Bio Story:
Unlike most authors, I didn’t start writing books when I was five years old. In fact, I’d never been too interested in reading or writing. Hanging out with friends in the small Spanish town where I grew up always seemed more appealing than anything a book could offer. It took about twenty-seven years and a global financial meltdown for me to discover the magic world of writing.
At the time, I was living in New York City, and one morning I discovered I was no longer expected at my sixty-hour-a-week investment banking job. Most of my friends had very demanding jobs, so I spent my days wandering around on my own.
Like other unemployed people, I started living through the nights and sleeping through the days. New York is known as the city that never sleeps for a good reason! One night, tired of surfing the web and watching TV, I opened a Word document and started typing a short story, which I saved in my computer with little interest. That was the day Nate and Sophie were born.
Days later, since the financial industry seemed to be going into a downward spiral, I decided to spend three months traveling through Southeast Asia and New Zealand. I thought, naïve me, that by the time I returned, the financial crisis would have come to an end.
Something really strange happened to me during that trip. No matter where I went, I couldn’t stop thinking about the story. Nate and Sophie followed me everywhere. No matter how hard I tried to forget about them, they just wouldn’t go away. At the beginning, I thought I was losing my mind, but soon after, I realized I had to continue writing the story.
When I came back to New York, I went right back into it, and that’s how The Year of the Great Seventh was created. Unfortunately, halfway through the novel, I received a letter from the immigration department informing me that, with no job, I was no longer welcome in the United States. Without much of a choice, my boyfriend and I decided to pack our lives, along with my half-drafted manuscript, and begin another exciting adventure in London, where we now live.
Interview Questions:
First off, I believe congratulations are in order. For one you have conquered the mighty mountain that is writing your first novel, you were fortunate enough to travel to some beautiful places, and finally I hear you recently had a child! All amazing moments and they all happened within a year of one another! How are you going to top that for 2014? Any big plans for the near future?
Oh dear! That’s going to be difficult to top when you put it like that, isn’t it? I prefer to think that 2014 will be just as exciting as 2013. I’m planning to write the sequel and continue to travel the world. I’ll probably go back to New Zealand and Australia.
Writers always recommend writing what you know. Was this true for you, as an author of paranormal fiction? If so how did you incorporate what you know into the story?
I actually did half-and-half. I wrote half of the novel set in New York, a city I know very well, and I decided to have the other half set in L.A., a city I barely know at all. It was fun reading and learning about L.A. Same thing with Ancient Egypt; I truly enjoyed the research part!
What is your ideal writing setting? Are you a coffee shop author that writes amongst the hustle and bustle of life around you, the quiet corner of your home author with no distractions so you can focus on your task ahead, or do you have a different style entirely?
When I lived in New York, I used to go to the local library in the West Village. It inspired me to be sitting amongst other people who seemed to be so focused on reading or studying. Now, I write in my husband’s office (when he lets me use it…), and sometimes, when I’m feeling really lazy, I write in bed.
What was your inspiration for Nate and Sophie? Was your original short story anything like The Year of the Great Seventh?
The short story was actually what it is now the first chapter. I didn’t really know where the story was going, so the intrigue kept me going. I wanted to know how it ended. Nate and Sophie’s characters developed with the passing of each page.
You said you grew up in a small Spanish town, where are you from specifically? And is there anything from where you grew up that we can look forward to in your novel?
I grew up in a small town surrounded by orange farms in the Province of Valencia. Yes, exactly – where the Valencia oranges come from. It is a beautiful part of the world, but unfortunately, it is going to be difficult to find a storyline that brings kids from L.A. to Spain, but you never know!
Your path of becoming an author is quite unique, is there any advice you can give other aspiring authors out there?
I don’t really consider myself an author—those are big shoes to fill. I don’t think I qualify as a proper author yet, so far I consider myself a storyteller. As per any advice for aspiring authors, like everything else I have experienced in my life, do what you love, enjoy the journey, and don’t obsess too much about the endgame. That way, no matter what happens, you got some pleasure out of it. Publishing a novel sounds fantastic, but the true joy comes from writing each page.
