Tag: #inspiration

  • The Hazards of Traveling

    Traveling. That magical word. Those moments, surreal almost in their beauty and intensity once we return home and try to hold on to them in our thoughts. And then, of course, while on the road, there is this feeling of being intensely alive. I had missed especially this vividness when finally, after 2 years of not traveling long distances during the pandemic, I was able to set out again and explore. And, as every time when I set out, I was scared.

  • On Stage with Kurt Aeschbacher at Haebse in Basel

    For a second time, I had the pleasure to be invited as a guest to Kurt Aeschbacher’s talk show. This time not on television but life on stage at the Kulturhaus Haebse in Basel. It’s been – once again – a special honor and precious life experience, whilst at the same time also an opportunity […]

  • Come see me on stage in Basel on April 16th

    On Sunday, April 16, 2023, come see me on stage in Basel, Switzerland. I will be one of four guests of Swiss talk show legend Kurt Aeschbacher. And he will surely have an amazing conversation with each of us. For 30 years, Kurt Aeschbacher had his own talk show on Swiss TV. Now he is […]

  • Traveling Aotearoa and Gazing Within

    Currently, I am traveling in Aotearoa, mesmerizingly beautiful New Zealand. On my own, in a camper van, catching up with friends, and attending a wedding along the way. I love this mix of meeting wonderful humans whilst at the same time being able to enjoy lots of quality alone-time…

  • Spring in Zurich

    Spring in Zurich is a festival of colours. A banquet of flowers. Green leaves begin sprouting everywhere in a myriad of hues. The air feels lighter all of a sudden. Warm and fluid. Caressing your skin. Growth is everywhere. In the earth, the trees, the lakes, the rain, the skies… Every living thing around you […]

  • Traveling in Norway for the First Time

    During the last few months, I didn’t get out much except for short walks around the neighbourhood. Work was intense, and the weather was just too grey and wet for me to want to go on big excursions. However, as soon as spring kicked off here and the days got longer, warmer, drier, and sunnier, […]

  • Suspended in Time

    I’m on vacation! 2 1/2 weeks off work. Thankfully, as of this moment it still feels as if I’m suspended in time. I have all the time in the world. In fact, this is my first vacation since beginning of 2019 that is without stress and anxiety. A vacation without existential angst… even though I’m […]

  • Sunrise and Sunset

    Another mountain lake and the, in this case, lucky occurrence of being woken up early by a busy road and construction site right next to where I had bunked for the night. Lake Lucerne was majestic just after sunrise. Crisp, cold air which demanded several layers of clothing. But each breath was invigorating. And nature’s […]

  • What a Year

    It was.What a year… found myself completely homeless, unemployed, and penniless for the first time in my life. Embarked on the Oasis of the Seas in the Caribbean to manage one of the most beautiful aqua theatres in the world. Called my first high-risk acrobatics show. Went to Germany to help my dad during the […]

  • My Book Paralian is Still Available as eBook – Only Few Print Copies Left

    It’s been a long long time since I have posted about Paralian. With Covid, and things that happened in the year before Covid, I have been so absorbed, and left to fend for my survival, I could not really (and still can’t) keep up-to-date with all social media channels. I also realize, I want to […]

  • An Unobstructed View

    Today marks 7 weeks in Montpellier. Time flies here. It’s gotten quite cold now, even for these Southern climes. Thus, I’m glad not to have to sleep in my tent at the moment. Yesterday, I had to move though. Because I changed my mind to stay longer, the other little rooftop apartment wasn’t available any […]

  • Weekend Wanderings and Wonderings

    The streets were immensely busy last night as all of Montpellier seemed to have decided to enjoy one more lovely and long night out before entering into yet another lockdown. I keep being astounded by the atmosphere in this town. The relaxedness, the joie de vivre, the golden sun, the dramatic clouds… As I wander, […]

  • As For The Future…

    I’ve been sitting in this garden behind our school a lot during breaks these last few days, enjoying the last few rays of warm summer sun. Just in time, too. The skies are still blue, but temperatures have plummeted from 25 degress to 10 degrees this morning. Brrrr… The last 2 days were also decision […]

