Interview With Author Bianca D’Orazio
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am author of 37 published titles, but only one of them is under my identity as Bianca D’Orazio (my real name is Lee Ann B. Marino). I identify Bianca as my “alter ego” by which I explore the depths of fiction and fictional themes as opposed to my nonfiction writing. As Bianca, I have written one novel, which was recently released.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is titled The Morning After the Night Before. One morning almost two years ago I was getting ready to go out and I had an idea for a complex novel about modern-day dating with a social and political conspiracy twist that would make things worthwhile. (Let’s just say historical events that coincided around the same time also provided great inspiration!) While writing it, I drew on inspiration from my experience as a widow exploring the world of dating again after fifteen years off the scene, from the varied interesting people I met in the process, and research into different social conspiracies and ideas present – and scarily popular – at the time.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say my writing habits are any more unusual than any other writer. True writers are their own breed of people: we see and process the world very differently from those who do not write. Inspiration is found everywhere, anywhere we are willing to look. That drives writers to write at strange hours and unusual times with the most passionate drive to express our necessary words. We write, and we cannot stop writing; it is a compulsion as well as a lifeline, all in one.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was in my late teens I developed a deep love for philosophy. This prompted me to major in philosophy, religion, and theology when in college. I’d say the combination of the three have definitely influenced my literary inspiration, even if I am not writing books on those topics. Some of the greatest fictional prose was written by philosophers or religious figures, but it isn’t given such regard, simply because its content was absorbed by “philosophy.” Albert Camus’s The Stranger, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground, Voltaire’s Candide, and Søren Kierkegaard’s Diary of a Seducer all stand out as profound fictional inspirations that speak my philosophical language.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on two fictional works: One taps into dystopian fiction and the other taps into autobiographical fiction. Even though fiction writing is definitely a hobby, I find it a strangely cathartic release. I say there’s a little bit of me in at least one of the characters in all my fictional books, thus prompting me to explore more of fiction – and more of myself.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon Authors is definitely a wonderful way to promote books. Beyond that, social media gives us many different ways to share our work with the general public. Whether it’s promotions on Facebook, short videos on TikTok, blogging, or just talking about the book with others – there’s no way to go wrong by using internet resources for book promotions.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing for the first time is always a challenge. Finding your voice, especially through writing, can be shocking at first. Writers write not to “author a book,” but because they have to write. There is a drive, a force beyond any one of us that pushes out the thoughts and compels us to share, even if sometimes what we write challenges us. Follow that drive, even if what you write doesn’t make sense to you initially. Follow that drive, even if your books require a lot of editing. Get your voice out there. Let writing be your primary love affair: warm and inviting at times, cold and heartbreaking at others, and engaging, nonetheless, as you come back time and time again for the thrill it offers.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’m not the biggest on advice, but I definitely like – and appreciate – sound thoughts. Most of the time what I see resonates with me, not because it’s advice, but because it hits something within me. Perhaps the deepest words I have heard were seen on a meme: “I don’t pay attention tot he world ending. It has ended for me many times and began again in the morning.” This just makes sense to me as I have felt it – lived it – seen it – been it – too many times before. Every day, the sun comes up again. Everything has the power to begin again.
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Believing in God: Readings on Faith and Reason (Ed. L. Miller) and Samaritan Exegesis: A Compilation of Writings from the Samaritans (Amram, Son of Isaac and Jacob, Son of Aaron).
What’s next for you as a writer?
I do hope to finish the other fictional books I have started. As a writer, I never know for certain what is next. Inspiration can take us in any different number of directions. I know in all things, though, that whatever comes, I will keep writing. There will always be more to say.
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?
I’d bring a huge volume of philosophical essays by the great existentialist writers, the Bible (because I keep coming back to that time and time again) and a compilation volume of classic novels. Enough to keep me entertained, keep me thinking, and inspire me to write, even if I am in the middle of nowhere.
Author Websites and Profiles
Bianca D’Orazio Amazon Profile
Bianca D’Orazio’s Social Media Links