heart went out to you on this note about your most perfect day! What a tremendously horrid set of circumstances to deal with before being in a sea of daffodils which etch away the pain and the heartache of the moment! I am thankful you were given the field to dispel the stress of what happened! And, I agree with you about the bobcat! Although I cherish big cats as much as the domestic variety, I would have been as concerned as you!
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Author Connections:

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comA Special Extra:

In one of the vlogs Ms. Wakins

shared a story about a certain bird which I smiled at hearing about!

To Live Forever Reader Question 19 by Andra Wakins
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I want to express my gratitude to Ms. Wakins who has inspired all of us by her courage to walk the Natchez Trace, but moreso, to find her path inside publishing that allowed us to become endeared to her vision of “To Live Forever”! She took the route most might flinch aside, and I applaud her for having the gumpshun in this age to do what was right for ‘her story!’ rather than what worked for the publishers. She gave us a hearty breadth of a story to absorb, and I am thankful that as this Interview posts she will be exiting the Trace as 3rd April, 2014 is her scheduled day to complete her 444 mile walk in memory of Meriwether Lewis and in reflection of her choice to listen to his voice whilst writing down the bones of his story!
May each of us remember Andra Wakins the day we arrive at the cross-roads of following our hearts and listening to what other people attempt to convince us of otherwise. We each have to dig deep and always follow our heart’s lead and do what is singularly right for ourselves. Nothing else matters if we’ve compromised our souls on the route to our dreams. Do what is right for you and own your story. Your audience will find you. Trust in that.

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Previously I reviewed

To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis by Andra Wakins

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Virtual Road Map for “To Live Forever Tour”

To Live Forever Blog Tour via HFVBTFun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comBe sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours - HFVBTon my Bookish Events page!

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{NOTE: Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.}

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{SOURCES: Cover art of “To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis”, author photograph of Andra Wakins, author biography, and the tour host badge were all provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Post dividers provided by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Thursday, 3 April, 2014 by jorielov in Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Films, Debut Novel, Geographically Specific, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Good vs. Evil, Gothic Literature, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Horror-Lite, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Interviews Related to Content of Novel, Magical Realism, Meriwether Lewis, Natchez Trace, Naturalist Sketchings, New Orleans, Psychological Suspense, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Southern Gothic, Time Slip, Wildlife Artwork

+Blog Tour+ To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis by Andra Wakins

Posted Tuesday, 1 April, 2014 by jorielov , , 7 Comments

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To Live Forever by Andra Wakins

Published By: Word Hermit Press, 1 March, 2014
Official Author Websites:  Site | Twitter | Facebook | Pin(terest) Boards
Converse via: #ToLiveForeverTour | #ToLiveForeverBook
#MeriwetherLewis | #NatchezTraceWalk444miles
Available Formats: Paperback & E-Book
Page Count: 305

Acquired By:  As soon as I saw this particular tour come through my Inbox from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, I elected to request to be a tour stop on the “To Live Forever” virtual book tour. The premise of the book was awe-inspiring and I could not pass up this opportunity to read a book which shattered conventional genre orientations! I was given two spots on the tour, a book review & an Author Interview of which I was grateful! I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Andra Wakins in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read: 

Whilst reading the virtual tour information for “To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis” my initial reaction was thus: I love everything about this particular story, from the historical impact to the paranormal implications! There is suspense but there is also the human desire for legacy! A wicked chance to read a book that I cannot quite put my finger on which genre it belongs in! I love finding genre-benders and this one for sure has all the lovely ingredients of a historical novel interspersed with time slip, paranormal tendencies and psychological suspense! As a reader, who dances through genres and whose blood is stirred by the evoking narratives of inventive writers who dare to give a reader a new dimension of a reading experience — I will always champion the rebels with a cause, such as Ms. Wakins! Who boldly refuses to give up on their stories and forge their own path towards publication!

Book Synopsis:

Is remembrance immortality?

Nobody wants to be forgotten, least of all the famous.

Meriwether Lewis lived a memorable life. He and William Clark were the first white men to reach the Pacific in their failed attempt to discover a Northwest Passage. Much celebrated upon their return, Lewis was appointed governor of the vast Upper Louisiana Territory and began preparing his eagerly-anticipated journals for publication. But his re-entry into society proved as challenging as his journey. Battling financial and psychological demons and faced with mounting pressure from Washington, Lewis set out on a pivotal trip to the nation’s capital in September 1809. His mission: to publish his journals and salvage his political career. He never made it. He died in a roadside inn on the Natchez Trace in Tennessee from one gunshot to the head and another to the abdomen.

Was it suicide or murder? His mysterious death tainted his legacy and his fame quickly faded. Merry’s own memory of his death is fuzzy at best. All he knows is he’s fallen into Nowhere, where his only shot at redemption lies in the fate of rescuing another. An ill-suited “guardian angel,” Merry comes to in the same New Orleans bar after twelve straight failures. Now, with one drink and a two-dollar bill he is sent on his last assignment, his final shot at escape from the purgatory in which he’s been dwelling for almost 200 years. Merry still believes he can reverse his forgotten fortunes.

Nine-year-old Emmaline Cagney is the daughter of French Quarter madam and a Dixieland bass player. When her mother wins custody in a bitter divorce, Emmaline carves out her childhood among the ladies of Bourbon Street. Bounced between innocence and immorality, she struggles to find her safe haven, even while her mother makes her open her dress and serve tea to grown men.

It isn’t until Emmaline finds the strange cards hidden in her mother’s desk that she realizes why these men are visiting: her mother has offered to sell her to the highest bidder. To escape a life of prostitution, she slips away during a police raid on her mother’s bordello, desperate to find her father in Nashville.

Merry’s fateful two-dollar bill leads him to Emmaline as she is being chased by the winner of her mother’s sick card game: The Judge. A dangerous Nowhere Man convinced that Emmaline is the reincarnation of his long dead wife, Judge Wilkinson is determined to possess her, to tease out his wife’s spirit and marry her when she is ready. That Emmaline is now guarded by Meriwether Lewis, his bitter rival in life, further stokes his obsessive rage.

To elude the Judge, Em and Merry navigate the Mississippi River to Natchez. They set off on an adventure along the storied Natchez Trace, where they meet Cajun bird watchers, Elvis-crooning Siamese twins, War of 1812 re-enactors, Spanish wild boar hunters and ancient mound dwellers. Are these people their allies? Or pawns of the perverted, powerful Judge?

After a bloody confrontation with the Judge at Lewis’s grave, Merry and Em limp into Nashville and discover her father at the Parthenon. Just as Merry wrestles with the specter of success in his mission to deliver Em, The Judge intercedes with renewed determination to win Emmaline, waging a final battle for her soul. Merry vanquishes the Judge and earns his redemption. As his spirit fuses with the body of Em’s living father, Merry discovers that immortality lives within the salvation of another, not the remembrance of the multitude.


