Casual Conversation #2

Visiting with Eva Pasco

Hi!  Hope you have your coffee ready!  Today I am chatting with another good friend and fellow author, Eva Pasco. Eva, would you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi, Cindy! Thanks for the invitation to chat with you! On account of our friendship, I feel as though you’ve opened the door to your home, as you do your heart, through your poetry which resonates with warmth and genuineness.

I’m a late bloomer who revived my flair for writing after retiring from teaching inside the third grade trenches. Midlife restlessness lit a fire under my butt to write stories I’d like to read.



I am glad you are willing to chat.  I wish we were closer to do this in person. Thank you for the compliment on my poems.

Rhode Island is one of the few states my husband and I never went to while we were driving as non-dedicated.  I loved your book, An Enlightening Quiche. To be honest, I decided to read it because you said there were recipes included and I was searching for a particular quiche recipe.  I found myself totally immersed quickly.  It is no wonder it has received so many awards.  Congratulations on all of them, they are truly deserved.  My question is how did you decide to have the cooking contest a Quiche bake-off?  I would have expected "The Dynamite" sandwich to be your choice. 

 A-a-h! The Dynamite--Northern Rhode Island’s stiff and spicier version of the Sloppy Joe!

Now that you mention it, my story could have very well centered on a “crock”  rivalry because I’ve certainly dabbled with Rosie Thibeault’s  original recipe.

Instead, I chose the quiche bake-off because I found a way to parlay my own crustless version based on tried-and-true ingredient tweaks.


Your personal bake-off became the basis of the story, how original!  I know you worked at a small factory when you were younger also. I have two questions this time.  I loved how you used Casablanca in the book.  It fit perfectly.  Is it a favorite movie for you or was it just picked because of the secrets and hidden agendas? My second question is, do you feel your personal experiences influencing the story is what has made it so realistic?  I mean, I for one, felt like I was a citizen observing everything.


Casablanca has been and continues to be my all-time favorite movie. It just so happened to blend into the story. For one thing,  there’s the French connection, if you will. Most importantly, its heart-wrenching themes
resonate with my protagonist’s character development: loyalty and self-sacrifice.

To authenticate antiquated methods of day-to-day operations at my fictitious mill in ‘An Enlightening Quiche,’ I fell back on my own factory jobs at the now defunct Sidney-Higgins Bookbinding Co.

Then, having taught in the once predominantly French-Canadian village of Manville, Rhode Island, I strived to capture its spirit in my mill town of Beauchemins. Both of these aspects enabled me to pay tribute to memories I cherish.

Thank you for reiterating that you felt “like a citizen observing everything”! This is what I had hoped to achieve to bring my story to life on so many levels.



An Enlightening Quiche is in fact your second book. In your first book, Underlying Notes, you also used your personal experiences to good use.  You told me you were a perfume lover and had develved deeply into the various blends used to create the scents as does  Carla Matteo, your main character.  The story centers on her midlife crisis, was this because you had just retired and were experiencing one?

When I first retired from teaching, there was plenty of life—as I knew it—to catch up on.  I delved into painting and stenciling handmade furniture, even designing my own templates.
 From there, I amassed genealogical research about my maternal grandparents. Then, I compiled a notebook of recipes. One of which would become my “enlightening quiche”. 


Through all of this I was still very restless midlife, manifested by my forays into fragrance, a lifelong passion honed in childhood. I allude to a true incident in Chapter 1 of ‘Underlying Notes.’
No surprise, like Carla, I had been a member of a perfume forum whose likeminded enthusiasts only fueled the fire for more perfume acquisitions.  Back then I referred to myself as a “fragrance floozy”.  

One day, I decided to parlay this unusual addiction into a story propelled by fragrance where the ominous rose note in ‘Paloma Picasso’ channels Carla’s troubled past.


Your knowledge of fragrances is extensive.  I remember our discussing that I only wore jasmine (hence my daughter's name) for most of my life.  Then I found Obsession and began wearing that. I had finally strayed from jasmine! As it turned out, I hadn't strayed far as you told me it has jasmine in it. 

Your restlessness was a gift for us readers!  You taught children for most of your life.  How did you make the decision to write Contemporary Women's novels? Is there a reason you do not write children's books?


There is a reason I don’t write children’s books. Prior to retiring from my career in elementary education, teaching became a way of life, as it is for most in the profession.
When I made the decision to retire after 29 years in the trenches, I closed that door behind me. I’ve never been one to dwell in the past.

