Halloween Reads

Ask the Author: Cathy Sultan

“ Damascus Street is set in a Lebanon still struggling to cope with the political repercussions of a bloody fifteen-year civil war. I will be happy to answer any questions you have.” Cathy Sultan

Answered Questions (11)

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What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?
Cathy Sultan THE DUBIOUS CHARACTERS I ENCOUNTERED IN BEIRUT DURING THE WAR AND WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN INCLUDED IN ONE OF MY BOOKS
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Can you tell us a two-sentence horror story?
Cathy Sultan Machine gun fire at the end of my street broke into the former stillness of my nights, and my tranquil tree-lined street became a deadly territorial divide .
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What books are on your summer reading list this year?
Cathy Sultan East of Eden for the 2nd time anfd The Log from the Sea of Cortez, both by John Steinbeck
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If you could travel to any fictional book world, where would you go and what would you do there?
Cathy Sultan I would love to be a fly on the wall in the halls of power, particularly in the CIA. With notebook in hand, I'd record their latest scheme to take down a government in the form of a coup or regime change or color revollution.
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How do you get inspired to write?
Cathy Sultan I have the privilege of knowing two cultures, Lebanese and American, and living in both. I spend a lot of time in Beirut, a place full of inspiration, intrigue and skulduggery.
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What are you currently working on?
Cathy Sultan I'm three quarters through the sequel to The Syrian. Stay tuned.
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Who is your favorite fictional couple, and why?
Cathy Sultan The young and beautiful Tessa Quayle in John Le Carre's The Constant Gardner and her husband Justin who through his extraordinary courage finds and exposes his wife's killers.
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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Cathy Sultan After three books of non-fiction I wanted the challenge of something different. And as I know Lebanon very well and visit there often it was relatively easy to come up with a plausible plot. The challenge was inventing the characters, making them real while at the same time creating sense of place, all essential elements for a good page turner.
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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
Cathy Sultan Find a subject that fascinates you but that you know well. An astute reader picks up on authenticity and in-depth knowledge of the subject on the page so do your research well and honestly..
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What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Cathy Sultan I love the mental exercise, the challenge of getting the right word down on a page and perhaps if I keep it up long enough the exercise will keep me young at least in spirit and mind.
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How do you deal with writer’s block?
Cathy Sultan So far I've never had writer's block. I write about
the Middle East that I love and a country and its
complications and wonders that stimulate me.
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Cathy Sultan
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