 {: Author Biography :}

Andra Wakins

Hey. I’m Andra Watkins. I’m a native of Tennessee, but I’m lucky to call Charleston, South Carolina, home for 23 years. I’m the author of ‘To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis’, coming March 1, 2014. It’s a mishmash of historical fiction, paranormal fiction and suspense that follows Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark fame) after his mysterious death on the Natchez Trace in 1809.

I like:

  • hiking
  • eating (A lot; Italian food is my favorite.)
  • traveling (I never met a destination I didn’t like.)
  • reading (My favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo.)
  • coffee (the caffeinated version) and COFFEE (sex)
  • performing (theater, singing, public speaking, playing piano)
  • time with my friends
  • Sirius XM Chill
  • yoga (No, I can’t stand on my head.)
  • writing in bed
  • candlelight

I don’t like:

  • getting up in the morning
  • cilantro (It is the devil weed.)
  • surprises (For me or for anyone else.)
  • house cleaning
  • cooking

Meriwether Lewis | Enters stage right just past the grave:

Watkins has a gift for eluding to the story as its foreshadowed to unfold by giving her readers a nib and a tasting of where her characters are going to lead both the writer and the unsuspecting reader who bemuseful of curiosity picks up the book to engage in the mystery. She cleverly allows the three main protagonists to make a causal, unfiltered entrance whilst giving the reader a nibbling of suspense about the purported dimensional expanse in which they live. One of the reasons I was attracted to reading this particular story is the level of interest in the unknown. For as many near-death experiences there are of those who return back to earth as they stepped out of the light to come back to their earthly lives; there are a multitude of examples of what ‘lies beyond the veil’.

The Meriwether who steps into the forefront of this particular story is a nearly-jaded (here I refer to ‘nearly’ as a piece of his spirit half-hinges himself to a hope he no longer feels possible) downtrodden Meriwether who has lost the will to see the point in his existence. After attempting task after task to sort out where he is and how to exit the in-between world he’s tethered too, you gain the sense he is walking the path between madness and fugue.

Unbeknownst to Meriwether, I do believe is his fatherly nature and tendencies towards children. I think he was plumb aghast at how well he fared whilst in the company of Miss Emmaline. A natural bourne role model for young people, giving them something to chew on by appreciating their worth at their age of youth. He treats her with respect and talks to her straight, allowing her to process what she needs to hear. He listens and he’s attentive and that is one of the best bits to seeing Meriwether in this way. Emmaline humbles his weathered and jaded heart.

My Review of To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis:

The opening bits of To Live Forever surely by George tug quite a heap at your heart-strings! Emmaline is a young girl, all of nine years when her mother strategically out favoured her father in the judge’s eyes for sole custody. The very words sole custody etch out a shuddering straight to the core of a little girl’s soul! Dragged away from the one parent who loved her beyond selfish desires and needs, Emmaline is forced to grasp a hold of the whisperments of her father’s memory until the day could arrive where she could change her stars and reunite with him permanently.

Caught up in the darkest of night behaviours, Emmaline is fated of having a mother whose only intentions towards her daughter are to earn  her keep out of her. I cringed reading the passages of where only Aunt Bertie could save Emmaline’s life from being snuffed out from love completely! A measure of a man’s humanity is oft laid bare by his actions towards his children. If Emmaline’s mother had to stand trial on grounds of character choices and humanity she would no sooner see the daylight again than a bat caught in the nettles of a sewer tunnel! Young Emmaline is gifted by a singular grace of affecting herself to the light within the days she has never quite been free to live within. Her inner spirit hugs her close to the truths of life and its her raw courage which solidifies her ability to reach out to Meriwether in a darkened alley.

Words ooze out of Wakin’s narrative as sweet as a honeycomb to a tending worker bee. She has a way of conveying imagery, both hauntingly dangerous and tragically poignant with the flick of her pen and a dribble of her ink. All of which fuses into a new tangible version of Southern Gothic intermixed with historical fiction purveying the notion that our past is entwined to our present as much as our future. Time is temporal and To Live Forever is a living thesis towards that end. The novel breathes and extends its own narrator around the interjections of the characters on its flattened stage. 

Emmaline and Meriwether’s sojourn trek into the wilds of the Natchez Trace held me reflective of their plight. Not merely to reach Nashville, in order to seek out Emmaline’s father but of the greater disadvantages against them. Of Meriwether never truly seeing himself for the man he was but rather the disillusioned sigh of a lost legacy. Emmaline was still young enough to grow and find in maturity a strong path towards individual freedom. Each of them were tied to a future bent against them by situations out of their control. Striving to forge a better path to walk, they found reassurance in each other knowing that any journey worth taking is sometimes lessened in adversity when shared.

The natural world is the backdrop of To Live Forever, fraught with an indecisive urge to complicate their expedition by presenting new challenges neither of them had yet experienced. For Meriwether he’s being given the chance at redemption, and towards living a half-life of what his life could have been had he lived past his time of death. In Emmaline, I see an urchin of an innocent girl stalwart and strong in her internal hope to carry her through the aching tides of her adolescence. Her courage runs deeper than her confidence due to a few kind souls who crossed her path for the good.

The story is interwoven as a refractive mirror of the Natchez Trace itself. The harder you believe any blight of adversity is in your life to conquer and overcome, the more your spirit will start to believe your too fragile to try anything. The Trace is a test of wills as much as it’s a test of inner fortitude to re-strengthen our shield against unwanted storms and periods of stress which arise out of nowhere. Life can ebb and flow, bobbing us along until we’re ready to see what our eyes blinded us towards revealing. All of our passageways lead us further towards where our feet are meant to land, but what if we hold ourselves back from the greatest revelations of all? Simply because we’re not willing to alight where we’re lead to go? The Trace is unique in that it withholds its past like a tightly woven tapestry. Each piece of its innate soul is stitched inside the weathered path where feet and souls mingled into the mist. There lessons linger and their spirits shudder to grieve.

There is an ever-knowing pool of truth and hope awaiting us around each bend and turn. The people we feel we are ‘randomly’ encountering are the kind of teachers and advisers we might never expect would be important to our growth. Listen with compassion. Be kind to strangers who might one day become a cherished friend. Grow through friendship and rise each day realising the beauty of the hour. Our lives are leading us through the light and back inside it.

 

On Illustrations | Reflective fragments of text:

A delight for someone who appreciates illustration, art, and design as much as I do will appreciate the cover-art splashing out an array of the internal illustrations peppered throughout the novel itself! They arrive rather unexpectedly as you travel through the chapters. A bit of a sketch here, and an elusive sketch over here, attempting to give you another fragmented piece of the whole. I like the old-school approach to the sketches themselves and if I had thought to ask ahead of time, I would have asked Ms. Wakins about their origins whilst I was still composing my Interview which posts on Thursday! The vivid detail in carbon textured visuals is a treat for me, as I always felt one place most novels lose a bit of creative edge is from withholding illustrators from illuminating their novels with art.

There is a geometric shift in book production where stock imagery has morphed away the originality of most cover designs to where its hard to distinguish at times who was the forerunner and who took up the lead from the one who followed next. I miss the uniqueness of book cover art as only a few Indie publishers still strive towards giving us a peek of a view of the internal world inside the stories whilst gracing their covers with conversational stirring projections! I am blessed to host blog tours with the few I am referencing in this paragraph!

