Maida Malby, a fellow member of San Antonio Romance Authors, joins me today to talk about writing and her latest books.
SS: Maida, tell us how you came to be a writer.
MM: My co-members of the Old School Romance Book Club encouraged me to try. We formed a group of those participating in the National Novel Writing Month in November 2016 and cheered each other on. I won NaNoWriMo that year and the feeling of accomplishment had never left me since.
SS: When I read other authors’ biographies, mine seems dull by comparison. How do you feel about your life story? Have you ever been tempted to jazz yours up?
MM: So far, I’ve done two versions already. They’re okay. I’ll probably change it again some time.
SS: Have you always been driven to write? Or did you begin writing in response to a particular stimulus?
MM: I write because I don’t find myself represented in romance. There are very few writers who feature Filipinas as the heroines.
SS: Writing is undoubtedly a lonely occupation. John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) says writing is a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it. Are you a natural loner?
MM: I’m an extrovert. I need regular contact with people. I hide in the cave when I need to (like deadlines), but that’s the extent of my solitary pursuits.
SS: If you have children, does being a parent influence your writing? To what extent?
MM: My writing times are based around my son’s schedule. I write until it’s time to pick him up and then after he’s in bed. My writing production is limited during the weekend and when he’s home for the holidays
SS: What in your childhood do you believe contributed to your becoming a writer?
MM: My maternal grandfather was a poet and my mom used to be a short story writer. Their works were published in the most widely-circulated magazine in the Philippines. I remember being so proud every time a new issue came out and either one of them had a title included. My Lolo’s poems and my mom’s short stories were the first things I ever read.
SS: Hilary Mantel (Wolf Hall) says that a Catholic upbringing is the only qualification a writer requires. Doris Lessing (The Grass Is Singing) says her many homes (a country house in Persia [now Iran], a farm in Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe)], a boarding house in South Africa, cold water flats in London) made her a writer. Can you relate to either of these ideas? Do you have any writing qualifications?
MM: I set my novels in places I’ve actually been to. My characters are based on and inspired by people I know.
SS: What are you working on at the moment?
MM: Singapore Fling: Book 2 of the Carpe Diem Chronicles series featuring Maddie Duvall.
SS: Isabel Allende starts all of her books on January 8 because she started The House of Spirit on that date. Do you have any superstitions or creative rituals about your writing?
MM: I always publish on the 21st, my birth date.
SS: In twenty-five words or less, tell me why your book should be a reader should start your book next.
MM: It’s a short story within the Love Fiesta Style anthology entitled “19th Hole Fiesta.” A sweet second-chance romance between childhood sweethearts set during the third round of a golf tournament and the party after it celebrating San Antonio Fiesta.
SS: Do you generally write in one genre? If so, what is it? And what can readers expect from one of your books?
MM: As Maida, I write mainstream contemporary romance. I use a pen name for other sub-genres like erotic and paranormal. Readers can always expect my heroines to be Southeast Asian, particularly Filipinas.
SS: Regardless of genre, what are the elements that you think make a great novel? Do you consciously ensure all of these are in place?
MM: Relatable characters and evocative writing. I want my readers to find familiar traits in my characters and to react accordingly to situations in the books (smile at quips, sympathize during angsty parts, etc.)
SS: If you were trying to describe your writing to someone who hasn’t read anything by you before, what would you say?
MM: My writing is like a vacation – relaxing, refreshing, and rejuvenating.
SS: Are you looking to entertain or illuminate?
MM: Entertain at the same time make it known to more people that relationships like my stories exist in the world.
SS: Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner) says that he feels he is discovering a story rather than creating it. Are you a plotter? Or do let the novel develop organically?
MM: I have a basic story in mind, how it starts and how it ends. I let the novel take shape on its own, the characters say and do what comes naturally.
SS: Was the decision of how to structure the novel obvious?
MM: Yes. I always begin when the characters meet.
SS: How did you make the decision regarding point(s) of view?
MM: Based on what I like to read. Dual third person.
SS: If you stray from a chronological time-frame, did you write the book in the order in which it appears on the page, or did you write it in a chronological order and later rearrange?
MM: I can only write chronologically. I can’t move on until I’m finished with the current scene. I may re-arrange during editing, but not while I’m writing.
SS: Who is the protagonist in your most recent work? Describe him/her in ten words or less.
MM: Maddie is a mixed Filipina, confident and beautiful with daddy issues.
SS: Who is the hero of your story? Describe him/her in ten words or less.
MM: Aidan is an alpha male torn between duty and love.
