This is truly exciting as I have waited a long time to have this novel emerge as an ebook because it carries similar themes and issues to YA “Lilbet’s Romance” This will also shortly be republished as an ebook, the original title being “Body and Soul: Lilbet’s Romance”.

Both ebooks are published by wwww.Indrabooks.com.

In both, similar themes occur: chiefly what happens when an’outsider’ comes between sisters as in “Lilbet’s Romance”. Or best friends, “Dessi’s Romance”.

Both novels examine current attitudes to sexuality and racism, though Lilbet writng in 1938 is concerned with anti-Jewish sentiments, and Dessi with contemporary anti-Moslem sentiments.

All these heroines are 18 years old and really starting to mature into the adult they will become.

‘Dessi’s Romance’ also gave me a chance to use that favorite end-of-rite passage: SCHOOLIES WEEK. This was in fact, the novel’s original title. However, as Dessi is Lilbet’s grand-niece, I decided to tie the novels together.

Given the themes I mention above, I find it interesting to see how often similar themes and stories appear in other authors’ work. Some authors seem to write the same story over and over again but use different settings. Other, such as my current favorite John Lanchester, use a certain knowledge. I have just read CAPITAL and am halfway through FRAGRANT HARBOOUR. Lanchester, who happens to be an economist, writes about money, or rather the effect money has on people. And boy, does he do it well.

If I have any readers who also are into writing their own novels, can I suggest that you look for these motifs and issues in your own work? They certainly carry a reader along.