Not all book covers yield to this opinion, but you have to admit, how oft do you wander around a bookshoppe and feel as though you’re staring into the sameness of what was already released!? As though if you were to stack a heap of books end to end with each other, they would look like twins rather than fraternal cousins four times removed!? The differences in design and the elements in which covers resonate with us boil down to typography, colour, elemental ornamentation, and a cheeky clever way of cluing the audience in on a ‘slice’ of what they will find revealed by the ending chapters fall close. And, this dear hearts is where Ms. Wakins outshines the lot!

I loved the clever surprise in who “Mister Jack’ was in reality! This nature-loving girl felt all giddy inside when she connected the dots, which nearly occurred half a step ahead of Emmaline!

A note of gratitude on behalf of the author, Ms. Wakins:

I classified this novel several different ways to Sunday under “topics, genres, and subjects” because it fits quite easily into quite a few distinctive areas of literature! For me, its occupying the ethereal space between psychological suspense intermingled with Southern Gothic, with a pinch of Horror-lite (I blame the Judge!)! Horror-lite for me implies that there are bits and bobbles of ‘horror’ thrown in for good measure but not overtly so as to be disturbing or distracting. Once your reading a novel by Ms. Wakins your lulling in the water of the Mississippi, fully aware of where you are but caught up in her stream of lucid dream-state story-telling where you barely notice the darker points around the fringes of the story because your caught up in the adventure of the central plot surrounding Meriwether Lewis!

I earmarked ‘vulgarity in literature’ as a way to reference the lovely gift Wakins wrote into her début novel; with one singular foul-mouthed character she championed every inch of what I have been lamenting about myself for quite a while now on Jorie Loves A Story! That there are far better ways to express yourself and that sometimes, even though you walk a line in life yourself, you cannot always help but encounter a few people who might push your buttons towards one extreme or the other. It’s how you find the balance and how you learn to embrace the ruts in the road which will define your characters in the long run.

Virtual Road Map for “To Live Forever Tour”

To Live Forever Blog Tour via HFVBT

Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours - HFVBTon my Bookish Events page!

{: Natchez Trace Walk :}

Natchez Trace Map
Natchez Trace Map of the walking route Andra Walkins undertook to promote her début novel “To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis”. Map supplied by the author for the virtual blog tour.
The Natchez Trace is a 10,000-year-old road that runs from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Thousands of years ago, animals used its natural ridge line as a migratory route from points in the Ohio River Valley to the salt licks in Mississippi. It was logical for the first Native Americans to settle along the Trace to follow part of their migrating food supply. When the Kaintucks settled west of the Appalachians, they had to sell their goods at ports in New Orleans or Natchez, but before steam power, they had to walk home. The Trace became one of the busiest roads in North America.

An extra special surprise for readers:

Whilst Ms. Wakins undertook the grueling 444 miles walk along the Natchez Trail, she brought a free-spirited funny-bone tickling sense of humour with her as a constant companion on the road! As evidenced through her cheekily humourous responses to “reader submitted author questions” whilst she walked! Filmed wherever she happened to be on the Trace, I implore you to sit back, pull up a comfy chair and a cuppa of your favourite brew! I’d personally go with hot cocoa or fresh brewed hot chai,…

 

[ To Live Forever | Natchez Trace 444 Mile Walk Start ] by Andra Wakins
Start with her video diary Question 1 & watch straight-through!
After you listen to several, come back & add your reflections in the comment threads!

 

To Live Forever is a humbling tale of adventure and the juxtaposition of immortality, death, and life as it evolves throughout our days on earth and what fore-falls us in the next. Atmospherically enriched by characters happily brought forward to meet as you journey with Emmaline and Meriwether. Do you feel you can relate to some of the life lessons and cardinal truths I hinted about in my review!? Have you noticed similar intuitive resonations in your own life which have led to either a renewal of hope or a resolution of an obstacle once on your path?! How did you react when you learnt the author walked the 444 mile Natchez Trace route!? Did you feel as I did that she not only undertook a trail to promote her book, but she re-traced a part of Meriwether Lewis’s life to where the past had a deep impact on the future? A cross-roads of one life intersecting with another? What do you like the best about reading stories like To Live Forever where the writer focuses you to think about ethereal dimensions just outside of our view!?

{SOURCES: Cover art of “To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis”, book synopsis, author photograph of Andra Wakins, author biography, the Natchez Trace map & Natchez Trace Walk Infomation and the tour host badge were all provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. The video by Andra Watkins had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

Comments via Twitter:

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Posted Tuesday, 1 April, 2014 by jorielov in Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Debut Novel, Geographically Specific, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Good vs. Evil, Gothic Literature, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Horror-Lite, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Magical Realism, Meriwether Lewis, Natchez Trace, Naturalist Sketchings, New Orleans, Parapsychological Suspense, Southern Gothic, Time Slip, Vulgarity in Literature, Wildlife Artwork

+Author Interview+ Peter Danish [author of] The Tenor! A historical biographical fiction surrounding Maria Callas, the opera singer!

Posted Monday, 31 March, 2014 by jorielov , , 5 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

{: Peter Danish is welcomed to Jorie Loves A Story :}

Peter Danish is the Classical Music Editor in Chief for BWWClassical.com, the classic music site for BroadwayWorld.com, covering and reviewing the classical music performance in and around New York City and the greater New York Area. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America, he is the playwright of the play: “Gods, Guns and Greed,” as well as the new musical: “The Flying Dutchman.” His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Ad Age, Ad Week and Media Week Magazines.

The Tenor by Peter Danish

I am honoured to welcome Mr. Danish to Jorie Loves A Story on my very *first!* blogoversary! Today marks the day I created a WordPress account & started the foundation of what you see now. What better way to celebrate the joy of being a book blogger for twelve-months than to showcase a début novelist who dug out of the recesses of history a story which etches out a courageous act of selflessness to inspire a story with such depth. An author I might add who shares my passion for ‘Magical Realism’ which is quite possibly the largest groupings of books I aspire to read for “The Classics Club”.

I even have “Winter’s Tale” sitting on my shelf and I fear I might run out of the hours to consume its loveliness before it needs to return to my local library! As I asked the questions on behalf of “The Tenor”, I was most impressed by the responses Mr. Danish supplied, as he gave us a breadth of knowledge for his writing style as much as how research can lend itself its own education for a writer. The historical significance of how one opera singer’s life intersected with a soldier and how the legacy of their actual lives and bond inspired the woman behind the Huffington Post is beyond remarkable! Let us pause from my celebratory mood and listen to his remarkable story of how “The Tenor” was created and given back to the world.

Book Synopsis:

The Tenor is a sweeping tale of historical fiction in the style of Ann Patchett’s “Bel Canto” and De Burniere’s “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” It swiftly moves from Pino Vaggi’s youth in pre-war Italy, to his coming of age as a soldier in war-torn Greece, before ending in a shattering surprise finale at Maria Callas’ historic final performance ever on the stage of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House in 1965. It is based loosely on the stories and anecdotes that I learned from several of Maria Callas’ personal friends and from nearly a dozen trips to Italy and Greece to research the subject.

