INTERVIEW WITH KERRY LETHEBY

Meet KERRY LETHEBY, the author of a wonderful suspense fiction novel, MINE TO AVENGE (reviewed here). Read on to find out more about the book and the brain behind it... 

ZR: Did you always have this story, 'Mine to Avenge' in mind before you put it down on papers? What inspired you to come up with this beautiful story line?

KL: No, the story was something that more or less evolved. It began with an idea - a ‘What if?’ thought, triggered by the disaster of September 11, 2001. As I watched the drama unfolding on the television during those first few days after the event, I was struck by a thought that gradually became an obsession. Unfortunately I can’t reveal this thought, as it is one of the major plot elements of the story, and it would spoil the enjoyment of the story for those who haven’t yet read it. This thought often came to me over the next few years, and I eventually began to wonder if there might be a story lurking in their somewhere. I eventually sat down in January 2010 to see what I could do with it, and Mine to Avenge was the result.

ZR: Which parts of your own book do you like the most?

KL: I think I like the revelation of Spyridon’s character - finding out about his background and how this impacted his life, his personality and his choices. I also like the part where the protagonist, Alcandor, finally discovers the truth about what is happening to his family, and something dramatic happens to prevent him warning his family of the danger they are in.

However, I think my favourite part is a passage toward the end of the book, where one of the main characters is reunited with his family after an absence of many years. When he returns he is a changed man, and very broken after his experience, and his reunion with his family always makes me teary.

ZR: At the first sight, it appears that the book might have been written by someone who might have had a Greek origin. Is it actually the case with you? 

KL: No, I have absolutely no Greek heritage or background at all, so this aspect of the book required significant research. My heritage is mainly Cornish, with a dash of French in there. However, I grew up in the 1960s in South Australia’s Riverland area, area, which had a high percentage of Greek immigrants at the time. I drew on my knowledge of this area and of the Greek families I knew personally for some of the background to the book. I also interviewed several older Greek people who had some knowledge and personal experience of Greek village life and customs, but most of the Second World War and Civil War information was gleaned through research.

ZR: How much time did the whole process take - from inception of the idea to the final product in hand?

KL: The idea for Mine to Avenge began, as I said earlier, with September 11, 2001, and I had the finished product in my hand in October 2012 - so that is eleven years and one month. The writing process took up almost three years of that time.

ZR: What, according to you, are the greatest works in suspense fiction till date?

KL: I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t have much knowledge of current suspense fiction, as my tastes tend to lie in the older classic favourites. There are so many of them, but these are the first few that came to mind - Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca/ Jamaica Inn), Lew Wallace (Ben Hur), Norah Lofts (How Far To Bethlehem), Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities), James Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice), Len Deighton (The Ipcress File), and Geoffrey Household (Rogue Male).

ZR: You had mentioned about a sequel to this book. By when should it be out and what would it be like?

KL: I would like the book to be out sometime in 2014 but I am not making any promises at this time. As I work full-time, I am finding it difficult to give my writing the time I would like to. The book will be part sequel and part companion volume to Mine to Avenge. In Mine to Avenge, we read of two characters by name only, Christina and Anna, but they don’t come into the story at all. This work in progress is their story. The first half of the story is a companion volume to Mine to Avenge, with the events running parallel in time to some of the events in Mine to Avenge. I have already written most of this part, which will make up the first half of the book. However, the second half is proving to be the most difficult. This part will be the sequel part of the story, with Linus, one of the main characters from Mine to Avenge, attempting to find Christina and Anna as they are his aunt and grandmother. I have some of this part worked out, but not enough to bring it all together yet.

Thanks Ms. LETHEBY!!
It was a real delight getting to know more about you. We are all eagerly waiting for your next book.