Interview conducted 21-August-2023
Roger Kuhlman (interviewer): Let’s talk about your latest book, Enantiomer. You describe it as a “chemystery” novel. What does that mean, exactly?
Roger Chanels (author): Wait, you’re my interviewer?
K: So, it seems. Is it inappropriate for me to ask you questions?
C: Not really, I guess. If you peel back the curtain, I suspect many author interviews are conducted pretty similarly. Any reason you’re particularly interested in this book?
K: One, I’m a chemist. Two, somehow it seems uniquely appropriate for this one. Now, about that made-up word…
C: Chemystery. Well, the story is a mystery with a chemistry theme and set in a chemistry laboratory, so I just combined the words “chemistry” and “mystery” to save a few letters on the cover.
K: Do you get charged for those?
C: For what?
K: Extra letters on your cover?
C: I don’t know. Probably. If not yet, I’m sure Jeff Bezos will soon find a way.
K: So, tell me about the story. Need a PhD to read it?
C: Absolutely not. Fifth-grade education is probably about right. I realistically portray the graduate research lab and the underlying science of the story. But you don’t need horse-racing expertise to read Dick Francis, and you don’t need chemistry expertise to read Enantiomer. There’s a lot of science underneath, but what’s written on the page is a mystery novel.
K: Plain and simple.
C: Well, I wouldn’t say that, exactly. It is a mystery, so it’s not exactly simple. There are complexities, clues and revelations throughout. The main character, Kyra, is also the narrator for most of the story, as she recalls her tale to Amira. But putting the pieces together from what she says is quite a challenge, and you have to work with the two of them to figure it all out.
K: So, it has a surprise ending?
C: Put it this way: I’d be surprised if you’re not at least somewhat surprised at the end, though I have been impressed by some early readers’ insights and attention.
K: What happens at the end?
C: Everything gets blown up. No, wait! I’m thinking of a Bond movie.
K: Which Bond movie?
C: All of them.
K: Yeah, I guess that’s true. Okay, we won’t spoil the ending of your book, but can you tell me more about the main character, Kyra?
C: She’s excellent as a chemist, gentle and well-meaning as a person. She picks up roadside trash as she bikes to work. She’s fair-minded toward others and generally gets along with people. On the other hand, she lives alone, struggles with personal insecurities, and gets in over her head as an amateur detective.
K: What would you say is the main takeaway?
C: Well, there really is no morality lesson in this book. You get a bit of a glimpse into what life might be like in an academic research lab. But it’s just meant to be fun to read, an engaging story with some surprise twists at the end.
K: Alright, I guess we can’t discuss much more without ruining the reading experience for everyone, so let’s end there. Thanks for discussing your book with me.
C: Glad we could find a time when both our schedules were free.
K: Roger that. This concludes the interview with Roger Chanels, author of Enantiomer: A Chemystery Novel, available now at Amazon.com.
Roger Kuhlman (interviewer): Let’s talk about your latest book, Enantiomer. You describe it as a “chemystery” novel. What does that mean, exactly?
Roger Chanels (author): Wait, you’re my interviewer?
K: So, it seems. Is it inappropriate for me to ask you questions?
C: Not really, I guess. If you peel back the curtain, I suspect many author interviews are conducted pretty similarly. Any reason you’re particularly interested in this book?
K: One, I’m a chemist. Two, somehow it seems uniquely appropriate for this one. Now, about that made-up word…
C: Chemystery. Well, the story is a mystery with a chemistry theme and set in a chemistry laboratory, so I just combined the words “chemistry” and “mystery” to save a few letters on the cover.
K: Do you get charged for those?
C: For what?
K: Extra letters on your cover?
C: I don’t know. Probably. If not yet, I’m sure Jeff Bezos will soon find a way.
K: So, tell me about the story. Need a PhD to read it?
C: Absolutely not. Fifth-grade education is probably about right. I realistically portray the graduate research lab and the underlying science of the story. But you don’t need horse-racing expertise to read Dick Francis, and you don’t need chemistry expertise to read Enantiomer. There’s a lot of science underneath, but what’s written on the page is a mystery novel.
K: Plain and simple.
C: Well, I wouldn’t say that, exactly. It is a mystery, so it’s not exactly simple. There are complexities, clues and revelations throughout. The main character, Kyra, is also the narrator for most of the story, as she recalls her tale to Amira. But putting the pieces together from what she says is quite a challenge, and you have to work with the two of them to figure it all out.
K: So, it has a surprise ending?
C: Put it this way: I’d be surprised if you’re not at least somewhat surprised at the end, though I have been impressed by some early readers’ insights and attention.
K: What happens at the end?
C: Everything gets blown up. No, wait! I’m thinking of a Bond movie.
K: Which Bond movie?
C: All of them.
K: Yeah, I guess that’s true. Okay, we won’t spoil the ending of your book, but can you tell me more about the main character, Kyra?
C: She’s excellent as a chemist, gentle and well-meaning as a person. She picks up roadside trash as she bikes to work. She’s fair-minded toward others and generally gets along with people. On the other hand, she lives alone, struggles with personal insecurities, and gets in over her head as an amateur detective.
K: What would you say is the main takeaway?
C: Well, there really is no morality lesson in this book. You get a bit of a glimpse into what life might be like in an academic research lab. But it’s just meant to be fun to read, an engaging story with some surprise twists at the end.
K: Alright, I guess we can’t discuss much more without ruining the reading experience for everyone, so let’s end there. Thanks for discussing your book with me.
C: Glad we could find a time when both our schedules were free.
K: Roger that. This concludes the interview with Roger Chanels, author of Enantiomer: A Chemystery Novel, available now at Amazon.com.