AUTHOR INTERVIEW
WITH
EVE RABI
PLEASE WELCOME THE BRILLIANT AUTHOR BEHIND SO MANY CRIME ROMANCE
BOOKS, EVE RABI
Tell us a little about yourself?
I am an author of 23 romantic crime novels. Kickass and funny,
like me. I live in beautiful Sydney, Australia, but I was born in sunny South
Africa. Writing is my hobby and I am terribly grateful and lucky that I am able
to write full time.
How would you describe your books?
My aim is to entertain, so my stories are injected with humour
and wit. In every one of my books, there is an angsty love story. Because… I am
a romantic at heart.
If there isn’t a love story, I’m not interested in finishing that
book. Most of all, I’ve been told I am great at revenge. Sure, I believe in
Karma. But as I say, sometimes Karma can take so friggin’ long, you have to
step in and finish things yourself. Right? Right!
What genre is your work mainly? Do you tend to stay in the same vein
or are you hoping (if not already) to explore new ventures?
My genre is romantic crime and my stories are dramatic and often
sad. I’m really happy with the niche so I guess I will stay there. I will be
releasing three new books shortly, all of which are high on drama, crime,
revenge and love.
Share with us a quote from one of your favourite characters in your
books?
A man reserves his true and deepest love not for the species of
woman in whose company he finds himself electrified and enkindled, but for that
one in whose company he may feel tenderly drowsy.” George Jean Nathan.
This quote is not from any of my books, but I like it so much, It
inspired me enough to go onto to write two books (coming soon ) about two
women, a wife and a mistress vying for the same man’s attention. So I favorited
this quote.
Is it hard to come up with new ideas and / or plots?
No, I am full of ideas and stories and have never suffered with
writer’s block. I just need 28 hours in a day and I will churn out more books.
I have two kids, a dog and a cat, so they come first. I think I have my
priorities right. (Have to say this in case my kids read this. Just remember,
in my old age, I need these kids to take care of me.
What inspired you to write your book?
Gringa was based on a
nightmare. It felt so real and it scared the bejeebus out of me, so I penned
the story. A year later, Gringa, my first book was completed and it reached
number one on amazon.com!
In the past, I was afraid of nightmares, but these days, I say,
“Bring it on! Is that all you got? Seriously?”
Then I look for my iPhone to quickly make notes.
Who is the easiest character to write for and why?
Hardest and why?
I like writing about wanton woman and
mean men. Psychopaths and sociopaths can be entertaining, but good guys don’t
finish last in my books. (I’m not into blood and gore, though.)
Doesn’t everybody love to have a character they hate with a
passion? It’s a challenge to ensure the supporting characters in the book
aren’t boring compared to my sociopaths.
My new book has a character called Scarlett you will utterly
despise. She is intelligent, educated, attractive and sexy, but she has a huge
sense of entitlement. She takes what she wants, when she wants it. Snatches it.
Her motto is “Cross me at your own risk.”
Without giving anything away, what is / are your favourite scenes in
your book(s)?
I love the scene in Gringa, when Payton she gets drunk and
insults Diablo. She embarrasses him in front of his men and riles him up so
much; he grabs a knife and goes after her. I still laugh when I read that
scene.
Do you have any hobbies?
Writing is my hobby. But I’m also into music.
I have about 12 000 songs on my ITunes folder and am always
downloading music. I cannot live without music. Right now, Imagine Dragons and
Drake are on repeat.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Yes, my style is colloquial, kick-ass, tell-it-like-it-is,
oh-no-she-didn’t-say-that-did-she? I was approached by a publisher recently,
but they wanted to change my style, make it more mainstream, remove all my
swear words, so I passed on her. I love the freedom to do my thing. My work is
modern, and my stories are sexy, raw and funny and will stay that way.
How did you come up with the title?
I always struggled with titles.
Still do.
How much of the book is realistic?
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
None of the stories are mine, however, I’ve been both dirt
poor and really wealthy so I can relate to poverty, hardship, suffering and I
can also relate to a life of luxury. In one of my soon-to-be-released books, I
write about the pain of a broken marriage. All that pain and disappointment
stems from personal experience and I found it really hard to write certain
scenes. Cried buckets when I did. I hoped it would be cathartic, but unfortunately,
it wasn’t. You Will Pay is based on a friend’s experience with a controlling
and vengeful husband. I guess when you’re a write, everything is fodder.
What books have most influenced your life most?
The Secret. I believe in the laws of attraction and I have a few
vision boards. Most of my dreams/visions come true and I advise everyone that
crosses my path to get a vision board.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Gillian Flynn. I absolutely love her kick-ass style of writing
and her magical prose. She goes there. I like that.
What book are you reading now?
My Wife’s Li’l Secret, by Eve Rabi. Soon to be released.
Well, I’m kinda re-reading it.
What are your current projects? If you had to do it all over again,
would you change anything in your books?
I have three books being released
soon. I also have the fourth book, which is half-finished, which I will release
early next year.
