Driven, direct and fearless, Eva Marquez tackles intergenerational love and a lot more in Sweetest Taboo, her self-published novel that marks the start of a series (with a sequel out next month). Here she shares her strategies for a successful day of writing, her recollections growing up in the Southern California suburbs, and her other passions…

Young Adult: What made you decide to start writing?
Eva Marquez: I began formal writing when I was thirteen years old, encouraged by my dedicated and driven middle school English teacher. At a young age, I read the book Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews and it intrigued me to the point of inspiration. It was not long before I began typing stories up on my DOS-operated computer. Even in my early teens, I focused on writing about female characters that found themselves in difficult situations and schemed to find a way out. My short stories shed light on my fascination with conflict and what lies beneath the surface. At sixteen I wrote my first full-length novel, which was truly the beginning of my writing career. 

YA: Tell us a little bit about your latest work. What is different about Sweetest Taboo?
EM: Because my books deal with controversial topics, crossing and intersecting genres and not fitting into neat little boxes, I ask my readers to be prepared for the journey. My novels are not for everyone and those who are disturbed and bothered by stories that push the envelope or challenge societal norms would likely not find my work appealing. So in essence, this is a bit of a warning to potential readers and/or followers. I do not intend to write for all audiences, as that is almost impossible to do.
To my future readers and followers I also say, thank you! For every reader and follower I have, I am that much more enthused to write and develop characters that challenge our existing comfort levels and perceptions. Many of my ideas for character development and plots come from discussions I have with friends, colleagues or people I’ve met casually at a lounge, bar or book store!

YA: Take us through a typical writing day for you.
EM: I have a pretty hectic day job, loaded with a lot of responsibility, so my writing days are limited to weekends and if I’m lucky a sick day or two here and there. I write (and work) best during daylight hours, as I absolutely LOVE my hours of rest. So, my typical writing day starts off after an early breakfast (I have a toddler so she wakes me up very early on the weekends). I settle her in for a while or send her off to her friend’s house across the street for a few hours, and then I sit in my beautiful study, which overlooks two different patios in my back yard, both adorned with potted flowers. If it’s warm out, I open the French doors and let the breeze and warmth in, as I like to feel nice and cozy when I write. My workflow is very much driven by short spurts of concentration and generally speaking, those spurts will equate to one fully completed chapter. Once I save my work and fetch my daughter, I cease writing for the day. However, if during the course of the day an idea for the book just hits me, I jot it down on a notepad next to my computer and leave it there until I can sit down again for a 2-3 hour period and develop that idea.

YA: Can you describe the path to getting this work published? What were the challenges? What was easy about it? EM: At this point, Sweetest Taboo is a self-published title and I do not have any plans to sell the rights of the book/story to a publisher. It was not an easy decision to make, but after a great deal of research, I found that self-publishing suited my ‘go getter’ and ‘controlling’ personality much better! YA: What were your specific influences for this book? Films, literature, other stories? EM: I grew up as an immigrant in a lower-to-middle class Southern California suburb. So I tapped into that experience in Sweetest Taboo, which chronicles the love affair between a young Hispanic schoolgirl and her much older, married teacher. I drew from my experiences growing up to develop several plot ideas. Romantic experiences are universal. Provocative, illicit and risqué contexts do not take away from the experience of love, and that’s what this debut book sets out to communicate. I was also intrigued by the news of one of my former teachers being convicted of [sexual] misconduct with a minor. Since I can remember, I have always been fascinated by similar stories making the news, but like many people, wondered about how these relationships originate and how they flourish under the radar. In Sweetest Taboo, I got to unravel one of these clandestine relationships, one exciting page at a time.

YA: If you hadn’t become an author, what path would your career have perhaps taken?
EM: Actually, I’m not a full-time author and only have the opportunity to write in my spare time. My career path was set in stone when I was quite young. Since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to work overseas and work toward the betterment of less privileged communities. I have worked for several Non-Governmental Organizations, first in Southern Africa, then in West Africa. I then worked for several years in Southeast Asia. I worked in New York for the United Nations, and now I’m happily working in Southern Africa again, directing the U.S. Government’s investments in HIV/AIDS research and prevention. I am in the career I have chosen…living my dream!

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Isabel thought her life was on track – she was doing well in school, moving quickly toward her future, and deciding who she wanted to be. Best of all, she’d reunited with Tom, the love of her life. But it doesn’t take long for her history – and his – to start catching up with them, presenting a range of uncomfortable questions. Does he really love her? Are they meant to be together? And what exactly has he been doing in their time apart?

 

TAINTED LOVE, Book Two of the SWEETEST TABOO SERIES, COMING March 2013

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