
JR: I was born in Indonesia, and educated at the local state school until graduation in 1998. After I finished my study in hospitality university, I was then employed by a financial company in my hometown. Having been working the same routine for years, I started to write a novel to kill the time.
I write because I used to have problem in delivering what’s inside my head. I used to be afraid to speak up or to give opinion about someone or something. During those times, writing was my form of communication to others. But now, I write because I just want to be heard. I want people to understand the way I think about certain things in life. I want them to feel exactly the way I feel about something. I want to spoil them with my imagination. But the most important thing is, writing keeps my life in balance.

JR: The Unseen Face is actually based on my close mate’s testimony about his disease. He had struggled with mental disorders since the loss of his loved one. His story was very triggering for me to come up with The Unseen Face. However, it also elicited a lot of unexpected responses, negative or positive. For that reason, and to protect my friend’s personal life, I decided to twist up some of the facts. The content of The Unseen Face, however, is 80% based on actual event.
BBB: What other books have you written?
JR: I got my first novel “Etzhara” published by the biggest traditional publisher in Indonesia, and made me one of the best young writers under thirty at Khatulistiwa Literary Award in 2009. Feeling confident with the writing skill I had, I published the second novel “Dream” in the same year by another traditional publisher in Jakarta. I then began to receive many invitations to attend book signings, talk shows, radio interviews, and other literature activities. This second novel made me an overnight success.
During my 12 months’ journey in Australia, I managed to self-published two other novels (As The Rest Come to My Heart & Falling from The Sky) in the UK and USA. This huge change brought me to be an international author.
BBB: What do you think readers will find most appealing about your book?
JR: My latest novel The Unseen Face is psychology/suspense genre. A lot of reviewers said that my writing style in The Unseen Face reminds them of the tortured souls found in an Edgar Allan Poe tales. And what I found hilarious is, I didn’t know who he was until I goggled it. I have never read any of his works.
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
JR: Website: http://www.sethlestath.com
Blog: http://www.rhinos.co.nr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sethlestath
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sethlestath
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/joannesrhino
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2764366.Joannes_Rhino
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+JoannesRhinosethlestath
NOW! Bali: http://nowbali.co.id/author/joannes-rhino/