Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1178032
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 OCTOBER 2019 5 THIS WEEK BOOKS How would you describe your books to someone who's never heard of them before, and where would you recommend they start? Triple Cross Killer, the first in a thriller series, and Feel No Evil, a stand-alone thriller/ mystery book, are currently released. They are in regular print, large print, ebook, and Audible. Triple Cross Killer is based on a question my eldest son asked me: "Mom, what happens to letters to Santa if they get into the wrong hands?" My answer: "Great book." And I wrote the story. It is not like most mysteries, because you know who did it. It is much like the cases I hear on the bench – we have an alleged defendant, but we don't know the story, which is always intriguing to listen to as it unfolds. Through the story you learn that a vigilan- te, no matter how well mean- ing, makes mistakes and is not above the law. The story also depicts how your own strength can save you. Feel No Evil is about telling the wrong person your se- cret and the trauma one goes through after being raped. It may have triggers for some. I wrote it many years ago and often I'm asked for a sequel. I haven't decided on a sequel, but the characters are com- pelling. I will be releasing the first in a cosy mystery series, All Rise, in the coming months, and a non-fiction Audible book is scheduled to be released next year. Now that you'll soon be en route to Malta, could you tell us a little bit about what your relationship with your father's native country was like, in the past? Did you ever visit Malta when you were younger, and/ or do you remember your father speaking about it in any significant way? Malta has always been home to my grandparents and father. My father has al- ways spoken favourably about Malta and wanted my siblings and I to become Maltese citi- zens and return to Malta for advanced education. My sib- lings and I each have Mal- tese passports. I have vis- ited Malta several times. My first visit was when I was in my first year of high school with my grandfather before he passed away, and my fa- ther and brother. We had the privilege of visiting Qrendi Church during the Feast of St Mary and saw the red vel- vet draperies that my grand- parents had made, that hang like wallpaper in the church. My grandfather was a tailor in Malta and made the draperies for several churches. I sub- sequently visited a few times with my father and my eld- est children. Most of our ex- tended family is in Malta, and we communicate with them through the internet. I have extended my stay to have the opportunity to visit with my family, whom I have not seen for several years. My siblings and I all wear the Maltese Cross, have Maltese lace in our homes, cook Maltese, and uphold Maltese traditions. You will always find cheese and meat-filled pastizzi in our freezer and hot out of the ov- en when guests arrive. My fa- vourite Maltese food besides pastizzi is minestra. Because Maltese and German (my mother is German) were spo- ken in our home and English was the common language, I only learned to speak Eng- lish. My grandparents taught me some Maltese words and I understand more than I am able to speak. In our home, watercolour paintings hang with various views of Malta, purchased from an artist in Valletta. In addition, Maltese glass from Gozo, lace table- cloths and doilies bearing the Maltese Cross, an antique map of Malta, and the Coat of Arms of Malta with the Aqui- lina Family Crest are proudly displayed in almost every room. My father's heart re- mains in Malta and he raised us to embody and respect our homeland. His favourite say- ing that has been ingrained in my siblings and me is: "God is Good; God is Great; God is Maltese." Are you looking forward to participating in the Malta Book Festival, and what kind of atmosphere and feel do you expect it to have? I am very much looking for- ward to visiting Malta. I feel proud and honoured to have been invited and welcomed by so many even before my ar- rival. I've received many invi- tations to speak and visit with officials in the government, judiciary, education, in addi- tion to agencies that serve the abused and those without a voice. All of this humbles me. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina will be interviewed by Herman Grech on November 7 at 8pm. Earlier that day, she will also participate in a seminar on family court practices in Malta and the US, at 11am. Both events form part of the Na- tional Book Festival and will be held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta. The festival, which is organised by the National Book Council, will be taking place from No- vember 6 to 10. For more infor- mation and a full programme, log on to: https://ktieb.org.mt/ national-book-festival/ "For change to occur we must take risks. I will continue to speak on behalf of the most vulnerable. Without voice there is no change; with voice there is change" Rosemarie Aquilina on her 2017 novel Triple Cross Killer: 'It's based on a question my eldest son asked me: "Mom, what happens to letters to Santa if they get into the wrong hands?" My answer: "Great book".'