A conversation with 'Before Ever After' author Samantha Sotto

Green eggs and ham. We’re not talking about what bestselling author Samantha Sotto had for breakfast.

“I think the best way to describe me is the title of my favourite book from childhood,” she tells Gulf News. “My rule is that you can’t say no unless you’ve tried it at least once. That’s my approach in life. I’m willing to try anything at least once. I think that also sums up my experience of writing the book, Before Ever After. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t have that kind of attitude.”

Sotto, the self-professed “accidental writer”, created her first book at a nearby coffee shop; deciding it was “more practical” to spend her time there until it was time to pick up her son from school. So she wrote page after page of what would now be Before Ever After—three hours a day, five days a week. Parts of the novel were inspired from Sotto’s backpacking trips in Europe, and her expat experience in the Netherlands.

“Before Ever After was a product of Manila traffic and necessity. I needed something to do while waiting to pick up my son from school,” says the 38-year-old mother of two. She describes the book as “a platypus. It crosses over genres.”

Her novel—a 300 page turner weaving history, myths, fantasy and the love story between the main character Shelley and her mysterious Max—debuted in August as the National Bookstore Number 1 Bestseller in the Philippines. It was also among the top 50 bestsellers on Amazon Books on the first few weeks of its international release, receiving positive reviews from international authors.

Now, nearly three months after the fairytale that took shape in between cups of coffee at a café in the Philippines, Sotto is living her happily ever after, appearing in book signing sessions abroad and in the Philippines.

“I'm very happy that my experience has inspired other Filipino writers to try to get their work read by an international audience,” she says. “I still feel weird about [being labeled as a writer], because it really just started as a hobby and I still think of it as a hobby, because it's fun.”

Sotto is currently working on a new book, which she writes, not in coffee shop this time, but “in a library while [her daughter] is in class”.

And yes, she still enjoys baked eggs and cheese “exactly the way it is described in the book”, which her husband makes on weekends.

Excerpts from the interview

What is your new book about?
It's a love story with a fantasy twist. It's mainly set in a houseboat in Amsterdam. I hope to finish it in the next couple of months.

Will you consider writing a book set in the Middle East?
I have never been to the Middle East and it's definitely one of the places that I'd like to visit. I think it would be fun to write about it one day.

Which part of the Middle East would you like to visit someday?
Jordan is at the top of my list of places to visit. I'm desperate to see Petra!

What was your life like before Before Ever After?
The only writing experience I had before writing Before Ever After was my stint as features editor of my college newspaper. After college, I pursued a career in consumer marketing. I was in the corporate world for nine years. I decided to quit my job and become a full-time mom when my son turned one.

Describe your reaction when you first found out you’ve been given a book deal.
We were in Hong Kong for vacation when I got the call from my agent (she was in NYC) at around 4am. I bounced around the bed and tried my best not scream. I didn't want to get kicked out of the hotel. To celebrate, we ordered champagne and omelets from room service for breakfast.

Your husband gave you a ring to celebrate your book deal. Tell us more about it.
The ring has a mosaic design inspired by the mosaics featured in the book. Each gemstone has a meaning but what makes the ring special is its inscription. Just like the wedding band of one of the main characters in the book, the ring has the word "now" inscribed inside the band. It's a reminder to be truly aware of and to cherish the present moment. I wear it on my left ring finger.

What inspired you to write Before Ever After?
The last book I had read before writing Before Ever After was The Time Traveller's Wife. I was deeply affected by how the story ended. It inspired me to write my own love story.

Was it difficult to bring your characters to life on paper?
My characters felt very real to me. I just listened in on their conversations and wrote them down.

Which character in this book do you strongly connect with?
I have the most sympathy for my main character, Max, and the "villain" of the story, Gestrin. I lent some of the impulsiveness of my younger years to Shelley but the similarity ends there.

What were the highs and lows while you were writing this book?
The whole process of writing and researching the book was a high. The hunt for an agent and a publisher was an emotional roller coaster. Waiting for news was extremely nerve wracking.

How many rejection letters did you get before you landed gold?
I didn't keep track of my rejections. I deleted them right away. I didn't want that kind of energy in my inbox.

How did you meet your agent?
After I edited my book, I went on the hunt for an agent again. I scoured the internet and made a shortlist of agents whom I thought would be a good match for the book and myself. At the top of the list was an agent I felt a particularly strong connection to. Her name was Stephanie Kip Rostan. Chickens play a big part in Before Ever After and "kip” happens to be one of the five Dutch words I know. It means – you guessed it – “chicken.” It was my sign.

Do you have any pre-writing ritual?
Not really. I just prefer to write in the morning.

What's your advice to aspiring writers?
Butt. In. Chair. Do the time. Show up for work. The most important thing is to get your butt in the chair and just start writing.

How does your family inspire you as a writer?
We travel together as a family a lot. We like to explore new places. We also have "snack party night" on Fridays where we indulge in comfort food while watching DVDs.

Do you cook?
I don't cook at all. I can't even crack an egg. My husband is the chef in the house.

What’s your favourite food?
Adobong chicken hearts!

How are you related to the Sottos of Cebu politics and Philippine show business?
We share a common ancestor. Don Vicente Sotto, the late senator from Cebu, was my great-grandfather. He was the grandfather of the "showbiz" Sotto brothers. Their father and my grandfather were half-brothers. I don't know that side of the family personally.

What kind of detours have you taken in life?
Holland was the first detour my life took. I was extremely reluctant to go with my family. I was studying at the Ateneo and I didn't want to leave my friends. I also didn't like the fact that I had to switch to a marketing course because the only English language university there didn't offer my original communications course. I convinced my parents to let me stay behind but the plan changed when there was a coup d' etat in Manila and my parents became concerned about my safety. You might say that if not for that coup, Before Ever After would never have been written because I would never have developed a fascination with Europe!

Can you describe a memorable trip in Europe?
I went on a backpacking trip with my best friend when I was in my early twenties. We didn't have any money and we were hungry most of the time but it was a lot of fun. One time, we were so broke that we had to sleep on a Greek beach.

Are you gadget-savvy?
I only use two gadgets: my ancient Nokia phone and my Mac Book Air. I like to keep my life simple. I don't like my email following me around.

Apart from writing, you also dabble in business?
After I quit my corporate career, my family went on vacation in Australia . We liked an ice cream shop called Cold Rock Ice Creamery there and so when we got back home, we decided to franchise it. We eventually bought the international franchise rights and now have a franchisee in Singapore. I am no longer involved in the operations of the business since I have become busy with writing.

Your parting words for fans
Imagination is probably the only place where we don't need a visa and we should take full advantage of that. Creativity is the easiest thing we can export. It costs nothing but its value is priceless.