Today we talk about CADIGAL COVE, a book by Deborah Weetman published with our Publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Deborah Weetman, to get to know her better, the way she found the inspiration to write her book CADIGAL COVE, as well as how she describes her Writing style.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- How did you find the inspiration to write this book?
As a young girl, I went with my parents to live in Africa. This experience forever changed how I view the world. I immersed myself in culture and landscapes and learned from our similarities and differences. Being sent to boarding school in the Cumbrian moors offered a stark contrast – British aristocracy, windswept, desolate moors and ancient histories. After living in Australia for many years, I thought it was time I researched the history of Australia. The more I learned the more I realised there was a story to tell. I finally understood Australian culture and the divide between the traditional owners of Australian land, indigenous Australians, the transported convicts who became the first business men of Sydney Cove and the free settlers (the middle and upper classes of England). A sweeping tale spanning centuries and crossing oceans emerged in my mind inspired by the three elements which impacted me as a young girl, culture, landscape and history. I created characters who could tell this story across time and continents linked by an invisible thread. Strong, independent women emerged who weren’t afraid to stand up for what is right, who loved deeply, and showed that it is possible to be strong but at the same time humble.
- What are the crucial themes of your work?
The main overarching theme of my work demonstrates love as the secret weapon to humanity’s conflicts and grudges. It shows how prejudice has been a common denominator through the ages from class distinction to racial bias and how these ideas have carried forward into the present. My passion for a united humanity is demonstrated through the two main characters and, in each instance, it is love which conquers all. Love is the tool from which we gain understanding, acceptance and respect. Insistence that we lay to rest the animosities perpetuated through time, by passing old ideas from generation to generation, is evident in the attitudes of my two main characters. My story has multiple layers, spanning centuries, connected through a single thread – love. It is a choice to keep old hostilities alive and I hope, through my story, to inspire people to love instead of judge.
- What would you like to hear from your readers about this work?
I am really interested to know if my story communicates the message I intend. Can readers see the parallel between class distinction and racial distinction? Was it obvious, in the story, that it was the same elitist individuals who degraded their own people and forced them to live in squalor who were also responsible for the creation of race distinction? Did the theme of ‘love conquering all’ resonate with readers? Is it believable that a person can make a difference in the world simply by loving and showing compassion, understanding and respect for another human being even if he or she is different. I’d also love to know if readers found the historical side interesting from the contrasts between the upper and lower classes in England to the formation of the prison colony in Sydney Cove and how this impacted the traditional owners of the land around Sydney Cove – the Cadigals. How important was the historical part of this story in terms of highlighting class distinction and race distinction. Does my story demonstrate how these old prejudices have carried forward and planted themselves in our current society and, in some cases, reversed? How were the landscapes. Did the reader feel like he or she was there? Could they picture it? Finally, I would really love to know how readers related to the characters of Cadigal Cove. Did they find them believable? Did they fall in love with the characters? Could they feel the emotion and dilemmas of the characters?
- How do you describe your Writing style?
I have a narrative writing style where I create a fictional world with a cast of characters to fall in love with and some definite mysteries to solve. Plot is very important to me. I feel a story without a good plot fails to engage the reader. Once a plot forms in my mind, the characters naturally follow thus creating a world that readers can fall into and never want to leave. Each word I write comes from a place of passion and conviction, an endless imagination which can only be described as a spiritual place. My writing is somewhat conversational in style – it speaks to me this way and is therefore more likely to engage the reader. I use a lot of dialogue so the characters become real to the reader. I want the story to be believable and I want to draw the reader into the characters so they are right there with them, sharing their pain, courage, triumphs and successes. I love drawing parallels between present day and the past. I enjoy the challenge of creating two stories and linking them with invisible threads over time and space to create a mystery. In my opinion, every story needs an element of mystery to keep the reader turning the pages in the quest to find the truth.
- Are you planning to write more books? Can you tell us something about it?
Yes, I am currently writing my next book and, at present, the story is evolving. Its inspiration is a small sea town in England famous for its smuggling days, Rye. The first time I visited this historic walled town, which sits on top of a hill, I was overcome with familiarity like I had been there before. This recognition captivated me and inspired the beginnings of my story. Like Cadigal Cove, it is quickly turning into an epic saga of betrayal, slavery, courage, re-invention and love carrying the reader from the southern shores of England to the beauty of the Lake District and across the vast ocean to Africa. It is about the path to freedom and success. My main character is, once again, a strong woman – brave, resourceful and overcoming insurmountable odds to forge ahead and create a life despite … I am sure there will be some twists and turns plus a connection to present day as I love stories which have grown from the roots of the past.
Europe Books thanks the author, Deborah Weetman, 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 CADIGAL COVE. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my readers, I hope this book captures your attention, allows you to grasp all the messages the author wants to convey with her story, and that it is a source of inspiration for new ideas or awareness useful for your everyday and future life!
So, my dear readers, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your editor!