Author Interview: Natasha Mostert, author of Keeper of Light and Dust

I just had the opportunity to review Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert, which I throughly enjoyed! I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask Natasha a few interview questions so I could share them here with you at Jo-Jo Loves to Read!!!

So here is what Natasha wanted to share with all of us:

1. What was your inspiration for writing Keeper of Light and Dust?
I've always been fascinated by legends and myths that feature battle-scarred warriors who are protected - or cursed - by beautiful powerful women. It is a sexy concept! I therefore decided that it would be fun to create my own “legend” and I came up with the concept of the Keeper: a modern-day heroine who protects men who are engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

2. Since the main character of this novel is a tattoo artist I am wondering if you have any tattoos yourself? If not, have you thought about getting any tattoos?
I am so tempted! I don't have any tattoos yet, but I certainly haven't ruled anything out. I was thinking it might be cool to have a tattoo for each one of my books tattooed on my spine like a row of charms. Midnight Side would be represented by a snake, Other Side of Silence by the pi symbol, Windwalker by a wolf, Season of the Witch by the Monas Hieroglyphica (an alchemical symbol of a unified universe) and Keeper of Light and Dust by the Kanji symbol for chi! People keep telling me that one day when I'm seventy I will regret it but I think by the time I hit seventy I'll be regretting quite a number of things and tattoos may be the least of them!

3. What kind of research was required of you to write Keeper of Light and Dust?
I had to do research on body art and quantum physics. The one required a lot of reading, the other required hanging out in tattoo parlours. I had fun both ways.

My villain is a brilliant scientist : a chonobiologist and quantum physicist who had cracked the secret of how to gain eternal life. I had to read quite a bit about organ regeneration, Zero Point Field and other related topics so that I could understand the world in which he lives. In the end, of course, I used very little of this information in my novel - after all, my goal is not to educate but to entertain - but I still needed a good grounding before I could start writing.

My other big research effort was in the area of tattoos. Before I wrote Keeper of Light and Dust I knew very little about body art. But I wanted my heroine to be a body artist (it is necessary for the plot) and I therefore talked to tattooists and watched them at work. It is a very textured and colourful environment and I enjoyed learning abut magnum shaders and tattoo lore.

4. Could you explain your writing process to us, including whether you know the ending of your books when you begin?
The idea always comes first for me. My books are research intensive and I will spend months studying and reading. Once I have the topic well in hand, my focus will move to the characters and from that point on they become all important. Even if you write a book with the most interesting themes imaginable, if the reader does not empathize with the characters, the book will fail.

I fall in love with my heroes! I dream about them obsessively (my husband knows all about this and has long since made peace with this state of affairs) and for the eighteen months I write, my characters take over my thoughts. Sometimes I walk down the streets and I look like a crazy woman. My lips are moving because I'm talking to fictitious people who inhabit the pages of my story.

I am not a serendipitous writer. I plan very, very carefully and I always know what the ending will be. My plots are intricate and if I do not plan, I will write myself into a corner. As I write, things do change, however. My characters can be temperamental and will insist on taking off in strange directions! But this is the fun part of writing - when the book starts to buzz and hum and take on a life of its own.

5. Do you attend any workshops or belong to any writing groups that have helped improve your writing skills?
I do not attend workshops and I have never belonged to a writing group. It is not that I have anything against them, it just simply never happened for me.

6. I have heard from several author interviews that the publishing/editing process can be a very humbling experience. What was this experience like for you and do you have any suggestions for aspiring authors to help them deal with this process? Yes, I'm afraid the journey to publication and beyond is a painful process. All aspiring writers know how difficult it is to get that first contract but once your book is accepted the real challenge starts. There are many books that are prepared for publication in-house and they are not all given equal treatment: publishing houses usually place their money and muscle behind their star authors and the rest of the pack has to pretty much find its own way. A common misconception is that once you have a book published, you will always get published. This is not the case: the writing life is deeply precarious. If your books don't sell, you simply won't get your contract renewed. This hard fact keeps you humble, believe me!

The editing process itself can be traumatic. No writer really likes to be edited. You hand in your manuscript after you have slaved over it for two years and you get it back covered in blue pencil with remarks such as “overwrought”, “rambling” and “need rethink”. Show me a writer who likes to hear her baby has a squint or a limp! But the fact of the matter is that all writers benefit from having a good editor. By the time you hand in your manuscript, you are so close to the story that you are blind to its faults. If you have a good editor, it is worth swallowing your wounded pride and paying attention to her. Even though her advice that you should slash Chapter 6 or even remove a character from the plot may at first sound like insanity, there is probably method to her madness.

