Introducing - Susanne Timpani and 'Twice Stolen'

It's a pleasure to welcome this author and her new release to The Vince Review today. I've known Susanne Timpani for some time, since we are both fiction authors who live in Adelaide, South Australia. She's been working hard on this novel for several years, and to hear her tell the story, the research alone was immense. It was great to attend her book launch, along with fellow members of 'Christian Writers Downunder' on Sunday afternoon, and share the celebration, especially since I've already read and enjoyed 'Twice Stolen'.

MY THOUGHTS:

 The ancient backdrop of outback Australia is ideal for this evocative novel, full of deep secrets. Dimitri and Leah choose to hide disturbing facts from each other, but there are far older secrets, tied in with their personal identities, they have yet to fathom. Ignorance and passage of time never erase our secrets but simply conceal them. The experiences of the characters in this novel reveal the importance of not keeping our stories to ourselves. A fascinating tale full of beauty and spirit.

As an Aussie reader and writer, I like to look out for stories with gripping plots and complex characters which also bring our wonderful continent to life. I haven't found as many as I think there should be, but this one fits the bill.

And now I'll let Susanne tell her own story.

Twice stolen: a Valentine's Day release

By Susanne Timpani

Twice stolen is a multi-faceted story with subplots and a number of key themes. These include the Aboriginal Stolen Generation, Solomon's Song of Songs and Medical Romance.

The conception of the Aboriginal theme in the novel commenced after hearing stories of disconnection and pain from Aboriginal co-workers and community members. This sparked a desire to learn more about the experiences of Indigenous Australians. A flurry of reading Fiction and Non-Fiction works authored by Aboriginal writers, watching documentaries, talking to Aboriginal people and attending cultural events developed a desire in me to integrate what I had learned into my writing.

As the story unfolded I wanted to express spiritual themes in a way that was unique and creative. The characters, Dimitri and Leah had developed a romantic relationship. What better place to find the combination of romance and spirituality than the Word of God?

I remembered discovering Solomon's Song of Songs in my youth when flicking through the bible. Full of passionate words and imagery it fitted perfectly with the flavour of Twice stolen. Aboriginal spirituality is so closely linked with imagery from nature that the two themes connected perfectly.

Writers are encouraged to write about what they know. I am a registered nurse, midwife, nurse educator, child and family health nurse with community health experience in a remote setting. I have written about my experiences in a number of published non-Fiction stories and articles. The medical themes in Twice stolen flow naturally from the everyday experience of my work.

Once I had the main elements of Twice stolen; Indigenous Australia, Solomon's Song of Songs and Medical Romance, the story fell into place.

In 2011 the unpublished manuscript won the CALEB prize in that category. Since that time I have been supported by mentors and reviewers and the novel has been reshaped, polished and finally published with Armour Books. Anne Hamilton, founder and publisher has provided a significant role during this process.

Released Sunday, February 14^th, 2016, Twice stolen is a novel published in God's perfect timing. I hope readers will find it an encouraging, informative and inspiring read.

Bio:

Susanne is married, has four beautiful children and works as a community nurse with families. Themes of her work and her faith appear in her writing. 

Susanne is the author of the blog, 10 Minute Daily Retreat. These twice weekly reflections on scripture can be viewed through

http://susannetimpani.blogspot.com.au/ 

or
https://www.facebook.com/10MinuteDailyRetreat

Further information on Susanne's website: http://www.susannetimpani.com.au/

or Goodreads

Twice stolen can be purchased from:
https://www.booksinstock.com.au/twice-stolen.html