Interview: Eiko La Boria

Eiko La Boria is the author of The Fame Shame Game. Today, I'm interviewing Eiko. I hope you'll say hello and read about an author :)



First off, tell me a little about yourself, and your books!


Thank you to Lacey from Sizzling PR for arranging this and to thy Storm Goddess for allowing me to be a part of her world where I can share a little about myself and my artistic endeavors. I was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico and split my time on the island between the beach and the mountains, in Cidra, Puerto Rico. I’m definitely more of a country girl at heart. I’m a relative of the Afro-caribbean poet, Juan Boria, who was famous for his performance art. The first city that I lived in the U.S. was Boston, but currently dwell in New Jersey.  I was awarded a WGAE/Columbia University Screenwriting Fellowship and the The Fame Shame Game: The Debut is my debut as a writer.
The Fame Shame Game: The Debut is an illustrated erotic parody. The restless spirits of Hollywood are creating their usual brand of mischief when they take special notice of the newly arrived Lana De Luna, an aspiring movie star. Lana has a face and body created for sex and an overpowering voice in her head that beckons her to take no prisoners–in vain, she tries to subdue the voice as it urges her to have but one goal, make it to the top of Hollywood by any means necessary–instead she falls in love with the callous and handsome rake, Morton Cay, who reduces her to shambles, thrusting Lana to finally heed the echoing almighty voice and transform into the most ruthless player in the game–looming souls laud her new ambition–bringing Morton Cay and all of her detractors to their grimy knees!


How long have you been writing?



I’ve  always been creative, either with my mind, my hands, or with performance art, dancing, and acting. I was young when I realized that I was a writer, it happened one day, when I was play acting in a mirror and I began writing what I would say next, I would look at the paper, recite the words, and then immediately scratch it out and rewrite, little did I know that this would become a lifelong endeavor. As a teenager, I won a handful of writing awards, my stories were always quirky, offbeat, and yearned to tell a story in a way that it had never been told. I always wanted to invent a new form, style, or genre-creating a masterpiece with these elements was always the challenge at hand.

When you aren't writing, what are some of your favorite hobbies/ passtimes?


I write, it truly is my guilty pleasure. The ability to go off into some world, which you dictate the pace is exhilarating. I’m sorry if that’s a boring answer, but it’s the sincere and honest answer. When I have something good going, it will keep me up at night, just like when you meet a special somebody and you can’t wait to run into them again, the same is true when I write a story. I just can’t wait to meet up with all the characters again-it’s indulgent. I also enjoy a nice glass of wine. During my first visit to Italy, I was taught all the mechanics of wine tasting and I do love a good inhale of the wine just as I am about to drink it-the aroma does indeed make it taste better.


Who are some of your favorite authors? Favorite genre?



I do read quite a bit, but I’m most intrigued by books on humanity, biographies, and investigative reports. I enjoy reading journals on foreign affairs, political commentaries, and reports on events leading to bigger events, like the story of the 26 year old Tunisian man, Mohammed Bouazizi, who set himself on fire in protest and thus fired up his country and was the beginning of the Arab Spring. I also enjoy reading ancient studies on civilizations, religions, architecture, and so forth. I like reading fact-based stories, that’s where I get most of my stories from. That’s how I found the inspiration for my illustrated story, Class of Beslan.Class of Beslan is about a group of children that survive the 2004 school siege in Beslan, Russia by Chechen rebels that left over 150 children dead. The group of survivors subsequently make a pact to take revenge on the rebels that destroyed their lives. Although the story itself is fiction, it’s inspired by a true event.  Class of Beslan will be out later this year.
If you were given the chance to co-author a book with someone, who would you chose?
Either Plutarch or Marcus Aurelius, I loved both Plutarch’s Lives of the Roman emperors and Parallel Lives and I’ve read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations several times. And any Russian writer, I love the way the russians write, especially Tolstoy, I’m chasing him...


What's the strangest thing you've done, or strangest question you have had to ask for research purposes?


“What exactly is a kegel ball-dildo combo?”


