Title: Twisted Threads
Author: Kaylin McFarren
Publisher: Creative Edge Publishing
ISBN: 9781975921354
Pages: 373
Genre: Thriller, Romance
Author Interview with Kaylin McFarren
PBR: Twisted Threads is so culturally accurate. How did you learn so much about Japanese culture?
I’ve been married to my Japanese husband for 44 years and have had the privilege of traveling extensively to Japan. During my second trip to this incredible country, I met an 8th generation mama-san that owns and runs the most respected and honored geiko quarters and teahouses in Kyoto. My relationship with her and my husband grew my understanding of the culture and provided me with a remarkable inside view of life in Japan.
PBR: Is Akira happy being a geiko ( geisha) or does she want a new life?
Akira was drawn into the life of a geiko at a young age with the belief that she was providing an honorable service by keeping the culture of Japan alive through her artistic skills, professional dress, and ability to entertain audiences. However, in the last twenty years, this occupation is becoming a lost art in Japan and the number of geikos and maikos has been greatly reduced, since more opportunities are being provided for young women in business. Akira reflects this current attitude with the desire to rise above her standing in life and to establish a modern existence.
PBR: How did you come up with the gripping emotional scenes between Akira and Devon when he discovers her secret life?
Years ago, I was asked by Japanese businessmen and friends of my husband what I thought as an American about the fact that they were married and yet had mistresses they supported in Japan as contractual sponsors. My immediate reaction was shock and disappointment, as I viewed them as vile, deceptive and cruel to their wives until I discovered that this was an accepted way of life. In fact, many of their wives encouraged this arrangement because they felt their responsibility was purely to please their husbands by whatever means necessary and to focus their attention on the care of their children and running of their households. This opened my mind to the belief that we can’t impart our beliefs on others when cultures are involved and to realize that there are two sides to any given situation—often times situations that are beyond our control.
PBR: Who are your favorite authors?
I love stories written by John Grisham, Ken Follett, Lisa Jackson, David Baldacci, Shayla Black, and Louise Penny – dark, suspenseful, murderous and sexy.
PBR: Will there be a sequel to Twisted Threads?
I’m hoping to write a final book the the series in the spring that will bring Rachel and Chase back into the storyline, since so many readers love their relationship and diving expeditions.
PBR: What do you want readers to get from the novel?
I would love for them to understand that relationships are like threads woven into the fabric of life. They are beautiful, remarkable and precious, but many times they are also complex and difficult to understand. But ultimately, we all long for completeness—for feeling connected to someone rather than existing in the world alone. The only way to achieve this is through forgiveness and the willingness to overlook the faults of others…as well as our own.
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