My advice to aspiring authors: Don't give up and grow a thick skin. And keep your sense of humour. Remember what GK Chesterton said: “Angels fly because they take themselves lightly!”

7. Did you have moments when writing Keeper of Light and Dust that were plagued by writer's block? If so, how did you stay inspired to continue writing?
Block is probably too strong a word - and I am so superstitious I don't even want to say the word out loud. The very idea of being completely blocked terrifies me. I've been lucky so far in that this has never happened to me in the nine years I've been a published author. But yes, I've had periods - quite a few -- where the creative impulse was not as strong and where it felt to me as though everything I write is derivative or sounds downright feeble. One of the way in which I try to get back on track is to reread a favourite book such as Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea or one of Jorge Louis Borge's short stories. They both have angel ears for language and always inspire me. Or else I'll call up my kickboxing instructor and we'll have a good old punch-up in the dojo!

8. From reading some information in the back of your book, I found that you practice some martial arts yourself. How have you integrated your knowledge and discipline from martial arts into your personal life?
Martial arts is all about raising your chi sensitivity - in other words, making sure that the vital energy within you flows cleanly and strongly. I believe in chi and I always feel greatly energized after a session in the dojo. I do full-contact sparring, which means I am trading actual blows and kicks with a partner. Sparring requires absolute focus and attention: there is no room in your mind for anything else. I find that it is only when I'm inside the dojo that I manage to stop the internal chatter inside my head - the white noise that represents everyday stresses and anxieties. After an hour in the dojo and being I completely in the moment, my mind feels spring-cleaned and I'm ready to face anything that may come my way.

9. What are some hobbies that you enjoy during your down time (if you have down time, that is)?
I don't have much down time, sadly. After writing, kickboxing is my one great passion. Music is another great love but I don't see it as a hobby, rather as oxygen.

10. Are you currently working on another book? If so, could you tell us about it?
I am currently doing research on four different ideas. They all have potential for a book but I know that the research will eventually tell me, which one will be my next story. I'll probably start writing in earnest at the end of June when my commitments to promote Keeper of Light and Dust will have died down.

11. What would an ideal "night on the town" in London consist of for you?
I would start off with a walk down the Chelsea Embankment just as dusk is falling. In the summer the sky is this incredibly lavender colour and it becomes magical: in front of you the dark water of the Thames and on the other side of the river the lights starting to glow. I may even want to take a “flight” on the London Eye - the big wheel that sits on the South Bank and gives you the most incredible view of the city and the Houses of Parliament . I would follow this with a meal at my favourite brasserie where they have an open wood oven that makes everything that is prepared in it taste divine. I might then see if I can catch my friend Cengiz at one of his gigs - he has a rock band and is, incidentally, also a great a martial artist. To end the evening I'd go to My Old Dutch on the King's Road and have one of their fantastic late night pancakes!
Hmmm...this makes me think of my personal love for IHOP!


I would like to thank you, Natasha for taking the time to complete this interview and I wish you the best of luck with this book and all future novels that you write!

Don't forget to check out her website and you can also play the Keeper Game while you are there, this will tell you if you are a Keeper, Warrior or a Thief, and even give you an opportunity to win some cool prizes like a Kindle or an Ipod. I completed it and I am categorized as a Warrior...so please let me know what you are if you play the game! You can play the game yourself here. To find out more about Natasha Mostert and view a complete list of her books you can go to her website.

I believe that I am the last stop on this blog tour, but you can view other reviews of Keeper of Light and Dust at the following blogs. The date indicates what day the review was actually posted.
A Novel Menagerie - April 2nd
Literary Escapism – April 7th
The Literate Housewife Review – April 10th
Wrighty’s Reads – April 14th
Peeking Between The Pages – April 17th
Saavy Verse & Wit – April 21st

Thanks for stopping by everyone! You also have an opportunity to win a copy of Keeper of Light and Dust from Serena over at Savvy Verse and Wit--but hurry, because today is the last day to enter!

