Tag Archives: author interviews

Chit-chatting with “Bristol House” author Beverly Swerling

Posted on by

0

Bristol_House.cover

If you’re anything like myself, you probably dream of traveling the world one day, meeting lots of people and being inspired by the places you see and the people that enter your lives in these unknown lands. I would give anything to just leave Calgary and go to Europe for a year, but sadly I can only imagine it. Beverly Swerling, however, has done that. In fact, she’s lived all of Europe. She’s a simply fascinating woman and I recently had the chance to chat with her about her life, her experiences, her career and her newest book Bristol House.

Beverly Swering author photo (credit Sigrid Estrada)

Life is as busy as ever nowadays. How do you find the time to sit down and write?
I’m a very disciplined writer. Once I begin a book I write every morning—truly every single morning, unless someone dies or I am so ill I cannot lift my head—from around 6 a.m. until 10 to 10:30 a.m. Then I open my office door, pick up my e-mail, and let the world in. The key to the above is that little phrase, “Once I begin…” Getting to that critical moment is sometimes pure hell. I can find a million reasons why now is not the time to start a new book.

You’ve been writing for many years now… At what point in your life did you realize that writing was the path you were going to follow in life, abandoning the idea of a stable career in another field?
It’s what I wanted to do from the time I was around 9. After college I took any kind of cockamamie job I could find—file clerk, waiting tables—until I was finally eking out a bare living stringing words together. Mind you, not novels in those days. I didn’t have the guts to try a novel until I’d been a freelance journalist for nearly a decade. Fiction is way harder than non-fiction.

You’ve lived in Europe twice. What made you decide to leave everything behind and start somewhere new? Where did you live in Europe and what drew you there?
The first time my reasoning was simply that it was another of those things I’d always wanted to do. I had the chance and took it. (Interviewing for hospitals who wanted to hire Irish nurses. Then writing their stories for various mags.) Second time was more complicated and based on family considerations. I’ve lived in Ireland, England, France, Spain, and the Canary Islands (which belong to Spain and where Spanish is spoken—but different from Spain in many ways).

Do you think you were, in any way, influenced by your life in Europe when it comes to your stories?
Definitely! It’s not only the places I’ve lived that add to my novels in description, etc. I think “place” is hugely important in fiction. Almost another character. And I’m frequently interested in/writing about the reactions of an American to other places. Which is usually coloured by the fact that, except for native Americans, all of us came from “other places” one, two, three generations back…

What events in your life led you to write Bristol House? What were your inspirations for writing such a novel?
Bristol House has been lying in wait for me for 20+ years. The saga began the first time I saw the London flat in the story—No 8 Bristol House on Southampton Row—which belongs to my son’s in-laws. I was overwhelmed by how quintessentially English it was and knew I’d put it in a book someday. Soon after that we were loaned the flat for a London stay. One day I was walking down a nearby street and I heard a group of very plumy English accents behind me, women talking and laughing. When I turned around no one was there. Then I noticed that the house beside me had a plaque commemorating the fact that Lady Ottoline Morrell had lived there. She was a great patron of the arts who helped T.S. Eliot, and was close to one of my heroines, Virginia Woolf. I felt as if I’d stumbled on a “wrinkle in time,” though I could never reproduce the experience. All of that combined to become a novel in which the back bedroom of No. 8 is a place where two different eras meet, though in the case of Bristol House the historical section is based on Tudor times, not the time of the Bloomsbury Group.

As you began to write Bristol House, what were your fears? 
That I could not do justice to a novel that combined the really complex contemporary plot I envisioned for the modern thriller section, and the very human drama of the Tudor period—which I knew right away had to be told by two different first person voices who were, I knew, speaking from “after death.” None of that was going to be easy to pull off.

What challenges and obstacles did you face as you wrote your novel? What was surprisingly easy for you? 
I’m trying to tell a story about profound and ongoing Anti-Semitism through the ages, that also addresses real questions of religious belief. The hard part is doing that in a way that readers will find believable. The easy part was getting into the minds of both the Jewish and Catholic characters. Happens my background includes both traditions—so whichever side you’re on, I’ve got skin in the game.

