Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am Ana, Author & Artist, and I´ve been working in publishing and communications for over 30 years, traveling around the world. I graduated in Translation and Interpretation in English, also in French at Alliance Francaise with the “Certificat Superieur de la Langue Française”. I also hold a Bachelor of Arts with License in Artistic Education, I studied Literature at the University Paris IV (Sorbonne in building), Theatre and Literature also in the Maison de la Culture du Monde and Meditation & Dance in the WAC (World Arts & Culture) from UCLA in Los Angeles, California. My passion for other cultures lead me to seek out different perspectives and ways of life. I went to Australia, Tahiti, Hawaii, Bora Bora, Easter Island, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Paraguay, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Corfu (Greece), Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Virgin Islands, Brussels, Portugal and Spain. I lived in England, France (Paris), United States, Chile, but I am originally fromBrazil. I specialized in Arts and all things related to multimedia features. (Did I already mention that I also love to travel and experience cultures from around the world? Well, very much indeed!) I write from different genres, so I can easily go from one genre to another being very eclectic and flexible (oh, those years as a Ballet dancer gave me longevity). My short-stories and poems were first published in my sweet sixteen by Mackenzie Publisher. I translated and illustrated many books, magazines, such as Magie by Editora Ondas, a book by Sebrae: on crafts for the Chilean Council for Handicrafts. Books translated into Portuguese, such as How to Break In TV Writing, with Gray Jones, Writing the Heart of Your Story (Escrevendo o coração da sua historia) and Filme Sua Novela both with CS Lakin, “Think like a Genius”(Pense como um genio) with Raimon Samso, “A Esperança do Tibete” and “Dicas de Autodefesa”. I wrote more than twenty books for adults. including three trilogies, “Memoirs of an Amazon”, The Pierrot´s Love” and “Interestelar Series” from my first sci-fi book “Out of Thin Air” which I wrote way before the movie was actually released. I also wrote book series for children such as “Sing-a-long”, educational books as “How-to” and “The Enchanted Valley” Series that teach children about natural environment and the magic surrounding it.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book will be the one I´m working now in Portuguese, translated from English “The Mysterious Murder of Marilyn Monroe” which is already available for pre-order on Amazon.com. I decided to write this book more than three years ago when I heard about the way Miss Marilyn Monroe died and I thought to myself, “Well, that´s fishy!” Also it was the year 2011, tne years after the September Eleven and the next year it would turn out to be fifty years without her grace. And I kind of channelled her thoughts and then… well, you might as well read it, for it´s already done!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I take little pieces of paper where I write my thoughts at any given time, which could be very unexpected indeed and in many odd places. For example, two days ago, I was riding a bus with my mother and I had to ask her paper and pen (I know as a writer I should carry it everywhere, such an essential material) and then I wrote down some words that just came into my head. My mother didn´t even ask me anything. She knew I was in my writing process. As I woke up or even in the middle of the night I have to jump off the bed to write down my thougths. Some may even come from a dream I just have. I just feel like that if I don´t do it right away the train of thought will simply run over me and it will be lost forever… and that´s usually how it ends up to be, anyway.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh so many, but I can easily name by heart, literally, Charles Dickens, especially with his David Copperfield, Agatha Christie and all of her books were sensational for a young reader going through the adventures of middle school, Arthur Conan Doyle, Andre Gide, Richard Bach (One), Paulo Coelho and his Diary of a Magus,
What are you working on now?
As I mentioned before, I am working on the translation of my Mystery/Suspense hybrid fiction/nonfiction which I originally wrote in English to Portuguese. I am also working in anew book for children in my How-to Series. So keep an eye on it for there is more creative stuff coming up.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I usually advertise it to my dear friends and fans on facebook, I also add the links on to my Twitter account and I keep updates as much as I can. But what I found out is that it doesn´t matter much how or where I promote my books, I guess that people often get my books through google search or other means that I´m oblivious. For there is time that I promote too much and I hear crickets. And some books that I even take the time and effort to promote at all that gain visibility God knows from where and bingo!… There are other ways to promote that I´m not even aware of, but I insist on those two platforms I referred above for at least this way people know what I´m doing even if there is no much effectiveness towards them.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Please, please, don´t go publish until you are one hundred percent sure you are doing a great job, the best that you may deliver. For in this publishing media it´s easy to get it all wrong when you are just starting. Then you will regret later on for not having a good editor to go through your writing, or having a great artist to do the best cover for your book. Because if there is something I learned during these years in the publishing market it is to never ever understimate the power of good editing. And plus, the saying “never judge a book by its cover” was created by a lazy author who didn´t give much thought to what really works in the marketing of both fiction and nonfiction.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Working so many years doing TV commercials had its toll on me. The best advice I ever heard came from an ad of a famous brand (and I am not even giving the name of the product, and you will know what I mean): “Just do it!”
And from another one (and again I´m not saying it, I have my mouth shut): “Keep Walking!”
What are you reading now?
I´m reading “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” in French. But then again, I prefer it in the original language which I read twenty years ago. I´m also reading ” The Zebra Network” which I had also read such a long time that I don´t even remember the plot. I enjoy rereading books that I forgot how the story goes, the same with movies. It helps me keep my brain from having literal “paraphrasia”.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I guess with time we accept concepts and ideas that we did´t conceive before. Now I´m not giving more to high ideals, and just keep my two feet on the ground. Of course, I still have some aspiring dreams such as becoming recognized for doing a great job. But then again, I already became a bestseller, as I longed to become so long ago, and I also get recognition for my good work in so many differnet venues that it´s hard to keep track. So once I decided to let it go and let it flow, now I´m just enjoying the ride. Not that it was an easy task to do so, it took me more than twenty years to realize that, to reach out to the position I´m in and to improve my ways. It´s not that I lack ambitions. It´s just that after a while, we kind of sorted out what works and what don´t, we stop sweating the small stuff and see that some things are just not our cup of tea and we excuse ourselves for not bringing us about to so much rustle. We become soft, but in a good way, not sloppy or lazy, but comfortable with who we are. Ok, I guess I didn´t even give you an answer but I´m sure I get to a soft point there by simply implying that I will keep writing. (Remember: Keep walking!)
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“Letters to Theo” by Van Gogh, which I read fifteen years ago and I would read it again and again until someone would find me in the island. The other three books would have to be some that I didn´t read yet, perhaps something about how to survive in a desert island, how to build a hut or similar interesting topics that would help me get it through and along the way. Maybe a book about meditation (I will need to not get crazy such as Tom Hanks in the movie “Cast Away”). I would take an autobiography of figures I admire, it could be a book about Marilyn Monroe, who I just wrote about or with the lives of any other celebrity that do better job inside their brains than while acting on scene. Maybe a book from Deepak Chopra would help me out there and make me feel less isolated. Actually, my own book, “Out of Thin Air” which is about being lonely in space would do the job.
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