  • Learning From Each Other

    We hiked through a forest of vocabulary and grammar again at the Alliance Francaise in Montpellier. I was exhausted after. It’s only a few hours each morning, but my brain needs to get used again to studying… and to actually retaining information. Besides learning and opening my mind, I do enjoy collaborating with my classmates. […]

  • Reflections And Not So Peaceful Doves

    I didn’t sleep much in the hotel last night, but it was peaceful lying awake in the dark, watching the lightning through the skylight in my room. Waking up, I took it easy, had a real coffee, and read a book. A few hours later, I went outside, had another coffee, and attempted to have […]

  • Milky Way

    After camping for a few days, we’ve now stopped for a couple days in the beautiful city of Biel. Yesterday was a lovely day of spoiling myself. I took a long, hot bath while listening to Cinemix, had a picnic dinner from Migros (awesome Swiss supermarket!), and went to the pharmacy to get some advice […]

  • More Sure Than Ever

    Whilst on the trail and enjoying each moment as best I can, I still think a lot about what will be. What will the future bring? Will I ever find a job as a stage manager again? So far, I have mostly big show and circus experience. Will circus be reborn? I miss my work […]

  • Step4Circus

    My buddy Dave and I keep on walking along the Swiss jura crest trail. One of the best experiences of our lives, albeit intensely exhausting.       

  • On The Trans Swiss Trail

    I just realized, I haven’t really explained where I’m walking at the moment. I’m on the Trans Swiss Trail which I will follow all the way to its end in Nyon. Then head on towards Geneva and the French border… and then crossing into France and onwards through the Vercours region and through the South […]

  • Beautiful Vistas

    Wonderful vistas on the Trans Swiss Trail yesterday. I did just 15 km due to blisters and feet and shoulders hurting quite a bit. Growing pains so to speak :). I’m hopeful that one week from now I’ll already be a bit fitter and in less pain. Yay, can’t wait!       

  • A Discounting Mechanism

    Have any of you seen ‘Where’d You Go Bernadette’? I’ve wanted to watch it for a long time and finally got around to it last night. The intro really hit me , which is why I want to share it here with you: “Have you ever heard that the brain is like a discounting mechanism? […]

  • A new decade, a new year

    Here we are. A new decade, a new year…  I am finding myself surrounded by the deep blue sea once more. Amazing how life keeps bringing me back to be either on, at, in, or under water. Ultimately, it is where my soul feels the most at home.  2019 was the worst year of my […]

  • Nanala

    Last week, a friend of mine introduced me to a refugee from Pakistan (to protect her privacy, let’s call her Nanala). We had an unforgettable dinner together. From the first moment onwards, Nanala struck me as a self-confident, warm-hearted woman. After a while she began sharing parts of her life journey. Eleven years ago, soldiers […]

  • A Brief History of Cirque du Soleil

    If you are interested in stories about theatre shows and the arts, then this might be something for you: I regularly write articles about life in the entertainment arts here on TheatreArtLife. My latest contribution is perfect for you if you feel like diving headlong into a bit of entertainment history… more specifically: A Brief History […]

  • The Jailbreak of Mouse

    The basement was as far away as the darkest corner of the universe. It was a world of nightmares, of prisoners, and hidden dangers. Little five-year old Sam had to take the elevator all the way from the eleventh floor to the second basement level. During the long ride down, he held on to the […]

  • I Am Liam

    Ever since writing this blog, I’ve noticed how I lose followers when, for a while, I don’t specifically write about being transgender. I guess some people are hoping for specific insights into a trans existence. But what is a trans existence? The truth is – and I can’t stress this often enough – we are […]

  • When Kung Fu Leads to Coffee

    Hon Kee Café – A Hidden Gem in Macau’s Coloane Village Walk towards the ferry pier in Coloane Village, then turn right, and trek over the hill until you see a row of eerie, abandoned shipyards on your left. Keep walking until you reach a jumble of colorful, corrugated iron houses. This is Lai Chi […]

  • I Often Fondly Remember…

    I often fondly remember working as a diving instructor in the Maldives. Four years of living and working on a small island with individuals from all corners of the globe, in closest quarters, with hardly any privacy. Teaching students who are sometimes terrified of the element they are about to enter. Learning a whole new […]

  • Cultural Deer

    In 2013, I was able to spend a couple months at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada. I’ll never forget my time there. On my daily walk up the mountain from home to the theatre, the cold, fresh air did not only clear my lungs but also my mind. Each time I stepped outside through […]

  • Am Writing

    What better to do during an unexpected break between jobs than to catch up on some writing… (under the strict supervision of my cats, naturally).       

