Author Interview: Eva Lesko Natiello

 

I’m delighted to welcome author Eva Lesko Natiello to Bookaholic Confessions. Eva’s debut novel, The Memory Box was released in June 2014 and it sounds utterly AMAZING. I  can’t even tell you how excited I am about reading this novel. Plus it’s currently on a Kindle Countdown Deal; but only until Friday, so be quick! Click here to take advantage of the deal. But before downloading why not get to know Eva a little better as she shares some ‘confessions’ of her own…

 

Hello Eva, a huge, warm welcome to Bookaholic Confessions! Thank you so much for participating in this interview. Would you like to start by introducing yourself…?

Hi, Holly! It’s wonderful being with you and Bookaholic Confessions, although I must say I’m a little nervous about the confessions part… hopefully that’s where you come in, right? Oh wait, I do have a confession! I have not been a writer my whole life. I started writing about 10 years ago when I was already a bona fide adult who was following a different path. But, as luck would have it, somewhere on that path I was stung by the writing bug, and so it’s been writing for me ever since.

Can you tell us a bit about your debut novel, The Memory Box (released 24^th June 2014)?

The Memory Box is a psychological thriller about a woman who Googles herself and discovers the shocking details of a past she doesn’t remember.  You can imagine how unsettling it must be to read about your own life and not recall actual events.

 

I love the premise for The Memory Box and I can’t wait to start reading! It’s such a great idea – what inspired you to come up with the storyline and the concept of Googling yourself and finding something you weren’t expecting?

The idea came from a story I had read in The New York Times about people Googling themselves. The whole idea of Googling yourself was very new. The article talked about a 17 year old boy who Googled himself and discovered he was on a missing persons list in Canada. He didn’t know that he was a victim of parental abduction for fifteen years and that he had a father who had been looking for him all that time. When I read about someone discovering something so personal which was previously unknown, I thought it would be a great idea for a book.

 

Is your lead character Caroline completely fictional or is she based on anyone in real life? Would you say there are elements of yourself in Caroline?

She is completely fictional. You did make me chuckle with that question. You’ll find out why after you read! Well, I think there may be one similarity, I have a sweet tooth and I sometimes hide my favourite treats! (Don’t tell my kids!) (How did you get me to confess that?) Oh, maybe one more. Caroline uses an expression, Are you smoking me?, when she’s talking to her kids. She has mistakenly combined Are you joking me? with Are you smoking something? I, unfortunately, have made that mistake with my kids too.

 

How long did it take you to write The Memory Box?

The actual writing of the first draft took about two years. It was one of the most exciting experiences because the ideas came very quickly, the plot, the characters. I had many sleepless nights in that highly creative and productive state. But the editing and querying took several more

 

What’s the best thing about writing a psychological suspense novel?

I think exploring the psyche is infinitely fascinating. I love exploring the concepts of misconception and how destructive it can be. I also like exploring the themes of control (okay, radically unhealthy levels of control…) and also if good people can be bad, and if bad people can be good.

 

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an author?

I always wanted to be an astronaut. But, truthfully, I don’t think I’m brave enough. (Another confession!)

 

Can you tell us a bit about your journey to publication?

I tried for several years to get THE MEMORY BOX published traditionally. When that didn’t work out, and when I convinced myself it was time to move on, I decided to self-publish. It was the best decision I could have made. I’ve enjoyed every stage and found it empowering being the ultimate decision maker and having full control. And only two months after publication, I was approached by a literary agent with an offer of representation!

 

Who are your favourite authors and what kind of books do you enjoy reading?

 

I really enjoy reading historical fiction, like The Kitchen House and The Paris Wife  and books that are slightly quirky in some way. Some that come to mind, Where’d You Go Bernadette, The Night Circus, The Uninvited Guests, The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

 

And finally – can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the moment?

 

Yes, I’m working on another psychological thriller, and I always try to steal some time away from it to write humorous essays which can be found on my website, evanatiello.com. I’m also attending many book club discussions for THE MEMORY BOX which has been so much fun!

A huge thank you to Eva for participating in this interview and sharing her own confessions… ♥

Click here to get hold of your copy of The Memory Box.

 

♥Eva Lesko Natiello♥  | Website | Goodreads | Twitter  |

 

 

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