A Facebook memory reminded me today that I don’t advertise my second novel, Haunting from the Past, nearly as much as I do my first one, Remember Me, and I honestly don’t know why that is. I was told by a few reviewers, however, that the sequel might even be better than the first one. I call this one my book of closures.
The first one was my heart and soul poured unto paper, but this one … this one wraps everything up; it not only gives closure to Selma’s story, but it also concludes stories of other characters that were introduced in the first novel–whom we grew to love and respect, or be disappointed by–but were left alone so abruptly because of chaos that was going on in Selma’s life. You will find out what happened to Helena’s step-children, to Dana, Damir, grandma Andja, etc. See how their lives were changed by the war in the early 1990’s.
I am very proud to say that Haunting from the Past will be out in audio soon too and, as I’m slowly receiving first chapters of the narrations for approval, I can’t contain my excitement for it sounds more incredible than I imagined it would and so, I will share a short prologue here with you. Hopefully it’ll excite you as much as it did me. It’s a rough draft, but it still sounds amazing.
The talented Lindsay Carrillo is narrating.
Here is what one of the reviewers had to say after listening to her narration of Remember Me: “The narrator, Lindsay Carrillo, does an excellent job of guiding the listener through Selma’s story. Her calm, yet reflective style leaves room for the listener to travel along with Selma through her very emotional journey.”
Haunting from the Past sample:
As I had mentioned earlier, it was a Facebook memory that reminded me of how excited I was to hold the first copy of this book sent to me by my (then) publisher for approval. The comments from all of you made it even more special for me. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement throughout the years.
What inspired Haunting from the Past, Sequel to Remember Me:
One day when I was visiting my home town Prijedor in Bosnia, about twenty years or so after I was forced out, an old friend of my father’s, a Serb soldier, came to visit. He desperately wanted to stopover and talk with my father. I found this odd because back in ’92 he joined the Serb Army and was sent to war zones all over Bosnia and Croatia. Before the war, this man was a teacher in one of the high schools in Prijedor.
He sat down, and over coffee, little by little, he told us his own memories of war. I was stunned at his honesty. He felt so guilty about everything that had happened, but according to him, he had no choice but to enlist in the army. It was either that or death. His nightmare had started one day in 1992 when the head of his unit had ordered him to kill one of his old students—a Bosniak. It was incomprehensible to him. He tried everything to get out of it, but in the end, he had to do it.
He said that he’d tried so hard to get out of the army—faking mental illness, anything to get out—but nothing worked. And now, two decades later, he’s forced to live with his nightmares.
His confessions shook me so much. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat. I was literally sick the whole month I was there. I’m still not sure why he wanted to confess to us, my parents and me, but it gave me an idea to write this book. Since I believe that I survived the horrors of the war so that I could give those who lost their voice a chance to tell their stories, I thought, why not compile all those memories and put them into an easy to read and understand novel. Maybe some day our children’s children will read a story about Bosnia and how it was destroyed. Perhaps they will be the ones to finally understand and get the answer to a question I’ve been searching for for the past two decades: Why?
A Voice for the Voiceless – Deep and Honest; a Five Star Book Review by Author Gregory S. Lamb
I truly believe that I survived for one reason and one reason only: to tell our story, to give a voice to those who don’t have it anymore. I was there as a witness. As a survivor, I have an obligation. I have to talk about what happened in Prijedor, Bosnia, back in 1992, no matter the cost.
My biggest goal is finally fulfilled and I can now breathe the air of freedom with a clear conscience—I didn’t forget…
I know that as long as my books are out there—and books are forever—what happened in Prijedor in 1992 is not going to be forgotten, and to me, that fact, is the biggest accomplishment of my life.
“Sanela is a powerful speaker, with the ability to mesmerize her audience with every word she says as she relays her horrific personal struggles during the Bosnian War. In addition, her ability to take the true life stories of the people she knew, and incorporate them into a love story, is amazing. I highly recommend this outstanding author to present to any student or community group, and I encourage anyone needing to know that something good can come from something horrible to read her book Remember Me. You will not be disappointed!” – Judy Kingsbury, Executive Assistant to the President Rochester Community and Technical College