  • Simple Pleasures

    As I get older, I remind myself to not forget the simple pleasures which made my heart beat faster when I was a kid. Sweet, sticky ice cream dissolving on my tongue and brain freeze on a hot summer’s day… Sitting in the shade of a tree, day dreaming and escaping the sizzling afternoon heat… […]

  • Through These Doors

    It’s been just three days since I last went through stage door at the Studio City arena in Macau. And I miss being backstage already. Eleven months ago, our show moved into this performance space. Walking into the arena now, you’ll never even know we were there. Yet the time in between was filled with […]

  • First Presentation in Hong Kong

    A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by UBS Hong Kong to give a presentation about my life journey. It was my first ever speaking engagement in Hong Kong. The audience was wonderful. Curious, openminded, and not shy to bombard me with questions after the talk. Standing in the conference room on the 56th […]

  • The Road Ahead

    It’s been a while since the publication of my first book Paralian. From the very first word I typed into my laptop in October 2013, to the publication of Paralian in May 2016, it was an amazing experience. I felt whole. Driven. For the first time in my life, I did something that felt entirely […]

  • At Hong Kong University

    On 16th of November, I experienced a different kind of speaking engagement. A friend of mine invited me to be a guest lecturer during one of her classes at Hong Kong university. I was delighted to have the privilege to listen to her presentation on cross cultural communication in the event industry. Then even more […]

  • The Power of Music

    Ever since watching Bohemian Rhapsody the other week, I’ve been thinking about the power of music. Music has such a fundamental emotional impact on all of us. It brings people together. It touches us deeply, it reawakens memories, it energizes our very souls. In a stadium and concert hall, music briefly unites everyone present in […]

  • Ready for Round Two!

    After three months in Macau, we just moved and – it’s almost too good to comprehend – are right back in the apartment where I used to live. Amazingly, when we moved in, even my old desk was still here!!! This is the view from said desk… on which I already wrote so many papers, […]

  • Lost in Space

    I love good storytelling – be it poetry, fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, movies, TV series, visual arts, or any other type of creative expression. For the most part, stories engage me when they are about being human, about compassion and about overcoming our shortcomings and challenges. The other month, I watched the (rather kitschy) new […]

  • Time Traveling

    Just spent an inspiring and heart-warming weekend visiting relatives. In between vivid conversations and laughter, I also took some moments to time-travel through their extensive family photo library. It was wonderful to dive into old family history as far back as 1908. To visually follow the path of my grandma, see how she lived her […]

  • Liam Klenk on Aeschbacher, Apr 15th 2018

    Here is a bit of exciting news: I’ve been invited to the ‘Aeschbacher’ talk show on Swiss TV! For all of you who want to watch the show, tune in on SRF 1 at 22:10 on Sunday, the 15th of April, 2018. The show will be in Swiss German, but hey, it might be worth […]

  • Into The Unknown

    Change is life. And, for me, the thought of heading into the unknown is invigorating. I am ready to dive in once more, leave this safe harbor, to simply trust and see where life will lead me. While selling and giving away our belongings, I am amazed yet again by how little I truly need […]

  • Windows Wide Open

    It is spring! Finally!!! Now that the sun is back, birds are singing, and trees are blooming, I feel energized to the point of dancing down the street. I’d do cart wheels as well but am being held back by reason. No matter how bright the day, I’d still end up breaking my neck. The […]

  • Remembering ‘LGBT Talents’ in Paris

    A couple of weeks ago, I took part in the annual ‘LGBT Talents’ event in Paris. I was deeply honored to have been invited as one of the panel speakers for one of half a dozen inspirational workshops on offer that day. I love speaking at this kind of event. It makes me happy to […]

  • Seeing More Clearly

    From 2005 to 2009, I divided my time between serving customers at the dive center and guiding them in the Big Blue. Being back in central Europe at the moment, I know more than ever that life is infinitely better the more ocean I have around me. Things shift back into perspective. And I am […]

