Sergei Kourdakov - Controversy Is A Powerful Motivator

Recently I participated in an online interview about writing A Rose for Sergei.  Thank you, Ms. Andrews for featuring my book on your blog, your flattering review, and the “Five Star” rating. Review and interview questions follow:

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“I rarely pick up nonfiction books to read.  When I do read them, I almost always enjoy them, it's just that I prefer to live in my little fantasy land. :)

A Rose for Sergei is not your typical nonfiction - at least, it wasn't for me.  It's as if I was watching a real life thriller/romance unfold right in front of me.  While there seems to be some mystery surrounding Sergei's life, this story shares a side of him that many people who know of him probably don't consider.

It's all very well written, and the ending tugged at my heart.  I have to agree with the author that it is a story that needs to be told and shared.  After reading this, I'm very interested to learn more.”

—Ann Levi Andrews, Author & Blogger

Q&A:

1. What made you decide to put your story into book form?

This was a true story I never planned to tell, let alone publish.  After I saw a documentary movie discrediting Sergei Kourdakov’s book, The Persecutor, I knew I needed to write A Rose for Sergei.  Controversy is a powerful motivator.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process?

Sergei Kourdakov was a Soviet defector and former KGB agent.  It would be forty years before I put the memories of our time together into book form.  Once I made that decision, the words tumbled effortlessly onto the paper.  I already knew the events; the story is a part of my life and was always there.

3. How long did it take you to put this work together?

It took over a year for my book to be ready for publication.  Because I met Sergei at my Federal Government office, I was required to submit my manuscript to the Department of Defense Pre-Publications Office.  It was a nail-biting two months before I received word that my book was cleared for publication.

4. What was your least favorite part of the writing process?

In order to write about Sergei, I had to relive the events leading up to and after his tragic death.  When you write, you just don’t tell, you show what’s happening.  Those chapters were the most difficult for me to write.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

Being a memoir, I used more of a conversational style of writing.

6. What would you like your readers to take away from your work?

I would like readers to take a second look at Sergei Kourdakov’s life.  A Rose for Sergei is a continuation of Sergei’s story.  It reinforces his book and reveals what his life was really like in the United States.

7. What’s your ultimate writing goal?

That’s an easy question for me.  My writing goal is for people to know that Sergei’s story is real.