Pino Vaggi is not like the other children in Italy in 1930. While they play soccer, he listens to opera. By age ten, he is already a child prodigy, an opera singing sensation on the fast track to a major international career. On the eve of his début, WWII breaks out. The theater is closed. The season is cancelled. Pino is drafted. He is stationed in war-torn Athens, where he hears and ultimately falls in love with another child prodigy, the young Maria Callas. There is one major problem: she is the enemy. However, as famine devastates Athens, (a famine created by the diversion of humanitarian aid meant for the Greeks to the Russian front to feed the German Army) the artist in Pino can’t fathom the thought of the greatest singer the world will ever know perishing, especially if he is in a position to prevent it. With a firing squad in the balance, he repeatedly risks his own life to protect and feed the young girl and her family. In the process, his love for her deepens, until something tragic happens – something with devastating consequences that blows the young lovers apart.

When you first learnt of the soldier’s story, to where his survival was not evidenced, did you in turn try to dig through the archives to see if he had lived?

Finding the soldier himself after the war would have been an impossible task. According to the folks I spoke to in Athens, when the Russians ‘liberated’ the city, they were every bit as brutal and ruthless as the Nazis had been. They took no prisoners. So, in all likelihood, the soldier perished there. Even if he had not, immediately following the end of WWII, both Greece and Italy were plunged into civil wars. In the chaos that followed record keeping was not the first thing on peoples’ minds. And of course, there was no internet back then to do the research!

What touched you most about the story whilst giving you the breadth of creating “The Tenor”?

I originally learned the story of the soldier from Arianna Stassinopoulos (now more famously known as Arianna Huffington, of Huffington Post fame) and her biography of Maria Callas. But when I read a half dozen other accounts of her life, none of them mentioned him! So I sought out an old family friend who was a personal friend of Callas (actually a friend of my ex-in-laws – yes, I cared enough to reach out to my ex-in-laws!) He informed me that the story was indeed true, and not only had the soldier existed, but Maria had a school-girl crush on him! And that the two of them often sang together! The fact that they sang together struck me deeply. I just knew he had to be a fellow opera singer, because only another opera singer would have recognized the subtleties, the nuances that separate the good from the great and the great from the once-in-a-lifetime voices.

What was it like to interview friends who knew Maria Callas personally?

It was total joy. We sometimes forget that even the greats, the legends, were also just ordinary people. One acquaintance of hers said that she was actually brilliantly witty with a sardonic sense of humor, even quite ribald at times. Yet, watch all the video of her interviews and performances and you will never find any record, video or otherwise in which she is ever anything short of pure elegance. So, it was delightfully endearing to hear and learn about the person behind the diva.

Did anything stand out to you in those enquiries you had not yet stumbled across!?

Several things! But one thing that particularly struck me was how she hated wasting food. And allegedly would admonish dinner guests about “cleaning their plates”. In some sense, I suppose the lessons and the scars of the war and poverty were ingrained so deeply that they remained a permanent part of her. On the other hand it speaks of a person who in spite of all the diva antics, had a firm grip on what was truly important.

What captured your attention the most about the plausibility of Maria Callas being rescued by an unknown soldier?

That is a very good question! Callas mother became very friendly with several Italian soldiers and encouraged her daughters to be nice and cordially with them. Maria and Jackie would often serenade the soldiers in little impromptu concerts and the soldiers would respond with flour, rice, even the occasional bottle of wine – all in short supply to the Athenians. But the unknown soldier who sat beneath her window and listened to her night after night was especially interesting to me. He cared enough to risk his own life just to hear her sing, but he remained anonymous probably to protect himself from any consequences. Yet, Maria’s audacious disregard for the curfew was really reckless and possibly even suicidal. And in that regard, the young 17 year old girl showed infinitely more courage and moral fortitude than the soldier.

What draws your heart into stories set around the genre Magical Realism?

Magical Realism is possibly my favorite genre of fiction. Partly because it is so infrequently successful. In fact, I think you can probably name on one hand – maybe two hands – all the masterpieces of the genre – but those few, those happy few! Magical Realism is a style that is almost exclusively unique to the printed page and by extension to the mind’s eye of the reader. That makes it very special. The images that the mind conjures up while reading Mark Helprin’s “Winter’s Tale” or Gabriel Garcia Marques “100 Years of Solitude” still give me goosebumps just thinking of them years and years later. The first time that Athansor (Peter Lake’s horse) flies, I held my breath and almost forgot to start breathing again. The swarm of yellow butterflies from 100 Years of Solitude still brings a smile to my lips and tears to the eyes. The impossible and the implausible, the very laws of physics fall before the imagination and the craft of the author. That is what make Magical Realism so wonderful.

When you were a young boy what books drew your eye? And, what were your favourites?

I started reading very young and by the 3rd grade I had consumed most of Agatha Christie’s mysteries and all of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Shortly after, Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels became an obsession. I still love a good detective story a good mystery, but in truth, even though there are now literally thousands of titles in that genre – and I’ve probably read several hundred of them – very very few stick with you. I was talking to a group of writers at a conference a while back and Dean Koontz name came up. He’s sold a gazillion books and made more money than God or the Rolling Stones, and I’ve probably read over a dozen of them. But as we speak, I could not tell you what even one of them was about. While I could tell you the plots of virtually every single Sherlock Holmes story ever written. For me, discovering Russian literature was the turning point. It happened in High School and the first novel was Anna Karennina. After that, it was Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment. Then I discovered Puskin and his verse novels. Finally came War and Peace – easily my favorite book of all time. I find myself quoting from it constantly, over thirty years after I first read it!

How young were you when you first started to write? Who was your best cheerleader?

In grammar school I wrote detective stories – and they were awful! I kept at it though and after a few years – they were still awful. They were sooooooo much harder to write than I imagined! My narrative style of writing didn’t lend itself at all to that style – still doesn’t. But that won’t stop me. I’m nearly done with my first mystery suspense novel as we speak. I’ll keep you posted on it! As far as cheerleaders, I never had any. I come from a family of accountants and they are all totally left-brained. It wasn’t until I met my wife, who is a voracious reader, that I had any encouragement at all. She is and has been my inspiration and my muse.

Opera evokes a lot of passion through vocal story-telling, did you find it difficult to translate this to the page?

Opera is a completely unique art form. It is largely people screaming at each other for hours – those are Luciano Pavarotti’s words not mine! But he’s right, it is almost completely unnatural yet there is something almost otherworldly in its beauty when its done well – a lot like Magical Realism! It’s really impossible to convey the emotion of an aria into mere prose. You try to augment with imagery and metaphors but it’s up to the reader to fully ingest and project their imagination. It was by far the hardest part in the writing of the book. How do you accurately and vividly describe someone singing? I hope I convey at least a small portion of the power and the passion of the music through my prose.

