NEW >>What is your next book about and when is it coming out?
My December 2007 release is ONCE A RAKE. Read more… The book I am working on right now is titled Royal Blood, a historical vampire novel, set in Tudor England. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2009.
NEW >>Why do you write in English and not in Hebrew?
For historical and practical reasons.
Growing up, I followed my mom like a puppy, picking up every book she finished reading. She preferred reading in English. Her books were in English. So I read in English.
I started reading romance novels when I was 14–years–old, touring the National Parks in the US with a group of kids my age and spending hours on a bus. Every gas station shop in the middle of nowhere carried romance books… I got hooked!
It was the natural and most obvious choice for me to write the books I enjoyed reading in the same language — and hope that one day my own books will stand on bookshelves beside those written by my favorite romance authors.
Frankly, I don’t think I could write in Hebrew as well as I do in English because it has been a long time since I read anything in my native tongue besides bills.
NEW >>Your debut book MY WICKED PIRATE is an incredible "Indiana Jones" type journey through many countries, rich with history, drama, action, villains, romance, court intrigue, duels, battles, intimacy, sizzling sex, you name it. Where do you get your ideas and how much time do you devote to research?
Ideas come to me from traveling, reading, living, watching movies and documentaries, especially on the History Channel, chatting with interesting people, leafing through books about architecture or art or food or anything…
The deeper I get into writing, the more I make a point of broadening my horizons, physically and intellectually. I am like a sponge, soaking up the world around me and channeling the interesting parts that fascinate me into my writing.
It took me a year to do most of the comprehensive research for MY WICKED PIRATE , the rest I looked up as I went along.
Researching the Regency period for ONCE A RAKE was considerably less time–consuming because: a. it is a well documented time in history and there are dozens of books and websites available to study from; and b. because most of the story occurs in one place – London.
I am a huge believer in doing research. It is the author’s best tool, even if h/s is not writing historical novels. Research gets me out of the darkest corners and the deepest pits and transforms bogged down scenes to page–turners.
NEW >>Usually historical romance books feature Englishmen, Scots, and Irishmen. What made you choose an Italian hero for your debut book?
You mean, beside the fact that Italian men are extraordinarily beautiful, sinfully sensual, cocky yet sensitive alpha males who appreciate art & beauty, and when they speak in Italian women melt to a puddle? (BTW, in my mind, I cast Italian actor Raoul Bova for the leading role of Eros the pirate.)
Well, I was opting for a very sophisticated, well-traveled, sexy & sensual, royal hero – the kind that would sweep Lady Alanis, the gently reared heroine, off her feet and straight into an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime adventure. After all that is what she dreams of.
Another reason is that the history of Italy is very intriguing and action packed, with layers upon layers of eventful cultural developments from the time of the Roman Empire through the astounding Renaissance period that originated in Florence to the late 19th century when the Italian states were unified into one country ruled by a single sovereign. The fact that Italy was divided into self-governed states, gave me the perfect premise for my hero.
NEW >>Are you infatuated with everything Italian?
Guilty as charged.
NEW >>In MY WICKED PIRATE you mention a famous painting by Titian. Does this painting really exist or did you make it up?
Blindfolding Cupid or La Venere Che Benda Amore is a very real and famous painting by Tiziano (Titian), painted in 1565.
Titian dominated his time. He was known as Pittore Ufficiale della Repubblica Veneta (“The Official Painter of the Venetian Republic”) and was employed by princes and popes.
This lush painting hangs majestically in Villa Borghese (in Rome.) It is a small but richly endowed museum which is a masterpiece in itself and is surrounded by a splendid park. The villa was created at the beginning of the 17th century by Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, as a place of enjoyment rather than as a real residence, intended for parties, hunts, holidays, and art collection. It was all developed on a vineyard owned by the Borghese family since 1580 in the district called Parioli and always marked as Vigna Vecchia (Old Vineyard.)
Of course, Eros, the hero of MY WICKED PIRATE, was on a first name basis with Prince Camillo Borghese (the owner of the villa in 1706) and was invited to all those exclusive parties, hunts, and wine feasts…
Although I did not mention it in the book, Titian’s famous painting Sacred and Profane Love was another source of inspiration to me. It depicts the polar roles of women in the eyes of men, what Freud referred to as “The Madonna & the Whore.” Alanis, the heroine of MY WICKED PIRATE, teaches Eros, the hero, to find the middle ground of this perception – and with that True Love.
NEW >>I am an unpublished author. I’ve completed my first romance novel and am desperately trying to sell my manuscript. How did you sell your debut book? What advice would you offer me?
My first advice would be to find an agent. I met my brilliant agent, Evan Marshall, during the Pitch Slam Breakout (or as he jokingly calls it, a speed dating session) that lasted 2 minutes at the Writer's Digest Writers Conference prior to Book Expo America in New York City in the summer of 2005. Evan liked my pitch and asked to read the entire manuscript.
Weeks later, he got me a 2-book deal from John Scognamiglio at Kensington Books. A year later, MY WICKED PIRATE was in bookstores.
There are plenty of books, websites, and magazines that offer tons of information for aspiring authors. Check out my article “ Getting Published.” , I also I offer tips on pitching.
NEW >>Who is the most heroic person you know?
My mother. She taught me the meaning of unconditional love, inner strength, courage, and compassion. She encouraged me to believe in myself and to follow my dreams. She instilled in me the importance of education – how it makes one hold his head high – and of mutual respect between people. She was the rare kind of woman who was a cuddly mommy, a fabulous cook, and a gracious hostess – a lady.
NEW >>Who is your romance hero–dark, brooding bad boy, or knight in shining armor?
A dark, brooding knight in shining armor. He should be attractive, kind, compassionate, intelligent, candid, generous, strong, courageous, and determined – and not just in this particular order. And he must be a gentleman. If he uses the “b” word with the heroine – or lets her carry heavy diet coke bottles – I’m immediately turned off.
Toss in a sense of humor, blue eyes with a glint of wickedness, an athletic bod, and innate sensuality – and I’m in love! Of course, it doesn’t hurt if he speaks Italian…
NEW >>What or who inspired your debut book?
I’ve always known my first book would feature a pirate. For my 9th birthday, my grandparents took me on a Caribbean cruise. Every night they screened a pirate oldie in the ship’s movie theatre – The Crimson Pirate, Anne of the Indies, Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk, the Black Pirate… And I fell in love with the theme.
A couple of years later, my parents took us, kids, on a vacation to Lake Como in Northern Italy. We stayed at the Villa d’Este Hotel, a 16th century palazzo, and suddenly my wicked pirate got a mysterious and very glamorous past…
The more I read about pirates the more it became apparent that the Kasbah of Algiers and its gang of cutthroats – the corsairs – practically presided over the Mediterranean. And that’s when inspiration struck again. I thought, “Oh yeah. I’m going to give them a true taste of Arabian Nights.”
Doing the research for this part of the book was a breeze. I have the advantage of being intimately familiar with the scents, the sights, and the sensual allure of the Middle Eastern region and the Arabian Nights magic that still exists in it. I imagined a sexy Italian pirate wining and dining a Grace Kelley type of English lady in his private lair in Morocco, taking her by the hand to visit an old fortuneteller in the Kasbah, making love to her on a warm sandy beach…
Add to this my being a die–hard action movies fan and MY WICKED PIRATE became a thrilling adventure with duels, battles, and palace intrigue!
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