Trinidad Fuentes, author of “When the fog sleeps”

“He’s burying me alive.” The new novel by Trinidad Fuentes, “When the fog sleeps.”

If in writing we already find difficult challenges, giving voice to certain characters adds to this complexity. This is the case of Trinidad Fuentesthe author of When the fog sleeps, whose main peculiarity has been to allow the spirit of the novel to give its point of view, well aware that she has been murdered. In fact, this is how the novel begins, with a lapidary phrase: “I’m burying alive.

1–When the fog sleeps is the title of your new novel, Trini. What meaning is behind it?

The title is part of a phrase that appears at a key moment in the novel. The complete phrase is: “Be very careful… When the fog sleeps, evil awakens.” I can’t reveal more because it would be a spoiler.

2– There is a character that readers are really liking and that is “the little dead woman”, as we have been affectionately referring to her. Can you tell us something about him?

I have a lot of affection for the character of “the little dead woman”, she has made me cry and I have also laughed at her witticisms. The novel begins with her: “She is burying me alive.” La muertita is the affectionate nickname that readers have given to Lourdes, the sister who is murdered. At first my intention was not to give him a voice, but I was so sad that I decided to give him prominence and he is a fundamental character in the story, who, as a ghost, I think has made this novel much better.

3– You and I know that this character has had a very good place among readers, but it scared the publishing world a little… Do you know of references to other works that have used this resource in their history?

He is the readers’ favorite character! And it doesn’t surprise me because it’s impossible not to empathize with her. It is true that within the publishing world she aroused some reluctance.

Years ago I read a story by the Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño, in which he also gave voice to a spirit.

4– Like a good crime and crime novel, there are deaths… Is it easy to write about murders and these types of more difficult topics?

For me, the difficult thing is to write without there being a murder involved. I think that, for example, I would be incapable of writing a 100% romantic novel. Everyone has their style, their tastes, their preferences. Diversity is a great wealth.

5– Your novel, furthermore, was born from the mixture of two very peculiar geographical locations. Can you tell us what they are?

Venice, the city where Fatima disappears and five months later she is found alive. This is where most of the research takes place.

Tarragona, the city where Fátima’s family lives and her sister Lourdes disappears after leaving work. Location also very important in the development of the novel.

Los Balthasar’s Fangs, small freshwater ponds located in an area of ​​the Ebro Delta, south of Tarragona. In the deepest raft is where they find Lourdes’s lifeless body.

6– Of course, we have to talk about the researcher, Minerva. She appears in your two books and leaves no one indifferent…

Minerva is a peculiar character. A strong and independent woman who is very involved in investigations. Sometimes she can seem a bit cold, but as the reader progresses in the story and gets to know her, they realize how she cares about people. She is very human and has overflowing intuition.

7 – What would you like readers to take away after reading When the fog sleeps?

The first thing is that you have enjoyed reading. I would also like them to take with them the memory of some of the characters who, although they are fictional, are not too far from reality. And let them reflect on the themes that are developed in the novel.