Karma & Kismet – A spiritual Quest Across Continents, Cultures, and Consciousness received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Michael Shandler.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Karma & Kismet – A spiritual Quest Across Continents, Cultures, and Consciousness. Published by Koehler Books, July 2024.
What’s the book’s first line?
“BAM! A stunning backhand slams my head into the sharp edge of the hardwood chair.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Reared in apartheid South Africa, the child of a Holocaust survivor and an Allied soldier pursues spiritual understanding and personal fulfillment across an astounding arc of 20th-century history, after a challenging childhood.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
This is a story that has been with me for many years. A remarkable coming-of-age, it increasingly demanded expression. At some point in the writing process, I became the story’s servant, trying to extract and show both the story and its lessons for others. Millions are suffering abuse and trauma or negotiating difficult circumstances and oppression, and my account shows that with perseverance and an open heart, a path to reconciliation, forgiveness, and success, can mysteriously appear out of the darkness.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
To understand that life offers opportunities for change and betterment – often in mysterious ways. It’s our job to get out of the way with self-limiting thinking and learn to cooperate with the opportunities that may come down the pike.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I wrote my first book when I was in my twenties during the turbulent 1970’s.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No, I authored and co-authored several books in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Then for twenty years, I wrote nothing until the inspiration for Karma & Kismet took hold.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I have been an organization development and leadership and life coach for the past forty five years.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
When I am actively working on a book, it is an immersive experience in which I can do little else.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part of being an Indie is creative freedom. The hardest part is being alone in the daunting and confusing arena of highly competitive marketing.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Seek counsel from fellow Indie authors and supportive organizations such as IndieReader.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Only if they guaranteed a full post-publication publicity and marketing effort.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I’m 78 and while fame and fortune may once have been attractive, I no longer care about such things. There is nothing more gratifying than knowing a reader has really grokked the messages in my book.