She’s a storyteller, a passionate person and a goddess ruling over countless worlds. Stories have existed since the dawn of time, and she deeply believes in them. They connect people, heal them, wing them. Since Yana was a child, her destiny has been intertwined with words. She’s always creating something. Her magical ink painted fantastic worlds and fairy-tale characters that came to her dreams or daydreams.
What things one has to know in order to “paint” worlds like you?
The main rule is that everything is possible. You just had to find the right way to make it alive. Easy-peasy! lol!
Do you want to write a best-seller?
That would be a great bonus. But my main goal is to tell the stories of my characters. They are like real people to me. Everyone has the right to tell their story and have it heard.
Where do you gather ideas from?
The ideas are everywhere. Dreams, visuals on Internet, accidentally overheard conversations, keywords, quotes, random people on the street or my friends and acquaintances. For me, gathering ideas is the easiest part of writing. They are just everywhere! I will hardly have enough time to tell everything I have gathered so far.
How about your characters? Who are they based on?
One of my favorite characters Lyuba Dobreva is based on Lara Croft. Her story started as Tomb Rider’s fanfiction. Now Lyuba have her own story and world, but still shares some traits with Lara. I have a heroine inspired by the White Collar TV series. Sometimes characters just pop up parallel with their story like my princess Zoya. I have some characters based on relatives and friends.
What do you think it takes to write a book readers really love?
Good romance is (almost) always a victory. It is so magical to witness the blooming of great love. Or not so great, but heavy love, full of obstacles and shadows from the traumas of the characters. Gray characters that make the reader feel, sympathize with them, want to see how far they will go in their fall or rise, this captivates the reader.
Tell me about NaNoWriMo Bulgaria community? You seem to gather all these lovely people?
I’m part of the community since November 2018 and I love it! I found a lot of friends. They help me so much with my writing with ideas, know-how and real support.
They help me to believe that it’s possible to write a whole novel.
Have you got a secret critique circle?
Yep! Sometimes I truly hate these people, but their help is treasure.
You perfect a chapter, and they tear it apart with criticism, has that ever happened to you?
Absolutely. They hate my main characters, too. It’s hot mess to work withe them, but it’s also fun and very helpful.
Is having a secret critique circle something like belonging to a sect or a witch coven?
I never thought about that. Witch coven sounds great. I’ll tell them to discuss the idea and the name of the coven.
Okay, besides books – what else are you in love with?
I’m in love with people. As much as they make me angry and desperate at times, I love them. I am in love with the colorful life, with nature, with my pets, with my children. In writing, of course! I’m in love with quantum physics too, which I don’t understand mathematically at all, but I live its magic every day.
What’s the most valuable thing your children should learn from you?
In the end, it will be something I probably have no idea how valuable it is. haha! However, quite consciously, I want to teach them to always enjoy life. No matter what life brings them, they can find a way to take advantage of the situation, learn their lessons and know that there is always a win-win solution.
What is it that makes your cup half full, or even overflowing?
I love solitude. It helps me to hear myself as well as to clear my mind of everything unnecessary. My friends are wonderful too. Every day I find something to be grateful for. The lessons I want to teach my children, I first learned myself. These lessons help me to look at the world from its bright side and to experience miracles every day.
Tell me about your job? How does being a psychologist make you feel?
I’m very happy with my job. A lot of people ask mе “How do you survive listening all day long about human’s tragedy?” I don’t feel it that way. My clients’ problems don’t burden me. Tragedies are only one part of my job. The other and more satisfying part of my job is to see how my clients thrive and overcome their traumas. That’s beautiful and fantastic. Everyday I see and feel the beauty of life. Bonus points – my work give me inspiration and ideas for my stories.
How does a person build his or her self-esteem with your help?
I help my clients to overcome their fears and traumas by using innovative holistic methods. When fears and traumas are gone, their self-esteem builds naturally.
Tell me about the holistic methods, that’s very interesting?
I work with methods from the Energy Psychology. With these methods the subconscious is easily accessible and we can found the root of the problem only after a couple of sessions.
What advice would you give to a very beautiful girl, who has a very low self-confidence?
Every case is specific. The first step is to find out where the root of low self-esteem is. Then she has to work on that root. Often the low self-confidence is from traumas we experienced in our childhood.
Tell me, how do you feel about Christmas and holidays in general?
Ouch! I’m more like Grinch and don’t like holidays in general. They bring to me hard feelings. I gave myself permission not to celebrate them if I didn’t feel festive.
What then brings magic to your life?
Everything else. lol! I’m able to find magic in small thing in my everyday life – beautiful sunset, piece of urban nature, someone’s smile and in my writing of course. Writing is always magical!
Do you like to travel, or you travel with your mind – like strolling an ordinary boulevard with the feeling it is something marvelous?
I like both. Every week I travel on short distances for hiking or visiting historical places. I love to travel in Bulgaria.
Are you a romantic person? If yes, tell me something romantic that has happened to you?
Totally I’m romantic! And I love that I’m romantic. One of the most romantic thing that happened to me was that someone I adore recited a Shakespearean sonnet to me as we hung on a bench in front of the Metropolitan Library.
It was such a funny and magical moment.
Which sonnet was that?
I don’t remember. I was too exited. lol!
Are you in a relationship at present?
Nope. I just get divorced after 14 years of marriage. I need some time to be just by myself.
So you are ready to exchange the problems of having a relationship with the problems of not having one?
Lol! No, I still have problems from the relationship with myself.
It’s hard to live… well, with me. I’m not easygoing.
What’s your advice to romantic girls – as a veteran romantic?
Keep going! This world needs more romantic stuff.
If you were the Goddess of Love for a day, what would happen?
Sex revolution. Sorry, am I predictable? lol!
Hasn’t that already happened?! In the 60s?
Second wave, please. Encore! Our generation needs their own.
What else does our generation need?
Dancing, more dancing. More laughing and “crappy” dinners with friends. More “do nothing” time far away from the online life. More picnics and hiking. More time being childish. We are too busy to be serious.
What kind of man grabs your attention immediately?
Man with charisma and lovely humour. If we talk about appearance – I love them taller than me, dark-haired and beard.
Why do you like beard?
It’s arousing to me when they kiss me. Extra feelings from the beard.
What’s the sexiest thing in you?
I don’t know. I love my hair and my eyes. I have a gorgeous neckline that catches the eye. But I think that the sex appeal is more in the feminine radiance than in the shapes and the size of the body.
Imagine you were having a devil, and an angel perched on your shoulders. What would they say to you?
They are both in agreement and they tell me to keep having fun, anyway. I’m here to have fun.
That sounds great! Thanks to Yana for sheltering us in her creative world for a while and sharing this lovely song…
