A Woman with No Strings Attached

A Woman with No Strings Attached

A Woman With (No) Strings Attached is a memoir although I changed the names and some details to protect my and other people's privacy. I went through some dramatic changes in my life. After my husband left me for another woman, when I thought I was old, and my life was over, I met a new man and went through my own private sexual revolution.

My book describes a journey of a 55 year old doctor who is not afraid to be bold, break a lot of taboos, and explore new things. It is also an unusual love story of Lucie and Tom, her lover, who is not sexually jealous and in fact encourages Lucie to have sex with other men. The book also describes life and new beginnings in England. There is a lot of sex, but it is not erotica.

The central message is that “Life does not end after 50.”

Please tell us about the character of Lucy.

Lucie is a 55 year old family doctor, recently divorced.  Lucie always tried to curb her personality; she thought she was “too much". But rather late in life, after meeting an unusual man, Tom, she changes, starts exploring her sexuality, becoming bolder, more in line with who she really is. She is curious, and chatty, likes to talk to people and write emails. She used to think skiing was much more exciting than sex, but then sex got better and she found out that she was a sexual creature.

You are a GP by day so how much of this helped you to write about Lucie?

Lucie is very much me. There are some medical stories in the book, too, but generally, I think it is not a coincidence so many writers are also doctors. You learn a lot about life in my profession. And my sexual revolution made me a better doctor for my patients; I feel sex is important so I give patients opportunity to talk by asking open questions and lending a sympathetic ear to talk about sexual problems. I also think being a doctor made me a better lover, I can see clues, what works, what doesn't, I am used to observe, pay attention, and adapt. I always believed that a good lover concentrates of getting to know about his or her partner, what makes them tick. A good doctor needs to do the same with patients.

You love books, so who are your favourite reads?

I have rather varied literary taste. My favourite authors are very different, the ones I like most are probably Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Ernest Hemingway, Terry Pratchett, Larry McMurrtry and Czech authors Skvorecky, Capek and Kundera. I read most books from these authors.

Books are like food- so many different dishes, why stick to one type?

Why did you decide to go into medicine before writing?

I grew up in communist Czechoslovakia and, when I went to university, I needed to study something which was non-political. I have already had enough of lies and censorship in real life. I also come from a medical family and my parents were very keen for me to go to medical school. I was not that interested, and although I did well, sailing through my exams the most exciting thing at university was skiing - I was in the University alpine skiing team. I never liked hospital medicine, but then I became a GP and I love my job. Everybody who comes through the door has a story. I get to know my patients, their families.

Now, after the first book, which is really just telling my story, I have many other books in my head and I am close to retirement so will definitely write more books. Writing is very exciting.

This is your debut book, so was novel writing anything like you imagined it to be?

It was surprisingly easy, the words just flew from my fingers, I could hardly type fast enough. That was not my experience when I tried to write something in the past.

What was hard work, but also very interesting, was the editing, and rewriting, again and again. Partly following advice of a publishing editor, partly my own instincts. I also had three very good friends who were very helpful with their critical suggestions.

How do you juggle your work with your writing?

It is hard, and I sometimes do not get enough sleep. But I thought about the book while doing house chores, driving my car, exercising in the gym. So sometimes, the chapters were already in my head when I sat down to type them.

I have many faults, but I have very good time management skills and I am a born to multi-task. However, I get less time for private reading, I miss that.

Why is it important to showcase an average womans journey to sexual enlightenment?

I think sex is a very important part of our nature. Even sex without love can make you feel great, bring you together with your sexual partner, release tension and make you feel attractive. I think a healthy sex life is just that. Healthy. Like good diet and exercise. And of course, sex with someone you love is one of the most magical things in life.

I think my book breaks a lot of taboos. I do not like taboos.

Taboos like:

"Older women are not interested in sex."

"Women, unlike men cannot enjoy sex without love- no strings sex”

"There is no love without jealousy." (I think jealousy is more about ownership than love.)

What is next for you?

I will probably retire from being a GP within the next couple of years. I want to have more time to travel, keep in good shape - I love exercise - see more of my many friends and family. I will have more time to read. I have many interests, I want to improve my rusty French and Russian, maybe go to some courses about art or history.

I will definitely write more books. I have already written half of the sequel, but I also have several other books in my head. Short medical stories, the story of my family, and how they coped with surviving the Holocaust. Life is full of good stories.

 

 

 


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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