Tag: Author Interview

What is the Spanish for Dog?

by sarahsbookreflections, posted in Book Reviews, Interviews, Uncategorized

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Cómo se Dice Dog en Español? Perro

If you ever want to see a tiny human dynamo, meet Anechy Padron who immigrated from Cuba. (She and her illustrator are pictured above.)  She immigrated with the help of her mother and brother, who were living in Tampa at the time.

While in Cuba, Anechy wrote a children’s book about a Chihuahua, Patti, who meets a feral cat, Barci, that lives in the “City of Cat.” But now that Anechy lives in the U.S.A., she thought it would be nice to write the story in English as well.

The story is charming and well-written. Children will relate to the animals and cheer them on. And the children will learn how to be better people and how to care about all creatures. And they will also learn a bit about life in Cuba.

Interview Questions

  1. Please tell us how to pronounce your name. I believe you told me that Anechy is a nickname. What is your full name?

My full name is Adianez Padrón Ramirez, but my brother gave me the nickname of Anechy, and it stuck forever. A friend created a little game to pronounce my nickname, you say Aww(yawning), point at your knee, and finally you sneeze. Aw-knee-chis!

  • Did you grow up in Havana? Or in another part of the island?

I was born in Santiago de Cuba, on the east end of the island. Then, my parents moved to Holguin for a year and a half. But at age four and a half we moved to Havana, where I lived for 25 years, until I came to the States. My parents were in the military. They moved a lot.

  • Where did you go to college? In Cuba or America?

       I studied accounting for five years at the University of Havana. That wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted journalism, language, anything that had to do with writing and arts. But my mom wasn’t supportive then about my being an artist. While in college, I went to every literary event or class I could find. Often times people would find it odd that I was there while studying accounting.

  • How did you get to the United States of America?

Long story. We would need a whole new interview. In sum, I followed my family. My brother rafted out of Cuba in 2000. In 2008, he became a U.S. Citizen and applied for family reunion. My mom was granted a visa in 2009, but I had stay in Cuba for one year before I got my visa in 2010. It was a long process to get out of Cuba. Having a U.S. Permanent Visa wasn’t enough for the regime. In 2010, there was a law in Cuba that I had to give all my properties back to the Cuban government, and I had to pay 550 dollars for a “white card,” which I called the freedom card.

  • Have you always been a storyteller?

       I was always an avid reader. As a small child, I couldn’t go to bed without a story. But I wouldn’t fall asleep until the end. My dad always fell asleep before. Then, I’d walk out of the bedroom with the book and tell Mom: “Mami, papi se durmió” Mom, daddy fell asleep. At age 10, I was reading Edgar Allan Poe and Guy de Maupassant. I started writing poetry and short stories in 6th grade when I was a member of a book club with five other girls. I couldn’t stop writing after that.

  • What compelled you to write this book?

 When I lived in Havana, I was babysitting a 3-year-old boy named Richy. (He just turned 18 years old.) I was also performing for children as a clown and a puppeteer. I was always writing rhymes and little stories for my live shows. One day, Richy and I were walking Isabella a.k.a. Patti in the story, and a little cat came to us. She was very friendly for a street cat. And even more surprising, my chihuahua liked her. I named the cat Barcina. Richy and I started dreaming and making up stories about this cat. I brought Barcina home but she did not like it. So, I started writing about her and imagining what my chihuahua and Barcina would be saying about me, and the neighbors. Then, I added my friends and their dog to the story. Richy and I loved this fantasy. Richy got me into this book, and I love it.

  • What are the names of the dog & cat?

The heroes of my book are Patti and Barci, a spoiled Chihuahua and a street cat.

  •  How did you come up with the names?

My chihuahua had many nicknames or terms of endearment, one of them was “puti” actually not a very nice word in Spanish, but it is endearing to a dog in Cuba. For the book I changed it to Pati. When I started editing the book, I added another T to honor my friend Patti, who helped me get my new dog Maya. Barci is short for Barcina, which means mutt for cats (Moggy).

In the story, the cat lives in a place called the City of Cats. Is there such a place in Cuba? In Havana? Do other Cuban cities and towns have such gathering places for the feral cats? Are they monitored by humans?

