A Slice of Cake With... Miriam Drori

This week I had a slice of cake with author Miriam Drori.

When Miriam says she loves to perform, people don’t believe her. When she says she’s not shy, they think she’s delusional. The fact is, things ain’t what they seem. A witch called social anxiety took away her ability to be spontaneous, but it didn’t change her exhibitionist nature. You need to watch her dancing or speaking before an audience to understand that.

Fortunately, she has found an outlet for her thoughts in writing, a solitary activity with multiple recipients. She never doubted her ability to write, but only in recent years has she managed to gather her views and observations together into papier-mâché balls worth throwing far and wide.

If you ignore the witch, life has been good to Miriam, especially since she made the decision to move from the UK to Israel. She has a wonderful husband, three lovely children and a delightful house. She loves to read, travel, hike and dance. She has worked in computer programming and technical writing, and now enjoys the freedom and versatility of creative writing. And she believes passionately in raising awareness of social anxiety.

What kind of books do you write?

I’ve written several types of books. The first is a story of two people from different backgrounds who fall in love, but that’s undergoing revision and currently unavailable. The second is historical and also unavailable. The third (am I allowed to say it’s non-fiction?) explains social anxiety from multiple viewpoints. The fourth explores the life of a guy with social anxiety who is sent to represent his company in Japan. The fifth is a murder mystery set in Jerusalem. The next will be another murder mystery.

I also write short stories of various types. They generally include humour and range from light to dark.

Can you describe your writing why?

It was social anxiety and my growing passion to raise awareness that motivated me to begin writing. What pushes me to write every day is the joy of doing this thing I know I’m good at. It’s the wonderful people I’ve met through being a writer. And it’s the way writing teaches me who I am.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

No, you’re not going to catch me out here! My books are the babies I nurtured and let out into the world. I enjoyed writing them all, equally. Here’s a section from the latest one, Style and the Solitary. In fact, it’s the opening paragraph.

Asaf Levitt pushed a hand into the almost-arctic atmosphere outside the bed and killed the music, dead. Instantly, he was up, throwing off the bedclothes and racing to complete the morning chores in record time. Washing, shaving, dressing, breakfast of cornflakes with milk, toast and cheese, apple juice. No need for a hot drink; that could wait for a break at the office. Bed-stripping and -folding to turn the bed into a sofa, washing up, because a tidy flat would welcome him back with open arms; a messy one would depress him, like a relationship gone sour – not that he knew anything about relationships. 

Tell us about your latest project

I’m plotting another murder! This one involves some of the characters from Style and the Solitary as well as some new ones. It’s also based in Jerusalem but will involve travelling to new parts of the city as well as to other towns. While the murder in Style and the Solitary takes place in an office, this one is closer to home.

What is your favourite cake?

I have several favourites, but I’m going for the cheesecake that I make at least once a year. It’s the tradition to eat a lot of cheese during the harvest festival of Shavuot (Pentecost).

Miriam can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram and elsewhere.

Amazon page: Author.to/MiriamDroriAtAmazon.

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Lizzie Chantree. 

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Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.