A staunch defender of friendship, a prescriber of trends and a firm guardian of spelling, La vecina blonde is an influencer who has spent years remaining anonymous. In addition to having millions of followers on her social networks -between Twitter, Facebook and Instagram she adds more than five million-, the author has also written two novels, The Countdown to Summer and Counting Sunsets (Libros Cúpula) that have already been read by more of 400,000 people. Now, the first of them is already in audiobook format at Audible, a distributor of digital audio entertainment content. To get to know her a little better, she has agreed to an interview, yes, through a written questionnaire so as not to reveal her face or her voice.
When and why was The Blonde Neighbor born?
The blonde neighbor was born ten years ago on Twitter and a little later on Facebook and Instagram, adding more than five million people who read me daily on the three networks right now. I have always had, from a very young age, the need to write, because I was also always a great reader; This is partly vocational and partly very emotional, since my father instilled in me a love of reading since I was a child. Until social media came along, I posted my stories in my journals and on blogs, realizing that I had a lot to say and a style of my own to do it. Social networks gave me the opportunity for thousands of people to start reading me daily, first in short, greguerie sentences on Twitter, then in longer texts on Facebook and Instagram, and later on in two novels that will soon be three.
How old are you?
The blonde neighbor is ten years old, the ones she has been on social networks under that pseudonym.
Is the blonde neighbor born an influencer and becomes a writer? Or has she always been a writer?
When a person is linked to or was born in the field of social networks, they are automatically labeled as an influencer; On the other hand, when you also have two highly successful books on the market, curiously, it is more difficult for everyone to consider you a writer, despite your numbers and the fact that you have been doing so for years, because it seems that the first label has to prevail.
There is a belief that all the great authors of our literature were born as writers, but to give some examples that come to mind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón was a publicist and left his agency to dedicate himself to literature, Eva GarcÃa Sáez de Urturi is Diploma in Optics and Optometry and had a great career in the sector before winning a Planeta award; Stephen King studied to be a teacher and worked in a laundry, Kafka was an insurance salesman, Mark Twain was a pilot on a steamship and even worked in mining… They are still great examples that writers are born, but they are also made. .
You are a great defender of true friendship. But over the years, many friendships break up, distance themselves, poison each other… Don’t you think?
Certainly, I don’t think that life can be understood without disappointments, they are part of the learning that is to mature. They say that trust takes years to gain, but only a few seconds to lose, and yes, unfortunately, and like everyone else, I have been disappointed in friendship, but without a doubt, I can proudly say that the percentage of people in which to trust for a lifetime far exceeds that of the small disappointments that you take along the way. In both novels we see how FRIENDSHIP, in capital letters, is what gives meaning to the lives of the protagonists, because friendship is another form of love that we usually know in cinema and literature. My novels are a tribute to friendship and camaraderie, to almost brotherly ties, to unconditional and sincere relationships. In my writings, friendship takes many forms and full attention is paid to those best friends who appear throughout our lives, offering us vital experiences that are always enriching.
What do you look for when you write a book?
It is undeniable that, when you write, you seek in a way that the maximum number of people read you, because that is how I conceive of writing: as a window through which you expose your feelings so that others can see them. Just thinking that so many people have already given me their time by reading my novels and making the stories their own already makes me feel very lucky, I feel that a relationship that unites us has already been created. It doesn’t matter if there are a hundred readers, a thousand or a hundred thousand, in the end, the important thing is that you are proud of your work, and I am.
What audience do you write for?
For all those people who want to read a story where they can get emotional, feel identified with the situations described and enjoy a story that makes you reflect and at the same time leaves a good taste in your mouth.
How many people know who is behind The Blonde Neighbor?
This is something we may find out in my next novel…
It must be more and more difficult to keep the secret… and you must be more and more afraid to reveal it and face the reaction of your followers…
I do not conceive my anonymity as a secret, but as a personal choice. The people who read me have always respected and valued my anonymity. In no case do I live in fear, since I consider it totally logical that all people respect a decision made so many years ago.
Now that you’ve already published two novels, wouldn’t you like to be recognized by your name and your real appearance?
Currently, I don’t feel that need. I think that in the end it has been understood that the woman behind the screen can matter little and the message she transmits a lot. The important thing is that anyone could be her neighbor, so it is better to stay with the message that accompanies her, which is undoubtedly the most important thing for me. Being anonymous is a personal decision that I made a long time ago because I consider that we are all The Blonde Neighbor and that is what I would like to continue to happen. In addition, at present I perceive that none of the people who read me are interested in my private life or what my face is like and that is wonderful. That means that the message and the words are still strong today.
