“Meet Guest Author, Anna “Annina” Lorenzi…”
Posted by Chris Graham, on The Story Reading Ape
Anna “Annina” Lorenzi. Writer, Author & more.
“Before being born I was on a spaceship waiting to go down”.
Wait! I’m not crazy, I swear!
Let me introduce myself…
My name is Anna, but almost since I was a little kid everyone has always called me “Annina,” and not because I’m so short, but because in Italian it’s also an affectionate diminutive to indicate that you’re the youngest in the family or group of friends. I was born and grew up in Milan, Italy, where I still live with my two marvelous beagles, and I have been writing since forever.
By “forever,” I mean ever since I was a child, and didn’t know how to do it, yet! I’ve never stopped writing, even if (I confess) I have a few little problems with dyslexia, but even so… Even so, for me writing is my first means of communicating, an indispensable tool, often a need, and something very intimate, too. I like to take care of my bonsai and my yard, which – since I’m an anxious type – I find very relaxing. I adore my dogs, they are my shadows and my “suckerfish” 24/7. I am passionate about cars and motorbikes, especially the “oldies, but goodies” (I’ve even restored some!). I love travelling and seeing new places, as well as the mountains and the U.S., my second home; I miss them so much in this period! And… ah, yes, I’m also the exclusive consultant for LLC, which I founded ten years ago, by now, with friends in Austin, TX; it’s a company that operates in the field of classic cars and motorbikes.
What? I haven’t said yet, why I was on a space ship before coming to this world? You’re right. I’ll explain.
That phrase is the subtitle of the name of my personal blog, which is dedicated to my activity as a writer – annina19.com. In Italian, it’s Diciannove (Nineteen – my lucky number) – Prima di nascere ero sull’astronave che aspettavo di scendere (Before being born I was on a spaceship waiting to go down). It’s the explanation that my mom used to give me when I was little, when I would ask her, “but where was I when you and daddy…?” So, growing up, this was how I explained to myself why I felt a little bit alien in this world…. Everything made sense if I was on a space ship, first! LOL! (Because, for me, everything has to make sense….)
What else could I say about myself?… I believe deeply in the value of Friendship (yes, that kind with the capital “F”), in the family, in Love in all of its sincere forms and manifestations and in the value of giving someone your word. I believe in equality, in faithfulness, in respect, in honesty, and in humility. I believe in the phrase, “insist, resist, achieve and conquer” as a symbol of constancy, consistency and obstinacy. I believe in real feelings and passions, and that being is always better than seeming. I believe that there’s only one way to do something: well. I believe in ‘minds wanting to think, hearts wanting to beat, in the brave and the crazy’ (to paraphrase the dedication of my most recent novel). I believe… I believe that I haven’t said anything to you, yet, about this new book of mine! I’ll remedy that, immediately!
Last winter, the idea to write a novel came to me, suddenly. It wasn’t the first that I had written, but until recently I had dedicated myself principally to my blog and to short texts, however,… however, something told me that it was the right moment to launch myself into a new kind of project, a serious project, maybe even ambitious, that carried with it, in its pages, those principles and convictions that belong to me so deeply in the hopes of being able to share them and to “get them to” as many readers as possible… in the whole world! (Yes, I know, I have this bad vice: when I start something, I start it off full blast, no half-measures for me!). I don’t want to spoil any surprises, but I can tell you that when we began to hear of university degrees and masters in Italy for being influencers, …. I also had just come across someone who was the decisive inspiration for a fundamental person in the narrative, the one in the title of the book, and I wanted to meet this person, even if only virtually,…
This is how my novel Incontrando Laura – Un romanzo liberamente e in parte ispirato alla vita di… came to be, together with its English version, Meeting Laura – A novel loosely and partially inspired by the life of… , a novel professionally translated from Italian (and, in my opinion, in a truly fantastic way) by Starleen K. Meyer, who has become not just my official translator, but also a dear friend.
The protagonist? A young writer with a dream to follow and a challenge that he can’t not accept. The ending? A surprise for many readers. The blurb intrigues: “An unusual trip, seemingly simple, … narrated among thoughts, memories, emotions, and clear images depicting her, Laura, really that same Laura that the whole world knows and acclaims… (or maybe not?).”
Both of the editions have been published independently, and currently are available for purchase both as eBooks and paperbacks in all Amazon stores.
What to say? OK, good, so now are you asking yourself who Laura is?
Well, for the moment I think that I’ve already written too much, but… you can find the answer in the pages of my novel and in some articles on my blog the pages of which that related to my book are in English, don’t worry!
Happy reading to all those who will want to do it, and thanks for making my acquaintance!
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Posted on July 4, 2020 by Chris Graham, on The Story Reading Ape
Written by Anna “Annina” Lorenzi
Translated from Italian by Starleen K. Meyer
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A19 - Anna "Annina" Lorenzi - Writer, Author & more… 