Ivana Hrubá

Ivana Hrubá

Brisbane, Queensland

Ivana Hrubá is a lovely, lovely girl and a writer of some "notable" talent, the sum of which will, just for your entertainment, be very modestly noted here. Specializing in writing bold, quirky and outrageously entertaining fiction, Ivana is what we call an undiscovered gem, an exotic island waiting to be explored or, as some people say, a territory best left uncharted.

Ivana devised her first novel at the tender age of twelve when she was but a wee little girl wearing out her brother's hand-me-downs while chasing the geese off the village green in her native Czech Republic which was then under communist rule. Filled with poultry and very long sentences, Ivana's idyllic childhood came to an abrupt end in 1983 when she and her family crossed the Alps on foot to seek a new life free of communists and their blasted queues. After a year spent frolicking in a West German refugee camp, the family finally had a gutful of that sort of adventure, and, in 1984, they settled in Australia where they've been living it up ever since.

Forward twenty years. Following the publication of her debut thriller A Decent Ransom Ivana developed the habit of talking about herself in the third person, a skill that comes in particularly handy when writing biographies. To this end, Ivana has also conquered her fear of appearing ridiculous due to excessive bragging as can be seen in this very intro right here. In the tradition of all gifted folk, working for a living has never appealed to our author; therefore, Ivana has largely given up on the idea, preferring to spend her time writing books.

In the wake of the tremendous success of her debut novel (18 copies sold in North America alone!) published by Kunati in 2008, Ivana has retreated from her adoring public to gain some much needed perspective on her life. These days Ivana can be found traipsing around her garden practicing the ancient art of Feng Shui which, in Ivana's case, consists of pouring manure on her flower beds and cutting shrubbery into interesting geometrical shapes. Yes, a regular Edward Sissorhands, Ivana's letting her creative juices flow in many a new and varied direction. Having successfully faded from public view, Ivana has been able to spread her creative wings and work as a freelance writer completely undetected, dabbling in corporate copywriting, theatre promotion, copy editing, online blogging and wedding speeches. Finding these ventures a little more financially rewarding than her high-brow literary pursuits, Ivana has decided to seek out more of them so if you, dear reader, find yourself in need of a writer, give her a bell. She'll be delighted to get involved.

At the close of each day, Ivana likes to unwind in front of the computer, googling herself and drawing cartoons for her own amusement. To unwind from that pleasure, she takes her dogs, cats, mice, lice, ponies, chickens and goldfish for a walk down the beach. It's a good life for everyone involved and, for the most part, Ivana has enjoyed herself tremendously in it. However, certain unfortunate events, namely the untimely demise of her publisher Kunati Inc. in late 2009, left Ivana feeling rather flat; feeling like she had lost the key to the executive washroom. Yes, the Key to the Executive Washroom! Some of you who are fellow Published Authors will understand completely the scope of her devastation, for obtaining the Key to the Executive Washroom is the Mecca of all writers. It comes as no surprise then that having once obtained it, Ivana had every intention of holding onto it.

Not a day went by without Ivana mentioning to all and sundry that she was a Published Author with a Two Book Deal and that Sales of 'A Decent Ransom: A Story of a Kidnapping Gone Right' were Trending Upwards. On the days when Fan Mail arrived, there was no stopping her; armed with her trusty wine funnel, she trumpeted the news far and wide, catching unsuspecting passers-by at the bus stop, at the bakery, and on the school run. Yes, people, those were giddy times.

Ah well, all good things must come to an end. Her publisher's exit from the market economy did, for a moment or two, dampen Ivana's spirits but she eventually got over it and for a while was determined to get herself another key to the executive loo. She was foolishly hoping for a bigger, more established and dare we say more financially stable executive loo to offer her a key. So she fired off queries left, front and center, offering her wares. Perplexingly, nothing happened! Ivana realized that she was wasting her time. The door to the executive loo was firmly shut and staying that way. But! Every cloud has a silver lining! Ivana did get some lovely rejections during this process; beautiful, powerful sentiments wishing her luck elsewhere. Overcome with gratitude, Ivana has pasted them up into a keepsake album and is thinking of publishing them herself. (Stay tuned).

Ivana has recently split the atom (again) when she discovered ebook publishing on the net and proceeded to convert her entire body of work into ebooks in hopes of a tremendous public response. (Hint, hint, this is where you, the public, come in).

