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'.
A Pivotal Right: (Shaking the Tree Book 2)
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:
K. A. Servian on the web:
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:
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.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Liz.
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Beverly.
DeleteHi again, Kathy! I hope all is going well with the promotional blog tour.
ReplyDeleteThank you, yes it is 😀
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteHi, Chrys, it is interesting to find out your roots.
DeleteDNA 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!
ReplyDeleteThere are all sorts to potential plots and twists we could come up with around DNA.
DeleteSo 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...
ReplyDeleteHi, Crystal I hope not too. Mine seemed to marry up with known family history so I’m fairly confident it’s accurate.
DeleteCould be interesting but I've heard they're so inaccurate so herms.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anna.
DeleteMy 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.
ReplyDeleteAs 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
I totally agree, Jess. I much prefer the problems and complications thrown up in HF.
Delete