Monday, May 19, 2014

MY MAIN CHARACTER BLOG TOUR

I'd like to thank Mary Clark, author of Tally: An Intuitive Life (All Things That Matter Press 2013), for asking me to participate in this blog tour. You can find her post on http://www.literaryeyes.wordpress.com

I've been asked to respond to the following questions about My Main Character in a Work in Progress.

1. What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?
     My character is Anya, a fictional composite of women I knew. However, she could be viewed as historic, for she is the product of Argentinean middle-class society in the 1950s. 

2. When and where is the story set?
    The story is set mainly in the city of Buenos Aires, beginning in the early fifties and developing over a 60 year span. Exception made of Los gloriosos sesenta y despuĂ©s [The Glorious Sixties and After], my novels do not give great importance to location, but this one dwells in more detail on the city and on provinces/holiday resorts that Anya visits. This is because, in a way, place and mood are intertwined.

3. What should we know about him/her?
    Anya had a difficult childhood, marked by her parents' divorce at a time when divorce was unthinkable, by a domineering mother, and by a father who stood by her as long as she respected his rules. Nothing really tragic happened to her, and yet the whole point is to show how inner perception of events may cause psychic pain to a tragic extent.

4. What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?
    Anya goes through life pursuing love in the wrong places. One could say she does not need extra help to mess up her life; she is perfectly capable of making herself miserable through her choice of men.

5. What is the personal goal of the character?
    When she turned seventeen, her father prophesied she would never marry because no respectable Jew would marry the child of divorced parents, while the Catholics among whom she lived would not settle for a Jewish wife. On the surface, it would seem as if what she most wanted was to prove her father wrong. In actual fact, she did everything possible to prove him right.

6. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
    The title is Men in My Mirror, and I think it will stick. Here's a short excerpt:

In the 1950s, when I was a child struggling to make some sense of the world around me, my father went out of his way to awaken my awareness of the differences between men and women. The pattern that emerged then could be summarized thus: men were courageous by nature, as confirmed by the radio news on the Korean war what is Korea? what is a war? how can so many people manage to squeeze together into the wooden box called “radio”? Men provided for their family, protected women, made all important decisions, and were not to be contradicted, for they always knew better. There were exceptions, of course, such as uncle Leon, who not only had never done a stroke of work but had gambled away aunt Fanny’s jewels to the last diamond, but these men just went to show... I couldn't figure out what they went to show. This part of my father’s indoctrination always stopped at an imaginary dotted line. By contrast, women were frail, unable to get by on their own, and needed to get a good grip of the tools of their sex –no one talked about gender back then– so that nice men then the exceptions were not a rarity? would choose them as wives and mothers. My father felt indeed sorry for women who, willy-nilly, needed to earn their own living, and had little patience with those who boasted of a calling, which sounded odd, since Mother belonged in the latter group. A playwright and a political activist, no less. I reckon dad had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, he felt he indulged her in what he believed would prove a passing fancy. On the other hand, he probably enjoyed the ohs and ahs of his brothers, all five of them married to girls from respectable families that had taken care to deliver them with a blank slate where their brains should have been so that their husbands could engrave in letters of fire the views handed down to them by my grandparents. 

7. When can we expect the book to be published?
    As soon as I'm happy with it. Although I have written five non-fiction books in English, this is my first novel in English. The challenge is big. Fortunately, my publisher -Jorge Pinto from Jorge Pinto Books Inc.- has been overly patient, and I am most grateful for that. 

I'd like to invite you to read Trish Jackson's post on http://www.trishjackson.com/

See below four outstanding writers tagged for Monday, May 26. I am publishing their bios as they sent them for you to see how interesting they all are. 

