of: Trini Amador,
author of Gracianna, the story of his great-grandmother!
About the Author:
Trini Amador vividly remembers the day he found a loaded German Luger tucked away in a nightstand while wandering through his great-grandmother’s home in Southern California. He was only four years old at the time, but the memory remained and he knew he had to explore the story behind the gun. This experience sparked a journey towards Gracianna, Amador’s debut novel, inspired by true events and weaving reality with imagination. It’s a tale drawing from real-life family experiences.
Mr. Amador is a traveled global marketing “insighter.” He is a sought-after guru teaching multinational brand marketers to understand how customer and consumer segments behave based on their needs, values, motivations, feeling and values. He has trained over five thousand brand marketers on how to grow brands in over 20 countries in the last 15 years. His counseling has been valued at global brands including General Electric, Microsoft, AT&T, Yahoo!, Sun Microsystems, Google, Jack Daniel’s, The J.M. Smucker Co., DuPont, Mattel, and Rodale, Inc..
Amador is also a founding partner with his wife and children of Gracianna Winery, an award-winning winery located in Healdsburg, California. The winery also pays tribute to the Amador Family’s maternal grandmother, Gracianna Lasaga. Her message of being thankful lives on through them. The Gracianna winery strives to keep Gracianna’s gratitude alive through their wine. Learn more at: www.gracianna.com, like Gracianna Winery on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @GraciannaWinery.
Amador resides in Sonoma County with his family.
By which the interview commenced,
between Jorie and Mr. Amador!
I am thankful to announce I was able to interview Mr. Amador on his second tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for “Gracianna”, the real-life inspired story of his great-grandmother. Today instead of focusing solely on the book, I am turning the tables on the author to focus on him as a man. Let us sit back and learn a bit about the writer behind the beautiful story of Gracianna!
What first inspired you to pick up your pen and start to compose free-from thoughts through writing?
Amador responds:
Hi Jorie and thanks for having me to your blog. I had a look through your work and appreciate how much you enjoy reading and learning. Our word “enlightenment” rings loudly with me. I am also a lifelong learner. The pen is just an extension of learning. The written word, whether reading or writing is an expression to me. Reading is another’s expression but my interpretation. I view my interpretation and my own expression of another’s point of view. Writing is an expressive freedom. I did not need inspiration to write. I love words and communicating.
What is your earliest moment of your great-grandmother? And, how did she inspire you to write “Gracianna”?
Amador responds:
I used to live about 5-6 big blocks from her. I was quite independent at a young age. I remember walking the same distance to school as a kindergartner. I don’t think they let kindergarteners walk to school like that anymore. “Grandma Gracianna” was always old to me and her accent was French sounding even though she was Basque. I was in wide wonder of her because she spoke several languages and I was mesmerized. Gracianna was worldly, traditional and seemed very controlling. What she wanted she seemed to get – she seemed stubborn to me. This was my impression from her interactions with the other adults in my family. She seemed to be quick tempered but always loved spending time with me. She used to talk about being thankful to me.
Other than writing and wine-making what other creative outlets inspire you?
Amador responds:
Gee Jorie, thanks for asking me. Think about it. Winemaking, writing . . . what else is there? I enjoy traveling as well. My work allows me to see the far reaches of the world for at least 30 weeks a year. One day I will be in Guatemala and the next in Croatia then direct to Japan and stopping in Hong Kong, Pakistan or Moscow just after that. So frankly, I am inspired by my environment. My work as a global brand marketer compels me to see these places in a way that challenges me to understand how consumers behave in that environment. I love to see all the layered differences of these cultures from the spoken word to the food to the living standards. But importantly I also see what is the same. What we share.
How did you become a global marketing insider? How did your history as a teacher in that field prepare you for your own marketing campaign for “Gracianna”? Did you find having experience in marketing befit launching your own writing career?
Amador responds:
Wow that is a lot of questions. Let me break it down for you; I have a varied business background. Starting in retail then to broadcasting, then direct marketing learning the science of marketing to the Hollywood music scene and eventually consumer software all led me to a brand marketing consulting career. My experience in helping global brands certainly set up the foundation for marketing Gracianna the book and the winery. My passion for the message is different than any other project however. Building a legacy in the family, for our family is the driver at the end of the day. Seeing Gracianna come “back to life” through the winery and the book means that her values can continue forever or as long as the family cares to extend it. My marketing background offered me a clean vision of how to integrate the book into the wine business future.
Can you explain your involvement in the music industry in Hollywood, which led to your second book which may or may not come into fruition?
