Of
Julia and Men
1.
What inspired you to write your book?
I
have always wanted to write a novel and tried many times but I just could not
get it right so I abandoned the idea. Much later I started going to some
writing groups in Florida and California and my passion got rekindled. I
wanted to write a romance novel - slightly erotic - that would stand out from
other romantic novels that were too goody goody for my taste. As I am a
professional artist, I decided to put images of my etchings - which are also
somewhat erotic in nature - as the cover illustration and in front of each
chapter. In that way my novel would be different. It would combine
writing with art. As I am of Middle Eastern origin, I wanted to describe the
life of a young Middle Eastern girl in Cairo in the 1950s and her self-discovery
in Europe in the 1960s. These periods have been the most exciting times
of my life. I was born and raised in Cairo and lived most of life in
Switzerland and have travelled extensively.
2.
What is it about?
The
novel is about Julia, a young Middle Eastern woman's quest for passion. Julia
rejects the conventional life of Cairo and wants to have a career. After a
failed first marriage in Cairo, she goes to the U.S. and then to Switzerland
where, after having love affairs with various men, she meets Jean Claude, a
Swiss Banker, to whom she becomes engaged. She has found the love of her
life. Accidentally she runs into an old flame whom she had met during a trip to
Morocco. A seething love affair ensues and she is torn between her love
for the two men who want to marry her. The banker offers her a table future,
but she is rather doubtful about a future with the younger Luis. Julia's
exhausting double life goes on for a few months until an unexpected event
complicates her dilemma and, in desperation, she turns to her first husband,
whom she happens to meet on a trip up the Nile River. It is a tale of love,
passion, and forgiveness.
The
story starts in Egypt and takes twists and turns through Morocco, Europe and
the United States.
3.
What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who
finish your book?
The
reader can have her or his own thoughts on the subject of love, passion and
infidelity. I cannot put thoughts or values in their minds. Everyone is
different and reacts in a different way to encounters. It also has to do with
one's own upbringing, sensitivity and tolerance. One should not be
judgmental but accept what is different in other people.
4.
What advice do you have for writers?
My
only advice to writers is "be yourself, have your own voice, do not copy,
and write in simple language and specially do not bore the reader with long
drawn out explanations or descriptions."
5.
Where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
I
don't know where the publishing industry is heading. I just hope it will
not die with everything being on the internet. There is nothing better than
smelling a book and turning its pages. However, I think publishers should be
more accepting of new authors, rather than churning out books by the same
authors whether good or bad. Just because an author has a name, the book gets
published.
6. What
challenges did you have in writing your book?
I
did not have many challenges in writing. I knew what I wanted and I went
ahead and did it. At first I sent my book to an agent who told me a publisher
would not accept that I chose my own illustration on the cover or put 26
etchings in front of each chapter. I refused to deal with her and
self-published my book. I thought it was very important that my cover
stand out. I did not want the usual image of a couple embracing or
kissing. My cover stands out because it is my own etching and it is
entitled "Girl on a Flying Carpet". The subject of the story is of a
young woman flying from one man to the other. Everyone who has bought the
book has complimented me on the attractive cover illustration.
7. If
people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours?
If
there was only one book to choose this month, people should choose "Of
Julia and Men" because it is fun, naughty, tantalizing and full of sexual
tension. I explore the complicated relationship between man and woman. It is
not like your run of the mill novel, where boy meets girl and they end up
together at the end. One can always predict the ending of regular romance
novels. This is a fast paced story, with spicy dialogue and full of intrigue.
It is a page turner and will certainly not bore the reader. Last but not least,
the settings (in Egypt, Morocco and Europe) are authentic and exciting.
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Brian Feinblum’s views,
opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his
employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com.
He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted
by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2016
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