Welcome to BRB, sweeties! Not only is Sylvia Massara a dear friend and fellow author, she's also a great person. It's great to have you here on my blog, hun. So, let's get the ball rolling. Tell us about yourself.
I’m truly alive when I’m doing something creative; whether it be writing, blogging or talking to potential film producers for the adaptation of one of my novels.
I’m truly alive when I’m doing something creative; whether it be writing, blogging or talking to potential film producers for the adaptation of one of my novels.
I live in Sydney, Australia, with my almost
21-year-old cat, Mitzy. She’s my inspiration and always has been (along with
her twin brother, Henry, who unfortunately passed at age 15). I don’t have
human children as I’ve never felt secure enough in a relationship to start a
family [yes, I have a few evil exes out there]. I would love to adopt if I were
financially secure, but right now this is not the case. Perhaps one day when I
get a multi-million dollar deal. Who knows, right?
Where and/or how do you find the greatest
inspiration?
My inspiration can come from anywhere. I
have so many characters inside my head, and so many ideas for stories that I
never really need to find inspiration; it is pretty much always there, so I’m
lucky.
Which appears first when contemplating a
new project: a character, the plot or the title?
Sometimes the character and sometimes a
situation—the plot always comes last.
What’s the hardest part of a novel for you
to write: beginning, middle or end? Why?
Definitely the middle. This is because I
want to get to the conclusion really quickly. I don’t want my characters to
have to wait. I’ve always been an impatient person
Has your own life influenced your novels?
If so, how?
Aspects of my life always influence my
novels. I usually write from experience. It could be something small or
something really life-changing, but whatever it is, it always comes from
something that happened in my life.
Writing sex/romantic scenes can be a
challenge for some authors. Do you find it difficult? If yes, how do you
compensate? If no, where do you draw your inspiration?
I don’t find writing a sex/romantic scene
difficult at all. I can do erotica if I have to, but that’s not my genre. My
sex/lovemaking scenes tend to be tasteful but at the same time passionate.
The biggest challenge I had was writing a
sex scene where the female character makes love with a gay male. This was
interesting because she had a past of child abuse, and therefore couldn’t stand
being touched by a male, but she happens to fall for a gay male, and through
the story, their friendship grows and they form a very strong bond; so much so,
that he makes love to her not because he wants to make love to a female, but
because he wants to free her from her fear of sex. This is his gift of
unconditional friendship to her as her closest and dearest friend.
Do you use a certain formula to write the
sensual parts? Do you prefer the sex to be open and bold? Or left to the
imagination?
This all depends on the storyline. In the
same novel that I was talking about in the previous question, The Soul Bearers,
there is a scene where the two males make love. I decided to leave that to the
imagination rather than have a graphic scene. The main reason for this was so
that when the female character makes love with one of the gay males the scene
has more impact, as this is central to their relationship and to the core of
the story as a whole.
Who is your favourite character, which
you’ve created? And, why?
My favourite character is the gay male,
Matthew Davis, in The Soul Bearers. The reason being that he gives of himself
even though he’s going through his own problems with a partner dying of AIDS,
plus the rejection of his family because he’s gay. But it’s not just this, it’s
the way his character develops from being someone who’s got a chip on his
shoulder about his looks [he’s extremely good-looking, and people react to him
because of his looks; and he hates this]; anyway, you might say he’s a bit
self-centered about his whole situation, but then he opens up and learns that
there are others out there who are suffering just as much, if not more, and
this is what brings him close to Alex, the female character in novel; and they
share an unconditional friendship that is rare in this day and age.
Tell us about your newest release.
My latest release is the first novel of a
mystery series featuring an older female sleuth who works in the international
world of luxury hotels. She’s a real smartass, and the story is reminiscent of
the film noir genre, where the hero is always flawed, and mostly fighting
against all odds, but the hero never gives up. I also like the snappy comments
through the story. The other thing I like is having older female
characters—upward of 40. Mia Ferrari, in Playing with the Bad Boys, is 48. I
think there aren’t enough novels out there with older, wiser female protagonists.
Just for fun–
What is your favourite colour?
Dark green
Which do you prefer a great hero or a great
villain?
A great hero/heroine
What is your favourite movie? And, why?
I’d have to say Gone with the Wind. I love
Scarlett O’Hara’s character. She’s wicked and self-serving, but without knowing
it, she’s also generous and kind. She’s impulsive and maddening, but she gets
what she wants, and she NEVER gives up.
If you could be anyone in the world who
would it be? And, why?
I’d still want to be me, but younger,
healthier and a hell of a lot more wealthy! LOL
Where do you see your writing career in the
next five to ten years?
I don’t think I will ever stop writing. I
love it, and it’s how I express myself. I hope that within the next five years
or less, my writing will become full-time rather than part-time. Right now, I
have to support myself and my kitty with a bread and butter job, but hopefully
it won’t be long until I get a movie deal for The Soul Bearers, and/or my
novels really take off and provide me with a full-time income.
Meanwhile, my kitty won’t lift a single paw
to help me earn more $$$!
Website Link: www.sylviamassara.com
The Soul Bearers
Blurb:
Partly inspired by real life events, this
is a story of courage, the gift of friendship and unconditional love. The story
involves three people whose lives cross for a short period of time and the
profound effect which results from their interaction. Alex Dorian, freelance travel writer and victim of child
abuse, arrives in Sydney in an attempt to exorcise the ghosts of her past. She shares a house with Steve and the
disturbing Matthew, a homosexual couple.
Alex finds herself inexplicably attracted to Matthew, and she must
battle with her repressed sexuality and her fear of intimacy.
Matthew, extremely good looking and an
inspiring actor/model, lives with Steve, who is dying of AIDS. Matthew has his
own battle, that of dealing with the rejection of his socialite parents, and
facing a future without his partner. Steve is the rock to which the troubled
Matthew and Alex cling as they examine their lives and beliefs. Steve finally dies, but his legacy
lives on in the strength which both Matthew and Alex find to face their own
pain. Alex learns to love again, thanks to the gift of friendship from Matthew;
and in turn, with Alex’s love and support, Matthew learns to forgive the past
and move on to follow his dream.
This beautifully told story explores the
true meaning of unconditional love--for both one's self and for others. Readers
of "The Soul Bearers" will come away with a deeper understanding of
human relationships and of what it means to truly love without condition.
To read an excerpt from The Soul Bearers:
Rather than an excerpt, sample the book
through either Amazon or Smashwords, and watch the book trailer at:
www.sylviamassara.com (all links to the retailers are on my website).
Purchase Links:
All other ebook formats:
www.sylviamassara.com
And soon coming out in paperback (around
end of October 2012)
Publisher Link:
Only available in digital
format for the time being. For all retailers, visit author’s site: www.sylviamassara.com
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