What was your favourite part of your research for “The Tenor”? Did one locality of travel stand out over the other?

The research for The Tenor was done largely in Italy and Greece. The book has three parts: part one takes place in Italy in the 1930s, in the breath-taking Appennine Mountains in the north. The second part takes place in Athens in 1941, when the Italian Army was the occupational force left behind by the Germans after the Nazis had overrun Greece. Part three takes place in New York City in 1965, amid Beatlemania, The World’s Fair, the Civil Rights Movement and most importantly to our story, the return of Maria Callas to the Metropolitan Opera after being banned for nearly a decade. Italy and Greece are almost indescribably beautiful and the research was pure joy. Italy of the 30s, where our protagonist grew up, is idyllic and the village where he was raised could be straight out of “The Sound of Music”. Athens, 1941, is the diametric opposite. There is rampant starvation, people begging in the streets, dead bodies piling up on the curb. The juxtaposition of the stunningly beautiful Italian mountain village against the horror of WWII Athens is critical to the story. Our protagonist, Pino, has led a charmed life in a magical place and suddenly finds his world turned upside down. He’s no longer an artist, he’s a soldier. The beautiful vistas have been replaced by starving children begging in the streets and the bodies of those who have starved to death littering the sidewalks. Pino is completely ill-equipped for this new world, this new reality. Meeting dozens of old folks who were there at the time, who had lived through the occupation was by far the most rewarding part of the research. I often played dominoes and backgammon in the parks with them for hours on end, and listened to their stories. They were priceless. In fact they were so special that I have incorporated many of the stories and even the people into THE TENOR. I have compressed several people into characters in the book. I think you will be able to figure out who are the real characters without too much difficulty!

What did you learn personally by writing this story?

The one thing that immediately stuck out in my mind was just how incomplete my education was. I think of myself as a student of history and I am a voracious reader of historical tomes, yet I had no idea whatsoever about half the things I learned during my research. Just to name a few, I did not know that the Russian’s had concentration camps. I thought that the Nazis were the only ones, but that was not the case. I met several old Italian men who were soldiers in the Italian Army that were captured and interred in camps. In addition, and most sadly, I never even heard of the “Great Famine of 1941” that took the lives of nearly a half million Greeks. Far more Greeks died of starvation during WWII than in battle. I never read anything about that in any of my history books.

Did the Callas family read the final draft? What were their impressions?

I didn’t send the manuscript to any of Callas’ relative because the book is first and last a work of fiction. And when people read historical fiction, the tendency is to examine historical accuracy down to the minutest detail. All of the characters in the book are fictional – although some are composites of several people and others are loosely based on real people. Just showing the manuscript to people who knew her was tough enough! Some said: “that’s EXACTLY what she would have said!” Others said: “she would NEVER say that!” So in the end, I had to allow my own imagination and intuition guide me.

Did writing “The Tenor” inspire you to seek out other unknown historical stories?

Writing THE TENOR did inspire me to research several peripheral historical stories. I am actually putting the finishing touches on my next novel – which takes place in Bosnia in the former Yugoslavia and it deals with the children who were seeing visions of the Virgin Mary during the war there. THAT was quite a research job! But that’s a story for another interview.

Describe your perfect day.

Here is a photo of ‘heaven’. My wife Sanela on the top of Bear Mountain (in NY) sitting under a tree, looking out at the valley, a cup of coffee and a good book! My perfect day: waking up just before dawn, making a thermos of fresh coffee and homemade bread, heading up to the mountains and sitting in the middle of nature with my coffee, my bread and a good book. Heaven.

Author Connections:

Follow Peter Danish online: Site | Facebook | Twitter

Converse via: #TheTenorVirtualTour & #MariaCallas

I want to thank Mr. Danish for giving me such a wonderful reflective conversation on his intuitive writing style and for his appreciation of books and stories which fit under the spell of ‘Magical Realism’! I too, fancy biographical fiction and stories of this kind because they are not merely suspensions of reality and time itself which can become bent and yielded against the narrative, but they are glimpses into the possibilities which exist just past where our imagination circumvents the plausible! I am thankful his début novel was offered through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, as I might not have come to discover it as quickly as I have! My gratitude is his for giving all of us a lot to ponder about in his replies to my questions!

And, in closing I am thankful to all the dear hearts who have travelled with me on this journey! You entered my life on my blog’s birthday (6 August, 2014 or thereafter) but several of you supported me whilst I was in the process of going live! I appreciate your support and your willingness to give a new book blogger such a fantastic first year! For those of you who have been with me within the first seven months Jorie Loves A Story has been ‘visible’ I applaud you for giving my comprehensive approach to book blogging a nod of gratitude! I was originally going to post a reflective missive but decided this was better in the end! Why not march into the next twelve-months celebrating the joy of interacting with authors for without whom I would not have a blog! Their dedication to their craft and the stories they lit alive in our mind’s eye provide me with endless hours of appreciation!

This Author Interview is courtesy of:

The Tenor Tour via HFVBT

check out my upcoming bookish events and mark your calendars!

Drop back on Jorie Loves A Story, on 4 April, 2014 when I review “The Tenor”!

You will not want to miss my ruminations!

Virtual Road Map of “The Tenor” Tour:

Be sure to leave a note in the comment threads for Mr. Danish! I would be especially interested in hearing if your a regular reader of war dramas and if so, which particular war era draws your eye the most!? Do you appreciate stories which evoke a reprieve from reality and enter into the hidden dimensional space habituated by Magical Realism? Do you enjoy reading biographical fiction based on living persons or would you prefer to read a non-fiction piece instead? I welcome you to start a conversation in the comment threads and I look forward to conversing with you!

And, thanks for dropping by Jorie Loves A Story!

{NOTE: Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.}

{SOURCES:  The Tenor Book Cover, synopsis, and tour badge were provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and were used by permission. I requested an Author Interview with Ms. Bruno to run in conjunction with my book review of  “The Tenor” as I wanted to enquiry about the writer’s inspiration for conceiving the story! I received the replies in return from the author via Ms. Bruno. Author Interview badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Monday, 31 March, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, Aftermath of World War II, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Debut Novel, Geographically Specific, Greece, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Italy, Magical Realism, Maria Callas, New York City, Passionate Researcher, Reader Submitted Author Interview, The World Wars, The Writers Life, Writing Style & Voice

Sunday Showcase #1 :: Jumping my holds, a touch of steam, & magical realism!

Posted Monday, 12 August, 2013 by jorielov 5 Comments

Showcase Sunday

{Official Blurb} Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie and the Story Siren, the aim of Showcase Sunday is to highlight our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders each week.

When your home branch is closed on a Monday,…

You get the widely inspiring idea to JUMP YOUR HOLDS, by first sorting out which branch(es) have the books in question, and then, in a mad-dash til close, whip around to both and pick up the following:

  • Steampunk: an anthology by Ann Vandermeer; I am not usually drawn to read anthologies,…
  • Not Less than Gods by Kage Baker; One of the few times I’ll break my ‘not to read out of sequences’ rule!
  • The Clockwork Man by William Jablonsky; I only wish they had found an artist to render the Clockwork Man!!!

