Interviu in exclusivitate cu autoarea Elisabeth Naughton

Interviu in exclusivitate cu autoarea Elisabeth Naughton

Bine ati venit in Romania. Una dintre cartile dvs. “Asteapta-ma” din Colectia „Carti Romantice”, a avut un impact major in randurile cititorilor. Ne-ati surprins placut prin stilul plin de substanta care ne-a facut pe fiecare sa nu lasam cartea din mana pana nu o terminam. Ati provocat in sufletele noastre o vibratie magnetica, dorindu-ne sa citim cat mai multe dintre cartile scrise. Din aceasta cauza asteptam cu nerabdare urmatoarele dvs. aparitii literare, si speram ca acest lucru sa se intample cat mai curand. Apreciem munca depusa si pasiunea cu care scrieti.
Welcome to Romania! One of your books “Wait for me” of the “Romance Collections” had a major impact on your readers. You surprised us pleasantly through the meaningful style that made us unable to put down the book until we finished it. You caused a magnetic vibration in our souls, making us want to read more of your books. For this reason, we are anxious for your new books to appear and we hope it will happen very soon. We appreciate your work and the dedication with which you write.

Ah, multumesc. Ma bucura sa aud aceasta! Acum voi zambi toata ziua.
Aw, thank you. I love hearing that! Now I’m going to have a smile on my face all day.

1. Cum a inceput Elisabeth Naughton sa scrie? Ce v-a determinat? Ati avut aceasta pasiune dintotdeauna sau a venit dintr-o data?
How did Elisabeth Naughton begin to write? What made you do it? Did you always have this passion for writing or it just came suddenly?

Raspunsul simplu este nu. Din totdeauna am fost un cititor vorace, insa nu am avut nicio banuiala. Mi-am dorit sa fiu scriitor pana la varsta de 30 de ani cand mi-am parasit slujba mea de profesor. Lucram de la varsta de 15 ani, si sa am atat timp liber… m-a afectat imediat. Am inceput sa scriu ca o modalitate de a-mi pastra creierul activ. Primul manuscris a fost ingrozitor si am crezut ca nu voi mai vedea lumina zilei, dar de indata ce a fost gata am stiut ca imi doream sa continui sa scriu ca si o cariera si acela a fost punctul de plecare.
The simple answer is no. I was always a voracious reader, but had no inkling I wanted to be a writer until my 30s when I took a leave of absence from my teaching job. I’d been working since I was 15, so to have all that time off…it got to me fast. I started writing as a way to keep my brain active. That first manuscript was horrendous and will never see the light of day, but as soon as it was finished I knew I wanted to pursue writing as a career and went from there.

2. De ce romane fantasy si romantic suspense? Va ganditi sa abordati si alt gen, sau acesta este cel care va reprezinta?
Why fantasy and romantic suspense novels? Do you consider approaching other genre as well or this is the one that represents you?

Thriller-ul romantic este genul pe care l-am citit dintotdeauna inainte sa devin scriitor. Pe rafturile mele cu carti vei gasi numeroase carti ale lui Judith McNaught, Elizabeth Lowell, si primele carti semnate Nora Roberts. Mi-au placut cartile care sunt impartite 50/50 dragoste versus suspans, asadar, cand am inceput sa scriu, a fost doar un gen logic spre care m-am indreptat.

De fapt nu am avut nicio dorinta de a scrie carti fantastice. Un prieten mi-a deschis apetitul pentru literatura fantastica dupa ce eu am inceput sa scriu, insa nu am citit mult despre aceasta.Vampirii erau tari in acel moment doar ca nu erau genul meu, si se parea ca fiecare roman fantastic sau literatura fantastica pe care o alegeam includea vampirii. Am crescut cu CS Lewis, Tolkien si acele romane de fantezie Choose Your Own Adventure (Alege-ti propria aventura) … va amintiti de acelea? Insa nu am planificat sa scriu in acel gen pana cand am lucrat la STOLEN FURY (Mania furata), primul meu thriller romantic. Personajele din STOLEN FURY cauta relicvele mitologice grecesti cunoscute drept Three Furies (Cele trei manii).