I would change nothing in my books. I’m happy to tell the story
the way I want to. I hate censorship, any kind of it.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Yes, my ex-husband and I ran an upmarket, glossy magazine on
Sydney’s North Shore. I wrote some of the articles for it, discovered that I
liked writing more than housework (and shopping for shoes, can you believe it?)
and I guess things just snowballed from there.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
My new book has a character called
Scarlett you will utterly despise. She is intelligent, educated, attractive and
sexy, but she has a huge sense of entitlement. She takes what she wants, when
she wants it. Snatches it.
Her motto is “Cross me at your own risk.”
When she steals Rival’s husband, Rival decides to take revenge
and get her husband back. It becomes a battle of wits between the two women.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I wish I had more help around the house so that I could be free
to write. But at the same time, I want to stay grounded, so I’m resisting help
at the moment. I do have an assistant who helps me with writing-related stuff,
as well as a promoter.
Who designed the covers?
My graphic artist and I.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Having to sleep. If I didn’t need to sleep, if sleep wasn’t
essential, I would probably have a book out every two months. Ha ha!
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned I am funny and that I
should always trust my gut.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Yes, always stay grounded and be nice to your readers. Give books
freely. It’s good Karma.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Yes, please buy my books. Please!
Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!
What is your favourite genre to read?
I like crime novels, but I like it more when it has a
romantic theme to it.
How long have you been writing?
I was only published in 2012.
However, on and off, I wrote for 8 years. I wrote rough drafts
and stowed them away. I published Gringa briefly in 2011, then removed it,
re-wrote it and republished it in 2012.
What is your favourite movie?
Recently I enjoyed Flight with
Denzel.
Loved the message it sent.
How long does it take you to complete a novel from concept to completion?
These days, it takes me about six months per book. I am always
writing two or even three books at a time. It’s how I’m wired. Gringa took a
year to write and Captured took 5 years.
What was your first published piece?
And how was it to publish your first book?
Gringa was my first published novel. I didn’t think anyone would
buy it and I was thrilled when I sold 134 copies.
Then one day, it reached number one on amazon and I was simply
thrilled.
Have you ever trashed a novel or story before or after finishing it,
feeling it wasn't turning out as you planned?
Yes! I trashed the Cheat, My Brother, My Rival. I was reluctant
to publish them both, but I’m really glad I did.
Out of all your brilliant characters
Which ones were your favourite?
Payton from Gringa is my favorite
female character. Gabriel from The Cheat is my favorite Male Character. I fell
in love with Reed from Captured and I cried heaps when …I will have to stop
there to prevent a massive spoiler.
Right now, I’m in love with Ritchie MacMillan from My Wife’s Li’l
Secret. He’s big and tough with a soft centre.
Do you have a special time or place to write?
I write all the time and even though I have a wonderful new
office, I write at my dining table a lot. That way, my kids can see me all the
times. Nothing disturbs me when I write. If there’s an earthquake, I probably
wouldn’t be affected by the destruction unless the celling crashes into my
laptop. Then I will pay attention to the earthquake and shop around for a new
laptop. When you’re a writer, every part of your home is an office.
Any funny experiences or quirks you'd like to share with your readers.
Okay, Lisa, an author friend of mine, asked me if I could give
her friend some info regarding amazon payments to Indie writers etc.
Lisa’s friend was called Payal. (Take note of that name, please.)
As a writer, I share freely because I’m not threatened or
insecure in any way and Lisa knows that. So I was happy to help.
Anyway, even though I was really busy, I scanned Lisa’s email
about Payal and how this happened, I have no idea, I jumped to the conclusion
that Payal wanted to know about Paypal. I didn’t realize that Payal was
actually her name!
So I shot her Payal an email about Payal and why I use it.
The pros and con and all that stuff. A long email I tell you.
Payal never replied.
A few days later, I discovered my error. Oh. My. God!
I contacted Lisa and told her about it. She laughed her head off
and said, “I will explain to Payal that her name confused you.”
I said, “She may think we are making fun of her name. I wouldn’t
want that.”
Anyway, I have no idea what happened, because according to Lisa,
Payal never replied to her email. (Lisa laughs every time we talk about that
incident.)
So, that was embarrassing.
(God, I hope Payal doesn’t read this. Just for the record, I
think Payal is a lovely name. But I wouldn’t name my kids that.)
Which one of your awesome books would
you like to see be made in to a movie?
I think Captured would make a wonderful, heart-warming
movie. Everyone tells me that all the time. Gringa will be a great movie if
Tarrantino directs it. I see Salma Hayek in it.
What was the worse job you ever done?
I worked as a secretary and I sucked at it. I couldn’t type,
couldn’t handle the switchboard…I was useless. Luckily, I got fired and was put
out of my misery.
Do you ever get any ideas at random moments, and if so how do you
hand on to them?
I get ideas all the time. In the past, I used to have a
recording device in my pocket and I would be drying clothing or washing dishes
when I got an idea.
I can write at the drop of a hat. I never get writer’s block. In
fact, I had to have a stern word with myself to write less and live more.
Where to find Eve Rabi online
Website: http://everabi.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eve.rabi
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