Loving Without Limits: Interview with Hans M Hirschi Author of Jonathan's Promise #giveaway @Hans

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Hans M Hirschi, author of Jonathan’s Promise

Hi Hans, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Not much to tell really. Like most of my colleagues I’ve always been writing, my first attempts at stories being as old as the day I could hold a pen. Corporate drone, manager, executive even. I wrote a couple of non-fiction titles that benefitted my professional career, but it wasn't until we were expecting our son that I had the opportunity to sit down and write a book, then another. It was that second book to which I now wrote a sequel. Never meant to, but you know what they say about “never say never”? I’ll be the first to admit to have broken that rule far too often. I now write full time, supported by a loving husband and a father who believes in my talent, not necessarily my choice of writing topics. LOL As you can deduce, I’m married to a wonderful man who works as a senior manager in social care. We have a son who’s three years old and live on a small island off the Swedish west coast in Gothenburg, home of Volvo Cars, if that rings a bell. We love to travel as a family (and do it frequently) and we love our opera house, modern dance and to spend time with friends and family. We live a pretty ‘average’ life, house, cats, Volvo, just as we’re expected to as good Swedes. LOL

What were you like at school? Boring, I guess. Bullied, for sure. Good grades. I was lucky. I never had to study much, but I had to pay attention in class. Things were different back when I went to school. We had respect for teachers and if we didn’t show that, we’d be punished and our parents would side with the teacher on all things discipline. So it was easier then to learn in class than it is today. When I visit classrooms today and see how chaotic it is, I pity those who learn the way I do. It’s got to be very difficult. In the end, I made it through, unscathed and stronger for the bullying.

Were you good at English? I’d think so. I even made the principal’s honor roll and had straight A’s in my high school year in the U.S. until I quit the “Young Republicans”. After that I only got C’s, but I didn’t care by then. My teacher stopped liking me and there was nothing I could do. Once I returned to Europe, my English and that of my class mates were worlds apart and I sailed through the final year until I graduated… I think to this day, my greatest challenge is keeping American and English influences separate. Here in Europe most of the English you’ll read is Oxford or International, while I try to stay true to my American education. I often fail, let’s just put it that way.

What are your ambitions for your writing career? I write primarily for my own benefit, writing books I’d love to read. Would I mind being able to live off of my writing? Sure. Would I welcome fame and fortune? Of course. Is it going to happen? No. But as long as I receive messages from readers who appreciate my work, I’m pressing on. Not that I have much of a choice.

Which writers inspire you? Oh, there are so many. But mostly classical writers, from Shakespeare to Salinger. I’ve studied literature as a major all the way into post-grad, so I’ve read most of the global literary canon. I've always been interested in LGBT fiction, so I will also mention Thomas Mann, Thomas Isherwood, Oscar Wilde, E.M. Foster etc. So many great writers, so many amazing stories: Death in Venice, Dorian Gray or A single man to name but three.

TITLE: Jonathan’s Promise

SERIES: Jonathan Trilogy: Book Two

AUTHOR: Hans M. Hirschi

PUBLISHER: Beaten Track Publishing

COVER ARTIST: Natasha Snow

LENGTH: 214 Pages

RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2016

BLURB: Jonathan made Dan a promise - a promise that will affect the remainder of his life. But what does he have left to live for?

When their grandson Parker and his fiancé Cody move in with him, the three of them embark on a journey to shed light on Dan's roots.

A heart-warming sequel to Jonathan's Hope, Jonathan's Promise deals with aging and the ultimate consequences of wedding vows. Are we entitled to a second shot at happiness? When is 'for worse' too much to handle?

In this trilogy:

Jonathan's Hope (Book 1)

Jonathan's Promise (Book 2)

Jonathan's Legacy (Book 3)

“Jon?”

“Yes, Hon, what is it?”

“I’m tired.”

“I know. Just rest. You need your strength for tomorrow.”

“I’m not sure I want to...”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m just not sure it’s worth it, Jon...” Dan started to cough. Jonathan rose from his chair at his husband’s bedside to offer him some water, gently lifting and holding Dan’s head while he took down the cool, soothing liquid.

When the coughing eased, Dan patted Jonathan’s hand. He waited until Jonathan was seated before he spoke further. “Thanks. I’m old, hon. And I’m tired. I’ve lived a long and rich life, and you know what the doctor said. There’s only a very small chance the surgery will help. The tumor’s already metastasized, and even with chemo I’ll die sooner rather than later. Maybe it’s better to just get it over with.”

Jonathan began to cry, tumbling forward in his despair. His head came to a rest on his husband’s chest. They’d been a couple for so many years―six decades. How would he go on without Dan’s strength? How could he survive without the man who’d saved his life?

“Hon, don’t worry about me. I need you now, probably more than ever. I need to know you’ll stay strong for the kids. They need you.”

Dan’s words began to slur and his eyes closed. Even talking took so much effort. When he was sure Dan was asleep, Jonathan left their bedroom and went downstairs, out to the back patio, where he left the crisp, fresh fall air to dry the tears on his face. He was tired, too. Dan’s cancer had come back. They’d thought he’d beaten it, but the last screening showed the dark shadows in his bones and his lungs. After three years of clear results, it had come completely out of the blue, and the doctor said that it had also spread to other areas of the body.

That was just a few days ago, and Dan had accepted the news with equanimity. He had made peace with himself and the world around him when the cancer had first been diagnosed in his prostate. Back then, there was still a sparkle in Dan’s eyes, a determination to fight this, a will to survive. But at ninety years of age, Dan was tired, and Jonathan knew―or rather he felt―that his husband was done. And he understood, but that did not diminish the pain, the despair. Yes, he’d be strong for the kids, the grandkids, but who’d look after him? Who’d make sure he survived?

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I’m an author. I write books. I write about things that are important to me: family, parenting, children, our environment, our world. Contemporary, fresh fiction with happy endings. It’s what I like to read myself. I write because I don’t have a choice. There are so many stories in my head, constantly forming, constantly trying to get out. Feel free to have a look on the other pages to learn more, listen to me narrate from those stories, and – if you like what you see or hear – follow the links to buy the books. I’d greatly appreciate that, as this is how I try to make my living.

I’m an author. But I’m also a forty something male who clings to the illusion of still being twenty-seven, despite my body’s daily reminders to the contrary. I’m married to the most amazing man, and together we have a beautiful son, Sascha. I consider myself a citizen of the world, having lived on two continents and traveled extensively through another three. I have friends all over the world. When I’m not writing, I like to do public speaking or training (where I have my professional background) to actually earn some real bill-paying money. Not sure this author thing is ever going to get me there…

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