Dammi Mille Baci (Hyunah Kim) - Interview

 

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Interview:
1. What inspired you to write Vienna Calling? 

-Vienna Calling is based on a true story that happened to me when I lived in Vienna a long time ago. It is a story that I had buried deep inside of me. Had it not been for the pandemic and the death of my father thrown at me in the middle of it, I would not have written the story. When my father passed away, and I couldn't even attend his funeral, I suffered a period of depression, and it opened a scar, an old wound that I could never get over, even after all these years. And that was it. I started writing about my encounter with a mysterious young artist I had met in Vienna and how it had positively changed and influenced my life.

2. Given that your father’s death influenced you to write this, what connection was there? How did his death open that wound for you? (You do NOT have to answer this. I will omit it if you want!)

-There is no direct connection between the two. I believe it has to do with certain circumstances that came upon me that drowned me into tremendous pain. And those two circumstances were probably similar in terms of its density. The feeling of loss. Loss of someone you love. And when I reached a point that it was beyond my power to overcome the grievances, very curiously, a new door opened in front of me. That’s when I realised that I could express the overwhelming experience in another way, than whining and self-pity. Express it in another way. Yes, and I started writing. Maybe it was how Axel started painting and found his inner peace after his childhood trauma. By expressing himself in canvas, he found a way out from his incredible pain.

We all have our own way to deal with hardship. This is one of the positive ways out, in my opinion.

3. Was it difficult to write Vienna Calling, or was it more of a nostalgic process?

-It was certainly nostalgic, but at the same time therapeutic. When I met Axel, I was young and naïve. I never knew how this unusual encounter would have influenced my life at that time. Now, thinking back, I realise that he was “Amor vitae meae (love of my life).” And I made the biggest mistake of my life by leaving Vienna, and leaving him behind. The story continues to book 2, which I’m working on at the moment. There are many things I wish I would have done differently. But alas, you cannot go back in time…

4. Fair enough! In the book, you mention Axel speaks several languages, but so do you! Just how many languages do you speak? 

In Vienna Calling, there are quite a few and I was thoroughly in love with them! Linguistics has always been fascinating to me.-I speak fluently French, Korean, and English. I understand and speak reasonably Italian, and German, but I understand mostly Hoch Deutsch (High German).

5. Very impressive! Aside from learning to navigate a new, fleeting love, what did you learn while pursuing this endeavor?

-That Life is precious. Every day of your life is a gift. Every moment, especially if you have an opportunity to appreciate a piece of art, do it with gratitude, and with your whole heart. What is Art? How does one become an Artist? These are eternal questions I keep asking myself…And this was Not a fleeting love or fling. Thinking back, Axel was love of my life. The one and only. I still dream about him. It was far from exciting fling that you enjoy and forget in your younger days. This encounter with him left me a scar, never to be healed…I thought I could find this kind of heart pounding emotion with someone else. It never happened. You will see what happened in the book 2. 

6. What would you like readers to take away from this?

-Remember, no matter what happens in your life, and how tricky and difficult life could be sometimes, “things happen for a reason.” My dear father passed away in Korea, while I was confined in France from Covid. I couldn’t even attend his funeral. I went through heavy depression. Then one day I got up and started writing this story that I’m sharing with you.

7. Any tips for new writers?-I’m a novice writer myself. I am not sure if I am in the position to give any tips, but if you insist…

-Never give up. If you think your destiny is to write and share and move others with your story, keep it up. And keep on dreaming. The dreams can come true only for those who dream.

8. I genuinely love that last sentence! Moving along, what was your favorite part(s) to write?
-The first encounter with Axel in chapter 1. And the last chapter, love scene in the rain.

