What were your childhood dreams?
Living among books.
What was an inspiration to start writing four years ago?
The Mortal Instruments book series and the Witches of East End tv series sparked an idea that made me start my first book.
Since how long have you been residing in Crete?
About 8 months when I found a job.
How has been your experience of working as a librarian? What do you enjoy the most about this profession?
I love being a librarian. Knowledge, books and let's not forget all the ideas I see lying around waiting to be written. I love helping people finding the right book for them.
What are some books that have really impacted you and your writing? What are some struggles of being an author?
I can't name all the books that had impacted my writing since I've been reading from a young age. Book were and still are my world. Being an author is amazing but marketing is always hard. I'd rather be writing than researching marketing techniques and another one is that I have too many ideas that demand to be written now. Finally, procrastination.
Who inspired the character of Violet Webb? What kind of woman is she to you?
Violet's back story is a bit funny. I wanted to enter a writing contest so this story came to be. It was rejected and then, I finally founf another contest to submit it but the stories were supposed to be longer. I started tweaking and editing it, adding characters and twists. When I finished, it had become a full novel that I decided to publish instead of submitting.
While I usually start my story with the characters believing in magic or being part of a magical world, I thought I'd start on a different direction this time. Violet is just an ordinary teenager who hates Halloween or anything that defies logic and wants nothing more than to get away from her town that worships Halloween. Besides that fact, Violet is a strong character after the initial shock of finding out that magic is real and vampires can actually eat her (!). When needed, she does what she has to do to save both world and even crafts a plan that...Hey! I'm not supposed to tell you!
How was your experience of writing an anthology with multiple authors? Which is your favorite fiery tale in "Kindled Legends" other than yours?
It was interesting and I liked the co-operation and different ideas of the other authors. One of my favorites were "A Fiery Twist of Fate" by Rachel Pudsey.
What challenges did you face to set "The Cursed Girl" in the year 1230?
Challenge was the research because it was an uknown era but I liked the challenge.
What was the highlight of writing the book, "Beware the Violet?"
I don't know. I guess you could say the whole book was a surprise because the story went out of script. My idea was a small novel but it went on and on and twisted in unexpected paths. For the most of it, I was a spectator and not a writer. It was interesting and fun since I haven't experienced that kind of writing before. Nevertheless, I loved the story and I hope everyone will love it as much as I had writing it.
What are the elements of good fantasy writing?
Action, character and scene building, mixed with some original story twists.
What are some of the references you used while researching for "Our Christmas Nook Anthology"?
The references were my memories. Sort of. I really love the atmosphere in the airport at Christmas and I tried to show that as best as I could. The cat addition was a tribute to someone I care about.
What kind of takeaway do you want your readers to get from readings your books? What are some of your goals or what are some things you hope to accomplish through your books?
When reading my books, I hope my readers find comfort, hapiness and any pleasant feeling there is because that's my goal: to make them happy. Because that's how books make me feel.
What are your plans for the future as a writer? Are you working on anything new?
Publish more books, perfect my writing, know more marketing techniques, reach more readers. I'm always writing something new. Ha! Right now, I'm working on The Shifters' Revenge (Beware the Violet's sequel), a Greek mythology retelling, a Rapunzel retelling and on the upcoming books of The Cursed Girl. Hang on tight! This will be a wild ride!
What were some of the challenges you faced on the road to publication? How has been your experience working with AllAuthor?
There are always bumps during the road but with the help of friends I managed. Some of the obstacles are the language. I am from Greece so things are much more different here. Also, I didn't know how self publication worked or how to market my book when I started. However, I learned along with some bruises. Haha! and now, we're on to a more steady schedule with more books coming... Stay tuned!
