Hello Everyone and welcome. Thank you for visiting last week and meeting Novelist / Writer Victoria Avilan. It was a pleasure to see you all and I really appreciate your support. Also, I want to thank you for sharing the podcast interview I had with Suzie Carr on her Curvy Life podcast. Click below to view it.
Today I have asked author Nico J. Genes (Reverie Series) to guest on today’s blog. She also has a forthcoming book, Lessons in Life, which I helped beta read, debuting very soon. Nico is an artist who paints her pages clearly. Her books are full of mystery, drama, and romance and get’s you wondering. I invite you to find out more about Nico. Read on!
“If I have more than one life, I would definitely dedicate this one entirely to you.”
– Nico J. Genes, ‘Magnetic Reverie’
Tell us about yourself.
Recently I participated in a self-promotion seminar where they recommended to ask our friends what do they think about us. It was a funny exercise because my friends seemed to see a bigger and brighter picture of myself. I don’t lack self-confidence, I don’t have a big ego either, I am just a human being trying to make a difference through everything I do.
What is your book series, “The Reverie Series” about?
At first glance, it is a different kind of love story. “Magnetic Reverie” is about Lana, who is discovering her new sexuality by falling for Claire, the girl from her dreams, while being married to Greg. It starts with the struggle and mix of emotions between dreams and reality, it continues by seeing what thoughts are passing through Lana’s mind fighting the prejudices and also fearing how the world would judge her if she would decide to come out. But also it’s about decisions. Whom should she chose, Claire or Greg? “Reverie Girl” shows us also Claire’s point of view and some before and after. Overall, the series is full of emotions, sometimes sad, as real life it’s not always a fairytale, sometimes full of desire, as this is something natural when there is a strong chemistry between two people, it’s about remorse and trying to figure out what the best decision is, it is about forgiveness. The main message: love should not be judged.
Why did you choose India as a setting for part of your story?
Have you visited the Taj Mahal?: In the sequel, India plays an important role especially because of Claire’s acceptance of who she is and I found it the best by using the analogy among the diversity that is present over there. Yes, I have visited Taj Mahal and I was really impressed by it. You have to see it in reality. Actually, I have visited all the places I describe in my series and I just hope that I managed to make someone curious about seeing them in reality as they are all worth seeing.
Me: After reading this, I want to travel to these places.
Do you believe in love at the spiritual level?
Yes. My favorite movie is Café de Flore and I think this is the reason why I loved that movie so much. My trip to India made me start thinking about the spiritual life.
How would you describe your protagonist, from the series?
Lana is beautiful, smart, young, self-confident, sociable, it seems she has everything, except for a child. Claire, on the other hand, lacks self-confidence, she is gorgeous but she doesn’t see it; she had a tragic childhood, she doesn’t socialize, doesn’t trust many people, in many ways she is the opposite of Lana. But with all her imperfections she is more real than Lana, who tends to be superficial at times. Together though they bring the best of each other.
How do you compare writing short stories to full-length novels?
Two of my write-ups have been chosen to be included in the anthology of short stories and poetry called Limitless released as a charity project. I would say that the main difference is that when writing short stories you need to be more concise, choose every world a bit more carefully than in full-length novels. It depends though on the type of both. I also think that some writers prefer short over long and vice-versa, I am both. In full-length novels, I write as long as the story asks me too.
Why did you choose to be a writer?
I listened to my inner voice. It has allowed me to take a path to use my creativity and tell some unique stories. In the adult life, it started with the idea for another book that I am yet to write and then The Reverie’ series that I chose to write first. I liked the idea, I saw the message that I could bring it out there so I worked on the plot and really enjoyed writing it.
What is it like living in Croatia? Where would you take a friend to see the sites?
I was living in the south of Croatia, at the seaside, in the city of Šibenik and surroundings that are all mentioned in my series. Especially for those of us that don’t live by the sea, I think I can call it a dream come true (even when the weather conditions weren’t the most favorable :-)). I would definitely take my friends to see those exact places as they are beautiful.
What are some of your favorite places to visit in Europe?
