Welcome to Day 17 of Romancing September Across the World. Today’s author is Marina de Nadous and her book “The Celestial Sea”. Cross over to Georgia USA in a few hours and read what Marina has to say about writing romance in today’s society with Stephanie.
Marina has chosen not to reveal her full picture for privacy reasons.
Let’s find out more about Marina;
1) Where is your hometown?
My hometown is Frome in Somerset, UK
2) How long have you been writing?
I began writing 7 years ago
3) Have you always written romance?
No—I never set out to be a writer. I am a novice author launching a series I have been working on since 2006. I consider myself a scribe, recording a story that arrived unexpectedly in my lap.
4) Your book is written in diary format, why did you choose this?
My above answer goes some way to explain my reason for the diary format. Written as a diary narrative, the story includes the beginnings of my writer’s career and the conception of the series. In a way, the story turns itself inside out as my writer’s journey becomes embroiled in the script.
5) There is a chalk model of a ship on your book cover. What is the role of the ship in the book?
I shall leave that as a mystery—for now. I don’t want to expose too much of the magic interwoven through the pages of The Celestial Sea Voyages. ‘Lovers’ Metaphor’ is a clue.
6) Much romance is written with characters in the 20-30 year old age bracket, do your characters fit this model?
Move it on ten years—my story will probably resonate more strongly with adults in their 40/50’s. I presumed I had written a romance for women in this age bracket but I have been enormously surprised to find that the men are appreciating the story just as much, if not more, than my female readers!
7) You chose New Zealand as the setting for your book, why?
For one reason only—I just happened to be there when the story appeared. Others would say it was destiny that took me there. My story certainly points to the ‘destiny’ theory.
8) Do the New Zealand Maori traditions play a part in some of the spiritual areas of the book?
Many aspects of Kiwi life are represented throughout the story—seen through the eyes of a domestic housewife and mother new to the Southern hemisphere. I hope I have represented lots of interest in this realm and yes, Maori heritage, culture and spirituality provide evocative elements throughout the tale.
9) Fans have described this as one of the ‘Great Love Stories’, why do you think that is?
This is a hard one to answer because I am both the writer and the protagonist. All I can say is that the romance is totally unique. I have never read anything that compares. Each person takes from it what they will. Readers with a spiritual leaning will gain most from the series. Mix a cocktail of ‘Shakespeare in Love,’ ‘Bridget Jones Diary’, add a nautical, sacred ingredient that can’t be put into words and perhaps—perhaps that might just define the story—sort of!
10) Will any of your work be available to buy on Kindle?
Yes—the series is available in both paperback and Kindle.
11) You’ve just published book 2 in the series, what is it called? How many more books are you planning for fans? Any planned publication dates?
The first book; ‘The Celestial Sea’, was published last August. The second book is called ‘Dry Dock’ and came out at the beginning of this month. There are several volumes planned, but as yet I have no fixed publication dates. It rather depends on the public’s appreciation. Over to you, readers—how much can you take?
Find “The Celestial Sea” on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
A Big Thank you to Marina for being our guest today, Good Luck with the series.
Rosie Amber 