The reason your rather desperate to collect the books, all of a Steampunky variety, is because your first book of choice was a bit beyond your depth of understanding, as your footing in Steampunk is thus far just beginning! You have the heart and desire to understand the genre, but you haven’t yet achieved the history of the genre! Hence, the mad-dash to the library, whereupon you find that despite the odd request to ‘jump your holds’, you find the librarians are accommodating, if slightly not understanding the rush to pick them up! I tried to explain it was for a contributing piece I was submitting for a Steampunk event in the blogosphere, but I realised there was a bit of a disconnect in what I was attempting to explain! Of the three books I was able to pick up, its “The Clockwork Man” that I had the highest hopes of being “the book!” that I would find I wanted to review for “The Clockwork Carnival”!! And, guess what!? It not only grabbed me by the opening pages, as the story unfolds through peeking into a personal’s private journal, but I settled into the story knowing it would not be the last book I’d read with a steampunky theme!!

Librarian Assistance, please!

A quick glimpse at your card catalogue confirmed what you already had known by the remote access catalogue, that looking up Steampunk books in your library, is a lesson in futility!! Goodness!! I went back to the help desk to ferret out a bit of help in my search, as I knew even though I couldn’t read all the books [at least not in the first week!] I would be taking home with me, I had to at least make a dent in understanding what the library had to offer! This is when I met the YA Librarian for the first time! She was quite lovely, highly knowledgable, and patiently wrote down title after title that was in that location’s YA section, as well as placing holds on the books that were elsewhere!! I loved that she was as enthused about Steampunk as I was, as the first librarian I spoke too, appeared a bit indifferent at the mentioning of ‘airships’ and ‘Victorian technology’. I suppose it helps to seek out the right librarian to speak too! Thankfully, she informed me that if I were ever able to come back on a Monday, her and the Children’s librarian would be there to answer any future questions OR research requests for books & authors!

And, then you suddenly realise you only thought you would be fetching your ‘jumped holds’, and rather instead noticed that the large canvas sack you brought with you is rather paltry compared to the *STACK!* your carting off!

It began rather earnestly and innocently, as I was all wrapped up in excitement over “The Clockwork Carnival” arriving in towne! Esteemed that I would finally be able to dig my heels and clocks into the heart of a genre that I have struggled to get a foothold in myself! I obtained where they kept the science fiction & fantasy shelves, and promptly slipped into the stacks! I never know what to look for exactly, so I went with the basic instinct that the titles would ‘speak to me’ in that hidden language that all readers can attest to hearing,… “clocks”, “gears”, “steamships”, “trains”, “airships”, “Victorian-era”, “London”, or anything that would be plausible to be “of a Steampunk variety”. Interspersed with the Steam, I just couldn’t help myself when I started to find books that fell under “Magical Realism” because ever since I met the Golem & the Jinni, I am quite literally craving more of this genre!! Notice how an Austen book snuck into my bag!?

  • Skybreaker {Book Two: Airborn series} by Kenneth Oppel; Whoopsies! I need book one!
  • Goliath {Book Three: Leviathan series} by Scott Westerfield
  • Worldsoul by Liz Williams
  • Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
  • Clockwork Angel {Book One: Infernal Devices trilogy} by Cassandra Clare; When I saw this book was part of the stack, I nearly hesitated as I remembered that the first time I discovered this book a few years ago, I was all excited for it, until I finally checked it out, and I do not remember getting past page 1, chapter 1!! Maybe the timing was wrong, OR maybe as the case tends to be,… I am not a reader who fits into the mainstream category of Steampunk! Not sure!}
  • The Search for WondLa {Book One: WondLa series} by Tony DiTerlizzi  ; I sort of  have high hopes for this book & its sequel! 
  • A Hero for WondLa {Book Two: WondLa series} by Tony DiTerlizzi
  • The Daedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy by Johanna Sinisalo & David Hackston; I truly need to read world literature!
  • Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic by Brett Cox & Andy Duncan ; The title alone had me curious!
  • Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke ; I had just read about this book!
  • The White Forest by Adam McOmber ; One of the books I appear to check out yet run out of time to read!
  • Galileo’s Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson ; Another second attempt book!
  • I was Jane Austen’s Best Friend by Cora Harrison; It spoke to me from the shelf! laughs.

I am going to attempt to read a selection of the books mentioned above to celebrate the last week of: “The Clockwork Carnival”!! I’ve been reading the posts over there, eager to see my review go live, and hoping to settle into a few more author’s styles of Steampunk, as I am learning that Steampunk encompasses ever so much more than Victorian London and airships! Sometimes I notice that the Steampunk is more subtle than explosive, and I love the intense variety that I am finding! I am curious, which books and authors of Steampunk do you enjoy yourself!? OR, is it a genre that either hasn’t yet been explored, or you’ve decided to bypass!?

By Friday, I was able to get to my home branch, where I was happy to speak about JLAS with the librarians who have always been supportive of me and of whom I have been esteemed to know over the years! More of the YA Librarian’s suggestions floated in, as well as the first batch of Austen in August choices that I had placed on hold! Eek! I am truly excited now that I get to take a ganderment of the books up close and personal! :)

  • Behemoth {Book Two: Leviathan series] by Scott Westerfield
  • Leviathan {Book One: Leviathan series} by Scott Westerfield {part of the Leviathan series: oh, my dear stars! I clicked over to his website, to see what this series involves, when I stumbled across the Leviathan series page,… scroll down, and just sit in awe of the illustrations! I love that he went old school, and brought back the illustrative glintings of stories! The pictures of life are etched into a realism that brings his story to life, at least for me! The airship landing in Hyde Park is my favourite! Not to mention the atmosphere of his site in general is full of clocks, cogs, and gears! Lovely!} Thank you, YA Librarian! The only concern I have is how brutal the war might be, and the level of light verse dark inside the arc of the storylines, but otherwise, I appreciated the learning curve in seeing an author seeking out illustrative art rather than modern cover art variations that are more stock photo collages than original illustrations.
  • Steamed: A Steampunk Romance by Kate MacAlister; I have no idea what to expect! Laughs.
  • The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow; Always felt a bit cheeky and a bit adventurous of a story!
  • Stitches in Time by Barbara Michaels
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern; I thought this was an interesting concept when it first came out!
  • The Archived by Victoria Schwab; The premise is unique as it’s based on a library that contains the souls of those who are archived into the library itself!
  •  Pride and Prescience or A Truth Universally Acknowledged by Carrie Bebris; A series I always meant to get into!
  • Two Shall Become One: Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Pride and Prejudice Continues by Sharon Lathan; A new find!
  • The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater; One of the many finds I made awhile ago!
  • The Independance of Miss Mary Bennett by Colleen McCullough; I knew I wanted to read this when it came out, but I always found myself distracted! I had no idea it was written by the author of “The Thornbirds!”