9. Why did you love those the most? I personally loved the first the best, haha! 

-It’s interesting, you asked this…haha. I tend to agree with you  actually. The first chapter is my very favorite. Also the most important and key to our relationship. The unusual circumstances on how we first met. How I reluctantly agreed to ride with him on his Ducati, and the dreadful imagination in my head during the ride…and how it had turned out to be the most dramatic and romantic experience in the end…and all that was true event. I didn’t invent this part. How an artist work in his mind…how impulsive and imprevisible he was…I still don’t understand to this day…why did he decide to take me to see a sunrise, at that time who was a complete stranger he had just met? Life is full of surprise, right? Why did I love the last chapter? Throughout the whole story, while I wrote it, I have been impatient to arrive at the last chapter. I kept my secret resource for this part, and in describing the love scene in the rain, I had to go back and forth to see if it felt right. All those tensions, misunderstandings and turmoils all melted together here to be ended in a heart warming closure for the two characters, and for the readers, and myself. And it had to done in a delicate manner, in style and in good taste, I really had to choose the right set and words…quite a challenging path.

10. Least favorite?

-Let’s say most difficult. That makes it probably least favorite? Chapter 13, Adventure of the stolen painting. The vivid memory of anger against Anthony and violence still eats me up.

11. Oh, yes. I could feel the anger while reading it for sure and see why you didn’t like that! You’ve already answered this, but could you elaborate on what book 2 may include?

-Yes, book 2 is coming sometime this year. I will not give too much spoiler alert, otherwise it won’t be much fun, but as I said, the story continues…in an unexpected way. I narrated my story, of how it kept on influencing my path after the end of chapter 15.

12. Is there anyone you wish to thank in this interview?

-My dear father. A celebrated author of several best selling novels, loving father, and spiritual leader for many lost souls. And you, Nicole, my dear, for giving me this opportunity for an interview!

It was no problem! I loved learning about your story and working with you, too! : I’m just a novice writer who just began my career, and you made me feel like I was already an established author, which I’m definitely not. But it felt good to be appreciated…thank you. I’m so grateful.

Dammi Mille Baci (Hyunah Kim) - Review

Click here for my interview with Hyunah Kim!
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Dammi Mille Baci
Hyuannah Kim
⭐: 5/5

Pros: I learned a ton! Fashion and art aren't things I'm fluent in, but that I respect and admire. Given both MCs had professions in each field, it was quite informative. Kim also did well at allowing their professions to aide in their character development and interactions with one another. It felt so natural and organic.

The fling between them felt relatable, too. One person feels too damaged to confide, the other does their best to empathize with little information, but they mesh beautifully. It reminds me of something that many of my own friends have been through themselves: those flings that are stunning and growth provoking, but last only a breath. I felt myself relating to both characters in that aspect, but also on many other levels.

Cons: Kim is fluent in a few languages and has translations available, but some readers still are not fond of things like this. The French was easy for me, as I'm fluent, but everything else was easier to read with the translations for sure.

Conclusion: overall, this is a whirlwind story rich with not only culture, but depth of characters, their struggles, how they convey and cope with them, and how they demonstrate that pain can truly bring people together if vulnerability is allowed. Want a heart tug? Pick this one up!

The Devil's Trill (N.B. Saltsman) - Review

The Devil's Trill
N.B. Saltsman
⭐: 5/5
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This book is unlike any I've read so far! It isn't often you come across a read where the devil himself seeks you out in a non-malicious way!

Pros: I loved this for many reasons. I adored seeing demonology in a different light, learning about some violin history, as well as enjoyed the MC, Kayla.

Kayla's personality isn't a stereotype, therefore making it easy to love her. She's not afraid to go headfirst into some very serious topics most people would be crossing themselves and tossing salt over their shoulders for. Let's not forget Lucifer himself - I absolutely loved the light he was painted in alongside his explanations for supernatural occurrences and the afterlife.

All the characters are well written and though it's not the happiest story ever, it's still necessary to get the main point across: the devil wants to know Kayla and will do what it takes.

Cons: I can't think of any, but since this is my usual format, I guess I'd say if you're not an open-minded person, you're not going to like this. You need to be willing to see things from different perspectives.

Conclusion: this was an ARC read and one of my favorites to date! I loved the original plot line and Kayla's personality that just made it easy to understand why everyone else acted as they did around her. I adored the plot line and cannot wait for the next book!

