We’re a global village now, and that has its advantages. But it also puts individuals at risk of losing themselves to the collective, at risk of losing the capacity to think for themselves and succumb to what those in power want them to believe and do with their time and their lives.
Julia Starling – 17 December 2015
The Back Flap
The best way to rule a populace is from behind the scenes. Let people think they control their opinions and actions, and you can lead them anywhere.
So believes Professor Litvac, who dreams of engineering the “perfect consumer”, creating a populace living a life of mediocrity, anxiety, and malleable opinions. And in the turbulent political climate of 1970s Buenos Aires, he’s got plenty of opportunity to experiment. Any young adults who disappear are assumed to be the victims of ongoing political unrest.
Trapped in one of Litvac’s torture camps are Lucas and Vera Freund. Brilliant scientists, the Freunds hold the key to Litvac’s success, but they’re not talking. With the backing of a powerful Catholic sect, Litvac puts a plan in motion that will transcend generations. He’ll have what he wants–no matter the cost.
About the book
What is the book about?
Vera Freund, a young scientist working in a classified genetics program in 1970’s Buenos Aires, stumbles upon a discovery that could change humanity forever. Greedy for her profits, Professor Litvac, her mentor, has her kidnapped and locked up at one of his torture camps. Taking advantage of the political unrest of the late 1970’s in Argentina, the Professor abducts innocent university students and subjects them to his “population enhancement program,” by which he infiltrates society with hoards of genetically modified, “perfect consumers” willing to blindly follow collective opinions and live an anxiety-ridden life of mediocrity and meaninglessness. Not wishing for her explosive discovery to be used for the wrong purposes, Vera refuses to talk. She is ready to suffer the consequences of her stubbornness.
Twenty years later, at the turn of the millennium, brilliant scientist Frances Fons is recruited by Professor Litvac to work at the same program. A “different” type of girl, her existence is chained to the ambitious agendas of those around her–especially her father Antonio, who works as a surgeon at Litvac’s illicit camp, where Vera had been taken. Frances is at the verge of making the same discovery that her predecessor made two decades before when a momentous meeting changes her life forever—and that of the world with it.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing it in mid 2014.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took me several months of note writing and drafting ideas on my typewriter and at local cafes before I had a solid plot line. After that, it was a pretty smooth ride. I think I actually typed the whole novel on my computer in four manic months and then spent about a month editing and polishing it.
Where did you get the idea from?
I was born and raised in a politically charged Buenos Aires in the late 70’s. You could feel the tension in the air. There were bomb threats several times in my Kindergarten. You never knew what was going to happen next.
I began my medical career in Buenos Aires, at the national university. Some of my novel’s imagery is influenced by my experiences as a med student, mixed with the realities of growing up in Buenos Aires.
The world has been changing dramatically since the late 70’s, and it seems to be changing exponentially with every year that passes. There’s less and less time, it seems, and most people spend their lives chained to society’s mandates and expectations, never having the time or inclination to stop and ponder what their true calling is, what their preferred path would be. Life is a gift and too short not to spend it in a way that is congruent with our inner needs.
We’re a global village now, and that has its advantages. But it also puts individuals at risk of losing themselves to the collective, at risk of losing the capacity to think for themselves and succumb to what those in power want them to believe and do with their time and their lives.
In my opinion, the social trend has been to encourage mediocrity and promote suspicion toward the extraordinary and exceptional. This makes for an easier flock to manipulate.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I think the hardest part of the plot-building was weaving the many threads of the plot so that hints are revealed at the right moment and the suspense is kept heightened while at the same time giving my readers some satisfaction along the way. The interweaving of the two time periods, the 70’s and the 90’s, was also challenging. But the hardest part overall was the actual editing after I had my draft complete: I went from nearly 80,000 words down to 68,000.
What came easily?