Don’t you think that your followers or readers may think that you are hiding? that deep down you can be a marketing product?
It is curious that those who doubt my identity almost always tend to think that I am at least three men or a whole team of men. Regarding the intrinsic machismo in such statements, we don’t even need to comment on how absurd it is. I suppose it must be flattering that someone can think that a job well done or a success story can only be the result of a team of people or even a marketing strategy as you point out. However, these lucubrations are always totally minority. An overwhelming majority of the people who read me every day enjoy the mystery that surrounds my anonymity, without perceiving it in any way as hiding from absolutely nothing.
Would you trust someone who hides behind a false name and you can’t look them in the eye?
Depends. If it is a surgeon who is going to operate on my vision, it would be difficult to trust her without looking into her eyes. However, I wouldn’t mind if she prefers to be called Maria or Esther. In my case, to enjoy the stories I write in my novels, you don’t need to look me in the eye or give me another name than “The blonde neighbor.” I am fully convinced that the trust that people have in me is not based on a face or a name, but on a coherence and honesty that is perceived through my writings and, above all, on how my words and stories make them feel. You may not remember a person’s face or name, but you will never forget how you felt when you were next to them.
What is your opinion that Carmen Mola is three male writers?
In my case, when his identity was revealed at the Planeta awards ceremony last year, which coincided in time with the launch of my first novel, it caused several people to debate my identity, comparing me with them. He assumed that the use of a female pseudonym was automatically associated with three men, but, at least in my case, it is a theory that is easily dismantled and I hardly notice these comparisons anymore.
Wouldn’t you like to participate in a day as special as Sant Jordi as a writer and sit down to sign books?
I love being able to enjoy Sant Jordi as a writer and as a reader at the same time, walking around Barcelona with books and roses. Last year I made up for my presence by launching a special limited hardcover edition and this year there will also be a surprise that I am preparing with great enthusiasm. There are many ways to fully participate actively in the great literary events of our country. Obviously, I am aware that with anonymity the warmth of direct contact is lost, but I think I have managed to more than make up for it and transmit the affection on a daily basis through my networks.
Are your novels autobiographical or are they included in autofiction?
The novels that I have published so far are included within fiction with an autobiographical point. Distinguishing reality from fiction is something that remains in the imagination of each person who reads these novels.
For when the third novel?
Very soon, this year. It will close the “Summer†saga and I am really excited about the result. Each novel has been a leap in my career as a writer, and my craft tries to grow with each novel I publish.
How about your first novel being on Audible?
Audiobooks have become a key complement for any book lover, as well as being an ideal format to enjoy literature in a different way. They are also an inclusion tool for people with visual disabilities or, for example, learning disorders, so it will undoubtedly make this book accessible to more people, as you say, and that is always great news.
What does the blonde neighbor like to read?
I love to read all kinds of books. They all give you something. I’m not a picky reader or a literary critic delighted to know herself, I just like to read for the pleasure of reading. I have been passionate about the romantic novels of Marian Keyes or Sophie Kinsella, I have enjoyed the historical fiction of El Médico, I love immersing myself in the rawness of the novels of Almudena Grandes and reflecting with Saramago’s essays and, even so, I I could say that my favorite title is probably The Shadow of the Wind.
And what series do you like?
I am very eclectic. From Gossip Girl to Mindhunter, passing through Fargo or The O. C., a series from the early 2000s that marked my youth and that I have recently rewatched in its entirety.
How does a normal day go by in the life of The Blonde Neighbor?
Maybe that would make it worth writing another book… It’s a normal day like anyone else’s, with the peculiarity that when I turn on my mobile and write something, millions of people read it instantly…
How is your relationship with Miguel Ãngel Silvestre? And with Jon Kortajarena? Do you have more famous friends?
I don’t usually distinguish famous friends from non-famous friends, since when I meet a person I do it in their most personal facet. You have friendship in different degrees, moments and situations, and in this case, with all of them, I keep a very special one and different from the one I can have with a childhood friend.
Do you have a couple? Do you have or have you thought about having children? What do you think of motherhood?
This is also something we may discover in my next novel…
Will we ever know who is behind The Blonde Neighbor?
I just looked behind me and there’s no one. And luckily, because what a scare it would have taken me.
