Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Anna Lorenzi, but my close friends and family call me “Annina,” which means “little Anna” in Italian, maybe because I’m not so tall, but it’s also a term of endearment. I live in Milan, Italy, with two wonderful beagles. I cultivate various passions of mine, of course, writing, but also photography, music, taking care of my garden and my bonsai, travel (above all in my beloved USA!), and motorbikes and cars, especially “old” ones. In fact, I’m the exclusive consultant for a company that I founded ten years ago with a friend, and which operates internationally in the field of classic cars.
As for books, tales, poetry, articles, “pages”…, in reality – for work or for fun – I’ve written quite a lot, but currently I’m promoting my first book that I decided to publish professionally, but independently, with Amazon KDP.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest work is called Meeting Laura – A Novel Loosely and Partially Inspired by the Life of… (translated professionally and amazingly by Starleen K. Meyer from the Italian, Incontrando Laura…). It’s available, both as a Kindle eBook and as a paperback in all Amazon stores.
Various things inspired me to write this book. The idea was born suddenly when here in Italy we began to hear of bachelor and master degrees for being influencers; some concepts (described in the pages of my novel) that are a profound part of me and for which I felt like I wanted to narrate them in other forms, again; and the knowledge – if “virtual” – of the real Laura who contributed, as an example of a type of woman, to the development of the idea of this project.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if they could be called “unusual,” but usually I write when caught up in the spirit of the moment, almost as if it were a need to satisfy, following the flow of images and ideas that I suddenly see so clearly in my mind. Anyway, better in the evening with a beer and an ashtray close at hand.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Honestly, when I write something I try, if possible, not to be influenced by what I read. I want my writing to be completely honest and really and truly mine, that it gets to the reader like something that belongs to me in the deepest part of myself, like a part of me, and not just like a nice story that I decided to put down in black and white.
What are you working on now?
At the moment, in addition to keeping up with my personal blog annina19.com dedicated to my activity as a writer, I’m really concentrating on promoting my book that just came out. I can’t deny, though, that I’m already thinking of the next one… maybe a sequel, since people have already started asking me for one, or… We’ll see.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Today, in these times of social media, of thousands of titles published every day in the world, these times in which everything has to be fast and the parameters of an initial judgment are often (and unfortunately) “the numbers,” the likes, the hearts… well, I think that it’s not possible to choose just one method or one site to promote works. Being as present as possible – and in a good way – on as many platforms as possible is key. It creates a strong image, credible, human, sincere. You have to get people to talk about you. Enormous media exposure is necessary, something that isn’t often easy to get.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think that the best advice is always to write what you want and what you feel the urge to write, and not to think about what others would want to read. Following one’s own genuine inspirational passions. Being honest, real (and even a little critical) with oneself is maybe the best way to be it with readers, the best way to convey what we propose on paper and what we are.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Ahh, that’s a good question…
I don’t know if it was the best, but it was important and significant for me, “Always be yourself, BE, don’t SEEM, and… if you insist and persist, you’ll achieve and conquer.”
What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m really too busy to find the physical and mental space to enjoy a book as it deserves to be enjoyed. On the other hand, I’d like to begin a couple in English to improve my command of the language, maybe even starting with the last work of the “real Laura”…
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ve decided to keep on with my activity as a writer as best as possible, including on my blog, and to continue to follow this path of self-publishing for my books. I plan to continue doing it in both my mother tongue and in English, thanks to the super collaborative relationship that I have with my translator. I would also like to grow my public, to reach as many people as possible to get their feedback, to grow and to learn.
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?
Oh, man, it’s tough to decide. Let’s say that, in general, I think I would bring with me a novel I love, a book from when I was little, a book I’ve never read, and … the one I’m beginning to write!
Author Websites and Profiles
Anna “Annina” Lorenzi Website
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