A Slice of Cake With... Andrya B

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with fellow indie author, Andrya B.

When not writing or working her full-time job, Andrea Barbosa travels in search of history, museums, and adventures. Her short stories and poems have appeared in several anthologies and journals, including the Southern Pacific Review and Ariel Chart. 

Andrea also writes award-winning romance under the pseudonym, Andrya Bailey.

She currently serves as VP and Press Director for the Houston Writers Guild and as Flash Fiction Editor for The Ocotillo Review Literary Journal (Kallisto Gaia Press). 

She has been a guest speaker at Houston Writers Guild writing conferences, Houston Baptist University Writers Conference, Lone Star College Bayou City Book Festival, Fort Bend County Libraries Book Festival, First Colony, Maud Marks, and Bear Creek libraries, Bay Area Writers League, NW Houston Romance Writers of America, Authorology workshops by Inklings Publishing, and is a regular guest author and panelist at Comicpalooza's (Texas largest pop culture event) Literary Track.

What kind of books do you write?

I write books where there’s an alpha male and the female protagonist falls head over heels and after much conflict, drama, and love triangles, there’s a happy ending! Besides that, I also write stories, which emphasizes the psychology of the characters and their unstable emotional states.

Can you describe your writing why?

One of my favourite writing quotes, “I don’t like writing, I love having written” summarizes it better. My motivation is to see the story that I visualize like a movie in my mind be transported to the pages and ready to be read. 

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most.

“Holding my hand firmly, he led the way through the ruins until we found a spot at the edge of the hilltop. Nikos sat on the ground and settled me between his legs, wrapping his arms around my waist. Waves of desire swept through me when he kissed the back of my neck and nibbled on my earlobes. A moan escaped my lips, and I turned my face to kiss his mouth. This setting was the most romantic place I’d ever visited, and being with Nikos was beyond incredible. When I looked again at the wonderful scene in front of me, I realized we were not alone. Several people surrounded us, eager to see the amazing sunset. The sun melted into the mirrored surface of the quiet sea, emanating vivid hues of gold and red. The calm, idyllic water swallowed the ball of fire that struggled to remain afloat. Its reflection radiated triumphantly out of the sea’s depth, giving the last surviving rays the glowing ecstasy of its demise. An array of colors that could only be compared to an art museum’s masterpiece painted the sky with the precision of a master’s brush strokes. It prompted not only gasps, but a long bout of applause from the dazed and overwhelmed spectators.”

Tell us about your latest project

Although I’m still working on the 3rd and final book of my romance trilogy Olympian Love, the second book came out last year and the paragraph above is from this book, the second in the series, Olympian Heartbreak. It continues the love story of Sabrina, an art student pursuing a master’s degree, and the handsome Greek archaeologist Nikos. In this book, Nikos had to return to Greece somewhat unexpectedly with Sabrina’s rival, who is competing for his affections. However, Sabrina has the opportunity to take a trip to Greece and they have a wonderful time. I had the opportunity to visit Greece to research the locations I described in the book and it was a great experience! And a Greek historian also edited the book to ensure the Greek mythology and history are accurate.

What is your favourite cake?

Possibly a tie between “tres leches” and Sacher torte!

For those of you baking along, here is a recipe for Sacher Torte by Mary Berry. 

You can keep in touch with Andrya at her blog, Massive Black Hole, and follow her on Facebook & Twitter.

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with writer Martin Wilsey, grilling them gently about their writing life and of course sharing their favourite cake.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

Feel free to Buy Me A Coffee to go with this delicious slice of cake and support my writing endeavours.

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.