Start with the Facts About Mirella Patzer & Bloodstone Castle

Mirella Patzer visits with us and we're going to dig into some of the details about her latest book Bloodstone Castle.

1. How did you get interested in the topic that’s featured in your book?

Because I’m first generation Italian Canadian, I’ve always been interested in my roots and in Italian folklore and superstitions. I am also passionate about history, especially the medieval era. I love to tell stories about strong historical women. So I put my passions together and came up with Bloodstone Castle.

2. Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic?

I have travelled to Italy several times in my life and I am always fascinated with its many castles, easy accessibility to the sea, and warm climate. It is only natural that I wrote a story about some fictional characters in a land I love so much. I have done extensive research into the medieval times, specifically the 10^th century in order to write a family saga trilogy about Otto the Great and his family.

3. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?

If you have a strong interest or passion, then by all means you must pursue it. One can gain expertise in almost anything as long as you are willing to do the work and keep honing and practicing what you learn. In my case, I have extensively researched the 10^th century and honed my writing skills through the years. If you set your mind to it, you can achieve.

4. What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations?

I am a strong proponent of critique groups for authors. Friends and family are okay to share your books with, however, they are not experts or trained as writers. All authors are blind to their own work. So when you work with other authors and help each other perfect their manuscripts through line and content edits, you will produce a far superior product than an author who works in isolation. I run a very successful on-line critique group for historical fiction at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Historical-Fiction-Writers-Critique-Group/

5. Who is the ideal person to read your book? If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose?

I recommend my novel to both men and women who love a suspenseful tale told with a sprinkling of love and adventure which is a little on the dark side.

6. What do you think ignites a person’s creativity?

Creativity can arise from any source. It could come from people watching, or emotion, or a picture, or from one’s own life. When a small thought enters into your mind, don’t push it aside. Instead, examine the thought, expand upon it, let it take you where it wants to go. Then you can realize its full potential. And do not be afraid to push forward to make it real.

7. What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing?

The biggest stumbling block for aspiring writers is that they think about it but never actually sit down to do it. To write, one must write. Even if you think you can’t, only by writing will you achieve. So just do it!

Then you must immerse yourself in the writing world. Join authors groups on-line and in person. This is necessary to pull us out of our isolating work and learn about the industry and opportunities that exist.

8. How would you suggest they can overcome that?

Start small. If you write one page a day, you will have the first draft of a novel completed in less than a year. Then it will take several more months of self-editing to polish it. Think big, but take baby steps. That is the secret.

9. What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else?

Money is most definitely a motivator but not a major one. I think it is the desire to succeed or the desire to be recognized and acknowledged as human beings that drives us.

10. Who is the “perfect” person to read your book?

I wrote my book for pure escape. For those who work hard every day or who have stress in their lives. My novel can sweep you away into another place and time and I hope it can help you forget your troubles for a few hours. I have sold my book to both men and women and both sexes seem to enjoy it.

11 - Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I am currently working on another Italian Medieval romance entitled Orphan of the Olive Tree. Also, I’m working on the Ottonian family saga – the first book in the series will be called A Crimson Mantle. I hope to see them on the shelves in two years.

The Complete Tour Schedule – http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/mirella-patzer-virtual-book-tour.html

During the tour, we encourage people to visit each tour stop shown on the schedule. Each comment on any of the tour stops is an entry in the book giveaway. Several copies of Bloodstone Castle will be given away at the end of the month. One will be given to the “best” comment, one for the “most unique and relevant” question. In addition, the blog host where the winning comments were posted will also win a copy of the book. So, visit Mirella, learn more about Bloodstone Castle and post comments. Mirella looks forward to getting to know her readers.

In Detail With Mirella Patzer

Mirella Patzer is touring the blog-o-sphere this month to share information with people about her book - Bloodstone Castle. Today we'll dig into the details about Mirella and Bloodstone Castle...

Tell us the book title and your author name.

Hello, my name is Mirella Patzer and the title of my novel is Bloodstone Castle.

What inspired the book?

After years of research and writing a novel about the 10^th century, I needed a diversion, one that would release me from the confines of sticking to the facts and which would allow me to let my creativity run free. Bloodstone Castle is the result.

What makes this book special to you?

This book is special because it is the first novel that I created from start to finish. The characters, the castle, the plot,

it is all developed from my imagination. The only thing that is not fictional in the novel is the locations – Genoa, Portovenere, and Savona are actual locations in Italy.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?

I worked very hard to give people something different than the usual romance novel. I wanted it to be suspenseful, mysterious, funny, and full of new ideas and scenes. I added a bit of the odd and unusual too. I wanted it to be a unique experience, a novel away from the mainstream historical romances.

What people NEED to read this book and WHY?

