.
Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Arabesque organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.
Author M G da Moto will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!
And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
.
Arabesque
By M G da Moto
Genre: Historical Psychological Drama
Synopsis
A woman living alone in a coastal Sussex town in 1998 plants a copper beech sapling at 3 a.m. on a dark, cold night. Why?
A ballet dancer in 1960s East Germany is oppressed, longs for escaping with his little daughter but not his wife. Why? Will he make it?
In 2022 Karsten von Stein, widower and principal of the Royal Ballet, with two young children, meets Ivone Benjamim, a Portuguese, newly-arrived principal dancer. They discover a magical chemistry when dancing and soon it transfers to their private lives.
Against the background of ballet and its dancers, a woman called Grace tells her story from a rehab centre. Obsessive, delusional she begins believing Ivone robbed her of the man of her dreams—Karsten. And then a skeleton is found in a garden…What connects all these people and their stories?
You’ll be the audience facing the stage of this balletic novel.
~~~~~
Enjoy this peek inside:
Prologue
Southeast England, late November 1998
She looks out of the window. Dark night. Black but clear. Twinkling dots punctuate the raven velvet of the sky. Stars shimmer cold and icy. Their light slightly wavering. She knows it is the Earth’s atmosphere. But that’s neither here nor there. It doesn’t matter a jot. Not at this moment anyway.
Darkness is the important thing. No moon. New moon. Why do people refer to a new moon when there is no moon or when one cannot see the moon from our revolving, ever turning blue dot? The moon is still up there in the sky. It’s just that at some point during its orbit its farther side from us is facing the sun. So the side facing us is dark and we can’t see it. As simple as that.
Tonight is new moon. An ideal night. She opens the window quietly and glances at the houses to her right first, then to her left. Like hers they are all immersed in silent darkness. People sleep. She looks at the luminous hands of her alarm clock on the side table. The shorter hand points at the number three, or close to it, and the long hand at somewhere between ten and fifteen. Probably around 3:12 in the morning. Her house stands almost but not quite alone on top of the hill. To her right, looking from her bedroom window that faces the back garden, there are two houses. The one closest to hers is empty.
~~~~~
About Author M G da Moto:
.
M G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.
Website / Facebook / LinkedIn / Instagram
~~~~~
~~~~~
Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
To see all of my giveaways go HERE.
I like the dance aspect.
Hello Mary, I’m M G da Mota, the author of ARABESQUE. I love ballet and with this book I wanted to pay a tribute to the art. Thank you for having a look.
Question for Author– What are some of your favorite books to read?
Hello Laura, I’m M G da Mota, the author of ARABESQUE. Thank you so much for featuring my book.
Thank you so much for featuring ARABESQUE today.
I like the cover art. Looks great. Sounds like an intriguing story.
As the author, I hope that the story is intriguing. I tried to make it that way. I think the cover art tries to show that. It was created by two different people. The images are from one person and the composition/design from another.
Sounds like a book I will enjoy.
Great, as the author I’m glad to hear it.
I love the sound of this one so much and will be adding this one to my reading line up 😉 I cannot get enough of books!
As the author that is really great to hear.
Historical Psychological Drama – this genre makes for a most interesting read!
Thank you for sharing the excerpt.
As the author, I hope yes that it is interesting and enjoyable.
This looks like a very good book and I look forward to reading it.
The book sounds very intriguing. I love the cover. Very effective.
Hi Piroska, I’m M G da Mota, author of Arabesque. I’m glad you think the book sounds intriguing and I hope it really is. As for the cover, I will pass your comment to the photographer and the designer, as I’m sure they will be happy to know you found it very effective. Thank you.
This should be a very interesting novel. Thanks for sharing.
A captivating, and unique novel that would be greatly enjoyed.
Thank you, Anne. If you decide to read it and as the author, I hope you will maintain the same opinion at the end of it. Thank you.
This book sounds very interesting.
Thank you. As the author, I hope it really is.
Sounds like a great read. Love the cover art. Thanks for sharing.
Personally I think it’s a great read but I’m the author so I’m bias. I think the cover is brilliant and that is thanks to the talent of the photographer who did the images and the cover designer and designed it.
Sounds like a good read.
Thank you. Being the author, I hope so.
Hope the book does great!
Thank you for the good wishes. It’s a very nice thing to say and as the author I appreciate it.
this sounds like a great book to read
Thank you. As the author, I really hope it is.
Does writing energize you or exhaust you?
