Hello!
Today I am talking to author Faiyaz Kiddi who was born in Leicester, United Kingdom, to parents of Indian origin, who had emigrated from Malawi to the UK, during the early 1980s, in search of a better future for their children. Faiyaz was bought up in Leicester for twenty-three years during which he earned a Bachelors’s Degree in Psychology. Although a man of science, Faiyaz took a keen interest in writing at a very early age. While at school, Faiyaz wrote several short stories for his personal enjoyment. Through the years, Faiyaz developed a writing style that leads to the birth of his debut novel, It Takes Two.
Q: Do you remember the first story you wrote?
Faiyaz Kiddi: I had written my first ever story when I was six years old. As you can guess, it wasn’t a professional piece of work, but none-the-less, it was my first attempt to write. I can’t exactly remember what the story was about, but I know it was some sort of fairy tale. However, my first published novel is It Takes Two.
Q: Were you inspired by someone or something?
Faiyaz Kiddi: Experience. Like many novelists out there, both established and newcomers, it is an experience that inspires me to write. For me, it was the experiences in my own life that lead to the creation of “It Takes Two”.
Q: What do you love about writing a story?
Faiyaz Kiddi: That’s a good question. I love the possibilities. I can do almost anything and everything I want in my stories, by simply typing a few words together. When I was beginning to write my debut novel, I was first very inhibited in my writing, but as I carried on, the characters jumped out of the page and started writing the novel for me.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your just-released book ‘It Takes Two’ and the main character Adam Samar?
Faiyaz Kiddi: Sure! ‘It Takes Two’ is a story of human emotion. The story is told from the perspective of the protagonist, Adam Samar, who decides to turn a new chapter in his life. What Adam didn’t know, was that his perfect world was about to shatter into pieces. It Takes Two is the story of how Adam battles between life and love. But soon Adam discovers that in this battle, the winners get hurt most of all.
Q: Are you working on something new?
Faiyaz Kiddi: I thought I would leave the writing to a minimum after I released ‘It Takes Two’, but I couldn’t help myself and started writing something which was brewing in my mind for a while. I haven’t got a title for the story as yet, but I can tell you that it is very different from my previous novel. It is set in 1988 Shinjuku, Tokyo. The story revolves around the life of a vice cop named Mamoru Mishima.
Q: Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Faiyaz Kiddi: When you’re writing, write with passion. There is nothing worse than a story that doesn’t move the reader. Take yourself on a journey and your readers will follow. When you’ve finished your hard work get your work out there. The truth is that you will get tons of rejection letters, but don’t let that demotivate you.
Q: Which author inspires you?
Faiyaz Kiddi: There are many authors, whose works have contributed to my writing experience. But in my novel, I mention one particular author, who is the biggest influence on my writing style. And that’s Haruki Murakami. I remember reading his work for the first time and being blown away by his style. At the time I couldn’t believe that a novel could be so creatively descriptive. I kept reading one novel after another.
Q: Where can people go and read your work?
Faiyaz Kiddi: My novel is available on the Amazon website from the following links:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007TLZYQI
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007TLZYQI
I am in the process of publishing my novel as an audiobook, and I will release the details about that when I get more information about it.
Q: Where can people find you on the internet?
Faiyaz Kiddi: My readers can stay up-to-date with my work from my:
Blog – http://faiyazkiddi.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/faiyazkiddi
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/FaiyazKiddi.ItTakesTwo
Below is an excerpt from “It Takes Two”!
The gentle beams of the morning sun sidled through a slit between the thin lilac curtains. A small streak gleamed on to my brow and tenderly called upon my eyes to open. As the morning blur cleared from my eyes, I saw the sparkling eyes of Cai. She was lying beside me, wearing nothing but a winsome smile that could melt any heart. Sharing the scattered bed sheet, our eyes painted a picture of this beautiful moment.
“You’re here with me.” I whispered in my coarse dawning voice. Cai smiled and shook her head.
“I can’t explain how hard it was… for me to spend all this time without you,” I whispered, as I cherished this tranquil moment.
“We’ll never be apart again.” I spoke these words with all of my faith. “Sometimes it feels like this is a dream.” She reached her comforting hand to the side of my face and whispered into my ear. “It is a dream.” The reflection of her restful face slowly faded away from my eyes and I was lying in my bed once again, all alone.
Below is the trailer for the book!