Blog Interview - Author, Eva Blaskovic
Interview With Eva Blaskovic, Author
I am happy to have Eva Blaskovic as my guest today. Thank you, Eva, for joining me on my website.
Eva: Thank you, Jess, for inviting me.
Eva, can you tell us about yourself and your background? What do you currently do outside of writing?
My background is multi-faceted, encompassing both the sciences and the arts. Currently, I am a teacher and learning strategist at the Centre for Literacy on the south side of Edmonton, Alberta, where I work with students who have reading, writing, and math disabilities. My students range from grade two to grade twelve, with each lesson and program tailored to the individual, so I often plan and teach 30 to 33 different lessons per week in addition to attending professional development sessions.
My work has given me the opportunity to teach writing in many forms. I have mentored interested young authors. One 12-year-old student had the opportunity to experience book production when she published her novelette under my guidance. An 11-year-old student wrote a business article for a blog, emphasizing features, benefits, and the set-up of living walls (indoor or outdoor walls decorated with plants and vines).
I was born in Prague, Czech Republic, grew up in Ontario, Canada, and moved to Alberta in 1988, where I raised four children. Parenting has been a rewarding experience (my youngest child is now 17 and the only one left at home) that has benefited both my teaching and writing.
I have a passion for music and numerous musical genres, have played eight instruments, and spent many years immersed in Taekwondo and Karate. I garden, play classical guitar, and enjoy concerts, theatre, Edmonton’s summer festivals, and farmers’ markets. Indian food, mango lassis, and fine espresso lattes are some of my favourite things.
What books have you written, and what are their genres? What audience are they aimed at?
The second edition of Beyond the Precipice will be released in late fall 2016 by Dream Write Publishing, a local publisher. The book’s genre is literary fiction/psychological suspense, set to a backdrop of music. The book is aimed at adult audiences of 16+; however, since it requires some life experience or prior knowledge of grief and abuse psychology to fully appreciate, readers who have liked the book most were typically older adults.
Tom Hyman, my critiquer, has stated on several occasions that the book would make “a hell of a movie.” If artists were to compose original music that emulated the tones and moods of my compiled playlist, I am certain the resultant movie would make an impression. I have only seen Whiplash recently, but there is an example of a music movie that did well because of its story, characters, and conflicts.
Beyond the Precipice contains elements of Dead Poets Society, Stand by Me, Lion King, Amadeus, and quite a few other books and movies. However, nobody to date has been able to tell me what well-known novel(s) Beyond the Precipice is most similar to. People consider it an original, which has made it difficult to classify, but it is actually based on pretty universal human condition themes and conflicts.
What’s next for you after Beyond the Precipice?
Beyond the Music is a companion/sequel to Beyond the Precipice, but I don’t expect it to be completed for a few more years, since it is as complicated to write and requires even more research. I have embedded music selections from YouTube on my site to give a sense of the mood for each of the two books.
In the fall of 2017, I hope to release the novelette Ironclad (supernatural adventure) and novel Druyan (fantasy adventure, NaNoWriMo 2014 “winner”), also through Dream Write Publishing.
I have material for a parenting (and educator?) non-fiction book, but that is a project I will take up after the above two 2017 releases are completed.
What prompted you to write Beyond the Precipice? Where do you get your writing inspiration? What message(s) do you want readers to take away?
Beyond the Precipice was conceived in 2006, its first scene (not the beginning of the book) written for a writing class. The story and conflicts began to develop, and in less than a month, were further influenced by the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. Ironically, the Fringe scenes were eventually taken out because they didn’t fit the timeline of the book, once the inciting incident was identified.
For a writer, everything—absolutely everything—is fodder. I have always drawn my inspiration from the natural world, everyday life, people, conversations, books and movies, other people’s experiences, and my own experiences. Sometimes I augment these with research. Writing is like building with Lego. You take the blocks of humanity and recombine them into new structures, new stories.
If readers see a part of themselves, or can relate the story to someone or something in their lives, then it becomes meaningful to them. I like to present personal or societal problems, but balance them with solutions, either direct or inferred, and temper them with hope (except for a couple of my short stories, where the message lies in the demise of the protagonist). In all cases, I want readers to feel something, some kind of empathy with the characters.
