Author annamaria bazzi has a new book out, Incantation Paradox. From what I've seen of it, it is very different and in a nice way. Fantasy, magic, and even a hint of romance are combined for a very curious story. annamaria was kind enough to sit with me and answer a few questions.
R: Today, I'm happy to welcome annamaria bazzi, my friend
and fellow author, to Rachelle's Window. annamaria writes fiction that mixes
fantasy and magic. I'm always amazed by her imagination and I think you'll be
intrigued too. annamaria, would you like a cup of cappuccino to go with the
biscotti, or a cup of tea?
a: A cup of cappuccino sounds wonderful, I can never refuse
such a great drink. I do want to thank you for having me over. You know how
much I love chatting with you.
You're having biscotti also, aren't you?
R: Yes, I had some lovely biscotti while in Pittsburgh. I
love the ones with anise and of course the chocolate dip. One cappuccino coming
up. Sorry I haven’t mastered the layering of a heart on top. I hear you grew up
in Italy. Are there some fond childhood memories that made it into your
stories?
a: No, I hate to say it, but no. I still have a hard time
putting down on paper that part of my life, but I always tell myself that one
day I’ll sit down and write about it.
What about you? I know you use your culture in your books,
but do you use some of your youthful memories?
R: Yes, here and there. I grew up in a very ethnically mixed
neighborhood, so a lot of what I learned about friends and their families helps
me make my stories more authentic. But, back to you. Is there a reason you
enjoy fantasy and magic?
a: Magic as always been a part of my life. I remember as a
child, all my cousins, when we got together, would ask me to make up adventure
games to fill our afternoons or evenings while all our parents chatted over
cappuccino.
I was always happy to oblige and my adventurous games always
involved magic. I was always a creature with magic, the creator of fun.
Frank Hubert introduced me to the world of science fiction,
and because I love both, I mix the two genres in my novels and throw in a pinch
of romance for good luck.
When did you realize you wanted to be a romance writer?
R: That’s a good question. I started out with historical
fiction, but very quickly found out I was only interested in the romance
portion. I then took a gander at romantic suspense because I was challenged
by the interplay between two story lines, the external plot with the criminals
and woman in jeopardy versus the internal emotional changes between the hero
and heroine. In many ways, romantic suspense is the best of both worlds, filled
with action, drama, thrills as well as a dash of romance and love.
Recently I decided to try pure romance to see if I could improve my character development and emotions. I found it heck of fun. The interplay between the hero and heroine provide ample opportunity for both hot, steamy moments and hilarious humor.
How about you? Have you ever thought of writing pure romance
instead of a novel with romantic elements?
a: Yes, I’ve thought about it only because I’m a very poor
romantic scene writer. To be well-rounded authors, we must challenge ourselves
and write that which makes us uncomfortable. Writing love scenes makes me
uncomfortable because I’m very poor at it, and that’s the reason I only have
elements of romance in my novels.
Growing up, I’ve always been an avid reader. I started with
the classics like Little Women, Pollyanna, The Secret Garden and then moved on
to Jane Austin, I believe I’ve read all her books, Emily and Charlotte Bronte,
George Elliot, Alexander Dumas, Dante’s Inferno, William Thackeray, Oscar
Wilde, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, I could go on, but then I discovered Frank
Herbert and Terry Goodkind and the world of science fiction and fantasy opened
up for me and my writing took on a new shape.
R: Sounds great. I can tell you like a wide variety of literature. Can you talk more about
the types of story you write? Do you like to mix genres and come up with
something unique?
a: In most instances I love to mix fantasy with science
fiction, and I always throw in a pinch of romance. Right now I’m working on a
novel for young adults I call Dragons in the Resistance where I deal with an
alien culture that likes to dominate and take over their world forcing their
beliefs on others. Something we see in our world in many different levels. A
sub-plot in the novel deals with oppression of women. As a friend of mine put
it, I take things I don’t like in our world, set them in a made up world so I
can solve the problems with my imagination.
White Swans which I’m hoping to release at the end of the
year beginning of the new one, deals with teens trying to assert themselves as
they discover who they really want to be. The novel is set in an alien world
that mimics our Regency Era, one of my favorite time periods. Besides adventure
and a pinch of romance, it has magic. You could say it has something to satisfy
many people.
Incantation Paradox is an adult, urban fantasy I wrote for
pure enjoyment. I took an overly done theme and reinvented it. The old body
switch from old to young has gone to a new dimension with magic, intrigue and
murder. I hope many will enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.
R So you’re basically writing about society issues
that are important to you and framing them in a fantasy world where you can do
something about it. Tell me, how did you find time to write given your busy
career and family obligations?
a: Many times I put the kids to bed and then stayed
up late just so I could write a little. I always kept pencil and paper near my
night table so if a brilliant idea came to mind at night I could jot it down.
It became easier to write once they became teens and I wasn’t the center of
their world anymore. Although I still keep pen and paper near my night table
and find myself writing before turning the light out.
Do you ever write before you turn off the lights?
R: I’m not that good with jotting down stuff at night.
I’ve tried it a few times in the past. Jot down what I thought was brilliant in
the middle of the night, but I noticed I never used it or thought it was so
great once I woke up. Maybe I’ll start trying it again.
What’s next on the horizon?
a: Now that Incantation Paradox is out, I’m working
on a young adult series called White Swans. The first book is called A Regency
World and I hope to be able to release it at the end of the year beginning of
the new one. I’m also working on a collection of short stories and I hope to
release in the middle of 2015. I love to keep busy.
R: That's great. I'm sure your readers will be happy to hear you're keeping busy. Thanks for dropping by for a chat. Let's break out this box of chocolate to celebrate your new book.
a: Why thanks. It's been fun visiting.
Product Description for Incantation Paradox:
Magic is an illusion. It doesn’t really exist. Or does it?
A horrible car accident destroys Dolores Reynard’s life. But instead of waking up in a hospital bed, she awakens in a teenager’s body. Soon, she discovers she is at the heart of the murderous mystery surrounding the death of Mona, the young girl whose body she occupies. Caught between an evil greater than she ever imagined and a wizard who heals her tattered heart, she is forced to play a dangerous game of intrigue in the hopes of finding a way to return to her previous life.
Will magic be her ally, or will it lead to her demise once and for all.
~ABOUT THE
AUTHOR~
Although
born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood
in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at
home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a
strange country. Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would
speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit
Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor
in Spanish.
Annamaria
spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating
innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she
raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia
with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.
You
can visit Annamaria at:
blog http://annamariabazzi.com
website
http://www.annamariasbooks.com
Check in
on KendÃka’s facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kendika.burkeshire
Rachelle, it was great chatting with you. thank you so much for hosting the tour. let's get together soon
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Best of luck on Incantation Paradox and let me know when you have something else coming up. :)
Delete