In this next installment of our Local Authors Series we’re talking to someone a lot of you may already know – Tanya Vece. In case you’ve missed previous articles, we’ve learned that there are nearly two dozen authors locally here in town. But, there doesn’t really seem to be a way to easily find the books they’ve written or any local source for them to promote their work. We created this series to share the authors stories and to let all of you – prospective readers – get to hear about their works. (If you’ve missed our previous columns, we’ve got links for you at the bottom of this page.)
Please share a short bio to introduce yourself.
I currently write the Throwback Thursday monthly column for the Boulder City Review. In the past, I have contributed to Full Metal Rock magazine, Vegas Rocks Magazine, and Colorado’s The Steamboat Local. I have authored a book titled “Itch, Love Stories About Heroin” about Layne Staley from Alice in Chains (which was a limited run) and I work as a professional ghostwriter and marketing/publicist curator. Early on in my career, I worked within the food and beverage industry, developing high-end menus and event experiences for Johnny Depp, Carl Ichan, Paul Mitchell and more. I have also has been on the other end of the event and media spotlight. I’ve been the subject of scandal and speculation, thanks to various friendships with celebrities, giving me a unique opportunity to know how and when to handle crisis communication for personal and corporate brands.
Please tell us about the book(s) you’ve written and a short synopsis.
“A Matter of Taste” is more than a recipe book, it’s a reflection of my Ukrainian and Italian culture growing up as a first generation American. The book showcases unique recipes and the stories behind them.
What inspired you to write it?
I am always ghostwriting books for other people and businesses. This was a fun and personal project for myself. The goal was to keep these one-of-a-kind recipes alive by sharing them with other people, as well as to document some of the cultural aspects of growing up in my household. Plus, not too many people are familiar with Ukrainian cuisine.
What do you hope your readers experience or learn from reading your work?
I want them to discover and taste new food. My career started out working for celebrities in the food and beverage arena. That’s where I started to really learn about food and cooking and developed a passion for curating experiences around the dining room table. I hope people learn not only about my culture, but discover a new experience when cooking these recipes.
When and how did you publish it?
The digital version is being published on Amazon on July 30th, and you can order it HERE. I will do a limited hard copy run around the holidays this year, too.
What events in your life contributed to your becoming an author?
I remember being in the fifth grade and the teacher talking to my mom about a story I wrote. I overheard Mr. Cochran saying I had real talent. It was that teacher’s positive reinforcement, reinforcement he didn’t know I had overheard, that made me think writing could be a career. I did some freelance writing for some of the talent at “Saturday Night Live” and “Just Shoot Me”, and then I opened my own public relations company. I’ve always worked as a writer. Even when I went into the special events industry, I was sprucing up menu descriptions and writing marketing content. Privately, I’ve been writing business books and biographies for clients for over a decade. I also found marketing and publicity to be a great opportunity to tell a company’s story through writing. The power of the pen is very influential and many entrepreneurs and new businesses are naive to how valuable this component is!
Did you take any formal or informal classes or seminars in writing? What would you say to other would-be authors about the process of writing?
Yes, I took a writing class in California that was led by actor James Franco. Him and I have a different philosophy on writing. I don’t believe it can be taught. I believe you can learn the proper placement of a comma, but the talent to keep the audience’s attention is something you are born with- not taught. Franco and I went around and around about this point. The class was a different experience and it was fun to meet other people who shared a passion for writing. This said, I don’t believe in writing classes.
How long have you lived in Boulder City? What do you like most about living here?
I moved here seven years ago. I love the strong sense of community. I can often be found at The Tap or at the various community events put on by Jill and Kassie at the local Chamber of Commerce. Regardless of where I am in town, I am always bumping into someone I know. It’s always a blast catching up with people and getting caught up on their latest news.
Any other thoughts you’d like our readers to know about you or your work?
I have a personal biography coming out sometime in late August or September. The date is being worked out now. I also work as an independent marketing and publicity contractor to help struggling businesses amplify their visibility. I can be reached at Tanyaishired@gmail.com or 702-412-8968.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this visit with Tanya! If you’ve missed any of our other interviews in this series, you can see all of these authors stories here:
