Tag Archives: romance

Twice Stolen – Susanne Timpani Blog Hop

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SusanneTToday I have the pleasure of introducing debut author, Susanne Timpani. Susanne is married, has four beautiful children and works as a community nurse with families. (So, she’s a busy lady!) Themes of her work and her faith appear in her writing. She’s also the author of the blog, 10 Minute Daily Retreat, twice weekly reflections on scripture. And she’s kindly agreed to chat about her new novel, Twice Stolen:

‘After the death of his grandmother, Dimitri finds he’s been lied to most of his life. His journey into the Outback to unravel the mystery of his identity leads to an encounter with Leah, a nurse with a tragic secret.’

Twice Stolen broaches issues of identity, loss, love and betrayal, and is woven around the theme of Australia’s Indigenous Stolen Generation. You can find out more on this aspect of the novel in Susanne’s interview yesterday on the CWD blog.Twice Stolen cover high resolution

Whilst prompting deeper reflection on the generational impact of the policy effecting widespread removal of Indigenous children from their families, this novel also emulates the traditional storytelling of Indigenous Australians, entwining the Biblical Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) through this element. In Q&A format, Susanne’s going to tell us a little more about this aspect of her story.

Q. What sparked the idea of incorporating the Biblical Song of Songs as a framework for your novel?
A. The Song is considered by some as one of the greatest love songs in history. Its fame in the ancient world parallels our Romeo and Juliet or Pride and Prejudice. Given that Twice stolen is written in the genre of Inspirational Fiction, I decided its themes provided a strong foundation on which to build the plot.

Q. Twice Stolen draws on the emotional awakenings depicted in Song of Songs. How is this significant in the novel?
A. The Song of Songs is like any love story. The characters experience an ebb and flow of emotion in their relationship. They face obstacles and resolutions appear almost impossible. The reader wonders if the characters’ love is strong enough to endure.

Q. The young adult protagonists both carry vulnerabilities because of their situations. Do you feel there are similarities between your characters and the lovers in Song of Songs?
A. My characters, Dimitri and Leah, like to think so.

Q. Okay, I think Dimitri and Leah might be a little biased. 🙂 What do you think?
A. Absolutely. The Song of Songs describes the love between King Solomon, named the ‘Lover’, and a local girl, the ‘Beloved’. The Beloved finds it difficult to comprehend how a king could possibly love her, a mere keeper of a vineyard. Despite returning his feelings, she spends a great proportion of the Song denying them and rejecting his love. The Lover never wavers in his feelings, believing that in the end she’ll come around.

Q. This makes it sound like Dimitri’s love is not reciprocated as ardently by Leah. Is it really so one sided?
A. Not at all. The Song of Songs is thought to appear in the Bible because it reflects the relationship of love which exists between God and ourselves. God is our steadfast Lover, and we, His recalcitrant Beloved. It doesn’t take Leah and Dimitri too long to realize that they are both similar to the Beloved, and in the end, God alone is the true Lover.

Q. Lastly, is there a verse from Song of Songs you feel best captures the heart of this story?
A. Definitely.

for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy[a] unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.[b]
7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away. Song of Songs 8:6-7

Throughout the hurdles Dimitri and Leah must face in Twice Stolen, they constantly question the strength of their love. They each face a major life challenge and something innate must change within or their romance doesn’t stand a chance. They question whether it is even possible to have love as strong as this verse describes.

Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Susanne. I enjoyed reading Twice Stolen and found myself drawn by Dimitri’s and Leah’s stories – as I’m sure your future readers will, too. Twice Stolen won the 2012 CALEB prize for an unpublished manuscript and is due for release on Valentine’s Day weekend (Feb 12-14) in South Australia, and will be launched in the company of Susanne’s publisher, Anne Hamilton, founder and director of Armour Books. For more about Susanne visit her website and 10 Minute Daily Retreat. To connect you can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads.

 

Just an Author?

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Lynne1-editedToday I welcome our third guest blogger in the ‘Write Life’ series – award winning author, Lynne Stringer. Lynne has a background in journalism and editing and is also the author of the Verindon trilogy (YA Romantic SciFi). A writer with a wonderful imagination and eye for detail, I’m sure you’ll enjoy what Lynne has to share.

 

One of the most interesting things about the writing journey for me has been the realisation of how much is involved.

I’m not just talking about writing. Writing a novel is something I’m good at. I can formulate a story and keep up the pace with consistency and flow. I can generally avoid plot-holes, develop a good story arc and resolve issues appropriately.

Even editing isn’t too much trouble. In fact, it’s one of my favourite parts of the whole process. I enjoy paring down my work and watching it improve as I cut away the fat.

However, there is more involved in being an author than these things, especially if you want to be published.

You also need to be a salesperson. For a start, you need to sell the merits of your writing and yourself as an author to an agent or publisher. This is one of the most difficult parts for me. My natural response when someone asks me about my work is to criticise it rather than praise it so that they don’t think I’m arrogant, but I can’t do that if I want someone to publish my work. I have to tell them how wonderful it is.
The next hardest thing is being willing to compromise on some things to see my book published. Most publishers want to change at least a few things and watching an in-house editor tear your baby to shreds and tell you to start again is never easy.

Even after publication more is required. I need to sell my book to bookstores and members of the public. I need to look for advertising and promotional opportunities. I need to make people believe in me.
All of this is not easy for an introvert, like me. However, doing all these things has stretched me and taught me a great deal, not the least that I need to appreciate myself and my work. My books may never become classics but they clearly appeal to some people and I need to congratulate myself for achieving that much.

I have learnt that I can write and there’s no shame in saying that to others. I have learnt that I can praise my work and not feel like I’m being vain. Believe me, I can still be my own worst critic, but now I can tell people the good and know I am doing the right thing.

 

theheir_cover silver award smallLynne Stringer has been passionate about writing all her life, beginning with short stories in her primary school days. She began writing professionally as a journalist and was the editor of a small newspaper (later magazine) for seven years, before turning her hand to screenplay writing and novels. Lynne currently works as a professional editor and proofreader. She lives in Australia with her husband and young son. Her debut novel, The Heir, recently received the Literary Classics’ Silver award in the YA science fiction category. To discover more about Lynne, make sure you drop on over to her website at www.lynnestringer.com and if you’d like to purchase her books, you can find them at www.verindon.com.