Sweetest Taboo

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Sweetest Taboo

by Eva Marquez

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

            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, and people’s struggle in finding a resolution. At sixteen I wrote my first full-length novel, which was truly the beginning of my writing career.

      Throughout the different stages of formative education, I have been blessed by working with intriguing teachers, professors and mentors who helped to shape my global perspectives. I have also had the unique opportunity to travel the world, studying and volunteering in challenging corners of the globe, which has nurtured and contributed to my love of writing and storytelling. Although writing skills are important, life experiences and my exposure to many different cultures has allowed me to cultivate my literary work throughout the years. Writers are not born, nor do they spring up overnight.

      While writing Sweetest Taboo, I had the opportunity to explore a subject with much social and psychological significance. To delve deep into romantic encounters among unlikely partners and develop an honest but page-turning story has been rewarding. I am fascinated by the complexities of society, and the often-difficult choices presented to individuals, particularly women. Sweetest Taboo exposes the inner dialogue and emotional strategies pursued by those making difficult decisions, and it exposes the mechanisms of manipulation that become useful to characters in getting what they want, regardless of the outcome. What excites me most as a writer, and storyteller, is unearthing the drama that we rarely see, the drama that lurks beneath the surface.

2. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

      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.

3. What expertise did you bring to your writing?

As a life-long writer, I brought (and continue to bring!) many levels of expertise to my writing. The most important level of expertise I bring is my somewhat unique experiences as an immigrant child, later as an adolescent in an under-served and lower middle class community in Southern California, eventually as an international volunteer living in Southern Africa at the height of the HIV epidemic in the early 2000’s, and more recently as a woman working and living in six continents (within the last ten years of my life). This wealth of diverse experience has provided me with a great deal of ‘content’ and inspiration for my writing, and ‘Sweetest Taboo’ is merely my very first creative outlet, with much more to come. Other levels of expertise I bring to my writing include an impeccable attention to detail in all aspects of my writing process, from plot, character, timeline and chapter development to grammar, spelling, sentence structure and punctuation. I also bring a social level of expertise to my writing, which basically means that because I have lived and learned so much over my relatively brief life (30 or so odd years J), I have access to a great network of diverse friends and colleagues around the world who critique my work at every step. This is perhaps the expertise I value most, as it is ‘external’ to me, but equally important in the story development and writing process.

4.   What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

      I’d like my readers to know that aside from raising my two year old as a single mother, directing a national HIV/AIDS program in Southern Africa and working on the final chapters of my doctoral dissertation (who said women can’t have it all J), I LOVE having fun! That’s probably not inherent in my bio since most bios tend to be quite serious. However, I am a very normal young woman from Southern California who enjoys life, loves to travel, loves to discover cultures and learn about cultural history, and enjoys a good sky dive, bungee jump and extreme sport here and there to make life interesting!

5. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

      Although I did not intend on ‘Sweetest Taboo’ being part of a series or trilogy, I decided that my next literary project would embark upon the story before the story, so to speak. Readers really want to know what Isabel was thinking when she became intimate with her school coach, they want to know how she could have gotten herself into such a mess, a mess that involved the authorities and potential prison time for Mr. Stevens, the man she loved most. So what I am doing is writing the prequel to ‘Sweetest Taboo’ that explores Isabel’s childhood and early adolescence as an immigrant in a Los Angeles suburb. Readers can expect complex and somewhat disturbing revelations, some violence, and definitely some tears. Then of course, there will be a sequel to ‘Sweetest Taboo’, where readers will learn about Isabel and Tom’s journey and what their relationship had in store for them. The stories I weave will always include trials and tribulations, but they will also include redemption and hope.

6. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

Easy! I would be Isabel. Having been 16 and loved every minute of it, I can relate to her crush on Mr. Stevens (let’s be honest, what girl did not have a crush on one of her handsome teachers while in High School?). I remember one of my crushes fondly…ah….Mr. Ferris! What girl in my class did not have a crush on this handsome substitute teacher? He was young, tall, muscular in all the right places, blue eyes, brown hair, sparkling smile, dimple where it belonged, boyish good looks, and flirtatious (or at least we liked to read into his playfulness). I can’t imagine any one of us would have turned him down should he have tried to kiss us, so in a scheming ‘bad girl’ kind of way, I would have LOVED to have been in Isabel’s shoes to see what it would feel like to be revered by that crush we all had at one point in time. Also, I would have liked to see how I would have reacted to the situation. I know for a fact that I would have NOT rebuffed Mr. Ferris…I mean, I dreamt about the man! But, would I have chased him as Isabel did? Would I have followed my heart as intensely as Isabel did? Would I have risked it all, just to get close to him? I’d like to think I perhaps wouldn’t, but who’s to know? For these reasons, I think if I could be any single character in ‘Sweetest Taboo’, I would be Isabel.

