Interviewing Iva Dimitrova

1-When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Maybe I should answer that it was when I first started working on my book some time ago. However, while writing it, I remembered that as a child, maybe still in primary school, I read Under the Yoke (1894) by Ivan Vazov (1850-1921), and I was so captivated by his mastery and the characters in the novel that I decided to try writing myself. A rather naive endeavor, of course. I wrote in a notebook, which I have no idea where it is today. I remember that in my ‘novel,’ the main heroine was fighting for her people’s freedom—no surprise, I was influenced by Under the Yoke. When I revisited some of the chapters later—short, but full of action—I noticed that in one scene, golden wheat stalks are swaying, and in the next, which takes place the following day, it is already snowing. Quite funny, but it’s interesting that as a child I wanted to be a writer. Years passed, and I had forgotten that dream. I thought I was heading down a different path, but it led me right back to the same dream.

2-How do you schedule your life when you’re writing?

I know and have realized that a consistent approach to writing, and to everything in life, is the key to success. So, when I’m working on a story, I strive to write every day—it could be a single paragraph, a page, or even 20—it doesn’t matter.

I work best during the day and on weekends when I’m not too tired. So, that’s my writing time, and I try to balance it with all the other responsibilities I have, like everyone else.

3-What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Perhaps it’s that I love having windows behind my laptop screen. I think it helps me focus, keeps my inspiration alive, or allows me to quickly come up with a solution to a problem in the text when I gaze at the sky outside the windows.

4-How did you get your book published?

I first submitted it to publishing houses in my home country, Bulgaria. One of the larger publishing houses expressed interest. In fact, they provided feedback that was quite motivating and encouraging. The reason they declined my book was commercial; the market in Bulgaria is small, this year’s trends are different, and I am an unknown, debut author. In the end, publishing a book is a financial risk, so…

I decided to publish my book on Amazon. Interestingly, I found myself surrounded by the right people. A close friend of mine, Violeta Todorova, did the professional translation into English, and with another friend, Vasilena Manolakeva, we worked on the cover. We combined our ideas, and she, being a professional in the field and a drawing teacher, created a beautiful cover—black and white for the e-book and color for the print edition. She also created the illustrations in my book. My husband helped me a lot with the technical aspects—formatting and publishing my book on Amazon, and of course, with his emotional support and motivation.

I share all this to highlight that it’s incredibly uplifting to have people who believe in you and your dream, even in moments when you don’t believe in yourself.

5-Where did you get your information or idea for your book?

I work as a journalist, and a few years ago, I conducted several interviews with young people serving sentences for various offenses—ranging from minor but numerous to serious and chilling ones. The youths I spoke to said they didn’t intend to commit what they did. They didn’t want to… “I didn’t mean to”—in Bulgaria, children often say this when they want to emphasize that they had no intention of doing the mischief they ended up doing. “I didn’t mean to” related to young people with convictions, struck me deeply. After all, they were teenagers at the time, essentially still children.

Reflecting on the topic, I began to ask myself questions about the choices everyone makes, even the small ones, and their unforeseen consequences. This led to the idea for the main theme of my novel – butterfly effect.

The other themes and subthemes emerged while working on the plot, characters, and their interactions. One theme spawned another or a subtheme.

Ultimately, I can highlight that in “I didn’t mean to, but…” you can find additional themes: redemption and the weight of conscience; identity and what shapes it; the influence of others and the environment; parent-child relationships; over-control disguised as care and the effort to do the best for your child; the influence of money… And not least, the theme of the unwanted outcome that you otherwise strove for with all your might, believing at the time that it was precisely what you wanted. Perhaps, but in the end, it often turns out that it’s not what you needed.

6-What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love reading and spending time with my family and friends.

7-What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

That I can create it 😊. And now I’m working on the second one.

8-Is there anything you would like to confess about as an author?
I write from the heart and I have delved deeply into the psychological portraits of the characters and their development. It might sound like a cliché, but it’s true. That’s why I attribute the feedback about realistic characters and the emotional impact of my writing to this.
As another confession, I’d like to share that I don’t aim to mislead the reader or throw in even illogical twists just to ensure that I surprise them. The development of events in my book is governed by the characters and follows the logic of their growth.

9-As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I already mentioned my childhood dream of being a writer, which I remembered as I grew up. Otherwise, as a child, I went through different phases—wanting to be a fashion designer, a seamstress, and an architect.

10-How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
So far, I haven’t had any, but I don’t have many reviews for my book yet, so they will probably appear in the future. To be honest, it wouldn’t be easy for me to accept them. However, if they are constructive and come from people who have actually read my book, I will definitely take the time to reflect on what they wrote after the initial emotional reaction subsides. I will keep it in mind when writing my next book. Not everyone can like your book, right? Also, lately, I’ve come across not-so-flattering reviews of popular books by authors I admire. If they can receive negative reviews… I hope, of course, that the positive reviews will be more numerous.

Book Title: “I didn’t mean to, but…”: A Psychological Thriller About Redemption and the Unpredictable Repercussions of Our Choices (with illustrations)

Author Name: Iva Dimitrova

Pub Date: August 15, 2024

ISBN: B0DDCX2XZN

Book Category/Genre: Psychological Literary Fiction/Psychological Thrillers (Kindle Store)

Page Count: 598

Publisher: self-published

Author Bio: I work as a journalist, and this is my first book.

Amazon Link of my book: https://www.amazon.com/didnt-mean-unpredictable-repercussions-illustrations-ebook/dp/B0DDCX2XZN

BOOK Description

What if you were unaware of the unpredictable repercussions of even the smallest choices? What if the decisions you made—believing they were right—turned out to be wrong, causing more harm than good? In this gripping psychological thriller, explore the tangled web of choices and consequences that will keep you questioning your own decisions long after you turn the last page.

Join Kaloyan as he returns to Bulgaria, where both his conscience and his life are at stake. Unraveling long-kept secrets leads him down the well-known path of self-destruction and drag everyone around him into it. But now he is determined to achieve his goals. As hidden truths come to light, relationships will be tested, and moral compasses will be challenged. Will Kaloyan receive what he needs most—redemption and answers—before it’s too late?
This novel delves deeply into the psychology of its complex characters, providing insight into their motivations and struggles. Everyone faces irreversible decisions that ripple through their lives in unexpected ways.
Dive into a world where the butterfly effect of choices blurs the lines between right and wrong and discover the profound consequences of every action. Get ready to embark on a journey filled with suspense, mystery, and emotional depth. Your next favorite read awaits!