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I lived in a 12-story Russian building in the newest part of Havana. We had a huge basement where the feral cats slept at night. I called the basement The City of Cats, it was a damp, dirty, and flea-infested place. I felt bad for those cats. There are places like that all over Havana. Very sad. On the other hand, they kept the mice population under control. In the process of re-writing the story I changed the setting from an ugly looking neighborhood to beautiful Old Havana, a city which beauty always makes me cry. I put the City under the Cathedral, and the rest is history.

There was a group of ladies in my neighborhood who collected school cafeteria leftovers to feed the cats. They captured injured cats, vetted them, and then found homes for them. But this was just done by good-hearted ladies, there is no organization in Cuba that helps. There is a non-profit from Canada called The Spanky Project. https://spankyproject.org/. They help street animals in Cuba by spaying/neutering/deworming them, and then either release or get them adopted. I learned a little bit more about them on my last trip to Cuba this past January.

  1.  I love that you are giving children the chance to learn a new language. It will bring the peoples of our world closer together, don’t you think?

I agree with you. I started learning English at age 11 and French in my early twenties. That opened the world to me. It has made it possible for me to travel, meet people, learn from others, read books that are not available in Spanish, and, mainly, understand that far from different, we humans have more in common than we think.

  1. I know you write short stories as well as books. What is your next short story? Or have you adapted part of this novel into a short story for the upcoming Next Chapter Literary Magazine which has the theme of friends?

Sarah, you gave me a great idea. I was trying to come up with something to write for the magazine. The latest thing I’ve written is the sixteen-character descriptions for books one and two. Yes, I forgot to mention I already have a second part for “The Adventures of Patti and Barci: The City of Cats.” The next book is “The Havana Forest.” I plan to write several books for this series, I just love these characters and I have so much fun with them.

Thanks for visiting my blog, Anechy. I look forward to reading the next saga of Patti and Barci.

Feel free to contact Anechy at anechy7@gmail.com for more information about her book and when it will be ready for you to read.

Meet Some of the Authors on October 29th, 2023.

by sarahsbookreflections, posted in Uncategorized

       Meet Joan Aubele here and in person on 10-29-23 at our third Authors’ Sunday event.

For those of you who don’t know about our authors’ event, Julie McKeon, who runs the New Bern Farmers’ Market, 421 S. Front Street, asked me to organize it in January 2022 because it seemed a shame to only have the building open on Saturdays and occasionally other days of the week. We held the first event last November of 2022, the second in April of 2023, and now we will be open from 1 to 4 on October 29th, 2023.

We will have coupons from Blackbeard’s Triple Play Restaurant, 415 S. Front Street for a discount on a meal. Collect the coupon when you buy any book at our event.

We will also have Sipping Sunshine (lemonade and tea) truck and The Burger Bus from Swansboro parked in our lot.

          We will also have coupons from Next Chapter Books & Art, 321 S. Front Street, New Bern, NC if you stop at 10 authors’ tables and have the author initial the coupon. No need to buy a book, but do at least look at them.

Inside the building, we will have places for you to sit, munch, sip, and read. Plus, several authors will read from their books.  

Please plan on bringing the whole family to meet many of our 38 authors. We will have several children’s book authors, ranging from those who write for the very young to those who write for young adults.

If you like to read mysteries, we’ll have plenty of those–some of which are a bit on the spicy side. Look for authors who write whatever comes into their heads from Fantasy to Pirates, or authors who wish to help you better yourselves. If you want to learn some history, we’ll have that covered, as well as those who want to further their understanding of the Christian Bible. And of course, we’ll have horse stories because how can you not?

Hi Joan, thanks for all your help putting this event together.

Were you born in the New Bern area?

No, actually, I was born and raised in Chicago. After sixty-one years of residing in the Midwest, my husband and I decided to pull our long-standing roots and move to the quant sailing community of Oriental, North Carolina.

    I am married to my high school sweetheart and even though it’s been forty-five years since we said, “I do,” we’ve never gotten out of the honeymoon stage. We’ve raised three daughters, and to date, have six grandchildren. 

  1. Do your stories come from your life? Or do they come from the people you’ve seen along the way? Or do they come from events that you’ve witnessed or been a part of? My first memoir, “The Dance,” is primarily my story of the miracles I am blessed with.