7. Can you give us a sneak peak into this book?

Isabel Cruz was fifteen years old when she met Tom Stevens. She was 15 when they – and sometimes reckless – fascination. When he finally approached her after swim practice and told her that he shared her feelings, it was the start of a forbidden and dangerous relationship.

Readers can join Isabel as she makes her way through this dark love story, hiding from teachers, lying to her parents, and defying the authorities to make a life with the man she loves. Watch as she discovers the wonders of love and romance, and the terrible betrayal of jealous friends. And cry with her when she learns the hard truth about life and the people in her world. Sweetest Taboo is inspired by the true and tragic stories of students who fall in love with their teachers, and live with the hard truths of forbidden romances. In a world full of after-school specials on sexual predators, this touching book seeks a different path, casting both student and teacher in a gentle light, and showing that true love may lie at the base of even the most illicit romance.

8. Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?

As I mentioned in a previous response, my critique group is informal and social. In essence, the group is made up of a handful (or perhaps two handfuls!) of friends, colleagues and acquaintances from across the globe. These people are interested in my work and are always happy when I bounce ideas off of them, and they also enjoy providing me with critical feedback on outlines, chapters, and manuscript drafts. I truly believe that close group of critics are one of the secrets to the success of ‘Sweetest Taboo’, and by success I mean the quality of the book, as opposed to sales success (the book has not launched yet, so there is no claim to that kind of success yet J). I can’t say that this group has hindered my work, but it certainly has slowed my creative process down. Also, there are times when I completely disagree with one or many critiques based on what I know of the critic (i.e. ‘Tim’ is okay with graphic sex scenes so he wants me to include more of those, while I believe that they are far too graphic for the genre, my readers, and even my comfort level). But, with all quality literary work, I balance the critiques with my own good judgment and only include revisions that I truly believe my readers will appreciate and enjoy.

9. What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

The best advice I’ve ever received has been from my father, who is my number one supporter in all things. When I told him I was writing a book, he said to me ‘whatever you set out to do, make sure you do it with all your might and energy and never do it halfway, because if you do, you’ll just have to start over again when it fails’. Although there are some positive and negative elements in that statement, it rings true to this day. The absolute worst advice I’ve ever received is not to self publish my book. There is a lot of literary opinion about this topic out in our cyber world already, so I won’t elaborate on this here, but what I will say is that advice kept ‘Sweetest Taboo’ in a folder on my laptop for years. When I finally saw the light, after a great deal of research on the subject, I decided to let go of that terrible piece of advice and move forward with self-publishing and I’m incredibly happy I did!

10.    Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I am definitely a plotter. My inspiration for ‘Sweetest Taboo’ came in spurts, but those spurts were carefully jotted down in a notebook as chapter titles and brief descriptions of what I wanted to include in each chapter. Plots, characters and timelines were all carefully plotted which made the writing process flow. Because of the comprehensive outline, I was able to develop each chapter at one sitting. However, as I wrote I also became somewhat of a panster, weaving new plots, characters and climaxes into each chapter. In essence, my writing process can be described as highly organized and plotted, with room for creative ‘interventions’ when the inspiration hits.

11.    How do you maintain your creativity?

Fortunately, this is a non-issue for me because of my environment, lifestyle and access to different cultures, people, and the different experiences I live on a day-to-day basis. At any given point, I feel I have about five different stories inside of me dying to get out, dying to be drafted into full-length novels. The biggest challenge I encounter, as an author, is not inspiration and creativity but rather a lack of time to dedicate to developing these stories, characters and plots. I think I’m just one of those individual’s blessed by life, so creativity always surrounds me in one way or another. Now, if only I could quit my day job and dedicate myself to writing…that’s really what I’m looking forward to!

12.    Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?

This is such an interesting question, and a difficult one at that! I have had quite a bit of feedback on the characters from my readers, all questions that make me want to develop character interviews for each prominent character in the story. Readers seem to want to know more, to get to the bottom of why certain characters did what they did. I suppose if I had to choose a favorite character, I would choose Liz. Although I love both Isabel and Tom for their steadfastness during times of extreme danger, I really love the loyalty that Liz shows for her best friend Isabel. In spite of the circumstances, in spite of being questioned by the police, in spite of so many pressures, Liz does not waver and comes to Isabel’s defense time and time again. Her loyalty, support and sincere love for her best friend Isabel is one of the things I love most about this story. We often see so much rivalry among high school aged girls, and we see girls backstabbing their friends or gossiping and divulging other people’s secrets, but in Sweetest Taboo we get to experience a true friendship between two high school girls, and a friendship that endures even under the most intense pressures. One of my favorite scenes from the book is when Liz convinces Isabel to return to their high school. In this scene, we see Liz offering Isabel her support and her protection should any rumors or gossip ensue about Isabel’s relationship with Mr. Stevens. Had it not been for Liz, I think Isabel would have attended the rival high school and likely never gotten back with Mr. Stevens.

