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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 taught English and Literature as an Adjunct Professor at St. Thomas University, Miami, and has facilitated numerous Creative Writing and Poetry Workshops at Writing Conferences throughout the States.
Romano has authored a short story collection, The Other Side of the Gates, and has had five poetry collections and two poetry chapbooks published traditionally with independent publishers. She co-authored a nonfiction book: Writing in a Changing World, and 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.
Her Western Historical Romance, The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley, Book 1 of Darby’s Quest, is a semifinalist for the Laramie Book Awards.
Her novel, Dark Eyes, an historical thriller set in Soviet Russia, is forthcoming in 2022 from Speaking Volumes, LLC.
I have read two of your books at this point. Westward: Guided by Starfalls and Moonbows, which is a book of poetry, and now The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley. Both are about life in the old west. What is it about this time that you are drawn to?
History was my favorite subject in school and I take great pleasure writing historical fiction because I find research fascinating. I thought I wanted to be a history teacher, but didn’t enjoy the Methods and Materials courses needed for a teaching degree. I also couldn’t imagine anything more boring than facing a class of disinterested kids—so I became a physical education teacher and coach—that was fun and my students enjoyed it! But I kept on reading history, especially historical novels.
I’ve always been interested in life in the old west—watching movies and reading about it when I was young, and as an adult traveling throughout the USA and visiting museums.
The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley is mostly set in New Mexico and the culture of the Apache tribe is referenced extensively. Why did you choose this tribe? Was it that the tribe made sense geographically or was there something else about the tribe that drew you to them?
Since I was a little girl, I have always been curious about Native American cultures. I thought I could grow up to be an Indian princess and wear my hair in long braids and dress in white doeskin with fringes. My father taught me archery and I became very proficient in that skill. I set the novel in New Mexico, where the Jicarilla Apache were prevalent in northern part of the state.
I purchased the Jicarilla dictionary, which is different and difficult to fathom. I used it as a reference along with other books about their history, culture, and customs. On one of my visits to New Mexico, I was fortunate enough to have met a docent at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe. She gave me many handouts from a recent exhibition of the Jicarilla Apache. One of these described the keesda ceremony, the female puberty rite which I describe in my novel.
Dreams play such an important role in this book. You reference daydreaming, dreaming at night, dream catchers, and even nightmares. In some cases, the dreams are also powerful omens that provide insight into what might happen in the future. What are your own beliefs about the power of dreams?
I don’t think I would have used dreams if I weren’t a person who ascribed importance to them. I have very vivid dreams and often when I want to remember them, I get up in a sleepy state and write them down. Otherwise as the day progresses, I tend to forget them. Apparently, I dream in color and three languages.
I also noticed that owls make a regular appearance throughout the book. What was the significance of the various types of owls and the situations they appeared in?
Until your question, I never even considered how much importance I gave owls in this novel. However, I mentioned the call of an owl at the beginning of a battle and the fact that the Jicarilla didn’t eat them. I assigned the name Snow Owl to one of the Indians because I imagined it sounded like an authentic name. I described the call of a barn owl—I had to research that as I didn’t know how one would sound. I mentioned a long-eared, a saw-whet, and a screech owl, which are all part of Cayo’s natural world. I researched all of them as I know nothing about owls—except the fact that I’m superstitious enough to believe that owls can be harbinger’s of death.
The hoot of an owl predicted the death of Julius Ceasar. And here’s a little bit of information about owls straight from an online site: “in modern day North America, owls are often seen as a bad omen, a messenger of death. This belief can be traced back to Native American traditions, specifically those from Navajo and Apache tradition, where the sight of an owl is taken very seriously.” (https://bit.ly/3rRxVP7)
I read in your Amazon bio that this book is a re-release of the original The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley book. What made you re-release the book? Were there any significant changes?
I took back the rights of the novel after three years with Prairie Rose Publications because they only wanted one novel. I submitted it to a new publisher, Speaking Volumes, LLC., who wanted a trilogy. So I re-edited the novel and was absolutely delighted with the beautiful cover image for the book, which I felt gave it the necessary gravitas it warranted. I’m pleased to say, Book # 2 has already been submitted and accepted and, with the help of the heavenly hosts, I’ll finish writing Book #3 this year.
You are the author of many books! How did you get started in this industry and what has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned along the way about being a published author?
I always wrote poetry and had many individual poems published in literary and small magazines as well as journals in print and online before seeking an MFA in Creative Writing. Then I began compiling poetry collections and publishing them traditionally with small, independent publishers. Apart from my novels, I’m blessed to have five poetry collections, two poetry chapbooks, and a collection of short stories. However, some of these are now out-of-print.
I learned you don’t need an agent to get published. Determination is key—especially if you want to be traditionally and not self-published. However, I consider myself an independently published author because my books are produced by small, independent publishers. It’s one thing to write a book, another to publish it, but by far the most difficult part of writing is marketing your work.
I think finishing a novel is a great achievement, and I have finished writing six of them to date. I’m gratified to have penned my Wayfarer Trilogy and looking forward to completing the Darby’s Quest Series. I doubt that I’ll make my Russian thriller into a trilogy—but one never knows what the future will present. I’ve often thought about writing a WWII novel and setting it in Italy, but only time will tell.
I know you are working on other books right now. Can you share more about your works in progress and what readers can expect to see from you next?
I’m pleased that I branched out a bit and wrote a thriller, albeit historical. Dark Eyes is set in Soviet Russia after Stalin.
What advice do you have for other indie authors?
Never give up. Never quit. No matter what anyone says about your writing.
What is the one question I didn’t ask that you wish I had?
Why aren’t your books on audio? I wish they were, but I don’t have the rights to the Wayfarer Trilogy and making audio books is too costly—both monetarily and time!
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