Interview session with ‘Half the World Away From Home’ author Lisa Krämer.
In Lisa Krämer’s debut novel Olivia Jones has lost her mother – the centre of her world – who has been murdered and Olivia does not know why. Her father won’t give her the answer she so desperately needs or he is too afraid to. All she has is her loneliness, her memories, her nightmares and her mother’s diary where she feels she will find the answer to her mother’s death. Bumping accidently into Jacob she is invited to join his band when he realises she is a musician. She meets the handsome Ethan Murphy – the leader of their band. It is not long before she opens her heart and her soul to him falling head over heels in love with him. He is the one she tells her secrets to who comforts her when she feels herself drowning as he is her calm in a stormy sea. Little does Olivia know that the people she loves the most – those who protect her – will betray her. Will she be able to survive their betrayal and start her life all over again?
We talked to writer Lisa Krämer about how her book came to be and what message she wishes to convey to her readers.
What do you want your readers to know about your life that corresponds to your book?
My life hasn’t been easy as I like to believe no life ever has been and ever will be. We all have our ups and downs. What I do want my readers to know is that they are never alone in their emotions. Whether that be any mental illness or emotion, there’s always at least one person feeling the same thing. That has been a comfort to me. And I hope that every single person may find a way to cope with life as writing has been my coping mechanism.
What was the process of writing the book like?
Honestly, it has been a roller coaster. But the only one on this planet that I enjoyed riding. It is funny to think about how I’m all left out of words now, but I suppose I had to say what I did. In the beginning it wasn’t even about the thought of ‘writing a book’ or even believing it could be such a thing. It was a way to cope with daily life and my struggles. Whenever I felt bad, I would open my laptop and write another chapter or two. And with time I had a whole book and didn’t know what to do with it.
What inspired you to write this story and want to share it?
To be completely honest it wasn’t even my idea to share it. My best friend, Natalie, and other friends pushed me over my limits to submit my work to novum publishing because I was just too afraid. Afraid to be judged and mostly afraid to be turned away with the book I had written, that was so close to my heart and private.
Do you have and other published books? Any books you’re working on for the future?
I don’t have any other publications yet. And with ‘yet’ I will say that I have two other books that I’m working on. One has to do with ‘Half the World Away From Home’ and the other is just a fun exploration in my writing skills and ways I’m thinking about life. But sadly, I am experiencing a writer’s block. Whether that has to do with it just being one or my current mental and physical state is unknown. But for the future, I’m hoping that I can finish my manuscripts and release other books as well. I would consider that to be a dream of mine.
Are there any unique qualities to your book?
I believe that one unique quality is that I speak and write from experience. From knowledge, from my heart, from pain I know others have felt and continue to feel as well. Such a thing always brings one closer to another, but it can also be terrifying.
Are your characters totally fictional? Inspired from someone you know?
That’s a hard question. Not because I don’t know the answer but because I am not sure what and how much I want to share. For me it was harder writing some characters that don’t have something inspired from someone I know, or knew, in real life. So, the answer would be, for some characters a clear yes, some have its and bits and some have no influence from real persons I know.
Is there any significance in the title or the cover?
There is indeed. The significance to the book title can be found out while reading the book. However, the significance to the cover and the way it is designed is slightly more difficult to find out or explain. There are the stars that have a great role in the book, of course. The golden circle should represent the wholeness. That no one and nothing is broken. That even though it isn’t perfectly round it is still the way it has to be if that makes sense. And the star sign, Capricorn, which I’m sure is easy to find out through my dear old friend Google, is something that I want to keep to myself just as much as the dedication of the book. There should be something left to the book that only I know, don’t you think?
Why did you choose to publish such a personal content in a book?
For that little girl out there, that had no one and was alone through everything with no ray of hope or understanding. For her, for the little girl I was and for every human being who is, experiencing the same. As simple as that. If I can, by any chance, offer someone the very thing I wished for and never had, then I will go miles to do it.
Do you at any time regret writing or doing something regarding your publication?
Sometimes I do wonder. It is sad to say that, but I sometimes wonder what and where I would be without having done what I did. I wonder but I don’t necessary regret it because I have been privileged to what I do and because I know many can’t come that far. So, the complete answer is I wouldn’t change it, but I often wonder what would have been.
Thank you for the interview.
About the book
Title: ‘Half the World Away From Home’
Author: Lisa Krämer
Plot: Olivia Jones has lost her mother – the centre of her world – who has been murdered and she does not know why. She needs answers but her father won’t give them. Will she find the answers she so desperately needs or will she be betrayed by those she loves the most?
About the author
Lisa Krämer was born in Aarau, Switzerland. Lisa first discovered her passion for writing in 2021. She has been reading and writing short poems since she was a child. For her it meant letting out her thoughts and escaping the world to create a new one where she was the one in control. Throughout the years Lisa has realized that the genres she most enjoys are a mix between fiction, non-fiction and subjects regarding mental health. Lisa is single and still a student.
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