BLURB:

Isabel Cruz was fifteen years old when she met Tom Stevens. She was 15 when they started dating, and 16 when she lost her virginity to him. By the time she turned 18 and went to college, everything had fallen apart. This hadn’t been an ordinary love, though. Not a love between two dear friends, or even high school sweethearts. This had been the most taboo sort of love there was: a relationship between a student and her teacher. Isabel started her high school career as a normal student, but set her sights on Tom Stevens as soon as she met him, and pursued him with an intense – and sometimes reckless – fascination. When he finally approached her after swim practice and told her that he shared her feelings, it was the start of a forbidden and dangerous relationship.

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EXCERPT:

From Chapter 1:

“Tom?” I asked in a hoarse whisper, my stomach full of butterflies. It was still a little strange to call him by first name, even after all these years. Especially when everyone else at Royal Oaks High called him “Mr. Stevens.”

“Isabel,” came the familiar voice. “How are you?” His voice was gentle and deep. It soothed me instantly, the same way it had when I was fifteen. There was an edge to his voice tonight, though, and I sensed that there was something bothering him.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. I didn’t want to admit that I already knew exactly what it was; my high school graduation was coming up. It would bring an end to our current arrangement. We hadn’t talked about our future yet, but I had known that it was coming.

After a few pensive moments, Tom spoke.

“You’re my sweetheart," he told me, his voice sad. "I can’t imagine life without you. I don’t want to have to imagine life without you.”

Tom rarely used terms of endearment with me, these days. When he did – in these rare moments when he called me his sweetheart – my heart melted. All of the turmoil, the sleepless nights, the protracted nature of our relationship, became nothing more than a passing inconvenience and very worthwhile. Tonight, though, I knew that the word came with drawbacks. They gave me the courage I needed to say the words I’d been dreading.

“My graduation won’t affect our relationship, you know that," I told him. "Look at how much we’ve been through together. If we made it through all of that, we can make it through anything. Tom, I want to be with you always, no matter where life takes me after graduation.”

I spoke passionately, fully believing in what I said. I was absolutely devoted to this man. But somewhere deep inside, I knew I was being dishonest. Neither of us wanted our relationship to change, but it was clear that things were going to change, and soon. I had just been offered a place at a small, private liberal arts college on the East Coast. The choice had been difficult because although I wanted to stay close to Tom, I also wanted to move forward with my life. In the end, I accepted the offer. Tom hadn’t really reacted when I told him. It hadn’t affected our relationship. Now, though, the cracks were starting to show.

 “I want to believe that,” Tom answered quietly. “I loved the last letter you wrote me. Every time I read your letters, I feel like I’m sixteen again. I feel like I’ve come out of a deep sleep." A pause, and then, "I can’t lose you, Isabel. You’re the reason I wake up in the morning; I can’t love anyone more than I love–”

Suddenly I heard a distinct click on the line. My heart plummeted.

“Did you hear that?" Tom snapped, his tone suddenly terse. "Did someone pick up the phone at your house?”

 “Hold on a minute, let me check inside.” I slipped back inside and listened, but the house was completely quiet. The kitchen phone was on the counter, my mom’s office was dark, and I was holding the only other phone in the house. 

"Who picked up the phone?” Tom repeated, worry coloring his voice.

The click had not originated on my end of the line. I should've been relieved, but my panic rose even more.

“Tom," I whispered into the receiver. "It wasn’t here, everyone’s asleep..."

“I have to go," Tom interrupted abruptly. "Danielle's coming.”

There was another click, and the line went dead.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, daughter of European immigrants, Eva Márquez has spent most of her life outside of her home country. At the age of five, Eva accompanied her parents to the United States, where the family settled permanently. After graduating from university, she went on to complete graduate studies in International Relations in Spain. Eva received her Master of International Studies degree from the University of Sydney and went on to work in the global health field in Sub Saharan Africa and South East Asia. Eva currently resides in Southern Africa.

Links:

www.SweetestTabooBook.com (website AND blog)

www.facebook.com/Sweetest.Taboo.YA.Book (FB Book page)

@EvaAuthor (Twitter)

www.goodreads.com/eva_marquez (GoodReads)

http://youtu.be/flff2TcA4AQ (Official Book Trailer on YouTube)

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