Interview With Author Mahdis Marzooghian

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? I wanted to write a book that not only portrayed the immigrant story in a very honest way, but also focused on the aspects of being Iranian that unite us and bring us together rather than aspects that can mainly be a dividing force. Aspects like our rich culture, language, idioms and expressions that we've heard all our lives, our history — the facets of us that are the points of pride of every Iranian. They are things we can, for the most part, all agree on, whether it's Iranians still living in Iran or the Iranian diaspora living outside of Iran. They are also the main themes at the center of this story; they are the glue that keeps the Nezami family together as they grapple with a personal tragedy. 

 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? The book is about an Iranian immigrant family living in Virginia, the Nezami family, and the story is told from the POV of fifteen-year-old Cyrus Nezami. When an unspeakable tragedy rocks the Nezami family, Cyrus finds himself on the verge of losing everything he ever loved. His father Sohrab, a talented storyteller, reassures him that once he hears the stories about his namesake and the first ruler of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great, everything will make more sense. But as everything comes crashing down, Cyrus begins to lose faith. In this story of cultural duality and the significance of reputation, loyalty, family bonds, and the values they install in you, even the oldest, most unlikely stories can parallel your own, teach invaluable lessons, and end up saving you.

 

This book is written for everyone -- especially those readers who love books that center around a mystery, different cultures, stories within stories, history, and strong family bonds. I also wanted this book to speak to people of all backgrounds -- not just Iranians -- as well as those who are immigrants and grew up with two cultures. 

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? In recent years, most of the books that have been published by Iranian authors, all of which are wonderful, wonderful works, have mostly focused on the Iranian Revolution, our conflict-ridden political history, and themes and topics that I feel divide us or create more controversy around what it is to be Iranian. I wanted to steer away from that, and while it's also not something I am choosing to deny or edit away from the overarching Iranian identity, I intentionally chose to steer away from it in this book. Further, I was born in the post-Revolutionary era, then immigrated to the U.S. with my family when I was six years old and grew up here my whole life. The revolution and its aftermath did not immediately impact me, therefore I cannot tell a story about that time in an honest, organic way because I didn't directly experience it.

 

I want people to realize there is so much more to Persians/Iranians and our country of Iran than just the Revolution and over 40 years of political conflict, which is what's solely covered in the media. I want to change that narrative. Every country in the world has been or currently is entrenched in political conflict, but why is the global spotlight always on Iran in regard to that?

I want the people of the world, especially those in Western countries, to learn about the richness of our culture, history, and language. For instance, when you mention Greece, most people immediately think of Ancient Greece, of beautiful architecture and art, of philosophy, and Socrates, and Homer. Not the country's current political climate. However, when you mention Iran, people immediately think of the Revolution, the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini, the issue of hijab and Iran-U.S. relations, and so on. Not the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great, and Hafez and Rumi. And while I don't want to get too political, I realize this is all due to years of propaganda and media influence. However, I think as writers, creators, and artists, we have the responsibility, the opportunity, and the voice to change the narrative.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The title of the book, "Death Has None," is part of a line from a Rumi poem, which is: "Only love has power over lovers, death has none." I touch on this line a few times in the book because the meaning of the line captures one of the main themes of the book flawlessly. As for the cover, I wanted to again depict some of the main themes and aspects of the novel in a captivating and aesthetically-pleasing way. I worked with a wonderful cover artist, Catrina Barquist, who created my vision in the most beautiful way. I am so grateful I got to work with her and that she was able to grasp and create exactly what I wanted in such a beautiful way. I couldn't be happier with the cover! 

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Ha, "run" is a good one! But no, all joking aside, the best advice that I can give to fellow writers is to just write. Try to carve out a few minutes out of your day, even if it's just five minutes, and write -- even if it's one sentence or one paragraph. Being able to stick to a writing routine and having that discipline is key in being a successful writer. That's also a good way of knowing whether you're meant to be a writer or not -- if you can't go a day or two without writing or at least thinking about writing, then it's probably not for you. The passion and drive to write has to be there! 

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  I am seeing a lot of self-publishing and hybrid publishing these days, as well as more and more authors working with indie book publishers rather than just the Big Four. With so many tools and resources available to writers these days, I am seeing the book publishing industry heading towards a big shift -- it's no longer this unattainable feat where it's imperative that you have an agent so that you can woo the high and mighty publishers. Of course, you still have to be talented and put in the work as a writer, but there are so many more avenues and opportunities available to writers today than there were maybe 30 or 40 years ago.  

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?  Absolutely. As an Iranian immigrant myself, I touched on a lot of my own experiences and memories growing up in the U.S. and having this very difficult task of juggling two very different cultures. That's why it was so important for me to tell this story and talk about an experience that so many Iranian and non-Iranian immigrants face.  

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I would say that my writing style is quite lyrical and poetic. I relate on a deep level to the words of Baudelaire, who stated, "Always be a poet, even in prose." As an avid reader, I took a lot of inspiration from the writing styles of the greats, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Vladimir Nabokov, as well as more contemporary (and still legendary) writers whose works I love and admire, such as Ian McEwan and Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? One of the main challenges in writing this book was the research. I not only had to research about ancient Persian history, such as the Persian Empire and Cyrus the Great's Life, but I also had to do a good amount of research about criminal justice, as well as the prison system and courtroom decorum in the state of Virginia, since a criminal trial takes place during the second half of the book, so I had to make sure all of those scenes were depicted accurately and correctly. 

 

One of the more fun challenges was writing from the POV of a 15-year-old teenage boy, and it was fun to give myself -- a woman in her late 20's at the time of writing the book -- that challenge. It was also helpful when it came to the crime and courtroom/trial scenes, because if there was something I wasn't 100% sure about and it turned out I wrote it wrong, readers would realize that it's told from the POV of a 15-year-old teenager who doesn't know much about the law, criminal justice, or courtroom decorum, and could only speak to what he witnessed even if it wasn't correct. Since I kept the POV very genuine, this truly worked to my advantage.   

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Great question! I believe my book is something new and something you don't come across every day in books, especially books written by Iranian authors. 

 

But don't just take my word for it. A dear reader who recently finished my book wrote, "A captivating, genre-bending story, partly coming-of-age and partly murder mystery told through the eyes of a fifteen-year-old boy. Its lyrical prose about parallel stories, family tragedy, faith, and navigating between two cultures pierced my heart and left me with a plethora of emotions. I couldn't put it down. It taught me how truth stands the test of time and ultimately triumphs." 

 

And another dear reader wrote, "This book has it all. It's a coming-of-age novel, a whodunit mystery, a courtroom drama, a character study about a young immigrant living between two cultures, and a modern take on the timeless story of sibling rivalry of (dare I say it) sin and reconciliation through love. And for me, it was also a rich introduction to Persian storytelling, historical perspectives, poetry, and family traditions. Thank you for giving the world this beautiful book, Mahdis!"

 

About The Author: Mahdis Marzooghian is cofounder and editor-in-chief of Five on the Fifth. She has a master’s degree in professional writing from Towson University, and is an author and editor based in McLean, Virginia. Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in the Miso for Life anthology, Heartwood Literary Magazine, Welter Literary Journal, Mud Season Review, BULL Men’s Fiction, Lunch Ticket, Arkana Literary Journal, where her piece won the Editor’s Choice Award, and most recently in Nowruz Journal. Mahdis is the author of debut novel, “Death Has None” (Austin Macauley Publishers, 2023). She is a founding member of the PRWR Towson University Alumni Alliance Writers Retreat program at Still Point, WV. Please see: https://mahdismarzooghian.ampbk.com/

 

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Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by 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 publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.