Do you write short stories, articles, or have a blog? Where can we find them?
I have written a number of short stories (paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, human interest, and children’s) and articles (writing, parenting, travel), for which links can be found on my site or on Angie’s Diary e-Magazine (Amsterdam) and Storybird.
My blog can be found on my site at www.evablaskovic.com.
What do you find the hardest about writing? The easiest?
Everything is hard about the process of writing. Production is even harder.
Long fiction is the hardest because of its length. Of that, reality fiction is the most difficult. Beyond the Precipice bears a decade of my blood and sweat. However, reality fiction is often the most personally rewarding, perhaps because it is more relatable, more relevant, less escapist.
The easiest thing is creating scenes in my head while listening to music in the dark. The scenes unfold like a movie, and I can choose to be an observer or in one of the characters’ heads.
What special thing about yourself would you like to share with readers?
I like math as much as writing and have been known to change math-hating students into geeks like me.
How can we follow or contact you?
You can follow/contact me on
Website: www.evablaskovic.com – Blog
Facebook page: Beyond the Precipice
Twitter: @BlaskovicWriter
Facebook page: http://facebook.com/eva.blaskovic1
Many of my stories, articles, and book excerpts are posted on Angie’s Diary e-Magazine.
Where can readers buy your books?
Beyond the Precipice Second Edition will be available for sale in paperback and e-book formats in late fall 2016. It will be sold through Dream Write Publishing, Amazon, some bookstores, at local book and library events, and at book signings.
A description of the story is available on my site. I will also be updating publication details and providing purchase links once they are known.
Awards & Recognition
In 2014, I was awarded the Seal of Excellence for the Top 100 Certified Writers.
In November of the same year, I received my “winner” stamp for 50,000 words in 30 days—quite a feat considering I worked six days a week, was a single parent, and had recently undergone major surgery that left me exhausted for many months afterward.
In December 2015, my 2,800-word children’s story, “Peace Giver,” was selected as one of seven featured stories on Storybird for the contest theme You Are Gifted.
I am happy to have Eva Blaskovic as my guest today. Thank you, Eva, for joining me on my website.
Eva: Thank you, Jess, for inviting me.
Eva, can you tell us about yourself and your background? What do you currently do outside of writing?
My background is multi-faceted, encompassing both the sciences and the arts. Currently, I am a teacher and learning strategist at the Centre for Literacy on the south side of Edmonton, Alberta, where I work with students who have reading, writing, and math disabilities. My students range from grade two to grade twelve, with each lesson and program tailored to the individual, so I often plan and teach 30 to 33 different lessons per week in addition to attending professional development sessions.
My work has given me the opportunity to teach writing in many forms. I have mentored interested young authors. One 12-year-old student had the opportunity to experience book production when she published her novelette under my guidance. An 11-year-old student wrote a business article for a blog, emphasizing features, benefits, and the set-up of living walls (indoor or outdoor walls decorated with plants and vines).
I was born in Prague, Czech Republic, grew up in Ontario, Canada, and moved to Alberta in 1988, where I raised four children. Parenting has been a rewarding experience (my youngest child is now 17 and the only one left at home) that has benefited both my teaching and writing.
I have a passion for music and numerous musical genres, have played eight instruments, and spent many years immersed in Taekwondo and Karate. I garden, play classical guitar, and enjoy concerts, theatre, Edmonton’s summer festivals, and farmers’ markets. Indian food, mango lassis, and fine espresso lattes are some of my favourite things.
What books have you written, and what are their genres? What audience are they aimed at?
The second edition of Beyond the Precipice will be released in late fall 2016 by Dream Write Publishing, a local publisher. The book’s genre is literary fiction/psychological suspense, set to a backdrop of music. The book is aimed at adult audiences of 16+; however, since it requires some life experience or prior knowledge of grief and abuse psychology to fully appreciate, readers who have liked the book most were typically older adults.
