Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve only published one book, thus far, under the pseudonym Véva Perala – who is, technically, one of the characters in the book itself. To be honest, I feel it might be more fitting to tell you about HER than about me, but that would likely constitute spoilers.
I live in the Pacific Northwest, and I’m sure it shows in my writing. The land is my muse – though I’m much less tied to time.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Farewell, Everything’ was largely inspired by my own personal struggles. Writing it was a profoundly healing process, even if I hated it at times. There’s sort of a “hero’s journey” woven into the plot that mirrors (metaphorically, of course) the battles many of us face in life. It’s the underworld plunge – and return to light – that we all undergo at some point, in order to grow.
But that isn’t what ‘Farewell, Everything’ is ABOUT. It’s about a poor, sick kid getting into hot water with a foreign war. It’s got plenty of drama tucked into it’s dreamy little package, but mostly it’s a surreal, sometimes silly coming-of-age story. It’s not overtly intended to make you think of your personal evolution! It’s meant to make you think of love, lies, bugs – and whether or not your house wants to swallow your soul.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Let’s just say it takes me a VERY long time to write a book, for MANY reasons.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Fictionally speaking: García Márquez, Murakami, Arundhati Roy. Salvador Placencia’s ‘The People of Paper,’ Sunil Yapa’s ‘Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist,’ George Saunder’s ‘Lincoln in the Bardo,’ Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis.’ Oscar Wilde. A little Proust (but just a little). Then, for dessert, Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles – because who doesn’t want to join the Talamasca?
I admit, I also have a thing for Subcomandante Marcos’s poetic prose.
Beyond that, I love graphic novels. David B.’s ‘Epileptic’ stands out, as does Joe Sacco’s explorations of Palestine (which, years ago, inspired me to go there myself).
I’m a nonfiction girl at heart, though. Probably 50% of that would be soft science – psychology, human evolution, or explorations of the neural pathways behind things like empathy and love. Another 20% would be spiritual. And the rest is history. Literally. As in history books.
What are you working on now?
I’m playing around with a ‘Farewell, Everything’ sequel, following the sweet, funny, and horrifying misadventures of the main character’s lost lover – an almost drunkenly synesthetic young man struggling to save the memory of his people as they are systemically killed off. But I take my time with these things. Unless real pressure is applied, don’t expect this book before 2035 or so.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t have a “best method.” I have a fun but ineffective method: I leave copies of ‘Farewell, Everything’ in Little Free Libraries, in hopes that they are “checked in” at nowherepress.com and passed around between friends – or otherwise kept in rotation. So far, though, few people have “checked in” or passed a copy on. I’ve been told to take it as flattery – people want to KEEP the copies they find. But it does sort of spoil the game.
Still, a game’s a game – and games are fun.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
No, I’m afraid I don’t.
Or wait, I do: don’t take advice from the internet. Follow your heart.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Follow your heart? Within reason.
What are you reading now?
I’ve been reading some Christian theology books, actually. I wasn’t raised religious (AT ALL). I know next to nothing about this stuff – so it fascinates me in a way no one I know relates to. I feel like an alien. I’m lucky to have no trauma or dogma or biases wrapped up in this. I’m free to be a tourist.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, the sequel that I mentioned is slowly in the works, with many stops and starts. The quarantine has my kids home from school, so finding time to write is little more than fantasy. But all things must pass.
Right?
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?
Probably some books on meditation or something because seriously – escapism can only get you so far in a situation like that. You gotta make PEACE with it.
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