Interview with medical thriller author Sean Adelman

My special guest today is Sean Christopher Adelman, MD. He’s here as part of a virtual book tour for his medical thriller, Trispero.

During his tour, Sean will be awarding a paperback copy of Trispero (US only) to a randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Sean Adelman is an orthopedic surgeon who lives in Seattle, Washington. He has three children; two girls and boy. His middle daughter is the inspiration for his books; she is beautiful and smart and happens to have Down syndrome. When Sean isn't writing or doing surgery he enjoys playing music on his electric guitar, and going for bike rides with his family to the local farmers market.

Welcome, Sean. Please tell us about your current release.
At its heart, Trispero is a book about a dad, his daughter, their relationship and what he would do for her. The subtext is a medical thriller with some science fiction dealing with genetics and how understanding ourselves can impact our future. Trispero is a journey of a dad and his daughter through loss, discovery, and redemption. We find that a brighter future for us all is hidden as a gift within some of our most disenfranchised. Will our world snuff out this gift before we discover its possibilities?

What inspired you to write this book?

The inspiration is my daughter, Devon. Devon is 18 years old and has Down syndrome, my stories are an homage to her spirit to promote inclusion and understanding for people with different abilities. As a father I wanted a way to share my message of hope after being frustrated by people's inability to see past her diagnosis. The actual idea for this novel came after a discussion with my neighbor who is on the board of our local cancer research institute about some new genetic therapies to cure cancer. My knowledge of the genetics of Down syndrome quickly snowballed into a story, three years later, here we are.

Excerpt from Trispero:

“Papa, what is a gift?”

“I’m sorry, Alucia, gift is a word peculiar to the old language. It means you give with no expectation of receiving anything in return.”

“Oh, we do that all the time.”

“Yes, my dear, it has fallen out of our language because it is just part of who we are. We don’t need a word for it.”

“Why do you use the words hidden gift when you speak of the Trispero then? It seems confusing for someone to hide a gift. If giving it was such a wonderful thing to do, then why make it hard to find?”

“Sometimes gifts can be dangerous if you are not ready for them. A mother bird doesn’t try to give its baby the gift of flight until it is ready. Would you give your best friend your favorite music if she had nothing to listen with?”

“How will you know when they are ready?”

***

Jerry laid in bed thinking. Time seemed to travel so slowly in his glass prison. He couldn’t believe it had been a year since Lily had moved to Denver. Quiet. Everyone thought he was asleep so he kept his face in his pillow hoping they would leave. Stay quiet, and they will go away. He slowed his breathing so he could hear. The intercom had been left open so he would know if someone came. Once it had been quiet for a few minutes, he carefully rolled his head to one side to make sure no one was there. The window was empty; no one was at the door. He rolled out of bed to go find his book. He just didn’t want to talk with anyone. He spent so much time here that when anyone visited they always had that, “I’m so sorry for you” look on their face. Everyone except Lily, that is. Lily just wanted to hang out and play; she never treated him like the freak that he was. He was only ten, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew he was sick; he didn’t know how long he would last.

***

 The tall man stood in the shadows across the street from Nate’s house. He watched as Nate parked his bike and went inside before picking up his cell phone. “Sir, yes, Dr. Gibson, Amsler is home with his wife now. Yes, you were correct. He did meet with Mrs. Lemay. I’ll give you a full debriefing when you arrive tomorrow, sir.”

What exciting story are you working on next?
I am working on a follow up for Trispero. The first story is a complete entity, but I have a lot more I want to show about the Trispero and how they changed the world.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The first time I really thought of myself as a writer was when I got a note from a young girl in London about how much she enjoyed the story and how it made her look at the possibilities for her younger sister with Down syndrome a little differently.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I am actually a full- time orthopedic surgeon and father so finding time is challenging. The most effective way I have found is to use an iPad that I keep with me at all times. That way I can write whenever I have time between clinics, between surgeries, or even after dinner.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I love classic American cars having grown up with my father who loved working on them. I try to include a cool car in my stories that doesn't really have anything to do with the plot. You will have to let me know what car that is in Trispero after you read it.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a child I wanted to fly, if I couldn't be superman I wanted to fly jets in the Air Force. As I grew older I realized being an avenger made much more sense than a pilot, because then I could fly and save the world.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
For me, writing is more than just telling a story. Writing is a way for me to disperse my message to a broader audience. It's important for people to get my message about inclusion and acceptance so that I can feel my stories are making a difference. The other part of writing I didn't fully appreciate is how much I love the process. I enjoy coming up with the plot and organizing things in my mind. This process is challenging and works a part of my brain that is in desperate need of this stimulation.

Links:

Website | Amazon buy page | Twitter | Other Twitter

Thanks, Sean!

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