Renowned author releases Sex, Lies and Alibis

The final instalment of Eva Mazza’s risqué sex trilogy, Sex, Lies, and Alibis, has been released and promises to be a fast-paced page-turner, especially for readers who wonder #WhatJenWouldDo.

The Comaro Chronicle caught up with Eva, a well-known author born in Johannesburg south.

In 2019 and like the book’s protagonist Jen, the renowned author was on the cusp of 50 when she wrote her debut novel, Sex, Lies & Stellenbosch.

Inspired by the scandalous goings-on in the seemingly upstanding community of Stellenbosch’s elite, Sex, Lies & Stellenbosch catapulted her onto the best sellers’ list in South Africa and is still a popular seller after three years.

“I was overjoyed, but not completely taken aback. I knew exactly what women and men would enjoy reading in their spare time because I was a busy woman juggling a career, children and family, as well as living in angst-ridden South Africa. And a little sex to titillate would not hurt either,” said the 57-year-old.

“Why should we keep importing this genre from other countries? The Sex-Lies series is what South African readers were looking for. It is relatable, entertaining, sexy, and popular fiction. A beach read a plane read, a before-bed read, or any other time and place, with truly South African characters. Fiction that your husband or boyfriend will read. What fun to write, and even more fun to read,” added Eva.

For Eva, it took a year and a half to write the book because she factored in downtime and procrastination.

“When I was in the rhythm of writing, I would wake up at 04:00 or 05:00 and go over what I had written the day before. That brought me to 06:00 when I get my children ready for school. After the drop-off, depending on commitments, I would try to write from 08:00 to 10:00,” said Eva.

About the book

Due to her success, Eva wrote the sequel Sex, Lies, Declassified. Sex, Lies, and Alibis is the final instalment.

“The idea of the book came about because some of my friends around my age were going through marital problems. Some women who had dedicated their lives to their children were dissatisfied and others were in unhappy marriages, but couldn’t leave their husbands due to financial constraints. That’s how the story germinated.

“Then there was Jooste, a millionaire from Stellenbosch who brazenly flaunted his girlfriend in public and I wondered how his wife put up with it. Was it because she couldn’t leave him?

“The concept of ‘golden shackles’ evolved into a book. The final book, Sex, Lies, and Alibis continues Jen’s journey and the characters who inhabit her world. Sex, Lies & Alibis, like the most addictive Netflix series, will reveal what happens to the cast from Stellenbosch, with their penchant for impropriety and unapologetic wealth,” added Eva.

According to Eva when writing the book, she learned to write as if no one was going to read it and can always cut and adjust later.

“You absolutely need better readers and pay attention to their critiques because they usually make valid points. Never publish a book without the assistance of an editor and a proofreader. In general, don’t force a scene; if you do, it will read as forced,” said Eva.

A look into the life of Eva

Eva was born in Johannesburg and has been teaching drama in Stellenbosch for the past 25 years.

“I grew up in the south and moved to Turffontein when I was three years old and stayed with my Papou and Yiayia (grandparents) until our house in Hill Extension was ready.

“Despite being a Greek Orthodox, I attended the Methodist Church on Donnelly Street across the street from my grandparents’ house. I used to love playing on the church steps, but I can’t remember the name of the game.

“When we finally moved to the world’s longest street address, Southern Klipriverberg Road, I began my education at Katie Kagen Nursery School and finished primary school at Highveld Primary.

“Mr Higgs and Mr Fundudis will be remembered fondly. Mr De Lange as well, for his ruler. There were enough southern girls in grade three to organise a bus to take us to McAuley House Convent, where I matriculated in 1983,” said Eva.

“My memories of the southern suburbs are happy ones. At Regents Park tennis courts, I learned to play tennis and danced with Dorathy Milham. We moved to Virginia Road in The Hill by the time I started varsity and enjoyed the larger space and garden.

“I believe we took the number 45 bus into town, stopping in Eloff Street on our way to Drake Personnel’s Carlton Centre.

“I met my husband at Gino’s in Robertsham, where I worked as a waitress while studying at Wits. I started as a waitress at the old restaurant and moved when Gino’s moved to larger premises across the street in Harry Street, where it is still today, more than three decades later.

“I married Dom, Gino’s brother, and we raised our first child in Oakdene before moving to Norwood and then to Stellenbosch, where my husband opened a Gino’s.

“As a young girl, I remember going to the movies in Rosettenville, Wemmerpan, Steers, my grandfather’s café, Christos Café, the bakery in Linmeyer, the naughty boys of the south who used to grab our school hats on the bus and use them as frisbees, the Parreirinha restaurant and Gino’s,” Eva said.

Acceptance, her hard-hitting and thought-provoking play, was staged to critical acclaim at the Joburg Theatre in 2016, starring Jerry Mofokeng, Lea Vivier, Lisa Derryn Overy and Francois Viljoen.

Christine, her stand-alone novel published in 2021, has been optioned by an international film producer.

• The book is available in bookstores, as well as online at sites such as Amazon, Raru, Bargain Books, and Takealot.com.