Like any writer, I get asked the same questions time and time again, so see if your question is answered here. If not, feel free to contact me via mariamartin.maker@gmail.com and I'll try my best to answer it.
What kind of book is Tomorrow or Never ?
I like to think of it as a romance story​ with a historical setting, but at the same time it is not just a romance story and it is certainly not one with either lots of cheap eroticism or "Mills and Boon" type relationships. It is fiction, but with a strong factual background, and fantasy with a strong dose of realism.
Common Questions about my book
Is it based on a true story?
​No, not as such. A lot of what happens in the story did happen in 1930s Italy, and many of the incidents and characters are loosely based on people and situations in stories that I was told when growing up, but most of the book is purely made up.
Vitessa is an unusual name for the main character. Why did you call her that?
​I guess you could say it is an unusual name for an unusual woman! "Vita" in Italian means life, and "essa" is an ending in Italian used for the feminine. And that's what I wanted her to represent - the feminine life.
Why is so much of the book written as dialogue?
​Two main reasons: first, as a writer I just feel more comfortable with that than long descriptions or lots of narrative; second, I really wanted my main focus to be on the characters, and this was the best way to do that.
Do you plan on writing a sequel?
Obviously, I could write a sequel and a few readers have asked me about it. At the end of the book Vitessa is setting off on a whole new adventure and I do have some wonderful stories that could be told, but I did not write the book with the intention of there being a sequel. Also, I want to turn my hand to other projects now. Of course, if it's a big success and Hollywood comes calling . . .
Why is the book so long?
That's just the way it turned out. There was a lot I wanted to say, and for the story to unfold exactly as I wanted it to there had to be plenty of detail. I like reading long books myself, so perhaps it is only natural that I should write an extra long one when swapping from being a reader to a writer!
Why is the book only available in electronic form?
This is the modern way to publish. It's cheap and simple for me to put it out there, and cheap and simple for you to buy. If you really must have a physical book, then I'm afraid I cannot help you (but you will be missing out on a great read :)