Sevan Minaskanian | Storytelling, Cultural Identity, Resilience | The Edit Alaverdyan Podcast #38

What if storytelling could bridge the gap between past and present, tradition and modernity? Join us as we sit down with Sevan Minaskanian, the vibrant author behind the romance novel "Wintertime," to uncover how she weaves traditional values into contemporary narratives. Sevan's journey from self-doubt to self-publishing success is a testament to the power of resilience, authenticity, and cultural pride. She shares her inspiration from personal experiences, including a poignant encounter with her late father's spirit that nudged her toward storytelling.

Winter Time (The Winter Saga)  Book 1 - https://a.co/d/bbqQ92H
Winter Love (Winter Saga) Book 2 - https://a.co/d/1S0prvP

Sevan's candid revelations about the challenges of navigating the book publishing industry shine a light on the pressures authors face today, especially regarding authenticity amidst market trends. Her humorous anecdotes about writing sequels, facing rejections, and even calling out a former bully named Jennifer, add warmth and relatability to our conversation. We also explore the nostalgia for past eras, drawing parallels between the elegance of the 1940s and 50s and the values Sevan holds dear in her writing.

This episode offers more than a mere glimpse into Sevan's world; it invites listeners into a dialogue about love, cultural identity, and the timeless allure of storytelling. From light-hearted moments to profound insights, Sevan's passion for her craft and community resonates deeply. Embark on this journey with us and discover the depth and charm that make Sevan Minaskanyan's storytelling truly unforgettable.

Transcript

Opening

Speaker 1 0:00

I wrote this book for people who don't like to read, because I never liked. I fell asleep when I read. I'm more of a visual person. I would love it if my book turns into a movie.

Speaker 2 0:09

I love how you said romance is free. That's so powerful and it's so meaningful. Little note on the card, the whisper in the ear. Those things used to exist. Now it's so superficial.

Speaker 1 0:22

You know how they say don't judge a book by its cover. Like they're looking at me. Who is she In?

Speaker 2 0:30

their head. You have to be young, thin and beautiful to know about romance. When you're writing a book and you are an author, your goal is to make it. You know you want to make it. That makes me think, like how much of stories are changed, like authentic stories that are written, but the person that just desperately wants to make it will probably make up or falsify.

Speaker 1 0:50

She said, Savan, you're going to punch her face in and I'm not going to see it and say that she ran into the wall.

Speaker 2 1:15

Hello everyone, thank you for joining me today. On today's episode, we talked about publishing. We're talking about a self-made author, sevan Minaskanyan. Sevan wrote a beautiful book called Wintertime and it's a story of love. She's actually a romance writer and it's a saga. So she has her second book coming out, a third and possibly a fourth, and I'm so honored that she was on the show today.

Speaker 2 1:38

In today's episode we dived into the story and how the story was born and how the writing process was for her, but also the journey as a self-made author and how difficult they can be sometimes. So she talked about her personal journey, how her story was born and the process of the book. Now, something that really caught my attention and why I wanted Sevan on the show is how this book portrays traditional values and morals. This is such a refreshing book for any family or teenager to read because it really shows traditional ways of living, good, proper way of living, and I'm so grateful that this book is proper and really teaches teenagers about saving themselves, about true love, about family, about Christianity and how she said, romance is free. Now, in today's world, everything is so superficial, including romance, but she specifically wanted to make sure that when teenagers read this book, they really have a deeper understanding what true love is, and it's not supposed to be superficial. So I really wanted to present her to all of you and her saga to all of you. I think that many of us should be so appreciative of authors like this and how it's difficult to be a self-made author, but not only to keep our traditions alive as human beings. So I'm very grateful for today's conversation and such good laughs as well, because she's such a comedian and such an honor and joy to have around.

The Journey of a New Author

Speaker 2 3:19

Enjoy this episode with Sevan Minaskanyan. I'll link everything and all the details of where you can get the book and where you can find her. Her books are sold at several Barnes and Nobles in the country, in more than 12 countries and also in more than, I think, around 50 libraries and bookstores worldwide. So such an honor to have her around and definitely you guys will connect with her. Enjoy this episode. Make sure to subscribe and tune into the channel. Thank you so much for constantly supporting me and enjoy the episode. Sevan, thank you so much for joining me today. I'd like to say that it is such an honor to have an individual like yourself on my show. I love the work you do. I think it's phenomenal, I think it's meaningful and it definitely deserves all the praise in the world, and I'm very happy that you chose this show and I'm very grateful to have you today.

Speaker 1 4:17

Well, first of all, thank you for having me and giving me a chance. A first time author usually people aren't this nice, so thank you very much. Oh, my goodness, of course. What would you like to know?

Speaker 2 4:34

Let's start with the book I want to know. What I want to know is how was this novel born? How did you have the idea to even write such phenomenal series like Wintertime, this specific?

Speaker 1 4:49

story all started with a trip to Vail for me and my husband's wedding anniversary, uh-huh. So it all started on a bridge in Vail and something very weird happened to me on that bridge and I was first I was shocked, then I was very emotional, and then I was hesitant to tell others because my husband was the only one that was there witnessing what happened. So if you'd like to know, I'd like to tell you about that.

Speaker 2 5:29

Yes, I was just going to say what happened on that bridge.

Speaker 1 5:31

We were walking around. Vail has a modern side and an old town side with cobblestones, which is my favorite because it reminds me of Europe, even though I've never been to Europe just in the movies. And we were walking, I told my husband I hear water noise and he said, oh, it's probably some fountain in front of the restaurant. I said no, no, this is a very strong water noise. It has to be at least a creek or a river.

Speaker 1 5:56

So we walked, got closer to the noise and we crossed the street and, sure enough, on the bridge I looked down, there was a huge river with beautiful forest trees on the right and beautiful mansions on the left, and the mansions weren't gated so I could go near it and see what they looked like, because they were very interesting looking. But on that bridge I looked down and I just stood there and my husband's waiting for me. He's like okay, we had enough. I said no, I don't want to leave. And he's like I know you like nature, but we got to go because we weren't supposed to stay there. We're supposed to continue to go to Colorado Springs.

Speaker 2 6:32

So you guys were driving there. Basically this was on your drive, drive yeah.

Speaker 1 6:35

Because, just like the character in my book, I don't fly. I'm afraid of flying. I had to give something of me to the character. So he waited about 15, 20 minutes and another half an hour. He's like okay, this is not normal. So then I burst into tears and he's like what's wrong with you? I said my father's here, my father died. So it was like five years before that he died. How old were you when your father died? 46.

Speaker 2 7:09

My goodness.

Speaker 1 7:09

Yeah, I don't know if my husband was trying to comfort me, but I could see the scared look in his eyes Like he's like, what are you telling me? I said I'm sorry, I'm not leaving. So I stood there, waited, waited. I said I feel him around the corner. I made my poor husband walk on the cul-de-sac with me and the cul-de-sac ended and he's like, you know he's not here. I mean, I know he's not there, but I felt his presence.

Speaker 1 7:40

So, long story short, three hours later he finally convinced me to get in the car so we can continue, because once it gets dark we don't know the road. We don't want to get stuck somewhere. So the only way I could get into the car, I said to him is if you promise me on the way back home you stop on this bridge again, I want to. I felt close to my father there and he's like OK, on this bridge again, I want to. I felt close to my father there and he's like okay, he, I don't know if he said okay to get me in the car at that moment, but he did. On the way back he did stop and let me get on that bridge. So we had our anniversary at Colorado Springs at Broadmoor Hotel. We had fun, you know, it was really nice.

Speaker 2 8:25

I love my kids, but it was really nice to be alone with my husband.

Speaker 1 8:29

So I got back and I was sitting one day and my husband goes. You know, I brought you a laptop. Now I'll be honest with you, I'm not good with technology. And I said, oh, I used every excuse, oh, I don't want to use it. And he goes. I see you writing. I said, yeah, I'm writing on a journal.

Speaker 2 8:53

What were?

Speaker 1 8:54

you writing. First I wrote what I experienced there on the bridge and then I thought, oh my gosh, it's so embarrassing. People are going to think I'm crazy if I tell them this. So I didn't put that in the book. Then I started writing a story and then I got so emotional I closed it and put it away. So I told myself until my father comes in my dream and tells me go ahead and write, I'm not going to write. So I didn't write. I wrote two pages and I stopped.

Speaker 1 9:25

A whole year went by, nothing. I went to his grave, nothing. I was like okay, I'm forcing it too much, so I let it go Soon as I let it go. I kid you not. Three days later, when I just put everything away and gave up, he came to me in my dream. He said why aren't you writing?

