Author Interview: PS Mokha

About the Author:
I was born and raised in London.  Like millions of others, I spent my early working life commuting into the city and rading books on trains.  The books often transported me further and to more interesting places that the trains.  Currently living in the timeless and rugged beauty of New Zealand wilds, I am miles away from mains water, street lighting and other distractions so I can concentrate on completing book two of the series.

Interview:
What made you want to become a writer?
Story telling is the oldest way to share knowledge, predating even cave paintings.  They hook into the most ancient parts of our brain, yet activate the most creative and higher part.  What could be better than practicing such a fulfilling form art form?

Where do you get your inspirations from?
Everywhere; particularly where I live, which is close to a 10, 000 hectare forest not mar from where much of the Hobbit was filmed.  I work with young adults, who are an inspiration and unknowing beta testers for my young adult tales.

Other than writing books, what else do you do in your free time?
I love sports, reading and travelling.  I wish there were more than 24 hours in the day.

If you could work with another author, who would it be?
Ken Follett -- his epic tales are for adults, but his structure and meticulous research could be applied to any genre.

What are major themes of your work?
I avoid pinning my work to dimensional notions of good vs. evil.  Good prevailing is too predictable.  I look for themes that predate such modern notions.  A reader won't necessarily conciously spot the golden threads woven through my work, but the threads would resonate on an unconscious level.  Cycles of creation and destruction and the power of nature might be lost on some of my readers who simply want to enjoy ripping yarn filled with humour set in modern London.  I also ensure my characters are faced with impossible choices about friends and family that will make the reader wonder what they would do in similar circumstances.

What do you think people look for in a book?
Characters to empathize with.  They want to care what happens next, share in their successes and sympathize with failures.  They also want a page turner with a plot that keeps them guessing.

Are there any recent works that you admire?
Cassandra Clare is stylistically talented.  Although I find James Patterson's style two-dimensional, he is a money making machine, so there's plenty to learn there.  JK Rowling got kids reading again and Rick Riordan gave kids an interest in mythology, both admirable outcomes.

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