Secrets of a River Swimmer by S.S. Turner
GENRE: Literary Fiction
BLURB: As Freddy gazes at the majestic river gushing past him in the depths of a Scottish winter, he's ready to jump in and end his life. But what happens next is not what Freddy expects. From the moment he enters the river, Freddy starts a journey which is more beautiful, funny, and mysterious than he could have imagined.
And through this journey Freddy's story becomes interweaved with a cast of unforgettable characters who are equally lost and in search of answers. Eventually they all unite in their quest for an answer to the biggest question of them all: will the river take them where they want to go?
In the tradition of inspirational works of fiction like The Alchemist and Life of Pi, Secrets of a River Swimmer is at once a profound exploration into living with meaning and an affecting story of people on the cusp of change.
Excerpt: From Page 7
I dip my toe in.
It’s fucking freezing.
I sit and watch the majestically sinister Scottish river hurtle along below me. I’m not sure whether to be in awe or terrified, but that was always going to be the case today, my last day. The idea of jumping into the river reminds me of the feeling you experience when you arrive at the beach, and you’re thinking about jumping into the sea, but you know it’s going to cause you grievous bodily harm from your nether regions up. For some reason, your legs are the one part of your body which can handle intense cold without too much stress. But all body parts above your legs are a whole different story. My voice just rose an octave, and I’m not even talking.
So you sit and watch the sea while contemplating your next move, as if this thinking time will give you the required mental strength to leap into the cold blue water. However, this thinking time just gives the water an opportunity to look you in the eye with laughing menace, because the water knows the questions you are grappling with deep in your soul. The water understands it is strong and you are weak—the eternal power imbalance at play.
The waiting period only makes it worse, of course. All it does is allow you to hand more mental power over to the cold water than a short and simple jumping-in maneuver would have done. Why do we employ such counter-productive strategies in our lives?
INTERVIEW: Can you describe your dream home? My dream home is the home we live in now. It’s a warm welcoming place which is surrounded by beautiful gardens. I love it.
If we were to come to your house for a meal, what would you give us to eat? We’d serve you my wife’s famous lasagna with beetroot, carrots, and other vegetables homegrown in our garden. The sauce is the best part. It’s wonderfully creamy and oozes out on all sides when the lasagna connects with the plate. To say it’s moreish would be an understatement. And we’d offer you our favorite full-bodied red wine to wash it down with.
Tell us about the absolute BEST fan letter you have received. I’m not sure I have any fans yet as this is my first novel! However, I was lucky enough to have the hugely successful author of the NYC bestseller, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris, read Secrets of a River Swimmer recently. And she sent me an email with detailed feedback on the novel. Heather was wonderfully generous in her compliments for the novel, and described it as “one of her most enjoyable reads in a long time”. That was a moving moment for me.
Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go? You’re giving me ideas! I’d fly to the Galapagos to learn more about that fascinating part of the world whilst it’s still above sea level. I’d imagine the Galapagos is a wonderful location for all sorts of stories given the fascinating interactions there between rare wildlife and the locals that occur there daily.
Who designed the book cover for the book you are touring? My publisher Lou Aronica deserves full credit for the novel’s beautiful book cover.
AUTHOR Bio and Links: S.S. Turner has been an avid reader, writer, and explorer of the natural world throughout his life which has been spent in England, Scotland and Australia. Just like Freddy in his first novel, Secrets of a River Swimmer, he worked in the global fund management sector for many years but realized it didn't align with his values. In recent years, he's been focused on inspiring positive change through his writing as well as trying not to laugh in unfortunate situations. He now lives in Australia with his wife, daughter, two dogs, two cats, and ten chickens.
https://www.thestoryplant.com/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer
Buy Links:
Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JWTK3WN/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
B&N- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer-s-s-turner/1139673873
AppleBooks- https://books.apple.com/us/book/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer/id1591209788 Indigo- https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer/9781611883213-item.html
Kobo- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting Loretta, much appreciated. And thanks Sherry...
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting journey ahead! - Jennifer
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