  • Presentation at Zurich Insurance Group

    Yesterday, I was invited by the Zurich Insurance Group to give a presentation on diversity, inclusion, and transgender, combined with reading from my book Paralian. There are no quick fixes, no recipes, no instruction manuals. But I do believe there is nothing more valuable than personal experience. So that’s what I gave, as always striving […]

  • In a Land of Dreams…

    Anyone else know this feeling: many times, in the middle of the night, I wake up able to remember complex dreams that feel like thrillers or epic tales of adventure. Then, during the one minute during which I surface from my dream universe, I think, “Wow, this is awesome. I need to make notes immediately!” […]

  • Through the Looking Glass

    Here is one of the articles I wrote for TheatreArtLife so far. It is about discovering the magic backstage and re-claiming my muchness. If you like this one also check out the other four articles from my contributor page. I am looking forward to writing more for this exciting new platform over the next few […]

  • TheatreArtLife has launched!

    TheatreArtLife has launched! Amongst many other interesting subjects to browse through, you’ll find an array of fabulous contributors sharing their personal stories and experiences. The link here will take you to my contributor page where you’ll already see 5 engaging short stories/articles about backstage life – with more to come Enjoy browsing the site!       

  • Writing for TheatreArtLife

    My first gala premiere in Zurich’s Cinema Corso was in 1993. After a while of working as an usher, I became the designated follow-spot operator for these events, wielding an ancient, uncooperative, and incredibly heavy follow-spot. Ever since then theatre has a special place in my heart. So, I am truly happy to be a […]

  • Wide Open Spaces and Faraway Places

    Looking out at the snowy and, admittedly, romantic winter scenery in Zurich, I find myself thinking of far away places. All my life I’ve dreamt of living abroad. I’ve dreamt of wide open spaces, of being closer to wild nature. Thankfully, I’ve been there in the past and hopefully will find chances to venture out […]

  • Looking for Adam!

    Hello, I’m looking for Adam. He wrote me a beautiful message to my private Liam Klenk FB page about 2 weeks ago. He mentioned he’s from Denmark, currently living in London, and that he received my book Paralian as a gift. Adam: if and when you see this, please get in touch once more!! Or […]

  • Bedouin Brothers

    I’d never been to Egypt before and wasn’t quite sure what I’d find. One thing was sure though: after thirteen months of working full time while at the same time publishing my book ‘Paralian’ I was more than ready for a bit of adventure as well as relaxation. Arriving at Lahami Bay resort three weeks […]

  • Heading into Cerulean Blue

    A long-awaited vacation is coming up… this exhausted author urgently needs two weeks of sunshine and ocean! But before I head out, I wanted to extend a BIG THANK YOU to all of you. These past 10 days, you’ve all helped so much to push my Bored Panda story. Because of your support, your multiple […]

  • Help Me Reach The Front Page!

    Look at what Bored Panda just sent me, dear friends and supporters!!! Can we try together and create one more large wave of shares of this link please? Please take a minute to go there, SHARE on your social media pages, and click the “UP-VOTE” arrow! We’re only a couple thousand k views and a […]

  • You’re Not Alone!

    At the moment I am sharing this story on Bored Panda to reach as many people as possible – with your help. Can you please share this link, and also go on the page and give it an “up” vote? We got about 3’000k views so far and many good responses. I’ve received emails from people […]

  • Conquering those Mountains…

    “As a teenager, I started to feel like a dwindling army, spread over too many fronts. Slowly but surely, I spiraled into a deep depression. My parents were in no position to help me. Apart from me witnessing their arguments, their involvement in my daily life was minimal. They were too deeply entangled with their […]

  • Paralian – engaging, chatting, and listening to my readers

    A few weeks ago a fellow author and creator of a new pop-up-shop asked me why I like going to book festivals and signings and why personal contact to my readers means so much to me. I tried to give a short, condensed answer, and here it is, only 3 min long, on both YouTube […]

  • Reading bits from Paralian

    Reading bits from Paralian during yet another successful book presentation in Dusseldorf last Friday. A big thank you to BCG for giving me the opportunity! I love presenting and treasure direct contact to my readers. First London, then San Francisco, now Dusseldorf… next up is a keynote speech at a book meet in Southampton on […]

