Debora is passionate about her health career, literature and arts. An avid reader since the age of four, she grew up surrounded by books, fascinated especially by the true stories of those unknown heroes and heroines that are part of our history.

She lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband, Toan Nguyen, and their son, Andrew. When not writing, reading, or promoting beautiful smiles, Debora can be found painting. Her art reflects her interest in travel and culture, the realistic depictions of the transformative effects of light and color.

Good day Debora and thanks for taking part in our interview.

Norm: Please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background.

Debora: First, thank you for this incredible opportunity! Thanks to the readers out there too. I am a Brazilian, a dentist, a wife, a mother, and more recently, an author and a painter.

I grew up in Brasilia, Brazil, where my family still lives. I always wanted to be a dentist and that became a reality when I graduated from the University of Brasilia in 1995.

By that time, I was thinking about following an academic career, therefore I completed a Master program in Health Sciences, after my residency. Nevertheless, Destiny had other plans. I met my husband before I finished my Master, and we got married two years later. He is an American and an electronic engineer in Florida, the reason why I moved to the USA.

Norm: I notice you speak and write a few languages. How has this impacted your writing?

Debora: I think it forces you to go beyond your comfortable zone. It forces you to read and learn more. Portuguese is my native language, but I was very fortunate to learn English when I was a teenager.

I always loved English (more than Portuguese), so the process of learning English as a second language, and now writing a novel in English was actually fun.

I did take some classes in Spanish after my first trip to Buenos Aires (that was when I realized just knowing English and Portuguese would not be enough in that country), and although I cannot speak or write in Spanish as well as I would like, I can read it and I can communicate when needed.

People ask me if I wrote my first book in Portuguese, and they get surprised when I say “no”. The book was written in English. I actually had a little hard time to translate it to Portuguese. Portuguese is a beautiful language, but extremely complex, full of rules that I have forgotten!

Norm: What did you find most useful in learning to write? What was least useful or most destructive?

Debora:   The most useful aspect in learning to write was having a clear outline. Learning to create a road map was decisive. I would not have a great book if it were not for all that I learned in one single book: Save The Cat Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody. I am a book obsessed.

I need a book with instructions to fry an egg. Therefore, when I went to a Florida Writers’ local meeting and they told me about this book, I immediately got it. It was a lifesaver. I am sure there are other great material out there, courses and so on. I had no experience in writing. But I trusted that book and my instincts. It seemed it worked well, for me at least.

I am not sure if I truly encountered anything destructive. The entire process was actually fun and relaxing. I knew I had this story to tell, to write, and everything literally felt into place.
 

Norm: How did you become involved with the subject or theme of Standing Tall?

Debora:  I had part of this story in my head. The romantic side of the story. I only knew few things: the protagonist would be a female with a strong personality; she would be a healthcare professional (as a dentist, it would be easier to write about someone in the health field);  her name would be Cecilia (my great-grandmother’s name); the story would be set in Buenos Aires, Argentina (I love that city, its rich culture, music, architecture).

That was it. I had no idea I was going to write a historical novel. That was not in the plan at all. Until my local book club, a group composed of several Brazilian women, suggested the novel, The Air You Breathe, by Frances De Pontes Peebles. 

This book portraits a deep complicated friendship between two very different women who grew up on a sugar cane plantation in the Northern Brazil and their passion for music, samba.

The story is inspired by the lives of Carmen Miranda and the songwriter Chavela Vargas, tracing the story of Brazil from the 1930’s to the 1950’s, as well as Hollywood’s prevailing attitudes toward foreign and female artists.

The sensitive, poetic writing evokes Brazil’s rough beauty and the sensual lure of the music shapes the protagonist’s lives. The Air You Breathe has the power to leave an indelible mark on the reader’s soul.

It was only after reading De Pontes Peebles book that intuition whispered into my ears “what about writing a historical novel, based on the life of a first woman? A first woman who became a doctor, for example, in Argentina?”

As I searched on Google “first woman physician in Argentina”, I could barely believe what appeared in front of my eyes – the name Cecilia Grierson.

An advocate for women and children’s rights, Dr. Cecilia Grierson, the daughter of immigrants, was the first woman who became a doctor in her country.

She was a teacher and a community leader. She incredibly founded the first School of Nurses in Latin America, during a cholera epidemic, while still being the only woman attending medical school. She was a freethinker, an art lover, a world traveler. She was the perfect inspiration for a great novel and yet, there was little information about her personal life, her struggles, her battles and victories. She was the typical unknown heroine, calling out to be discovered.

From that moment on, imagination took the lead. A creative outline was born and the story grew, based on dedicated research and unexpected encounters. Characters and new chapter sets came to life as I was transported to the turn of the twenty century.

A friend of mine in California once told me that “sometimes, the story and characters find you when you least expect.” I truly believe this was my case.

Norm: You are a dentist. How did you balance your practising dentistry and writing the book?

