Introduction
Again, I was surfing the net and in particular, Authors dean, when I came across the information about Eva. I visited her ‘space’ on Myspace and the blurb for her upcoming novel piqued my interest; naturally, I contacted her with a request to interview her. She agreed and without further ado, I have great pleasure in introducing to you Eva Pasco …
Aneeta: Eva, thank you for agreeing to this interview.
Eva: Aneeta, I appreciate this golden opportunity to bask in the limelight.
Aneeta: I’ve read your bio on MySpace. I’d appreciate it if you could share some of the information here. For instance, please tell me a little about your childhood, where you grew up, what you do for a living and where you live now.
Eva: I grew up in Lincoln, Rhode Island. I recall sitting on my mother’s lap as a toddler listening to her read stories to me until she grew hoarse. I remember both of us giggling uncontrollably over the story, “Teeny Tiny.”
We lived in one of the first houses on Angell Road built by my father’s uncle. Mother and I would go blueberry picking in the expanse of woods surrounding us. We’d trudge home with our buckets full of berries. Mother would prepare pies, and we’d often head out to pick more berries while the pies baked in the oven. Then, my sister came along and I had myself a playmate—a bossy one at that!
My father’s hobby was restoring antique autos. On Sundays we’d joy ride in our vintage mobile, garnering curious stares from passing motorists.
I earned both my Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees, magna cum laude, from Rhode Island College. I taught at Northern Lincoln Elementary for twenty-nine years, accruing fond memories of both my students and colleagues.
I currently reside in southern Rhode Island with my husband and three cats.
Aneeta: I understand that your writing career began when you were very young. Would you please share with us how you started your writing career?
Eva: By the age of nine, Mother had tutored me into becoming a proficient typist. I soon began pounding chapter stories replete with dialog on my girly-pink Tom Thumb typewriter. I developed a mystery series. That was followed by espionage stories filled with gadgets conjured from my wild imagination: a carnation camera; tint-o-shine, an eye drop solution that could trigger motion on still photos; an earring radio…. You get the general idea.
In high school, I composed my first romance novella, Stoker. My cover art consisted of magazine cutouts. A sheaf of orange paper was held together by fasteners. Nevertheless, this literary stroke of genius earned its place on a library shelf. To my delight, the floppy copy grew tattered from overzealous handling.
Aneeta: Please share with me a little of what your typical day is like.
Eva: An early riser, I start off my day by clicking on the computer to check correspondence and navigate My Space, the launching pad for making new friends and promoting my upcoming novel. Http://www.myspace.com/evapasco Then, I groom my cats, prepare their food bowls, and engage in a morning exercise routine by running on the treadmill and working out on the cardio-glider and Bow Flex. Housework, running errands, and cooking fill my day. Invariably, a notion pops into my head for my current writing project and I scribble it down to decipher later. A-a-h, evening rolls around and I’m in my writing mode in front of a double-hung window.
Aneeta: What do you consider to be the most important aspect when telling a story?
Eva: Details, details, details… factual or fabricated, and interweaving the two.
Aneeta: I understand that you have a book which is about to be published in December this year, Underlying Notes. Please tell us what this story is about.
Eva: Underlying Notes, my Romance/Women’s Fiction novel, is being published soon. Underlying Notes is a postmenopausal coming-of-age that strews crumbs of callousness, blame, self-sacrifice, repression, and restlessness along the unmarked trails of introspection and reinvention weaving through Carla Matteo’s journey in the second act of life.
Carla copes with life by “taking to the bottle”—glass goddesses funneling perfume!
Fragrance addiction numbs the pain of her father’s tragic death, wards off the sting of a severed adolescent friendship, fortifies her against the stench of employment in her husband’s waste management company, and wafts through fantasies of having a fling with hubby’s paesano. The juice offers incentive for Carla to find her own niche, while the ominous rose note in Paloma Picasso forces her to confront a troubled past and come to terms with the tenets of her life.
Readers will navigate past Rhode Island’s affluent coastal communities, prominent landmarks, cherished institutions, and olive oils spills of the underworld. They will “trip” over debris from the sixties: fishnet stockings, patchouli, Vietnam, the Beatles… Before the last page has been turned, they will discover the multiple meanings of the title, Underlying Notes, a story as multilayered as the fragrances Carla wears to permeate back stories that illuminate the present and surrender secrets one morsel at a time.
You can read more about the book here. In addition, you can enjoy a FREE READ (Chapters 1-3) with the option to purchase the print book or eBook as well.
Aneeta: As you know, this website caters for storytellers. What advice would you give those who would like to take this art seriously?
Eva: Persevere. Writing is not for the faint of heart. After “The End,” the writer’s arduous journey to go public begins with the task of finding a suitable publisher. I’d like to take this moment to thank my publisher, Jonathan Womack of Charles River Press, who recognized the potential in a fledgling writer, and fanned the wind beneath my wings.
Aneeta: Eva, this is all I have to ask you. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Eva: Just that I’m one of those baby boomers who found her own niche in the second act of life through writing stories impacting the lives of women. I’ve just begun my journey along this untrammeled path.
Aneeta: Eva, thank you.
Eva: Aneeta, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing aspects of my life and illuminating my upcoming novel for prospective readers.
This piece may NOT be freely reprinted. Please contact editor @ howtotellagreatstory.com for reprint rights.
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