Since joining Darkstroke Books, I’ve had the pleasure to meet many fantastic authors. One of which is Adriana Barros. A Brazilian by birth, she has also lived in Sweden and Florida and is one of the sweetest people I have met. So it is with much excitement that I share the interview with her on the launch day of her debut novel, ”The Magical Life of Lola Bloom.”
What inspired you to write the magical life of Lola Bloom? The inspiration came from me and some girlfriends that were struggling with feelings in that age (around 17). About the scenario the inspiration was Sweden, where I lived 2.5 years. It was a totally different place for me.
Did you do any research for the story? Oh Yes. I tried to make the story as truthful as possible. The story runs in the '60s in Sweden, so I made a lot of researches about cars, clothes, and innovations in that period. Vegetarianism, Vikings and Quantum Physics also was part of the research list.
How did you come up with names for the characters? Places? This is funny. Lumen's streets are gemstones, the teachers in Valkirye are plants, the characters in Sweden are Viking names (of course), and so on... You need a lot of imagination to create a whole new world.
Where do you write? In an office? Library? A secret place? Wherever you can? I was alone at home (I need total silence). So, the kitchen has the best table and light, it was my favorite place to write it.
How long did it take to write the first draft? Actually 6 months, but I started my researches about the writing process and the story since 2016.
How many edits did you go through? So many that I lost count! As a Portuguese speaker I was always fixing some misspelling or some intonation to be in the right tone. It was really hard this part.
How did you choose Darkstroke for your publisher? It was the perfect match. I posted on Twitter a sentence about the book with #pitdark and #sff and Laurence (my publisher) found me. I'm really grateful.
How will you celebrate your launch day? Working! I’m doing some videos for Instagram this morning. It's not an easy job!
What is your favorite book from childhood? The whole "Vagalume series" in special "The Lost Island" from Maria Jose Dupret.
Who is your favorite author? I don't have only one favorite, but I can say that Stephen King is one of them.
Do you like to listen to music when you write or have it completely quiet? Silence is essential to me.
Anything else you wish to share? I hope you enjoy this story. Lola is a girl like everyone else, looking for love. Fortunately, she finds more than that.
And finally, to quote her author bio, “I always dream big and work to make this come true every day. If even I can do this, you can too!! Believe it.”
I can tell you that this book is magical…full of colorful characters that make me want to hug them…or slap them. Adriana describes the settings with such language that I can imagine being there alongside Lola. She evokes emotion with each scene. Five stars from me.
Get your copy now:
https://mybook.to/lolabloom