  • Close Encounters of the Ocean Kind

    Another small excerpt from Paralian… a once-in-a-lifetime moment… experiencing my first close encounter with a sea turtle in the Maldives: “The Green Sea Turtle rose slowly to the surface. I floated, staying completely still… Her head softly broke the surface only fifteen feet away from me. She took a deep breath, which sounded almost like […]

  • Liam Klenk on life and being transgender…

    Sharing a bit about the transgender part of my life journey on YouTube and Vimeo… What it felt like growing up in the wrong body and how a book helped me realize I was trans… How I risked it all to give myself a chance at life; the reactions of family, friends, and employers…  About […]

  • Paralian Interview in Gay Times Magazine

    An interview with me about my book ‪Paralian‬ and my life journey has just been published in the August issue of Gay Times magazine, page 124-127 🙂 ‪Big thanks to fabulous interviewer Nick Hoare!       

  • Thank you!

    Just want to share this great review with you that fellow author Daisy White wrote about ‪Paralian‬ the other day. Slowly but surely reviews are trickling in. I am humbled by some of them and immensely grateful for all of them. If you’ve finished reading the book already, it’ll be absolutely fantastic if you can leave a […]

  • Adoption

    “For years, I had puzzled over being the only dark-haired, darker-complexioned person in our family. My emotional make-up and character didn’t quite seem to fit with the rest of my family either. I had kept searching for similarities between my parents and me, as every child does, and had found none. But my mom Hildegard […]

  • Extraordinary Summer Reading!

    We are nearing 3‘000 followers on this page which is truly amazing. My heartfelt thanks to all of you for your dedicated interest and support!! It means A LOT 🙂 I’ll keep sharing anecdotes, memories, and thoughts with you and I’ll keep updating you on what’s happening in Paralian’s world. As a sunny summer “thank […]

  • The Boy Who Knew

    As a child I knew instinctively… trapped within this little girl’s body was a little boy… and that’s who he’d always be… “Each summer, I couldn’t wait to get back to the ocean. The sand dunes seemed to traverse the island like mountainous, slow-gliding golems. More than anything, I longed to reclaim my freedom. As […]

  • Turbulent Seas

    Another short excerpt for you from Paralian. I was only days away from saying goodbye to my Indian Ocean home when a group of experienced divers and I were out on a full-day boat trip to a neighboring atoll. Then a storm hit us full force: “… We clambered back onboard, which was no small […]

  • Indian Ocean Mementos

    Just yesterday, I re-discovered this picture from 2008. It used to be posted on the staff board of the Maldivian dive center where I spent four profoundly inspiring years. Consequently, today, I am feeling even more nostalgic than usual about those turquoise years. Let me share another little tidbit from my book with you from […]

  • Unconditional Love

    This lovely, good-humoured correction to a child’s birth announcement years after the fact just made my day! In a perfect world I’d wish all human beings were capable of such unconditional love and acceptance… thanks so much to the wonderful parents for their open and genuine gesture!       

  • Can I Do Something?

    Caught a flu in the middle of summer. I am now in a near-zombie state on my couch and – dare I admit it – googling myself 😉 To my astonishment I found 2 (!) newspapers in Nigeria who picked up last week’s Mirror article about the transgender part of my life story. It makes me […]

  • Top 100 and featured in Nigeria Today!

    It’s only noon here and it’s already been a great day! Early this morning, I was quite stunned to find myself featured in yet another online newspaper: Nigeria Today picked up yesterday’s Mirror article. I’m honored and still a bit speechless! Hello Africa!!! Only a few hours later I was delighted to discover that ‘Paralian: […]

  • An article about the transgender part of my life journey…

    Rosie Hopegood, journalist with the Sunday Mirror, and I had a 2-hour chat a few weeks ago under the twinkling London Eye. Today the result of our spirited, genuine conversation has been published: an article about the transgender part of my life journey. As a good friend of mine pointed out “Rosie’s article portrays someone […]

  • If you want to give yourself a chance…

    … at happiness, there is really only one option… We’ve come so far. At least we like to think so on most days. But then, members of the LGBT community are questioned on how they feel about society and about living openly as who they are. The answers are nothing short of stunning (and terrifying). […]