Speaker 1 9:48

If I tell you the feeling that I felt I didn't want to wake up, because I knew, if I woke up, I even knew in my dream that it was a dream, he goes why aren't you writing? I said you're here because I wanted you to come. You're not here because I forced you to come In my head. I wanted you to come. You're not here because I forced you to come In my head. I wanted you to come. You're not really here. Prove it to me. He goes. Okay, why were you crying on that bridge? I lost it. How does he know? I was on the bridge crying. He goes. You were looking for me, I felt it, so I'm telling you write your story, and my dad does have a very good ability to tell stories. Unfortunately, he never got published, but he wrote beautiful stories on a trip to Hayastan, all the places. He's a very good writer.

Speaker 2 10:34

Really.

Speaker 1 10:35

Yeah, but he's also a machinist, and he used to also play the round football our football as a young kid. He played everywhere, so he wasn't just a writer, but I got that ability from him.

Speaker 2 10:53

Did you grow up watching him write?

Speaker 1 11:00

Yes, but I never. You know. You think your father's there forever. I never said what you know because his words were in Armenian. He only wrote in Armenian. His words were very big, so every other word. I had to ask him what it meant and as a young kid, you know you lose interest. So I was like Dad, why do you write like a philosopher? I can't understand what you're saying. So my mom would translate some of the stuff, were they good.

Speaker 2 11:26

Very good. Do you have some of those?

Speaker 1 11:27

oh yes, I kept all of it. My mom, after I wrote the first book, put it in a box and gave me the whole thing, everything he wrote. He wrote pages after pages after pages. It's too bad that I never popped like. He never got published. But one day, one day, the his experience to hayastan and what he felt seeing everything Armenia, I should say for the people there.

Speaker 1 11:50

It would be very nice if I could publish that for him, because it's amazing, amazing. I definitely need a very good Armenian speaker for him to even or her to understand. Yes to translate it, translate everything. Were you close with your dad? Very, I was the one that got away with everything.

Speaker 2 12:08

How many siblings do you?

Speaker 1 12:09

have? I have an older sister and an older brother. You're the youngest, I'm the youngest, so I got away with everything, even if my dad was angry at me. I would make him crack him up and he would just forgive, and you know, what do you miss most about him?

Speaker 1 12:26

The way he would show me how life is. His advice, because I jump right away into believing everybody and or getting angry. He would teach me no, look at it calmly, more logically, not emotionally. A lot of the stuff that he said to me as a young kid I was like yeah, it's not like that anymore, Boy, am I wrong? It's like that even worse. Yeah, Like something simple, as when you go to somebody's house, don't open the refrigerator. If you need something, you ask for it. You know kids nowadays yeah, my mom says that too. That's something just simple that came to mind. Or he would don't get too close too fast with someone, because then the opposite can happen.

Speaker 2 13:20

Give your boundaries.

Speaker 1 13:22

Give it time. Don't forget you're Armenian. First, Don't forget how to speak, write, Because I didn't go to Armenian school. I came here I was very young. My mom gave me lessons, Even though she's not a teacher. I would have to do homework after school, which drove me nuts back then. But I'm very happy because now my kids went to Armenian school and I was the one helping them with the homework. So I miss the pranks that we used to do on him because he was so nice. I miss his laughs. I don't know. I miss so many things that I thought would be there forever. So whoever's listening to this 24-7, if you can be with your parents, be with your parents, because you never know. I mean, we weren't ready when he passed away. We thought he had a back pain. He went to the hospital. Two weeks later he had cancer. We didn't know. He died.

Speaker 1 14:25

Oh, my goodness it was very quick, very fast, so I had no time to process it and say goodbye to him. So I was very angry. That's why I didn't believe when he came in my dream, I thought I was forcing myself to see him in my dream. But when he said he saw me crying on the bridge, I knew he really was there. And I said this a couple of times on my book signings for my book, but never in details to how why I started writing the story. I mean, I write what I know. My dad didn't write about romance, but I'm not going to write about something I don't know. I'm not going to Google it and then copy paste and put a book together or have AI write it. Nowadays that's what they do, true? So I wrote what I know, and I know a lot about romance.

Speaker 2 15:19

Yeah exactly. Break the ice a little bit.

Speaker 1 15:24

And that's what I wrote. I started and then the minute he said that it took me only three months to write the book, and then after that, believe it or not, once you write the book, that's not the hard part If you know how to tell stories that is. The hard part is after that. Getting it to where it is now is the hardest thing I ever went through. But I think God did it that way, because now I know every step of how it's done, whether I you know, because this is self-published. But once I do, the second book hopefully, god willing, will be to the big five, as they call it, published by a real publisher. Not that these aren't real publishers, but that's what they call them.

Speaker 2 16:07

Yes, of course.

Speaker 1 16:09

I would know the step Like if somebody's trying to, you know, twist the truth a little bit, I would catch them. So maybe this was meant to be so I can learn and I know what is my right, what I can ask for and what's expected of me and what to be expected of them.

Speaker 2 16:25

Yeah, and it's a whole different journey writing a book and having it been published.

Speaker 1 16:31

Completely. I had no clue Until now. People think that you just get on the. It's not like that. Writer's block is the worst thing. Not coming up with stories is even, you know, really bad. And if you don't have a good memory, do not write a book because you'll forget what the character said, because it's not just two main characters, it's, you know, four or five other characters that help the plot. So if you forget what they said, later on you say something and then you say the line to the wrong character, something and then you say the line to the wrong character. So if you don't have a good memory of writing a good story like that, do not, or you have to make a lot of notes.

Speaker 2 17:11

You know I read a lot. I am, I'm, a big, big fan of reading, and it doesn't nothing specific. I read everything. But one thing that I've learned, being 40 years old and living for 40 years, and education as well storytelling is so important, it's like essential in a human's life. And why do you, as an author? Why do you think that storytelling is important for children and adults? Why is it such an essential piece of a person's life?

Speaker 1 17:45

I'll be honest with you. I shouldn't be saying this as an author, because I am a new author. I never studied, I never took literature. This wasn't my major. I'm a dental technician, even though I didn't do any of that either. Typical, you know you get your diploma, you get married and you forget about it.

Speaker 1 18:03

Anyway, I wrote this book for people who don't like to read, because I fell asleep when I read. I'm more of a visual person. I would love it if my book turns into a movie. I actually wrote it because I want it to be a movie, but I also wrote this if I can just help one child to read and start liking reading and now that I wrote I see how important it is for young kids to read. I would be very happy if I could just get one person to understand. Very happy if I could just get one person to understand and my point of view.

Speaker 1 18:50

When I started writing, I understood how to read another book. It was the weirdest thing because I knew how things were being set. I stopped falling asleep when I read another book. So in this book, the way I wrote it, because I'm already older and I know how to do it, I'm not going to start from my position. So I started from back to zero. How can I make the children, kids, teens, read a book? So what I did is first, I did not use big words, because if you get the reader to stop and look and ask Siri what the word means, you lost them. So I wrote it very simple and very fluffy, especially the first book, just to get them intrigued and want to read instead of getting on the TV or getting on the computer or playing video games or whatever. So I know that there's enough books for Americans and other ethnicity. They've written many, many books.

Speaker 1 19:58

When I wanted to write this book, I realized that Armen have I mean, we had a lot of romantic authors. I'm not saying I'm the first one, but we didn't have any for now. And, as an Armenian romance author, even Barnes and Noble said you were the first one. We've never. Usually it's about, you know, genocide or kids books, which is fine.

Speaker 1 20:23

But I wanted to write about love and I wanted to write about how to save yourself, if you can, for marriage. But I did not want to write by telling them how to do it, because you tell any teenager, they're not going to listen. But if you tell through a love story and they see how romance can happen. And romance, even though these kids they're very elaborate, they go to a lot of lavish vacations, but the romance part is free. So I wanted to teach the young men, especially Armenian young men, you don't have to spend a lot of money to have romance in your life, because romance isn't buying a Louis Vuitton bag. Yeah, absolutely. And that's temporary happiness. I wanted them to be happy forever. So there was that one section of why I wanted to write. I wanted the kids to read. I even did the pages bigger, white, with the big font. You did.

Speaker 2 21:32

Easy, easy, easy and legible.

Speaker 1 21:34

Yes, and I. Even though my book is called YA. It's a fiction, YA romance but so many older people, you know they're reading it, they feel connected, they can relate. Nobody's born this age. Everybody was a teenager once, that's right. And because it's such an old-fashioned kind of love that I got older people reading it. I mean, my biggest fan is 63 years old.

Speaker 2 22:06

That's lovely.

Speaker 1 22:09

She does all these beautiful things and sends me stuff and you'd think she was a 13-year-old teenager.

Speaker 2 22:22

What's interesting to me is that you have this agenda behind your story and that's to teach younger generation values and morals and the importance of these values and morals. Where do you think that's stemming from?

Speaker 1 22:33

My parents.

