Welcome to an Interview with Renata F. Barcelos

Welcome to an Interview with…The very talented Renata F. Barcelos  

Author of “Mean: A Psychological Thriller Novelette” and “My Sore Hush-a-Bye”.

A brief synopsis.

Mean is a novelette that follows Cassandra Connelly’s therapy sessions. She goes to a psychiatrist seeking help, because she believes she is mean inside. She has anger issues, and there’s a person she truly hates; so much she is convinced he or she deserves to die. She is thinking about killing said person— would the therapy help her decide not to kill somebody or push her to do exactly that?

My Sore Hush-a-Bye: Camille learned to love and accept her sheltered life with Uncle Bob. But she’s growing up and everything is changing. She goes to public school, where no one talks to her, except Ashley. Now that Ashley’s missing, Camille starts thinking about her mother and rethinking her life with Uncle Bob and everything she chose to believe.

What made you decide to write this book?

Unfortunately, I had a very difficult, abused childhood, and was severely bullied in my early teen years. That’s why I write about dark and twisted themes—in the hope that one day they will only exist in fiction. Unfortunately, there are lots of kids suffering ordeals like the one Camille faces in “My Sore Hush-a-Bye”. Since most of them are never going to have the chance to tell their stories, I think it’s important to read about it, even if it’s fictional, so people will perhaps be more alert to recognize the signs. There may be a child right next to you in need of help, and you may not see it if you don’t know what to look for. I hope that my fictional story might help give a voice to helpless children everywhere.

Where did the title come from?

From the traditional lullaby “All the Pretty Little Horses”. I was starting on this manuscript and had some ideas about what I was going to tell, but wasn’t completely sure. I was debating about the main character motivation/drama with myself when this song started playing. I heard the lullaby and knew immediately what was going to happen to her, and how. The version I heard (since the song was recorded many times by different artists), was from The Big Three, with Mama Cass. Camille, the main character, is a fragile sixteen-year-old girl who loves Cass Elliot as much as I do. The hush-a-bye is a very important part of the story.

I’m a HUGE Mama Cass fan too Renata. Apart from the obvious Wilson Phillips I haven’t found anyone as good as the Mamas and Papas since I first heard them in the 60′s. Th Music Board on my Pinterest site is full of their music.

Do you always write in this genre?

Yes. I am a very positive and—people normally say—funny person. I don’t even like to watch the news, because I don’t want to hear about the horrible things happening in the world… However, when it comes to writing, all I can produce are dark, twisted and damaged people!!

I believe that the first complete book I wrote was called Angellina’s Curse. It was a school project on second grade about a city consumed by fire after a criminal attack! My teacher loved it, but I think she was a little worried about me…

If you ruled the World what would be the first thing you’d banish? 

At the risk of sounding like a Miss Universe contestant, I’d say violence. Yeah, I hope for world peace…! It would be great if it violence only existed in fiction.

I’ll second that but I’m afraid no Miss Universe contest would have me.

What was your inspiration to write and when did you start?

I always liked to tell stories. I have ADD—Attention Deficit Disorder. Therefore, a very creative mind. Writing seemed absolutely natural ever since I learned how to. I still have some books I wrote and illustrated when I was six or seven years old.

What was your destination to publishing? ie are you self published.

Self-published. I truly believe self-publishing is tailor-made for me. I’m a control freak with my work, and I love to do every single thing in the process. I enjoy editing (with the precious help of my two editors—one editor and an amazing beta-reader—(whom I adore by the way and can recommend to anyone), formatting, choosing the cover, marketing, etc. It’s a pleasure for me to know that I’m responsible for every step of my book.

Share with the readers one little known fact about yourself.

I’m a big square. Seriously! I don’t drink alcohol (never!), I don’t smoke, don’t like to go out much… I love to stay in with my daughter, watching TV, writing, reading and interacting online. (All at the same time; that’s a good part of my ADD – I HAVE to be very busy all the time, doing at least two things at once in order to stop drifting. It doesn’t works all the time, but helps a lot!)

I’m rectangle rather than square since I smoke ( Yes I know, stupid) but I don’t drink .

Do you have a Website to share? 

Oh yes! Please visit me at www.renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com I adore to entertain there!

And so you do.

Any links to the book/books 

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/S9MpjM

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/PDrE4e

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RenataFBarcelos

Please feel free to share an excerpt.

This is an excerpt from “My Sore Hush-a-Bye”:

It’s my first year at school—not at this school, I mean at any school—since I was seven. It makes me different, which is ammunition to some kids’ cruelty and others’ oblivion. I’m not popular, I’m not into fashion, makeup, or anything like that. I don’t really know much about what’s going on in the world right now, and I’m not sure if I care. I dress differently, and my head is surrounded by an enormous black mane that I like to let free. I don’t talk much. I don’t have a Facebook account, Twitter, any of that. In fact, the first time I’ve heard of those things was at school just the other day. I don’t look like any of them—I don’t feel like any of them.

I enjoy studying, reading, and I grew up listening to old songs and watching old movies and TV shows. When I say old, I mean really old. As in I love Lucy, The Brady Brunch, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Gone With the Wind (my favorite movie), The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca—and many others that gave me a little light while growing up and made me smile when everything real was asking me to cry…

Since the age of seven, the only songs that have made their way into my ears were from David Bowie, the Beatles, Johnny Cash, and others from the fifties, sixties, and seventies. And most of all, there was her voice, the woman who sang to me for all those years, comforting me since that first day with Uncle Bob, going into my core and caressing my soul from the inside out…Mama Cass. Her inspiring voice is my safe place, where I can go to escape, ‘cause she makes all the darkness bearable…she puts light where there was none. 

Thanks so much for sharing with us Renata. It’s been a pleasure for me.