Q & A with author Bjorn Street!
Q. When did you first consider yourself an author?
A. Back in the 90’s, I took a couple of screenwriting courses and then wrote some screenplays. That’s when I considered myself an author. But I did not promote the screenplays AT ALL! That’s crazy, but what can I say? Self-marketing is not my strong suit!
Q. How did you decide on character names?
A. “Secret of the Mummy” is based on factual history, so the names of the lead and key supporting characters are simply their actual names: Hatshepsut - the first great female ruler in recorded history, and Semnut, her trusted administrator [and lover, so the scholars surmise]. But to determine the names of supporting characters not recorded in history, I printed out a lengthy list of authentic Ancient Egyptian names from the internet. I referred to that list continually as new characters appeared in the book… as well as using my intuition on what I thought the correct name would be if I transported back in time to Ancient Egypt to meet these people personally.
Q. Tell us about your leads.
A. Around 1500 BC, Hatshepsut rose to power as pharaoh of Egypt, leader of the greatest civilization of that era. But how did she rise to power in a male-dominated society? Scholars have been puzzled about that for ages and can only conjecture on how such an accomplishment was achieved. It is known her trusted administrator, Semnut, played a key role in her administration, but exactly what was the nature of their relationship? Also, there is another secret so shocking, it had to remain secret for the millennia! What was THAT secret? This is premise for “the secret of the mummy”.
Q. How would you describe your writing style?
A. I would describe my writing style as a bit poetic, and sometimes dramatic. I sometimes change my writing style depending on the mood of the scene. I spend a lot of time reading and re-reading my text, playing with words and trying to find the best way to say something. I try very hard to avoid terms and wording that will not communicate well with others in general. For example, in one section of “Secret of the Mummy”, I was thinking of using the word “evanesce”… and I LOVED that word… but I realized others may need to look it up in a dictionary, so I replaced it with “dissipate”.
I will be speaking sacrilege here, but one example of a writing style that speaks over the heads of much of the public is that of Shakespeare. One day, I decided to translate a passage from Macbeth, and I had to look up a TON of Old-English terms in the dictionary to REALLY understand what Shakespeare was trying to say. Shakespeare was incredibly poetic, but I guarantee, the public does not speak Old English and is missing much of the poetry and meaning in his writing!
So I intentionally try to write in a way that does not leave the reader swamped with million-dollar words!
Q. Is there someone in your life who inspired you to write? Was there another author or a teacher who encouraged you?
A. Last year, my brother and I were talking about my screenplays just sitting around and gathering dust. He said, “Bjorn, the odds of you getting a $250 million budget to turn your epic screenplay into a movie is a lot less than releasing a successful eBook!” I realized he was right and I needed to start DOING SOMETHING! So I researched self-publishing my own eBook, and lo… “SECRET OF THE MUMMY” was born!
Q. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A. You mean, besides Superman? :)
As I grew older, I hanged up my cape to plan for my integration into civilian life, but I had trouble deciding what to do with my life. I always had an interest in the arts: writing, music, painting, and photography. Now, I’m “assimilated” and have a job in business world, but my true love is still in the arts!
Q. Do you have any hidden talents?
A. As a kid, I composed classical music. Then I got into jazz, pop, and rock, and later, music videos, with a bit of dabbling in animation software. [I love classic animated features like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Mulan”, as well as the artistry in anime!]
I also spent quite a few years competing in running events and triathlons [ran a few marathons and completed an Ironman]. That was in a “different life” – I still exercise regularly just for the fun of it, but no longer compete in events. What can I say? Interests change, new challenges arrive… and twenty pounds heavier, I‘m now in a different chapter of my life! :)
Did I mention my precious comic collection? I still have all my comics from when I was a kid - one of my prized possessions! DC versus Marvel – never could decide! :)
Q. Are you working on anything new?
A. I’m very excited about my next book, the second in the “SECRET OF THE MUMMY” series, which may become a four-part series. I pretty much know how the second and forth books will go. The fourth book is going to be a doozy! Very unexpected to say the least… people are going to say, “HUH???” But this is the blessing of being an indie author… if I want to take off in a different direction for a book, I don’t have to get permission from my publisher! LIFE IS GOOD!