Speaker 2 22:34

Why save yourself, or save yourself for marriage. That's very powerful to portray that in a story I wanted to teach them when they read this book.

Speaker 1 22:45

Yes, I'm not saying the whole thing is about. I'm not quoting the Bible or anything you got to make it believable. It's not like the whole time. They're just being good, they're still doing some stuff, but not you know.

Speaker 1 23:00

And I wanted to teach them because nowadays I feel like the process of these teenagers I'm not saying all some teenagers from meeting someone and going to bed is one to two dates and sometimes not even three dates. It shouldn't be like that If. And then they turn around and they say, well, if I don't do it, the guy or the other way, the girl's going to go to somebody else, you know, to another guy. But if we all stick together and follow that rule, where's the guy going to go to or where's the girl going to go to? We all have to do it. It can't just be, you know, jennifer, you know, is saying she's going to save herself, but then Stephanie goes and sleeps with your man. Then the lesson isn't learned. So I wanted to teach every teen, everybody, armenian, american, it doesn't matter. Try to save yourself, to look something forward to. Everything is accelerated the makeup, giving the phone too early to the kid, going to a rated R movie, going to parties. By the time they're 25, they're bored, there's nothing left for excitement. So enjoy each age, because you can't go back. I mean, look at me, I had to get up at 7 in the morning to look like this If I was 18, 17, I would get up 20 minutes before I got here because I knew I didn't have to color all my lines. Yeah, you know. So if I knew, like back then, how easy it was. But now I know. Now I know what I'm saying is learn from experience. When someone tells you, yes, some of the stuff you want to do on your own, but I'm telling you, don't do the stuff that you don't need, so that when you do wear this heavy makeup it's for a special occasion. But you know some of these influencers and TikTokers. I understand they have to do it, but I see sometimes these teenagers, they're so beautiful they don't look better with makeup.

Speaker 1 25:17

I tell them enjoy every age, enjoy your morals, enjoy your family, respect. They hate their brother. The brother hates the sister, the mother. It's like where did this all come from? The brother hates the sister, the mother. It's like where did this all come from? How come? Like my parents. My dad, you know, taught me, when someone older than you comes into a room, you stand up. You know Stuff like that it's missing. It's missing. Not that my story is about that, but I want to get their attention through the romantic way, because that's the only way they're going to pay attention to it. I mean, maybe I'm different because my mom and my dad would like like I'll give you a sample.

Speaker 1 26:04

My mom would say, every Saturday morning I would get up and every other kid's watching Scooby-Dooby-Doo or whatever, you're watching a black and white movie, old-fashioned romance. And she would ask my dad, is this normal? She's seven and she's watching. And she knew nothing was in those movies, because it's like Turner Classic, whatever. And those black and white movies, you know they yeah, they're innocent, they're innocent, there was nothing in the movie. So that's what I would watch. I would like wish until now. I wish I was born back then, where I'm a teenager, in the 40s and 50s, because that's the era I, like you know, I love. Just holding hands was a big deal. It was so romantic. A guy would take off the hat when you come in, when a woman would come in, or whatever. You know, I know that those were movies too. It wasn't that, but it's still. They still had it. It wasn't just completely made up.

Speaker 1 27:05

No, there's you know you have to say get up, say hi to your uncle. You know, when somebody comes home, get out of your room, like we naturally did that.

Speaker 2 27:13

So if a parent well, parents are going to be watching this, what do you think their children are going to take away from reading Wintertime- Number one.

Speaker 1 27:24

They're going to say, if she can do it, I can do it Because, again, I'm not a teenager, I waited until now. I can do it Because, again, I'm not a teenager, I waited until now. I'm 50 something, I don't care, I'm 55.

Speaker 2 27:39

For a minute I was like you want some water?

Speaker 1 27:47

No. So, even though I wrote this book at 47, and I'll tell you I was done at 47. I started at 46, and I'll tell you why later. Why it took this long For a girl, a young lady, to go for her dream, for a young guy not to feel embarrassed, you know, oh, I'm a man, I shouldn't. You know they want to read it, but you know they might be embarrassed. But whatever they want to write about, it doesn't have to be romance, any genre. They want to write historical fiction, you know, thriller, whatever they want, or even a nonfiction if they want to do self-help.

Speaker 1 28:22

I wanted to show them, at any age, don't be embarrassed, don't say, oh, what if such and such people, whatever you know they make fun of me? What if they laugh at me? What if I write it wrong? Well, you tell the story. It's the editor's job. That's why I tell people whatever mistake is in there, it's not my fault, it's my editor and all the good parts are taken out. It's my editor's job. So I want to to tell them write your love. And I and some kids are also afraid to tell their parents because their parents want them to be doctors, lawyers, this, that, whatever you can. If you want to do that, do that. This is until this takes off and then you, slowly, you know you could find your path. So I want to teach them that's one of the things and save yourself if you can.

Speaker 1 29:13

And the most of all, I want to teach the young teens romance is free. You don't need to bring 500 red roses for someone on valentine's day. You can even cut one red rose from your yard or the neighbor's yard or whatever. And if you're romantic when you're giving it, whisper something in her ear or vice versa. If you want to give him whatever he likes I know that he's not going to want a rose, whatever, something simple chocolate he likes. Let's say he just likes dark chocolate. You take him chocolate and just that connection. You don't have to spend money on a girl and girls don't have to spend a lot of money on a guy. Yes, there's a special occasions. If it's a birthday or graduation, of course you do. I'm talking about everyday romance. Leave a note on her windshield wiper on her car, like, leave a note. It doesn't even have to be a card from Hallmark.

Speaker 2 30:08

But the things that you're in, sorry to cut you off, but the things that you're explaining to, those things existed in one time. These I love how you said romance is free. Yes, that's so powerful and it's so meaningful and that you're right. The little note on the car, the whisper in the ear, those things used to exist. Yes, now it's so superficial. It is, it is, and so you're saying that the book teaches and guides or talks about that the story is about non-superficial love.

Speaker 1 30:40

Yes, again, these characters, they're very, very, very, very, very, extremely beyond rich. That's another subject that I want to talk to you about. But William, the main character, shows Victoria love for free. His love and romance is free, even though he has. He has it, he spends it, but she has it too. That's not what they're looking for. Something much deeper, something much deeper. I'll bring you a small sample. You're a mother, I'm a mother, don't you feel like you do laundry constantly?

Speaker 2 31:16

Every other day.

Speaker 1 31:17

Yeah, I do it every day and I tell my husband I know, when we go to sleep another family is living here, Because when I wake up in the morning, I just did it last night. How is it? Anyway, another story. But when he sees, you know, me going off, he'll leave. Like one time he drew a little piece of paper like this says I love you this much, and he threw it down the laundry chute for me. So when I took the like, I was like, oh see, I was upset that I was doing laundry and I put a smile on my face that, oh, and I still kept it. I've had it for 10 years. I put it away.

Speaker 1 31:52

How's your marriage? Oh, very well, Very well, it sounds like that. Yeah, yeah, we definitely the pot found the lid. He's, I'm a go go, go, go go. And very hyper, calmer down, you know, don't get excited, Don't get angry. You know, the freeway is not all yours. People are going to drive slow. He says that, yeah, because I'm like when I'm driving, I was like pull to the right. If you're going slow, pull to the right.

Speaker 2 32:24

I love that.

Speaker 1 32:25

The freeways and yours, yeah, the freeways, yes, and you know we love not waiting in line too. That's another thingways in yours, the freeways, yes, and you know we love not waiting in line too. That's another thing. Oh yeah, have you noticed?

Speaker 2 32:35

though everything is in such a rush today. Even reading is a rush, yeah, rush, rush, rush. Hurry up 15 minutes. Yes, when is it time? When's that one minute left?

Speaker 1 32:44

I make sure they don't find what are those called the notes, the cheat notes? Yeah, for a book, because they have them.

Speaker 2 32:49

Can you tell us about those notes in the books? I never even read the notes. Why is it there?

Speaker 1 32:55

For the lazy, it's like here's what we talked about. Yeah, you don't have to read it.

Nostalgia for Past Eras and Influences

Speaker 2 33:01

Here's what it is Like. I never go to that. I find it extremely disrespectful.

Speaker 1 33:04

You will. You never know the details, even in movies. They take this book. Let's just say it turns into a movie. When it turns into a movie, when it turns into a movie In a one and a half hour, you're not going to know what, victoria, yes, you're going to see more of the looks and you know their movements and stuff because you know. Obviously the book doesn't show that, but the book will make you imagine what's happening, so every person can imagine it different. I can imagine what's happening, so every person can imagine it different. I can imagine what I'm writing different. And then you could read the same story and you'll imagine William the way you would like William to look, the way you think he's being romantic when he gives the flower. Is he like this? Is he one hand?

