Welcome contemporary romance author, Sonja Price



            Welcome to my blog, Sonja! I love hosting fellow member of the RNA Bath/Wilts chapter and looking forward to hearing all about your latest release, THE GIANTS LOOK DOWN. Let's kick off with my questions....

1.)        What was your first job? Did you like or dislike it? Why?
My first proper job was teaching if you don’t count holiday jobs such as waiting on tables and filling jars in a gherkin factory. I always swore I’d never teach, even avoiding that option on the year abroad as part of my degree. But when I finally stood in front of the class, I found it came to me easily. I think I’m a bit of an entertainer; in another life I’d be an actor or singer.

2.)              Do you have a pet peeve? If so what is it?
I know this sounds silly, but I do want to be left alone when I’m out shopping for clothes. I know they’re only doing their job, but I hate being hassled by shop assistants.

3.)              Would you describe your style as shabby chic, timeless elegance, eclectic, country or ___­­­_?
I think it’s classical, but not in the sense of old-fashioned (I hope) and sporty but of course I’m actually sitting here in denim shorts and a T-shirt answering this.

4.)              Tell me about your book {THE GIANTS LOOK DOWN} and where you got your inspiration for it?
I was listening to a report on the terrible Great Earthquake that hit Kashmir in 2005. Despite the tragedy I got inspired by the description of the stunning Vale of Kashmir, which is surrounded by some of the tallest mountains on this Earth. It boasts a string of lakes among emerald green valleys and fields of saffron. I went on to write the story of young Jaya, who wants to become a doctor against the wishes of her mother and the patriarchal society she lives in. 

5.)                  Who is your role model? Why?
Iris Murdoch and A.S. Byatt simply because they write so beautifully

6.)              How much of your book is realistic?
I hope it’s quite realistic. It was difficult for a girl to become a doctor in 1960s Kashmir and this stunning location has been troubled since Partitian. The story is primarily one of perseverance and romance, but I was very conscious to depict the conflict that afflicts Kashmir (Pakistan, India and China all fight over it) as best as I could. My final draft was checked both by Indian doctors and publishers. 




7.)                   What are your ambitions for your writing career?
My next book BLACK SNAKE will hopefully soon be published. It tells the story of a widow’s quest to solve the mystery of her husband’s death out in the Canadian Wilds against the background of a pipeline being built across sacred Indigenous Canadian Land. I want to continue writing literary fiction, that entertains people.

8.)                   Share one fact about yourself that would surprise people.
I’m hooked by The Bachelor on TV. My husband loves to watch it and it was a case of if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.


Author Bio:

Sonja’s short stories appeared in Stories For Homes, the Shelter Anthology of Short Stories and In these Tangles, Beauty Lies, an anthology in aid of the Beanstalk Trust for children with reading difficulties, before her first novel The Giants Look Down came out in 2016. Longlisted for the Mslexia First Novel Competition, it also made her a finalist for the Joan Hessayon Award. Born in Bristol, Sonja studied at the University of East Anglia. She completed a PhD in English Literature and teaches English at Jena University in Germany. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Links
Website:                      www.sonja-price.com
Twitter:                       @PriceSonja
Facebook:                   Sonja Price Author
Buying links:  

Blurb: At the age of ten, Jaya Vaidya decides to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a doctor against her mother’s wishes and all that the patriarchal community of 1906s Kashmir expects of her. When disaster strikes, Jaya is faced with obstacles as insurmountable as the Himalayas. She is transplanted to Scotland, where she has to navigate both a foreign culture and the rapids of love. Just how far will she go to achieve her dream? (Published by Robert Hale, 2016)

Excerpt: Soft moaning sounds, like the ones my Granny made in her sleep, were coming from the house. The moans turned into cries of pain and the dog pulled away. Why wasn’t Pa doing anything about it? That was why we were here. Even with my hands over my ears I could still hear the woman. On and on it went. The man started shouting and the dog collapsed on the ground with a sigh. The woman’s cries reminded me of a Tibetan fox caught in a trap up in the forests around Lake Gangabal. Kaliq had to shoot it as the iron teeth had bitten clean through its back leg.
       Silence. Even worse! Only swallows swooping overhead as the entire valley held its breath. Shattered by the cries of a baby and a jubilant ‘A boy!’ Brahma be praised, it was over. We could go home.
       The dreadful screaming recommenced. Perhaps Pa had done something to her. I had to see what was going on. Like a snow leopard stalking a deer, I crept into the house, which was only slightly larger than our woodshed. It reeked of animal hide and smoke. My eyes took a moment to get used to the gloom. I could make out two rooms: a kitchen and another one where the woman lay. Our house was all sunny rooms and places where I could be by myself. I edged my way towards the grown-ups, towards the man with the bundle in his arms and Pa tending the woman, still writhing in agony.
       She was so young. Why was the old man putting her through this? She could have been his granddaughter. Why choose a girl, in a place where so many women had been widowed by the troubles? Cast out by their families with children in tow. They would have been happy to have a husband, any husband. But this poor girl. It made me sick. I wasn’t going to have a baby, ever. She screamed and screamed and then I caught a glimpse of something round between her blood-smeared legs. Not another one! Pa eased out a head, then a shoulder and then the rest before the woman fell back onto the messy covers.
       Limp, lifeless and smeary-white, it looked more like a skinned rabbit than a real baby. Pa tried to rub it to life but the woman was not moving either. He looked to the man for help but he merely shrugged his shoulders as if to say why bother with a girl? Pa laid the baby carefully in the cot by the fire, turned to the woman and drew up a syringe.
       I ran around the bed and picked the baby up. I couldn’t believe how small she was. Tiny hands and feet just like my dolly. Only she was warm. The boy was crying for all he was worth, loud screeches that you’d never believe could come from someone so little. He was rosy and angry, and she was pale, almost white. Shiva! I wanted to shout. She was slipping away before she had even arrived. Pa was doing everything he could for the woman and there was no point in talking to the man if he wouldn’t even listen to Pa. I rubbed her like Pa had done before he put her down but she was growing colder and colder.
        I stared into the flames and then my eyes rested on the one set of baby’s clothes laid out in front of the fireplace. It wasn’t fair! Why should she have to die? A ragdoll nobody wanted to play with. No!  I wouldn’t allow this to happen. What had the herdsman done to the newborn yak? I bent and blew into her tiny mouth. Her cheeks soft and cool like goat’s cheese. No reaction. I blew more strongly into her. Nothing.
        Tears pricked my eyes. I couldn’t help her. There was absolutely nothing I could do. Stupid of me to think I could make a difference. All I wanted to do was run outside. I went to kiss her goodbye but instead found myself trying one last time. The baby’s lips puckered; her face screwed up. She turned a deep red before letting out the most wonderful cry I had ever heard. The woman opened her eyes. Tears ran down her face as she reached out for her little girl. Pa looked from the baby to me and smiled.
       Half an hour later we climbed back into the car, ‘When I’m big Pa, I want to be a doctor just like you!’
       He stroked my head and switched the radio back on.



1 comment

  1. Oh, this book sounds lovely! And I agree with you, Sonja. I hate when people bother me while shopping.

    ReplyDelete