Welcome to Author Wednesday. Today I welcome back Annamaria Bazzi, who did a guest post in March . Today, I interview her about her life as an author.

Hello Patricia, thank you so much for having me on your blog again. I do enjoy visiting and chatting with you. Before we start with the interview I’d like to say I’m back promoting White Swans: A Regency Era, which will soon be White Swans: A Regency World. In several weeks I’ll be releasing the fourth short story about Kendíka and Jillian’s life, after which I’ll complete their stories and publish the novel in its entirety. Here’s a brief synopsis of White Swans:

Left an orphan, Kendíka cries herself to sleep and startles awake in a Regency castle. Terror consumes her, and she attempts to escape only to discover the new world is her prison. Having no choice, she attends a ball given by her guardian, Lord Deverow, to introduce her into society. He admonishes her to follow the rules and promises to protect her from the wrath of the strange, hazy set of eyes spying on everything. But when she ignores his warning, Kendíka learns firsthand what it means to be disobedient.

It always seems that most writers take some time before they can mouth the words, “I am a writer/author.” When were you first able to call yourself a “writer” or “author?”

I’ve always been a writer; I believe anyone can write, but to be an author you need to practice the art of writing and the skills of writing. To be an author, you must come to the realization that even the art of writing evolves and changes, and as a good author you not only must have decent grammar, but also be able to put together words that captivate. As you write, you cannot tell; you must show. You need to be in the correct point of view. Characters must feel real, so the reader can relate to them. I’ve been working hard, studying, and taking classes to get to the point where I can say I’m an author. Mind you now, to be an author does not mean you have published a book.

That’s an excellent distinction. What messages or themes do you try to convey to your readers?

So far, each book is different from all others. In White Swans, I’m clearly informing my readers that as individuals we can all accomplish anything we set our minds to. It does take perseverance and never giving up, but we all have the power to change our immediate world and our lives.

That’s an important message to convey. Do you think you keep that common thread in everything you write? 

I’d venture to say I do since I’m always empowering my main character to fight and change her present situation and sometimes the world. In White Swans, Kendíka sets out to change the new world she woke up in, a world that in her mind is backward and underdeveloped. She wants to bring the technology of the twenty-first century in the world her captor, Saphora, has created for the human pets. In her struggle, she befriends her captor, the first human to ever do so. As the friendship develops, Kendíka, with her persuasive and gentle manners, shows Saphora the benefits of modernization.

In Dragons in the Resistance, which I’m hoping to have ready for publication for 2014, a sub plot deals with women’s rights.

Why have you chosen to write about this particular theme?

In my mind, it always takes one person to initiate and bring about change. That one person multiplies by two, then four, and so on. Eventually, many rise to fight the plight and changes in society happen. Because I strongly believe it takes one to initiate any changes, I usually have a main character fighting, alone at first, for what she believes to be a just and  better way of life.

Do you have a favorite character that you created?

I have two characters I’ve created and fallen in love with. When they first popped into my head, they filled my days and nights. Drove me crazy until I sat down and wrote part of their story. The book, which needs to be edited, is roughly 400,000 words. Richard and Asmifsf are from another planet, and live very exciting lives in the League of Universes. The two men are dedicated to their work and to the love of their life. They are altruistic in their relationship, and understand, or at least try their best, to understand the woman they love. They also care about people and their well-being, and go out of their way to help others.

OK, they sound perfect, but they do have their faults. Therefore, to discover their imperfections you all must wait for the first book to be published.

What’s the best thing said about one of your books by a reviewer?

I don’t know if it’s the best, but it’s certainly the one I like very much. The entire review is short and sweet and startled me. It is for White Swans: A Regency Era:

“Like Alice In Wonderland, the lead character finds herself in a new magical setting, but the difference here is, it isn’t a nice tea party with one lump or two. Dark forces are at work that have you wondering as to what their designs are. For an entertaining afternoon read, this is a keeper.”

We all get them eventually, so what advice can you give to other writers about receiving a bad review?

Receiving a bad review is not the end of the world. Use whatever explanation the reviewer gives to improve your writing. Always look at your work with a critical eye, but remember that you cannot please everyone all the time. Understand the reason why you write. Writing brings fulfillment to my life. Therefore, I write because I enjoy it, and I write about things that ignite my imagination. Why are you writing?

If you could invite two other authors over to your house for dinner, who would you choose?

I would love to have dinner and pick at Orson Scott Card’s brain. I love his books, and I find the way he expresses his words captivating. The other author I would love to have at my dinner table unfortunately has passed on. Frank Herbert is the man who brought me into the world of science fiction with his Dune series. What I find fascinating about the man is that he left a legacy of notes for his son to continue writing and expanding upon the world he built with such care.

Annamaria, it has been a pleasure to host you once again on Author Wednesday. I look forward to your return when you promote your new book.

About Annamaria Bazzi: Although born in the United States, Annamaria spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the States, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish. Annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solutions, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond, Virginia with her small family, where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.

You can visit Annamaria at:

Blog: http://annamariabazzi.com

Website: http://www.annamariasbooks.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Author.annamariabazzi

Email: annamariascorner@yahoo.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMBazzi

Check in on Kendíka’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kendika.burkeshire