Nina Romano

Posted On January 13, 2020

1.What lead you to write?

I’ve always written. When I was young, I wrote mostly poetry and as I grew it just became a part of me—a poet. I love stories and story-tellers. As a child, I sat around the kitchen table and listened to my grandmother, mother and her sisters tell stories. I was curious and asked my Dad about his life when he was young. As far back as I can remember, I’ve been interested in writing because I love language.

2. What is your preferred genre to read and write?

 I enjoy both reading and writing historical fiction.   

3. What are your favorite activities or hobbies outside of work/writing?

When I was young, I skied and played tennis—those are bygone days. We had a boat for many years in Italy and also in Florida, but those are also days gone by. I love to play with my grandchildren, read, walk, knit, have lunch with friends, watch movies—I don’t watch TV, except for the Olympics! 

4. Who are your favorite authors?

Too many to name! I love the Russians—especially Tolstoy and Chekhov. Among the classics, I loved the writing of: John Steinbeck, Thomas Hardy, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman. Of the modern writers I find the following authors memorable: John Fowles, E. Annie Proulx, Cormac Mc Carthy, Dennis Lehane, Larry MacMurtry, Steig Larrson, Jo Nesbo, Sally Cabot Gunning.

5. What is one major struggle you have with writing?

I’m a perfectionist—that’s why I research. I want the story to be as genuine, authentic and as true-life as possible in a fictitious world—the setting has to be realistic. It’s difficult for me to let go of a project—especially a novel. It’s hard for me to say: it’s finished. I revise numerous times!

6. Out of all of your stories, which one did you most enjoy writing?

I think I suffered writing most of my short stories and novels, but I must say I had a great deal of fun writing several stories. “A Risky Christmas Affair,” which has been produced as an e-book and is on Amazon—this is a wonderful romp in the Eternal City. The next three stories were an absolute blast to write. “The Thief” is set in Italy, “Part and Particle” is set partially in Ireland, and “Rocket Flares and Poetry” is the story of a young hooker and it’s set in the Big Apple, NYC!

These three are all in my collection: The Other Side of the Gates, which is on Amazon, however there are no new copies because the publisher and I went our separate ways. Although, I do have new copies if anyone is interested.

7. What projects are you currently working on?

I’m writing an historical novel, however it’s in a different genre than I usually write and I’m finding it challenging to say the least. I love research, but it has a double–edged sword in that it can slow down the writing   

8. What has been one of your strongest inspirations for a story?

My grandfather’s life in the Italian Navy during the Boxer Rebellion in China was inspiration for my novel, The Secret Language of Women, which is very loosely based on his life. Of course, he’d probably turn over in his grave if he read it!

9. Do you place any of your life experiences into your stories?

Probably more in poetry than I do in fiction.

10. What are your favorite movies?

Dances with Wolves, The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, Hello, Dolly!, Stalag 17,   The Young Philadelphians, The Sting, The Godfather (all 3 of them!) The Shawshank Redemption.

LINKS

Website: ninaromano.com

BookBub: https://bit.ly/2NCPmzN

Amazon Author Page:   https://amzn.to/2SUamoF

The following three books are in hard cover, softcover print, and Kindle

Amazon: The Secret Language of Women https://amzn.to/2MQZpNC  

Amazon: Lemon Blossoms https://amzn.to/2TWqzYt

Amazon: In America  https://amzn.to/2Hl2VzT

My fourth novel is in print and on Kindle

Amazon: The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley  https://amzn.to/2Mawrvv

Goodreads:            https://bit.ly/2DCJ2lg

Twitter:                  https://twitter.com/ninsthewriter

                               @ninsthewriter

Facebook:              https://bit.ly/2BFi38l

Website:                 www.ninaromano.com

Author’s bio

Nina Romano earned a B.S. from Ithaca College, an M.A. from Adelphi University and a B.A. and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from FIU. A world traveler and lover of history, she lived in Rome, Italy, for twenty years, and is fluent in Italian and Spanish. She has authored a short story collection, The Other Side of the Gates, and has published five poetry collections and two poetry chapbooks traditionally with independent publishers. She co-authored Writing in a Changing World.  Romano has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize in Poetry.

Nina Romano’s historical Wayfarer Trilogy has been published from Turner Publishing. The Secret Language of Women, Book #1, was a Foreword Reviews Book Award Finalist and Gold Medal winner of the Independent Publisher’s 2016 IPPY Book Award. Lemon Blossoms, Book # 2, was a Foreword Reviews Book Award Finalist, and In America, Book #3, was a finalist in Chanticleer Media’s Chatelaine Book Awards.  

Two short stories: “A Risky Christmas Affair” and “Dreaming of a Christmas Kiss,” have been released as E-books, and the latter, along with two Christmas poems, has been included in a Christmas anthology, Annie Acorn’s Christmas Treasury 2018.  

Her latest novel, The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, a Western Historical Romance, has recently been released from Prairie Rose Publications.