I promise I will have more reading adventures to speak about by time next Sunday arrives, as it will be the eve of Bout of Books 8.0, as much as I will be reading at least three of the books for Austen in August! I simply needed a bit of time to relax and unwind from the hard push I made towards going LIVE with Jorie Loves A Story! I am thankful to see that I am growing a readership, with new visitors stopping by each day, and a few returning visitors as well! Likewise, I appreciate everyone who has thus far left me comments, as I enjoy reading the feedback, as some of what was related to me has helped me tweak JLAS to be a bit more visually friendly than it was on Launch Day! :) As well as making sure readers can follow me a bit easier through: Bloglovin’, Blog Nation, FeedBlitz, and Email Updates on New Posts! All of which is at the bottom of my left sidebar for your convenience! :)

Curious whilst I was practically hibernating behind the scenes, as far as putting a full halt on reading is concerned, how was everyone else’s week!? Read anything wickedly exciting!? Shift into a new genre, you weren’t expecting to embark down!? Read any awesomely bookish newsbits on bookish blogs!? OR, did you simply relax into a book, put up your feet, and have a cuppa tea or coffee near you as you soaked in the story!? Have you read any of the books I brought home!?

Be sure to visit, Showcase Sunday’s Link Up Page for this week’s Meme, in order to scope out what everyone else is reading!

 {SOURCES: Showcase Sunday badge provided by for participants
to use to promote the weekly meme by Books,  Biscuits, & Tea.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Monday, 12 August, 2013 by jorielov in Magical Realism, Showcase Sunday, Steampunk

A swirlment of folklore surging to life in New York City,… “The Golem and the Jinni” by Helene Wecker, a debut novelist who captured my heart

Posted Wednesday, 17 July, 2013 by jorielov , , 13 Comments

Parajunkee DesignsThe Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Published by: HarperCollins Publishers, April 2013.

Page Count: 496 Converse on Twitter: #GolemandtheJinni

Borrowed Book By: My local library for which I am forever grateful in seeking out fantastical new writers, who pen brilliantly conceived worlds with the breath of a realm just past ours! I know one day I want this book to be amongst those treasured books in my personal library!

What captivated me to wish to drink in the narrative, whilst I discovered it amongst the stacks of books featured on Book Browse? I think it was the premise that sparked a curiosity that would only become quenched if I were to drink in the narrative. Sometimes I feel as though the books speak to me, in that, it’s the full effect of their presence,… from premise to cover art to the foreboding idea of what may lie beneath of the pages. I get a sense that I am drawn to certain titles moreso than others. You have to admit, to embark on an adventure that spans centuries and involves mystical and fantastical elements of magical proportions packs quite the appealment! Over on the author’s website, you will find a hearty excerpt, as well as bonus information on the neighbourhoods in New York City, as much as the characters which you can find on the right toolbar whilst your reading the excerpt! To seek out more information behind the scenes of the book, read the articles threaded through the Jewish Book Council.

 Read an Excerpt of the Novel:

The Golem and the Djinni – Helene Wecker extract by HarperCollinsPublishersUK

Inspired to Share: I think anytime you’re giving the gift of hearing an author speak about their book is a moment you do not want to bypass! I haven’t always been able to travel to book signings or author lectures, but through the availability of author interviews online, I am finding that I enjoy hearing in their own words why they choose a particular story to tell. Listen to hear Ms. Wecker speak about a book that is stitched close to her heart.

Interview with Helene Wecker, author of “The Golem and the Jinni”,

by HarperBooks, which is part of HarperCollins, the publisher.

This interview became a private video at some point between when I first shared it and now.
– February, 2022.

By the Time I reached Page 34: I had settled into the atmosphere of the setting and the presumption of knowing what I might be in for as the story progressed forward, as both the Golem and the Jinni had made their individual appearances. I was struck by similarities to other fantasy characters I had already become acquainted with, as with the Jinni I was reminded instantly of “Q”: the arrogantly curious omnipotence being who could not detach himself from humans due to his disgust with the simplicity of the species and the curious nature behind their innate humanity.

Two entities bound by an infinite level of what they can yield and achieve, yet struck down by boredom, impertinence, and impatience! {Q is a character from Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek”, a series of four tv serials and eight motion pictures by which I loved whilst growing up and continue to appreciate to this day! Q was portrayed by the incomparable John d’ Lancie who made him endearing to watch!} Whereas the Golem, took on a few hintings of Troi, {Another reference to Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek”.}, where the Golem struggled to deal with the voices she overheard whilst amongst humans, because she emphatically and telepathically was connected to their innermost thoughts and desires. Yet, reminded me more of Data, in the struggle towards being more human! Both entities shared the common element of being made by man and for man’s purposes, at least initially. Her ability to be self-aware and learn from her experiences also held Data in my mind as I began to know more of her character.

From there, as those were my initial points of reference to sink further into the world Ms. Wecker had created,… I was enjoying the references of cultural heritages, immigrations through Ellis Island, and noting the author’s use of the Five Elements, Plus One: the Golem {of Clay}, the Jinni {of Fire}, Humans {of Earth},… which led my mind to speculate a sequel involving Air and Water! And, how intriguing it would be to stitch all of this together! I was not even sure at first if this would be the type of story that I could comfortably sink myself into, as although I used to read quite a heap of science fiction and fantasy novels, it’s been half an age since I last picked one up! It’s always been my fervent intention, if not desire, to regain a passion for this part of literature, and as the words drenched through my eyes and permeated my imagination; I felt that for once, I might have stumbled across a way back into the genre I’ve ached for since I was seventeen! The very moment upon which the genre was vibrantly enticing, entirely new, and easily able to be read! It’s a wonderful moment for a reader to find their way back into a section of literature they once feared they’d have to abandon completely!

I Always Appreciate a Wordsmith: And, Ms. Wecker is amongst my favourites in this regard, because she chooses to entice your mind and imagination with a palette of textural rich incantations of literary narrative! She has the ability to write a viscerally stimulating setting set in distinctively enriched cultural neighbourhoods of New York City with a clarity that befools your mind into not realising we’re currently in the 21st Century whilst reading this book in hand! Your drawn back into the past, as the veils of time reveal a world where immigrants lived with a constant fear of not fitting in or being understood. Where they hoped to re-create a new life for themselves, but always questioned if they were succeeding. A world where you could either make it or break it based on the resolve and strength you carried within you when you travelled by boat to the New World.

I couldn’t drink in her narrative fast enough, and even then, I debated if I should be so very hungry and thirsty for the next page, because I didn’t want to run like lightning through such an enriched text! I wanted to linger as I absorbed the sights, sounds, and aromas of each neighbourhood and crevice of space that is shared with us. We take a journey alongside the characters, as we’re introduced to not only two remarkably unique characters, in the “Golem” herself and in the “Jinni” himself, but the passageways that led them to New York City. Oh how I appreciate a wordsmith who delicately weaves her tale into our mind’s eye with a bewitching vernacular!

