Adria J. Cimino is here today to talk to Traveling With T about her debut novel, Paris, Rue des Martyrs- which can be purchased at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and coming soon to Apple IBookstore.

Interview with Adria J. Cimino

Adria, thank you for stopping by Traveling With T to talk about your book, Paris, Rue des Martyrs.

It’s my pleasure! Thank you for inviting me to chat!

Adria, can you tell the readers a little bit about Paris, Rue des Martyrs?

Paris, Rue des Martyrs is actually four stories in one: Four strangers, each at a crossroads of sorts, find their lives and stories entwining. The novel is about the importance of relationships and how certain encounters can change the course of our lives. And it is a commentary about city life: While the city may represent liberation for one, it can mean oppression for another.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes… and no. I’ll explain. I always wanted to write, but was an extremely shy bookworm as a child. So the idea of actually sharing what I wrote with anyone was terrifying. Especially the idea of fiction, which to me is a lot more personal than the news articles I’ve written as a journalist. Luckily, I lost a bit of the shyness and couldn’t resist the temptation to follow my heart.

Do you have a writing space or a writing routine?

I wrote a lot of “Paris, Rue des Martyrs” in the commuter train at 6 a.m.! And then, once we moved into Paris, I wrote on the weekends. Now that I’m no longer working full-time in an office, I have the luxury of writing for a shorter time each day. So no more two-day writing marathons! My writing space is the dining room table. Apartments are often small in Paris 🙂

What is the best advice that you received in your journey to be an author?

From my mom, who I so wish was still around to see my book published. She told me never to give up, never to even think about the possibility of failure.

Today, many authors are not only writing books- but they are having to build a following on social media. How are you using social media to help find a fan base?

I think social media is absolutely essential today for both new and established authors. I’m on Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. I post on my blog twice a week and regularly visit my favorite book and travel-related blogs. I’m also on Google+. And I never, ever send out generic messages. If I don’t have time to send someone a personal message, I won’t send a message at all.

I realize that for any success that I may have, I will have to thank social media and especially the book blogging community. Sure, you can be a good writer, but if no one knows about you…

What was the best part about writing Paris, Rue des Martyrs?

The best part of writing this novel was re-examining life in Paris from four completely different points of view and making those perspectives of the city convincing and real. It was challenging and a lot of fun!

Adria, can you tell the readers of Traveling With T about any future book plans?

Sure, since I’ve been seriously writing for more than a decade, I actually have two novels waiting in the wings. I have to remain vague at this point, but I can say that one is about the role of destiny in a young woman’s life. It is set in New York and London. And the other is about a young perfumer and is set in the perfume capital of Grasse, France. (I mention the setting because location isn’t just an arbitrary decision for me, but always has a larger role in my work.)

Photo Credit: Provided by Author

Some encounters make a difference.

 

Four strangers in Paris. Each one is on a quest: to uncover a family secret, to grasp a new chance at love, to repair mistakes of the past. Four stories entwine, four quests become one, as their paths cross amid the beauty, squalor, animation and desolation of a street in Paris, the Rue des Martyrs.

 

Rafael’s search for his birth mother leads him to love and grim family secrets. Cecile’s view of herself as an unsatisfied housewife is radically changed by the promise of a passionate liaison. Andre, an aging actor, troubled by the arrival of the son he abandoned years ago, must make a choice, to either lose his son forever or put aside pride and seek redemption. Mira travels to Paris to begin a new life and forget about love… or so she intends.

 

Four strangers, four stories, one riveting novel.

Photo credit: Provided by author

Connect with Adria: Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus,

*Thanks Adria for the author interview!

Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T