I was born in Romania, I am living in Slovenia, I lived in Croatia and also traveled a lot. I think it is really hard to pick any favorite place in Europe or worldwide. They all have beauty in them. I know for me that wherever I am close to nature I feel the best, so that is my favorite place.
What is a favorite ethnic dish you like to create for friends and family?
Well, I don’t really cook much, and I am very picky regarding food, my friends and family know that 🙂 I do have a favorite dish. It is called eggplant salad. It’s typical Romanian and it must be prepared by my mother to have that special taste that I love.
Who is your favorite European musical artist? Have you seen them perform live?
I do like many artists, but now to placing them on the map I would have to mention Queen and The Cranberries, unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to see them live. I do like a lot Siddartha, Slovenian band and recently discovered the lovely Ditka, Slovenian singer and I have been to their concerts.
Which languages do you speak? How does it feel to be multi-lingual?
Instead of getting lost in translation is better than you know the languages from the countries you live in. Besides Romanian, my native language, I speak Slovenian, Croatian and English. I would love to improve my French and as Romanian, I would be very fast in mastering Italian and Spanish, but I didn’t find the time yet.
On your blog, you review books. What types of stories touch your heart?
I am first of all a romantic soul so I will always enjoy a love story. I do read through lots of genres and I appreciate the most those that give me an additional food for thought and expand my knowledge and views.
What do you like the most about reviewing other people’s books on your blog?
I will be honest and say that until I became a published author I never wrote reviews for books, I never thought about it and it never happened that I came in contact with the author. Since then I started to post reviews on Goodreads and on the retailer’s platform. Recently I was thinking that I could do much more helping authors by posting the reviews also on my blog and share them on social media. I review known and less known authors/books and I love the most when I discover an amazing book that unfortunately didn’t get the luck to be seen by the right people so it can get the appraisal it deserves. I hope with the extra visibility on my blog these books will have a higher chance to be seen. There are many jewels out there.
“The human being that finds the most of happiness by relating and helping people around me making their life more satisfying and meaningful, by: offering a shoulder to cry on when in need, sharing happy moments together, everything to make a life better.”
Would you like to elaborate on the meaning of your quote?
This is a description from my page explaining shortly who am I and what is the purpose of my blog. Often in life family, friends, colleagues have told me that I am a good listener, I calm them down, I help them pass the crises, I help them grow, I inspire them, motivate them etc, so I thought why shouldn’t I expand that on a wider level, of course within my time limits and capacities. If people would only know what difference they could make by only smiling a bit more often or saying a nice word when needed, I am sure they would do it.
How do you view the ‘glass being half-full’ during challenging times and what do you do to stay positive?
It’s a constant challenge. Since I turned 21 I started seeing things differently, I decided at that moment (I don’t remember what made me change my mindset but I am glad I did) that I should try seeing a good side in everything, no matter how bad it is. Since then, even when I don’t see immediately any good reason I do see it later. Maybe it’s autosuggestion at times, either way, it helps.
What is next for you?
I am in the process prior to publishing my third book. This one will be in a different genre, a nontypical self-help/motivational/personal growth book. I am really thrilled about it and again I have to say that it is written with a message, actually through every story present inside I present a different message, overall they could all conclude in be a better human being, be positive, believe in yourself, accept yourself. I do have many other ideas, within lesfic and outside my debut genre, and I can’t wait to materialize them.
| Click here to Preorder |
Be sure to check out Nico’s links for more exciting news.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicojgenes_writer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicojgenes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicojgenes
Amazon page: www.amazon.com/author/nicojgenes
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/nicojgenes
Website: https://www.nicojgenes.com
And take a look below
Audio Interview: https://youtu.be/L7N8wINKJHI
Video trailer: https://youtu.be/VkO6iQGlIng
Places Revealed: https://youtu.be/Mskooq196W0 & https://youtu.be/kF–CuYG6X0
I want to thank Nico for stopping by today. Stay tuned for her new book, and my book reviews for her books, ‘Magnetic Reverie‘ and ‘Reverie Girl.’
Click here to enter the Rafflecoptor
Until Next Time,
Lynn
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