Ruminatively Inclined to Muse About: The original necessity of conjuring a Golem and the mythlogical-mysticism surrounding the Jin! This book encompasses such haunting notions of a man-made creature brought to life from clay, though upon a bit of superficial digging into the origins of Golems, I learnt that they can be conjured from more than mere clay, but always by the hand of man, not God. In fact, that is a distinction that is proposed in the story itself, as how can a creature of man, be not only curious about God, but question how faith and religion plays a part in their existence as much as mankind? There are overlapping topics that draw a breath of digging deeper than mere folklore surging to life in a city that many are intrigued and fascinated by each year. The very essence of self-identity, self-awareness, faith, religion, ethnical heritage, cultural identity, self-worth, ethics and logic, good vs. evil, and the oldest of adages, best not to meddle in affairs that we are not meant to muddle into much less grasp! I appreciated the underpinnings of Jewish and Arabic mythologies interwoven into the plot, which I learnt by way of the interview posted here were inspired directly by Ms. Wecker’s own background and that of her husband’s! To cultivate a novel that gives a plausible thesis with a difficult resolution is one of literary brilliance.

A Lasting Impression: The Golem and the Jinni is a classic premise of star-crossed lovers who do not realise they’re meant to be in each other’s lives. The story is a play on Pride and Prejudice as well, as you become introduced to Ahmed {the Jinni} and Chava {the Golem}, they tend to take on counterparts of characters you might already love as I do. Yet, there are distinctive differences as well. I appreciated the fragility and flawed character of Chava, who despite all her best efforts and attempts to becoming a humanoid, she must render herself hinged to her nature as a Golem. This startling fact for her, is not a surprise to the reader as there are enough facts pointed out to this regard, but to read her reaction and her acceptance of this was done with a deft hand! Nature or Nurture is a heavily argued point to understand the underpinnings of one’s personality and traits of action. 

It’s not all whittled down into black and white principles or plausible scientific explanations either. This is a running play of acknowledging that even if you think you know a particular subject, there is always the possibility that the subject is going to surprise you, and take you to places you hadn’t yet fathomed to be true.

The Jinni, Ahmed is as arrogant as they come, determined to place himself superior above all others, even if his actions are a hazard to those he chooses not to attach himself too. He’s the complete opposite of Chava, who being an empathic being is well and fully aware of human emotions and the counter balance it takes to live amongst them. She is constantly aware of the consequences of both thought and action. Whereas Ahmed is more concerned with his own affairs and his own needs to even consider another person first. This tug of war between their character traits and the way in which they choose to live ultimately has a high price for those in their inner circles.

Each were set on a course to learn and grow out of their experiences in a place neither expected to be. They each succumb to their inherent natures, but I feel only one of them is able to change the other for the good. Because one of them is stronger than the other as far as knowing how to make good on what has been turned for the bad. Their journey leads not to a resolution of sorts to overcome their individual obstacles towards true freedom, but rather too a junction point that leads them to question everything they felt they knew thus far along. And, in that conclusion the reader has to sit back and ponder the true meaning behind “The Golem and the Jinni”, for was it a journey of theirs that you took or an inward journey of understanding the limitations of humanity?

 

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker,

Book Trailer by HarperBooks, which is part of HarperCollins, the publisher.

It Should Be Known: I am always excited by the curious peculiarities of the frequency of serendipitous discoveries! In the world of books, I can attest to having many an adventure of coming upon a book, a book that I might not yet feel a warming towards, only to become further entranced by its premise and the curious nature of ‘what I could find inside it’s pages’ to the brink that I simply MUST find a copy to give myself the ability to decide for myself, “Is this or is this not a book I am attracted too rather than simply being infatuated with?” Within the trailer, there is a brief cursory mentioning of “The Night Circus” and “A Discovery of Witches”,… the first was a book of interest the year it originally published although the reasoning behind ‘why’ I wanted to read it remained elusive; and the latter is a book I plucked off the shelf of the library on an ordinary ‘library run’ which led me to realise the author was soon to be featured on Booktalk Nation,… yet… the stars did not align for me. Not to read either book OR to participate in the Booktalk Nation event. Isn’t it curious then, that this book in particular, by which I was able to read at a moment I was most keen too, leads me back to these!?

Fly in the Ointment: I was most distracted by the scene [opening pages of Chapter Twelve] by which Chava returns to the Rabbi’s flat after he has passed on,… she runs into Michael, his nephew at the door, and the exchangement of dialogue felt out of context for what she would normally have said much less thought: it was too peculiar, as she seemed to ‘understand’ the process of a Jewish passing far more than she’s meant too, and the whole scene reeked of a displacement for me! It was nearly as if this was a part of a re-edit that went terribly wrong OR was not fully congealed to the rest of the story — I ran it through my mind and if it was left out completely, it wouldn’t have affected my understanding the flow of the story. After a second reading of the same scene, after having gone well past it’s section {nearly a quarter further into the story!}, I denoted what the main issue actually was! Chava was responding to Michael with the presumption that she was reading his thoughts, but there was an absence of his internal voice from this sequence of dialogue and narrative exchangements! That is precisely what I had picked up on, but hadn’t registered fully because I was too entranced to lament what stoked my ire! This small absence felt a jutting away from Chava’s character straight down to her personality traits and how she interacts with humans.

Cliffhanger Ending: I will admit, that I was twenty pages out when the book was recalled to the library, and I didn’t want to forsake my enjoyment of the story’s conclusion by rushing the pages and missing out on the experience! I never want to skip over dialogue or narrative for the sake of completing a novel, but at the very same time, I was betwixt what to do, as I felt for certain this book would be a ‘must read’ selection at the library! Imagine my gobsmacked expression when I learnt it was returning back with me! No one had placed a hold!? That was beyond shocking to me! I’ll admit, when I first picked up the book, as the initial pages started to prop up the images in my mind,… I wasn’t certain if I’d fully enjoy reading this story or if I would be too far afield in a narrative I was not used too.

Yet. At the ending chapters, I found myself moving into a place I wasn’t expecting to land: the quagmire of a cliffhanger! Perhaps its the optimist in me that hopes for a resolution that characters can live with OR either accept if the cards do not come to pass their way,… but to exit a novel such as this with a cliffhanger ending was not something I had surmised for myself! Sophia’s character had a mere passing of thought after her main appearance at a pivotal moment for the Jinni {which I will not reveal here as it’s too gutting to even think of spoilting it for a reader!}. And, then there is the Golem and the Jinni themselves who more or less are left with an ambiguous ending of this part of their journey! I closed the book half aghast at myself for being so properly irked! I felt a bit short-changed I suppose, because more than anything, I thought everything leading up to those pages was preparing me for the inevitable! Saleh I think had the easier path in the end, as he ultimately did find the peace he sought so hard to achieve. It’s Ahmed and Chava that I am concerned about, and wonder if my original ideas about Water and Air might play a part in what I hope will be a sequel? How can we forevermore not know the conclusion!? Surely there is a door to unlock this literary key!? Read More

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Posted Wednesday, 17 July, 2013 by jorielov in 19th Century, Author Interview, Book Browse, Book Trailer, Cliffhanger Ending, Debut Novel, Equality In Literature, Fly in the Ointment, Folklore and Mythology, Magical Realism, New York City, Scribd, Time Slip