Whereas “Hearts Ablaze” is a combination of my own, in addition to others’ blessings that I’ve witnessed or had the pleasure of being a part of.

  • From what I’ve read or learned about writers tend to either plot their stories in outline form (an outliner) and others have ideas that seem to smack them upside their heads and lead them down paths (a pantser.) I expect most of us are a bit of both, but I’ve heard a number of writers say that their characters frequently take over the plotline. How would you characterize yourself? I begin with an outline, but as either late-night thoughts or upon waking, random thoughts smack me upside the head.  I quickly jot them down on Post-it notes so as not to forget them! I truly believe the Holy Spirit is whispering, “Hey, don’t forget this part!”
  • Tell us a bit about your published books. I understand your second one is now live and spreading its warmth. What compelled you to write spiritual books? Who is in your target audience?  

Glad you asked-–here’s“The Dance” synopsis:  Four months after giving birth to her third child, a twenty-nine-year-old woman is given a death sentence by her doctor. Diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, she’s told to make funeral arrangements and say goodbye to her family.

 She has always relied on her religious beliefs but becomes the unsuspecting recipient of what can only be described as miracles.

Twenty-five years in the making, Joan, or Joanie, as she is known to friends and family, humbly shares her triumphant story as an inspiration to all. This lovely, Deluxe 2nd Edition of her best-selling memoir, “The Dance – A Story of Love, Faith, and Survival,” includes a new Forward, a heartfelt message from Joan’s oncologist, and a special preview of her next book, “Hearts Ablaze.”

 “Hearts Ablaze” synopsis:  To Joan’s pleasant surprise, her memoir, “The Dance” reaches Amazon’s Number One Hot New Release spot within four days of publication. Joan’s true and moving testimony of miracles and the power of prayer have created ripples as far as France, Egypt, South Africa, and Bangladesh.

Julie, her local librarian, amongst many others, urges Joan to write a follow-up book. “You need to share the effects of that best-selling book, and all it’s created.” And so, ladies and gentlemen, “ Hearts Ablaze – The Ripples We Create” is born.

This compilation of short stories from pivotal life happenings that Joan has witnessed in her travels is sure to inspire. Hearts Ablaze truly demonstrates how God is forever placing people in our path to ultimately fulfill His master plan. As you immerse into each story, you’ll quickly realize that you are in fact already creating ripples.

Quite simply I write to inspire folks to live their best life and to create those ripples!

5. Do you publish your books yourself? Why? If you go through a Trade Publisher, whom do you use? And why? Do you use an outside editor before you submit your books for publishing? I, for instance, send my work to a woman who has taught me a great deal and improved my writing immeasurably. I have self-published both books as well. I believe the stories found within the pages are extraordinary enough, so I didn’t want to see the stories altered in any way. Naturally, I had both books edited, and since “|The Dance” was my first baby, I also had several beta readers from my local library writer’s group take a look at it.

6. What are you working on now? Sarah, I’m strictly in the process of marketing these books now, but the random thoughts are already popping into my mind for a third memoir!

7. What do you do when you’re not writing your stories? Do you have any hobbies?

 If I’m not exploring our new surroundings, I’m either bicycle riding around town, chilling on our dock, or sailing with my husband, Crazy Carl.

In addition, I keep ”The Official Oriental and Surrounding Area Newbie’s Group that I formed last year, afloat.

8. Feel free to add any comments that I have not covered here. I look forward to seeing you on the 29th. Sarah

Several years ago, my oldest daughter treated me to a weekend inspirational, Christian women’s conference. I was truly inspired and dream of someday being one of those speakers, to help make a difference in people’s lives. Although spending time with my family remains my number one priority, I am now fulfilling my dream of becoming one of those speakers.

I’m proud to be a Diocese Approved Speaker and bring my amazing story to life in many Churches, Hospitals, Libraries, cancer support groups, MOPS organizations, Relay for Life events, etc.

I’m truly addicted to participating in book-signing events and conducting presentations. I LOVE that personal connection – we begin as strangers, and part as friends!

Sarah, thank you so much for this awesome opportunity – see ya on 29th!