Who were your biggest supporters for this novel? How did they help you?
My biggest supporter is always my wonderful husband, and in the case of Bristol House, my agent Marly Rusoff. And Clare Ferraro, editor of Viking, who got what I was trying to do with this book from the first minute. And Carole DeSanti, my editor at Viking, who was willing to aggressively engage with a strong willed author—so in the end we got something better than either of us could produce alone. And the publicity and marketing people at Viking have been wonderful.

What is the most important lesson readers can take away from Bristol House, and what will surprise them?
I hope what they’ll take away is that nothing is necessarily what it seems. And that truth is not always limited to what we can perceive with our five senses. As for the surprise…in a novel planned to work first as a thriller, I hope the ending is a real surprise.

Can you relate to any of the characters in Bristol House? If so, how?
I’m always a little bit of all my characters. Mostly, though I am not an alcoholic, I relate to Annie’s wish to have been able to better use her gifts, and to forgive herself for her failings.

In a Tweet-sized summary (150 characters or less), tell me what Bristol House is about! 
A tale set in the 16th and 21st centuries, wherein a monk and historian meet and hurtle toward destinies 500 years apart, yet on a collision course.

What was your writing routine like? Did you listen to certain types of music? Drink certain beverages? Write in certain locations? Is your writing routine the same for each novel you write or does it vary?
As above, I write every morning, in my office, for 3 to 3.5 hours minimum. No music. Have to have complete silence. I’m afraid I scream if I hear anyone else in the house talking too loud.

Just for fun, I want to know your five favourites: author, musician/musical group, city, historical moment, animal—and why.
Well, authors: James Clavell, Donna Leon, Gillian Flynn, Emma Donoghue and Virginia Woolf’s non-fiction.
Music: Itzhak Perelman on the violin, Yo Yo Ma on the cello—also Jacqueline DuPre on the same instrument. And the NY Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera. And I adore Cold Play. And Gregorian chant, particularly as done by the nuns of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem CT.
Cities: New York, London and Paris. But I also love Arrecife, capital of Lanzarote in the Canaries.
Too many historical moments to name, but examples: Lincoln speaking at his second inaugural. What the founding fathers said to each other in that conference that came up with the US Constitution. The liberation of Paris at the end of WWII.
Animal: My darling little mutt, Daisy, 20 lbs of pure unadulterated love.

What has your writing experience been like so far?
In the words of the L. I. Medium (see, I’m confessing to watching endless hours of trash TV—my favorite relaxation) “This is not just my work, it’s my life.”

You’re a seasoned writer. What advice would you give to aspiring authors or those early on in their writing career?
Decide if it’s worth it to you, if you really HAVE to do it. Because the price you’ll pay is very high. The lows are abysmal. You can spend years on a book that goes nowhere. But the highs, the rewards, can be enormous in terms of satisfaction, and yes, very, very occasionally economic. (Though it will help a very great deal if you can marry well.  Or claim a comfortable trust fund.)

If you would like to win a copy of Bristol House, enter here! (Unfortunately this giveaway is restricted to US residents only.)

Otherwise the book hits shelves today!

Feast Island: Book Review

Posted on by

1

Feast Island Front Cover

Book Review #21: Feast Island

Author: Tamar Hela

Genre: YA Fiction/Fantasy

Days to Read: 1 week

Companion Tea: David’s Tea Coco Chai Rooibos

Synopsis (as taken from Barnes & Noble): Seven teenagers from Northern California are assigned a seemingly innocent group project for their Freshman English class. Little do they know, this project will take them on a journey out of this world—literally. Cantelia appears much like Earth until the kids realize magic is as plentiful as the wildlife surrounding them. What’s at stake is much more than they can fathom, especially since they are part of an ancient prophecy. A dark and evil ruler is enforcing a curse on the tribes people of Sikuku Island—the same place where the kids have been transported. Now, they must help the islanders break the curse if they ever want to see their own planet again. Join Alex and her friends as they learn there is so much more beyond their comfortable lives in Pollock Pines and its legendary lake, Spirit Lake.