JOYCE ELFERDINK
This author thinks of herself as a teacher, apprentice, traveler and activist. Her inspiration comes from life experiences (nothing new to authors); by the diverse novels she reads (but primarily science fiction); and dramatic films, imagined or true--such as the following:  
            After watching Julie and Julia, Joyce  realized the significance of sharing glimpses and gambits on what is purposeful and meaningful in our lives. Some of her own perceptions are profiled through her novel, Pieces of You and continues in the coming sequel, The Battle of Jericho, 2040. But Pieces of You is more than a “book for thinkers.” It’s a speculative tale of sacrificial love, inspired by her story:
            “Five years ago I met a man, a person with lots of life experiences, whom I learned to love in the four months we had together. He became the protagonist of Pieces of You., a love story entwined with social responsibility, the spirit world, and time travel...”
As Mark’s body lies  comatose, his spirit journeys to his past and then to two  possible futures. A supernatural guide draws him into the changes affected by his decisions, then permits him to choose his own future--to remain with Janine, the woman he loves, or to cross over and direct a Divine team to alter the destiny of  those alive in 2040.

Links
Amazon Book Listing (Kindle edition): http://tinyurl.com/927am9u


MICKI PELUSO
I began writing after a personal tragedy, as a catharsis for my grief. This lead to a first time out publication in Victimology: An International Magazine and a 25 year career in Journalism. I've freelanced and been staff writer for one major newspaper and written for two more. I have published short fiction and non-fiction, as well as slice of life stories in colleges and other magazines and in e-zine editions. My first book was published in 2008; a funny family memoir of love, loss and survival, called, . . .AND THE WHIPPOORWILL SANG which won the Nesta CBC silver award for writing that makes a change in the world. Two of my short horror stories have been published in an anthology called "Speed of Dark." I am presently working on a collection of short fiction, slice of life stories and essays, in a book called, Heartbeat. . .slices of life.

. . . and the Whippoorwill Sang by Micki Peluso

Links



http://www.mallie1025.blogspot.com/



BOB VAN LAERHOVEN
Bob van Laerhoven was born on August 8th 1953 in the sandy soil of Antwerp’s Kempen, where according to the clichĂ© ‘pig-headed clodhoppers’ live. This perhaps explains why he started to write stories at a particularly young age.  A number of his stories were published in English, French, German, Spanish and Slovenian.
Debut
Van Laerhoven made his debut as a novelist in 1985 with Nachtspel – Night Game. He quickly became known for his ‘un-Flemish’ style: he writes colorful, kaleidoscopic novels in which the fate of the individual is closely related to broad social transformations. His style slowly evolved in his later novels to embrace more personal themes while continuing to branch out into the world at large. International flair has become his trademark.
Avid traveller
Bob Van Laerhoven became a full-time author in 1991. The context of his stories isn’t invented behind his desk, rather it is rooted in personal experience. As a freelance travel writer, for example, he explored conflicts and trouble-spots across the globe from the early 1990s to 2005. Echoes of his experiences on the road also trickle through in his novels. Somalia, Liberia, Sudan, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Lebanon, Mozambique, Laos… to name but a few.
Mass murders
During the Bosnian war, Van Laerhoven spent part of 1992 in the besieged city of Sarajevo. Three years later he was working for MSF - Doctors without frontiers - in the Bosnian city of Tuzla during the NATO bombings. At that moment the refugees arrived from the Muslim enclave of Srebrenica. Van Laerhoven was the first writer from the Low Countries to be given the chance to speak to the refugees. His conversations resulted in a travel book:Srebrenica. Getuigen van massamoord – Srebrenica. Testimony to a Mass Murder. The book denounces the rape and torture of the Muslim population of this Bosnian-Serbian enclave and is based on first-hand testimonies. He also concludes that mass murders took place, an idea that was questioned at the time but later proven accurate.
Multifaceted oeuvre
All these experiences contribute to Bob Van Laerhoven’s rich and commendable oeuvre, an oeuvre that typifies him as the versatile author of novels, travel stories, books for young adults, theatre pieces, biographies, poetry, non-fiction, letters, columns, articles... He is also a prize-winning author:  in 2007 he won the Hercule Poirot Prize for best thriller of the year with his novel De Wraak van Baudelaire – Baudelaire’s Revenge.

