This week Artist Alberto Ferreras was in Miami for different rendez-vous with his fans organized by Books and Books for the launch of his first book “B as in Beauty” (Grand Central Publishing).
We made it to Epic hotel, a Kimpton Group Hotel, on Miami River to ask some questions to Alberto Ferreras.
Summer-reading: pool & book at Epic hotel
At the 16th floor admiring an incredible view over Miami Beach and while waiting for the artist/writer we spent some time to discuss the launch of this new literary event by Epic hotel with Eric Jellson, Area Director of Sales and Marketing of the Epic Hotel.
V.P: “ this is an amazing place for your new literary event Wine Hour Presents Series on Friday!
E.J: “ This is how Kimpton group and Epic hotel Miami wants to roll out summer playground during summertime for their guests. Summer-reading is all about having a good time and escape with a good book to get more from the pool experience during a stay at our hotel. We give our guests, and the general public, the opportunity to meet with some authors during this series and help them find book they will enjoy. With this event we also give back to our community as we are proud partner with Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade-Monroe a non profit organization that distributes books to thousands of children. We also have team up with Books and Books and Hachette Group to put together several of those interesting cultural events.
Our guest can also follow the Epic Page Turner Sony Readers Program on our website and read the book we present during the series. Tonight it is the first event of the series Wine Hour Presents and we will have one every month.B as in Beauty is also the first book of novelist and author Alberto Ferreras, special guest of tonight event.
From screenplay writer and filmmaker to a first novel: enthusiastic Alberto Ferreras
Wearing a brown skirt-kilt with low boots Alberto Ferreras arrived very lively and smiling happy to present his new creation in such a beautiful settings.
V.P: “ How did you make the transition from working in the movie and TV industry to writing a first book?
A.F: “ I was in the promotion, making movie trailer or writing screenplay that is entertainment, and I had spent 12 years working with channels such as MTV or HBO, I thought it was time for me to change and do something different in my life.
V.P: Was it easy?
A.F: I had the idea of the subject of this book for a long time; I have always thought that self-esteem is important and that what one might consider a defect in his/her life or body could truly be loved by someone else and view as an asset.
I first wrote a screenplay that I shopped around but people would not consider it as a movie but rather as a great book and when I met a literary agent who loved it I decided it would actually be a great book, and here it is.
V.P: There is a little of Ugly Betty in the plot of “B as in Beauty “ ? How do you deal with this comparison?
A.F: As I told you I wrote the idea a long time ago even before Ugly Betty was on the air, I think everybody has an audience and it is true for this book and its cute story.
It is the story of one woman’s journey to find herself, I was also thinking about women in Fellini’s movies, full of curves but so luxurious and feminine and B is all about curves.
V.P: Actually tonight some guests here have already read it and enjoyed it a lot!! What is your next step?
AF: It had got so far a lot of attention and I am of course happy people like it. I have sold the rights of the book for a movie but as today I cannot say more, only that it has been a great adventure.
V.P: Do you have an actress in mind for the main character?
A.F: Not really, maybe a voluptuous latin american actress or maybe an anonymous individual, someone the audience would adopt at first sight and follow her adventures with pleasure.
Alberto Ferreras is a flamboyant person, as soon as we finished the Q&A session he turned to his audience and started reading few pages of the book entertaining everyone with the story of B, laughing and making jokes, everybody enjoyed it.
It was an awesome interview with a very nice, funny, interesting and caring person.