THE VIOLIN THIEF, A Curious Tale of Lost & Found received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Genie Higbee.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
THE VIOLIN THIEF, A Curious Tale of Lost & Found. Published October 2022.
What’s the book’s first line?
“Well past bedtime.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
1941 Adirondacks. When Douglas Tryzyna deciphers the voice of an incognito violin, he realizes they are destined to spark goodwill with music. An avid student, he gets tangled with a violin professor. The man, a German émigré, is dead-set on showcasing his own blasé son as a virtuoso—Douglas will be the ideal spur. The peers’ relationship yo-yos between brotherhood and rivalry, complicated by a piano-playing sweetheart. As clashing desires explode into obsessions, a centuries-old rivalry is also playing out. Lyrical. Startling. Exploring complexities of the heart and the grace of music.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I was at the start of a novel about an idealistic art student who had burned her bridges at University. She’s regretfully headed home. Meeting a violinist on the train, she accepts a questionable proposal from the guy in exchange for an adventure. However, the male character spoke to me. He convinced me to write his story first, saying, I really didn’t know him or his intentions! I began his tale with a simple plot while at the same time I was seeking appraisal for my late father’s violin (hoping it would sell with the proceeds benefitting my mother). The experience of taking a rare violin to auction sky rocketed and the simple plot I had imagined for man’s story became layered with the serendipity of history I chanced upon.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
I think readers will engage with the vivid characters, the fictional and the authentic, as they confront the unexpected.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
The main character, Douglas Tryzyna, has an additional sense that infuses him with endurance…despite the hardships that others, and ironically, he himself, create. Reminds me of: Hans Christian Andersen’s, The Steadfast Tin Soldier.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I began writing and illustrating by age five, just because. I continued to write short stories and poetry without any goal other than self-satisfaction and the joy of sharing with trusted others—parents, siblings, pals. I wrote my first novel in fifth grade. My teacher let me hold class by reading chapters, serial style, while she would take an afternoon break. She, Miz Smith, told me I would grow up to be an author-illustrator. The idea bloomed and I became aware, filled with wonderment, for what real authors could do with story and characters.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No, the fifth-grade mystery was my first. Much, much later, I co-authored with a dear friend, Melissa Farnsworth, SIX SILVER BRACELETS, a story I adore, but it waits patiently in need of much editing. My second adult novel, also co-authored, is INVENTED AUGUST, An Imperfect Escape to Capri, published 2013.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am retired now after a career as a freelance graphic designer/copywriter.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
When I am working on a novel I spend three to four hours a day, 6 to 7 days a week, morning is best. Afternoons I prefer to paint. The two activities cross pollinate.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best: writing at your own pace without artificial deadlines or imposed limits. The hardest: getting a book into the world without the support structure of a publishing house.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Keep on writing…and honor your fleeting inspirations—write them down, save them, those thoughts offer invaluable fuel in the long haul.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
At this point I don’t know. I like the freedom of expression and schedule. I have in the past thought I’d prefer a traditional situation—I have queried for all three adult novels, with much heart and soul. I’ve targeted agents I admired who were seeking my genres. I appreciate IndieReader giving visibility to others like me.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
Writing for me is an exploration of life: I want to share those explorations, ones that might bring readers together emotionally and intellectually. When a reader connects with my words, now that is gratifying.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
For me, it’s a tie between Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Dickens! Each for his imagination and his understanding of human beings—their foibles, relationships, and desires.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
Honestly, I have never coveted another author’s work…I have simply been moved, entertained, inspired, informed, and overawed.