Speaker 1 33:46

out whatever you can imagine all these things, yeah, heavy visuals, yeah, because the visual's not in front of you. It's not a movie yet.

Speaker 2 33:51

Would you consider this as a fantasy book?

Speaker 1 33:54

No, I mean, it's my fantasy, but it's. There are guys and girls that still exist like that. It's just I think we have to leave Los Angeles to find them. Nothing against LA people. I live here Because I've been to those other states. I didn't fly there. We took a road trip and I saw how the South still lives. It's amazing.

Speaker 2 34:27

Yes, where particularly in the South.

Speaker 1 34:30

I went to Natchez Mississippi.

Speaker 2 34:34

True Southerners, yes.

Speaker 1 34:36

I went to-.

Speaker 2 34:37

Don't you open that door, ma'am.

Speaker 1 34:38

Yes, you all come back and see us Now. You're here, don't?

Speaker 2 34:42

you open that?

Speaker 1 34:42

door. Ma'am Jackson Mississippi. I went to Georgia. Wow, yeah, I mean the way the people lived. It feels like time froze. Would you ever live?

Speaker 2 34:55

in any of those states. Yes, but then I have to take all the Armenians with me Because they belong to us. Yeah, we belong to them.

Speaker 1 35:03

Or else, believe me I would. It's so much. Slow People enjoy it's like the 50. Slow People enjoy it's like the 50s People at night.

Speaker 2 35:14

I mean, they don't even lock the front door. Savon, when I'm hearing you talk and I'm, you know that's part of my world, right? I observe people and the words that they say. When I hear you talk, you mention a lot of maybe, values, maybe the way people lived from the 1940s and 50s. You even watched movies at such a young age from the 1940s and 50s. Why do you think you're drawn to that era?

Speaker 1 35:43

According to my husband, I was already born in that era and died and came back. You know, I believe in things like that. He jokes around.

Speaker 2 35:49

But I believe in that because it could be. Yeah, Does that era attract you?

Speaker 1 35:58

Very much in every way, their vocabulary, the way even back then they never said how are you? They said, how do you do? I think it's so beautiful.

Speaker 2 36:07

It is beautiful the way they dressed. Nobody went out. Let's talk about the way they dress, oh let's talk about the ladies and the the, not the leggings.

Speaker 1 36:17

Yes yes, you know, I mean appropriate dresses.

Speaker 2 36:21

I mean, like you know what I love, though I feel like our, our mothers still dress like that. My grandmother, oh yes, oh yes, heels.

Speaker 1 36:31

Even to the market.

Speaker 2 36:32

Yeah to the market. You know those like grandma heels the black ones yes yes. Hair done, red lipstick on point, nice chiffon top with a scarf yes, a cardigan Pin Pin and a beautiful black pencil skirt. Yes, yes, where did those times go?

Speaker 1 36:52

black pencil skirt. Yes, yes, where did those times go, when you order everything super big? What is that? Mcdonald's French fries? Yeah, super meal.

Speaker 2 37:01

I think what it's called no the.

Speaker 1 37:02

French fries is called, something I forgot. Yeah yeah, Some of it is when you gain weight. You don't want to dress like that because everything looks funny on you. I know that that's a really bad thing to say oh, but that makes sense Because heels hurt, because you're heavy.

Speaker 1 37:18

Yeah, your feet start hurting. Yeah, some of it is that. Yeah, some of it is Mentality, mentality, you know, because, okay, you know, you see, but you shouldn't do it because other people are doing it. I used to wear heels a lot more when I was thinner, but now my feet hurt. But I'm getting there, I'm losing it slowly. I want to lose it healthy, because I did the stupid yo-yo thing up and down. I don't want to do it that way anymore. People don't put value in it anymore, so they don't dress like that. They said oh, they must have been so uncomfortable. Yes, some of the stuff you think they were uncomfortable Meaning walking everywhere, all these women with heels because you see old movies, even old, just people taking a film of Los Angeles or New York. I've seen those.

Speaker 2 38:09

Yeah, it's so cute.

Speaker 1 38:09

The people are walking around. It looks like you know they're going to church. It's dread and they're just walking around. So I'm attracted to the way they dress and I love 50s diners. Do you still go to the 50s? Oh, yes, I go to Beeps in Simi Valley. I love it, I love it, I love it. And my favorite singer of course everyone who knows me knows this I'm a huge fan of Elvis Presley. No way. Oh huge fan, so I went to Tupelo where he was born, mississippi. Then I went to Graceland.

Speaker 2 38:43

Oh.

Speaker 1 38:43

Graceland. Yeah, yeah, I think that's another thing that really when I saw him I was like who is he? Because I saw a poster in my cousin's house.

Speaker 2 38:56

I was like how old were you?

Speaker 1 38:58

Five, I was drawn to him and I was like with my mouth open for like 10 minutes. He was a beautiful man oh gorgeous, the young Elvis with the sideburns. He was beautiful. He really was a beautiful human being very like very rare features.

Speaker 2 39:13

Yes, on a human being definitely very beautiful, and so was Priscilla. Oh, priscilla's beautiful yeah, beautiful, beautiful it's unfortunate that his life took a toll like that. Yes, uh, I've watched a lot of the documentaries on Elvis Presley, but, man, yeah, those times Like the movie Grease. Do you remember Grease?

Speaker 1 39:33

Oh, that's one of my favorite, I could say every one. I love Grease and you know, I believe the producer or the director pushed John Travolta to look like Elvis. Yeah, because they were going between James Dean and they pushed.

Speaker 2 39:48

And John Travolta was a perfect, perfect candidate, you know who was supposed to play that and turn it down.

Speaker 1 39:53

Fonzie from Happy Days.

Speaker 2 39:54

No way Can you see Fonzie doing that.

Speaker 1 39:56

No. And the girl was supposed to be the girl from Partridge Family. No, yeah. And then John Travolta convinced Olivia and John to do it.

Speaker 2 40:05

Yeah, and she passed recently.

Speaker 1 40:06

Yes, she did she did, and Elvis Presley's daughter passed too. Yeah, lisa Marie passed, yeah, but yeah, I went to, you know, sun Records where he sang his first record for his mom Uh-huh, like it was a dollar something for her birthday, and they didn't like him. A year later they called him and they asked him to play.

Speaker 2 40:27

This is how it goes, though. I yeah, it took a while for him, uh, to get his deal. I think it's like that, and when great things are out there, it takes a while, like look at harry potter, what did jk rowling jk rowling's, yeah, so rowling's? Excuse me, how many times did she get rejected?

Speaker 1 40:44

oh, man, I, if I'm not mistaking. I could be be wrong, don't quote me. I believe she said 27. There's other authors that got rejected 50, 60 times, but JK Rowling's. I think it's a very nice story for the teenagers because they like that kind of stuff. She's like the richest author in the world now she is, she's a billionaire right.

Speaker 1 41:08

Yeah, she's the richest author. You have to have three things for your book to work. First of all, your story has to be good. You have to be at the right place at the right time when they're looking for something. And the other third one is just pure luck. I don't care what anybody says, because there's a lot of books out there that are very nice stories and they never made it.

Speaker 2 41:29

Talk to me a little bit about that, because I'm sure that many people first of all, there's a lot of authors. I get messages all the time. Can you help us? I'm like, I am nowhere near so. I'll always try to guide them as best as I can. But from your perspective, why is it so competitive? Don't give us the comment. I know that there's a lot of stories out there. I get it, but what are they looking for particularly? Is it you got to know someone? Is it that you know I?

Navigating the Book Publishing Process

Speaker 1 41:58

I I'll give you a sample. The this, the steps that they make you go through, is kind of like when the poor can't afford nice dress and then they make it rich. Uh, all the designers send them clothes but I can afford it. Now let's say somebody says why didn't you give it to me when I couldn't afford something nice? Why didn't you give it to me then? So the book industry is the same thing. Once you write your book, you write this thing called query letter to a literary agent. It's called a literary agent. It's only for books, and I don't want to say anything bad about literary agents. I'm not saying all of them, but most of them will pick you up. Once you're already, the plane is already flying up. But when you've done all the work, all the work, they just want the piece of the pie after that. Like, I am asking you, because going straight to a publisher is like going to court without a lawyer. You need a literary agent, because before the 80s you just wrote a book and you went straight to the publisher.

Speaker 2 43:16

So if you want to be publicly published, yes, but if you want to be self-published, no. The bigger piece is being published.

Speaker 1 43:23

The best way to do it, if you can, is write the book, write the query letter. Try to get an agent, Because that agent shouldn't charge you anything. They just charge percentage. We'll fight for you. Get you the best deal to a publisher. Once it goes to the publisher, they take care of everything. Yes, you're still going to work. I'm not saying you're not going to do social media or whatever. Try to sell your book, but they do. The cover, even the titles might change. You won't have control of that, but they do everything. They know all the stores where to send them, all around the world, even if you want to translate it to another language. You're just a storyteller. You just write man, you just wrote the book and you send it to them. They do. They have their best editors if they, if they like you or they'll give you the internship editor did you apply for a literary agent?

