Now and again, you stumble across a book that touches you,
and may stay hovering in your thoughts, long after you’ve finished it.
While I could safely go through hundreds of book per year, there are
usually less than a dozen that I would re-read, buy as presents or continuously
recommend via social media.

A debut author, from the midlands, Martine has written a
story, based on fact, which looks at the effects of Armenian Genocide in Turkey
and blends many threads together; love, trust, hate, anger and grief. All culminating in a work of fiction that is
truly memorable.
I couldn’t
wait to meet this author and emailed her publisher, Brandon Press, to arrange
an interview at Bleach House. Martine
squeezed this in on a hectic literary weekend and I got to host herself and her
husband, John, on a miserable rainy night.
However, rotten weather aside, Martine graciously agreed to be grilled
by myself and some bookclub members. The
fire was blazing, the table was loaded with food, and the wine was waiting on
the sideboard. I had so many questions
and got stuck in straight away, asking about how the idea for Anyush came about?

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Each
author has their own writing process and each has something to teach us, in
their own way. I love hearing about
their routines, approaches and tips, so as we nibbled on some mango and chilli
cheese (divine) I asked Martine how she approaches it, being a busy Mum, like
myself? “I’m usually at my laptop by 9
or 9.30 and keep researching or writing until lunchtime. I take an hour’s break
and then continue until 5. Only of course when other commitments leave me free.
That schedule is sometimes aspirational!”
Husband, John, is loving the interest
surrounding Anyush and was more than
happy to tell us about reading the early drafts of the book. Martine says he “read the first drafts,
although probably never in sequence. A very close friend, one of the few people
who knew I was trying to write this book, read the earliest complete draft and
God Bless her, never discouraged me, despite the awful drivel she had to
read.” This friend ended up being a
good luck charm as she had a special interest in the book’s subject. She also, inadvertently helped the publishing
deal with Brandon/O’Brien Press. “That
friend I mentioned works for the Trinity Foundation with a woman called Zhanna
O’ Clery. Zhanna is a philologist, so has a huge interest in the written word,
but by a remarkable coincidence she’s also a Russian Armenian. Added to this
she’s married to Conor O’ Clery, the retired foreign correspondent with the
Irish Times. My friend passed the manuscript to Zhanna who in turn passed it on
to Conor, who really liked the story. He then sent it to Michael O’ Brien of
The O’Brien Press and Michael made me an offer to publish. Sounds easy, I know,
but it took eight years to get there.”
The food was dwindling and the night was
coming to the end, but I had to ask……What can we expect next? More historical fiction perhaps? “Yes. I’ve started the second book, which is
linked to the first, but you don’t have to read Anyush to read this one. It’s set in India in 1905 and is told from
the perspective of an English governess and an Indian boy. Lots of wonderful
research!”
Music to my ears, as this character is
briefly mentioned in Anyush, and I
had wondered what her story was. The
Empire, India, England and the early twentieth century, who wouldn’t be excited
about book two?
You can read my review of Anyush here....and you can order your copy from amazon link below or get from any good bookshop. You would be mad NOT to!!!
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