Bloodstone Castle is meant to be pure escapism and fun. I want the book to entertain, to allow my reader to escape life’s little stressors and discover a new heroine, a new hero, and an exotic setting.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?

There is inspiration everywhere – on tv, in persons we know, in books we read. I often stumble on a tidbit of research that sparks a new idea for a novel or a scene I can put my characters in. Or I sit and watch a movie that makes me think about my own novels. Many times, I dream at night about my characters and in the morning, I have a new idea.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?

Work / life balance is what I personally always struggle with. During the day, I care for my 2 year old grandson while my daughter is in law school. When he naps, or before he wakes up in the morning, or after he goes to bed at night is when I manage to get to work on my email and blogs, or write book reviews, or work on promoting my novel. On the weekends, I try to focus on working on my current works in progress or focusing on critiquing the work of fellow authors who belong to my critique group. It is a daily struggle but I have found keeping to a basic schedule such as what I’ve described immensely helpful. Keep aside time to write, no matter how small. For me, at this stage of my life, writing occurs on the weekened.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?

I never aspired to be a writer. And to make matters worse, I never believed I could write even though I’ve been an avid reader all my life. It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s when I learned about my family’s history during World War II that the spark to write was born.

The Battle of the Moro River occurred on my grandfather’s vineyards in Italy. Hundreds of Canadian and America soldiers died there. My mother and her family lost everything because of the German occupation of their tiny town. They survived by living in caves throughout the battle and for eight months afterward while they tried to rebuild their bombed home. So before I can write this story, I need to walk that land, breathe the air in that cave, walk the past the grave stones of the Moro River War cemetary to honor the soldiers who lost their lives on my family’s vineyards. Only then can I do justice to my mother’s story. In the meantime, I hone my skills and practice my art by researching and writing my current works in progress.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?

I have learned a lot about promoting books. The funnest experience I had was working with seventeen other Italian Canadian women to promote our book, Mamma Mia: Good Italian Girls Talk back. This was a sometimes sad, sometimes humorous anthology about growing up as Italian Canadian women. We fed the masses with espresso coffee and cookies. We invaded every Chapter’s store within the vicinity of where we lived. We held a book launch at Pier 21 to honor the immigration experience our parents endured.

I’m also learning to blog, to create websites, and to join writer’s groups and reader’s groups. I’ve also learned to make a book trailer. Now, I’m learning about virtual tours. I spend hours every day updating information, blogging, writing book reviews, and working hard at participating in the writing community in any way I can.

I think I must be doing something right, because the local media is contacting me this time, and not the other way around. Who says hard work doesn’t pay off?

FICTION - If there is a setting, tell us how you decided on that setting and what you did to create a complete and vivid setting for your readers?

When I decided to write an historical romance, I didn’t have a plot in mind. I wanted to set my story in Italy because of my Italian heritage. And I wanted the story to be centered around a castle. A Google Image search for Italian castles provided me with a picture of a castle in Portovenere. As I began to develop the plot, I researched the vicinity of Portovenere and I included Savona and Genoa into the story.

FICTION - What inspires you about the hero or heroine in your book? What makes them memorable for the reader? What motivates the hero and/or heroine? You can include information about both if you want.

Both the hero and heroine understand their duty and responsibility to their family. Both Amoro and Morena have loving family backgrounds with positive relationships with their parents. It is the outside influences and people that bring conflict in their lives.

My hero, Amoro, knows he will be duke of Genoa one day and when his father is murdered and he learns his father’s last wish was for him to marry the daughter of their family’s enemy, Morena. Even though Amoro feels honor-bound to grant his father’s wish, he makes the best of the situation and does his best to win her heart and make it a love match. He treats people fairly and with dignity. I admire that quality in people.

Morena is also a woman raised to do her duty. Her mother died in childbirth so her father doted on her. Despite Amoro’s attempts to convince her otherwise, she struggles with abandoning a betrothal agreement entered into by her father with the villain. She is willing to sacrifice all to protect Amoro, her true love.

FICTION - Is there a villain or something that causes friction in your story? Tell us about what or who it is and how that contributes to the story. Any details about conflict and friction is good information to know.

The villain in my story is Duke Ernesto of Savona. He is the spoiled son of an impoverished duke whose gambling habits force him to take extreme action. Ernesto is pure evil and his deeds create most of the tension from start to finish in my story.

~*~

The Complete Tour Schedule – http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/mirella-patzer-virtual-book-tour.html

During the tour, we encourage people to visit each tour stop shown on the schedule. Each comment on any of the tour stops is an entry in the book giveaway. Several copies of Bloodstone Castle will be given away at the end of the month. One will be given to the “best” comment, one for the “most unique and relevant” question. In addition, the blog host where the winning comments were posted will also win a copy of the book. So, visit Mirella, learn more about Bloodstone Castle and post comments. Mirella looks forward to getting to know her readers.