For her first romance novel, Snoqualmie writer Victoria Bastedo flew without a net. To Greece, no less.
Bastedo, a fantasy novelist until “Dear Miklos” was published in August, decided to write her first lovey-dovey story not knowing where it would end.
Not only that, but she based the story in Greece, circa 1975.
“I wanted it to have a nostalgic feel to it,” said Bastedo, whose debut romance novel is the 22nd book she has written, but the first one to get published.
Bastedo wrote the book, the tale of a young woman reuniting with a childhood pen pal from Greece who had once saved her life, during National Novel-Writing Month in 2011.
NaNoWriMo encourages people to write 50,000 words of a new novel between Nov. 1 and 30.
She wrote it as a tribute to Mary Stewart’s 1962 novel “The Moon-Spinners,” also based in Greece.
“I told my husband, ‘I need to do research. Can I go to Greece?’” Bastedo said with a laugh. “He said ‘No. We can’t spend thousands when you’re going to make hundreds with the book.’”
Bastedo said her family has been very supportive. Her daughter, “who never reads,” read the whole book, Bastedo said. Her husband read the first three chapters.
“He doesn’t do sentimental,” Bastedo said.
Still Rick Bastedo helped spread the news of Victoria’s book getting published. A quick Google search yields Rick’s postings about “Dear Miklos” on blogs about British cars.
“Thanks for your support,” one post reads in part. “Now, back to our regularly-scheduled rantings regarding triple wipers versus dual wipers.”
Bastedo used her own personal memories of the 1970s, as well as plenty of research of the period, to write her novel. She wrote without a plot in mind, instead wanting, she said, to let the story tell itself to her.
“Outlines,” she said, “are inspiration-killers.”
Bastedo calls the 21 novels she wrote before Oregon-based Black Lyon Publishing released “Dear Miklos,” her learning experiences.
“I don’t normally write romances. I’m a fantasy writer,” Bastedo said. “I set out to write a romance novel but I was just having fun. I did not know it was going to be special.”
Halfway through it, she said, she changed her mind.
“I thought, ‘Hey, this isn’t bad,’” she said.
Writing fantasy is harder than writing romance, she said. In romance, she develops characters. In fantasy, she has to create whole worlds.
Nevertheless, to write “Dear Miklos” she had to immerse herself in Greek minutiae. This included researching the ferry system that operated on the islands 37 years ago, or watching “For the Love of Benji,” a 1977 movie where a dog gets lost in Athens.
When she finally held a printed copy of the book, she could not believe it. She still can’t, so used she was to rejection slips and contenting herself just with having finished another novel.
Now, her work is for sale on Amazon and listed on the King County Library System’s website.
Bastedo said she turned 40 before she allowed herself to think she could write a book.
“Now I’m 50 and to have a dream come true, it’s wonderful,” she said.
Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or [email protected]. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
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