  • Home Within

    This was 1995, roughly a year before my gender reassignment surgeries. My clothes couldn’t be baggy enough and my coats couldn’t be long enough so as to hide my traitorous body. Alien female curves and boobs as big as gene-manipulated water melons disappeared behind these thick layers of tent-like clothing. By covering what shouldn’t be […]

  • Presenting in San Francisco

    Arriving in San Francisco today after 11 years of absence was surprisingly like stepping into a pair of well worn, comfortable shoes. All senses were flooded with familiar yet deliciously foreign sensations. I inhaled the city scents, basked in the Californian evening sun and headed straight into a strong Pacific evening breeze during a brief […]

  • My Awesome Interview with Radio FUBAR

    This was a wonderful interview. Greatest, charming host, lively conversation… 30 powerful minutes you won’t regret listening to! Fubar radio interview (Episode 29) – Access All Areas – Lizzie Cundy in conversation with author Liam Klenk  On the website, scroll down to ‘previous episodes’. Select Episode 29. The interview with me begins at -31min and […]

  • In Conversation: Liam Klenk  

    Diversity, change, and fluidity are a gift, a privilege, not a threat. Susan Platt talks identity and borders with author Liam Klenk. Source: In Conversation: Liam Klenk         

  • This Week’s Eclectic Media Buffet

    What an eclectic mix on my interview menu in London this week! On Tuesday, I had a lovely chat with Rosie Hopgood from the Sunday Mirror. We met at the London Aquarium, enchanted by the many sharks and stingrays circling us lazily while we talked. Wednesday morning started out with a pre-recording for the “Global […]

  • Underneath the Wings of Stingrays

    Having a fresh mint tea – a well deserved treat after heroically queuing for an hour in the rain to get tickets for the London aquarium. In a little while I’ll head over there for the next treat: a chat with a journalist about Paralian underneath the gently undulating wings of stingrays…       

  • Paralian: Not Just Transgender – Book Release Week – Author Interview Opportunities

    BOOK LAUNCH RELEASE WEEK Paralian: Not just transgender By Liam Klenk Author interview opportunities: Liam Klenk is currently flying into London from Zurich and will be in the UK as part of his book launch press tour and available for face-to-face, telephone and in-studio interviews this week (30th May to 3rd June).… Read full press […]

  • Syndicated Interview With Liam Klenk

    Author of Paralian: Not Just Transgender (Memoir, Paperback, 28th May 2016) When did you first sit down to write your memoir? In my head I’ve been writing for more than 10 years. Resting in bed, on public transportation, whenever I had a minute to reflect I’d catch myself writing paragraphs for my book. I actually sat […]

  • Ch-Ch-Changes

    I’ve always been a big fan of CSI Las Vegas (well mostly the “Gil Grissom era”). I love the humanity, the thoughtfulness, and careful development of characters. The gentle fallibility, the dry yet always respectful and kind humor and, more than anything, I adore the always non-judgmental approach no matter which little corner of human […]

  • 3 more days to launch!!!

    Only 3 more days to launch!!! And yes, I do feel as pumped and ready for adventure as I did all those years ago when I created castles and sand cakes in my little sandbox. As if the book odyssey isn’t exciting enough yet, something fantastic happened two days ago: A Book Awards Committee from […]

  • Only 7 More Days

    Hellooo, good morning, and a resounding whoop from the geographical center of Europe! Only 7 more days until the official launch of Paralian. Just sayin’ 😀       

  • A Captivating, Powerful Story

    “This is a fascinating and inspiring memoir from a man who has faced life head on and lived it to the full. Liam Klenk was adopted, had an unconventional childhood and as he became an adult, his differences made him search for answers. Klenk describes himself as being born into a female body, yet this […]

  • Countdown and Another Excerpt…

    In exactly 14 more days Paralian will be launching! Nothing earth-shattering will happen when it does… Our planet won’t stop spinning. The sun will rise and set just like on any other day. I won’t get a phone call from Robert Redford or Ang Lee that they’d love to turn my book into a movie. […]

  • Never Just Transgender

    Liam Klenk, author of Paralian: Not just transgender, examines the public’s view of transgender people in the wake of the toilet debate in America… (Thanks to Vada Magazine!)  ‘I was Liam, and something inside my soul knew with absolute certainty he was who I had been all my life. More than ever, I was confident to […]