Intotdeauna mi-a placut mitologia greceasca, insa dupa ce m-am afundat in mitologie, in timp ce faceam cercetari pentru cartea aceea, am avut aceasta idee nastrusnica pentru un roman fantastic. Era pentru prima data cand o carte era finalizata – de la inceput la sfarsit – si am stiut ca trebuie sa o scriu. Am scris acea carte in cateva saptamani, am trimis-o agentului meu si am asteptat. A fost foarte nedumerita. Pana la urma nu era ceea ce scrisesem pana acum. Si mai era nevoie de ceva munca. Am tot oscilat si apoi ea l-a cumparat. Nici nu am sperat ca se va vinde … ce stiam eu despre scrierea fantastica? Insa spre surprinderea mea, am stiut. In doua saptamani. Cartea s-a dovedit a fi SELECTATA, cartea nr. 1 in seriile mele Eternal Guardians.

Romantic suspense is the genre I always read before I was a writer. On my bookshelves you’ll find numerous Judith McNaught books, Elizabeth Lowell, and early Nora Roberts. I loved that 50/50 split of romance vs suspense, so when I started writing, it was just a logical genre to slide into.

I actually had no desire to write fantasy. A friend turned me on to paranormal romance after I started writing, but I didn’t read a lot of it. Vampires were hot then and they just weren’t my thing, and it seemed every paranormal or fantasy romance novel I picked up included vampires. I grew up with CS Lewis, Tolkien and those fantasy Choose Your Own Adventure novels … remember those? But really didn’t plan to write in that genre until I was working on STOLEN FURY, my first romantic suspense. The characters in STOLEN FURY are searching for a Greek mythology relic known as the Three Furies.

I’d always loved Greek Mythology, but after immersing myself in the myths while researching for that book, I had this crazy idea for a fantasy novel. It was the first time a book came to be completely – beginning to end – and I knew I had to write it. I wrote that book within a few weeks, sent to my agent, and waited. She was king of perplexed. After all, it wasn’t what I’d been writing. And the world building needed some work. We went back and forth on it and eventually she shopped it. I had no hope it would sell…what did I know about writing fantasy? But to my surprise it did. In two weeks. That book turned out to be MARKED, book 1 in my Eternal Guardians series.

3.Ce va inspira in cartile dvs.? Cum va vin ideile pentru subiecte? Cum alegeti titlurile?
What inspires you in your books? How do you get the ideas for your subjects? How do you choose the titles?

Personajele imi apar cu mult inainte de intriga. Eu traiesc cu personajele cateva luni pana cand le clarific povestea in capul meu si intotdeauna las personajele sa ma conduca … care este povestea lor? Ce s-a intamplat in trecutul lor? Care a fost impactul lor? Ce s-a intamplat in intriga de m-a facut sa-mi doresc sa scriu? Nu pot spune intr-adevar de unde vin ideile, dar intotdeauna, intotdeauna stiu ca ele vin din personaje. Uneori acestea ma conduc in directii incitante pe care nu le-am vazut niciodata venind. Insa in 9/10 cazuri sunt uimit de rezultatul final.

Cu titlurile e mai greu. Niciodata nu stiu ce merge si ce nu. Am intitulat 50% din cartile mele si editorul meu a intitulat celelalte 50%. Sunt intotdeauna surprinsa cand editorul meu doreste sa continue cu titlul cu care am venit eu. Cuvintele din titlu sunt cele mai dificile pentru ca fiecare cuvant poate avea mai multe intelesuri. Gasirea unui titlu format dintr-un singur cuvant care se potriveste pentru o carte este intotdeauna o provocare.

Characters come to me first long before plot. I live with characters for months as I sort out their story in my head and I always let the characters lead me…what’s their story? What happened in their past? How does that impact what’s happening in the plot I want to write? I really can’t say where the ideas come from, but I do know they always always come from the characters. Sometimes that takes me in wild directions I never saw coming, but 9/10 times I’m blown away by the end result.

Titles are tough. I never know what’s going to work and what’s not. I’ve titled about 50% of my books and my editor has titled the other 50%. I’m always surprised when my editor wants to go with the title I came up with. One word titles are the hardest because each word can have multiple meanings. Finding a one word title that works for a book is always a challenge.

4. Drumul catre afirmare a fost greu? Ce obstacole ati avut de infruntat pana sa deveniti cunoscuta?
Was the road to celebrity a hard one? What obstacles did you have to confront with until you became known?

