Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
A sister writer and poet penned an incredibly emotional poem that grabbed my attention every waking moment. I found the only way I could divest myself of the emotional scenes playing in my mind in the wee hours of the morning, was to write them out. Without even attempting to write a novel, I had written a 128,000-word epic in six months, all while holding a 40-hour-a-week position as a research scientist.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I have been a research scientist/engineer (infrared, lasers, and human vision), a frequently awarded fine art photographer, and a longtime amateur maker of exotic wines.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
The book’s title—The Stone Cutter—was almost a necessity. It really could be called nothing else. The reason for this is that the title has five different meanings related to the story. 1) stone cutter is the profession of the protagonist, 2) the protagonist’s great quest in life is to find the Shamir, a mythological object, which is said to cut stone, 3) it refers to an ancient Asian fable called The Stone Cutter, 4) in emotional desperation the protagonist cuts himself with sharp stones (thus becoming a “stone-cutter”), and 5) it refers to the protagonist’s rescuer, who “cuts out” the protagonist’s “heart of stone,” and gives him a “heart of flesh.”
How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?
As a visual artist and designer, as well as author, I created the cover myself. It is partly taken from an obscure John Singer Sargent portrait. The top and bottom borders are actual Nabataean stone inscriptions from first-century Petra. I love using existing old and ancient art in my covers—though it doesn’t “fit” the current conventions for historical fiction covers, I always like to buck the trends.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
Vaughan-Williams’ “Fantasia On a Theme by Thomas Tallis,” Arvo Part’s “Te Deum,” “Silouans Song,” “Magnificat,” and “Berliner Messe.”
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
I would hope that my readers gain a deeper knowledge and appreciation for the people, history, and culture of the Nabataeans. Also, the understanding that great ambition, and a craving for love and belonging can ultimately destroy one’s life. And finally, that there is One greater than all, whose mercy and love is ever extended to us.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
To finally launch the novel, and see it out in the world, being read and enjoyed by people.
What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?
This debut novel is the first of a series of books, all set in the first-century desert kingdom of Nabataea.
Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.
An Interview with Cindy Kate Wills
An Interview with Kimberly Heiman
An Interview with Sehaj Kasture
An Interview with Mike Michalak