Speaker 1 44:08

Yes.

Speaker 2 44:09

Tell us about that story. Yes, oh, I would love that, that's my favorite, yeah, I know.

Speaker 1 44:13

Again, I don't want to upset literary agents, publishers. I'm not saying all yeah, but your experience, yeah, this is my experience. Yeah, you know I could be another person could say, no, you're wrong my experience, wrong my experience, or whatever. After I wrote the book, I sent my query letter. Most of them started coming back. This is a great story, but not for me. This is a great story not for me. This is a great story not for me. Okay, maybe my queries, because query letters in three paragraphs you have to sell your whole book. It's one of the hardest thing I had to write. How do you? And that's including one of the paragraphs about the author. So basically just the middle, Like a thesis. Yeah, yeah, how am I going?

Speaker 1 44:57

to get you to you know, and then if they want it, then they send the first chapter. If they like it, then you send the rest of the manuscript. That's how it's, and then they take it and they go to the publisher. But because my experience it wasn't like that. I started getting frustrated. I was like what is going on?

Speaker 2 45:15

What was your experience? Were they rejecting the book?

Speaker 1 45:20

At that time it was during COVID. First they were behind because now all these people that they already signed up, they're two, three years behind. Because all the people that they signed up, the whole place closed and you know what happened. Yeah, that was one of the reasons. The other reason was you know they wanted me to write about something I don't know. You know, can you write more? Can the story turn into more the LGBT community? But I don't know enough about that to write. How can I write about something I don't know about? They weren't saying we'll take your book, but they're saying they were looking more for that at that time, so the literary agents wanted to change the story around to fit more of the woke culture.

Speaker 1 46:06

Yeah, like between two boys and two girls, oh my, but mine is a….

Speaker 2 46:09

But you said you don't know much about that.

Speaker 1 46:11

No, no, first of all, I'm Christian, my value, you know I'm not judging anybody. I have many people that I know that I'm not judging, but this is my. It's your story, my story. Yeah, I don't know about Adam and Steve. Adam and Steve, I can't write about them.

Speaker 2 46:28

Yeah.

Speaker 1 46:29

But I know about William and Victoria. I know how straight love.

Speaker 2 46:33

Yeah, works.

Speaker 1 46:34

Can you imagine me writing and then the LGBT community reads and go this girl. Yeah is not. It's likea. I found out this one man. It's not authentic. Yeah, it's not authentic. He wrote about how to raise kids and he doesn't have children. I forgot which. Author.

Speaker 1 46:50

I was like, how do you I mean, how do you write a book about raising kids if you don't have kids? It's kind of like me doing that. I think that's disrespectful to the LGBT community for me to write something what they went through, what they're going through, blah, blah, blah. Whatever it is. Yeah, I understand. And then they come out and say this is ridiculous. I understand. And then they come out and say this is ridiculous, this is all copy-paste. She just Googled, researched and put the book together. So there's so many books out there for them that it's perfect. When you read it, you can understand it, because that person experienced it and wrote their experience. Or if I write about thrillers, I don't know. First of all, I won't watch any movies like that because I'm chicken. I won't. Can you imagine me writing about that? Like it's the same thing? So they were pushing that a little bit and then they were it's so interesting to cut you off.

Speaker 1 47:47

Thriller and the LGBTQ community is what's selling out there right now, and not fantasy like dragons and dungeons.

Speaker 2 47:54

Well, that book, what is it called the Thorns?

Speaker 1 47:57

and Roses, it's happening. I've read all five of them, or four of them. Yes, I didn't read it, but I know about it.

Speaker 2 48:03

It's very interesting, but it's a fantasy, yeah, which is fine. Which is fine.

Speaker 1 48:09

That's why it's so many genres. If you like that book doesn't mean you can't read romance. You finish that book. You read my book. You finish my book. You read the lgbt. You finish that. You read about religion, whatever you want to read about, but don't make that person write about something they have absolutely no idea about it won't come out good.

Speaker 2 48:28

But then that also makes you think about what the I mean. Look, when you're writing an, a book, and you are an author, your goal is to make it. You know you want to make it. Yes, of course. So then that makes me think like, how much of stories are changed like authentic stories? That are written, but the person that just desperately wants to make it will probably make up or falsify More than you know.

Speaker 1 49:00

They change the plot lines anything that they have to.

Speaker 2 49:04

So that was your case. They wanted you to switch it around.

Speaker 1 49:07

Yes, so because even they were being pressured, so I don't blame them either they were what do you think?

Speaker 2 49:15

pressuring the literary agents the hierarchy.

Speaker 1 49:19

Because because, yeah, because they want, you know, they want to show that they're equal, but which they are? You know, from what I see there's plenty. They have their own section, which is fine, but I don't want to say the agents or the publishers. Everybody was being pressured. So I said you know what, after Corona or COVID sorry COVID and all that, what I went through and all the waiting I had to do because New York was backed up, I mean, they were getting sent all these letters and the whole place was closed, so they were behind. So I said I'm going to self-publish. I waited this long. I'm just going to go ahead and self-publish, which in one way is good, but it has its good and bad. I had the control of the cover, I had control of the title published, which in one way is good, but it has its good and bad. I had the control of the cover, I had control of the title. You didn't change the story. I didn't change the story, but I had to do all the selling.

Speaker 1 50:25

It took one year for Barnes Noble to say yes to me, to have a book signing there, especially the one in Glendale. You would think I'm Armenian, they would want me, but that's another question that you should ask me about. What happened with the Armenians Coming up? But yeah, I got into finally at Burbank Actually, the first book signing was Burbank Barnes, noble, and it snowed that day. What are the odds that my book's called Wintertime and it snowed.

Speaker 1 50:58

I didn't think anybody was going to show up. I said that's it, it's going to be me, my mom, my husband and my kids. 140 people showed up. Remember the freeway it was four or five was all flooded and there was a car turned, there was a guy on top on tv, whatever. So it was that day. I had my book signing that day. What are the odds? But whatever, it was good luck, I think I'm so happy for you.

Speaker 2 51:23

So, now that your book isn't oh, barnes and nobles, all barnes and Nobles, all of them. Yes, this is amazing, and online too. We can get it online as well, barnes and Noble online and Barnes and Noble.

Speaker 1 51:34

On. Most Barnes and Noble have it on the shelf. Some of them you have to go and order it.

Speaker 2 51:40

I'm so happy for you, and on Amazon too, yes.

Speaker 1 51:43

And a bunch of small mom and pop stores and also this thing called Ingrams Mark.

Speaker 2 51:48

Yes. Okay, they have it too I became a member of them, and not only there. Your book is also sold worldwide. Tell us what countries have your books. That's a big deal. Yes, thank you.

Speaker 1 51:59

China, netherlands, italy, england, france, austria, New Zealand, australia, everywhere. I'm trying to remember. What other country Did you?

Speaker 2 52:16

say Switzerland to me Austria.

Speaker 1 52:18

Austria. I'm working on Switzerland right now and I know it's not another country but Hawaii, of course Hawaii. And I'm working on Alaska right now.

Speaker 2 52:27

That's beautiful, yeah, and I'm working on Alaska right now. That's beautiful, yeah. And so here in California it is in I think you said last time over 50 bookstores.

Speaker 1 52:39

It's in all the colleges, universities Like I'm in CSUN, yes, and I'm trying to get to all the universities through the department that because CSUN store is not run by CSUN, they hire a company so that company. As soon as I sell more, they were going to put it over 1,100 universities for me. My goodness All around the United States all the universities.

Speaker 2 53:01

How's the book doing?

Speaker 1 53:01

right now For self-published person it's doing good, but for do I want it to be? You know doing good, but for do I want it to be? You know, to go to the big five publishers compared to, you know, twilight, which is my one of my favorite books, you know, yeah, I mean look at the cover, but um, yeah, I'm not going to compare myself to stephanie myers, I mean you don't have to, you're too different.

Speaker 2 53:26

Yeah, I'm not a comparison.

Self-Published Author Faces Rejection

Speaker 1 53:27

Yeah, no, I'm saying like she's, yeah, she's, you know she got published. Yeah, yeah, but for a self-published, yes, I'm doing good. They always say you sell more of your first book after you have your second book yeah and which is coming out in couple of months, god willing and that one's called winter love and, like I said, it's a trilogy.

Speaker 2 53:47

Yes, it's a trilogy, so we're a trilogy, and we're so excited for that.

Speaker 1 53:51

That one is more rocky road because you don't want to write the same fluffy stuff. This is their meeting how.

