Interview with Andrea Simon

Author of Bashert: A Granddaughter’s Holocaust Quest

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and bred in Brooklyn, and now live in Manhattan, New York.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

As a child in Brooklyn, I couldn’t wait to move into Greenwich Village in Manhattan, which was arty and bohemian. Now that I live in Manhattan, many people are moving to Brooklyn for those same reasons.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I joined a Holocaust-related, American group to visit Eastern Europe, focusing on the little-known massacres of the area. I also was fortunate to visit my family’s ancestral village where the Jews were also massacred during the Holocaust. This experience led me to many discoveries and formed the basis of my book, BASHERT.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

All my books are narrative in structure and focus on characters and authentic locale. I spend a great deal of effort constructing my work in descriptive detail so that the reader can imagine the time and place.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I think my work appeals to a wide range of readers, from young adults to baby boomers. BASHERT is particularly of interest to those researching their family history and those curious about World War II and the Holocaust. My latest book, FLOATING IN THE NEVERSINK, connects to seniors, as well as those who like stories about the Catskills and reading good literary fiction.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

I was surprised by the many steps to digitize the book. Fortunately, I had excellent technical people to help.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

To be patient when dealing with other people’s schedules.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

Every author wants as many readers as possible, but I would be happy for my work to have touched some in a personal and inspirational way.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

The biggest frustration has been trying to negotiate the schedules of the various people involved in book production, including editor, publisher, marketer, publicist, and reviewers.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My writing comes fairly easy to me and I have experience in promotional writing as well.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My biggest weakness is wanting each stage in the production process to be perfect and being patient in the process.

When do you think you will write your next book?

My next book came out in 2016 called ESFIR IS ALIVE, a novel that focuses on a real-life survivor of the massacres. My latest book, published in October 2019, a novel-in-stories, called FLOATING IN THE NEVERSINK, was published by Black Rose Writing. I have more unpublished works in my bureau drawer waiting to be released.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

The publisher of BASHERT is a venerable academic press, headquartered in England, called Vallentine Mitchell. They are the first publishers of the English edition of Anne Frank’s diary.