Eyal Danon is the author behind The Golden Key of Gangotri, an exciting novel about a father lost in ice, secrets shrouded by time, and a perilous expedition into the source of the holy Ganges River.
His upcoming book is The Principle of 18, an innovative self-help system for getting the most out of every stage of your life by fulfilling the promise of five distinct life chapters. He is also the author of Before the Kids and Mortgage, a humorous non-fiction memoir about traveling the world for one year.
Eyal is a Columbia University-trained life coach, and the founder of Ignite Advisory Group, a global leader in managing expert communities. He lives in New Jersey with his family, trying to embrace the four seasons of the Northeast after growing up surfing the Mediterranean Sea. He enjoys reading anything by J.R.R. Tolkien, hiking, table tennis, and Japanese whiskey.
The inspiration for the story was a hiking trip that I have completed to the Gangotri glacier, the source of the Ganges river in the Indian Himalayas. I was stuck in a similar snowstorm on route to the ice cave, and this ancient pilgrimage route inspired me to write this book.
Did you know someone like Harley who embarked on a life journey such as the one in the book?
Yes, I had met a young woman by the name of Andrea on another adventure, this one on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. While she wasn’t looking for her missing father, she was looking to find a sense of meaning and purpose in her life, after experiencing several setbacks.
How did you come up with the theory for The Principle of 18?
The theory came after coaching hundreds of clients and observing this pattern in the lives of happy and fulfilled individuals. They made the right life transitions at the right time by re-inventing themselves every 18 years. Conversely, many of my clients didn’t take advantage of mastering these life stages, basically missing out on the opportunity to map out their entire lives and take decisive action at each transition point.
Your bio states you like Japanese whiskey. What is your favorite Japanese whiskey and do you pair Japanese food with it and if so, what?
Suntory Whisky Hibiki. I don’t pair it with food, just enjoy it after dinner.
Growing up, what was a book that really inspired you?
The book is called “Papillon”, by Henri Charrière. It is about a prisoner that is sent to a brutal French penal colony and his recurrent escape attempts.
Are you friends with other authors and if so, who, and how does this help you with your writing?
Both Dalia Rosenfeld and Shani Boianjiu offered invaluable suggestions and edits.
If you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?
Everything will work out in the end.
What book(s) are you currently reading?
Red Country, by Joe Abercrombie.
What was the most challenging part of writing this story?
Combining the external adventurous journey with the internal journey of self-discovery.
How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?
Two years.