Eleanor Tremayne Author Interview

Seven Days in Lebanon is based on your family history that has been passed on to you from your grandmother. Why was this an important book for you to write?

My grandmother was an amazing woman not only because of surviving such horrific events in her life, but also because she always believed that God influenced her choices. When she dedicated her life to raising me, I never realized at the time how much she taught me. It was important for me to preserve her stories, and her memories the only way I knew how; The only way I knew that I could. A novel that all her future generations could keep and learn from. I was determined to immortalize my grandmother’s memory.

Did you have a complete picture of the events you wanted to tell in this book or did you undertake some research?

There were so many stories that my grandmother told not only me but other family members and friends, that I knew I had to include all of them. I chose to use a framework technique to keep the reader interested. Flashbacks were also important to create a genuine sense of how my grandmother must have felt during some of the events. Nevertheless, there were many hours of research to keep the story authentic, and historically correct.

What were some things that surprised you when you first learned of this story?

When I discovered that the Ballerina that my great grandmother, Natasha, knew was the famous Mathilda Kschessinska, the former lover of Tsar Nicholas, it added a new dimension. Later I also remembered that Natasha met the Prince of Kiva when he was a young child. This was ironically the same Prince that saved my grandmother’s life and married her.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

My next novel is, The Mermaid’s Grandson. Although this novel includes fantasy, it introduces a completely new spin on previous stories. The reader will be able to relate to many of the experiences and learn that the line between fantasy and reality is much more related than one believes. My personal objective is to have it ready for print by November 2019.

Author Links: Amazon | Twitter

On a frigid winter morning in St. Petersburg, Russia 1917, eighteen year old Olga Von Eggert must leave her country and family. The Bolshevik army is on a mission to destroy all aristocrats. When Olga fails to join her entourage at the designated rendezvous, Prima Ballerina Mathilda Kschessinska notifies the Khan of Kiva, a mutual acquaintance. The Khan’s son, Prince Razek Bek Khadjieff, defies his father’s orders and sends his strongest Cossack soldier to save the young Baroness. Nearly ninety years later, Damian Tolbert, a Frenchman living in Paris bids $100,000 on an antique diary with the initials NV on the leather cover. Once the journal is translated from Russian to French Damian is determined to find the rightful heir to this antique keepsake. Several years later, by coincidence, or perhaps fate, Damian discovers Anastasia Sullivan, the only living descendent to the journal, in an odd town called Lebanon, Ohio. Rather than answers, Damian finds more missing pieces to his puzzle. Will the “Mind Marauders ” finally leave his psyche? And, who is this mysterious artist, Anastasia Sullivan? This historical novel is inspired by true events of the author’s grandmother, Olga Von Eggert Khadjieff.