The Mud Man by Donna Marie West
The Mud Man by Donna Marie West
Back of the Book
When anthropologist Veronica Booth is called to consult on a dig in northern British Columbia, she expects to discover the usual remnants of early indigenous life. She never imagined finding a man preserved a metre deep in a thawing bog. More shocking still—he’s alive, albeit barely. The mud man, as Veronica initially thinks of him, matches no missing person reports, and his DNA is like nothing on record. Radio-carbon dating of his clothes and items found with him suggest an impossible age of 9,500 years! As he slowly recovers, the mysterious man reveals a host of surprises, stunning Veronica and those growing close to him. But can a man who lived a millennia ago adapt to life in the modern world?
Author Interview
Donna Marie West is a Canadian educator, translator, author, and freelance editor. She has published some 500 drabbles, short stories, and non-fiction articles in a wide variety of Canadian and American magazines, web sites, and anthologies. She loves the unusual, unexplained, and mysterious, and often finds ways to weave these themes into her stories
1. Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey, please? I’ve always loved writing, even back in school. I took some writing courses by correspondence and published my first short story in a Canadian magazine in 2004. I have since published some 500 short stories and nonfiction articles in a variety of markets but recently I have been concentrating on novels. I have written four novels and published two, although only THE MUD MAN is available at the moment.
2. How do you decide who to dedicate your books to? That’s not hard. I only have one person close to me, my partner, Serge, and of course, my editor and publisher.
3. What was the inspiration behind your latest release? THE MUD MAN was inspired by the many reports of discoveries of frozen animals in thawing ice or permafrost and, especially, the viruses, bacteria, and worms that have actually been revived and found to thrive after being frozen for thousands (in some cases, many thousands) of years. Then there was the discovery of Otzi the Iceman, a frozen (but very dead) 5000-year-old body found in the Tyrolean Alps a few years back. I wondered what might happen if somehow, someone like him could be found frozen but alive. And Dom, the mud man, was born.
4. Do you find it hard to let your characters go when you finish writing the book? Yes, especially Dom, the mud man. He is a unique and sympathetic character and I grew quite fond of him.
5. What was your favourite read of 2022? Not sure I have one favourite. I have read some good books by Stephen King, Emma Shelford, and James Rollins. Also THE MAGIC OF FICTION by Beth Hill, in my opinion, an essential read for authors and editors.
6. Who is your favourite author? As I mentioned above, Stephen King, James Rollins. Also Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, Graham Hancock, Whitley Strieber, Neale Donald Walsch, and James Redfield. Oh, and not to forget J.R.R. Tolkien.
7. Was there a point in your life that a book helped you get through, and which one? Yes, back in the 1990s I was at a point in my life when some hard decisions had to be made. THE CELESTINE PROPHECY and the workbook that goes with it were a huge help and without exaggerating, I can say they changed my life.
8. Is there anyone that you would like to mention and thank for their support of your writing? Again, my partner Serge, who never complains about all the time I spend with my books. Also fellow writer and dear friend John Irvine, as well as Lily Luchesi, the editor of THE MUD MAN.
9. If you had the power to give everyone in the world one book, what would it be and why? Honestly, I don’t think one single book would be equally meaningful for everyone. I would like to give the right book, whatever it might be, to the right person for the right reason.
10. What are you working on now? I am trying to find a publisher for NEXT IN LINE, which is actually meant to be the first in a series I call THE LINE OF THE BLOOD. I am pretty busy editing other people’s books at the moment, but I intend to give the sequel to NEXT IN LINE a final edit this summer.
11. Lastly, do you have any questions for your readers? Sure. What draws you to a book, the plot or the characters? And if you have read THE MUD MAN, what did you like most about it? What did you not like?
Thank you so much for taking the time to be on my blog today. I am very grateful that you stopped by.
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