THE DISTANT SHORE is an eloquent love story that begins in Norway, a land so well described by author Mariam Kobras I could feel the cold wind blowing in from the rocky coast. An international rock star, Jon Stone, sets off to find his first love after receiving a startling letter from a teenage boy. Is it possible that his first love, Naomi, left him only to give birth to his son and raise him in secret? Why? Jon never stops to think that his lifestyle could have been an issue, nor does he consider the havoc it might cause to suddenly appear in Naomi and their son’s lives.
I was excited to ask Mariam some questions about her novel, the trilogy, and writing:
Q: The setting, Norway, is so beautifully written. Have you lived in or visited the country?
A: I visited Norway on a vacation trip with a friend. We started out in Oslo, and then drove up to Ålesund and along the western coast south to Florø. We got into Florø early in the evening on a cold and rainy day late in May and parked at the hotel where we’d booked our rooms. It was a yellow, wooden building right on the pier, with the small town hugging the hillside behind it. I remember standing there in the rain, breathing in the wet air and listening to the silence, and the place melted into my heart and memory. It was then that I knew that some day this would be a setting in a novel. It took me another fifteen years until I finally began to write it, but that hotel on the pier was still there waiting for me.
Q. Jon Stone is a rock star, and Naomi is a classical musician, and I had the feeling you know music very well yourself. Are you a musician? (if not, how did you know so much?)
A: I’m not a musician, no. But I did sing in a chamber choir for many years, so I do know something about music. Also, here in Germany, music is a regular class in high school. My older son had piano lessons for many years and for a while he toyed with idea of attending the conservatory after school, but in the end he became a medical doctor.
I’ve always wanted to write about musicians, creative people, about artists, and how they perceive the world. It’s easy to write about these themes. I don’t think I’ll ever write a novel about a, let’s say, doctor, lawyer, or airplane pilot. It will always be about creativity and imagination with me. The creative process and how it shapes artists into what they are is an endlessly fascinating subject to me. I also like to explore how creativity and success influence each other, and how fame changes a person.
Q. At what point, when writing The Distant Shore, did you realize you were writing a trilogy?
A: When my publisher asked how many novels about Jon Stone and Naomi Carlsson I planned to write, and I replied, “How many do you want?”
The story that I wanted to write, the one that had been hibernating in the back of my mind for so long, was The Distant Shore. When the moment came to start writing it, I sat down and poured out about 400,000 words in less than three months. By the time I “met” Buddhapuss Ink on Twitter, I was happily having fun on the virtual playground I’d created for myself, without any intention of ever finishing the book, or letting anyone else see it. Of course all that changed when I posted page 99 of my mammoth story on my blog, and my publisher read it. They asked for the full right away, and I had to slap those 400K words into something that could be submitted. Eventually, I sent in the novel that you’ve read–a mere shadow of its former size.
I traveled to the US to meet my publisher in person soon after we’d signed the first book deal, and right after I got back home I wrote UNDER THE SAME SUN, and SONG OF THE STORM.
All three books went on to win Independent Publisher Awards, yay!
Just two months ago, Buddhapuss Ink released my first prequel to the trilogy, WAITING FOR A SONG – NAOMI’S STORY, and in spring 2015 THE ROSEWOOD GUITAR – JON’S STORY, will be released. These two books tell the stories of Jon and Naomi before they meet for the first time.
Q. Will there be more of Naomi and Jon, or perhaps their son, Joshua?
A: I hope my publisher won’t be mad at me for spilling this secret, but–yes. I think so, yes. Not right now. I’ve started on a new series, but yes, some day I’ll go back to Jon and Naomi for sure. They feel like part of my family by now. But you know how it is with family, sometimes you need a break from them.
That’s why we’ll release the first book in the SUNSET BAY SERIES this October. It’s entirely different from the STONE SERIES, and a romance/mystery story. Actually, more mystery than romance.
Q. What are your writing habits?
A: hmmm… I don’t think I have specific writing habits. I write everywhere and whenever the mood takes me.
Like, right now: I’m in the living room, in my corner of the couch, my hubby and kid are watching Stargate Atlantis–and I’m writing.
Generally though, I prefer writing in the first part of the day. My mind works differently then.
Thank you so much for this interview, and for featuring me on your blog, Linda!
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Three-time Independent Publisher’s Book Award Winner, Mariam Kobras was born in Frankfurt, Germany. Growing up, she and her family lived in Brazil and Saudi Arabia before they decided to settle in Germany. Mariam attended school there and studied American Literature and Psychology at Justus-Liebig-University in Giessen. Today she lives and writes in Hamburg, Germany, with her husband, two sons, and two cats.
You can connect with Mariam on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
Mariam has the marvelous ability to write you into a location. Where I may write, “The garden was lovely and lush with flowers”, Mariam can write you into the garden to the point of sneezing.
Achoo! You’re so very right about Mariam, but descriptives aren’t everything. Take a look at Elmore Leonard’s writing, for example. There are many different styles, so don’t knock your own!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Thank you so much for doing this lovely interview with me, Linda! xo
You’re so welcome!