Inca sunt surprinsa cand oamenii ma recunosc sau imi vad numele la o conferinta si devin toti buimaciti. Anul trecut la o conferinta, eram la un restaurant si serveam pranzul, impreuna cu fiica mea, adolescenta, si nepoata mea. Doua femei care se aflau langa noi discutau despre conferinta, si am intrebat daca se distreaza. Mi-au raspuns ca da si au intrebat daca eram un cititor. Le-am raspuns ca nu si le-am spus ca eu eram autorul. Nu mi-au putut vedea insigna cu numele meu si cand au intrebat, am ridicat-o. Apoi au inceput sa tipe, sa se ridice de pe scaunele lor si au alergat in jurul mesei sa-mi dea o imbratisare. Fiica mea a facut ochii mari. Ea nu vazuse niciodata reactia unui fan la cartile mele, si a derutat-o total. Sincer, ori de cate ori se intampla aceasta, ma deruteaza si pe mine. Ma bucura cand aud de cititori, in special cand ei imi iubesc cartile.
It still floors me when people recognize me or see my name at a conference and get all giddy. Last year at a conference, I was sitting in the restaurant having lunch with my teenage daughter and niece. Two women sat next to us and were chatting about the conference, so I asked if they were having a good time. They said yes and asked if I was a reader. I told them no, and said I was an author. They couldn’t see my name badge, so when they asked, I lifted it. They then proceeded to scream, jump out of their chairs and run around the table to give me a hug. My teenage daughter’s eyes were huge. She’d never seen fan reaction to my writing, and it totally threw her. Honestly, whenever that happens, it still throws me too. But I love when I hear from readers, especially when they love my books.

5. Povestea lui Ryan si Kate din cartea “Asteapta-ma”, este deosebita, cum ati descoperit acest subiect?
The story of Ryan and Kate in the book “Wait for me” is special, how did you come across this subject?

ASTEAPTA-MA este o carte foarte speciala pentru mine. Este chiar povestea care m-a facut sa ma apuc de scris, cu toate ca nu este prima carte pe care am scris-o. Initial mi-a fost teama sa scriu pentru ca este povestea care mi s-a invartit cel mai mult in cap. Fiecare autor are o „carte a sa de suflet”, iar a mea este ASTEAPTA-MA.

Ideea povestii vine de fapt de la cantecul lui Michael McDonald, Matters of the Heart (Problemele inimii). Obisnuiam sa ascult acest cantec in drumul meu spre serviciu cand eram profesor, si intotdeauna imi imaginam o poveste in capul meu, bazata pe acest cantec. In acel moment, nu mi-am imaginat ca eu voi scrie intr-o zi acea poveste sau ca voi deveni un autor … credeam ca toata lumea isi imagineaza povesti. Insa, dupa ce am parasit locul de munca si am scris acel manuscris am stiut ca intr-o zi voi scrie ASTEAPTA-MA. Daca ascultati versurile, puteti „vedea” povestea lui Kate si Ryan:

MATTERS OF THE HEART (Problemele inimii)
de Michael McDonald

Inima zdrobita, privire insangerata,
Semne ale un nebun caruia i-a pasat prea mult
Acum ea a plecat si el nu-si poate aminti
Cum este sa traiesti fara atingerea ei
Sperand sa moara, dar cu siguranta sa traiasca sa-i spuna

Ca atunci cand vine vorba de probleme ale inimii

Totul este nimic in comparatie cu un prost care nu se va putea obisnui

Dupa ce tot whisky-ul si intelepciunea pe care a putut sa si-o inabuse
El a crezut ca era timpul sa inceapa sa iubeasca din nou
Si a gasit pe cineva si s-a rugat ca inima sa sa o urmeze

Dar cu greu putea face mai mult decat pretindea
Si, desi stia in inima ei ca dragostea lui a fost o minciuna

Cand vine vorba de problemele inimii

Totul este nimic in comparatie cu un prost care nu se va putea obisnui

Ei bine, din toate lucrurile pe care dragostea ne invata
Din toate caile pe care ni Ie deschide in fata ochilor
Nimic nu e mai profund decat lectia pe care el a invatat-o
Ziua in care ea a iesit din viata lui

Atunci cand drumul se ingusteaza cel mai mult
Ei bine, este atunci cand el isi aminteste zambetul ei
Si vede aceste cuvinte care aluneca pe buzele ei
Peste un rau de lacrimi pe care el le-a sadit

Pentru ca atunci cand vine vorba de problemele inimii

Aminteste-ti, nu este nimic in comparatie cu un prost care nu se va putea obisnui
Nu, nu este nimic in comparatie cu un prost care nu se va putea obisnui
Oh, nu este nimic in comparatie cu un prost care nu se va putea obisnui.

