Absolute Sunset (30 page)

And, of course, I continue to write. I am seriously considering switching to writing directly in English. I’ll probably give it a try, and my editor will likely go crazy. But I have a strong need to keep moving forward, to learn, to develop, to try things that at first glance seem impossible to accomplish.

This is probably why I love CrossFit and distance running. I’m short and thin, but I can lift heavy weights and finish a marathon with a pretty good time. I’m training to run a 100-miler next year, and I’ll probably also try a triathlon, and maybe something more extreme, like skydiving—I love to push the limits. Even better, all of my family members are willing to join me. Our motto is “Cool—let’s give it a try!”

When I write I like to push the limits too. I don’t stick to one genre—I like to mix them to achieve the effect I want. I dare to do that because I have my lucky sweater that I always wear when I work, even in summer. It is blue and very thick. Whenever I leave the lucky sweater on a sofa or chair, my dog Rafa uses it as a blanket. He is a small pinscher and loves warmth, so most of the year he suffers and shakes—Poland is really cold. His favorite place at home is the floor in front of the fireplace. He also likes to step on my notes and sometimes drinks tea from my cup. And eats my chocolates. He is not a good assistant.

On the whole, I am a professional dreamer. What I want is to be able to write till the end of my life. And to win a few awards, of course. I think one should always dream big, it does no harm, and maybe one day the dream can be achieved. I am steadfast—I will keep on doing my job and keep on dreaming.

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Miran Zielinski has had enough of ethics and laws getting in the way of progress. Nothing—not governments, not the church, and certainly not lesser men—can hold back Miran’s vision for humankind: immortality.

Miran will need wealth, brilliance, and ruthlessness to achieve his goal. Andreas can provide wealth, but must be paid in his own currency, and his price is high. Satia has brilliance and ruthlessness to match Miran, but their mix is volatile.

Opposed on all sides, Miran will not waver from his goal of immortality. The question is not whether he will succeed, but who will be left alive when he does.

Based on real-world developments in biology and genetics, this sci-fi thriller rolls relentlessly through unexpected twists and continuous shifts of power, leading to a tempting, disturbing, and altogether-too-likely vision of the future, where one corporation gains almost total control over the world.

Already a hit in Polish, the English edition will be published in February 2016.

For updates, visit
www.katamlek.com/one-god
.

Before the wind comes, you can feel in the air that something is going to happen. When it rolls down the hills and races between the slopes, even a tiny spark is enough to start fights between neighbors. The people are on edge, animals are skittish, and plants wither and die.

Who is responsible? The one who rides the wind and comes to Laliki village to trouble its citizens.

Is it possible to get rid of the devil, along with other problems, such as nymphs, talking animals, cursed ponds, never-ending forests, demons, and of course stubborn guys from Laliki? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

A collection of short stories and folklore. Available in Polish, with an English edition coming in 2016.

For updates, visit
www.katamlek.com/laliki
.

Artists make poor mates. Take Kata and Luke—she a writer, he a photographer. Both married to non-artists, emotionally dependent, yet completely self-absorbed.

Both completely devoted to their craft, their escape from reality. Reality: the artist’s bane, banished by drinking, cocaine, and one-night stands. Reality: constantly present in their stable, boring spouses, whom they simultaneously need and betray.

Will Kata and Luke change their ways? Or will they sacrifice everything that makes a person whole, in exchange for the freedom every artist needs?

A burning hot novel that gives an intimate glimpse into the life and work of a writer and photographer; full of real-world events; following the lives of extraordinary people who think they are worthless.

For updates, visit
www.katamlek.com/long-dream-of-falling
.

Who can say if love is right or wrong?

Andrzej loves her daughter, to the exclusion of everything else. Helena loves her son, although he is far from being a good man. Renata loves her dog Orion—she has nobody else, and when Orion is gone, she plans to leave this world as well. Antonina loves the arts more than people. Daniela loves her dead husband.

And Janusz... and Ela... and others... All of them ordinary people, trying hard to love in the right way.

Full of humor and unexpected twists, this novel explores what our lives are really about. Through the eyes of different characters, it asks a simple question: are we all the same? Do we all need love to survive?

For updates, visit
www.katamlek.com/the-9th-of-july
.