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‘The Migrant’ by Paul Alkazraji

12th May 2019 by KA Hitchins 5 Comments

It’s always exciting to be involved in a blog tour for another fiction author, particularly when it gives me the spur to read something outside of my usual genre and to link up with authors and bloggers who want to help another writer with their book promotion. It reminds me of the excitement of a new project and the way people’s hearts, minds and spirits can be touched by fiction, particularly if the author is a Christian who wants to incorporate Christian characters and themes in their work. Therefore, I’m delighted to introduce you to Paul Alkazraji, author of The Migrant, a thriller published by Instant Apostle in February this year.

The Migrant is the story of Alban, a young man running away from a difficult situation in Albania in search of a better life in Greece. There’s plenty of drama and action right from the start. We follow Alban as he dodges the Greek border guards and makes his way to the big city lights of Athens, dreaming of a good job, not realising he risks being groomed by a criminal gang into a life of corruption.

To keep the reader engrossed in the story, Paul switches point of view at several key moments. We also meet Jude, the English literature graduate who now pastors the church in Albania to which Alban had belonged. He sets out in search of Alban with a couple of unlikely companions:  Mehmed, a recently converted people-trafficker, and Alban’s Uncle Luan, a non-believing police officer. Battling their own inner demons and each other, this mismatched trio faces a succession of setbacks and perils along the way. We are also allowed inside the mind of a corrupt and violent police officer, Donis, whose loyalties are tested when he is asked to infiltrate the fascist gang he secretly supports.

My first impression on reading ‘The Migrant’ was that it was not your usual run-of-the-mill thriller, heavy on plot and violence and light on characterisation and description. Instead, the story is unexpectedly grounded in a sense of time and place. The descriptions of the landscapes and cityscapes are particularly evocative. I really did feel as though I were entering a different world – the hallmark of a good writer. It made me realise how many good things I take for granted in my own life and how tough it can be to be born into a country such as Albania.

Much of the action takes place in post credit crunch Greece and for both countries it’s a time of austerity. There are tensions between the people of Greece and the European Union. This, together with an immigration crisis fuelled in part by the Syrian civil war, has provided the perfect conditions for the rise of criminal gangs and far right nationalists. Austerity, nationalism, immigration, tensions with the EU. Does this sound familiar? I wonder whether the author could have known when writing this book how deeply these themes would resonate for a reader living in a United Kingdom in the grip of Brexit.

This is not a political book, however. It is a book about people who put their own lives in danger to rescue someone they care about. Jude’s Christian faith is lived out through his actions. Although a peaceful man and a loving husband to his newly pregnant wife, he makes the difficult decision to enter Greece illegally to rescue a ‘lost sheep’. Ultimately it’s a story of redemption, although the forces of evil are frustrated rather than eradicated. I sense a sequel in the making!

It was no surprise to discover that the author, having started out as a writer and journalist in the UK, has lived and worked with the church in Albania for the last fifteen years.  In fact, looking at some of the author photos which have been provided for this blog tour, I can well imagine him inhabiting the same exciting and dangerous world as Alban, Jude, Mehmed and Luan.

Paul himself says, ‘I wrote it to take the reader on an adventurous road trip into the danger of real events that have happened and are still happening now. I made the journey down through Greece myself in an old Mercedes car to experience the sights and sounds of the country so I could evoke a keen sense of time and place as a backdrop. I have worked for some years with the local church in Albania and seen first-hand the struggles and risks many Albanians face to escape poverty and unemployment and find work abroad. It is, in a way, their story I am telling. I have seen Christians take loving risks to reach and help them too, and have also seen Albanians find new hope, real hope, that lasts. There are important truths I hope to have illustrated in the story, from Scripture and from my own first-hand experiences in Albania and Greece.’

In a world where so much Christian fiction is aimed at a female audience, it is refreshing to read a book with muscular characters – both literally and spiritually – who are not afraid to take risks and tackle evil head on. With its tight plotting, strong characterisation and emphasis on personal relationships, however, this book should appeal to men and women alike, as well as to people of faith and those who are still searching for ultimate answers.

 

Author Bio

Paul Alkazraji worked as a freelance journalist in the UK from the mid-nineties. His was published in Christianity Magazine, The Christian Herald, The Church Times and The Baptist Times among other publications, and his travel articles were also published in The Independent.

Paul’s first book Love Changes Everything, a collection of seven testimonies, was published by Scripture Union in 2001, and his second, Heart of a Hooligan, a biography of ex-football hooligan Dave Jeal, was published by Highland Books in 2000. His third book Christ and the Kalashnikov, a biography of missionaries Ian and Caralee Loring, was published by Harper Collins in 2001. The Silencer, a thriller set in Albania, Greece and Turkey, was published by Highland Books in 2012. Paul has lived and worked with the church in Albania for fifteen years.