What talent do you wish you had, but don't? (For me, I wish I could draw better!)


It would be nice to heal with a touch, some people have this very rare and unique gift. It’s as though they fill you with light and positivity, by simply placing their hands on yours.


What's a typical writing day for you like?


I don’t know really...I’ve never paid attention to all the details of what occurs when I write. I do know that it starts with a rhythm, a musical beat that plays over and over in my head. When I write, I do it to a beat in my head and the words must go with the flow of the beat. I think this is why I also write original songs to the stories, because I hear these melodies in my head throughout and after awhile, I must write lyrics and bring these beats to life. Once, I write the music that accompanies the story and the story comes to an end, another beat develops and so does another story.


How many different genres do you write in?


I don’t have a particular genre, per se, that is my favorite. I like to tell stories inspired by true life and true events. Although The Fame Shame Game: The Debut is an erotic parody, I don’t consider myself an erotica writer. I just happen to have visited Los Angeles and various film festivals and became enthralled by how big a role sex plays in everything. The amount of actresses and actors willing to do just about anything to achieve fame, even if that means, in a sense prostituting their souls to achieve it-is pretty funny to me, so therefore the idea for The Fame Shame Game was born. I think reality is a lot more intriguing than anything, which can be conjured. Therefore, I like to take reality and reinvent it, write it in the way, I would like or would have liked for things to transpire.
If only one, do you ever think about writing a different book than what you are known for?
Every story I write is a different genre, which can be difficult because people can’t categorize you, but that’s lucky for me,  because the last thing I want to be is categorized.


What do you do to celebrate a book release day?


Start another story...




What are three things your fans don't know about you that may surprise them?


I once chatted with George Clooney on the patio of Eden Roc in Antibes, France during the Cannes Film Festival about politics and life. The hype is definitely well-placed, he’s charming, down-to-earth, and intelligent.
As a child, I studied dance under Jacques D’Amboise.
One of my writing mentors is Jamal Joseph, a former black panther and current Director of the Film Program at Columbia University.


What are you working on at the moment in terms of writing?


Thank you for asking this question...yes, and it’s completely different than TFSG. I’ve written Class of Beslan, which is also an illustrated story. It’s about a group of children that survive the 2004 school siege in Beslan, Russia by Chechen rebels that left over 150 children dead. The group of survivors subsequently make a pact to take revenge on the rebels that destroyed their lives. Although the story itself is fiction, it’s inspired by a true event.  Class of Beslan will be out later this year.
What's something you'd like to accomplish that you have not yet done?


Fans writing me love letters..




The Fame Shame Game:
The Debut
A fictionalized erotic parody inspired by life in the Hollywood fast lane!

“In the sex war, thoughtlessness is the weapon of the male, vindictiveness of the female”
The Unquiet Grave, Palinurus (1944)

The restless spirits of Hollywood are creating their usual brand of mischief when they take special notice of new arrival, aspiring movie star, Lana De Luna, who has a face and body created for sex and an overpowering voice in her head that beckons her to take no prisoners–in vain, she tries to subdue the voice as it urges her to have but one goal, make it to the top of Hollywood by any means necessary–instead she falls in love with the callous and handsome rake, Morton Cay, who reduces her to shambles, thrusting Lana to finally heed the echoing almighty voice and transform into the most ruthless player in the game–looming souls laud her new ambition–bringing Morton Cay and all of her detractors to their grimy knees!

Amazon / E Book / Createspace / Soundtrack

About The Author
Eiko La Boria was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. She was named after the character, Eiko Tanaka, in director Sydney Pollack's film, The Yakuza. She is a relative of the beloved Puerto Rican poet, Juan Boria. She studied screenwriting under Academy Award nominee, Professor Jamal Joseph, of Columbia University. She is of Cuban, Spanish, and Moroccan descent and The Fame Shame Game: The Debut is her debut novel.
Website

Excerpt
This is an illustrated book. Below is a link to an online excerpt so readers can see pictures and the story.
http://www.classifiedimagination.com/FSG_Excerpt.pdf