This question is entirely driven by my own interests. I am not only and avid reader but I love to cook and bake, so I cannot resist asking what your favorite meal or dessert is?
I love this question! I love sweets, so it is hard to pick one. However, if I have to choose a winner, I’d say banoffee pie. It is an English dessert made of banana and toffee. (Disclaimer: I don’t actually bake or cook – I lived in NYC for too long – but I love eating!)
Synopsis of The Year of the Great Seventh and a sneak peak of Teresa's favorite excerpt!To undo the curse, Nate and Sophie embark on an adventure that takes them across the country. But their quest is not only to save the world as they know it. It is also a fight for their very survival. Behind the scenes, there are those that are counting on them to fail.
Teresa's Favorite Excerpt:
Admitting I wasn’t going to fall asleep, I emerged from under the bed covers, went over to the windows, and sat on the floor. They say if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Well, if the city lights were going to keep me awake, I might as well enjoy the view.
Crossing my legs in the lotus position, I admired the city skyline. The other glass tower across from us seemed to be private apartments. Most of the floors had their lights on. The energy of this city was captivating. Life continued on through the night in the city that never slept.
It was starting to snow. The frosty flakes resembled white cotton candy. They seemed to be defying the laws of gravity as they were suspended on the air and then swirled up into the sky. It was probably due to the air current caused by the tall buildings. But as things stood in my life at the moment, anything seemed possible.The traffic was as dense as rush hour in downtown L.A. Cars jammed around Columbus Circle, and no one thought twice about leaning on the horn, even though it was past midnight.
In one of the apartments opposite, a man was sitting by the window, typing on a laptop. The room was dark, but the reflection of the computer screen lit up his face. I could see him clearly. It was as though we were sitting across from each other. I was sure he could see me, too. We were so close, but at the same time, so far. This must be the big city syndrome where you can feel so alone amongst so many people. And knowing that Nate was just across the wall only enhanced the feeling.
I had to start blocking any thoughts of Nate. I had to give myself a break or I was going to start losing my mind. Unfortunately, I was aware that ignoring a problem wasn’t likely to make it go away. I couldn’t believe Nate had planned to hide the stain on his back from me. How long did he think he could pretend everything was going to be fine?
Dad taught me to only believe what could be proved by science, but this lulled me into a state of denial. Nate was vanishing with the tick of the clock, and I had to help him. I wasn’t sure how yet, but I couldn’t fail him. I wanted to slap myself to throw myself into action. How could I be so passive when I was losing the only thing I wanted.
The man in the apartment across from me was drinking from a cup and flicking through the pages of a book that he had next to the laptop. After scanning a few more pages, he continued to type. I wondered what he was doing. I wanted to think he was writing a detective novel based in 1950s Manhattan.
The man stopped typing and stared openly at me, as if he also needed to share his secrets with a stranger. It was snowing hard, and thousands of snowflakes playfully spiraled up into the sky, proving reality had many dimensions. The simple stare from a distant stranger was appeasing that loneliness that was taking hold of me.
I couldn’t stop staring back. Here, sitting on the floor of this grandiose room, in the epicenter of the madness of this city, I just felt so small. How was I, this tiny, fragile girl, going to make the world change its course?
The man with the computer—as if he could hear my thoughts—smiled at me and nodded. Without uttering a word, and with the power of our surroundings, this stranger confirmed that, yes, I could do whatever I gave myself to. It was probably a coincidence, but there were moments like this when the universe conspired to prove that life was full of magic moments. You just needed to learn to see past what was in front of you.
The man went back to typing on his computer, unconscious that with just one stare he’d provided me with the courage I lacked. I was beginning to fall in love, but in this case, with New York City. There was something about the anonymity of this city that brought us closer as humans.
I know this was an abnormally long post for me but I think you will find it was well worth your time! If you want to learn more about Teresa visit her at her website! Thank you so much for stopping by. And I believe I speak for all of us when I say thank you for introducing us to Banoffee Pie! --------------------------> As good old Willy Wonka would say scrumdiddlyumptious
As always, Happy Reading
Kelley Lee
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