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It's All In the DNA by K A Servian

This week we have NZ author K A Servian visiting with us. She has a new book, A Pivotal Right ~Book 2 in Shaking the Tree series. Here she talks about 'DNA'.




K. A. Servian on the web:


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It’s all in the DNA

I did one of those online DNA tests recently. It’s the ultimate arrogance, I suppose, wanting to know who you are and where you come from. I mean, at the end of the day, what does it matter? I had a fair idea of my genetic make-up before doing the test, so there weren’t any real surprises. As it turns out I’m 75% Celtic made up of genes from mostly Scotland and a bit of Ireland, and the rest is Jewish of Eastern European origin (from around Lithuania). The balance surprised me somewhat as I thought it’d be more 50/50. I’m not sure why as only one of my paternal grandparents was of Jewish extraction.
But what does one do with this information once we have it? As a writer, it opens all sorts of possibilities for settings and characters because, for some reason, being in possession of certain DNA gives a sense of ‘ownership’. I feel quite justified in writing about Scots and Irish characters as they’re ‘my people’ (Outlander here we come!).  Perhaps this explains my obsessive watching of TV programs such as Time Team and Digging for Britain.
Going through this process got me thinking about the possibilities the subject of DNA tests creates for writers.  There was a recent situation in the US where a historic serial killer was caught because the DNA of people who were related to him had been posted online and was found to be a close match to his DNA left at a crime scene. The police didn’t even have the DNA of the killer himself, and yet they were able to track down and identify him without a shadow of a doubt.  
There must be a great fiction plot in there somewhere. Perhaps you post your DNA test results and find out you’re related to someone famous or infamous, or maybe you discover you’re married to your previously unknown first cousin or half-sibling, or you’re blamed for a crime you know you didn’t commit but the DNA says otherwise—how do you prove your innocence?
In some ways, the certainty created by DNA steals a little of the ‘magic’ (not sure that’s the right word) from crime fiction. Let’s face it; there won’t be much of a novel if the killer is identified in the first chapter because they left a stray hair at the crime scene.
That’s why I enjoy reading and writing historical novels set before we had all this modern technology. The protagonist has to employ their powers of observation, cunning and deduction to identify the culprit. Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes couldn’t tap some information into a computer and have a name pop up on a database.

So, what’s your take on the free availability of DNA tests? Do you think they add new possibilities for writers or do they steal the mystery?

A Pivotal Right: (Shaking the Tree Book 2)



Florence struggled for breath as she stared in the face of a ghost. "Jack?"


Twenty years after being forced apart Jack and Florence have been offered a second chance at love. But can they find their way back to each other through all the misunderstandings, guilt and pain?

And what of their daughter, Viola? Her plan to become a doctor is based on the belief she has inherited her gift for medicine from Emile, the man she believed was her father. How will she reconcile her future with the discovery that she is Jack's child?

A Pivotal Right is the second book in the Shaking the Tree series set in colonial New Zealand. It continues the story of Jack and Florence begun in The Moral Compass.


Buy on:

Amazon Kindle             Amazon Paperback

Amazon UK                  Amazon Aust


16 comments:

  1. The problem with DNA tests is how they can be misused. That's how to use that in a novel plot, I would think. Although, I don't do crime novels, so I wouldn't know.

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  2. I took one of those tests and found it interesting. Like you, I already knew a lot of my heritage because I've worked on genealogy for years. Since I writer for children and teens, I hadn't really thought of using it in a story. Who knows? Congratulations on the new book, K. A. Sounds interesting.

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  3. Hi again, Kathy! I hope all is going well with the promotional blog tour.

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  4. I did one of those DNA/heritage tests last year. Mine didn't break down like yours. I had a percentage that was categorized as British/Irish (apparently because borders changed so much), but based off my other results, I figured Irish was more correct. And I had a tiny percentage that was Ashkenazi Jewish, but I never knew anyone in my family to be Jewish. I found it all so fascinating.

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    1. Hi, Chrys, it is interesting to find out your roots.

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  5. DNA sounds an interesting concept if you think about it. And reading crime thrillers where the villain is ultimately caught by the DNA is such a revelation!

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    1. There are all sorts to potential plots and twists we could come up with around DNA.

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  6. So I like the idea of DNA tests, but I'm much more concerned about learning the stories of my ancestors and understanding their character make-up rather than their specific genetic sequencing. I also might be a tad bit skeptical. I'm afraid some of the people peddling DNA tests make up the results. I hope not, but...

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    1. Hi, Crystal I hope not too. Mine seemed to marry up with known family history so I’m fairly confident it’s accurate.

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  7. Could be interesting but I've heard they're so inaccurate so herms.

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  8. My friend had her DNA done and the site was able to match her mother, brother, half brother, cousin and aunt with accuracy. Since it is based on a randomly assigned number and they have different last names- it seems legit.

    As for mysteries- I think the DNA samples taking place could make some mysteries trickier in the future. HF mysteries definitely have a lot more possibilities. :)

    Best of luck to K.A.
    ~Jess

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    1. I totally agree, Jess. I much prefer the problems and complications thrown up in HF.

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