Ivana's comments (member since Aug 11, 2008)

Ivana's comments from the The Reasons Why you wrote your book or books group.

I was inspired by John Fowles’ classic thriller ‘The Collector’ which deals with the relationship between a kidnapped woman and her kidnapper. Intrigued by the idea of such a relationship, I decided to write my own novel about a kidnapping, and used multiple perspectives to enable the reader to see the situation from each person’s point of view, to understand their motives and to come to feel compassion for all involved, thus blurring the distinction between the good and the bad guys. I have always been fascinated by the different emotional reactions that people show under pressure and what those reveal about them. In the story, the four central characters involved in the kidnapping are, on the surface, experiencing the same situation but their responses to this crisis are completely different owing to their diverse backgrounds, childhood experiences and social standing, and their own moral compass. I wanted to write a novel that would reflect how all of the above influence peoples' decisions, especially those that can result in life-altering changes for everyone involved. The overall theme of the novel is redemption, but in its very essence 'A Decent Ransom' is a classic example of a rite of passage novel – the hero is given a challenge which marks the transition from childhood to manhood. He is forced to give up thinking like a child and begin to take responsibility like an adult; that is to cope with unexpected changes, endure hardship, and act with courage in the face of adversity. It was important to me that the novel ends on a positive note. Given that the only constant in the novel is constant change taking my hero the young Phoebus to places he’d never dreamed he’d be (literally and morally), I felt that Phoebus, at the end of his arduous journey of self-discovery, needed to be rewarded with success, but of course, every success has its price. The intended message here is that all difficult situations and seemingly insurmountable problems have a solution, and that it is up to the individual to make the right choices to bring about positive changes in their lives. That being said, ‘A Decent Ransom’ is by no means a serious book; my first priority was to make the novel entertaining because there is nothing more off-putting than being preached to.