Interview with novelist Cinzia De Santis

Novelist Cinzia De Santis joins me today and we’re chatting about her romantic historical sci-fi fantasy, The Guide of Time. Book I: The Journey.

Bio:

Cinzia De Santis was born in Italy, but moved to Venezuela shortly after. She studied Marine Biology and, after a successful and varied career, Cinzia decided to devote her time on her passions: books and travelling. Cinzia used to be an actor, performing both as an amateur and a professional and it was at that time that she started writing short stories. Cinzia moved to England in 2003 and lives in London with her husband and daughter. The Guide of Time is her second novel in English.

Welcome, Cinzia. Please tell us about your current release.

Alexander von Rossen is the last in a line of the Guides of Time, an extraordinary force that has taken mankind to a higher state of knowledge. Over the centuries, by inspiring scientists to make great breakthroughs, the Guides have helped humans to transform their view of life and death. But the Guides have powerful enemies who want to keep mankind enslaved, in a permanent struggle between good and evil. Alexander faces an unexpected complication. Ariane Claret is a young woman with an extraordinary talent for music. She bursts into his life at a crucial moment and produces in him feelings he had never known before. Without realising it, she holds the secret to the victory or destruction of Alexander, the Guides and, ultimately, mankind. Book I: The Journey can be bought in Amazon

What inspired you to write this book?

The seeds of The Guide of Time were sown many years ago when I was studying science at university. At that time, I came to realise that great discoveries were always a combination of hard work, serendipity and inspiration. Of the three, inspiration was the one that intrigued me the most. Scientists often describe it as the appearance of an idea out of nowhere, a ray of light that comes to them with dramatic suddenness and often a sense of certainty. But, where do these ideas come from? What if mankind has been guided by unseen hands? And what if other forces, equally powerful, promote fanaticism and hatred? The answer to these questions is the essence of the trilogy of The Guide of Time.

Excerpt from The Guide of Time:

The elderly editor, beard now largely grey, was staring at the document in his hands. For the first time in his publishing career, he was lost for words. In the chair opposite him, a woman was smiling at him, almost as though she was enjoying his discomfort. He raised his eyes and frowned at her. Her name was Ariane Claret.

—Is all this true? I mean, did it really happen?

—Yes, it’s true —she said calmly.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I am finishing Book II of the series. I plan to release it in February 2017

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think of myself as a story-teller. In that sense, I started writing in my early twenties.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I write full-time now. My brain is at its most creative in the late afternoon/ evening, so I often spend the morning and early afternoon to do routine stuff: writing emails, marketing, replying to readers

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Well, I am a geek at heart, so I love writing “geeky” books. The downside is that sometimes I get lost researching things that fascinate me and I lose focus.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Astronaut, geologist, archaeologist, anthropologist: very geeky!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Ever since I was a little girl, books have been my best friends, my companions during tough times. I used to have a hectic life, with a stressful job, pulled in all directions as a mother, a wife and an employee. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer - I already had colon cancer - I knew my body was telling me something. It was time for me to calm down and devote myself to things that fulfilled me spiritually and emotionally.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Amazon

Thanks for being here today, Cinzia!