Today we talk about Oath Order, a book by Zaskia E. A. Antelo Mercado published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Zaskia E. A. Antelo Mercado, to get to know her better, where she found the inspiration to write her book Oath Order, as well as what she wants to communicate to her readers.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where did you find the inspiration to write this book?
At first it all started because I needed to unwind myself. I have suffered of psychosis many years, and needed to reflect my pain in a character which is also psychotic. To me creating Aloysius was therapeutic. My intention was to create a couple, to show love, to make this feeling cure the pain of mental illness. Love might not be able to cure the symptoms but it can make the illness more bearable for the sufferer. Moreover, I chose to set them up in my hometown, I made them live in a very fancy full of young people neighbourhood. I`d love for my readers to get to know my city just by reading my novels. The couple here, both suffer of mental illness, one as I mentioned is psychotic, while the blond, his partner is a psychopath. I wanted to make them love each other even if their brains do not always cooperate. I also tried to separate the soul from the body. Their brain might be sick but their soul is still full of love, patience, and care. The couple presented is written with the upmost protection. They deserve to be happy, sick, or gay, or blonde, no matter the conditions everyone is capable of love, or at least try. My inspiration was love, and mental health awareness.
- What are the crucial themes of your work?
I mostly like to raise awareness of psychosis. I suffered many of years of the conditions, and truly it has been a living hell for me, especially the years I wasn’t medicated. I suffered a lot, and to me writing this, helped me heal. So I strongly focus on the symptoms of psychosis, such as: Paranoia, auditory hallucinations, delusions, and anxiety. Things I have experienced first-hand. Aloysius is not the only one with a “funny” brain, his partner the one who helps him heal emotionally, also has mental problems, which makes him a psychopath. I focus on the fact that even though their situation is difficult, they still create a wonderful loving environment, where they raise a Chihuahua. Then apart from mental illness I also show my full support for LGBTQ couples, and their right to love and live in peace just like straight people do. So I focus on both mental health, and queerness. From the start the conditions in which they met are horrible. Aloysius was kicked out of his home and harmed just because he is a man who happens to also like men. Moreover there is also a reproach of society and those becoming rich at the expense of those wicked in society. Since the couple once united become thieves of white collar. Their main targets are the wealthy who are rich at the expense of the innocent.
- What do you want to communicate to readers with this work?
I`d like for people to try and understand a bit better how psychosis works, it is not always schizophrenia. Also, a person can look normal, but their brain is pure chaos. Something I`ve experienced first-hand, the hallucinations, the delusions, the pain, the suffering. Everything is hand in hand. The symptoms and feelings all collide. The pain is real, and even if we are living in a different reality, the experience is devastating. I`d like to normalize mental health awareness. We don’t know where, or when we will fall ill. I didn’t really have a trigger when I got sick. It just happened and I suffered dearly. So with this character I`d like for people to have some sympathy, understanding of this poor man, whose brain happens to play him badly. Moreover, I also would like to normalize homosexuality. It is nothing especial, but the love is true, the intention of finding a life partner for ever is also true. So I advocate for both mental health and LGBTQ. Also, I`d like to share the fun of my hometown, which is why the entire novel happens here in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, in Bolivia. I want people to get to know the city, the malls, and the city centre. I want to give the option for the reader to travel to my hometown inside their brain, and see the beauty that I see.
- How did it feel to see your book published?
I was counting the days! I was so excited to see my babies finally come to life, and be able to enter reader`s minds. It took me a few months of waiting but at the end they arrived. I`m feeling so blessed to see my children here, looking at me, living inside the book. And I’m truly looking forward people reading them, moreover telling me their opinion or if they liked a character and why. I hope they will take a little space inside reader`s heart. I hope they also help the representation of both: sick people in the brain, and just queer people. At the end of the day I think everything is just love. Love your partner, love your life, and love those who love you back. May my books be loved with the same tenderness I think of them.
- Are you planning to write more books? Can you tell us something about it?
Actually yes. At the moment I am writing another book which is completely different from Oath Order. In this case it will be complete fiction and of course it is fully queer friendly. My main characters are also lgbtq people and I`m happy for them. It doesn’t focuses too much in love for now, but we will see as it advances. Moreover, I`m writing a thesis for my master this year, so at least until July I won’t be able to touch the novel, because I want to focus on my master`s thesis. My goal is to continue writing until the day for me to go arrives. And I will keep advocating for queerness, mental health, and being a good person.
Europe Books thanks the author, Zaskia E. A. Antelo Mercado, once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book Oath Order. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my readers, may this book enable you to understand about what psychosis is, how it appears, what it entails the person who suffers from it, but also people who surround that person. I hope it would also give food for thought to reflect upon.
So, my dear readers, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!