Denise: Your first choice for a career was kindled by your love of music. You studied at Boston University and the New England Conservatory of Music and you earned your position as a violinist with the Metropolitan Opera Company. Did the love of music run in your family? What was the professional experience like?

Erica: My parents were both Russian immigrants and avid music lovers. My father was my first violin teacher. (Coincidentally or not, he was an immensely talented writer and also presented me with my very first journal!) My mother spent many an evening attending the opera in her native Odessa and also directed ballet as a young girl there. And she listened faithfully to the Met Opera broadcasts on the radio every Saturday afternoon. Both of them took me to countless performances of the Symphony in my native Detroit, and my mom also took me to see the Met when it came to town on tour.

My own professional experience at the Met was incomparable. Not only was I privileged to watch and participate in performances with some of the greatest opera stars of the century - Pavarotti, Domingo, Carreras to name a few - but I had an insider's view of what goes into the creative process at what is considered to be the premier opera house in the world. That said, my second novel (see below) examines the underside of that world!

Denise: You had to turn away from music because of a car accident. I'm so sorry to learn that. You now were faced with the challenge of determining the course of your future and finding another creative outlet. Had you always loved writing? How did you redirect your career down the author's path?

Erica: When I was seven years old, I was placed in a special after-school Creative Writing class for gifted children. Evidently someone there recognized a spark of the writer in me. I think that was when my passion for writing was first kindled. Even though my violin studies, begun when I was nine, took precedence over everything else in my life, I always continued to write. When I was thirteen and about to start high school, I started journaling and kept with it until the day I left for college four years later. Because of my writing, my recall of that period of my life is still so vivid I am able to recapture in my present project, a novel series about a young girl's coming-of-age in the 60s and 70s. So when ultimately later on in my life it became evident that, due to the injuries in that car accident, I would have to give up my professional musical career, it seemed a natural segue to another path - that of writer. We creative people all need an artistic outlet, and given my lifelong love of writing, there was no other path that could have been more right for me. I began by studying screenwriting and just kept going from there.

Denise: Let's talk about Travels With My Lovers. Just reading the title gives one the feeling of seduction and enjoying life. What experiences did you merge into this fictional novel? What goals did you hope to achieve?

Erica: After writing five scripts I found myself wanting to try the novel genre. I still had the journals I had kept in the course of my many travels and thought they would make great material for a novel; that's how Travels With My Lovers was born. To me, fiction was always more fun than non-fiction or memoir, so I opted for a novel in which I could keep the 'true' experiences and embellish them as I wished. So, yes, I actually experienced most of the fun and enjoyable happenings in the novel - and the difficult ones as well!

That said, I am often asked how much of Travels is true and how much is fiction. My usual answer is, 'only the author knows for sure! (with a wink.) But in writing the story, I had two goals: one, to entertain; and two, to encourage women to express their emotional freedom. I believe, from the feedback I've gotten from readers and reviewers, that I've accomplished both. That is truly gratifying. I've also written a screenplay version of the book.

Denise: Did you create the main character using your own personality and traits? Is she a free spirit or pulled back by obligations?

Erica: I must admit that my protagonist is based on my own character traits. Her transformational arc is that of a woman constrained by her difficult life situation and her obligations, who gradually allows her inner free spirit to emerge. What's so enlightening about the process of creating her, and her story, is that it allowed me to recognize, in telling detail, what I actually went through in my own process of transformation and growth as a person. One of the great things about journaling is that it opens you up to insights about yourself and your life journey. Writing a novel about that makes the experience that much more revealing. What a wonderful way to get to know yourself!

Denise: You also present seminars and lectures which focus on writing, journaling and relationships and the single mom. Is this another form of your self-expression or the best way possible to promote your novel?

Erica: It's both. Giving lectures and seminars makes my 'inner performer' happy. I had no idea how much I missed the performance aspect of my music. So yes, it is indeed a form of self-expression. But I've also learned, in the process of promoting my book, how important it is to 'get yourself out there' and spread the word about your work by speaking to people, whether at book signings, lectures or seminars. It's an absolutely wonderful tool, and I think all writers need to explore this venue to promote their work. There's no better way to share your concepts with others - and I've met so many wonderful people that way!

Denise: I understand you've written a second novel entitled, Murder In the Pit. This one is a suspense thriller. Can you tell us a little about it?

Erica: I've made use of my intimate knowledge of the backstage goings-on at the Met Opera by writing a thriller using the Met for my background. A world-famous conductor is assassinated on the podium; and his protegee, a young violinist whose best friend is accused of the murder, sets out to find out who really killed the Maestro. There are lots of juicy onstage and backstage machinations, back-stabbing and gossip and all the elements that make this backdrop for the novel so unique and intriguing. It was so much fun to write.

Denise: What other writing projects do you have in mind?

Erica: My 'labor of love' is my novel series, which I mentioned above, based on my journals from my teenage and young adult years. It follows the story of four young women who meet in high school, become lifelong friends and mature into adulthood together - focusing mostly on one particular girl and her life journey - against the background of the volatile social-political climate of the 60s and 70s. Baby Boomers will love this nostalgic look back at this intriguing period of their history, and younger readers will hopefully be fascinated by this window into an era about which there is renewed interest these days.

Denise: Tell us about your experiences with your publisher and how we can buy both of your books.

Erica: Given the choice of going the "traditional' Agent/Publisher route, which can take a year or two, or going with a POD publisher and getting the book out there in a matter of months, I opted for the latter. I'm glad I did, because I've learned so much about promoting since the book came out, information that will serve me well in searching for an Agent/Publisher for my second book, I know what I have to do in order to write, edit, design a cover, search for promotional tools on the Internet - and so much more. What a great experience!

Denise: Do you belong to any writers' organizations? E-groups?

Erica: Locally, I belong to, and have given lectures and seminars for, the National League of American Pen Woman (my local branch in La Jolla, CA), the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild, the Hi Way Haven Writers Emporium, the Encourage Mint motivational and inspiritational group and the San Diego Screenwriters Association. Online, I'm active with Queenpower.com (I'm the 'Journaling Queen'), Boomerwomenspeak.com, Motownwriters.com, Ryze.com (a fabulous group of online promoters), Co-abode.org (a support group for single moms), thespiritedwoman.com, themusemarquee.tripod.com and theromancestudio.com, among others. I'm on the faculty of lsswritingschool.com, the new online writing school. My website has its own newsletter, which you can subscribe to by going here.

Denise: What tips can you offer beginning writers?

Erica: Oh, there are so many! But I think perseverance is always the key. Make sure your work is as good as it gets, then get it out there and roll with the rejection. Learn your craft by surfing the many wonderful writers' sites (of which gottawritenetwork is a major player!) and make contact with other writers for feedback, tips and support. If you need a jump start or a source for material, consider journaling to get those creative juices flowing. There's nothing like the wealth of resources that journaling can provide. But most of all...KEEP GOING.

--Interview conducted by Denise Fleischer
October 2005
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