Link-ul catre cantec (cu versurile)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpH6QTLKmgI

WAIT FOR ME is a very special book to me. It’s really the story that got me writing, though it wasn’t the first book I ever wrote. I was actually afraid to write it because it’s the story that was spinning in my head the longest. Every author has a “book of their heart” and WAIT FOR ME is mine.

The idea for the story actually comes from a Michael McDonald song called Matters of the Heart. I used to listen to this song on the way to work when I was teacher, and I always imagined a story in my head based on that song. At the time, I had no idea I was going to one day write that story or become an author…I thought everyone thought up stories in their head. But after I took that leave of absence and wrote that first manuscript. I knew someday I’d write WAIT FOR ME. If you listen to the lyrics, you can „see” Kate and Ryan’s story:

MATTERS OF THE HEART
by Michael McDonald

Broken heart, bloodshot stare
Signs of a fool who cared too much
Now she’s gone and he can’t remember
How to live without her touch
Hopin’ to die but surely livin’ to tell

‘Cause when it comes to matters of the heart
There is nothing a fool won’t get used to

After all the whiskey and wisdom he could swallow
He thought it was time to start loving again
So he found someone and prayed his heart would follow
But he could hardly do more than pretend
And though she knew in her heart that his love was a lie

When it comes to matters of the heart
There is nothing a fool won’t get used to

Well, of all the things love teaches
Of all the ways that it opens our eyes
No more profound than the lesson he learned
The day she walked out of his life

When the road gets the most narrow
Well, it’s then he remembers her smile
And he sees these words forming on her lips
Across a river of tears he once cried

‘Cause when it comes to matters of the heart
Remember there’s nothing that you won’t get used to
No, there is nothing a fool won’t get used to
Oh, there is nothing a fool won’t get used to

Link to song (with lyrics): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpH6QTLKmgI

6.Pe cand putem citi in limba materna si continuarea cartii ,,Asteapta-ma”(“Hold on to me”) ? (Suntem nerabdatori sa aflam si povestea lui Mitch, un personaj fabulos)
When will we be able to read in our mother language the sequel of the book “Wait for me” (“Hold on to me”)? (We are anxious to know also the story of Mitch, a fabulous character).

Agentul meu lucreaza la aceasta! De indata ce aflu, voi fi sigura ca va voi transmite!
My agent is working on that! As soon as I know, I’ll be sure to pass the word along!

7. Primiti multe sugestii de la fani? V-a inspirat vreuna dintre ele?
Do you get many suggestions from your fans? Did any of it inspire you?

Uneori. De cele mai multe ori primesc sugestii despre ceea ce fanii NU doresc sa se intample. Cred ca voi avea unii fani foarte iritati daca intervin in relatia lui Demetrius si a Isadorei in seriile mele Eternal Guardians. (Gardienii eterni)
Sometimes. Mostly I get suggestions for what fans DON’T want to see happen. I think I’ll have some very irate fans if I mess with Demetrius and Isadora’s relationship in my Eternal Guardians series.

8. Aveti cateva serii interesante si cred ca au subiecte fierbinti: Eternal Guardian, Stolen, Firebrand. Ne puteti spune cate ceva despre ele? Vom avea placerea sa ajunga si la noi?
You have a few interesting series and I think they have hot subjects: Eternal Guardian, Stolen, Firebrand. Can you tell us something about them, too? Will we have the pleasure to have them in our country?

Sa speram ca da! Seria Eternal Guardians (Gardienii eterni), precum am mentionat si inainte, este o poveste inspirata din mitologia greaca transpusa in timpurile moderne. Eroii sunt toti descendenti ai marilor eroi din mitologia greaca si sunt toti prinsi, in acea epoca, in vechea lupta dintre bine si rau. Pana in prezent exista sase carti publicate din seria Eternal Guardians, sapte cu cartea – TWISTED – va fi publicat spre sfarsitul verii. Seria My Stolen este un thriller romantic bazat pe vanatoare de comori si a fost prima serie pe care am scris-o. In prezent sunt patru carti din seria aceea. Iar seria mea, Firebrand, este inspirata din folclorul arab, care include lumea djinn, ingeri si oameni, si cum li se intersecteaza vietile. Exista trei carti in seria Firebrand.

De asemenea, am inceput o serie noua – seria Aegis Security. Este o cifra octanica superioara, o serie care include un thriller romantic, sexy care se concentreaza in jurul unei echipe de agenti de securitate, toti cu istoric variat si periculos. Primul volum din acea serie – EXTREME MEASURES (Masuri extreme) – apare pe 8 iulie 2014, iar cea de-al doilea volum – LETHAL CONSEQUENCES (Consecinte letale) – este stabilit pentru data de 20 ianuarie 2015. Ma distrez destul de mult cu aceste serii si abia astept ca cititorii sa puna mana pe aceste carti.