  • Immersed

    “I finally reached the shore, out of breath and delighted, longing for more and feeling intensely alive. I had glimpsed boundless strength and passion within myself. For just an instant out there, in the arms of the Atlantic Ocean, I had felt beautiful.” (Excerpt from Paralian, Chapter 7) I remember seeing the ocean for the […]

  • A Maldivian Evening

    Here another little taste of Paralian, just for you… only 20 more days until official launch! “It was a glorious evening. Everyone was touched. Captain Ismail had whittled a beautiful scale-model dhoni for me, so I would never forget my life on the remodeled Maldivian fishing boats. Anecdotes were exchanged, most rather unfavorable of me […]

  • Paralian is Book of the Month

    Paralian has been chosen by Bookbag.co.uk as one of their books of the month! Amazing! I’m so honoured and, of course, immensely happy to see people are experiencing my book the way I hoped with all my heart they would. You can click on the link below, or here is what the Bookbag team wrote: […]

  • Paralian is just a click away…

    Thanks so much for all the beautiful messages I am receiving lately! More and more people are getting in touch, asking, “Where can I order Paralian?” Let me answer this question here for all of you who can’t wait to get your own copy and dive into the story. Paralian is available for pre-order in […]

  • Intensely Alive

    “Balanced on top of a pile of baggage, wind and dust whipping into our faces, we held on for dear life as our bus plummeted along rarely-traveled mountain roads and on through countless valleys. Never before had my ass had to endure such a continuous beating. Even low hanging branches and power lines became a […]

  • I am Liam

    “As for the lingering psychological femininity, the successful surgeries had strengthened my resolve even further to embrace the person I had started out being. I would integrate my female side into the male adult I was becoming. I was Liam, and something inside my soul knew with absolute certainty he was who I had been […]

  • Great 1st Reading

    Last week in London… I had the best audience I could wish for. Thanks so much to the Boston Consulting Group team for the warm welcome and genuine support! If this is how every book presentation will be then I want to give a whole flood of them 🙂       

  • First Reader Comments and The Bookbag Review

    Like a magic literary carpet, Paralian has traveled around the world and found its first one hundred readers. So far I am being showered with positive feedback. Many say, “I’m staying up ’till 2am each day ever since I started reading. Just can’t put it down.” (which really is the best compliment a writer could […]

  • London and Hogwarts

    When my wife and I arrived in London one week ago, we hit the ground running. As soon as we touched down, we sprinted to the studios of Talk Radio London for my first radio interview ever. I was all nerves but adapted quickly. We then spent a lovely weekend with old friends, exploring corners […]

  • A Brief Visit

    I did briefly stop by at this year’s London Book Fair. Just as last year though, it was rather disheartening. How paradoxical to feel more unwanted as an author here in this haven of books than anywhere else on the planet… Nevertheless, as a passionate book lover it felt great to be there for just […]

  • My Interview on The Arts Show, Radio BBC Ulster

    Yesterday I had the honour to become an active part of the respected BBC Radio Ulster Arts Show. Marie-Louise Muir and I had an inspiring, in-depth chat. Her questions were informed, smart, compassionate, and to the point. It was a real pleasure and I’m delighted to be able to share the link to the interview […]

  • Interview with Yasmeen Khan, Talk Radio London

    A friend of mine – in Berlin no less – alerted me to the link through which you can re-visit the radio interview I gave on Friday for Talk Radio London. Just click on 18:00-18:30, then fast-forward a little. A few minutes in you’ll find me talking to Yasmeen Khan. Turn up the volume. I […]

  • My 1st Radio Interview Tonight!

    Heading to London for an adventurous week of interviews, book promos, and – of course – the London Book Fair. TONIGHT, I’ve got my very first radio interview (ever) with Talk Radio London! Tune in from 6pm (BST – British Summer Time) to hear me discussing Paralian on “Drive Time” with Yasmeen Khan while hopefully […]

  • A Lesson From Mr. Bojangles

    A little taste from Chapter 7, ‘Atlantic Ocean’: As I turned with Cinnebar to walk her out of the paddock, Mr. Bojangles closed the distance between us in a few powerful strides. Shocked, I turned towards him. He reared up and kicked me in the stomach with the full force of both his hind legs. […]