Interview with Mayra Calvani

Wednesday already?  Wow, didn't the week just start? Well, in any case, today's post is part of a virtual tour with Mayra Calvani. I'm interviewing Mayra, so I hope that you'll come along and learn about a new author. 

First off, tell me about yourself, and your writing.

I write fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. I’m also a reviewer, freelance book publicist, and writing instructor (on book reviewing and writing picture books). Needless to say, my days are mostly spent in front of the computer. I live in Belgium with my husband, two wonderful teenagers and our adorable golden retriever.

How long have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and what genres?

I have been writing since I was about 12. I wrote short stories and school plays. In high school, I completed my first novel. My first published material were stories and poems in small literary magazines when I was about 20. Since then, I’ve had two nonfiction books, one story collection, three novels and 12 children’s picture books published, with several more already contracted on the way.

Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever consider straying outside your genre?

I do write in multiple genres, from children’s picture books to YA, to nonfiction (for both kids and adults), to adult paranormal and satire. I have a separate website and blog for my children’s books: www.MayrasSecretBookcase.com and www.MayrasSecretBookcase.blogspot.com.

I’m inspired by many different things and like to follow my muse where she takes me.

Are you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?

I’ve tried both methods. I think both ways have their advantages and disadvantages. There’s no ‘better’ way. It depends on who you are as a writer, how you work and how your creativity unleashes on the page.

I used to be a panster, but the result was often a weak plot and saggy middle. However, I once wrote a book during Nanowrimo in a strictly stream-of-consciousness manner and the result was a well structured book with an intricate plot that got agent representation. So you never know.

Nowadays, I prefer to plot in advance while at the same time leaving room for flexibility. I like to have a solid idea of the premise, plot and characters before I start writing. This process has made the actual writing stage easier for me. While plotting, I may write a short summary or a logline for each chapter. What I like about this method is that I always have a basic idea of what I need to write next, so I hardly ever have the dreadful writer’s block. But, as I said, I usually come up with new ideas while writing, so I keep myself flexible and open to them. And if I must suddenly change the course of the plot, then so be it. A good story should develop organically, and as Alan Watt, author of The 90-Day Novel advises, you must remain curious and not try to solve the problem at the same level of consciousness that created the problem.

What is a typical writing day like for you?

I work best in the mornings, when I’m rested and my mind feels fresh. After the kids are off to school and my hubby to work, I get a cup of coffee and sit at the computer with my golden retriever, Amigo, at my feet. Often, I do a short meditation. Next, I write my goals and objectives for that day. This is extremely important for me. Writing down my goals and objectives keeps me focused and productive—most importantly, it keeps me away from ‘bright shiny objects’ that can stir me away from my major goals. Then I start writing. I’ll usually write for 2-3 hours from Monday to Friday (I take weekends off to be with my family). After my writing session I have lunch and take a short walk with Amigo. Afternoons and evenings are for other work-related stuff such as promotion and publicity, networking, reviewing, blogging, etc.

I started adopting this system this January and it has worked wonders for me. The key points here are to write down my goals and objectives, then work on my work-in-progress before I do anything else.

What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

I’d like to sell my YA 4-book urban fantasy series to a large traditional publisher.

If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?

I’m torn between reading minds and flying.

If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?

Bastet, the ancient Egyptian cat goddess!

Tell us a little about your latest release, DARK LULLABY.

During my early to mid twenties, I lived in Turkey. It was an incredible experience. Not only did I learn to speak Turkish, but I also made wonderful friends and learned a ton about their customs and folklore.

Many people there believe in the cin (pronounced ‘jiin’). Not the jinn as westerners know it. You know, the genie that comes out of magic lamps. The cin is a much darker creature that could better be compared to the fairy. In Turkish myth, it is a being that lives in the forests. It can be good or evil. It is of spirit form but can shapeshift into an animal or human. Like the western fairy, it is often volatile, mischievous and prone to pranks, some of which can be deadly. It loves milk products.

Want me to get creepier? It has a bizarre taste for live human liver and, when in human form, its feet are set backwards!

Oh, and those little lights that you often see in the woods on warm summer nights, otherwise known as fireflies? They aren’t fireflies. They’re cin.

I was fascinated with the accounts I heard, fascinated enough to write a novel. Thus, Dark Lullaby was born.

What is something that you absolutely can't live without?

Books.

Could you ever co author a book with someone? If so, who would you choose, and what would you write?

Actually, I did. With my friend, fellow author and reviewer Anne K. Edwards, I co-authored the award-winning nonfiction book, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing. It was an immensely positive, fun experience.

What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?

Public speaking.

Favorite color?

Royal blue.

Favorite place to read?

Everywhere! LOL.