Translations

In May 2013 “La Vengeance de Baudelaire”, the French translation of “De wraak van Baudelaire”, was published in France and in Canada and received very positive reviews: http://www.bobvanlaerhoven.be/fr/pages/18/misdaad-romans
As a result, “Le Mensonge d’Alejandro”, a second novel in French translation – original title : Alejandro’s leugen - was published in May 2014 by the same French and Canadian Publishers: http://www.bobvanlaerhoven.be/fr/pages/16/literatuur
In April 2014,  Pegasus Books ( New York) released the hardcover version of   “Baudelaire’s Revenge” in the US . Although the novel is only recently out, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times Book Review, Library Journal, Curled Up With A Good Book.com and Shelf Awareness Pro already published reviews. http://www.bobvanlaerhoven.be/en/pages/12/misdaad-romans
A Russian translation of “Baudelaire’s Revenge” is just completed. An Italian is in the making.
Website: www.bobvanlaerhoven.be       (NL/FR/EN)


PIM WIERSINGA  (born 1954) is a Dutch novelist and he has one son (Romeo, born 2000).

Wiersinga writes in a classic tradition with distinctive lyrical overtones. History is his element but it's never his intention to "just" document -let alone idealize- the past. His debut Honingvogels (published in 1992; English version Honeybirds completed; not published yet) is set in Antwerp around the turn of the past century; a sudden reunion with a long-lost friend hurls the narrator-character into the Unknown.
This was followed by an epic novel set in Antiquity entitled Gracchanten (1995), featuring the revolt of the Gracchi brothers viewed through the eyes and temperament of a highly un-Roman character, the son of a Macedonian rebel resisting the supremacy of Rome.
A few years ago, this old love came back to him: the historical novel is his favorite haunt to reflect on present society as well as the human condition in general. Wiersinga: "I love to put myself in alien shoes, boots, or sandals and walk through another time and place - and my Muse seems fond of it too."






51 comments:

  1. Marta, what a bitter, or bitter-sweet, web we weave, as your character shows. The way your bring reality to the page is a gift. The authors you've tagged are also dealing with the difficult issues of life. I will be checking them out.

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    1. Mary, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to introduce Anya. The web you mention is the one we weave in life, or the one into which life weaves us... I'd just like to show what some people do to themselves in the hope that the mirror in the title will serve the extra purpose of warning not-Anyas.

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  2. Hi
    The upcoming novel sounds extremely interesting. I like the working title Men In My Mirror. It gives the reader an idea of what to expect.

    I only know two of the authors you have tagged. Micki Peluso and Joyce Elferdink. I have read both of their books and highly recommend them. Micki's book is a book that I like to read over and over again, because it is humorous and has so many facts of life presented in it concerning one woman's courage and her pain.

    The other two authors I have not read but I will check out as my time permit.

    All the best on finishing up your first novel.

    Shalom,
    Patti

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    1. My dear Patti, the other two authors won't disappoint you.
      As you know, this isn't my first novel; only my first novel in English.
      Love you!

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  3. Marta, What a wonderful insight into your novel. I can't wait to read it. Thank you so much for mentioning me.

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    1. Trish, I very much respect and admire your work, so I was only too happy to have the chance of asking people to check it out.
      I'm optimistic about this novel... depending on the day of the week :))

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  4. Marta, your intellectual appeal and attractiveness never ceases to amaze me. I'm glad to have 'met' you online and very proud and grateful that you are my distinguished co-host on Blog Talk Radio Writers Alive. I also respect that fact that you view a difference in opinion as merely just that and not always necessarily an ad hominem attack. This quality is a true sign of genius and educated humility. J. Byk.

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    1. John, I cannot thank you enough for having included me, a Latin American living at the end of the world, in Writers Alive. Your vast culture makes a difference, and it's my honor to have met you.
      As for differences in opinion, it's only a petty mind that would feel attacked :)
      Thank you for your kind words!