Amador responds:
I appreciate you asking about this. I worked for one of the largest artist management firms in the world. I was based in Los Angeles with offices at Hollywood and Vine. Our specialty was taking platinum acts and revitalizing their brand. We looked for innovative ways to help artists and labels understand how to find their audience and sharpen their message. There was a series of experiences that I would love to write about. My publisher, Greenleaf Books, of Austin has expressed interest in publishing a sequel to Gracianna and I need to decide if I want to write that story among at the other things going on in my life now before I get to this story. But it is a good one.
Do you think you will continue to pull story ideas from your own experiences or branch out into other works of historical fiction?
Amador responds:
I think I have enough materials for many lifetimes. I have been so many places and seen so much. It would not be hard to stop working today and just write.
Throughout all of your many travels, has any one country stood out more than others? Perhaps inspiring a story of its own?
Amador responds:
Turkey is my hands down favorite place to go. The history, the smart people, the food, the physical geography and the architecture . . . the vibe. I am transfixed. I have dear friends there but most of all I am drawn to the contradiction of Turkey. On the precipice of its Islāmic and secular fence one can see both living harmoniously and tugging at the other. I became fascinated to see what Ataturk (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk) who was the first president of Turkey had put in place to set the direction of the “new” country. It is no wonder how successful the land has become even under the backdrop of its rich history and the specter of colliding with our new world challenges.
If you could live anywhere in the world outside of California, where would you plant your roots? And, why?
Amador responds:
You are killing me here Jorie . . . “live” is the operative word here . . . I struggle with that. I am a “visitor not a liver” when comes to anyplace else but Sonoma County. Sorry I could not live anywhere else but I COULD visit, Hawaii more, Hong Kong more, Istanbul, Ho Chi Minh, Moscow, Paris, Kraków, Sydney, etc.
As a little boy, what inspired you the most? And, has any of these inspirations guided you throughout adulthood? If so, can you elaborate?
Amador responds:
I enjoyed reading. I used to receive books and magazines in the mail in a monthly book “club.” One book was about astronomy, I knew a lot about the stars. I looked forward to Boys Life magazine arriving each month. But it was radio that captivated me. Late at night I would listen to Wolfman Jack on XERB. “The Mighty 1090” in Hollywood, California on a small transistor radio under the covers. I was over the moon. I wanted a Wolfman t-shirt more than anything. It was ironic (or not) that I ended up in radio 20 years later.
Did you face any challenges growing up? And, if so, did it lay the foundation for the work you conduct as a businessman?
Amador responds:
Childhood was not easy. It did lay the foundation for the driving nature that is inside me.
You have very strong family values, do you ever find the shift in focus in families of today disheartening and hope that they could be more like yours?
Amador responds:
I make no value judgment. I am not disheartened by what I see. At the heart of most families is love. For various reasons, no matter the configuration of the family unit, things can fall apart. I know how resilient a kid can be though and getting to a pace where you have control over your own life you can make it.
Can you paint a short image through words of one of your most memorable family gatherings which included food and wine?
Amador responds:
Thanksgiving is always a fun time. Lisa starts thinking the meal weeks in advance, we invite our friends but especially we have folks over that are new in the area or don’t feel connected to anyone in particular. Lisa lays our newspaper on the table and we have crab followed by the rest of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Many bottles of wine later we are spent like everyone else but the value of gratitude is never more present.
Whilst researching “Gracianna”, what was the most surprising moment that you uncovered in your family history?
Amador responds:
The day I started to write – I was in the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok. It was evening in the US and I had one last conversation with my Aunt Kathy. She told me of the tattoo she had seen on her aunt, Gracianna’s sister; she had been in Auschwitz and lived. It was a shell shock added another dimension to the book I was about to writing starting then. So, I began my quest for enlightenment Jorie. Thanks for inviting me to join you here.
Thank you, Mr. Amador for dropping by Jorie Loves A Story today! I appreciated your honesty and the conviction you shared in your answers! I enjoyed getting to know you a bit better through this interview, as you gave thoughtful answers and insight in each of the questions I had proposed!
Be sure to catch the second half of this showcase on JLAS:
Jorie reviews “Gracianna“. As both the review and interview were part
of my participation in a blog book tour for “Gracianna” via
Be sure to check out my upcoming tours on my Bookish Events Featured on JLAS!
Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.
{SOURCES: Cover art of “Gracianna” and Trini Amador’s photograph were all provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Author Interview badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Jorie submitted her Questions to Ms. Bruno, who forwarded them to Mr. Amador, for which he replied. Jorie was grateful to have this opportunity to interview him.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.
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