Featured Interview With Shifra Hochberg
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m an American living in Jerusalem, Israel. I have a Ph.D. in English literature from New York University and teach full-time at Ariel University.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read. I wrote THE LOST CATACOMB only after I had produced enough academic publications to guarantee me a tenured position at the university, though much of the research took place well before I actually sat down to write the novel. In preparation for the project, I read close to a hundred non-fiction and fictional works about WW II, the Holocaust, and the Vatican.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My tastes are quite eclectic and include well-written commercial thrillers and historical fiction. My recent favorites are THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL, Q & A, THE RELUCTANT APPRENTICE, and THE PARIS ARCHITECT. I also adore all of Cara Black’s novels, which really evoke Paris so beautifully, as well as Pam Jenoff’s historical romances.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
THE LOST CATACOMB is a Vatican thriller with a multiple timeline that weaves together three interfaith love stories that converge against the backdrop of the Holocaust in Italy. In the novel, a beautiful young art historian flies to Rome to assess a newly-discovered catacomb of enigmatic provenance. Its mysterious frescoes hold the clues to a centuries-old murder and the existence of an ancient treasure from the destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. Assisted by a handsome Italian archaeologist, the heroine soon finds herself caught up in a tangled web of intrigue and peril, masterminded by a powerful priest who is determined to destroy those who would reveal the dark secrets of the past.
The novel has something for everyone. For thriller fans–a beautiful heroine, lost treasure, ancient manuscripts, evil priests, and a plot that spirals to a shocking conclusion. For lovers of historical fiction–a genuine sense of time and place coupled with the parallel themes of the heroine’s search for her lost family roots in Rome and the provenance of a lost catacomb.
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