Historical novelist M G da Mota chats with me about her new psychological drama, ARABESQUE.
During her virtual book tour, M G will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn participant. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
M G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.
Welcome, M G. Tell us about your latest release.
My latest release is the novel ARABESQUE. The title refers to a step in classical ballet. The novel is structured as if it were a ballet, subtitled A Balletic Novel in a Prologue, Three Acts and a Coda. It has ballet as its background and dancers as the main characters but it is more than just ballet. It’s definitely a tribute to the wonderful art of classic ballet but it is also about family, love, obsession, freedom, sadness and romance.
Excerpt from ARABASQUE:
First Variation – Amadeus
Berlin, East Germany, July 1965
Amadeus gazes at his wife. Margarete or Grete, as is her preference, sleeps, exhausted from the effort of birth. Her hair appears glued to her forehead, wet from perspiration. Next to her, in a plain white hospital baby cot, their daughter is also asleep. He touches the little girl’s head gently. The baby, a small bundle inside the clothes too large for her, stirs marginally but does not wake. He arranges the cover around her slight body to keep her warm. She was born with hair, if one could call the blonde fluff hair. His chest swells. He already loves that little person with all the force of his being. Swallowing a couple of emotional tears he realises he will do anything, anything, to protect her. He wants her to grow up in peace, in freedom, to be able to make her own choices. With a heavy heart he wonders whether such wishes will ever be possible in this German Democratic Republic where democratic is a word devoid of meaning.
East Germany may be a lot of things but democratic is not one of them. Will he be able to adequately protect this tiny being and give her all she deserves? His chest tightens. He may have to shelter her from her own mother. Feeling shivers down his spine he recalls how his fears, his suspicions were confirmed a few months earlier, just after Grete told him she was pregnant.
What part of the writing process do you dread?
I don’t know whether this may sound strange but of the actual writing process I don’t dread anything. I love to write, to create stories, imagine characters and their lives and I really enjoy doing research, which I tend to do because my novels have usually a background of history and classical music, opera or ballet. Therefore, research is always needed. What I do dread, once the novel is ready for publishing, is having to write a synopsis, a blurb and going through the marketing process.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
I am very happy to say that so far, I’ve never suffered from writer’s block. If anything, I don’t have enough time to write all the stories that revolve around in my head.
Do you ever wish you were someone else? Who?
To be honest I’ve never wished to be someone else. I’m happy with who I am and I feel comfortable with myself.
What did you do on your last birthday?
On my last birthday I was on holiday in my birth country (Portugal) and I flew on a hot air balloon above the beautiful landscape of Alentejo, a Portuguese region South of the River Tagus, which divides Portugal in two.
Links:
Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram
Hello Lisa, I am the author of ARABESQUE. Thank you for your interest in my book and for posting an interview with me.
Thank you so much for featuring ARABESQUE.
I just love the title!
Hello I’m MG da Mota, the author. The title is the name of one of the most beautiful steps in ballet, which the dancer on the cover is perfectly executing.
Sounds like a story I will enjoy reading.
Hello I’m MG da Mota, the author. If you read the book I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did writing it.
Thanks for the great excerpt. The book sounds like an intriguing thriller.
This looks like an awesome read. Thanks for sharing.
Hello, give it a try if you think it looks like an awesome read. I hope if you do that you will enjoy it.
Looks like a good read! Thank you for the Q&A ! 🙂
Hello Nina, I’m happy you think Arabesque looks like a good read and that you enjoyed reading the little interview. I’m happy to answer other questions should you have any you’d like to ask me.
cool
Hi I’m MG da Mota, the author. I like that you think it’s cool. Thank you.
Hi I’m M G da Mota, the author, I tried to write a good thrilling mystery with intriguing characters. I hope I succeeded and people will enjoy it.
Hi, I’m MG da Mota, the author, thank you for your comment and interest. If you read, I hope you’ll like it.
Sounds like a great book.
Hello Sherry,
I don’t know whether it’s great but I’m very happy with it and I’ve had good feedback about it from a variety of people. I hope you will be able to read it.
Do you have a favorite space to do your writing?
Hi Tracie,
thanks for your question. My favourite place to do my writing is actually at the dinner table in the dining corner of my lounge because it has large windows that open up to my garden and a lot of light. Sometimes if I need peace and quiet I go into my home office upstairs but I find it too formal. Do you write too? Or you simply enjoy reading?