I recently read and reviewed Donna Russo Morin's historical novel The Secret of the Glass.
Set in Venice during the 17th century, The Secret of the Glass is a wonderfully woven story full of drama, romance and Venetian history. You can visit Donna's website here to learn more about her.
Besides being a writer, Donna has been acting and modeling since she was 17 and she's appeared in the movie The Departed as well as the Showtime series The Brotherhood. How cool is that?
Today Donna has graciously stopped by my blog for an interview. Please join me in welcoming her. Read on for her interesting interview and to learn more about her work.
Bookworm: Welcome to my blog Donna, and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this interview. Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Donna: Thank you, Naida; it’s wonderful to be here.
Well, there are the typical answers to this question; I am a born and raised Rhode Islander who began writing as a young girl in grade school. My writing—and my life for that matter—was chiseled by the 60s/70s era in which I grew up. I attended college at the University of Rhode Island where I obtained two degrees in Communications and Psychology. Raised by first generation, Italian-Americans, I was pushed to get a good ‘day job’; the arts were thought to be a road to struggle (true, and yet…). So I worked, got married, had children and the time to write became lost in the shuffle. Then I contracted a chronic illness (Lyme Disease which turned to a permanent auto-immune condition), lost my father to cancer, and realized that if ‘now’ was not the time to follow my passion, when would it be?
The not so typical answers…I am a hard core football fan (New England Patriots rule…in fact, the male lead’s physical characteristics in The Secret of the Glass are modeled after Tom Brady), a head banging rock and roll lover, a video game disciple, and a new age spiritualist. My two sons ( Devon , 20, who is studying opera and Dylan, 17, who will go on to culinary school after graduating high school in June) are the blood that thrums through my veins.
Bookworm: What inspired you to write The Secret of the Glass? Is Sophia's character based on anyone in particular?
Donna: Like so much of life, the story and the title really came to me in the most unexpected of ways. When Katie Couric became anchor of the CBS Evening News, I decided to watch to support her, even though I’m not a great fan of television news programs. Within that broadcast was a two-minute feature story on the glassmakers of Murano. One point in particular caught and captured my imagination: for hundreds of years the glassmakers of Venice were virtual prisoners in their own land, captives of a government determined to keep the prestige and profit produced by the glass for themselves. Within a half hour of viewing that story, I had a two page synopsis written, a plot that mapped out a story about a young Murano woman who must somehow save herself while protecting ‘the secret of the glass.’
In the physical sense, Sophia is based on Sophia Loren; I think she epitomizes Italian beauty and she is a woman I greatly admire for her talent and her choices in life. The crux of Sophia’s conflict—whether a person can serve the needs of their family while honoring their own—is one I was grappling with at the time of the writing. My marriage had long broken down, and I struggled with the decision to divorce (which I did—or began to do—just as this book was released; thanks to the efficiency of the court and a difficult marriage evolving into a difficult divorce—it’s still not final).
Bookworm: What was the hardest thing about writing this book? How long did it take you to write?
Donna:
Two aspects posed challenges as I wrote. I fell in love with Venice , with its history, its people, its architecture; it became harder and harder as I went along to filter out information, to leave by the wayside beautiful aspects of this magnificent place that didn’t serve the plot. I also feared that I would reveal too much of myself; I often joked that if I didn’t separate before this book was published, I sure would have after.
Once a writer is contracted to a publisher, the question of time becomes one of contract. It is expected of me to release a book at year, at least at this juncture in my career. To that end, I typically research for seven months and write for five.
Bookworm: The Secret of the Glass is set in Venice and you did a wonderful job describing the beauty of this city. Have you ever been there yourself?
Donna:
I’m so sad to tell you that, unlike the first book, I was unable to travel to Venice (the trip to Versailles after the first draft of THE COURTIER’S SECRET was a-mazing); my heart longs to go and I make it a repeated part of my hopes and visualizations for my future to go. With the depth of my research, I did feel as if I traveled there every day during the writing process and I was quite melancholy when my time there came to an end.
Bookworm: You leave the ending a bit open in this book. Is there room for a sequel?
Donna:
While you’re perception of the ending is true, it was not done with a sequel in mind (though, for the love of my characters, it is not a possibility I discount completely, but I would have to find the historical events to support their story). It is my goal as a historical fiction writer to educate about the events of the past through intriguing fictional characters, but also to ignite imaginations. I try to include enough in my endings to answer the questions/conflicts of this particular story, but to leave it up to the reader as to what may come next. I always envision great dialogues as readers discuss what they think the characters are up to now.
