Thursday, June 16, 2011

Up Close & Personal with Author - P.H.C. Marchesi


Where were you born and where do you call home?

I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and left as a teen because my father got a job at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria. Then, when I was 17, I got a college scholarship to the U.S., and I also spent a year in England. I really think of myself as a global citizen, since I absorbed aspects of so many cultures and experienced so many different countries. I'm not even sure what I'd call home anymore, since I feel at home in a lot of different places.


What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?

My debut novel is a young adult fantasy/sci-fi novel called Shelby and Shauna Kitt and the Dimensional Holes. It's about 13-year-old brother and sister twins who are recruited to seal a dimensional hole that allows nasty aliens to travel to Earth.


What or who inspired you to write? And how long have you been writing?

Ever since I can remember, I’ve written. One of my first writing memories is an eulogy to a beloved pet fish, over whose death I was grief-stricken.Writing was always a way for me to relate to the world and all of its possibilities. I spent a great deal of my growing years daydreaming, inventing exciting places and adventures for myself. Often I’d run entire adventures in my head while doing something else altogether. My grandmother used to write poetry and novels, and so maybe I got the writing urge from her. Even as a very young girl, I began putting together home-made picture books of short stories with my own illustrations. The drawing habit eventually died off, and I focused more and more on writing as I composed several short stories as a teen. Eventually, the stories got so big I began to consider writing novels. I always had so much imagination that the need to get it all onto paper was enormous – in a way, it was a huge relief not to have it all in my head. Imagination is strange that way: it absolutely demands to be shared.


Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?

I do give gift books to reviewers and bloggers who are serious about reading and posting reviews. Those who are interested are welcome to contact me at phcmarchesi@gmail.com


Have you based any of your characters on someone you know, or real events in your own life?

I translated the memory of moving from Brazil to Austria into the idea of traveling to a different dimension. I still remember very well the sense of excitement I felt, as a young teen, upon learning that I’d be going to an unknown place, where the culture, the language, and even the climate were completely different. I really did think I was embarking on a great adventure, and it’s those feelings I drew on when I wrote Shelby and Shauna Kitt. I wanted to convey the sense of boundless potential and achievement that characterizes this period in our lives.


What books have most influenced your writing most and why?

As a child, I used to love Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story, and I think the book still holds a special place in my heart. This particular novel, incidentally, is all about losing yourself in the world of fantasy, and perhaps this is why I found it so meaningful in my youth.


Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcover?

I love e-books, because they are so convenient. I have an e-reader, and like it so much I buy mostly e-books these days. But I still love paperbacks and hardbacks that are visual works of art -- in other words, beautiful objects. I feel that way, in particular, about old or rare books.


Are you a self published (Indie) Author?

Yes. Shelby and Shauna Kitt and the Dimensional Holes is my debut novel. It is the first book in the Shelby and Shauna Kitt series, and I'm currently working on book two.


Do you have a book trailer?

I am currently working on a book trailer, and I expect it will be ready by the end of the summer.


What is the best advice that you have ever been given when it comes to writing?

To write your first draft. I learned not to agonize over whether a first draft will be perfect. If you have a story to tell, do it! From your first draft you can begin to polish and fix things. It’s amazing how much a story develops from the first draft! If you worry too much about making the first draft perfect, however, chances are you’ll stifle your story (or yourself!) by demanding that everything fit perfectly on the first try.


Cats or dogs?

I have both. I also have a fish! I tried to rescue as many as I could. All animals are wonderful, and I am privileged to share my life with them.


Where can your readers follow you?

My blog: http://shelbyandshaunakitt.blogspot.com/

My facebook page: http://on.fb.me/mAZYvy

My Goodreads author page: http://bit.ly/luZQ0F

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/PHCMarchesi

Other: phcmarchesi@gmail.com

Amazon: http://amzn.to/kGPjkF

Other: Barnes&Noble http://bit.ly/ktBpqY

CreateSpace https://www.createspace.com/3591719


Is your book in Print, ebook or both? Both.


Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me and allowing us a glimpse into your writing word. Patti

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