Meanwhile, if you find yourself with a spare 5, 6 hours and can't get hold of a Bollywood movie, why don't you just download Ivana's books, hey? It will only take a minute and you'll be glued (she writes good, you know). You will make her very happy. Cheers, Yours Truly

Coming of Age, Crime, International Mystery & Crime, Mystery, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Suspense, Thriller & Suspense

A Decent Ransom: the Kidnapping

Phoebus Klein is a vulnerable young boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He is a good, gentle soul living a sad and isolated existence deep in the heart of Pristine Mountain. Poor, friendless and with no real prospects of getting on in the world, Phoebus has but one ally, his older brother Kenny, who dreams of infamy of biblical proportions. When Kenny comes up with a plan to kidnap a woman for ransom, the innocent Phoebus is forced to take part in the crime. Put in charge of the beautiful young woman, Phoebus does his best to keep her happy while waiting for the ransom to be paid. However, not everything goes according to plan … A Decent Ransom is a story of a kidnapping gone right. Essentially a tale of redemption, the contemporary, fast-paced thriller blends pathos with intrigue, drawing the reader into the private world of a vulnerable fifteen-year-old boy, who believes himself to be the keeper of a kidnapped woman. Against all odds, the two forge an alliance with dire consequences for some. The plot begins when two brothers from the wrong side of the tracks kidnap a beautiful young woman, unleashing a chain of events that irrevocably change the lives of everyone involved. The narrative, unfolding through multiple perspectives, gives the reader an insight into the minds of the four main characters as they carefully navigate their way through this unique situation, taking advantage to pursue their own goals. The players, each struggling to stay a step ahead, create a web of deception in which the pursuit of happiness becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse. It is only when disaster strikes that they begin to question their moral stance and desperate deeds are committed by all as they struggle to become someone other than themselves. As opportunities to make the right choice dwindle, each person's true nature is exposed. In a final twist, the unconventional resolution raises the question of nature versus nurture and how the two intertwine in each of us.

A Decent Ransom: A Story of a Kidnapping Gone Right

Phoebus Klein is a vulnerable young boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He is a good, gentle soul living a sad and isolated existence deep in the heart of Pristine Mountain. Poor, friendless and with no real prospects of getting on in the world, Phoebus has but one ally, his older brother Kenny, who dreams of infamy of biblical proportions. When Kenny comes up with a plan to kidnap a woman for ransom, the innocent Phoebus is forced to take part in the crime. Put in charge of the beautiful young woman, Phoebus does his best to keep her happy while waiting for the ransom to be paid. However, not everything goes according to plan … ‘A Decent Ransom’ is a story of human weakness and yearning. Essentially a tale of redemption, the contemporary, fast-paced thriller blends pathos with trickery and intrigue, drawing the reader into the private world of a vulnerable fifteen-year-old boy, who believes himself to be the keeper of a kidnapped woman. Against all odds, the two forge an alliance with dire consequences for some. The plot begins when two brothers from the wrong side of the tracks kidnap a beautiful young woman, unleashing a chain of events that irrevocably change the lives of everyone involved. The narrative, unfolding through multiple perspectives, gives the reader an insight into the minds of the four main characters as they carefully navigate their way through this unique situation, taking advantage to pursue their own goals. The players, each struggling to stay a step ahead, create a web of deception in which the pursuit of happiness becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse. It is only when disaster strikes that they begin to question their moral stance and desperate deeds are committed by all as they struggle to become someone other than themselves. As opportunities to make the right choice dwindle, each person's true nature is exposed. In a final twist, the unconventional resolution raises the question of nature versus nurture and how the two intertwine in each of us. 'A Decent Ransom' is a deliciously twisted story told by multiple narrators; these shifting perspectives keep the pace quick and the reader guessing. Bold, quirky and outrageously entertaining. Booklist, Sept 15, 2008 issue Finely layered and compelling, this is a well-written thriller about the rich inner landscapes that can exist in bleak surroundings. Hruba does particularly well developing the relationship between Phoebus and the kidnapped woman. He looks after her and protects her through to the end, even though he is aware that she has an agenda he doesn't agree with to get revenge on her husband.In 'A Decent Ransom' the fates of all the characters, driven by madness, greed, love, revenge and hope for something better, come together within a clever plot that moves with humour and pathos to a satisfying conclusion in this well crafted and totally absorbing story. Bernadette Gooden, Matilda Reviews, May 2009 ‘A Decent Ransom’ is not only a wholly well spun tale of a bungled kidnap caper which is not what it initially appears to be, but it is also an exercise in creative writing that places Hrubá in a high echelon of contemporary writers. One of the many aspects of Hrubá’s writing that marks her as an artist of note is her ability to create a varied cast of characters – from young teenagers to old men sugar daddies and used loose women, immigrants with issues particular to their backgrounds to average middle class couples in brittle relationships, older relatives with perversions, to women with neuroses/psychoses who converse with their alter egos. Rarely have characters bristled with life as vibrant as the strange folks involved in ‘A Decent Ransom’. After many twists and turns in the plot, brought to brilliant life by the fact that we are privy to the thoughts and vantages of each of the characters, the story winds to a surprising and satisfying climax. Grady Harp, February 2009

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