Bookworm: Sophia loves to work the glass and she takes pride in her creations. In the book you describe the making of the glass in detail. Have you watched glassmakers before? Did you do alot research for this aspect of the book?
Donna:
In this, like the first book, I did learn to do what my character was doing. For the first book (basically a female Musketeer adventure), I took fencing lessons. For THE SECRET OF THE GLASS, I learned to make glass. I have to emphasize the word ‘learn’; while I took the lessons, I was less than successful in creating a viable piece (it exploded actually…too many air bubbles). This is, of course, in addition to months and months of academic research. For my next release (TO SERVE A KING, releasing Feb. 1, ’11), I learned to shoot a bow and arrow and a crossbow.
Like other historical fiction writers, research is a part of my profession that I consider a gift. I could easily get lost there if I allowed myself.
Bookworm: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Donna:
I am astoundingly grateful to anyone who uses any of their disposable income (and in today’s world, we are all quite aware of how precious such a dwindling commodity this has become) to purchase one of my books. I do not take the honor lightly. I pay respect to it by writing to the very best of my ability and striving to find stories that will allow them to leave the challenges of this life behind and jump into another time, another place, one filled with adventure and romance and intellectual stimulation.
Bookworm: Who are your favorite authors and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
What is your favorite genre?
Donna:
Stephen King was the first great writing influence in my life. His ability to talk to his readers, to write in such a manner that we find ourselves in the very midst of his worlds, inspired me like no other writer before him. It was James Michener who brought me to my genre (my favorite to read as well as write) as well as Margaret Mitchell and Gone with the Wind. And it was Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series that sealed the deal. In genre, other books that have made a huge influence are To Dance with Kings by Rosalind Laker, all of the Musketeer volumes by Alexandre Dumas, and Trinity by Leon Uris. Out of genre there’s The Once and Future King by T. H. White, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Absolute Power by David Baldacci, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, and all of Harry Potter.
Bookworm: Last but not least, if you were stranded on a deserted island, and were allowed to bring 3 items with you, what would they be?
Donna:
This is such an intriguing question; I’ve had a lot of fun thinking about it. Of course, the true answer would be my children, because there is no life for me without them. But that’s boring, so I won’t go there. First, Jeff Probst (the host of Survivor—he has been my celebrity crush for years –he’s absolutely perfect for me--and I figure he would know his way around any island). Next, an endless supply of margaritas. And last, writing implements…so I can tell all about it ;-).
Bookworm: Thank you again Donna. It's been interesting getting to know a bit more about the author behind the book! I like that Teodoro's good looks are modeled after Tom Brady and that Sophia is actually inspired by Sophia Loren.
The research you do for your books sounds fascinating, especially since you learn to do what the main character does. I agree with what you say about following your passion now. There's no time like the present.
I will definitely be on the lookout for your books. Best of luck!
About the book:
At the dawn of the 17th Century, the glassmakers of Murano are revered as master artisans, enjoying privileges far beyond their station, but they are forced to live in virtual imprisonment, contained by the greedy Venetian government who fears other countries will learn the intricacies of the craft…and reap the rewards.
Sophia Fiolario, the comely daughter of a glass making maestro, has no desire for marriage, finding her serenity in the love of her family and the beauty of the glass. She learns of its secrets at her father’s side, where a woman is forbidden to be. The life Sophia loves is threatened by the poor health of her father and the determined attentions of a nobleman who could and would never love her but seeks to possess her wealth and the privilege it affords. Thrust into the opulent world of the Venetian court, Sophia becomes embroiled in the scheming machinations of the courtiers’ lives. The beauty of Venice, the magnificence of the Doge’s Palace, are rivaled only by the intrigue and danger that festers behind their splendid facades. As she searches for an escape, she finds the arms of another, a man whose own desperate situation is yet another obstacle in their path.
Amidst political and religious intrigue, the scientific furor ignited by Galileo, and even murder, Sophia must do anything to protect herself, her family…and the secret of the glass.
-quoted from the authors website
Donna Russo Morin
www.donnarussomorin.com
www.donnarussomorin.blogspot.com
TO SERVE A KING Coming Feb. 2011
THE SECRET OF THE GLASS-Outstanding Pick for 2010 (Book Illuminations) On Sale Now!
THE COURTIER'S SECRET Feb. 2009
Finalist: National Readers' Choice Award; Winner: Best First Book, MTM Contest