My Thoughts: Back in August of last year I was a part of Tamar Hela’s blog tour to publicize her debut young adult novel. As a participant of her tour, she sent me copy of Feast Island to review as well, and sadly it has taken me this long to actually read it.

Let it be known that I still, even at the age of 21, love YA books. And I knew this was a YA book going into it, but from how I interpreted the summary, I expected the protagonist and side characters to be closer to adulthood — like around 16, the typical age of YA book. So you can imagine my surprise when I started getting into the mind of a 14 year old. But I was pleased by the way the main character, Alex, was portrayed throughout the book. The language, tone and word choices Hela used in Feast Island was very accurate for a 14 year old girl. I know this because when I used to write stories at that age, my writing style was very much like Hela’s. Sometimes I find that when authors write YA books, they tend to write maturely for young teenagers. This wasn’t the case for Hela, though, because I believed that Alex was 14. She worried about all the things I used to worry about at that age: my braces, crushes, family, confidence, etc. You could see her grow, even just a tiny bit, over the course of the book, as well as her peers. Sure, each character was stereotypical, but I didn’t really mind because I find that when people are that age, they tend to see people as stereotypes. I have a feeling though that as the books continue, Alex will learn that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to her newfound friends.

Characters and writing style aside, the plot was unique. I enjoyed the pacing of the plot even though I wasn’t altogether surprised by any of the turn of events. I loved the idea of a separate world from our own, with different cultures and languages. I’m a sucker for fantasy novels, and I was hooked to Feast Island from the start. I won’t say what all happens in the book, obviously, but I need to discuss one thing that irked me about the story. Or two things for that matter. One, I wasn’t a fan of the ultimate climax. I found myself just reading that part for the sake of reading it, but I didn’t find it believable. How could three tribes, who have done nothing but hate each other for years, all of a sudden just band together for one battle? It makes no sense that it was the children that influenced this, because they hardly did anything. There should have been more added to this — perhaps a battle that took place on the front of one of the tribes, and that tribe calling the other tribes for help but no one comes through. Then, when that one tribe suffers major losses, and the other tribes realize that they’re tribes are next, they decide to band together to save what’s left of their people. Something like that. Merely coming together to fight with really nothing leading up to it didn’t make sense. The other thing that irked me was that they went home at the end. I really would have preferred them staying in Cantelia until all their tasks are done, instead of them going home to that happy ending and, ultimately, being called back again. I would have liked to see how life would have been like for them post-war.

I do have to say, however, that I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of romance in this book. I automatically assume all YA books will have steamy kissing and love triangles from the get-go, but not this one. Thank you, Hela, for reminding us that not all young teenagers have these dramas (I certainly didn’t!) and that the story is more important than some teenage love. I know it’s coming in the next book or two, which is okay, but I’m glad you didn’t start with it right away!

Oh, and because I’m a Grammar Nazi, I have to point out that this book could have stood for some more editing. There were many misplaced commas and quotations, as well as one or two misspelled words. I cringed a lot when I came across these.

Either way, though, I did enjoy this first book in the Spirit Lake series, and I am looking forward to seeing what adventures, challenges and triumphs Tamar Hela comes up with next.

My Rating: 8/10

A Conversation with Author Tamar Hela

Posted on by

4

In today’s hectic world, it seems almost impossible for one to sit down, collect his or her thoughts and write a novel from pure imagination. Even more rare is when that person puts everything they’ve got into their work and sees their story published to the very last page. But amazingly, Tamar Hela has done it. This twenty-something young lady has put her heart and soul into her novel Feast Island for the past three years and, finally, it has hit bookshelves across the country and online. But how did she do it? What made her pick up that pen (or open up her laptop) and begin writing? What were her inspirations? And who is the girl behind this fantastically new coming-of-age fantasy novel? Well, I had the chance to talk with Tamar and not only is she incredibly talented, but she’s fresh and fun to listen to.