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    3. Dear Mr Byk, I listened in on a radio show about literature and scientific changes in paradigms (if I recall correctly) co-hosted by Marta. So it's a feast to hear you say things, as gracious as they are true, about a friend I hope to meet three-dimensionally in foreseeable time-space! Good luck with your programme as well as scientific endeavors! Pim Wiersinga, novelist

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  5. Dear Marta,
    you wrote: “Anya goes through life pursuing love in the wrong places”. This sentence makes me love your character.

    Pursuing love in the wrong place is what many women do. Especially those women who have had a sad childhood.

    I think I'll love your novel. Can't wait to read it.
    (Sorry if my English is not so good... My Italian is better)
    Giulia

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    1. Cara Giulia,
      Your English is perfect. Thank you for reading and for your accurate comment about certain women's love choices. I couldn't agree more. With a bit of luck, the novel will be released this year.
      I promise to write to you in Italian -although you already know mine is far from perfect :)

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  6. Marta, your to-be-published book sounds very interesting. It's always good to see how an excellent author like yourself treats the theme of "looking for love in all the wrong places."

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    1. Sal, thank you for your kind words. "The taste of the pudding is in the eating," right? I hope not to disappoint you in the treatment of the theme. It's difficult to keep it sober...

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  7. Posting for Micki Peluso, who cannot access the comments:

    Hi Marta, I love this title just as I Iove "Just Toss the ashes. Creating a catchy title is so important --the first thing to catch a reader's eye. Your character Anya sounds like a type of person who has experiences other people manage to avoid, a little like one of the characters in your last book and much like some of my characters. I can't wait to read this novel, knowing that I won't be disappointed due to the quality and expertise of your writing skills and story telling.

    Much luck and love, Micki

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    1. Dear Micki, if Anya turns out to be anything near your characters she will be indeed lucky in literary terms, which may somehow make up for her issues in the "real life" I have created for her. Thank you for your trust in my capacity!
      Love you,
      Marta

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    2. "Your character Anya sounds like a type of person who has experiences other people manage to avoid..." Now that is quite a recommendation - not that I really need one. What I read so far suffices to make me want another Merajver...

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  8. Marta,

    This is going to be a hit!

    I love the title and storyline. Young women will read this book and dislike how women were treated back then, learn from Anya, and grow into very strong women. These are the kind of books that make us think -- think about our own lives and what's important to us where male/female gender roles are concerned in today's world.

    You are a phenomenal writer!

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    1. May readers pay heed, dear Cherrye! Male/female gender roles and their distortion are among my big concerns, so it would be wonderful if I contribute my two cents to some insight into them. Thank you for the compliment!

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  9. Marta, Such wonderful insight into an intriguing story and a very courageous character. This is certain to be another best-seller for you. You are very talented and deserve all accolades you garner.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, dear friend. I'm leaving "pieces of me" in this novel :) So far, accolades have come from the people I care about the most: my respected colleagues. I really couldn't ask for more.

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  10. Dearest Marta, It looks as though you have done it again. I love your stories and how you write them. I love that you give women the respect and understanding they deserve. So many women make this same mistake and they are condemned and called stupid because of the choices they make. Your stories reach inside the reader and somehow make the main character's mistake seem normal.

    I cannot wait to read my second book by my favorite sister author.

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    1. Dearest sister, some people who have read my novels in Spanish call me a feminist at heart. I tend to reject the term because it's become distorted through a variety of feminist movements pursuing agendas I don't share. But if delving into the feminine heart and psyche to aid its comprehension amounts to being a feminist, then I'm glad to be one.
      Thank you for your lovely comment and, as I have said before, I hope not to disappoint you.

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    2. Just to avoid confusion, I re-wrote my comment below with a little more clarity before I knew you had responded to the first one. You know what a perfectionist I am. I'm glad you are who you are. Let them think what they want. Hugs

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  11. Marta, two of my favourite quotations on writing are from Maya Angelou (“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”) and Toni Morrison (“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”).