The actual typing of the novel after I had all notes and plot outline ready. I finished that in just four months. The setting and character development were also pretty easy to develop, due to the personal experiences that gave me a solid basis from which to get started.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Ha! That is something I prefer to keep private. But I can only say that the famous adage “write what you know” applies to this novel.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I am a little unusual because I write contemporary Science Fiction but I tend to favor classic literature, which I believe has influenced my style in general. I like the works of Dante, Homer, Aldous Huxley, Olaf Stapledon and some of Theodore Sturgeon’s work. I also enjoy Nietzsche, Goethe and some more obscure ancient authors. Juan Mascaro’s The Bhagavad Gita has been influential to me as a person and I also like the prose.
Do you have a target reader?
I would like my novel to be read and enjoyed by everyone. But most particularly, my novel is intended for people who like the combination of a literary style of writing with a fast-moving plot, people who are curious and awake, people who are not altogether content with the state of affairs in society and would enjoy exploring some possible answers.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I start with notes and observations, which include ideas about characters, that end up scattered all over my studio. The preliminary stage, the idea development takes place between my studio’s old-fashioned typewriter (where I have direct, peaceful views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains) and a local cafe, which is for some reason where I tend to go for outlining the plot.
Once I have a solid plot outline, I gather all notes and begin to organize them to fit the plot. Then starts the typing of the manuscript in my computer, followed by editing.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Yes, I like to outline the skeleton of the novel at the beginning of the process. Chapter headings accompanied by notes is the norm. Sometimes the notes are just a couple of sentences, and sometimes I get carried away and write most of the chapter’s core content.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I do some basic editing as I go and then do the real chopping at the end.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I actually didn’t. I considered it, but was afraid of my creative vision and unique voice being compromised in the process. I know it is supposed to be an absolute faux pas, especially when my mother tongue is not English. But I’m a little bit of a control freak and gave it many passes and had people I trust examine advanced copies and give me feedback before I considered it finished.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Classical music is a must while I type the manuscript in my computer. I think by now my brain has a reserved neuronal circuit for the classical music playlist I ran over and over while I created Against the Oaks of Bashan. I should probably get some new music.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I did consider it, but, after doing some research, I came to the conclusion that an agent would probably grind with my personality. I like absolute control over my creativity and, while I welcome feedback, I do not like the idea of being in a contract that might push me toward directions I am not comfortable with. And, while agents are very helpful for lots of authors, they’re not for everybody.
So I submitted my manuscript to several small publishing houses and got an offer from two. I thought it would be best to deal with publishers directly. After I considered the terms of their contracts, I decided against it. In the current publishing climate, things might start to change fast. And I became wary of handing over my rights without knowing what will happen in the future.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
As mentioned before, I like to keep control of my creative output and my business. The least people involved in the process, the better for me. I am not after getting rich or a sudden burst of success and recognition. I prefer to do things at my own time and interact with my public directly, and not be stuck in any kind of contract that potentially limits my freedom.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
My husband Alex, a successful visual artist with a graphic design background, designed the cover for me.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
A little of both. I don’t enjoy the marketing process but I understand it is a necessary part of getting my book to my audience. So I devised a sort of tentative plan that I will try and balance with the writing of my next novel.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
I would say: just believe in yourself as an author, find your unique voice, write about what you know, don’t get too lost with what others are doing and focus on writing the next classic in your genre. And write, write, and write more.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Where do you live now?
I currently live in Lamy, New Mexico, at the foothills of the Sangres.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I am a medical doctor and psychotherapist. I started my medical career in Buenos Aires and finished the clinical part of it in the UK, where I lived for five years, when I was in my early twenties. I moved to California to complete my psychotherapy degree and then worked as a psychotherapist with lots of different clients, from minority populations with AIDS to youth at risk to wealthier clients in private practice.
I have always written privately, but started writing much more intensely after my home burnt down in the 2007 wildfires in Southern California. It was a total loss of everything I had ever owned. The trauma fueled my creative life. I am not good at being a victim, and tend to react to hardship like a Phoenix. And, after taking a sabbatical in 2014 from clinical practice for health reasons, I began to write full time. Against the Oaks of Bashan is the first of many more novels. I have finally found my biggest passion and there is nothing that can stop me from following this exciting path.
End of Interview:
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