Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. Hi I’m a passionate author who loves to dive into political thrillers. My debut work, Sunflower Underground, explores my own memoir in Kyiv during the late nineties. I believe that the story is very topical today and I’m delighted that readers have picked it up. I live with my wife, three sons and two cats in Surrey, UK. When I’m not writing, I have a very busy sporting family life – especially at the weekends where I love a good parkrun! Professionally I work as a project manager in the energy sector so am also passionate about global energy strategy.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir”?
A2. I had never written a book like this before and it was quite daunting how to find time to write it, especially in the context of a busy family life. Extracting a coherent story from my detailed diaries, with multiple characters and relationships, from nearly thirty years ago was really challenging. After much rewriting, the book does convey the true story while keeping the structure and feel of the diary.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. “The Thirty-Nine Steps” by John Buchan and “Around the World in 80 Days” by Jules Verne are my favourite books and authors. I love the protagonists in both books and how the authors created momentum and tension through to the very last page. I have even given a coded nod to John Buchan on page 18 of my book.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I love the beaches in the south of England especially along the West Sussex and Cornish coasts. These are places where I can truly relax and be myself, I love eating barbequed food on the beach after some watersports.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir’?
A5. The full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 really motivated me to plan the book as I strongly felt that my story needed to be told. In 2023, I was further inspired to write my story when my parents decided to move away from the village I had lived in since I was eight years old and where I had attended my old school – both feature stongly in the book. Interestingly, my Kyiv professor in the book, who died in the first few months of the 2020 Covid pandemic, always told me that if I were to write about those times I should promise to wait until he himself had passed away – this promise is captured in the opening epigraph.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir’?
A6. It took me 8 months to write the initial draft of the book but it was 20,000 words too long. My editor returned it after another month showing me where it could be shortened and this turned out to be very good advice which taught me how to improve my writing efficiency. Finally my copy editor really helped me polish off the writing and the resulting style fit the tone of the story.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Readers can buy the ebook, paperback or hardback from Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble and dozens of other platforms.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir’?
A8. The book cover design was very difficult and time consuming. As a new author I envisaged a design which ultimately became overly complicated. A friend of mine who had worked as a comminucations advisor for the British Prime Minister, considered the story and advised a much simpler design with the iconic sunflower and the twelve stars of the European Union flag almost shaking hands. The yellow and blue colours also matched. This was the final cover. The title evolved as the book was written and the two key aspects of Ukrainian identity and the political underground at work through the story were encapsulated by the title – the editor suggested the “Kyiv Memoir” subtitle for clarity.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself.
A9. The best advice I received to keep things fresh for the reader was to keep the story flowing, clearly define the chapters, make the characters distinct and identifiable, and keep the reader in suspense until the last page. I was so incredibly motivated to write the book and, with the Ukraine war ongoing, more importantly to finish the book. I wanted to create a book which was easily identifiable, not only by the cover alone, but as a reminder to help keep the war visible around the world. Each chapter had its own identity and I knew exactly the entry and exit point for each chapter.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. The most valuable advice I was given was to write the book in my head first. I knew where I wanted to get to at every chapter when I sat down ro write it and so I never really experienced writer’s block. Of course, it helped that I had lived the experience myself and was able refer to my own diary for dates and events.
Sassy Reviews 