Voyage of Pearl of the Seas follows two children who go on a whirlwind adventure where the boy must make an incredible sacrifice. Did the idea for the prequel to Black Inked Pearl come while you were writing that book or sometime afterwards?

Afterwards, in a dream. The idea of it being a “fairytale” comes from away back in my childhood, but also reminded, recently, by The Alchemist, a wonderful book.

I felt like the children were a symbol for something greater. Did you intend the story to portray them this way?

Yes ( though I hadn’t realised it when I was writing the book). Kate on the face of it is timid and exploring but with deep spiritual female strength which sustains them both, Christy male and on the face of it arrogant but a great skipper who is rightly humble before the waves and his beloved ship, recognises his dependence in Kate without whom he knows he wound never have voyaged at all and (her I disagree p with one reviewer’s assessment) makes the sacrifice of his young (growing-up and facing-things) life in turning back for the sake of Holly and Kate.

So the story in a way symbolises the female spiritual side of our nature and “the power of the weak” complementing male strength and expert mastery. We need both.

But forget all that – I’d say that basically it’s just a good yarn in its own right.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Mainly that God/Allah/Oluwa/whoever exists and is known worldwide by many names.

That fairy tales can hold deep truth.

What has been the most surprising reader reaction to your novel so far?

Not identifying insightfully with Christy ( and the Christy- dimension if OURSELVES) and so not realising the deep, well concealed, and enduring pain of his having to give up his lifelong and do-able plan to sail round the world.

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