Hello Barbara, writing usually energises me though on occasions it can also be exhausting because sometimes I get so much into it I forget to eat and I sit for hours typing at my laptop, then at the end of the day I realise how tired I am. My fault of course. Writing for me can also help get over bereavement or a traumatic event. It’s my way of coping and of feeling strong again. Thank you for asking me a question.
What terrifies you?
Hello, David, thanks for asking a question. Boredom and war terrify me. Boredom because if I get bored it means I must have lost my love of life and my creative streak. War for the obvious reasons. It’s stupid, horrible, people get horrendous injuries and die unnecessarily. Life is too short. I think we should enjoy it while we can without forcibly shortening it with something like a war.
Do you have a hobby besides writing?
Reading, classical music, travelling which I do often, ballet and opera. Not sure I can call it hobbies but they’re certainly activities I love doing, which make me both happy and relaxed. Thank you for your question.
Thanks for sharing. That’s quite the list of hobbies, I don’t know when you find time to write.
this sounds like a very interesting book to read
Very interesting premise.
Dogs or cats?
Sounds interesting, I love ballet!
sounds pretty interesting, the excerpt is nice
Did you ever write a book that made you cry?
Yes. My novel STARS MAINTAIN THEIR GLOW made me cry perhaps because the sources of the story were very close to my heart.
Cats. Definitely cats.
Yes. My novel STARS MAINTAIN THEIR GLOW made me cry, perhaps because the sources of the story and the inspiration were very close to my heart.
Just saying Hello.
insteresting designed cover
Yes I think so too. It’s good to hear.
I love ballet too, which is why I wrote it.
The same I was given many years ago by a literature professor at Uni who was also a writer: “Write about what you know and love. If it comes from the heart, it feels authentic and always brings joy.”
I have written and published 9 novels (one is a trilogy). Additionally I have written another 4 novels that I never published, plus a few short stories and hundreds of poems, again never published.
I’ve been writing for many, many years. I started as a young teenager writing adventure stories for my little brother. And I carried on throughout Uni and all my different jobs. Now I write full time. In total I’ve been writing for thirty years or so.
What advice do you have for writers?
How many books have you written?
how long have you been writing
At what age did you start writing?
I started writing as a child. I was about 10 or 11 years old.
I’m glad you enjoyed looking inside ARABESQUE. If you decide to read it, do let me know your opinion. Thank you.
The best advice was: “Write about what you know and love.”
I enjoyed he peek inside for Arabesque. Thank you for the giveaway!
What’s the best advice you received as a writer?
How do you develop a character?
When a character comes into my mind, I write down his or her name. Then I make a family tree, give it background and history, sketch the main personality features, good and bad, and finally add physical appearance. Sometimes I go back to these kind of notes and stick to them; other times the character appears to take a life of its own and it turns out completely different from what I had initially decided.
I am very lucky. I have so far never suffered from writers block.
Whenever the mood strikes.
do you ever get writers block
Do you do your writing at a certain time of the day, or whenever the mood strikes?
Who’s your favorite literary character?
Do you have a favorite author?
I like many different authors and not one in particular but if I’d have to list a few favourites I’d go for Cay Rademacher, P D James, Jane Austen, Kate Morton, Claire Winter, Marie Benedict, Sabine Weigand, Eça de Queiroz & Robert Harris.
This is a difficult question, as I have many favourite literary characters. I will name three: Tatiana in the verse novel Onegin by Pushkin; Miss Marple by Agatha Christie & Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
was it hard designing the cover
Hi Wendy, no it wasn’t hard at all to design the cover. I’m lucky. My husband is a photographer and I work with a very talented graphic designer. So, all images in the cover and inside the book are his. The design and composition of the cover are from the graphic designer. I choose the photographs I think are good for the cover, send them to the designer and then she comes up with various concepts. We discuss together until I’m happy and approve one.
I decided on the title quickly. It had to be something related to ballet and the story. An arabesque has always been my favourite step/figure in classic ballet, so I came up with it almost from the start, as I thought it catchy, appropriate and attractive.
How long did it take to decide on the title for this book?
How many books have you written and do you have a favorite?
Hi Barbara, I’ve written and published 9 novels. I have two that I particularly like and are close to my heart: One is ARABESQUE, featured here and my latest one; the other is STARS MAINTAIN THEIR GLOW, which was published in 2023.
I forgot to say, should you like to know, one of the published novels is a trilogy, called THE TRIPTYCH, which of course means it’s formed of 3 books.
Will there be a “NEXT” book?
There will not be ARABESQUE 2 but there will be other books with different stories and characters. I’m currently working on one.