You can follow Paul on Twitter: @paul_alkazraji

 

 

The Migrant by Paul Alkazraji (ISBN: 9781909728981) is published by Instant Apostle and is available from Christian bookshops, bookstores and online retailers. Fiction, 272pp, £8.99.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged With: Albania, Christian fiction, Greece, Paul Alkazraji, The Migrant, Thriller

Author Spotlight: Katherine Blessan

26th July 2017 by KA Hitchins Leave a Comment

In my last post, I reviewed the novel Lydia’s Song by Katherine Blessan to kick off her blog tour. Today I have the great pleasure of finding a little bit more about the author herself.

 

 

Katherine, perhaps you could tell me why you write

I write because I have something to write about or a particular story I’m burning to tell. I wanted to write for years but it was only when I got the idea for Lydia’s Song that I really sat down to write in earnest.

How long have you been writing?

Since I was a child at school, when I was always getting told my stories were good, though I don’t personally believe they were at that time, especially as I had no idea how to write a good story. But seriously since 2006 when I first got the idea for Lydia’s Song and regularly since 2015, when I left my secondary school teaching job and focussed more on my writing.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you started out?

That even when you have written something that you think is good, not everyone will think so and it can take a long time for someone else to believe enough in your particular piece(s) of writing to take a chance on it. Also, I wish I’d known more about the craft of writing when I first started. I thought I knew as I’d done a MA in English Literature and read voraciously but there is so much more to learn about the how of crafting something readable and engaging.

How would you describe the genre you are writing in?

Gritty Christian fiction, if there is such a thing! I am passionate about social justice and inevitably that passion has seeped into the stories I write about. As well as child-sex trafficking I’ve touched on the topics of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) and refugees.

How did you come up with the character of Lydia Phillips?

Lydia is loosely based on aspects of me, so when reviewers say that they don’t like Lydia, I always feel wryly amused. No, she’s very different to me in some essentials i.e. she’s not a Christian but I am. Yet some of the experiences that she has are similar to ones that I have gone through myself (e.g. rejection from men and dealings with tuk-tuk drivers), although thankfully not the child abduction!

How often do you write and what is your process?

I wish this had an easy answer but it doesn’t! Lydia’s Song took me eight years to write due to the process of research that I felt I needed to undertake, as well as the fact that I was working as a school teacher, getting married cross-culturally and having babies in between. In fact, the majority of the novel was written in the four years after my first child was born, during school holidays and random days here and there. Once Lydia’s Song was published, I started to sense that I needed to invest more time into the writing process and since September 2015 when I began working as a private tutor, I’ve tried to spend at least one day a week on writing. Sadly, these days sometimes get squeezed out due to other commitments such as the exam marking I’ve just emerged from, but I’ll make up those stolen times through retreat days/weeks, which I’ve begun to realise are essential, especially as life is so busy and full of multiple distractions/needs/other passions.

Do you write with an outline?

Yes. I do know where my stories are going from the outset, although they will inevitably get fleshed out with details as I go along.

How do you market yourself and your book?

I am active on social media via Facebook and Twitter, although probably not as active as I should be. I also have contacted churches and schools to create opportunities for speaking engagements and workshops. Through leading writing workshops, I can use my teaching gifting to encourage others with their own writing, and the offshoot of that is making more people aware of my novel.  I am also a member of a writer’s collective called Sheffield Authors and try to network with various writer’s circles. In addition, I have tried to use the anti-trafficking issue within the book as a way in to approaching organisations. Most of the times this goes nowhere, but last summer I had the opportunity to speak at a Christian festival and after speaking I got approached by a man wanting to invite me to an anti-trafficking gig in Preston run by a Hope for Justice group. (Hope for Justice are the anti-trafficking organisation that I am supporting through sales of my book.) As a result of this connection I have managed to sell around 25 or so books. Sometimes it’s the opportunities that come our way, rather than the ones we actively pursue that prove to be the most fruitful!

What writing advice can you give?

Think outside the box. Don’t expect your writing journey to be like anyone else’s. You’ve got to follow the path that is laid out for you not someone else, however much you admire that person. Read as much as you possibly can, go on writing courses and read magazines like Writing Magazine to gain as much insight into the writing process as possible. And improve your grammar if that is an issue for you, as poor grammar will be a huge impediment to getting your writing accepted by anyone else.

Can you create a short writing prompt?

Write a story or poem which has to mention two of the following words: summer, stale, scent, driven, dark, rain, shiver or arrow. Make sure it includes at least one item in it eg. a woollen glove, a mobile phone, a baby’s shoe etc.

 

 

Katherine tweets @kathblessan

Check out her website at: http://www.katherineblessan.com/

 

Other stories by Katherine Blessan include:

  • ‘A Heart on Fire’ – a love story inspired by Chariots of Fire. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Fire-Katherine-Blessan-ebook/dp/B06XD2D2FV
  • ‘Travels by Wheelchair’ was shortlisted in a Patrician Press competition in 2016 and published in an anthology. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Refugees-Peacekeepers-Patrician-Press-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01MUG2YIV/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1499980922&sr=1-1&keywords=refugees+and+peacekeepers
  • ‘Beyond her Scream’ – a story of a mother-daughter relationship strained by the effects of FGM. Short Story Beyond Her Scream from cutalongstory.com

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged With: blog tour, Cambodia, child sex trafficking, Christian fiction, Creative Writing, Hope for Justice, Katherine Blessan, Lydia's Song, Sheffield Authors, Writing Prompt

Is ‘Christian Fiction’ an Oxymoron?

