What is a childhood memory that makes you smile?
I was born in Ukraine in the city of Vinnitsa, which is southwest of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. In my earlier years, I had a girlfriend, named Natasha. Natasha lived with her parents and a little sister across the street from us. Natasha and I played together. Her father was a teacher at the university and in his free time he liked to grow gladiolus flowers in his little yard. Every time I was visiting them during the summer days, he proudly showed me his little garden, explaining all the interesting characteristics of different types of gladiolus plants. Even now I can close my eyes and picture his little garden with a rainbow of gorgeous colors, ranging from white, yellow, pink and lavender, to rose, burgundy, purple, and even black. My love to have flowers around my house comes from that time of my childhood.
Do you remember the first story you ever read and the impact it had on you?
I have loved books from my very early years. Started by reading books by Korney Chukovsky, Samuil Marshak, Agniya Barto, Olga Perovskaya, later Lev Kassil, Anton Chekhov, and many others. But the greatest impact on me in my earlier years was from the novel "Wild Dog Dingo or the Tale of the First Love" written by Ruvim Frayerman. This book and the film shot in 1962 (in the Soviet Union), are still among my favorites.
As you grew older, what are the most important traits from your childhood that you held onto?
I think my personality is characterized by a focus on internal feelings rather than on external sources of stimulation. I'm a very sensitive person. Trustworthiness, honesty, integrity, and loyalty always were and still are very important traits for me.
What is a childhood ambition that you had?
When I started school in Vinnitsa, I learned how to play Russian checkers. It is very similar to international checkers, but some rules are different. I became such a skilled player that I played simultaneously against several adult opponents, winning games most of the time.
When you write a memoir do you write the title first or the content first?
I had an idea of writing a memoir about my life journey 15 years ago or so, I even started to write then. Work, family - I did not have enough time. I finally completed my memoir at the time when Covid-19 pandemic made us stop traveling or attending any social events. But the title for my memoir was ready then, 15 years ago.
What attributes make one a great writer?
Attention to detail. Great writers are observers, always taking mental notes and noting subtle changes around them.
How did you come up with the title of your book, Camel from Kyzylkum?
I spent twenty years of my life living and working in the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan. Those 20 years had a tremendous impact on my life. I had a chance to observe camels wandering in the desert very closely, they are symbols of the desert and of my life there.
What challenges did you face while writing your first memoir?
English is my second language. I started to learn it when I was 40 years old and I am still learning it every day. I think everyone can imagine that it was not easy for me to write a book in English.
How is your day structured? How many hours do you write in a day?
Morning in the gym is a must. After breakfast is my computer time - writing, promoting my book, doing my pictures (https://www.instagram.com/lgelya/) and videos (lgelya - YouTube)
What kind of cultural value do you think reading and writing have/brings?
The author presents cultural values, events, ideas, and attitudes in his/her writings. Our cultural norms/values influence the way we communicate.
If you had the power to bring any fictional character from any book or movie or TV series to life, who would it be and why?
Claire Randall/Fraser from Outlander, played by Caitriona Mary Balfe, an Irish actress, producer, and former fashion model. Claire is independent, headstrong, and cool under pressure. She doesn't take orders well, and she doesn't keep quiet. And I love how Jamie calls her with a term of endearment: Sassenach. It means a foreigner. And more specifically, it's a less-than-kind Gaelic word for an English person. But Clair has no idea that it’s a derogatory term, she knows he’s plainly not trying to insult her. He’s just pointing out that she’s strange. After we watched “Outlander”, my husband calls me Sassenach too.
When writing novels, is it better to have daily time-spent-writing goals or words-written goals?
I do not know as I have not written any novels yet. For my memoir, I had plenty of time during the pandemic and I just worked on it every day until I got tired.
What is the sweetest fan-mail that you have ever received?
Review of my book from my husband. It is available on Amazon and my website Testimonials — Camel From Kyzylkum
What is the next book you are looking forward to writing? What is it about?
Do not know yet.
How do you usually promote your books? What do you think of AllAuthor and would you recommend it to your other author friends?
Promotion of my book takes a lot of time and it is not necessarily my favorite activity. Thanks to AllAuthor, they can take a weight off my shoulders! And yes, I would recommend AllAuthor to my author friends.