I’m hoping you will! The Eternal Guardians series, as I mentioned before, is a fantasy Greek mythology based series set in modern times. The heroes are all descendants of the great heroes from the ancient myths, and they’re caught in that age old struggle of good versus evil. So far there are six published books in the Eternal Guardians series, with book seven – TWISTED – set to release later this summer. My Stolen series is a treasure hunt romantic suspense series and was the first series I wrote. There are currently four books in that series. And my Firebrand series is about Arabic folklore, which includes the world of the djinn, angels, and humans, and how their paths cross. There are three books in the Firebrand series.

I also have a new series starting this summer – the Aegis Security series. It’s a high octane, sexy romantic suspense series centered around a team of black ops security personnel, all with varied and dangerous backgrounds. The first book in that series – EXTREME MEASURES – releases July 8, 2014, and the second book – LETHAL CONSEQUENCES – is tentatively set for Jan 20, 2015. I’m having a lot of fun with this series and can’t wait until readers get their hands on the books.

9. Aveti un personaj cu care va identificati din cartile dvs.?
Is there a character in your books you identify yourself with?

Toate personajele mele au pe undeva ceva din mine – si este normal pentru ca eu le creez. Dar in mare parte, las personajele exact asa cum apar pe pagina. Nu vreau sa scriu niciodata despre acelasi personaj … nimic nu ma irita mai mult ca cititorul sa citeasca despre acelasi tip de personaj, doar cu nume diferite, locatie si intriga in carti diferite … si lucrez din greu pentru ca fiecare personaj al meu sa fie unic. Insa vreau, de asemenea, ca cititorii mei sa se identifice cu personajele, astfel, parti din personalitatea mea se vor transfera mai mult decat am planuit.
All my characters have a piece of me in them somewhere – they have to because I write them. But for the most part, I let the characters direct how they appear on the page. I never want to write the same character…nothing irritates me more as a reader than to read the same type of character just with a different name and location and plot in a different book…so I work hard to make each of my characters unique. But I also want my readers to identify with the characters so in that respect, parts of my personality probably come through more than I plan.

10. Ce pasiuni are Elisabeth Naughton?
What does Elisabeth Naughton enjoy doing?

Imi place sa calatoresc si sa vad locuri noi. Cititul – pentru placere, nu pentru cercetare – este intotdeauna trecut pe lista mea la activitatile placute. Si privesc cu placere un meci de baseball.

I love to travel and see new locations. Reading—for pleasure, not research—is always on my list of enjoyable activities. And I love watching a great game of baseball.

11. Ce planuri de viitor aveti? Pregatiti o noua serie?
What future plans do you have? Are you preparing a new series?

Tot timpul lucrez la noi serii! Chiar acum lucrez la continuarea seriei Eternal Guardians si continuarea cartilor din seria Aegis Security. Dar am idei pentru alte doua serii care sunt aproape de final si de care abia astept sa ma apuc. Gasirea timpului este singurul obstacol. I’m always plotting a new series!
Right now I’m working on continuing the Eternal Guardians series and working on the books in my new Aegis Security series. But I have ideas for two other series percolating that I can’t wait to dive into. Finding the time is the only hangup.

Va multumim ca ati acceptat sa ne potoliti setea de curiozitate a noastra si a tuturor cititorilor dvs. Suntem extrem de fericiti ca am avut ocazia sa aflam cate ceva despre munca dvs. pe care o apreciem si va dorim: Vant in pupa! Tot inainte, deoarece ceea ce faceti este minunat. 

Thank you for accepting to satisfy our curiosity and that of all your readers. We are very happy because we had the opportunity to find something about your work which we appreciate and we wish you the best of luck! Go on, because what you do is wonderful.

Va multumesc foarte mult pentru ca m-ati ales pe mine! Imi face placere sa aud de cititori, deci daca aveti orice alte intrebari, transmite-mi-le!
Thank you so much for having me! I love hearing from readers so if you have any other questions, send them on my way!

Cu respect,
Echipa Literatura pe tocuri – Mili & Iasmy

Sincerely
Literature on Heels Team– Mili & Iasmy

Site-ul autoarei http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/

Traducerea poate nu este mot a mot, din aceasta cauza aveti posibilitatea de a citi interviul in varianta originala.