ARABESQUE took circa 18 to 20 months to complete, i.e. from starting to write it until it was ready to publish. The actual writing time was about 10 months but there is research, revisions and editing by myself and then with my editor until I’m happy it can be published.
I’m sorry. What I hope for is a private question and I’d like to keep it that way.
My ideal vacation is to travel where I haven’t yet been and learn about their cultural, history and see beautiful things.
how long did it take you to write this book
What do you hope for?
What is your ideal vacation?
Do you have a garden?
do you like hot weather or rainy weather
How many hours a day do you write?
What is your favorite food?
I hope you have a lovely weekend.
hope you have a nice weekend
Do you write on the weekends?
rainy day here today, loving the cooler weather
How’s the weather there?
What age were you when you first started writing?
Do you watch a lot of television?
How do you handle writer’s block?
where is your dream vacation
Good night.
Looks fabulous
How important are reviews?
Have a wonderful week.
have a great week of writing
Do you take vacations from writing?
How do you handle sadness?
Do you have any advice for new writers?
If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
What makes a great story?
Have you ever started writing something just to throw it out?
do you like to travel
The book sounds incredible!
It’s Tuesday. That is all.
How do you relax after a long day of writing?
Very interesting cover art.
are you a morning person or night owl
Do you like the rain?
What is your most prized book?
at what age did you start writing
Is this your first piece to be published?
I’m running out of things to post.
Do you have any standards for your writing?
Another weekend. Enjoy!
Were you mentored by another author?
how many books have yo written
How many movies do you see every year?
Do you ever take a vacation from writing?
What was your favorite creation?
Any plans for an audiobook version?
Have a fun weekend!
did you take college/university coarses for writing
If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
Do you write poetry?
Do you write in any other forms.
How did you decide on the cover for this book?
enjoy your sunday
Have a wonderful week.
Hope your week is good.
This sounds like a really really good book
hope you have a wonderful week
Have a good Monday!
Did you like English in school?
Happy Tuesday!
do you have any hobbies
Plans for a sequel?
Is it hard to think of names for your characters?
Have any of your books won awards?
Has writing always been your dream job?
Dance makes this interesting
this book sounds really good, will add to my tbr
Do you have a certain writing schedule?
What was your dream job growing up?
What was your biggest writing accomplishment?
The cover art is mesmerizing.
I hope you have a glorious Thursday!
do you travel a lot
I really like the premise of the book.
What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?
Describe your dream writer retreat.
Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?
What’s your favorite snack?
Where do you get your ideas for writing?
have you ever travelled to Canada?
How do you compress after a long day?
I so need a good read right now that can hook me and pull me in and this one sounds like the perfect fit! love books like this 🙂
Have you started on your next book yet?
any plans for august
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Which book was your inspiration?
Do you have any great plans for the week?
What is the biggest influence on your writing?
enjoy reading about the author, its interesting to see where they are from
Do you reward yourself with something special when finishing a book?
Do you get headaches often?
do you have writer friends
Happy Monday
Do you write in a certain room?
What was your favorite font?
do you need a quiet place to write
My mind is blank today-sorry! Have a good one!
I can’t find anything to say today.
Happy Hump Day
It’s very hot out today.
I can’t wait until Summer is over.
I would have a hard time putting this book down after starting to read it.
what type of book do you like to read, i love mysteries
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Did you write as a child?
This book sounds like a good end-of-summer read.
have a great weekend
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Do you have a profession beyond writing?
Have you ever started a book that you decided not to finish?
What are your hopes for the rest of the year?
Did you like school?
where did you grow up at?
Where do you do most of your writing?
How do you think of names for your characters?
What was your favorite books as a child?
How is your Sunday going?
What part of the book was the most fun to write?
is it hard writing the ending of a book
Do you like scary movies?
What is the best book you’ve ever read?
do you like mondays
What do you do to relax?
Have you given anyone any advice?
Did you have any writing education?
any advice for new writers
Love this genre & cover!
How do you feel about politics?
gotta love the cooler rainy days
So looking forward to reading this!
The weather is a little weird, isn’t it? I thought it will still be hot during August.
What place in the world would you like to visit?
summer sure is going fast
I can’t wait until Fall.
Love this vivid cover!
do you travel a lot?
What is your favorite movie?
How do you feel about this year?
Do you have a favorite book you’ve written?
whats your favorite thing to do on a rainy day
Have a stellar Saturday!
Hope your weekend is going good.
