Today we talk about The Universe Within, a book by Sara Vanessa Da Silva published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Sara Vanessa Da Silva to get to know her better and to discover all about her book The Universe Within.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- How would you define your book it “The Universe Within”?
The Universe Within is a dream coming true. I have dreamed of becoming a published author for a long time. Because I am very independent I’ve always wanted to do it on my own, without anyone referring me or without any famous person help. It is a mix of poetry and prose, and also creative writing in which I would define as a genuine expression of my being in writing. When I write, I do not write about the same topics or in the same style all the time. Some days I feel poetic and write poetry, others I feel very exact and want to write science, others I feel very creative and write prose. It depends on how I feel. Unlike many people, especially in Europe, who think / feel / believe emotions and feeling are something negative that we need to control, I enjoy feeling everything I am supposed to feel in this life time. My emotions are my treasure in this life, not something to tame or hide. I believe all writers feel in similar ways. Someone who calls themselves as a “writer” is someone to whom writing feels especial. It’s perhaps, their favorite way of expressing themselves. To be able to express our emotions and feelings through words is an asset, never a fault. All my creative writing about love is dedicated to a platonic love of my life whom I have not yet met in life. I am not sure who that man is, but I know one day I will meet someone that will make sense of all I have been writing these years while dreaming of him. So, we could say my poems and prose are dedicated to a handsome, sexy, clever, protective of me man who I am yet to meet. I say these characteristics because I find them very attractive in men. I think some may want to distort what I write to match some idea of that person they may have, but the truth is that it is not about anyone I know, unless dedicated to my ex husband and written in the past, but someone I would like to meet. As a writer, I offer myself enough freedom to create creative writing and to dream and imagine how a relationship with that man, who would be the love of my life, would be. I can imagine many things all day long. It was other people, all through my life, who have told me I should write books and movies, because of my vivid imagination. I took it always as a compliment. I would love to write movies one day. I can guarantee it would be a unique story written in a way that speaks to many. I have many ideas. Unfortunately, I live in a place where not many opportunities are available. I do not know anyone. In the movies industry, it would have to be on my own, once again, and the way I like it. I hope readers enjoy “The Universe Within” and see it as an introduction from myself to them. It is a sneak peek of the writing style I can develop, of how I feel many times about love, how I have loved in the past someone who was important to me (my ex husband), and how I can weave words in different ways as a passion that runs deep within me. It is not in a light manner that I say “I love writing”. To all my readers, I hope they can see themselves in my words, thoughts and beliefs, I hope they can once and for all feel understood and supported in their creativity and feelings. Feelings are an asset, never a fault.
- How do you live among two highly distinct worlds of being a writer and a scientist?
I have always wanted to be a writer and a scientist. Many times in my life I tried to choose one over the other and I ended up feeling miserable and lost. In my past I left writing to pursue science and looked at it as “OK, I am a scientist, so I study science, that’s it” as if I wanted to find an answer to my being in just one occupation. However, I was not entirely happy or fulfilled, there was something missing. After I graduated I thought to myself that I could start on my own my own entrepreneurial venture and work on expression: writing and speaking. But I never had the monetary means to be a self starting entrepreneur. I asked money to my parents over and over again to pay for my life and I failed a number of times. I failed so many times I felt even more lost in my own search for what I am supposed to be this lifetime. I wrote The Universe Within after leaving science behind in my life, thinking I should just divorce science and never look back at it. I dedicated myself to my writing and wrote as much as I could. It was a beautiful inner process, however it was painful, because I knew I could not just be a writer, or just start like people can do in other places of the world. Here is all about who people know, and I do not really match that way of working. I enjoy doing things on my own, my own way, so I knew before hand I would never be successful here with my writing or anything else on my own for that matter. Still I was passionate about my book. While I was writing my book I understood that instead of choosing one or the other I could instead just be me and be both. That was life changing. I can, I believe, in fact be both a scientist and a writer and perhaps one day a speaker. Why not? If I am that way, why shouldn’t I work that way? So basically in my life, after jumping from one work aspiration – science – to the other work aspiration – writing and speaking – I realized that it is not an “OR” matter but an “AND” one. I can be both at the same time. Being both is what feels more genuine to me, I am happy and fulfilled in my life after I realized this, I do not feel as if something is missing anymore I can study science, which I love dearly and I can write as well. I don’t have to let one go over the other. I imagine many times that if I had been born in a place where people can be themselves and make a career out of it, I would perhaps be successful at this very moment. It is not however, my reality. The mindset and economy of the place where I was born are not supportive of people “just making it on their own”. After all this thinking and self discovery I decided to be myself. It is my dream that one day readers start wanting me to write, scientists start wanting me to study science, I feel that is how it is meant to be instead of me forcing myself into the world. At this very moment, I am starting to combine both aspects of my personality and life. It’s a personal challenge, but I didn’t think twice, I took it. Personal challenges are my middle name, I aspire to be a strong woman in this world, challenges is how we grow and I am always ready to grow more. “The Universe Within” was an act of courage from me to myself. I was scared of being rejected over and over again, and although that’s a part of growth it would hurt my feelings, so I was literally shaking when I was sending my book to publishers and trying to avoid reading those emails saying “We are impressed by your writing but we have chosen not to publish your book at this time”. Ugh. I understand the politeness but it hurts pretty bad an aspiring writer. I know other writers can relate. I told myself I had to be strong and read through all rejection letters and go through it without a shoulder beside me to cry on, and just deal with it. It was a dream coming true when I received Europe Books email saying that my book had been chosen to be published. Thank you Europe Books. I will always remember the chance you decided to give me. I am super grateful for it. Thank you. This book is my first book and I wanted it to be my true self to all my readers, not a story or a romance, but just me Sara Vanessa. So that readers can see that I am just like them, I have fears, I have passions, I have remorses, I have aspirations, I have love to give, I have angry moments at times, I have all the feelings they do have as well, and to me that’s not something one should hide but instead use for something that will stand the test of time. If I was a painter I would use my emotions to paint a beautiful painting, if I was a dancer I would dance, if I was a cinematographer I would use them to come up with dazzling scenes, if I was a musician I would compose music, I am a writer so I use them to write books.
- What message did you want to send out with your book?
The Universe Within is my introduction as a writer to the world. It does not really have any message, expect getting the world to know me as I am.
- How would you describe your writing style?
I can write in many different styles. I would say it’s creative writing, poetry and prose all mixed up.
- Are you already working on a new book?
Well… I have several ideas for books, and I have some writing that needs to be edited. I have a book ready to be published, yes, I wrote it this year before summer, but I did not send it to publishing yet. Also, I have written several practices – as I call them – for romances and love stories, those would need to be edited and then added to. I guess the short answer is: Yes!
Europe Books thanks the author Sara Vanessa Da Silva once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book The Universe Within. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my dear reader, I hope this book makes you feel all the Universe of Sara Vanessa Da Silva who is full of different and strong emotions, as well as personal interests.
So, my dear reader, I just have to wish you to enjoy this very powerful reading!!!
Your editor!