    You have taken them at their word - honest, thought-provoking and insightful.

    I wish you every success

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    1. Kevin, I love those quotes. I've never written about writing, exception made of academic papers about classic works. Your comment makes me think I should consider the issue. My gratitude for reading this post and for your thoughts and good wishes!

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  12. Dearest Marta, It looks as though you have done it again. I love your stories and how you write them. I love that you give women the respect and understanding they deserve. So many women make this same mistake your main character makes in an attempt to find love, and they are condemned and called stupid because of the choices they make. Your stories reach inside the reader and somehow make the main character's mistake seem normal.

    I cannot wait to read the second book by my favorite sister author.

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    1. My dear sister, people who have read my novels in Spanish call me a feminist, which I reject because of some feminist movements pursuing agendas I don't share. But if portraying the feminine plight to aid comprehension of our singularity amounts to being a feminist, I gladly accept the label.
      I take your thoughts about my work very seriously, out of respect and admiration for yours.

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  13. What strikes me, Marta, is that although your description focuses on the tragic aspects, your excerpt is full of humour. I look forward to reading more.

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    1. Bryan, nothing is one hundred percent dark. Humorous paragraphs here and there relieve both reader and writer from overwhelming, painful emotions. I take you at your word about reading the book. Then you'll tell me if I was wrong about the use of humor, for at a certain point we find ourselves wondering, "What am I laughing at?"

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  14. Posting for Yvonne Mahlape Masurumule, who cannot access the comments:

    Marta Merajver is a very talented individual whose writing abilities cannot be discredited. I find most of her writings compelling and must say I can relate to most of the subjects she touches on. A truly gifted and creative woman whose publications are worth my attention!

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    1. Thank you, my African sister! I'm humbled by your words and can say the same about the great, noble causes you defend.

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  15. I like the premise of your book, and although you didn't mention it, I get a sense there quite a bit of you in parts of the storyline s it concerns your main character. I sense the society values, especially regarding the religious ones which are apparently intertwined with what you've written, and might contain those you've been taught.

    As far as the title is concerned I would change "Mirror" to "Looking Glass," I believe if you think about it you'll see the different connotation it gives.

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    1. Dear Robin, funnily enough, I was not brought up with religious values of any sort, although while my grandparents lived we followed our ancestral traditions out of respect for them. However, many of my friends did experience what Anya did, and that's what I drew on to build her character.
      My life, though rich, has been relatively uneventful :)
      Your suggestion about the title is worth gold. I cannot thank you enough for your interest and help.

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    2. THANKS for your compliment regarding my suggestion. It was my pleasure to have suggested the title change,

      Have a GREAT WEEKEND with your family,

      Robin Leigh

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  16. Sounds simply marvelous, Marta. Having loved 'Just Toss the Ashes,' I am eagerly awaiting Marta's next novel in English- and having perused the above my interest is peaked, and I am already utterly intrigued by Anya's exploits. I look forward to another marvelous family drama!

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    1. Dear PJ, sometimes 'Just Toss the Ashes' is a heavy burden. Comparison between both novels terrifies me. Unlike Sylvia, Anya is recklessly attached to life, but she doesn't have a grip on her path toward old age. There are no exploits; just a woman trying not to explode over the men who play the part of stepping stones along that path. Sensitive, knowledgeable readers and exquisite writers like you will have the last word...

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    2. Reading 'Just Toss the Ashes' was a very vivid experience, the protagonist's death-wish notwithstanding. One of the salient points about the novel is that Sylvia is surrounded by some friendly people, though no angels.
      I take it "Men in my Mirror" has been built on an entirely different premise, so I don't think comparisons should terrify you overly much. But who am I to say so? I simply look forward to your next novel!

