Life as Amber knows it

This week I’m joined by the lovely Cinta Garcia, who was not only sweet enough to let me pick her brain and find out more about her, but to do a blog swap with me…

Tell us about your upcoming book: what inspired the story, when you began writing it, when will it be available?  My upcoming book is called “The Funny Adventures of Little Nani”, and it follows the adventures of a funny, crazy little girl who wants to be a witch. Her misuse of her magic wand will lead to all kind of absurd situations, but at the same time it will make Little Nani meet lots of extraordinary new friends. I don’t even know what the inspiration for writing these stories was. I just wrote the first story in my blog one day in the spur of the moment. I simply wanted to prove myself that I could write something different to the emotional stories I use to write. I began writing the book in February, when people started loving the stories about Little Nani and suggested me to write a book about her. When will it be available? Well, I am finding more problems than expected as far as release is concerned, but I guess that it will be available in September.

Who would your guest list include for your fantasy dinner? Jane Austen, Colin Firth (imagine him discussing with Jane Austen about his role as Mr Darcy), and Tim Burton (wouldn’t it be funny if Tim Burton makes an adaptation of any Austen book?).

 What year would you visit in a time machine and why? 2004, because I was perfectly happy living in London and my mum wasn’t ill at that time.

What is your go to movie or tv show?  I watch the many adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels that I own, or I watch Bones or a very funny Spanish TV show about a crazy block of flats where these crazy people live. It is hilarious.

When did you start writing? I started writing when I was very young. I have always wanted to be a writer. Indeed, I won a writing contest in my city when I was 8. I wrote a tale about the importance of looking after the environment.

What book exceeded your expectations?  “Dark Prairies” by Rob S. Guthrie. I knew that it was going to be good, but it turned out to be a masterpiece. I read it in just one day because I couldn’t stop reading it.

Toilet paper/ paper towels: what’s the correct way to put them on the dispenser? I am not sure about how to explain it in English, but I guess if I say “with the piece of paper to pull on top” you will understand me.  It is totally wrong to put the toilet paper with the piece you have to pull closer to the wall.

If you’re going on a long road trip, what drinks and snacks are you going to pack? Ice tea and Diet Pepsi for the drinks, and sandwiches and crisps for the snacks.

Has a fictional character you’ve written ever shown up in a dream? Not really, but I have spent lots of sleepless nights thinking about Little Nani. Does that count?

What made you start writing? I have always had a very lively imagination, and I was always making up tales and stories. One day I decided to write them down. I never thought of writing seriously or getting published since last year, when a very dear friend I met in Twitter told me that I had a natural talent on me. I started to believe in his words (that didn’t sounded too pretentious, did it? Haha), so I started writing more seriously.

What is your morning ritual? I wake up, I get up, I open my patio door, I say “Good morning, Universe!”, I have a shower, and then I start helping my dad to get ready for the day.

Do you have any writing quirks?  When I write my Little Nani stories, I hold my magic wand for extra inspiration. When I work on my Regency novella, I use my Regency writing table and writing tools. I am freaky like that.

What do you think of books turned into movies?  Normally they fail to show the true nature of the book. Most movies made from books make me angry.

If you were going to a deserted island, what three items would you take with you?  Tons of food, tons of drinks, my Kindle.

Name 3 books on your to-be-read list. “Disenchanted”, by Cat and Lynx Raven; “Obsession”, by Dawn Torrens; and “Shadows of the Realm”, by Dionne Lister.

Best thing about where you live?  The food.

What book could you read over and over? Any book by Jane Austen or Tolkien.

Who is your favorite band or musician?  Only one? Well, then I will say Bon Jovi. I have loved them since I was 6 years old 😀 Picture this: summer, 1986, a crazy 7-years-old little girl singing at the top of her voice “Livin’ on a Prayer”. Yep, that was me.

What book do you think is a necessary read?  “On Writing” by Stephen King. If you want to become a good writer, you MUST read that book. It says a lot about what being a writer is.

Cinta, thank you so much for joining us this week!  Make sure to check out Ms. Cinta on Goodreads, Twitter, her website, and “Like” on Facebook.

~Amber