Speaker 2 53:58

William and.

Speaker 1 53:58

Victoria met, so it's more you know.

Speaker 2 54:01

Exciting. It's a rush for sure. Yeah, I want to ask you a question Do you feel, do you feel, supported?

Speaker 1 54:08

Oh, thank you for asking me.

Speaker 2 54:11

Yeah, I do because it's important for me and the people watching. I think that this is such a big deal for me. It is, and we don't have many young women romance writers, especially in the Armenian American Armenian community specifically. So you are a big deal for me and I honor you romance writers, especially in the Armenian American Armenian community specifically. So you are a big deal for me and I honor you. I do because it's not easy writing a book and self-publishing. There's a lot of heart that goes into it. So this is a very genuine question Do you feel supported as a self first time published author?

Speaker 1 54:45

I'm going to say something else before I answer you. Sure, because I'm afraid we're going to forget. The first book was very hard to write. Second book was harder, and let me tell you why. Because I had to remember everything in the first book. That way I can say everything on the second book yeah, everything. So whoever is listening when I said go after your dream, make sure you know that writing part gets easier, but remembering everything you said on the first book, and then you have to finish the lines on second book. So be prepared for that. So now I'll answer your question, because earlier I wanted to say it.

Speaker 1 55:26

I'm sure People who I expected to support me didn't support me. People who I didn't expect to support me supported me, and I'm not saying everyone. I had some support on my family and cousins. I had very, very small support on my friends and I hate to say it. Earlier you asked me where's my book at? Even Turkey has my book, but Armenia rejected it. You're kidding me? No, they want me now, but I'm too hurt, so I need time to get over the thing that people say you have.

Speaker 2 56:09

Why do they reject you, Sevan? I'll start with Armenia and I'll continue to get over.

Speaker 1 56:10

You know the thing that people say why do they reject you, sevan, I'll start with Armenia and I'll continue to Los Angeles, to what happened to me at Americana Barnes, noble, they're all about support. Am I allowed to tell the book name of who didn't in Armenia? I mean, I don't want to get them in trouble, but Don't say their name.

Speaker 2 56:29

Okay, because we don't want to get them in trouble, but Don't say their name, okay, because we don't want them to come out.

Speaker 1 56:33

Okay, fine, I won't say the names, but when the bell rings, I'm saying it.

Speaker 1 56:44

Okay.

Speaker 1 56:46

I DM'd this person through Instagram. It was their store and they had three of them One. I've never been to Armenia, so I guess it's a big deal to have three different locations. One of them, they said it's in their mall, which is wow, okay, perfect. I said I thought, if anyone, I'm going to get yes, right away from them. They DM'd me and I sent the cover and I told them if anyone, I'm going to get yes, right away from them. They DMed me back and I sent the cover and I told them about myself and blah blah, blah, whatever I needed to say. I know I like to say a lot of blah blah blah, but it is blah blah blah. Actually To sell it, you have to do a lot of blah blah blah.

Speaker 1 57:27

She wrote back to me you have to email this person. Fine, because some of these people that's how it's done you email them your information and they are the ones. So I emailed it. No answer I wait one week, two weeks, three weeks, one month, two months. I emailed again. Maybe it got lost. They emailed back finally, about six months later oh, this is the person who does it. I'm like, okay.

Speaker 1 57:54

So I emailed that person and this poor man, armenian man, leaves me a voice message in Armenian. I am a publisher, no printer. In Armenia, I print Armenian books. Why are they giving your information to me? I don't do this stuff, I'm just a printer in Armenia. I print Armenian books. Why are they giving your information to me? I don't do this stuff, I'm just a printer. So they just wanted to get rid of me, whatever, oh man. So I wrote to them one more time. Listen, this man prints Armenian books in Armenian letters. This is in English. And why are you sending me to a printer? I already the book's done. Oh, I swear to you. It was like you know that 50 First Dates the movie. She said the same thing oh, you're an author, okay, you have to email. And she gave me the same email as the first time when she gave it to me.

Speaker 2 58:46

So she started from scratch, repeating again.

Speaker 1 58:47

I said listen, I already did all this. I just want to have my books in your store. To be honest with you, by the time I was so angry, like I said, I took a lot of the books and I told Mike which I'm going to send them out. Just take it to the villages and give it for free. It wasn't for Armenia, it wasn't for the money. I just wanted the Armenian kids to see that.

Speaker 1 59:16

You know you can write in any language Armenian, english, whatever. You know. It was for that. It wasn't for the money, for everything else. Yeah, I'm not going to lie. But you know you can write in any language Armenian, english, whatever. You know. It was for that. It wasn't for the money, for everything else. Yeah, I'm not going to lie. Do you want to be rich and famous? Yes, I do. Did you write it? Or you wrote it to tell your story? I wrote it to tell my story and I want to be rich and famous. Of course you do. Of course, nothing is wrong with saying that. I'm not saying I'm going to be full of myself. I'm going to change, which I won't. I know I won't. If I changed, I would have changed a long time ago, but a lot of people are saying you shouldn't say you're writing it to be rich and famous. That's not the only reason. It's part of it. But be honest with yourself.

Speaker 2 59:53

Tell them that's part of it. Every author has a goal. Yeah, so Armenia doesn't have it, which they do now.

Speaker 1 1:00:01

but you're thinking about that no, they don't have it.

Speaker 2 1:00:03

They don't have it, but Turkey has it.

Speaker 1 1:00:07

I don't know how Turkey has it, because they don't have Amazon. They don't have, but I guess they found me. They even asked me to ship it to them. I mean, you should have seen it was a little bit hard for me to write an address. But what if they're Armenian living in Turkey?

Speaker 2 1:00:24

Well, there's a lot of Armenians living in Turkey, so I just I sent it. Whatever I'm not going to, it's a love story.

Speaker 1 1:00:27

It has nothing to do with politics.

Speaker 2 1:00:28

Yeah, you know, I still feel the way I feel yeah.

Speaker 1 1:00:31

But this is a love story so beautiful here. A lot of these people around me never knew they were going to interested in writing a book. All of a sudden they wrote books and they tried to do the stuff ahead of me to. I don't want to go into it. So a lot of those people are out of my life because I couldn't believe they did that to me. But that's, I don't want to get into it because this person's going to know what I'm talking about. Fast forward to Americana a year of because you know they get the phone call. They look at my ISBN self-published. I'm nobody. That's how they look at it.

Speaker 2 1:01:19

Americana, the Barnes and Nobles, every bookstore.

Speaker 1 1:01:20

Really Every bookstore. Really Every bookstore. If you're self-published, they're not into you. One year of going back and forth, and back and forth, finally I got in. So I'm thinking it's Americana. Downstairs, there are my people, full of young, beautiful kids walking around. There's posters. They finally put it on their Instagram. There are signs. They were even like on the second floor walking around looking. Not one Armenian person came up on my book sign.

Speaker 2 1:01:58

Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 1:01:59

I had a lot of people, but just from my followers from Instagram. People from other states flew in, but my Armenian people downstairs okay, maybe you didn't know about it, I understand Some of them. I'm not saying all of them, but they were doing this. Let's say this is the book.

Speaker 1 1:02:22

You know how they say don't judge a book by its cover. Like they're looking at me, who is she to write In their head? You have to be young, thin and beautiful to know about romance. They have no clue. The most romantic writers are not what they don't look, what you think, the way they look Okay, but unfortunately people say no, people don't judge True readers. They don't judge the ones that read three, four books a week. I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about the teenagers. Yeah, so that was your experience. That was my experience. It was so embarrassing because they had a separate register just for winter time, because they thought the armenians, it's gonna be out the door. They even had ready bracelets made where you put a bracelet on and you get a book and you go upstairs how?

Speaker 2 1:03:12

did you feel.

Speaker 1 1:03:14

How did you feel? It was the first time I wanted to dig a hole and stick my head in it because of what the manager said to me. She didn't say anything bad, but she couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. She goes. Not one of your people came up. We did major social media Even that day. There's signs out there.

Speaker 2 1:03:36

Outside the bookstore. Yeah, For $16.99,.

Speaker 1 1:03:39

You come up, you meet me, you get the book, I sign it. You saw all the goodies I gave away the drawstrings, bag, the pen, the bookmark, coffee. I mean. I'll give you a sample. There's one person. She paid $16.99, I signed the book. She took a picture with me. She took pictures with other people that were cute, that were there for me, but they thought they were part. But whatever, I gave the drawstring back, I gave a bookmark, I gave a pen. She's still doing this for 1699. I go would you like a gift card for $5 to Starbucks? Yeah, I'm like, get the heck out of here, man. I was just joking. I was just joking. There was like how much more do you want? And it's costing me money, even as self-published People think Amazon takes about $5 almost to print it and takes 40% after that. So imagine I have $10 and they take 40%. So that's how much the cost? I mean I don't make Because people read it and they read it wrong. After what it cost them, they take another 40%. It's not just 40%.