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    3. That's true, Pim; this novel is entirely different. Yet when you strip off the technique, you're left with a story. 'Just Toss the Ashes' touched readers in particular ways. My fear is, will the new novel touch them too? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

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  17. This is a book I have to read before I make another mistake with men! I'd even be happy to be an editor, primarily because I'd get a first glimpse of some highly useful material, but also because there would be so little work for an editor to do.

    I really can't wait to walk through life with Anya! I want to know more about the city you know so well, one that is exquisitely different from my hometown. I think I'll be less awed by the similarities of the obstacles faced (and sometimes placed) by the women of my generation. It is a small world after all.

    Love and success to you, dear faraway friend!!

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    1. Dear Joyce, that "there would be so little work for an editor to do" is a high compliment for which I'm deeply grateful! In fact, poet Linnea Larsen has kindly taken it upon herself to read and edit as I write, so we should ask her how taxing she finds it :)

      All women of our generation have probably led difficult lives regarding men, but I still hope Anya's affairs will provide some unexpected situations.

      Thank you for your friendship and good wishes! We're not that far from each other; it's the closeness in feelings and thoughts that counts.

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  18. It's very telling when an author can, with a small snippet, weave such a beautiful and poignant tapestry of real life moments. You do that, effortlessly. You use few words to get to the meat of what you're trying to say, and yet, you say so much.
    Looking forward to this book, dear sister.
    The morsel you offered is delicious!

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  19. Dear Taylor, for an author who's always questioning herself, your words are reassuring beyond measure. She will still question herself, but a little less angrily :)
    Thank you for reading me!
    Lots of love from Sis.

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  20. I am posting this comment for Linnea Larson as she has asked me to do so. It appears she is having difficulty posting and i am happy to help.

    I am privileged to say that I have been reading "Men" a section at a time for many months and true to Marta's brilliance (on so many levels), the story is enthralling. The reader can't help but fall in love with Anya but it is Marta's writing that I find myself falling in love with every time I read a new section. She incorporates her vast and varied knowledge (psychological, sociological, historical, literary) so adroitly and masterfully, the words simply carry the reader along, paradoxically, with ease. I hope it will receive the audience and praise it deserves.

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    1. Thank you for doing this, Pat. Much appreciated :)

      Linnea, there are no words to express my gratitude for your constant encouragement and the trouble you're taking over "Men". Suffice it to say that I'd never come so far without you. You are the best editor a writer could dream of, and this is what I intend to share with prospective readers in the Acknowledgements.

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  21. Thank you Marta your always inventing new ways to get our info out there and I loved reading your story. While I'm not an avid reader or writer, just do it when the moment hits, I do enjoy reading yours. Micki Peluso and I are trying to keep it going and I hope it's right. Thanks again, and even if it isn't right it was an honest try :)

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    1. Dear Lori, one of the things I most admire about you is your honesty, and I've never seen you do anything that's not right. I'm really happy to see you here, for I have missed you. I'm sure your upcoming post will be wonderful, and I'll be there for you. Thank you so much for your lovely comment!

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  22. Hi Marta,

    I’m looking forward to reading Anya’s story. With your excellent writing skills and unique style I'm certain it'll be a great read. I have a feeling there will be plenty of women who’ll be able to relate to Anya. Nice title. After the cover on Just Toss the Ashes, I’m curious what you’ll choose for a cover.

    Hug,
    Kathleen

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  23. Dear Kat, thank you! I'm delighted at having your thoughts, as you know I very much respect your opinion and talent. The cover issue is a good one. This decision is taken jointly with the publisher, book designer, and cover designer. Let's hope we can agree on something quickly enough, although first I need to finish the book :)

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  24. It sounds like an interesting story Marta. A strong willed woman, spurred on by the caustic remarks of a prejudiced father, living the life she wants in a society which belittles women. has the making of a great book. Thanks for showcasing other authors who have equally interesting stories to tell.
    Cheers
    Laurie.

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  25. Thank you, my dear friend! I have enormous respect for my colleagues, and will repeat once again, just in case someone has forgotten, that the blogroll is open to all of you who'd like to write about your work here. You just need to let me know :)

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