Do you write full-time?
Yes, I do, though I wish I were more of a disciplined writer. Being able to make your own schedule has its disadvantages, as I often get distracted by housework and other family-related errands. My house is often messy, but I’ve come to realize that a messy house is part of the life of a wife/mother author. There are those times when you have to choose between doing laundry and writing that chapter, and if you’re serious about writing, you better choose that chapter!
Was there anyone in your life that you can give credit to helping pave the way?
My mother has always been unconditionally there for me, no matter what.
What is your favorite book at the present?
The Awakening, by Kate Chopin. I have read it countless of times and never tire of it.
If you could trade places with one author who you have admired over the years, who would it be and why?
That would have to be Anne Rice. I discovered her books when I turned 30 and she became a major influence. The Vampire Lestat changed the way I looked at writing. Rice’s vampire books mix commercial appeal with lyrical, insightful writing that I thought only existed in literary works. I fell in love with her dark, poetic style, her rich, baroque descriptions and with all the history and philosophy she always interlaces in her fiction. Sadly, her last books are not nearly as good as her first works.
Why would I want to trade places? I read she once got a twenty-million advance for a three-book deal! But I’d trade places with her only in a literary level and not in a personal level. Rice is an author who has suffered deeply. She lost her five-year old daughter to leukemia (the result which was Interview with the Vampire) and, needless to say, I would never like to go through that, not even for all the millions in the world!
Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, co-authored with Anne K. Edwards, is The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing.
A few years ago, I woke up in the middle of the night and ‘heard’ a voice in my head say, ‘You have to write a book on how to write book reviews.' Afterwards, I immediately started writing down topics and preparing an outline. I also invited my author friend Anne K. Edwards to collaborate. This was a great decision because we complemented each other and she was able to come up with ideas I had not thought of before. It was a great experience working with Anne.
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Nice interview, Dorothy & Mayra. Congrats, Mayra, on success of "Slippery Art."