Speaker 1 1:04:50

So people were like they're there for the freebies, some of them. But I got major support from, obviously, my husband, my kids, my mom, my brother, my cousins, very few friends, a lot of my supporters on Instagram and a lot of new people that they were very happy that they just happened to be there that day. So I was very embarrassed I could understand that Very embarrassed as an Armenian that they didn't come up and then a month later I had it at the Grove. That one was a good turnout Again, not a lot of Armenians from downstairs, but I already went through that one so I knew it wasn't going to.

Speaker 2 1:05:36

And that's tough on a new author too. You want the recognition. You want people, your people, people to be proud of you, and those things feel good for a person, I don't care what you want to say. Praise feels wonderful, especially when you're doing something so big for your community, and so I'm. I can imagine how hurtful it is. It was I.

Speaker 1 1:05:58

I'll be honest with you. All the way home I cried my husband's like yeah, that doesn't sit you.

Speaker 2 1:06:01

All the way home, I cried my husband's like yeah, that doesn't sit well with the person yeah, I was like what just happened?

Speaker 1 1:06:08

I got this girl to put a regular. I mean she offered it. She thought, you know, all these Armenians are gonna be in line and they're gonna, you know yeah, she was preparing things for you in your audience.

Speaker 2 1:06:18

Yeah thinking, oh yeah, it for you and your audience. Yeah thinking, oh yeah, it's like having a concert and no one's showing up. Yeah, Absolutely.

Speaker 1 1:06:22

I mean, a lot of people showed up again, but not my people.

Speaker 2 1:06:25

Yeah, Not the support that I wanted, oh man, but I got support from so many different ethnicities so many people, so I'm very thankful for all those people who know who they Well after this release, I hope that people definitely will be more supportive and I think that we definitely should be. And yeah, that breaks my heart because I think that in anything you do in life, particularly writing a book or singing a song but since you're here, we're talking about a book. It does have its rejections and it does come with a lot of rejections.

Speaker 1 1:07:01

Oh yes, I was ready for that.

Winter Love Saga Planning and Inspiration

Speaker 2 1:07:03

Exactly See, I don't think. Do you feel like your people could be ready for? I don't think personally, for me, I don't think that I'm ever ready for rejection. It's just such a horrible feeling that you're never ready for it.

Speaker 1 1:07:17

I don't want people to think, oh, just because I'm Armenian, they're never ready for it. I don't want people to think, oh, just because I'm Armenian, I have to buy your book.

Speaker 2 1:07:21

No, that's not what I'm saying. That's not what we're talking about. Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:07:23

I don't want people to say well, who do you think you are? You know, you just wrote a book. Everybody has one story. That's another thing they said Everybody has. Okay, now second book is coming out Hopefully they'll see that no, is called Winter Dream.

Speaker 1 1:07:37

So the third one, as soon as this is up and going, I will write Winter Dream. But I don't expect you to support it. But if I see IAN anywhere, even if it's a piece of crap, they put it in a box, but it has IAN, I'll buy it just to support them. I mean today, alex and Ani, what I brought you another Armenian when I bought it from another Armenian. I support everybody but it's very natural for you to support and if people say that's prejudice, it's not prejudice those people who aren't saying it. They're not being honest with themselves. If you see two kids coming walking towards you, one of them is your kid, the other one is not. They both fall. Of course you're going to go run help both of them, but of course you're going to grab your kid first. It's a natural thing. But people, right away they're racist.

Speaker 2 1:08:35

No, I just think that you, I think that you just want the moral love and support from your community, savon, and I think it's very understandable and I think that you definitely should get what you deserve because it's beautiful, and I hope that you do. I really do, savon. What should we expect in the second book and when is the second story coming out? Winter?

Speaker 1 1:08:57

Land Love, winter Love, yes, winter Love.

Speaker 2 1:09:00

Winter Dream is the third one, so there's how many series?

Speaker 1 1:09:01

Love.

Speaker 2 1:09:01

Winter Love. Yes, winter Love. Winter Dream is the third one. Third one, yes. So there's how many series? Three, three. Three it could be four because Winter Love.

Speaker 1 1:09:15

I thought it was going to be much further, but I story doesn't finish and I have to write a fourth book for this saga. What should I name the fourth book? I got a bunch of cute answers.

Speaker 2 1:09:30

That's lovely.

Speaker 1 1:09:31

And saying what I should call it. So I have the fourth.

Speaker 2 1:09:34

What's one thing you want to call the fourth one? Winter Forever is one of them.

Speaker 1 1:09:41

Because, remember, it's not only she likes the cold, it's the guy's last name he's British William Winter and she's American Victoria Evans.

Speaker 2 1:09:50

How did you come up with the characters? By the way, I didn't even ask you, yeah.

Speaker 1 1:09:54

Okay, victoria is my grandma's name. Yes, I remember, you told me that Evans is my name, se name seven. I just took the s and added to the end uh, william. Three reasons, of course. William saurian, yes, and william shakespeare. And my favorite are prince william, yeah, from england, which his mom? He's 0.00 whatever. On six they say Armenian Lady Diana. But yeah, because of that and the rest of them, a couple of them who bullied me in high school, I used their first real name but not theirs.

Speaker 1 1:10:30

No way, yeah, because I got bullied severely, sevan.

Speaker 2 1:10:34

Sevan Sevan, you used the names of your bullies in the story. The first one, first names.

Speaker 1 1:10:41

What's the first name? Jennifer? Jennifer, because I went to an American public school. You used Jennifer. Of course I did. She bullied the heck out of me for years.

Speaker 2 1:10:54

For years Come on. This book is going to make it, and Jennifer is going to want a big chunk from Jennifer.

Speaker 1 1:11:00

Jennifer, I expect you to find me on Instagram at 7 time and apologize to me for making fun of my Armenian food, because it wasn't hamburger, it was rolled kebab. I love you. You're so funny. Yes, and I didn't have ranch. I had hummus to dip my stuff in.

Speaker 2 1:11:18

You know what I just remembered in my big, big Greek fag wedding, when she has moose moussaka and the girl's like moose caca. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 1:11:27

Exactly, Exactly. I lived that movie, but when I lived it there was no Armenian.

Speaker 2 1:11:33

You look like Tula too, though yeah, I do.

Speaker 1 1:11:35

I do. A lot of people say that I lived that movie because you know we came here I was seven years old. No, I turned eight when I came here, so in 1980, who, yeah who was Armenian and in the valley.

Speaker 2 1:11:52

Forget it, forget it. Did your dad also tell you when you were 10, you're get married. You look old.

Speaker 1 1:11:59

No, no, no, no, I wasn't. You said you lived the movie. No, no, no, no, I wasn't. You said you lived the movie. No, I mean like the bullying part. But they bullied, she got bullied much.

Speaker 2 1:12:09

Yeah, I'm talking about. Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:12:16

So I came up with some of the names like that and the other names you know I Whatever movie I watched and I liked her name, so I put that kind of characteristic to that person.

Speaker 2 1:12:26

That's so fun.

Speaker 1 1:12:27

Instead of coming up with some weird name Like I love the name Leonard Uh-huh, because the guy who played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet in 1968 version which is my favorite, which is in the book His name is Leonard.

Speaker 2 1:12:42

That is so fun, so I named one of the, but he's not in this book. So nothing in this book is fake. Everything is just from real, your imagination as well.

Speaker 1 1:12:53

Yes.

Speaker 2 1:12:54

But also people who are in your lives. You just twisted it up a little bit. You give it a like Jennifer, yes, no, no, it's Jennifer, jennifer, is that how she said it? Yeah, were you really bullied, sebon? I'm sorry, were you really bullied?

Speaker 1 1:13:09

in school To the kind where you won't believe me if I tell you no way. Yeah, yeah, like severely, like physically, what do you mean? Like hitting?

Speaker 2 1:13:18

putting.

Speaker 1 1:13:18

Oh, like physically, like hitting, putting oh yeah, pushing me into the toilet and locking me up. Oh yeah, putting gum in my hair. Oh, making fun of A to Z. And usually people become sometimes depressed and suicidal. I took the other route. I became stronger and stronger and stronger. And you know the one person. Her name is Mrs Strong. That's my teacher, mrs Strong, her, my teacher, mrs Strong. Her name was. I'm looking for her. I hope she's alive. Her name is Mrs Strong from Cleveland High School and, as a matter of fact, one of the characters I named. I said I couldn't use her real name. I named it Mrs Stewart and I said I thought I said in the book I think of her as Mrs Strong. No, In the book, because I love her so much because she saw how severely bullied I got at PE. I hope I don't get her in trouble because this is like 35 years later, but You're not going to get her in trouble.