The Devil's Trill (N.B. Saltsman) - Interview

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Interview:

1. What was the inspiration for The Devil’s Trill? The Devil’s Trill was inspired by The Devil’s Trill Sonata by Guiseppe Tartini. I heard the song for the first time in high school (15 years ago now…ouch), and it always stuck with me. Once I heard the story behind it, I grew even more fascinated. And over the years, the idea for the novel slowly began to percolate. 

2. I see now where demonology enters the picture! Did you have any interest in it prior to hearing the sonata, though? If so, what sparked it! I wouldn’t say a true fascination, but it was always a casual interest of mine. Like Kayla, it was actually sparked by watching horror movies as a child, which inspired me to do research and learn the ‘real’ stories that inspired the movies. 

3. Speaking of Kayla, our main character, what inspiration did you have in creating her? Her personality is a go-get-er, no nonsense, straight on the nose kind. I adored how unlike other MCs she was! Kayla’s personality took on a life of its own the more I wrote. When I sat down to write The Devil’s Trill, all I really had in mind was a loose idea of the general plot. I developed her profession first, and then her backstory. From there, I just went with the natural flow of the story. Her profession did very much shape her personality. She’s highly educated, and her years of studying myths and legends has made her very practical because she sees them as exactly that, myths and legends. 

4. That definitely makes sense to me! Let's talk about “Lou”, our other main character. What was the inspiration behind his development? He most definitely is not like any other form of Lucifer I’ve read about and I loved that! I actually had a mental image of Lou for a lot longer than I had a mental image of Kayla. My idea for Lou started taking shape around the same time I thought of the story in the first place. I don’t know if I had a true inspiration for him, I just know that all of the other representations of Lucifer that I’ve seen didn’t match with how I envisioned him. I knew he had to have a touch of arrogance stemming from all that power, a sense of superiority. But I also knew that he couldn’t be a genuine villain. The reader gets to see a lot more of Lou’s complexity in the next book. 

5. Oh, I am so excited to see more! So far, he’s unlike anything I’ve seen! Moving along, there is quite a bit of music history in TDT. How much time did you spend studying it? I’m actually not a big music history buff myself (though I am married to a music teacher). This particular song was special to me. I spent quite a lot of time researching the history of The Devil’s Trill Sonata. Even before I decided to actually write the novel, I was reading the backstory. It’s highly unique! I can’t think of any other classical song that has a more interesting story behind it. 

6. Indulge us: could you tell us what the story is in a nutshell? Absolutely! Tartini was a composer, and one day he dreamed that The Devil came to him. As a test, Tartini handed The Devil his violin and told him to play. The resulting song was the most magnificent, awe-inspiring thing that Tartini had ever heard, too beautiful to be human. When Tartini woke up, he desperately grabbed his violin and tried to recreate what The Devil had done. That’s where The Devil’s Trill Sonata came from. But even though it was Tartini’s magnum opus, he was disgusted by it, saying that it didn’t come anywhere close to the song The Devil had played for him that night. To this day, The Devil’s Trill is notorious for being difficult to play.  

7. Have you actually traveled to the places you wrote about? To me, it felt like you’d been there yourself and described everything in beautiful detail. Sadly, no. Someday! I  think the detail came from all the hours I spent researching these places and staring longingly at travel photographs, WISHING I was there.  

8. Well, you executed it beautifully! Not a huge spoiler, readers, but for the catacomb scene in France, I had no idea there were any there! You mentioned you’ve not traveled to the places in the book, but you wrote this scene so well, too! I was definitely intrigued. I’ve seen many, many, MANY pictures. And I researched them extensively, which is how I knew that the mine that Kayla and Lou visited was theoretically possible. I would love to visit them someday…with a tour group, of course. People have gotten lost down there!

9. I feel you so much on that! What about demonology? There is quite a bit of history about it, too. Did you study it before this book, or did you end up diving into it once you began this project? A bit of both. I did have rudimentary knowledge of demonology before I decided to write the novel, but once I made that decision, I dove in deeper. 

