Continuation of Interview with Alice N. York

This is the second part of my interview with Alice N. York.


4) Have you been to all of these foreign places that Alex visits?

No, not all of the places, but more than 50% of them. The ones I haven´t been to are on my list to visit. I used photographs and travel guides to get a feeling for the places, or talked to people who had been there already, so I could describe them.


5) Have you received any flak from the solar energy industry because you revealed a lot of the unfairness that occurs?

So far I haven´t. That might be due to the fact that the solar industry is not too aware yet of the book. Nevertheless it wouldn't matter. The important question is not the industry in which the story takes place. I’m convinced that the situations described in GAME could happen in any industry. They are not specific to a certain company but more to the people and the circumstances. Having said that, I would suggest that this sort of thing is more likely to happen in some companies than others. But that would be due to the management (people) reflecting the human factor again.


6) In most books, the climax of the story occurs somewhere in the first two-thirds of the book. In Game – Faint Signals, the tension keeps building and things keep getting progressively worse for Alex until the truth is found out close to the end. Why did you decide to wait until the end of the book for this to be revealed?
See question 3


7) On page 452, close to the end of the book, there is a paragraph that I feel says it all. “She couldn't tell them the truth because she had no evidence. Besides, who would believe her, if there was anyone prepared to listen to her at all? What was the truth then? It was always subjective, linked inexorably to the eye of the beholder. If she were to tell someone her story, which truth would they see within it?” Does that paragraph sum up the reason you wrote this book? Is this book the story of what happened to you?

You are right. This paragraph does sum up the reason – also see answer on no. 3. My main intention was not to evoke sympathy for Alex (although compassion for her character might possibly help others in similar situations to regain some of their self-esteem), but rather to provide a vehicle for discussion on the subject matter. Nothing is ever black and white. If there is a problem, the fault doesn’t lie with just one side alone. All parties did things that influenced the outcome and that´s the intentional starting point for the discussions.


8) I believe that Alex found the true love she was looking for in Shane. On page 455, Alex meets the gaze of her friend in a group of people. This friend isn't named, but I have a feeling it could be Shane. Am I right?
Would you really want to know? (In case there is a sequel planned….)


9) Do you think what happened to Alex in this book could happen to another person working in any industry?
Yes, definitely. I couldn´t say, however, if the same thing would happen if the situation was reverse – 1 man in a group of women. Maybe it´s not even a question of gender. Maybe it´s just about one person being different from the rest of the group – in whatever way.


If you would like to purchase your own copy of this book to read and enjoy, for your convenience I have provided an Amazon link below.