Blog Tour and Review: Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert

First of all I would like to thank Sheri from A Novel Menagerie for inviting me to participate in this mini blog tour. I really did enjoy this book, but I must admit that since it isn't the genre that I usually read, I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own. So thank you Sheri, for introducing a new author to me that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Here is a summary of Keeper of Light and Dust from Natasha Mostert's website:

What is the greatest desire of all?

In the death choked corridors of Palermo's famous catacombs, a young man asks this question of himself as he stands surrounded by eight thousand mummified corpses. The answer he gives, will set the course of his life and take him on a journey into the heart of darkness.

Adrian Ashton is a brilliant man: a quantum physicist and chronobiologist who has devoted his life to the study of chi - the vital energy that runs through our bodies. A gifted scientist, he is also a skilled martial artist - and a hunter. Calling himself Dragonfly, he preys on fighters and martial artists who are blessed with a strong life force, draining them of their chi and making it his own. To assist him in his quest, he draws on the knowledge contained in an enigmatic Chinese text written by a legendary Chinese physician in the thirteenth century.

But the hunter becomes the hunted when a mysterious woman enters his life. A martial artist herself, she belongs to a long line of Keepers: women who are warriors, healers and protectors. When Dragonfly targets the man she loves, she sets out to defeat him. It becomes a fight to the death in which love is both the greatest weakness and the biggest prize.

A fast-paced, highly original thriller, Keeper of Light and Dust* blends mysticism with science and explores themes as old as time: the imperative of violence, the redemptive power of love and the greatest desire of all -- to live for ever.

My Review:

First of all I think you should know that although this book is categorized in the 'Thriller' genre, I don't think it had that many scary scenes. There were a couple of opening scenes that were tense and had me thinking that I wouldn't be able to handle it, but I did just fine. I love how this book had a balanced blend of ancient Chinese traditions, mythical elements, martial arts, and even a nice love story.

The main character in this novel is Mia, who happens to be a tattoo artist, and secretly is a 'Keeper' for several martial artists that practice kickboxing on a professional level. A mystery surfaces over a period of time as a few of the boxers that Mia is a Keeper for, unexplainably die from heart problems.

Nick has been Mia's close friend since they were children, and although they always felt a special bond, neither one of them have been able to confront the other to bring their relationship to the next level. They end up growing closer as they spend more time together to try to solve this mystery and prevent another death.

Nick is also a professional kickboxer and Adrian, otherwise known as Ash, shows up just in time to help Nick get in prime shape for his next competition. Ash does develop a strong friendship with both Nick and Mia, but definitely is looking for more than friendship from Mia. Mia senses this from Ash, and for some reason she is strangely attracted to him also, but in a different way that she is attracted to Nick.

I really enjoyed the writing in this book. Here is an excerpt from page 135 that describes the beauty and friendship that Mia is feeling at the time:

It was a summer of beauty and friendship. She wondered if she would remember these days, one day when she was old. Would she look back to when they were all young and confident and energy was flowing strongly through their bodies? And would those memories be vital and glowing or drained by old age? If only one could stop time. Sometimes she'd be training in the dojo surrounded by voices, laughter and movement and the desire to halt time in its tracks would be so strong it took her breath away.

As a Keeper, Mia would often visit a Retreat to perform a ritual to help protect her boxers. I also enjoyed this mythical aspect of the book. I don't want to go into too much detail of this part, but I do want to share a segment from page 184 that I enjoyed:

But as she let the gate swing shut behind her, her heart lifted. Home, she thought as her bare feet followed the mossy path. Home. And as she walked down the moon-ribbed track, she knew there were ghostly footprints underneath her bare feet, unseen markers leading her on, left by Keepers who had entered before her many years in the past. Sometimes she would dream of them: of women with long necks and silver eyes, holding hands through the ages, drawing their dreams together even though the dream they shared and the burden they carried were no longer celebrated or understood.

I do not want to give too much more away about this book, as it is a thriller and I feel that I would ruin the plot if I did so. To find out more about some of the content of the book you can go to Natasha Mostert's website here. I did enjoy this novel and thought that Mostert did a great job of weaving all of the elements together. Thank you Natasha, for providing a copy of your book for review.

My Rating: 4/5

Here is a list of the other blog participants-just click on the link to see what they thought about this book. I suggest that you visit these blogs to check out their reviews also.

A Novel Menagerie
Literary Escapism
The Literate Housewife Review
Wrighty's Reads
Peeking Between the Pages
Savvy Verse and Wit

You may want to check back later today to read my interview with Natasha.