10. I’m glad you did. It’s so fascinating! I was also impressed with the amount you knew of how Harvard would feel about sponsoring/hiring someone in Kayla’s field. Was it difficult to find out if this storyline was realistic? Or did that matter at all?  I did a bit of research into the subject because I wanted it to be as realistic as possible while still working in a fantasy setting. Demonology is a real-life niche field, and it does draw a lot of attention from occult lovers. That’s why Kayla was the perfect person for a prestigious university to hire. She’s a doctor, an Ivy League graduate, and her research is based on respected academia/historical writings. But the niche subject she chose is going to draw a lot of attention, and it has shock value, which will make the university money. I did, of course, take some artistic liberties, but it is reasonably realistic. 

11. How long did it take to write TDT? Write? Six weeks. Get it to the point where I was happy with it? Two years. The first version of The Devil’s Trill was a bare-bones version of what I eventually wrote, and quite a lot changed since then. The biggest challenge was getting the reader set up for the larger worldbuilding that would happen in later books. 

12. There is definitely a lot of worldbuilding and I felt I could imagine every scene as you intended the reader to. I’m glad you took your time with it and that I got to read it! Speaking of reading, I know you have a follow-up to TDT coming out. What can you tease us with? Is Kayla still the MC? What sort of adventure(s) is she going to take us on? (I’ll be reviewing that one, too, readers!) Yes, the second book of the series is called The Harpy’s Lullaby. Kayla is still the MC, but we actually get to see a few chapters from Lou’s perspective as well. Kayla is facing a lot of fallout from the events at the end of The Devil’s Trill, and we get to see a lot more of the fantasy lore from the larger universe. It was a lot of fun to write, but it does get quite a bit darker at times.  

13. I truly cannot wait to read that! I’m excited to see how Lou views the world and maybe a little more about his fascination with Kayla, a seemingly random human. What advice would you have for new authors just getting started? Just get the story out! It doesn’t matter if it’s perfect. It doesn’t even matter if it’s good. That’s what the editing process is for. Just make sure you don’t SKIP the editing process! Rough drafts should never see the light of day. Mine certainly never will!  

14. Agreed about the editing! For many readers, even if the plot is brilliant, if the editing was skipped, that’s a big “DNF” (do/did not finish) in their view! What was the most challenging part of writing The Devil’s Trill? It was a combination of making sure the research was exactly right and making sure that I was laying the proper groundwork. I was afraid of writing the third book and ending up with a major inconsistency with the first one. 

15. That sounds complicated, so props to you! Thank goodness for passionate authors who value consistency. In TDT, do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why? My favorite character of the series is actually going to be introduced in The Harpy’s Lullaby. But for the TDT, it was Lou, hands down. It’s mostly because I’ve ‘known’ him the longest. And he’s a lot of fun to write. 

16. I could see why! He’s fascinating to me, too! Did you have a favorite part about this entire process of publishing from start to finish? My favorite part was when I found my very first beta reader about a year before I declared the novel finished. She was more of an alpha reader at that point because it still had so many flaws. But she read it…and she told me she loved it. All authors are hyper critical of their own work, and I was expecting everyone who read it to tell me it was garbage. Especially this beta reader, because I’d researched her beforehand, and everyone said she was tough. She did have some highly critical feedback, of course (which helped me immensely), but she liked it. And now that it’s published, other people like it too! It’s still hard for me to believe sometimes. 

Congratulations for getting through that tough alpha/beta reader, as well as being published! Thank you also for taking time to allow me to read and review it, as well as to interview you about it. 

Readers, if you’re looking for something out of the norm with a plot and characters that will draw you in, The Devil’s Trill could be exactly what you need!

The Game (Phil Fishman) - Review

The Game
Phil Fishman
⭐: 5/5
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This book had me interested within the first opening lines! I knew it would be a powerful story, as well as one that would touch my heart and mind alike. I also was in love with how the name of the book really does go along with the theme itself. I thought it to be quite clever!

Pros: I’m impressed by the intricacy of details and character relationships Fishman uses. They’re not difficult to follow despite being ample in number. The story as a whole also made me curious about the true events that may have taken place and what survivors still remain who could’ve had similar stories. My heart already had loads of empathy for them, but it expanded drastically understanding and reading a story like this.