Tom Hyman, my critiquer, has stated on several occasions that the book would make “a hell of a movie.” If artists were to compose original music that emulated the tones and moods of my compiled playlist, I am certain the resultant movie would make an impression. I have only seen Whiplash recently, but there is an example of a music movie that did well because of its story, characters, and conflicts.
Beyond the Precipice contains elements of Dead Poets Society, Stand by Me, Lion King, Amadeus, and quite a few other books and movies. However, nobody to date has been able to tell me what well-known novel(s) Beyond the Precipice is most similar to. People consider it an original, which has made it difficult to classify, but it is actually based on pretty universal human condition themes and conflicts.
What’s next for you after Beyond the Precipice?
Beyond the Music is a companion/sequel to Beyond the Precipice, but I don’t expect it to be completed for a few more years, since it is as complicated to write and requires even more research. I have embedded music selections from YouTube on my site to give a sense of the mood for each of the two books.
In the fall of 2017, I hope to release the novelette Ironclad (supernatural adventure) and novel Druyan (fantasy adventure, NaNoWriMo 2014 “winner”), also through Dream Write Publishing.
I have material for a parenting (and educator?) non-fiction book, but that is a project I will take up after the above two 2017 releases are completed.
What prompted you to write Beyond the Precipice? Where do you get your writing inspiration? What message(s) do you want readers to take away?
Beyond the Precipice was conceived in 2006, its first scene (not the beginning of the book) written for a writing class. The story and conflicts began to develop, and in less than a month, were further influenced by the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. Ironically, the Fringe scenes were eventually taken out because they didn’t fit the timeline of the book, once the inciting incident was identified.
For a writer, everything—absolutely everything—is fodder. I have always drawn my inspiration from the natural world, everyday life, people, conversations, books and movies, other people’s experiences, and my own experiences. Sometimes I augment these with research. Writing is like building with Lego. You take the blocks of humanity and recombine them into new structures, new stories.
If readers see a part of themselves, or can relate the story to someone or something in their lives, then it becomes meaningful to them. I like to present personal or societal problems, but balance them with solutions, either direct or inferred, and temper them with hope (except for a couple of my short stories, where the message lies in the demise of the protagonist). In all cases, I want readers to feel something, some kind of empathy with the characters.
Do you write short stories, articles, or have a blog? Where can we find them?
I have written a number of short stories (paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, human interest, and children’s) and articles (writing, parenting, travel), for which links can be found on my site or on Angie’s Diary e-Magazine (Amsterdam) and Storybird.
My blog can be found on my site at www.evablaskovic.com.
What do you find the hardest about writing? The easiest?
Everything is hard about the process of writing. Production is even harder.
Long fiction is the hardest because of its length. Of that, reality fiction is the most difficult. Beyond the Precipice bears a decade of my blood and sweat. However, reality fiction is often the most personally rewarding, perhaps because it is more relatable, more relevant, less escapist.
The easiest thing is creating scenes in my head while listening to music in the dark. The scenes unfold like a movie, and I can choose to be an observer or in one of the characters’ heads.
What special thing about yourself would you like to share with readers?
I like math as much as writing and have been known to change math-hating students into geeks like me.
How can we follow or contact you?
You can follow/contact me on
Website: www.evablaskovic.com – Blog
Facebook page: Beyond the Precipice
Twitter: @BlaskovicWriter
Facebook page: http://facebook.com/eva.blaskovic1
Many of my stories, articles, and book excerpts are posted on Angie’s Diary e-Magazine.
Where can readers buy your books?
Beyond the Precipice Second Edition will be available for sale in paperback and e-book formats in late fall 2016. It will be sold through Dream Write Publishing, Amazon, some bookstores, at local book and library events, and at book signings.
A description of the story is available on my site. I will also be updating publication details and providing purchase links once they are known.
Awards & Recognition
In 2014, I was awarded the Seal of Excellence for the Top 100 Certified Writers.
In November of the same year, I received my “winner” stamp for 50,000 words in 30 days—quite a feat considering I worked six days a week, was a single parent, and had recently undergone major surgery that left me exhausted for many months afterward.
In December 2015, my 2,800-word children’s story, “Peace Giver,” was selected as one of seven featured stories on Storybird for the contest theme You Are Gifted.
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