You’ve been writing since the age of ten… At what point in your life did you realize that writing was the path you were going to follow in life, abandoning the idea of a stable career in another field?
Honestly, it’s still something I am realizing. I have a day job, among other projects and endeavors, and I’m so busy that I sometimes forget I’ve written a novel! I don’t think I would be happy in life by sticking to just one thing. However, I am working on some plans to get to the place where writing is the top priority in my life, as I take on other projects to give back to others. That’s really why I do what I do: I want to give back to others, to the community, while utilizing the gifts I’ve been given. Writing is one of those gifts and I hope that I can be an inspiration to others.

Life is as busy as ever nowadays. How did you find the time to sit down and write the first novel in your series?
This was especially hard for me, especially since I am involved with many things. I had to schedule writing into my planner like an appointment. I must admit, I couldn’t always stick with it, but I tried my best. Also, trying to stick to word count deadlines helped, as well as being pushed by a good friend. She continually asked for more and more material from my novel and that kept me on track the most.

What events in your life led you to Feast Island? What were your inspirations for writing such a novel?
I had a dream about Feast Island over three years ago. I have the craziest dreams, all the time. This one in particular would not go away, however. Since I could not get the images out of my head, I decided that it was time to check something off my bucket list: writing a fictional novel. And that’s just what I did.

Who were your biggest supporters for this first novel? How did they help you?
My biggest supporter was my friend and now manager, Jessica. She read the story from the very beginning and was the one who continually prompted me to finish. And here I sit, answering interview questions, all because of her support to get me to this point. The book would not have been finished without her.

As you began to write Feast Island, what were your fears?
My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t finish! I tend to take on too many projects and sometimes end up leaving a few hanging here and there, unfinished. Another fear, which is something I think most writers can relate to, is whether I would have an audience. Just because YOU think your writing is good, or at least decent, doesn’t mean that someone else will. Once I began to receive positive feedback, however, those fears were assuaged.

What challenges and obstacles did you face as you wrote your novel? What was surprisingly easy for you?
Writer’s block was a HUGE setback. That’s why it took me almost three years to finish the novel. Mostly, it was the dialogue portions that were the most challenging. The easiest thing was putting the overall storyline and the rest of the series together. Outlining is my best friend when it comes to building a story and new worlds.

What was your writing routine like? Did you listen to certain types of music? Drink certain beverages? Write in certain locations?
I would try to write on the weekends at local coffee shops and in the evening, when everyone in my house was asleep. As for music, one of my favorite bands to listen to while writing is Radiohead. The droning sounds actually help me concentrate. I also have a playlist for Feast Island as well. The song list in my iTunes library is one that evokes emotion with many developments or actions in the novel. Each song helped me visualize a character or scene in the story. And my favorite beverage to drink while writing was a soy white mocha!

What has your writing experience been like so far?
It has been amazing and has far outweighed anything I’ve imagined. It is still surreal to sign books for people. I recently had a signing at a local Barnes & Noble and that was a huge deal! The people my team and I have connected with have been mostly warm and friendly and so inviting. I look forward to continue to build these relationships, especially in my community, and grow my business of writing.

In a Tweet-sized summary, tell me what Feast Island is about!
Feast Island is to where seven teenagers are magically transported on the planet Cantelia. If they want to go home, they must break a curse.

What is the most important lesson readers can take away from Feast Island, and what will surprise them?
One of the most important lessons is that it doesn’t matter how insignificant you think you are; you can make a difference if you are willing to take a leap of faith. What may surprise readers are the gory and gruesome scenes.

Just for fun, I want to know your five favourites: author, musician/musical group, city, historical moment, animal — and why.

Author: C.S. Lewis because his writing is so diverse and intriguing. I am still in love with the Narnia series to this day and used it as part of my teaching curriculum over the past three years.
Musical Group: Keane because I love their sound and style.
City: Alicante, Spain because I lived there for a little bit in the summer of 2008 while studying abroad. I fell in love with the culture and people there.
Historical moment: When America was recovering from the 9/11 attacks. In a time where great tragedy occurred, my country stood firm and really became a community again. It’s sad that we don’t always keep that spirit of camaraderie, however.
Animal: A bear. I’ve just always thought they were cute since my childhood.

After getting to know such a great person, I can’t wait to read Feast Island. For more information about her book or to purchase it, check out Amazon or Barnes and Noble!