17th July 2017 by KA Hitchins 4 Comments

I don’t know about you, but when people talk about ‘Christian fiction’ my heart tends to sink. Who wants to read a pie in the sky story with a heavy dose of sermonising and saccharine thrown in for good measure? And isn’t ‘Christian fiction’ an oxymoron? Surely the point of Christianity is that it calls its followers to tell the truth, speak the truth into every situation and follow the One who calls himself ‘the Truth’ (John 14:6).

I am a writer and I am a Christian. Although I’m writing for the general market, I’ve found it impossible not to let my world view filter through my writing. And that’s because I believe the universe has meaning, purpose and design from the most infinitesimal particle to the vast cosmic expanses of space and time. Not for me the pick and mix world where we all make it up as we go along and live in our own bubbles of subjective truth!

Now that I’ve been published by a Christian publisher, I have to come to terms with the fact that my books fall under the Christian fiction category, and during the last year I’ve begun to have a look around and see what other authors in the genre are creating. It’s been a revelation!

Christian authors are writing great books. Intelligent, imaginative, uplifting, thought-provoking, risk-taking books. These books tackle difficult issues head on, portraying the sins people don’t want to speak about in church in a non-gratuitous way. They portray the messiness of life through characters from diverse ethnic, cultural and geographical backgrounds, exposing the grittiness of life and the marvel of grace and redemption. Christian messages are woven in organically as a natural extension to character and plot. They are books that can be read and enjoyed by anyone, not just Christians, and leave the reader enriched and challenged.

It’s my very great pleasure to introduce one such author, Katherine Blessan, whose writing has been deeply influenced by the years she spent teaching in Cambodia. Living in an impoverished country and seeing so much injustice around her, including child-sex trafficking, was the catalyst for the themes and issues in her first novel, Lydia’s Song. It’s a powerful story about child prostitution in Cambodia seen through the eyes of a young Vietnamese girl who is sold into slavery by a man she should have been able to trust.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lydias-Song-Story-Child-Woman/dp/1909728195/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500022534&sr=8-1&keywords=Lydia%27s+song

 

Katherine has written the story in two halves. The first is from the point of view of Lydia, a young and idealistic English teacher working in a school in Cambodia. When she finds Song in her garden late at night scavenging for food, she brings her into her home and into her heart. Unable to formally adopt the child, Lydia nevertheless takes on the responsibility of becoming Song’s ‘mother’. There’s a sense of impending doom when a handsome young man charms himself into their lives and into Lydia’s heart.

The second half of the book tells Song’s story. It’s a heartrending account of innocence brutally snatched from a child. The book does not pull its punches as it describes the nonchalant evil of the perpetrators of this sickening trade in human flesh. I don’t want to give any more spoilers away except to say that ‘Lydia’s Song’ is a gripping and challenging read which concludes with a message of hope.

Humanity is deeply flawed. Fiction that speaks the truth should include characters who are damaged and who suffer at the hands of others who are also flawed and damaged. Good stories entertain us, but great stories also open our eyes, change our perceptions, and encourage us to fight for a better world. Jesus died a messy death to save us from our messy lives. Let’s not shy away from stories which depict difficult issues. They can also offer a picture of faith through suffering and joy through pain.

Lydia’s Song is a work of fiction, but it contains truths: truths about fallen humanity and truths about God. I love reading real life testimonies about how God is working today in people’s lives, but I also love stories which share spiritual insights and I believe there’s a place for them on our bookshelves. After all, the greatest teller of stories with spiritual meaning is Jesus Christ himself through his parables.

 

 

It’s an honour to be kicking off Katherine’s Blog Tour. Why not follow her journey as she travels through the blogosphere, catching up with her again here on Wednesday 26 July when I have the privilege of interviewing her. As well as writing, Katherine works as an English and Creative Writing tutor and an Examiner, together with juggling parenting and volunteering in the community. She is married to Blessan – yes, her surname is his first name! – and they travel widely and love to meet new people. Katherine lives with her family in Sheffield, UK.

 

Katherine tweets @kathblessan

Check out her website at: http://www.katherineblessan.com/

 

Other stories by Katherine Blessan include:

  • ‘A Heart on Fire’ – a love story inspired by Chariots of Fire. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Fire-Katherine-Blessan-ebook/dp/B06XD2D2FV
  • ‘Travels by Wheelchair’ was shortlisted in a Patrician Press competition in 2016 and published in an anthology. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Refugees-Peacekeepers-Patrician-Press-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01MUG2YIV/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1499980922&sr=1-1&keywords=refugees+and+peacekeepers
  • ‘Beyond her Scream’ – a story of a mother-daughter relationship strained by the effects of FGM. Short Story Beyond Her Scream from cutalongstory.com

Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged With: blog tour, Cambodia, child sex trafficking, Christian fiction, Katherine Blessan, Lydia's Song, truth

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