I write in the mornings when I am fresh. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t wait for morning to come so I can get back to WRITING! [I’m writing up my responses to these interview questions at 4:00 in the morning!]
Currently, I’m taking down notes for my next books, but soon… I’ll be starting book #2. Can’t wait!
Author Contact:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BjornStreet
Epic romance, heroism, adventure, and mystery… Ancient Egypt circa 1500 B.C… a magical time when the Divine Princess Hatshepsut rose to power as Pharaoh, the first all-mighty FEMALE leader in Man’s history! But there was a secret so shocking it had to remain hidden for the millennia, shrouded in secrecy, entombed and sealed with her mummy!
Was it love? Or mysticism or the paranormal? Or political intrigue? What is the… “SECRET OF THE MUMMY”?
And what is the secret of the strange ankh amulet that was found in Hatshepsut’s tomb, clutched in her mummified hand and held over her heart as her mummy lay sealed in her sarcophagus for the millennia? Scientists discovered that this ankh, the religious symbol for “life”, has peculiar atomic properties that they are STILL trying to unravel! How do the Egyptian gods, pyramids, hieroglyphics, mysticism, and the paranormal fit into the puzzle?
And what about passion and romance, and the power of LOVE – a force so powerful that it can move mountains, change the course of history… and endure for eternity? What role does Love play in unraveling these mysteries?
The links… the threads, the clues are all contained herein.
All is revealed…
in the “SECRET OF THE MUMMY”!
(The first clue – don’t believe everything you see!)
A. Back in the 90’s, I took a couple of screenwriting courses and then wrote some screenplays. That’s when I considered myself an author. But I did not promote the screenplays AT ALL! That’s crazy, but what can I say? Self-marketing is not my strong suit!
Q. How did you decide on character names?
A. “Secret of the Mummy” is based on factual history, so the names of the lead and key supporting characters are simply their actual names: Hatshepsut - the first great female ruler in recorded history, and Semnut, her trusted administrator [and lover, so the scholars surmise]. But to determine the names of supporting characters not recorded in history, I printed out a lengthy list of authentic Ancient Egyptian names from the internet. I referred to that list continually as new characters appeared in the book… as well as using my intuition on what I thought the correct name would be if I transported back in time to Ancient Egypt to meet these people personally.
Q. Tell us about your leads.
A. Around 1500 BC, Hatshepsut rose to power as pharaoh of Egypt, leader of the greatest civilization of that era. But how did she rise to power in a male-dominated society? Scholars have been puzzled about that for ages and can only conjecture on how such an accomplishment was achieved. It is known her trusted administrator, Semnut, played a key role in her administration, but exactly what was the nature of their relationship? Also, there is another secret so shocking, it had to remain secret for the millennia! What was THAT secret? This is premise for “the secret of the mummy”.
Q. How would you describe your writing style?
A. I would describe my writing style as a bit poetic, and sometimes dramatic. I sometimes change my writing style depending on the mood of the scene. I spend a lot of time reading and re-reading my text, playing with words and trying to find the best way to say something. I try very hard to avoid terms and wording that will not communicate well with others in general. For example, in one section of “Secret of the Mummy”, I was thinking of using the word “evanesce”… and I LOVED that word… but I realized others may need to look it up in a dictionary, so I replaced it with “dissipate”.
I will be speaking sacrilege here, but one example of a writing style that speaks over the heads of much of the public is that of Shakespeare. One day, I decided to translate a passage from Macbeth, and I had to look up a TON of Old-English terms in the dictionary to REALLY understand what Shakespeare was trying to say. Shakespeare was incredibly poetic, but I guarantee, the public does not speak Old English and is missing much of the poetry and meaning in his writing!
