I asked Ms Ami (it's what I've called her since!) a few questions about her novella and she was gracious enough to answer them here:
Q: Do you have real-life inspirations that you've included in this book?
A: Georgina is a hodge podge of my favorite characters in movies and books, like Kathleen Kelly(You’ve got mail played by Meg Ryan), and my doppelganger who lives in a parallel world because although I am a travel writer (in hiatus) and have gone to Macau, I am not the character. My life is exciting in a very ordinary way, I have kids, I write and my best friend is also a travel writer.
Q: Georgina works for a travel magazine and you've really captured her job well. Do you also work for one? How have your experiences helped you write this book?
A: I contribute to magazines like Cruising, Manila Bulletin, and the now defunct Women’s Journal. I know what is possible and what is not. But of course I can always push boundaries because the excitement of what can be, the string of possibilities, is the core of romance.
Q: Do you have any writing habits?
A: I write 500 words a day, more or less. It has helped me finish the novel. When I can’t write, I tell myself it’s going to pass. Just wait. Because I know it will always be there. I can’t let it go. And writing is a craft which I have to learn. For now it’s a hobby because I have not reached my goal of ten books. When I reach that, I can call it a passion.
Q: What kind of characters do you like reading/writing about?
A: I like feisty women and men who can deal with them, woo and win them.
Q: Are you working on your next novella? What will it be about?
A: I’m working on Romancing Stone. It’s about a girl named Colette, an events specialist who’s trying to live independently from her parents. She had recently been dumped by her boyfriend. Her new job as events specialist entails working with models, divas, and her client, the shockingly handsome Stone.
Ami Granada first discovered books when she was 3 years old, when her family had a short stint in Cotabato, Mindanao.Her first books were Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat and Aristocats. Her family moved back to Manila when she was 6. She is an English teacher and has been teaching at the Manila Japanese School for 16 years. She co-authored a World Literature textbook, Breaking Grounds, in English.
She also writes lifestyle and travel articles for Manila Bulletin. Her poetry, articles and stories have been published in several magazines. She has written two Filipino romance novels and one romance novel in English.
No comments:
Post a Comment