Author interview with journalist and crime novel author Barbara E. Euler (Gröbenzell/Germany) about her second crime novel "Raphael Reloaded" (2021):
1) Hello Barbara! How nice to talk to you again. Tell me: who is Raphael?
Raphael Rozenblad is a chief inspector in the police force of the Flemish city of Bruges, notorious as an outstanding investigator and gifted instructor, and as devoted as he is harsh. Chumming it up is not his thing, and he swears like a beer coachman, especially since he lost both legs, his health and almost his life – in a, of course, successful chase. And he himself became his toughest opponent.
2) That sounds rough. How did you come up with it?
Yes, that's a crazy story. I'm often in Bruges, and one day in a supermarket, I noticed a man in a wheelchair because he had no legs. He was all alone, a beefy guy full of tattoos, and I thought, well you better not mess with him, and how special an impression like that is on someone who is all alone in his wheelchair!
3) Did you ever see this man again?
For years I looked for him in vain. It was to be expected, but I regretted it very much. Surely the man should know the respect he instilled in me and the vast amounts of writing pleasure and wonderful research experiences I owe to him. And what can I say – after four years he suddenly drove along a canal in front of me. Today we meet every year when I'm in Bruges in the summer. Serge Van Belle, so is his name, is a great para-athlete and as friendly and approachable as Raphael is gruff! He encourages me to translate the crime novel so that it can find an audience in and around Bruges.
4) You translate yourself into Dutch, which I find more than remarkable! How do you go about it?
Yes, without this encouragement I might really not have dared to do it. The translator site www.deepl.com, which you also recommend, is invaluable to me. And I have my text checked by a native speaker.
5) What would you like to tell us with "Raphael Reloaded"? What is your message?
The same as in all my books: Different is not a swear word! My characters often have something about them that is irritating at first glance, until you realize it's not a bad thing at all: for example, they're Muslim, disabled, gay, black ... If you get hung up on that, you miss the whole person in their diversity – and that's pretty stupid.
6) Do you have any other talents you'd like to tell us about?
Unfortunately, no. Other than writing, I'm not very good at anything.
7) You told us in our last interview (summer 2020) that you like to exercise listening. Did you have a special insight, an enlightening experience, something you learned that you want to share with us?
After all, it's pretty hard to keep in touch these days, and then there are the people who drift off to crude movements. That's annoying and makes you feel discouraged. Nevertheless, again and again I see how grateful people are when I signal my willingness to listen. Even during a quick chat over the garden fence, one or two liberating sentences bubble up. I experienced this again just a few days ago. That connects people and shows me that it pays to keep at it.
8) There have been considerate upheavals and changes lately. What has changed for you – personally or for your writing – since our last interview? Is your writing style or approach different, or your perspective on things
No, I've had the most glaring realizations already before that time. I mean, how willingly people let themselves be swallowed up by barbaric movements, whipping their hearts and brains off. But now I know I want to put that into literary form.
9) How did you get into writing?
I've loved writing since I could write.
10) And finally, what new projects are you tackling next?
Raphael Rozenblad is such a great buddy. He's got a lot of things coming up, and I get to accompany him!
Find out more about Barbara, Raphael and the book here:
Links
Raphael Rozenblad crime novels on Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B09HHD6Z5N?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks
Author reading (German): https://soundcloud.com/user-444221701/krimi-lesung-raphaels-ruckkehr?si=dc29a1e350f944aebc08966b21531e48
Author site on Lovelybooks: https://www.lovelybooks.de/autor/Barbara-E.-Euler/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbara_e_euler/