Cons: if you’re easily triggered or angered by things like rape and torture, this book is not for you. However, we must remember. We must remember history so that we can learn from it, even if it’s an ugly truth. We must honor those who suffered what we could never imagine.

Conclusion: if you’re looking for a WW2 novel that isn’t quite like the rest, try this one out. The gravity of how many families were separated, created, and destroyed is only the tip of the iceberg in The Game, but one that does well at honoring these sorts of events!

Adam & I (Johan Dahlberg) - Review

 

Adam & I

Johan Dahlberg

⭐: 5/5

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Pros: this memoir has all the ingredients for a heart tug! I was intrigued on various levels from the nomadic lifestyle Tommy (MC) lives, his dream of settling down (isn't that what we all want?), and the lengths he goes to honor both. The faithfulness he has to these things kept me locked in at all times. The distance, deceit, and devotion this book has makes it unique, as I've never read one quite like it before! 

I thoroughly enjoyed the character development the most outside of the plot itself. It appears that everyone has a place, as does every scene, and it's stitched together in such a way that I felt I was processing Tommy's emotions with him as he was. It was another, "just one more chapter... Yeah right!" 

Cons: if you've been manipulated, lied to, or cheated on in past relationships, you may be a bit uncomfortable, as all these things are things you'll run into. They didn't bother me, but they did increase my empathy and understanding for those who are involved in such cases. 

Conclusion : this is a book I would gladly own and recommend to anyone who is looking to expand their empathy, witness significant growth from a person who's actually experienced it, and who is also enamored with big romantic gestures, such as Adam is known for doing. 

Adam & I (Johan Dahlberg) - Interview

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1. Given this is a memoir, it took some guts to be so vulnerable. How did you feel in writing it?

Adam & I started out as therapeutic notes. I had a heavy experience to deal with, and being a writer I did so the best way I knew how – by writing. But when I told close friends about what had happened the reaction was always the same: “Wow, this is like a movie. You should write a book about this!” So that’s what I did.

Over the course of maybe six months my therapeutic notes turned into a real story, and I changed the writing to be in third person. My feelings changed from sadness and despair to the sort of thrill I’ve always gotten from writing. The initial writing had served its purpose and soon I felt great about getting to tell a story that works from a storytelling perspective, with a plot I was genuinely excited about. Once I reached that point, writing about hard and painful memories never felt bad at all, because I stopped thinking about them as memories and started seeing them as plot points.

2. So you pretty much answered this in the last question, but what pushed you to follow through with everyone telling you that you could do this and publish your memoir?

I’ve always been a writer, but never an author. I’ve dreamt about it since I was a child, but I never had a story to tell. I didn’t have the imagination or patience to fill a full novel. Now, because this is a true story, the outline had already been written for me. Getting it published was a no-brainer, a realization of a dream.

I was encouraged by people close to me and their shocked reactions to the story, and once I started doing research on my experience and what others have been through in real life, I realized that this is an important story to share. I’m not alone, and I want others to know that they aren’t either.

3. Were some parts harder than others to write, and if so, why?

Yes. Despite changing my view from memories to plot points, the memories themselves were never bad in the first place. This is a story about deceit on a big scale, but what happened during the deceit I have no regrets about. Instead, the difficult part was to relieve the happy memories, the promises of what the rest of my life could have been like. I felt like my life had been crushed or stolen from me, and it was unfair. I felt immense pain because of this. I also lost three years of my life and often wondered what exciting direction my life could have taken if I never met Adam. I still do I guess. I will never know, and that pains me even today. Those scenes in which I was truly happy were surprisingly the most difficult to write.

Oh, and Mexico! The entire chapter set in Mexico is one of the most painful memories I have. That one was also difficult to write, because I wanted the reader to feel the pain I felt and wasn’t sure how to best portray it. It took a lot of work.

4. What was your favorite scene or situation to write about?

I have to say the ending. As you know, the ending is the only chapter in the book that is made up. I had total freedom here to give Tommy – the main character – the closure I never had, and I wanted to keep the reader hooked and guessing to the very last paragraph. As an author, that’s a thrilling opportunity. In fact, I think the last few pages are the best part of the book, because they give the grand but personal story a very fitting conclusion.

