Adria J. Cimino in front of her beloved Eiffel Tower.  Photo courtesy of Adria J. Cimino

NI: WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF YOUR TALENT

AJC: The earliest glimmer was in elementary school. I was about seven or eight and we made our own books, laminating the covers and tying all the pages together. I remember feeling joyful about the whole thing and realizing that I could actually write my own book! But from then until the point of publishing my first book as an adult, well, there was a lot of learning and work to be done!

NI: WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU HAD “MADE IT” EXPLAIN

AJC: I don’t think an author ever truly makes it to that point, or at least I haven’t. There’s always the feeling that the best story is yet to be told. I fantasize about that next great book I will write. And then when I do write it, I’m fantasizing about the next one!

NI: WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR ALTERNATE CHOICE AS A CAREER….WAS THERE ONE

AJC: I used to be a full-time journalist so I’ve always been something writing related, and I think I always will do something writing related as that’s really my thing. That said, I wish I could have many careers all in one lifetime: dancer, perfumer, attorney, doctor, to name a few. The closest I can get is creating characters that can live out my dreams.

NI: YOUR FAVORITE BOOK, MOVIE, THEATER (BALLET, OPERA, SYMPHONY), TYPE OF MUSIC, LOCAL RESTAURANT/AND-OR TYPE OF FOOD

AJC: Book: A Moveable Feast (because it describes the Paris I love most)

Theater: Cats!

Ballet: The Nutcracker

Music: Jazz, classical… and 1990s pop

Food: Homemade Italian food and French food

NI: HOBBIES…

AJC: Modern Dance, reading, musical theater, spending time with my husband and daughter and with friends

NI: HOME….MODERN, TRADITIONAL, ANTIQUES (WHAT ERA) ECLECTIC

AJC: I live in Paris and our apartment dates back to the nineteenth century, which actually is not very old for Paris. It has wooden beams, a slanted roof and is old enough to seem like an antique to me. There is something very charming about old apartments!

NI: WHO WOULD YOU HAVE AT YOUR FANTASY DINNER AND WHAT WOULD YOU SERVE

AJC:

Ernest Hemingway

Anais Nin

Henry Miller

Marilyn Monroe

Madonna

Oprah

Alvin Ailey

Marie-Claude Pietragalla

Andrew Lloyd Webber

My six-year-old daughter

My husband is a chef, who previously graduated from the Sorbonne, so I would ask him to come up with a meal inspired by literature! I would take charge of dessert, though, and it would have to be chocolate crème brulee. (NI: I’ll have to get this recipe for my readers, sounds too yummy not to have!!!!)

 Adria and her daughter with A Perfumer’s Secret with flowers used in the text.

NI: FAVORITE VACATION SPOT VISITED AND WHERE DO YOU WANT TO VISIT

AJC: It’s so hard to choose a favorite spot… but one of my favorites is Sicily. For the natural beauty and the cuisine! As for where I’d like to visit: the Greek islands. My favorite places are near the water and usually have warm weather.

NI: YOUR FAVORITE ART PIECE AND WHY

AJC: The Starry Night by van Gogh because it was my mother’s favorite painting and it makes me think of her.

What insightful answers to my questionnaire, a little more than one gets from the book jackets…now you MUST read all of Adria’s books.  I am doing a review on Paris, Rue des Martyrs in tomorrow’s Books Books Books post.  I can’t wait to see what Adria has in store for us next…perhaps we can join her at her favorite cafe and watch the world go by with her…..stayed tuned!

Website: http://www.adriajcimino.com/

Twitter: @Adria_in_Paris

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdriaJ.inParis/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Adria-J.-Cimino/e/B00IBW3X5I