My chosen writing genre of Contemporary Women’s Fiction matches the books I prefer to read, with the stipulated introspection.


I can truly understand wanting to make a fresh start at retirement.  Leaving the past behind is difficult, but I am glad you were able to do it.  Your books are original in their subject matter as well as being fully fleshed out. 

Speaking of past, besides your two novels, you have also released a book of memories of growing up in the 60s, 100 Wild Mushrooms. Did you have a hard time picking which memories to share?  Or were there any you didn't share that you wished you had?



The release of my Mushroom Memoirs came about as a result of encouragement from a friend to put all 100, originally published at'The Sixties Official Site,' into a collection. I did so primarily so my grandnephew would have family memories to fall back on. Give or take a few, most of the originals are in the collection after a thorough going over. I'm chuckling because had I written "The Dentist" prior to publication, you can be sure I would have had "101" Wild Mushrooms.


Here's an excerpt:

Proud of his innovative “jet drill, ” a high-speed hand tool capable of a cutting speed over 180,000 rpm, Dr. Piccolo charmed me into foregoing Novocain prior to filling a small cavity. Thereby, I could avoid the painful jab from a needle, and eliminate waiting for the narcotic to take effect. This became his standard procedure for the drill and fill. It struck a nerve!


Now that is a teaser!  I am having sympathy pains and I have false teeth!
Besides having a blog where you share your thoughts, I know you participated in  an anthology, Once Upon A Fabulous Time.  How did that come about? Is it something you plan on doing again? 

No pun intended based on our previous conversation, but my participating in the Indie Fab anthology was like pulling teeth. I wasn't going to--at all! Then, out of the blue, my perverted version of 'The Wizard of Oz' channeled through me. Just had to write it! Actually, I even love "Mr. Wizardo":

(Baxter Springs, Kansas) – A twist of fate! Ten years after graduating from Franklin High, four troubled individuals indebted to their guidance counselor, Oscar Wizardo, wend their way back home to attend his funeral. 
Grappling with their demons, dilemmas, and despair—discover what destiny holds in store for each of them.

Would I ever participate in another anthology? NO! While I enjoyed the spirit of comraderie and totally respect the creative talents of my fellow authors, I selfishly wish "Mr. Wizardo" was mine alone.  True, I could always publish it separtely, but, for me, it's a foregone conclusion.


You are working on a new novel (I am patiently waiting for it.) What is the title of the book you are working on now? (you could share a little piece with us if you want...hint, hint) Which is what my final question to do with--your titles.  You have hidden meanings in them.  How did you come up with the idea? It is perfect!


My current work in progress in Contemporary, of course, is titled ‘Aida’s Fishing Ground’. At this point in time, I’m rounding the bend to completing ch. 27. Doesn’t mean I’ll be finished any time soon, but there you are.

I’m happy to share an excerpt from the Prologue which indicates the influence of local setting in mindset:

Wyatt rued the day he came across Aida Rizzio sketching on Breezy Hill, a prehistoric archaeological site which surrendered pottery remnants dated from 500 – 1000 AD! From that afternoon on, a tug o’ war ensued.

The gravitational pull to uphold Mad Daddy Wayne’s straight and provincial convictions, vying with the wrenching of his heartstrings by an inapproachable Eyetalian-Catholic Hippie whose dad was at odds with his, tore him apart.

In hindsight, he wished he’d shot her right then and there when he had her in the sight lens of the IC/M 12-gauge he used for hunting birds and rabbits.

Right you are about the hidden and multiple meanings of my book titles—or, I wouldn’t be me!  I came up with the idea for this title based on the backdrop of fishing in the novel—which is but one minor aspect in comparison
to the big picture which is where Aida comes in. The reader becomes aware of the title’s significance in chapter 5.

Can't resist: When this novel is road ready: For better, or for worse—trespass and traverse on Aida’s fishing ground in Foster, Rhode Island.

Thank you so much for the interview invitation! I thoroughly enjoyed our repartee! As always, I look forward to more of your resonating rhymes foretold from the voices in your head.


Eva, thank you so much for chatting with me!  I have had a blast and am even more excited about your new book!  I do appreciate your compliments on my poems. 


Eva is a wonderful author and blogger.  You can find her here:


Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Eva-Pasco/e/B00HWMLHL0/

Eva's Web Page @ Authors Den: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?AuthorID=65583

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1270775.Eva_Pasco