Speaker 1 1:14:12

She said, savan, you're going to punch her face in and I'm not going to see it and say that she ran into the wall. And one time in my life I punched her, I guess the night before Jennifer, she got braces, I did not know. So she started bleeding and then I felt bad Hold on a second.

Speaker 2 1:14:35

Mrs Strong said you're going to go punch her in the face and I'm going to pretend I didn't see it. And then she goes.

Speaker 1 1:14:40

I saw, I saw you ran into the wall, so I love her for that wow that's a teacher. That's because she said enough is enough. I mean she sees me constantly, constantly they hit me right so, but I didn't know. Jennifer had braces on the night before she got she went to the dentist and you know, with the rubber bands and everything, so I punched her. She started I'm like, oh, I'm sorry she goes, I'm bleeding, oh, my oh dear lord.

Speaker 2 1:15:06

You know what I love about this whole story is your teacher said I saw you. You ran into the wall I looked at her.

Speaker 1 1:15:12

She goes. You saw it. She goes. Yes, because I saw it. I saw you ran into the wall when you came around the corner and I'm like I love her for doing that. So she went and told the principal and the teacher still said no, she ran into the wall. She's blaming me so I get in trouble.

Speaker 2 1:15:29

But this is what I'm talking about. Look at what she did and all these years later, which is not that many, but still you remember her because she stood up for what was right and she stood up for you we're talking years of bullying.

Speaker 1 1:15:43

I took it a lot. This is not like one day, two day, one week, Years and years, and she bullied and bullied and bullied, where even she said Savan, you have to stand up for yourself. I was so scared, it's not funny. But I told no one. My mom, my dad, had enough problems moving from one country, I'm not going to go add more stress to them. So I kept this all to myself, including my best friend. You want to know when my best friend found out Of 40 years On the book signing day, oh my God. I saw her in the audience. She was like she couldn't believe it. She's my best friend. She had no idea I was getting that severely bullied. That's how much. And I used to go home, shut the door and just put the comforter in my mouth. So my mom can't hear me cry because I didn't want to stress her out. It was that bad. So Jennifer deserved that punch. It was just one punch, I don't.

Speaker 2 1:16:31

Sometimes you got to put them in their place.

Speaker 1 1:16:33

I don't want the kids to think violence. If it wasn't violence, heck. This is 1987.

Speaker 2 1:16:38

Things were different then hey, but you know what it made? One hell of a story, it sure did guess what?

Speaker 1 1:16:42

next day, jennifer turned right to get dressed, instead of to the left of the locker in PE, because that's where I was. She didn't, she went, she made sure I never wow.

Speaker 2 1:16:54

And then you're such a great storyteller, though. This is why, like this is your purpose being an author, yeah, I love. This is your purpose. I love telling stories, yeah, but when you do you draw people in like I love listening when you're telling a story, I'm so interested. Why don't you do a thing for this? Uh, audible audio, yeah what audible?

Speaker 1 1:17:16

yeah, yeah, um, and you read it, my voice doesn't sound good it does sound good. That's what I'm saying, like young who said that Because it's a 16-year-old and they're going to expect a 16-year-old's voice.

Speaker 2 1:17:29

No, but what I'm saying is, when you talk, you draw me in because you tell a story with such passion and your body moves too when you're talking. Yeah, I do. I'm actually trying to hold myself, because I move a lot more than this. You know edith piaf? I'm sorry, do you know edith piaf? No, so she's a french singer, edith piaf, that sang la vie en rose.

Speaker 1 1:17:55

Oh, yes, okay actually in one of my posts. I used it Right, so she's the original singer right, and there's a movie, yeah, very old, very old, from the 1930s and 40s right, I love the way she goes, whatever, when she sings that song.

Speaker 2 1:18:14

Yeah, the yeah, it's so funny. So there's a movie, marine Cotillard she's a French actress that did the movie called La Vie en Rose. It won with Russell Crowe. They won several Academy Awards. But anywho, in Edith Piaf, when she started singing she had a very powerful voice, but her managers and her producers, they said that her voice wasn't enough, even though it's enough to really shake an audience. They guided her to use her body when she was singing. So when Edith Piaf is singing, she articulates her songs with her hands and the movements of her fingers, and that's because it's hypnosis in a way. It draws people in. So you naturally have that. I was just going to validate that when you tell a story, you use your body, your hair, your hair so it's like what, what, and then what happened?

Speaker 2 1:19:08

so you're naturally drawn into it. That's why I say do a visual for this, because it's fascinating, like I love it the way you tell the story about jennifer. Your it's so good. Sevan, I'm so proud of you, thank you.

Speaker 1 1:19:22

Yes, it was. I had to go back and you know, and go through a bunch of the good stuff, the bad stuff. I love it, I love it. Everything. But yeah, I mean Jennifer with her five girls behind her, just like the movie Mean Girls. The in the front, yeah, and the followers that you know, and some of those followers didn't want to follow, they just wanted to be in the popular group.

Speaker 2 1:19:46

You know, you know I'm so popular it's still happening, yeah, nowadays yes, but I'm so happy and I'm so, so, so proud of you and I can't wait to watch you grow with Wintertime and the saga, and I think that everybody, and including parents and teenagers, should definitely start reading this book, and they will.

Speaker 1 1:20:05

I know that they will, they will.

Speaker 2 1:20:06

And it's going to be fascinating and I thank you so much for joining me today.

Speaker 1 1:20:10

Thank you, can I say one more thing about the book? Of course you can, because you know I'm never done with my stories.

Speaker 2 1:20:14

Yeah, I know how could you be. How could you be?

Speaker 1 1:20:19

Okay, in movies especially, you see rich people show off. They give them that kind of character or they're not humble. But the people with money the ones that had old money or it's not new money they don't act like that. The real rich people don't act like that. That's very true. That's another thing I have in my book. They're very humble. Right, they're very rich, they go on luxurious vacation, but you'll never know. They're very humble. So I wanted to teach these children the kids not every rich person is what you think in your head what you see, what you see in movies and how people say, oh, she's rich. Those real rich people don't act like that. They're very, very humble.

Speaker 2 1:21:02

They help quietly and I love how you teach that. I love how you teach the values, the morals, the humble, and I think that that's missing in today's books because and I'm also very happy you went against the literary agents and you went on to publish what you thought was right, because we don't have a lot of books that teach. Now it's all about the difference, the war, culture, horrible, inappropriate. But this is keeping our old Christian values and if every Armenian parent and American should pick up Wintertime and the Saga continuations, of course, coming up and have their kids read it, I am for it.

Speaker 1 1:21:41

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Even the page I told you this earlier. It ends on 301. Why? Because Armenians became Christian at 301. It was very hard for me to finish it on that. And then my logo is two angel wings with the butterfly, the Armenian cross. I quote William Sarian in there.

Speaker 2 1:21:59

Oh, my gosh, the second book is more.

Speaker 1 1:22:05

I wrote a little bit more about social media bullying too, because social media bullying is I love this this is more. I'm so excited.

Speaker 2 1:22:15

I can't wait to get all the copies Signed.

Speaker 1 1:22:22

You got it, it's, it's all for you and I thank you very much for having me here. I appreciate you, of course, giving a first time author a chance. Not a lot of people did that. You're my first one. I did other small podcasts, but not you know where it was, oh my gosh, so you're my first one. I I did other small podcasts, but not you know where it was, so you're my first one. I was very um happy to hear from you. I appreciate you calling me and hopefully, um people love what I said to, people love your questions and if I, if we missed anything, dm me, follow me on seven time, and that's S E V A N T I M E.

Speaker 1 1:23:00

one word Um, and that's S-E-V-A-N-T-I-M-E.

Speaker 2 1:23:03

one word, and please buy my books, so I become really rich and maybe help out some Armenian, young Armenian and I love the comedy too, by the way, you're hilarious. You said you wanted to do stand-up comedy at one point, right.

Speaker 1 1:23:15

Yes, but it has to be 18 and over. There you go. There's too many things that you can't say under 18.

Speaker 2 1:23:23

That's true. Thank you, Savanta.

Speaker 1 1:23:25

Yes, I would like to open up for Jack Jr. You never know Jack Jr and the chef Arzada. They're in my second book.

Speaker 2 1:23:35

I know, oh, no way. Yes.

Speaker 1 1:23:38

Wow, you have to see how I put them there. I love them, do they?

Speaker 2 1:23:42

know that, oh, yes. I asked them for approval Good for you. Well, I can't wait to read it.

Speaker 1 1:23:47

Thank you so much. Thank you, I appreciate it. Thank you for having me and thank you to Kevork that's over there, that nobody ever sees the poor guy just sitting there. I hope I didn't put you to sleep, no, thank you. So thank you, kimber, thank you.

Speaker 2 1:24:04

Of course.