(This interview was conducted with Linda Cadose on June 29, 2012 before the major revision of “The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx”.)
Joey Pinkney: Hello. Today we have author Linda Cadose. She wrote “The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx”. She joins us today to tell us a little about herself, this book and future projects. Hello, Linda. Thank you for joining me.
Linda Cadose: You are welcome.
Joey Pinkney: “The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx” is your first novel, right?
Linda Cadose: Yes, it is my first novel. It was published in January, 2012.
Joey Pinkney: What inspired you to write this book?
Linda Cadose: I wrote the book to entice my nephew to read more. Boys lag behind girls in reading.
Joey Pinkney: I remember reading about you writing this book to entice your nephew to read more. Did it work?
Linda Cadose: Yes, it did work. My theory was that I would write a fun adventure story. I believe that children’s books should be both entertaining and educational.
Joey Pinkney: What kind of elements did you include in this adventure to get boys interested in reading?
Linda Cadose: When I did my research for this book, I learned that boys like science fiction. It’s considered a masculine form of fiction. I included the tale of the supercomputer made of 13 crystal skulls and a lot of information about the advanced technologies the ancients possessed.
Joey Pinkney: I wanted to ask you about that. What’s the deal with this ancient super-computer? How does it work?
Linda Cadose: I know that the microprocessors of computers are made of quartz. A crystal skull is made of quartz. So, from this information I created the tale of the supercomputer.
I reasoned that if a small piece of quartz could power a modern computer then a large crystal skull could hold much more information and be much more powerful.
Joey Pinkney: That’s incredible. I like learning stuff like that from authors about different aspects of their book. What is the significance of there being 13 crystals?
Linda Cadose: I think that a tale like that stimulates a boy’s imagination.
Joey Pinkney: What is the significance of there being 13 crystals?
Linda Cadose: I chose 13 crystal skulls because there is also a Legend of the Crystal Skulls.
Joey Pinkney: What is the Legend of the Crystal Skulls?
Linda Cadose: Presently, only 3 crystal skulls have been discovered. The Legend of the Crystal Skulls states that there are 13 crystal skulls in the world. When all 13 crystal skulls are found and placed together, they will light up and communicate with each other.
Joey Pinkney: Going back to the super-computer in “The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx”, your main character, Dr. Post, comes across a super-computer that holds a secret to control of the world’s economic structure. How did you come to insert that plot twist in this book?
Linda Cadose: Actually, the terrorists realize that the supercomputer is the most powerful computer in the world. They force Cliff to hack into the Dow Jones computer. By the way, I should mention that the NASDAQ computer has already been hacked into.
Joey Pinkney: Dr. Cliff Post is a very interesting character. How did you come up with naming him?
Linda Cadose: I have a friend whose last name is Post, and I have always liked the name Cliff.
Joey Pinkney: Is there a real person who inspired the energy that Dr. Cliff possesses? If that person isn’t your friend “Post”, that is…
Linda Cadose: Yes, I modeled Dr. Post’s energy after my cousin, Richard Sommiend.
Joey Pinkney: Is Richard Sommiend a doctor also?
Linda Cadose: No, he is both a retired LPN and a retired hair designer.
Joey Pinkney: Interesting! Speaking of doctors and the heavily researched nature of “The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx”, how has the reception been to your book in the academic circles?
Linda Cadose: Frankly, I haven’t gotten any feedback from academic circles yet.
Joey Pinkney: Although this book is written primarily to teach the youth about the possibilities of Egyptian culture, many adults have gravitated to this book also. What kind of comments have you received from the young and old?
Linda Cadose: According to my reviews on Amazon, people have stated that they feel the book is well researched. Some people feel it is an interesting read for older readers.
Joey Pinkney: Switching gears, let’s talk about you a little bit more. How did your upbringing in Plymouth, MA, put you on the path later to travel Egypt gathering research for what became this novel?
Linda Cadose: When I was in the 6th grade, my teacher, Mr. Sawyer, taught our class about ancient Egypt. I was fascinated. I vowed that when I grew up I would travel to Egypt and see the antiquities for myself. I have always been interested in writing and decided my first novel would be set in Egypt.
Joey Pinkney: It’s great to see dreams fulfilled. What places have you personally visited while in Egypt?
Linda Cadose: I visited Giza, Cairo, the Valley of the Kings, Luxon, Abu Simbel and the Aswan Dam.
Joey Pinkney: What was your first thought when you finally arrived in a place that you dreamed about since childhood?
Linda Cadose: I was speechless. Then I looked up at the Great Sphinx and the Great Pyramid in awe. At first, I had a difficult time believing that I was really in Egypt.
Joey Pinkney: I’ve been to The Gambia and Senegal in West Africa. Back in the US, the smell of burnt wood always whisks me back to the villages. Is there something that puts you back in the mind state of when you were walking around Egypt soaking in all of its splendors?
Linda Cadose: Whenever I see a magnificent and majestic building, I think of the structures in Egypt.
Joey Pinkney: I know that the Great Sphinx that’s referenced in this novel is in Giza. What can we expect to pop up in your novel from places like Cairo, the Valley of the Kings, Luxon, Abu Simbel and the Aswan Dam.
Linda Cadose: I take my readers on a tour of Cairo. King Tut’s tomb is in the Valley of the Kings just outside of Luxor. I describe going to Abu Simbel, which is near the Aswan Dam.
Joey Pinkney: What person or people inspired the Egyptian archeologist Dr. Abdul Saad, Dr. Posts side kick in “The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx”? I mean, what person or people inspired you to create the Egyptian archeologist Dr. Abdul Saad?
Linda Cadose: Dr. Saad is entirely made from my imagination. No person inspired this character. I don’t know anyone like Dr. Saad.
Joey Pinkney: There is a lot of controversy surrounding the Great Sphinx in terms of hidden chambers and whether or not different groups of people should be digging or renovating certain underground areas. What is your knowledge of hidden chambers or the lack there of?
Linda Cadose: That is true. There is a lot of speculation that there is a hidden chamber in the right paw of the Sphinx or underneath the Sphinx. So far, the Egyptian government has refused to allow anyone to dig around the Sphinx.
Joey Pinkney: Tell us more about your upcoming book. What is the title, and what is this book about?
Linda Cadose: The second book is titled “The Underwater Pyramid in the Bermuda Triangle”. It is a work of fiction that is based on the fact that a sunken city has been discovered on the Cuban Shelf off the coast of Cuba. Oceanographer Paulina Zelitsky made this discovery in the summer of 2000.
Joey Pinkney: Does this tie in in any way to “The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx”?
Linda Cadose: Yes, some of the discoveries that are made in “The Underwater Pyramid in the Bermuda Triangle” are related to ancient Egypt.
Joey Pinkney: When is “The Underwater Pyramid in the Bermuda Triangle” set to be released?
Linda Cadose: It was sent to the publisher’s early this week. They estimate that it will be released in 3 months.
Joey Pinkney: I really thank you for your time today. In closing, what would you tell that young boy to encourage him that “The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx” will be a great book for him to read?
Linda Cadose: I would tell him that he will have fun reading “The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx”. It will be exciting.
Joey Pinkney: Thank you, Linda! That’s it! Your survived! LOL
Linda Cadose: Thank you, Joey!!
Joey Pinkney: You’re very welcome.
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