Debora: I laugh every time I hear this question…I read and write at night, after dinner, shower, tucking my ten-year-old in his bed. My husband helps me tremendously with house and my office chores. This way I can be a dentist during the day and a writer at night.

Norm: What was the most difficult part of writing this book and what did you enjoy most about writing this book?  

Debora: The most difficult part was to start a chapter. Every single one of them, except the first one (for some reason I had the beginning of the first chapter in my head, for years…)

I remember staring at the computer and typing: Chapter 2. (Deep breath). Now what? Nevertheless, those moments were brief. I cannot remember what exactly made me start the chapters…but the words and ideas came. One thing led to another. I did all the research almost at same time I was writing.

As I researched, several characters were actually born, based on the history of real men and women that crossed my way. I remember walking to a library one day to get a book for my son. At the entrance, the book, The Dream Lover, by Elizabeth Berg was on display. Somehow, the title caught my attention and I borrowed the book. I loved it. That was when I learned about Lord Byron and George Sand. If you read my book, you will find those names there too.

What I loved the most? Those unexpected encounters. The serendipity. The inspiration found on little corners. The books I read, the unknown stories they shared. I also love the fact that there was no draft.

I wrote the manuscript, read it couple of times, send it to my editor and that was pretty much it. 

Norm: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them? 

Debora: My goal? To have the entire world reading this book. It is an audacious goal, but I have an audacious book to share. Seriously! (LOL). I also want people to be inspired. Inspired by the story, by the character, and in a way, by the author.

Although this is a book set in the beginning of the twenty century, the parallels with the current time always amaze me. The subjects involved, the writings and the message are all very pertinent for this post pandemic era we live in.

Norm: Did you write the book more by logic or intuition, or some combination of the two? Please summarize your writing process.

Debora: Great question. I believe both. However, more intuition…perhaps. 

Half of the book was planned. The other half was not. The last chapter took a very different turn from what I originally planned and expected. So yes, there is structure, there is order, and there is law in writing.

However, for me, there was a lot of unexpected great lines and messages that simply appeared in my heart or in my mind or both. When I think about that, I cannot help but being thankful for the Creator, the Greatest Artist and Author of all…I believe all great things come from above; therefore, a great book would not be an exception. The words of Salman Rushdie fits this perfectly: “Books choose their authors; the act of creation is not entirely a rational and conscious one.”

Norm: Is there anything of you in Standing Tall? If so, please elaborate.

Debora: Oh Norm! You are a killer! I cannot elaborate that! (LOL). One thing I learned with the brilliant author Neil Gaiman is that an author always leave a piece of himself or herself in their pages, and vice-versa — the book itself leaves something in the author. Even if the book is about a mermaid being saved by a prince on a unicorn!

Norm: In fiction as well as in non-fiction, writers very often take liberties with their material to tell a good story or make a point.  

But how much is too much?  

We cannot measure liberty and there is no set of established rules regarding our “freedom of speech”. We must analyze the historical context (in the case of historical novels), the author background and the target audience.

At the end, you must have not only a good story, but also have characters that you would be proud of and vice versa. If your characters could come back in real life and sit down in a café with you, would they be proud of you, what you have created, or would they not sit with you at all?

Norm: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?  

Debora: I learned so many things. I learned women are more resilient than what I thought. I learned that, many times, we do not get the immediately recognition for our values, efforts, dedication, hard work. And that could still be okay. I learned there is so much history, love and great stories out there that need to be told, must be told. I learned: “Yes, we can.” Yes, we can Stand Tall.

Norm: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?  

Debora: My passion for books, arts, traveling and international culture is spread all over the book. The book would be utterly boring without my own experiences in these areas.

Norm: What projects are you working on at the present? We would love to hear about them.

Debora: I am still overwhelmed by the recently publication of Standing Tall, and the warmth readers’ response. For this reason, I am enjoying this part of the ride.

I am trying to promote the book and have feed backs from authors and readers all over the world. I am also working on having the book translate into Spanish and Portuguese, so we can have it published in South America, Portugal and Spain.

In addition to that, I do have an idea for a second book. It will follow the same theme/ genre. Another great woman. American one this time. 1870’s to 1900’s also. Little is known about her, so I have tons to read, learn and create. But that is another chapter down the road.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and Standing Still?

Debora: They can follow me on INSTAGRAM

My blog inside Goodreads Debora De Farias (Author of Standing Tall) | Goodreads

And my WEBSITE:

Norm: As this interview comes to an end, if you could invite three people, dead or alive, to your dinner table, who would they be and why?

Debora: Love it.

1)     J.J Benitez. I am an unconditional fan of this great Spanish author and investigator. His books changed my life.

2)     Einstein. Not sure how we would care a conversation, as I hate math…but I would love to just sit with him and admire he for who he is.

3)     Michelangelo. (I would probably make Leonardo da Vinci jealous for my choice). He is simply…phenomenal.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors