Interview with Cinta Garcia

Welcome!! Today we have another exciting interview :) This time I'm sitting down with the wonderful Cinta Garcia to talk about her first children's book called The Funny Adventures of Little Nani! Now I bought my own copy of this book so I'll update the blog to let you know a little more about it when I get it! I'm looking forward to giving it to my nieces and nephews for Christmas :)


Thank you so much for sitting down with me Cinta! Let's begin shall we? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I have always wanted to be a writer. Since I was very small, my head was always full of stories, maybe due to my compulsive habit of reading books. I have written stories and kept journals since I learnt to write, and I won a contest when I was 8. I wrote a story about the importance of taking care of the environment and I won. The prize was a collection of classic books and a desk. I have never stopped writing since then.



Oh wow that is so awesome you won!! I never had the courage to submit my writing to any contests, certainly not so young! What has been the most difficult part about being a writer?

I think the most difficult part is when people undervalue what you do. I mean, when you spend nights without sleeping because you want to finish a story, you tell your friends, and they look at you in a pitiful way, you feel kind of depressed. The most difficult part about being a writer for me is to acknowledge that I have a talent for writing and to understand that I shouldn’t listen people who say writing is not a real job. And then formatting. Formatting is a pain.


Yes, I have heard many authors share your pain in this aspects *hug* Who are your favorite authors?

My favourite authors are Jane Austen, Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Tess Gerritsen, Gabriel García Márquez, and Isabel Allende, among many many others. I cannot choose just one.


I have a hard time choosing just one too! What authors inspire you?

Jane Austen is a big influence. Indeed I am writing a Regency novella, and some people have told me that my Little Nani stories are written in an Austenesque way :D It is quite a compliment to me.


Jane Austen is a wonderful writer and that must be such an honor to have your work complimented like that! Do you like to plan your scenes out or do you just wing it?

I don’t really plan scenes. I know what I want to happen in my stories, but I let the characters lead the way. Sometimes the story follows a different path than the one I had in my mind. So planning doesn’t work for me.


I'm so glad I'm not the only one who follows that style lol. What type of books do you like to read?

I am a very eclectic reader, so any type of book works for me, as long as it is well written. The only books I tend not to read are horror ones, but because I am a hypersensitive person and I get scared very easily. However, I have read some horror books along my life.


I'd like to focus on The Funny Adventures of Little Nani for a few minutes. Why did you choose 
to write a children’s book?

Well, I didn’t choose to write a children’s book. It is more likely that I was chosen by Little Nani to write her stories. I wrote a short story for my blog, starring Little Nani; people loved that story and asked me to write a second one. I was amazed, but the fact is that Little Nani started to be all over my mind. I had lots of ideas and I was suggested to write a collection of stories. And that’s what I did.

That is simply fantastic. Funny how sometimes writing comes when we least expect it! What ages would most enjoy this?

The fact is that I didn’t write the stories thinking of a specific range of age. I think it can be equally enjoyed by little children, who will enjoy the funny situations Little Nani gets involved in and will love the chance of drawing their own illustrations; also by YA readers and adults, who will remember the tales they used to read when they were kids.

I have nieces and nephews ranging in age from infant to eight years old and I plan to sneak some peeks before I wrap it for them. This sounds like the perfect gift for a family with many different ages! How did you come up with the character of Little Nani?

Little Nani is pretty much a reflection of my own personality. I write mainly short stories, but my stories were always about feelings, and they were starting to sound too sad and intense. I wanted to write something different, something reflecting my positive and smiling personality. I started writing, and the result was the first story in the book. Why I named her Little Nani? I worked as an au-pair in London long time ago and the little girls introduced me as the Little Nanny, since I was their nanny and I am very small.

Ok now I definitely must sneak a peek if Little Nani is based on you :) Will there be any other books featuring Little Nani?

Yes, I am already writing “Little Nani and her Friends”, which will be Book 2 in the series. I am also working on a series of short stories featuring Little Nani and different characters from Book 1. These stories will be “choose your own adventure” ones, and I will publish them for Kindle.

Oh wow that is so exciting!! It has been forever since I read a "choose your own adventure" book! I'm going to be so impatient waiting for it to come out. Let's switch gears for a moment and find out a little bit more about the real Cinta. What do you like to do in your free time?

Free time? What is that? LOL Well, I love watching films and cooking. Cooking is very relaxing for me, so I cook anytime I am feeling stressed or a bit blocked with my writing.


Haha ok fair point. Free time is something that some people seem to have, but I have not actually witnessed this phenomenon. Where is your favorite place to vacation?

Oxford. I love that city. It gives me peace, it inspires me, and I write quite a lot anytime I am there. It is lovely to wander around its streets, feeling as if you were transported to the 14th century.


I've never been to Oxford, but it sounds gorgeous. I may need to convince my husband to travel there :) What's next for you?

Apart from the Little Nani projects, I am also working on a Regency novella and a romantic semi-autobiographic novel. I have almost finished a collection of short stories and I will publish them soon. I don’t want to be known only as a children’s author. I am a versatile writer.


Anything else you want your readers to know?

Apart from writing, I also read compulsively, and I have a place in my blog devoted to book reviews. I accept submissions for reviews, so have a look at my blog. I don’t know what else I can tell my readers, really. If they have any questions, just contact me. It is very easy and I love talking to my readers. You can find me in the following places:

Twitter: @Austenite78
Facebook: Cinta García de la Rosa
Blog: Cinta’s Corner
Website: www.cintagarciadelarosa.com

Createspace
Amazon (US)
Amazon (UK)
Amazon (ES)

I want to thank Lindsay for letting me be in her blog. I have loved answering the questions in the interview. Thank you ever so much.


Cinta, it was truly a pleasure having you! Everyone be sure to check out this wonderful book! The buy links are just above!