Interview With Author Robyn Michaels

 

  

1. What inspired you to write this book?

Jews aren't a minority in large cities, but outside of metropolitan area, we are, as are Muslims, Buddhists, Hindu, etc, but Sikh are really a minority, and are usually confused with being Hindu or Moslem, and our religion is very different. Our religion is more spiritual, and I wanted d to address that as well as how it is to make our way in an overwhelmingly Christian world. 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?

Dayal Singh is the youngest son of parents trafficked to Africa after WWII.  He has Asperger's, which makes him focused and a bit obsessive about the piano.  He seduces the  granddaughter of the man who bought his father, and she has a profound influence on him.  She tells him he must stay in school as long as someone pays his way.  He becomes an accidental rock star, and as he matures, he becomes even more focused.He marries a Sikh woman, but they never really mesh.  As he attains his Ph.D., his wife makes demands he hadn't thought about, and  he makes decisions to live his life in a way he hopes will work best for his children. 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

 I hope that readers who may have been raised to believe they are a specific religion to  explore their spirituality, as well as understand what minorities have to address in a Christian world. 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

 I explored different options and thought 'The Pleasure Seeker' was a bit ironic,  I worked with a book designer for the cover, and liked what she came up with. 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

 Writing is the easy part.  Find an editor and/or 'beta' readers to critique your writing, and come up with a marketing plan. Marketing is more difficult than writing. 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 

Lots of people are going to reading on their kindle/table, or generally online.  I'm also considering an audio book. 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? 

So many experiences.  I've been proselytized to a lot. Jews (& Sikh) don't proselytize. Also, we are not a monolith. 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

I did a survey that said my writing style was like Karen Chance, but she writes in a different genre. I hope I'd be more compared to Shilpi Somaya Gowda or Balli Kaur Jaswal. 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

If you are going to print, you must use a book designer.  I had a hard time finding an editor, and never did find an agent. 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

Those who have enjoyed the story have told me they have never read anything like it, and it opened their eyes.  If y you're interested in rock music and modern African history, as well as how kids who start out in school not knowing what they want to do finding a path, you'd find this interesting.

About The Author: I am a retired dog groomer and still train dogs. I took my 1st trip to Africa in 1985, & returned to school to study Africa area studies and urban planning. I've been writing mostly nonfiction for the pet indsutry press, but have had fiction published as well.

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About Brian Feinblum

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.