More than anything else in the world, nine-year-old Jacks wants to help his dying mother. A simple blood test could allow him to do that. But what Annie Brody hasn’t told her son yet is that they don’t share any DNA because he came from an anonymous woman’s egg. So why does the blood test show Jacks and Annie are related? Life Strings is a race against time on every level, a story of a mother willing to put her son in harm’s way in order to save them both, and of another who discovers the inescapable bonds of blood.
What secrets are lying in these bonds of blood? Bruce Borgos, author of ‘Life Strings’ has kindly set aside a little time to chat with me about blood, bonds and what’s in store for Jack and Annie. Bruce, we haven’t chatted publically before, so I was very happy to see that you’ve been able to set aside time to chat that we can share with all of the authors and readers out there. Last time we talked it was about your first book Holding Fire.
Yes, I received such a great response from ItsWriteNow subscribers on HOLDING FIRE! The more people you touch with your stories, the wider your readership becomes. That brings me the most pleasure – having readers tell me how my story touched them, how they couldn’t put it down, how it kept them up to the wee hours of the morning. It keeps me wanting to do more!
That’s just so awesome! And I’m so glad to hear that you’re fired up. Where have you been directing your fire to touch people through stories since January?
Since telling your subscribers about my first novel, HOLDING FIRE, I’ve been working to get my second, LIFE STRINGS, out of the blocks and into the hands of readers everywhere. It’s a lot of work!
It really is a huge amount of work, but on the other hand, it is incredibly rewarding. We’ll get to some of the rewards of writing later on, but right now I want to learn more about Life Strings. How did it all start?
The origins of this book came from two entirely separate events. I get a lot of my book ideas from news articles, and I began to take note of the plight of refugees in South Sudan. At the same time, I’ve always loved stories about the lengths parents will go to to protect their children. I found a way to combine those ideas, and if the early reviews are any indication, it seems to have worked well.
It doesn’t really sound like you drew on events from your own life to bring these articles and events together.
Not my own, really. But I drew on the life experiences of real people who had been through similar circumstances.
How did these real people inspire and shape your characters?
I needed some strong female characters in this book, and I found them in Beka and Annie, women who are driven to succeed but, above all, driven by love of others.
Was this driving force of love of others the most important concept that you really wanted to explore and showcase in Life Strings?
LIFE STRINGS is really about the inescapable bonds of blood. I think it will move you.
Oh, I have to agree there! I always find those topics that move you the most are always where you also learn the most. What do you feel you’ve learnt from exploring the bonds of blood?
My biggest learning experience in writing LIFE STRINGS came from gaining an understanding of how international aid not only helps people in need but also can keep impoverished nations from becoming self-reliant.
With your deeper understanding of international aid, I’m sure visiting some of these places to see them first hand as part of a literary pilgrimage has crossed your mind. Have you taken a literary pilgrimage in the past?
No, but that sounds fun, especially if it involves a trip to Italy or France and some good wine.
Do you like to pick up a glass of wine and dream of places like Italy or France to get you in the writing mood?
To get in the mood, I like to play music that mirrors the current scene I’m working on in the story. For LIFE STRINGS, I played a lot of African music when I was writing those chapters. It drove my wife crazy.
*Laughs* African music is awesome, but you’d need an awful lot of it to get a book finished, so I can see why your wife might be buying you a pair of headphones soon! Once you’ve got the drum beats pumping, do you find yourself completely energised by your writing?
Yes, it truly energizes me, even after long hours in front of the computer. When I’m on a roll, it’s all I can think about!
As Life Strings is now published, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve kept rolling onto another writing project. Can you share a little about it with us?
I’m outlining my third novel, an espionage story that begins in the 1950s when the U.S. government was exploding hundreds of atomic weapons above ground in the Nevada desert. It’s my first go at creating recurring characters, so it’s going to be exciting!
Spies and bombs in the 50’s, I don’t think it can be anything but exciting! You know, one of the things I love about your writing is that you move onto very different topics in each book. Have you started to think about how you could develop an author brand to pull them together?
Other than a stronger website and social media presence, I’m focusing more on book promotions like this one to expand my readership. More than 5,000 people downloaded my first novel from a 4-day promotion, and that floored me!
Wow, that’s awesome! I’m so glad that your first foray into the world of writing had such a fantastic response! With a response like that it’s pretty clear to see why you’ve kept tapping away at another story. As you keep writing and building stories to share, do you feel that your writing and voice has improved?
Like anything, you get better the more you do, the more you practice. My author voice continues to improve (I think) as I consider how that voice will sound to the reader. They’re not just words on paper, they’re words that people hear as they read.
And what wonderful words they are! Bruce, thank you for sharing some of your wonderful words from Life Strings with us. I’m itching to read some of them so we’ll leave our chat here for today but I’ll be eagerly awaiting your return to chat about spies and bombs in the 1950s, so come back soon!
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Excited to read the book we discussed today? Find it here on Amazon: ‘Life Strings ( ASIN: B07CG2PXXT )‘.
Want to find out more about Bruce Borgos? Connect here!