Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa...
No matter what you celebrate this time of year, we hope your season is blessed.
JournalJabber: Hi,
there! Can you tell everyone out there a little bit about yourself?
Vered: Oh, I can tell a lot, but then I'd have to... Ok,
never mind. Here’s the stuff I’m authorized to tell the public: I wrote my
first ‘book’ when I was seven years old. It was about a naughty unicorn who had
to learn things the hard way. And I’ve just kept writing since. Other details:
I’m originally from South Africa, grew up in Canada and have lived in Kenya for
12 years with my family and an assortment of animals. My work background is in
engineering and environmental management. I’m the only engineer I know of who
can actually string words together into a coherent sentence.
JJ: You have quite a
few series out there! Where do your ideas come from?
Vered: I daydream a lot. And doodle. But mostly daydream.
JJ: You live in
Africa. Do you ever find it difficult to connect to us Americans at times? :)
Vered: Oh dear… Well, I did grow up in Canada, so you guys
aren’t THAT foreign to me! Except when you start talking politics. Then I’m
lost.
JJ: How long have you
wanted to be a writer?
Vered: It’s something I’ve always done, so I guess I’ve
always been what I wanted to be! But a published author… well, since forever.
Or since I was seven, whichever comes first.
JJ: This is the
second year you have participated in Christmas
Lites. What made you come back?
Vered: The great crowd and the awesome editor, of course!
Also, I love the idea of using my writing to help others.
JJ: Your story “The
Christmas Parrot” seems very real. Was it based on a true story?
Vered: Oh, yeah, it was! My kids were after me for years to
get a parrot. And as for the other animals, yup, they’re all here. We have a
seriously wacky household.
JJ: Any Christmas
traditions that you love every year?
Vered: We don’t actually celebrate Christmas (we’re
Bahá'ís), but I love the time of year and what it signifies. I love getting
together with the whole family – that’s my favourite thing to do.
JJ: What was the best
present you ever gave or received?
Vered: My favourite gifts are… books. Seriously, I get a
book and disappear for the rest of the day. And I have to say my kids were
pretty chuffed when I got them the parrot!
JJ: What do you want
under your tree this year? Any new pets? LOL
Vered: No. Seriously, no pets. I have enough. But books… I
have a list… <eyes glaze over>
JJ: What can we
expect to see from you in the future?
Vered: I’m finishing up the sequels for Dragon’s Mind and Lethal
Takeout. My next story is based in Kenya, in the late 1800s. Kind of a steampunk-style
story, but with African paranormals littering the landscape as the main
characters navigate Victorian-era colonial Africa.
Learn more about Vered and her books and subscribe to her blog at http://veredehsani.blogspot.com.
Other links:
GIVEAWAY!
Vered is offering up three ecopies of any of her books (reader's choice). Good luck!
I wanted to be a ballerina, lol. But after 15 years of dancing I realized i didn't have to right body type.
But I sure m doing what I love now, working with Authors.
I actually don't think I had any grand dreams as a child.
Vered, I can't wait for your steampunk/African/Victorian novel!
Nicole - my mom wanted me to be a ballerina, until she finally had to admit that I had all the grace of a baby hippo in a china store.
Monica - I can't wait either! There's quite a bit of African paranormal stuff to work with, and colonial Kenya is quite a scene to work with.