Great genre and cover!
where is the most exotic place you travelled to
I have no words right now.
What is your opinion of Rafflecopter shutting down?
It looks like it might rain today.
hope your Monday is going good
This year has been the worst. What do you think?
What was your favourite book as a child?
What genre would you rather write in?
how many books have you written
I still have nothing to say.
when did you start writing
What is your favorite type of music?
Do you like Stephen King?
What is the best trait your main character has?
do you have a favorite actor
Have a lovely Thursday!
Who is your favorite author besides Stephen King?
If you didn’t write, what would your dream job be?
Do you read a lot?
did you vacation anywhere this year
How was your Summer?
I am loving the sound of this one ad sounds like it might be the perfect fit for my next read. The sneak peek has me intrigued and cannot wait to dive in!
this summer went fast, beautiful Saturday here
How’s the weather in your area?
another beautiful sunny day here, sure feels like fall already
I can’t believe Fall is almost here.
Do you have any beta readers?
Would you like to write horror themed books? Why or why not?
Happy Monday!
back to school starts soon here
How do you feel about things?
What inspired you to write this book?
Did you jump into writing, or did you take your time?
What challenges did you face while writing this book?
hows the weather, here in Canada we are having a heat wave its been a weird summer
Has your family always approved of your writing?
What do you think we can do to decrease adult illiteracy?
any new books out soon?
Have a super Wednesday!
Have you written anything new?
Hello everyone!
any plans for Labor day weekend
If you could come back as a different person, who would it be?
What’s your biggest writing accomplishment?
do you have a quiet place to write
I’m trying to have more to say.
Which do you like better-the beach, or the mountains?
is there a type of book you enjoy reading
What would you say to an author who wanted to design their own cover?
Do you like the ocean or the land?
Do you have any special plans for Labor Day?
do you use the same designer for all your book covers
What holidays do you celebrate?
do you celebrate labor day
How much research did you need to do for your book?
How often do you write book?
I love the cover. Very interesting book. Good work
What is your favorite season?
was it hard finding a publisher
Do you have any writing rituals you do each day?
August went by quickly, didn’t it?
what career did you have before writing
Who inspires you?
what advice would you give a new writer
What has been your favorite job?
How did you come up with the title for your book?
What is your biggest pet peeve?
If you could go to on a writer’s retreat, where would you wanna go?
What is your next book gonna be about?
If you could live in any other state in the US, which would it be?
fall is definitely here weather is almost to freezing at night
If you could live in any other country instead of the U.S., which would you choose?
What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book?
are you a morning person or a night owl
What are your hobbies other than writing?
What is your favorite film comedy?
was there a person that inspired yu to write
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?
Do you plan for the upcoming week on Sunday?
What made you know writing was for you?
What do you think of books today?
Thank you again for the giveaway!
Do you play music while you write — and, if so, what’s your favorite?
do you base your characters from people you know
What is your favorite method of writing?
I think Arabesque sounds so fascinating and I really hope I’ll be able to read it at some point in the future!
do you have a favorite genre to read
how long did it take to write this book
do you enjoy gardening
What books do you enjoy reading?
What books did you grow up reading?
Do you want any of your books adapted into movies?
do you like sports
Do you prefer ebooks, printed books, or audiobooks most of the time?
seems fall is coming early this year
Did you read and enjoy The Long Walk yet?
Have you listened to any audiobooks? Which did you enjoy the most?
how many book tours have you been on
What is your favorite color?
How many books, on average, do you read in a year?
Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?
Do you believe in miracles?
colder weather has set in , almost down to freezing overnight
I’m looking forward to Fall. How about you?
Have you read A Course in Miracles?
This is a great read!
Love the cover.
any fall projects started
Would you want your book turned into a movie?
Would you want your books turned into movies?
Do you have any pets?
how many cover designs did you have to do before you chose this one
I love this dramatic cover!
Do you have a writing snack?
I’m not feeling good. How about you?
Looks captivating
what types of movies do you like
What was the first book you wrote?
Did you like math in high school?
Did you read a lot as a child?
Do you usually write in the same genre?
do you like the fall weather
This looks like a book I will really enjoy reading.
Do you feel anxious these days?
Love this genre and vivid cover!
do you enjoy dancing
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
how many book tours have you done
Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
it must take a lot of patience writing a book
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
so cold here today feels like it could snow
Who is your biggest inspiration?
What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
do any of your family write?
Do your characters remind you of anyone?
thanks again for the giveaway, best wishes with your book
What’s your feelings on AI?
What does literary success look like to you?