So I intentionally try to write in a way that does not leave the reader swamped with million-dollar words!
Q. Is there someone in your life who inspired you to write? Was there another author or a teacher who encouraged you?
A. Last year, my brother and I were talking about my screenplays just sitting around and gathering dust. He said, “Bjorn, the odds of you getting a $250 million budget to turn your epic screenplay into a movie is a lot less than releasing a successful eBook!” I realized he was right and I needed to start DOING SOMETHING! So I researched self-publishing my own eBook, and lo… “SECRET OF THE MUMMY” was born!
Q. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A. You mean, besides Superman? :)
As I grew older, I hanged up my cape to plan for my integration into civilian life, but I had trouble deciding what to do with my life. I always had an interest in the arts: writing, music, painting, and photography. Now, I’m “assimilated” and have a job in business world, but my true love is still in the arts!
Q. Do you have any hidden talents?
A. As a kid, I composed classical music. Then I got into jazz, pop, and rock, and later, music videos, with a bit of dabbling in animation software. [I love classic animated features like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Mulan”, as well as the artistry in anime!]
I also spent quite a few years competing in running events and triathlons [ran a few marathons and completed an Ironman]. That was in a “different life” – I still exercise regularly just for the fun of it, but no longer compete in events. What can I say? Interests change, new challenges arrive… and twenty pounds heavier, I‘m now in a different chapter of my life! :)
Did I mention my precious comic collection? I still have all my comics from when I was a kid - one of my prized possessions! DC versus Marvel – never could decide! :)
Q. Are you working on anything new?
A. I’m very excited about my next book, the second in the “SECRET OF THE MUMMY” series, which may become a four-part series. I pretty much know how the second and forth books will go. The fourth book is going to be a doozy! Very unexpected to say the least… people are going to say, “HUH???” But this is the blessing of being an indie author… if I want to take off in a different direction for a book, I don’t have to get permission from my publisher! LIFE IS GOOD!
I write in the mornings when I am fresh. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t wait for morning to come so I can get back to WRITING! [I’m writing up my responses to these interview questions at 4:00 in the morning!]
Currently, I’m taking down notes for my next books, but soon… I’ll be starting book #2. Can’t wait!
Author Contact:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BjornStreet
Epic romance, heroism, adventure, and mystery… Ancient Egypt circa 1500 B.C… a magical time when the Divine Princess Hatshepsut rose to power as Pharaoh, the first all-mighty FEMALE leader in Man’s history! But there was a secret so shocking it had to remain hidden for the millennia, shrouded in secrecy, entombed and sealed with her mummy!Was it love? Or mysticism or the paranormal? Or political intrigue? What is the… “SECRET OF THE MUMMY”?
And what is the secret of the strange ankh amulet that was found in Hatshepsut’s tomb, clutched in her mummified hand and held over her heart as her mummy lay sealed in her sarcophagus for the millennia? Scientists discovered that this ankh, the religious symbol for “life”, has peculiar atomic properties that they are STILL trying to unravel! How do the Egyptian gods, pyramids, hieroglyphics, mysticism, and the paranormal fit into the puzzle?
And what about passion and romance, and the power of LOVE – a force so powerful that it can move mountains, change the course of history… and endure for eternity? What role does Love play in unraveling these mysteries?
The links… the threads, the clues are all contained herein.
All is revealed…
in the “SECRET OF THE MUMMY”!
(The first clue – don’t believe everything you see!)
Excellent interview! I have to read the secret of the mummy!
ReplyDeleteSo THIS is Bjorn Street! I enjoyed your book a lot!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Sheri and the Shut Up and Read group for setting up this great blog and helping out indie authors! --- Bjorn Street
ReplyDeleteInteresting interview! When is the book going to be out on Amazon?
ReplyDeleteThe book should be available on Amazon in early November.
ReplyDelete