Favorite meal.

Anything that I can hold in one hand so I can hold a book with the other. 

If you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you back, where would you go?

I’d go on a two-month trip around the world in a luxurious cruise ship.

Book description:

At a trendy Turkish tavern one Friday night, astrophysicist Gabriel Diaz meets a mysterious young woman. Captivated out of his senses by her physical perfection as well as her views on good and evil, he spends the next several days with her. After a while, however, he begins to notice a strangeness in her—her skin’s abnormally high temperature, her obsession with milk products, her child-like and bizarre behavior as she seems to take pleasure in toying with his conscience. 
The young woman, Kamilah, invites him to Rize, Turkey, where she claims her family owns a cottage in the woods. In spite of his heavy workload and the disturbing visions and nightmares about his sister’s baby that is due to be born soon, Gabriel agrees to go with her. 
But nothing, not even the stunning beauty of the Black Sea, can disguise the horror of her nature. In a place where death dwells and illusion and reality seem as one, Gabriel must now come to terms with his own demons in order to save his sister’s unborn child, and ultimately, his own soul.
Dream Realm Awards Finalist!

Available on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Lullaby-ebook/dp/B005UI7FOG

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94529

Bio:

Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults and has authored over a dozen books, some of which have won awards. Her stories, reviews, interviews and articles have appeared on numerous publications such as The Writer, Writer’s Journal, Multicultural Review, and Bloomsbury Review, among many others. A reviewer for over a decade, she now offers online reviewing workshops. When she’s not writing, reading, editing or reviewing, she enjoys walking her dog, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Visit her website at www.MayraCalvani.com, join her mailing list, and automatically receive the free ebooks, Reviewers Talk about Their Craft and the first lesson from my Slippery Art of Book Reviewing Workshop.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/mcalvani

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayra-Calvanis-Fan-Page/162383023775888

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/272703.Mayra_Calvani

Dark Lullaby

By Mayra Calvani

Blurb:

At a trendy Turkish tavern one Friday night, astrophysicist Gabriel Diaz meets a mysterious young woman. Captivated by her beauty as well as her views on good and evil, he spends the next several days with her. Soon, however, he begins to notice a strangeness in her–her skin’s abnormally high temperature, her obsession with milk products, her child-like and bizarre behavior as she seems to take pleasure in toying with his conscience.
The young woman, Kamilah, invites him to Rize, Turkey, where she claims her family owns a cottage in the woods. In spite of his heavy workload and the disturbing visions and nightmares about his sister’s baby that is due to be born soon, Gabriel agrees to go with her.
But nothing, not even the stunning splendor of the Black Sea, can disguise the horror of her nature. In a place where death dwells and illusion and reality seem as one, Gabriel must now come to terms with his own demons in order to save his sister’s unborn child, and ultimately, his own soul…

Notes From the author...

 

"Dark Lullaby is about a young astrophysicist who is lured into the Turkish countryside by a mysterious young woman, of course, she ends up being something totally unexpected. In the end, he has to face his own demons in order to save his twin sister’s unborn child.

I’ve always been very interested in moral dilemmas and in the concept of a higher good. For instance, is it okay for a man to steal in order to have money to save his little girl, who is dying? In the case of Dark Lullaby, I went a step further: is it okay for a man to kill for the higher good? More than horror, it is a bizarre, suspenseful tale. It is based on Turkish lore. I lived in Turkey for five years and the culture, the people, the stories I heard there had a big influence on my writing."

*****

Why I decided to use Turkey as my setting...

"The first part of Dark Lullaby takes place in Baltimore, but it was inevitable for the setting to move to Turkey. This has to do with the nature of the anti-heroine which I will not reveal here, of course. J I also wanted to add a primitive, exotic flavor to the story, and what could be more primitive and exotic than a small village in the Black Sea coast, a place surrounded by woods and influenced by strange lore? I don’t think there are many scary stories out there connected to Turkish lore, so I thought: hey, this is something different, something readers may find unusual and original. So for this novel, I felt the setting was very important for the plot."

 

*****

 

What appeals to me about the supernatural...

 

"I detest gore. What appeals to me are the unknown, the unexplainable, and a good story with good characterization and a lot of dark atmosphere. Paranormal is probably my favorite of all genres, but I hesitate to say I like horror because horror has turned to trash these days. I like the classic, traditional ‘horror’ ala Edgar Allan Poe, very different from the average horror being written these days. I can think of a novel I read a couple of years ago, a ghost story with stunning writing: The Ghost Writer, by John Hartwood. I guess what I like falls more under paranormal or supernatural suspense, but the lines are so thin between genres and subgenres these days, sometimes it’s hard to categorize a book."