SS: Where is your book set? How did you decide on the setting? When is it set?
MM: Singapore Fling, as the title says, is set in Singapore. It starts mid-January and ends around July 4. My books are set in places I worked and lived in.
SS: Do you know the ending to your story when you put pen to paper? If so, have you ever changed the ending after you started to write?
MM: I knew the ending will be their reconciliation after a period of separation. No, I’ve never changed an ending. I’ve added scenes before and an epilogue after, but my beginning and ending always remain as I wrote them in the first draft.
SS: Who do you consider to be your biggest and best mentor and/or inspiration?
MM: My biggest inspiration is my husband. He’s my romance hero. I have a lot of mentors. Everyone in my writing group, in SARA.
SS: What epitaph would you want most to be written about you when it’s all said and done? What epitaph would you like at the end of your life?
MM: Maida lived her life to the fullest. No regrets.
SS: If you were deserted on an island, which three people would you want with you? Why? One fictional character from your book, one fictional character from any other book, one famous person that is not a family member or friend.
MM: From my books, I’m going with Craig Ryan, the hero of book 3 Samui Heat. He’s a chef. He’ll make sure we won’t starve. From another book, I choose Claire Randall from Outlander, who was a combat nurse. The famous person I’d choose is Chuck Norris. He’ll protect us.
SS: Interesting choices, Maida. I’d never considered what an asset Chuck Norris could be. If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
MM: Harry Potter. Original and life-changing.
SS: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
MM: Nora Roberts. She’s my favorite romance author of all time. I have multiple copies of all her books.
SS: Which of your characters surprised you the most for the decisions they made?
MM: Not about the decisions, but about their back story. I didn’t know Maddie’s background until she was telling it to the hero.
SS: What writer(s) would you be most thrilled to hear wants to meet you?
MM: Nora Roberts, Bella Andre, Lisa Kleypas
SS: Let’s shift gears a bit. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
MM: Do it. Write. Now. Don’t wait. Read books in your genre. Read every day.
SS: Is there a phrase or quote about writing you particularly like or that inspires you?
MM: From Toni Morrison: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
SS: That’s one of my favorite quotes, too. Are there any books on writing you find particularly useful and would recommend?
Stephen King’s On Writing
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
Write Naked by Jennifer Probst
SS: Shifting gears again, what do you think are the guidelines for a successful romance? Do you think these vary with M/F, F/F, M/M, or alien/shifter/other relationships?
MM: A successful romance focuses on the build-up of the relationship between the lovers. Their age, sexual orientation, race, number don’t matter. The point is their commitment to being together.
SS: What role does consent and the #MeToo movement play in your writing?
MM: It made me more careful about how I write the sex scenes. It’s a major part in the development of the relationship between my characters with both having strong personalities. I had to take special care with my hero’s dialogue and reactions.
SS: What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?
MM: The language. Word selection. I consult my husband extensively on how my hero would say a certain sentence.
SS: What is the appeal of the bad boy? The alpha male?
MM: The bad boy is always one to be reformed. The alpha male to be brought to heel.
SS: Can a beta male be a great hero?
MM: Absolutely. My next book will have a beta hero, a chef who’s grieving for his ex-girlfriend.
SS: It is often believed that almost all writers have had their hearts broken at some point in time. Does that apply to you?
MM: Of course. My boyfriend left me behind when he moved to another country.
SS: Do you believe in real-life happily-ever-afters?
MM: Yes. I’m living it.
SS: Would you write a novel that was a political tract?
MM: Whenever we write our heroines in a position of great power, we’re writing a political tract.
SS: Yes! <Fist pump> I agree wholeheartedly, Maida. You write diverse characters. As a POC, how do you feel writing about people of other races? How do you make them tick?
MM: I already write them. Of the six stories I’ve written, my characters have been Americans, Spanish, and Singaporean apart from Filipinos. We’re all people. Only the outside is different.
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SS: And now, on to the LIGHTNING ROUND! Describe your books in 3 words: Multicultural, diverse, own voice
SS: Favorite thing about your genre? Romance is versatile
SS: A genre you would love to write: Fantasy
SS: The book you’re currently reading? Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas
SS: Your favorite guilty pleasure? Playing Candy Crush
SS: Your number one book boyfriend or girlfriend is? Roarke from J.D. Robb’s In Death series
SS: What’s your favorite RomCom or your favorite romance? Romcom: Pretty Woman. Romance: An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr
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Maida’s books are available through Amazon:
Boracay Vows, New York Engagement, and the anthology, Love Fiesta Style
