1. Why did you write this book?
An idea for a
novel about global warming came to me that wouldn't go away! It took on a life of its own and eventually
became The Silent Count.
2.
What is it about and who
is it really for?
The Silent Count is a climate change thriller
about a young woman who dreams of saving the planet despite the many obstacles
against her. This book will appeal to
women of all ages, or, really, anyone who cares about the planet. I look at climate change through a more
realistic lens, as my main character Dara Bouldin strives to achieve her dream
while dealing with the challenges we all face with work, love, family, and
finances.
3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?
I hope my novel
will raise awareness about climate change, but most of all I hope readers will
enjoy the thrill ride!
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?
Every thriller
needs a literal or figurative ticking time bomb. "The Silent Count" has both. The figurative "timebomb" is the
countdown that's happening in the back of my main character's mind about the
planet, which in the novel is being ravaged by climate change. It also refers
to a nuclear weapon that may or may not detonate! Without giving too much away, there are dire,
unintended consequences, and only Dara can set things right. As for the cover, it depicts a young woman
looking out at what could be a cyclone or a mushroom cloud, themes that
ultimately collide in devastating ways.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers?
Just keep
writing. If you run into rejection,
which every writer does, find objective beta readers, enter contests, join a
writing group, and read as much as you can in your genre to get an idea of what
might improve your work. I had lots of
no's before finding my publisher (Solstice Publishing), and it took several
revisions to get my novel ready for prime time.
You may have to kill a few darlings, but it will be worth it!
6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the
book publishing industry is heading?
I wish I
knew! I'm fortunate that I found a
small, independent publisher to release The Silent Count. They release books they enjoy reading, which
seems to be their only criterion. My
book is a climate change thriller, but it's not like so many of the books in
this genre that take an idealistic and, in my view, unrealistic view of how to
solve the problem. That said, climate
change is showing up more and more in fiction, so maybe climate fiction (a.k.a.
"cli-fi") will grow as a genre and make room for different
viewpoints.
7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in
handy when writing this book?
Yes! I'm a nuclear engineer and an award-winning
musician, and many of my experiences inform The Silent Count. My main character
is a nuclear engineer, and the novel's premise is based on real science gleaned
from my nuclear engineering textbook from college. Also, Dara's ex-fiance Jericho is a rising
star in the music industry. The novel is
laced with song lyrics from actual songs, some of which I've posted on my
YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@easmiroldo4470).
Finally, The Silent Count is set in Washington, DC, my hometown. Growing up around so many federal employees
and being one myself for a while helped inspire the novel's the political
context.
8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is
your writing similar to?
I tend to break
up my chapters into fairly short scenes to maintain the pace, and create
cliffhangers as often as I can. Dan Brown does this masterfully, so I tried to
bring some of that forward motion into my own writing. In addition to the action I try to get across
the emotional context by making my characters relatable and real. I'm a major fan of Jane Austen for that! Another favorite novelist is Jean Rhys, who
wrote The Wide Sargasso Sea, and I also love Muriel Spark, who wrote The Prime
of Miss Jean Brodie. These writers included political and social contexts in
their stories, as well as created indelible heroines. I am not sure I write
like these amazing authors, but I certainly admire their unique voices and have
tried to learn from their work.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?
Finding time to
write when you have a full time job and other obligations is not easy! It took a long time, but certain activities
helped, like taking writing workshops and finding a writing group.
10.
If people can buy or
read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?
The Silent
Count is meant to be a thrilling read -- a page turner and a barn burner! Most of my reviews on Amazon have 4 and 5
stars and the critics (Kirkus, The Midwest Book Review, many others) have been
overwhelmingly positive. My novel will
also make you think about the world we live in, how climate change affects us
all, and how learning whom to trust may be the first step to solving the
problem.
E. A. Smiroldo is a novelist, musician, and a nuclear engineer. She uses
real science in her debut novel The Silent Count. In it, her expertise blends
with real-world inspired drama. As a native of Washington DC, she’s seen how
politics corrupts and skews human perspectives on what’s right and wrong. She
understands how close humanity is to the brink of real climate crisis. And she
is determined to bring to light how important it is for us to trust and love one
another. The Silent Count is a cli-fi (climate-change fiction) thriller. In it,
a young nuclear engineer comes up with a daring plan to combat climate change.
But she faces unintended consequences as she fights for her family, her career,
and for humanity. E. A. Smiroldo has a
B.S. in engineering. She’s also a Washington Area Music Association
Award-nominated singer-songwriter and has won prizes in writing competitions
sponsored by the Bethesda Literary Festival and the International
Screenwriters' Dig. After placing in the latter, she optioned the treatment for
a screenplay with X-ray Media. Explore more on E. A. Smiroldo’s website: Easmiroldo.com
“I'm a much better reader of the classics today than I ever could have been at 18. "The trouble with education,, is that we always read everything when we're too young to know what it means. And the trouble with life is that we're always too busy to reread it later." --Margaret Ayer Barnes observed in 1930
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About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter
@theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and
raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and
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www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
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