Book: The Series Of Kindness
Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Well, My name is Salma Soliman, I am a 35 years old Egyptian and a proud mother of 2. A girl, Malak 3 and a half years old and a boy, Selim 2 years. I’ve always been so passionate about 4 main and constant things ever since I was a little girl; kids, reading, writing and dancing, and as I grew up, my passion for them grew as well and never changed or dimmed.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Series Of Kindness’ book?
Well, as hard as it still feels to talk about it, but the truth is that the key challenges I faced while writing my first book “The Series Of Kindness, Volume 1” was the fact that I was writing it during the course of a personal significant trauma. When I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility and undergone several failed IVF attempts only to be more certain that it is never going to happen for me, that’s when my husband told me it was time we tried something new and Oh my! Thank God we did! We traveled to the UK to undertake another round of IVF with a new approach and for the first time I conceived triplets, but sadly I lost my boys in my 6th month which somehow pushed me towards the darkest yet brightest phase of my life. The darkness of losing my precious babies and the light that after all I CAN conceive. Those two opposite and profound feelings lead me into a rollercoaster of emotions that I found myself writing stories to my unborn children manifesting through them the human beings I would wish them to grow up into and as I wrote I felt closer and closer to them and my dream felt so attainable. This was my real challenge, I was too emotional to write, yet I couldn’t stop myself. At some point, I was too scared that all my hurt and personal struggles will be reflected in my stories but yet again I believe that the best books are written from the heart, so I continued to write through all my pain and loses. My book includes 5 stories and as I finished my fifth, I was ready to give birth to my beautiful miracle “Malak”. I don’t think I will ever face a bigger challenge than losing the children I longed for for years, but these challenges are the real reason my book is written & are also the reason I am now enjoying every single second with my children.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
To be honest, I am not consciously aware that a certain writer influenced my writing more than others. I have a lot of favorite authors, I believe they all influenced me one way or another, but I am not sure how exactly have they influenced my own writing. But let me tell you about my favorite books & authors as a kid & as a grown woman. Ok, let’s see, as a kid, I loved Robinson Crusue by Daniel Defoe, i was fascinated by the survival skills & the adventure of this book that I had my uncle read it over & over to me again whenever he visited. The Whizard of Ozz by Liam Frank was also one of my very dearest books, I was enchanted by the fantasy world & it’s beautiful message that everyone has a missing part & it is either we accept our incomplete selves & focus on our own edges or we will keep searching forever for what we are missing & lose ourselves entirely in the process. Growing up, I fell in love with Charlotte’s web by E.B. White, I believe it is a story that teaches true meanings of kindness, acceptance & friendship. As I became a mother myself, I loved the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, I think it is a brilliant story that teaches your little ones so much in a fun & appealing way.
Now, as a grown woman, I tend to love thrillers & dark novels like “the Prey Series” by John Sandford. Gone Girl & Dark Places by Gillion Flyn. Deceit & A Dark Devotion by Clare Francis.
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
My favorite spot in my country is a very small & very primitive village called “Ballah” right by the Mediterranean Sea in the North Coast. I really don’t know what it is about this place that speaks right to my heart. It is amazingly beautiful in its very own way, it is like civilization has totally forgotten about it & so it is still pure, simple & real. When I go there, I feel so at ease & calm. The houses there are tiny, the sea is crystal blue, the sand is snow white & the weather warm with a chilly breeze. Just Perfect. It is the kind of place that freshens your heart & awakens your soul. I am very lucky to be living in Egypt, my country has all kinds of uniquely beautiful sceneries. It has exotic deserts, beautiful seas & shores, historical monuments, just all kinds of beauties that fit all tastes. Really It is a very special country, I can’t get enough of it, yet I still choose “Ballah” to be my favorite spot.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
Yes, I believe there is so much to do before starting to write a book, but it all has to start by having the right state of mind that helps your imagination blossom, whatever state it is that serves your personal self best. For me, It all begins with having an idea, then I have to get my mind to keep on thinking & thinking about this idea without trying to push it in a certain direction, just let it be until it defines itself. Once it has been defined, it is time I start putting it on paper in the form of key words & sub ideas that eventually shall lead to a complete story. I then start taking one sub idea at a time & start building on it by research, creation, & details in the form of characters, events & circumstances. At this point I should have a clear vision of who I am talking to & what is the effect I wish to leave on my readers. It is then that my initial idea is starting to breathe & come to life, during this stage it is essential to not stop & keep going. Let it flow without over thinking, self-criticism & evaluation. By the time I am done, I have my story & I am free to reevaluate, add & subtract as much as I want and boom! There you go, My book is alive!
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Series Of Kindness’ book?
It took me almost 2 years to be completely done & satisfied with my final draft.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘The Series Of Kindness’ book to buy?
My book is published now by Austin Maculey publishers. You can find it on their own website together with all major online retailers like amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, WHSmith and Book Depository under the name “The Series Of Kindness, Volume 1”. You can also find it on my very new Instagram page KINDKIDS by S S where you will soon find a bunch of interesting and appealing ideas on how to advocate Kindness to your kids, so please follow and stay tuned!
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Series Of Kindness’?
My book cover was my own sketch, I croakily drew it, then my mother being the talented architect & painter that she is neatly sketched it for me, & we had it sent to my publisher. I was trying to reflect through my cover the celebration of love & kindness by all, featuring the heroes of the book all teaming up together to carry the big heart of kindness feeling happy & empowered by all the love they are feeling.
The title was pretty easy for me because my idea was very clear from the start. I wanted to create a whole series of books linking every value in life to kindness. Serving the purpose of advocating for a culture of kindness, emphasizing on the fact that the kinder you are the stronger you get & thus resulting in creating kinder realities for all our children. So the title very simply became “The Series of Kindness”
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Keeping things fresh is a very important aspect of writing. You have to practically be living in your story & not push away any idea that comes to your mind. I personally love to write in open spaces, it keeps my mind opened, vibrant, & fresh. I like to imagine that all my ideas are already a success, that gives me more confidence when writing. Also, I believe it is essential to add from my very own opinions & personality to anything I write, because we are all different & unique human beings & by adding a part of you, you know that it is only yours & thus it is fresh. Reading a lot also serves writers really well, the more you read different things, the better you write. For me every time I read a book, something lights in my mind & a door opens to a brand new idea that could turn into another book or simply just disappear in thin air, the important thing is that reading keeps my mind working & productive .Finally, having an inspiration always keeps my writing fresh, whether it is a person who inspired me or a feeling, a song, movie or anything else, Being inspired makes me write with passion, & passion is always fresh.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
The first secret is that I believe that “The Series of Kindness” could be a book that grownups could enjoy as much as children. It can be suitable from the age of 2 & all the way up to young adults, it all depends on how you pick from each story what you believe shall stick with your children according to their ages yet keeping the main moral of the story.
Another secret is that the characters of the book can be anyone & everyone of us. We can all make the choices that the heroes made in the book, we don’t have to be super or skillful. All you have to do to be karim, Hannah, Fares, Farida or The Little People is to be strong enough to see things differently & allow your heart to see everything before your eyes does!
Book Is Available On Amazon
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