The special express train left at exactly eighteen hours and thirty-one minutes the small train station of TİKURİLA. The discovery of the world city Saint- Petersburg started right here and now on platform three. The train looked smashing, modern, and brand new. Train passengers were welcomed by a host or hostess standing at every train wagon entrance. We, having a reservation for the restaurant wagon part one, were welcomed by a young blond Russian hostess smiling a bright-white toothpaste smile and checking our tickets, passports and visa. A porter showed up taking care of our luggage that was to be stocked away in an orderly special provided place and handed us the storage number. We entered the train through a narrow walkway giving access to the small bar. The train interior was luxury and getting at ones the label of “Palace of the Tsar”. Our steps were muted by a centimetre tick carpet; we got a champagne coup to welcome us in the well decorated bar salon. Impressed by everything around me I did not realise we left the station until our train took more speed. We just started our first trip together. At exactly seven o’clock we were invited to come to our table. The restaurant compartment looked impressive. The walls were finished with a fine wood panelling, the wall lightning in fine crystal, the tables dressed in white damask linen tablecloths and silver cutlery. Sounds were muted making the guest talk to each other in an almost whisper tone. The meal started with an ivory spoon filled with Beluga caviar and followed by stuffed Blini’s filled with the same delicacy. To round up this exquisite meal a truffle ice cream cake was served.
Today we talk about The Book, a book by Fran Kusters published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Fran Kusters, to get to know her better, what was the moment she found the inspiration to write her book The Book, as well as what is the message she would like to send out to her readers.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Was the idea for this book born at a particular moment? What was that?
Years ago İ read a sentence saying: “ The way you look at an object can change the object to whatever you want it to be”. When İ wanted to write my novel that sentence popped up in my mind and thus created the opportunity to put it in reality. In a way İ used the book as an alter ego, observing situations, giving a comment or analyse a situation. For me it became a challenge to look at an object ‘a book’ in a totally other way. The moment İ started creating this character ‘The Book’ stopped being an object.
- What is the message you want to send out with your book?
Books are for many people “best friends”. İ think that this is the main characteristic of this character. At the end of Chapter one we can read: “Would someone read my story, would I be bought and put away in some imposing looking bookcase, would one day I be thrown at someone’s head in a fierce fight or, and this would be the worst that ever could happen to a book, would I simply be ignored? “ this gives proof that books are part of our daily life. Books can offer comfort, bring knowledge and wisdom, help us in practical ways, make us laugh or cry. Books are best friends who never let us down, are always at hand when needed and never die.
- What does travelling mean to you?
Travel is part of my life İ need it as much as eating and drinking. When İ was a little child and people asked me what İ wanted to become grown up İ always answered:” İ want to travel and see the world”. Travel opens up my world, my way of thinking, of looking at the world. It broadens my universe. Every journey let me discover new cultures, new languages, new ways of living and gives me the opportunity of meeting with people. İ adore discovering new places, taste food that İ do not know, try to get an insight in peoples way of living and after all it gives me inspiration for my art works and my writing. Be it on an exotic travel, a cultural trip or just a day away, travel always gives me energy and new ideas.
- How did it feel to see your book published?
A dream come true. A journey where every step taken by the whole team brings a boost of excitement. Now that the book is alive İ am curious and a bit anxious about the reaction “The Book” will get. İ wonder how people will react to this unusual approach and İ wish that somehow I could sneak in and observe the reader when they discover my book. İn a way it gives the same excitement as travelling, you prepare, you write but then there is still the unknown, the unexpected, the surprise, the excitement. İ am a happy woman, proud of my book and grateful to the whole team who helped in bringing my writing into reality and let it enter the huge world of books.
- Are you working on a new writing project?
I happened to finish my new novel: “Reflected İmage”. This is the story of a woman who revives her former lives and discovers a lot about herself through the confrontation of her past. A see it as a spiritual journey. İ started reviewing the text and hope to get it ready in the coming months. Then there is the inspiration of yet another novel that came to me and for which İ am preparing the lay out of my characters and drawing the main story line.
Europe Books thanks the author Fran Kusters 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 The Book. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my dear reader, I strongly hope that this book can become your companion and that it can bring you happiness, emotion and knowledge whenever you want to read or re-read it. ..that through the journey you can get to know yourself better, because getting away from yourself often helps to better understand who we are and to find ourselves again!
So, my dear reader, I just have to wish you to enjoy your reading!!!
Your editor!