The chapter set on the Camino de Santiago was also one of my favorites to write. I met so many cool people when I did that 32-day hike in real life, and originally the chapter was almost twice as long. I wanted to include everyone! But that harms more than elevates the story as a whole, and so I focused on only a few key characters, those who affected me the most on my journey with Adam in real life, and consequently Tommy in the book. The editing process for this chapter was one of the most fun parts of the writing process for the whole book!

5. Have your friends and family been supportive in this endeavor?

Totally! Everyone around me have been super supportive, especially since they all knew Adam. We were shocked together. They’ve all always known I’m a writer, and thanks to how unique and extreme this story is no one has ever questioned the fact that I’m writing a book about a former partner. In fact, many of my friends encouraged it.

My grandmother was always the most excited to get to read the book, so when things felt difficult toward the end, because of how enormous a project like a novel is, her support was what kept me going and actually finish the book. She got an early copy and was one of the first to read the full book. She was shocked by the sex scenes in one of the early chapters, but even after those she was one hundred percent behind me.

6. Do you have plans to publish more works in the future?

I’m currently working on two novels and a non-fiction book. Among the novels, one is a spiritual sequel to Adam & I but entirely fictional. How did he heal, and what happened to him and his life following the events in Adam & I? The other is a murder mystery on the Camino, because I genuinely loved writing about the hike and would love to try a different genre.

I doubt I’ll ever finish either of those books though, because it’s a huge commitment. With Adam & I the true story gave me the fuel and passion I needed. And am I ready to handle another massive project that will consume my life for the foreseeable future? For now, I just want to enjoy life without the burden of working on a novel.

The non-fiction book is an educational book for new and experienced authors. In it, I detail my process for writing my debut novel and getting it published. Basically, all the lessons I learned about what it takes to write a novel.

7. Any tips for other beginner authors?

Have a complete outline ready before you get too serious. The reason I tried to write a novel for two decades and never succeeded was because I lost interest halfway through. And the reason I lost interest was because I wasn’t sure of where I was going. Writing ourselves into dead ends is a major discouragement, making the prospect of “fixing” everything so overwhelming we give up. It’s a major cause of writer’s block. With Adam & I the outline was given to me for free by life, and with the two novels I’m working on now I’m making sure I have at least 30-50 plot points from the beginning to the ending nailed down before I write a single word of the script itself.

Completely opposite to that, my other piece of advice is to just write! Don’t stop, don’t think too much, don’t go back and edit. Just write. If you get stuck on a scene, skip it and move on! You can fill in the gaps in the editing process. For a large part of the writing process it feels like there’s no end in sight, but I will never forget the day I wrote the last missing scene of the first draft for Adam & I. That was more euphoric than anything else in the process, including the day I held my first printed copy or when the book was published and available to the world. If you just keep writing every day, even if it’s just a little, you will reach the end eventually.

Also, get some beta readers! Maybe 5-10 different people at different stages across the entire project timeline. Or 2-3 really good ones. And your friends and family won’t be enough. At least some of these readers whose job is to provide feedback on the story need to be strangers who don’t know you or your story. The end result will be so much better for it!

8. What do you wish you’d have known going into this project as far as tips and tricks go?

I wish I had known more about effective storytelling. I spent a year and a half after the first draft was done making it exciting to read. The early chapters lacked conflict or “troubles” for Tommy to overcome, and his goal within the story wasn’t very clear. What was the story even about?

I fixed all these issues in editing, but had I thought more about it from the start I wouldn’t have had to rewrite and add as many scenes as I did.

9. What part of the story, if any, do you hold dearest?

The happy memories I mentioned earlier, and the ending, are the parts closest to my heart. It makes me happy just thinking about them, and I’m glad this story gave me a chance to put them on paper.

10. Is there anyone you wish to thank or acknowledge?

First and foremost, everyone who have supported me as much as they have. My friends and family. My editor, beta readers and you Nicole, an exceptional ARC reader whose genuine interest in my work helped me enormously in the final stretch toward publishing.

And Adam. Without him, this story wouldn’t exist and I wouldn’t be the author I am today.