Interview and Giveaway with Acclaimed Writer Dvora Waysman!!

Everyone is searching for something or someone to make their lives more meaningful. In Dvora Waysman’s novel, “Searching For Sarah”, Leah is searching for Sarah, the artist whose portrait obsesses her; Sarah is searching for something lost that can never be replaced; and Gershom – he seems to be searching for G-d. ~ A tender story of Israel ~ Ordinary People ... Living Extraordinary Lives.

Today on The Diamond Mine, I'm very honored to welcome multi-published author and worldwide syndicated writer Dvora Waysman! What a treat to share this time with her. And readers, please click on the Post a Comment section at the end of the interview to leave a comment and be entered in a drawing to win a print copy of Dvora's latest book:"Searching for Sarah."

Hi Dvora! It’s so good to connect with you again, and have a chance to ask you some questions!

You live in what I consider to be the most important city in the world. What is it like to live in Jerusalem?

Jerusalem is wonderful. There are other cities perhaps more beautiful like Venice, Paris etc. but Jerusalem is more of an emotion than a place. A poet put it beautifully (Yehuda Amichai):  "The air over Jerusalem is so full of prayers and dreams, that it is hard to breathe."  It is deeply spiritual.

I can tell by the many lovely articles you've written about Jerusalem, that you have a deep bond to it, and in your own words, you"feel uniquely privileged" to live there. I can certainly understand your sentiments!
As writers we live in this world, but when we write fiction, we reside in a world we create with each story. Do you ever find it challenging to live in both of these worlds?

I think even our fiction is based on our own reality - we couldn't express it if it were not a place that we know and which resonates with us on a deep level.

Wow. That's a very true observation. Even when I’m creating a world and characters, I realize they are based in the realities I know. Thank you for saying that!

How much of your own self do you put into your characters?

All my characters have a little bit of me in them - something I've experienced; a joke I've laughed at; a song I've sung... that's the only way to create a 3-dimensional character.

Yes. I think it’s often those little things that really reveal the inner life of the character. Do you ever have dreams about your characters or stories?

Not dreams - but a deep affection when I think about them.  They stay with me long after the book is finished.

I know what you mean! Do you have a favorite among your books or characters?

Yes.  The heroine of my novel "Esther" - a Jerusalem Love Story, because a lot of it was autobiographical - my life in London when I went there at 19; my work as a war correspondent in Lebanon in the Peace for Galilee campaign in 1982;  and bits of a romance way back then.

 That sounds like quite a wonderful story, especially since it has so much of your own story woven in it. Tell us about your latest book. How did you get the idea for it?

My latest (14th) book is "Searching for Sarah".  It is loosely based on a real experience I had when I once rented an artist's 1-room studio on a rooftop in Jerusalem.  I found there a portrait an artist had left behind, and although it was 25 years ago, I have never forgotten that painting or the effect it had on me.

Isn’t it amazing how a single thought or experience can grow and expand into an entire book? It’s really incredible when I think about that. What do you like most about “Searching for Sarah”?

I like the fact that the theme is that everyone is searching for someone or something to fill an empty place in their lives.  We all have a void somewhere.

That’s very true. Do you have any recurring themes in your books?

Jerusalem is the recurring theme in most of my books.  I never wanted to live here, was reluctant to leave the easy life in my birthplace Australia, but once it grabs hold of your soul, it never lets you go.

It definitely sounds like you fell in love with Jerusalem! Here are excerpts from your article"Love Song For a City":

Falling in love with a city is not so different from falling in love with a person. It is an emotion that grows slowly.You begin to notice what you had overlooked before. There is the quality of light that begins with a pearly dawn. When the sun shines, masses of grey stone are turned to gold. At twilight, the indigo shadows lengthen. The night sky is black velvet strewn with stars. Your senses become aware of an ancient perfume that wafts down from the Judean hills compounded of sage, thyme and rosemary. You hear the wind whispering in the pine trees, and echoes of a pain-filled history. You stroll through the Jerusalem Forest, where shy cyclamens in mauve and cream and wild violets nestle among the rocks.
It took a few years before I became bonded to this city and its people. Now I have lived here for 45 years, of the 50 it has been re-unified, and although I've seen most of the world, this is where I want to stay. Like all Jerusalemites, I feel uniquely privileged and although we can contribute little during our brief sojourn here, we know that Jerusalem is eternal.

These words really evoke the effect the city has on you, as I imagine it does for most everyone who has ever been there.

Do you write every day?

Yes.  I have written thousands of articles & still do for papers around the world.  But for the poetry & fiction, I need to be inspired. 

Yes, I agree. Inspiration is an essential element for poetry and fiction. What are you working on now?

I'm 86 now so I have just started what will probably be my swan song.  This one is just for my large family (4 children; 18 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren.)  I am calling it: "Stories I never told you". One of my grandsons is quite a famous musician in Israel - David Lavi - & he recently wrote a song for me in English. The last 3 words are: "Please don't go."  He has always known me as quite an elderly lady, but I want him and the great-grandchildren to know me when I was a child; a teenager; a young woman. I want them to come with me on a journey to become who I am today and not just remember me as an old lady.

What a blessing that will be for your family. And who knows? You may decide to share it with your readers, too! And I hope you will fulfill your grandson’s plea, and stay with all of us for a good number of years to come. Thank you for this interview, Dvora!!

Here's a peek at some of Dvora's other books:

Here are Dvora's social and purchase links. Dvora has written 14 books. You can find them at:: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_rsis_1_0?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=dvora+waysman&sprefix=%2Cstripbooks%2C495

And also: https://www.amazon.com/Dvora-Waysman/e/B001JWV1N8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1495600638&sr=1-2-ent

She can be contacted at: dwaysman@gmail.com or on her blog: www.dvorawaysman.com