Blog Tour ~ Despite The Falling Snow by Shamim Sarif

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to host today's stop on the 

Despite The Falling Snow

Blog Tour

Metro Books London
7th April 2016

I am delighted to introduce the author Shamim Sarif to the blog...

Hi and welcome, Shamim.....

Please tell us a little about Shamim Sarif‏, author.

I am an author, but also a screenwriter and director – a storyteller in many forms. It’s a great privilege but more than that I love having my family – my wife Hanan and two sons Ethan and Luca. I was born and raised in the UK, of parents who are South African Indian in heritage. It’s a rich background and I drew on it for my first two books and films, The World Unseen and I Can’t Think Straight.

How long have you been writing and what got you started?

I’ve been writing for more than twenty years. It always felt natural to me to express myself in written words, much more than in spoken words. And I was captivated from the time I could read by the fact that the characters and places I knew from books could feel as real as everyday life. I began writing, without really telling anyone, while still working for my father in his business, during which time I wrote a screenplay that was optioned and some short stories that were published. And then after The World Unseen was published, I felt more justified in calling myself a full time writer. 

What inspired you to write Despite the Falling Snow and what can you tell us about the story that won’t give too much away?

Despite the Falling Snow is about a young Soviet woman, Katya, who is passionately anti-communist. When she takes a job spying on a Kremlin official, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with him. But while she tries to sort out her feelings for him versus her duty to the Americans, the net is closing around them. I loved that period of history but more than that, I wanted to explore the ways in which love can make us see the world differently and perhaps transcend betrayal.

Are you a plotter...or ...a start writing and see where it takes you sort of writer?

It depends on the book. With Despite the Falling Snow, the central mystery of what happened to Katya needed to be solved by the end, so that gave me major plot points. But the smaller twists and turns were very much on instinct, letting the characters revelations and decisions guide the process.

What were the challenges you faced whilst writing this novel?

I was pregnant with our second son Luca while writing Despite the Falling Snow. I was about five chapters away from finishing, and ended up going into labour before I could finish. Not to be thwarted by such a small event, my wife Hanan took us all to South Africa to stay with my parents and enlisted plenty of help with the baby so I could finish the book!


What do you hope that readers will take away from Despite the Falling Snow?

Some readers have reported feeling cold with all the snow that’s in the book J But what I really would like if for people to feel moved by Katya’s journey. She is an heroic character but also a lonely young woman who finds love – just in the most unexpected place. And the transformative power of that emotion is life-changing for her, but also life-threatening. We can experience that openness and transformation and when it can happen without the sacrifices, it’s a wonderful process. 

 How can readers discover more about you and your work?

My website is at www.shamimsarif.com and all my books are on Amazon and other online stores, but I would love anyone who is interested to join me on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/shamimsarif) or on Twitter (@shamimsarif). I’ve had such an outpouring of support for my books and films over the past few years that I use social media to talk to fans of the stories and love the community we’ve created there.

My thanks to the author, Shamim Sarif  and to Leanne at Midas PR for their kind invitation

be part of this lovely blog tour 

Despite The Falling Snow

Blog Tour runs from 7th - 17th April

Please visit the other stops on the tour for more informative content

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