Effrosyni Moschoudi's Blog, page 60

Reblogged: An interview of Nicholas Rossis on ‘MM Jaye Writes’

I recently read a delightful interview between two dear friends and fellow Greek authors and thought I’d share it with you.  Nicholas Rossis, best-selling sci-fi author of the ‘Pearseus’ series visited the blog of romance novelist MM Jaye where they talked extensively about the writing process, his indispensable writing tools and lots more. He even let us have a peek at his workstation!

Here follows a short excerpt of their delightful chinwag and then the link to MM Jaye’s fabulous blog!

Nicholas Rossis is a sci-fi/epic fantasy author. It so happens that I have just finished reading and reviewed “Rise of the Prince”, the second book in his “Pearseus” series, which was so good I had to go and buy a print copy for my library. Therefore, asking Nicholas to be the first guest writer in this new column only made sense.

 Nicholas, welcome to my blog! Why don’t you tell us a few things about yourself first?

Sure! I was born in 1970 in Athens, Greece.  In 1995, I moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where I received my PhD in Digital Architecture from the University of Edinburgh and taught various publishing courses at Napier University.  This is also the year I founded my web design company, Istomedia, which has developed over 450 websites since. In 2000, I expanded Istomedia to Greece, using the opportunity to return to Athens and to teach numerous design and publishing courses at a number of colleges and universities.

I love books and am dedicating rapidly increasing amounts of my time to writing.  I have written a score of children’s books, as well as several short stories, one of them award-winning.  I am the author of the Pearseus novels, a dark epic fantasy series described by a reviewer as “Game of Thrones meets Dune”.  Books one “Pearseus Year 18: The Schism” and two “Pearseus: Rise of the Prince” are available on Amazon and Createspace. Book three (working title: Mad Water) is currently under development, and expected to be released in May 2014.

I live in a forest outside Athens with Electra, my lovely wife of over twenty years, one beautiful dog and two remarkably silly cats.

For the whole interview, visit MM Jaye’s blog here.

Book Review: Daughter of the Winds by Jo Bunt

A raw and emotional account of an ongoing Greek tragedy.

When the Turkish invasion took place, I was only 7 years old but I have a very vivid memory of that day. I remember my mother holding my hand in the street (in Athens suburbia) as we walked to my gran’s house. The place was like a ghost town that day. The only thing missing from the scene was the tumbleweeds! Hardly anyone was about and an eerie silence hung uncomfortably in the air. Although I was just a child, I sensed immediately that something terrible had happened. I recall asking my mother about it as we walked alone and she said something like: ‘it’s a very, very sad day today my child…” This stayed with me. Over the years, every time I listen to real-life stories from that day, the same numbness that I felt then returns inside me to rest uncomfortably at the pit of my stomach. I still find it difficult to imagine what it must be like to have a home that you are not allowed to go back to or even worse to have lost a loved one so suddenly, and to not know what their ending was or indeed if they are even dead.

 “Daughter of the Winds” has touched me deeply as a result. I also think it is wonderful that a British author wrote it as to provide readers with a fresh perspective of the event. Jo Bunt has done an excellent job setting the scene, both for pregnant Pru who felt lost in the middle of a war that didn’t concern her, as well as for Leni who visited Cyprus seemingly as a tourist but in reality with a secret wish that burnt inside her heart. I found the descriptions of Famagusta utterly fascinating although oddly enough, more at the beginning and less when Leni actually made it through the barbed wire fence. Once she got there, the descriptions of the ghost town and of Leni’s mother’s derelict house went on and on and with a lot of detail. Half of it would have sufficed quite well but this long and detailed account had the undesirable effect of distracting me. They drew the flow to a halt, snapping me begrudgingly as a reader out of the illusion of being there. This is the only significant weakness that I found in the whole of the book.

 The scenes of death and devastation were incredibly raw and realistic, including the scene of Pru at the beach towards the end of the book. Jo Bunt did a remarkable job conveying the anguish, the fear and the pain of the people of Cyprus at this difficult time in their history.

 I enjoyed the descriptions of the local cuisine too, both at the restaurant that Leni frequented and at her guesthouse. The locals in Leni’s story were a bunch of lively, adorable people although I never warmed to the waiter. The flirting between him and Leni felt awkward from the word go plus his actions and words often came off as unpredictable. Then again, that may have been the author’s actual purpose for some reason.

As for the adorable kids at the guesthouse, it was particularly delightful to read about them. I won’t give any spoilers here but I also found the little twist at the end enchanting and delightful.

 All in all, this was a great book and I have already recommended it to a few of my friends. It was also highly informative and I really enjoyed hearing all about the cosmopolitan days of Famagusta when it used to be frequented by Hollywood movie stars. Something I didn’t know! I am giving this novel five stars regardless of the long descriptions that I mentioned before as a weakness. I enjoyed this book utterly in all other respects and so I still feel it deserves top marks. Looking forward to this author’s next book already!

Cooking Greek for Lent Monday: Mussel risotto with curry and ouzo

This Monday, March 3rd, the Greeks will celebrate the coming of Lent with an assortment of dishes that are fit for fasting. The main exhibit of every Greek housewife’s culinary triumphs of the day calls for a seafood meal of some sort. Near my town, there is a mussel farm and there are kiosks on our beachfront selling mussels, oysters and other types of shellfish all year-round. Just yesterday, one of the national TV channels did the first of many annual reports at our local kiosks, checking on the growing customer demand in view of Monday. They are still sold at 2.50 Euros a kilo by the way and when you pass by the kiosks, it is still fairly quiet but on Lent Monday when Andy and I go to get some, I bet it’ll be 3.50 euros just for the day. That’s the infamous law of supply and demand at its best and it’s no surprise, seeing that on the day there will be people and cars queueing up to buy our local seafood as far as the eye can see!

Anyway, so this TV report reminded me it’s worth sharing my mussel recipe with you. I know I’m definitely having this on Monday! It is a recipe that derives from the ‘tsipouro’ tavernas in Volos and it is one of the most delicious recipes I have ever prepared. It also works like clockwork: Most of the time I don’t need to add any water after the stock is finished and the timeframes are set to perfection if one indeed uses basmati rice and fresh mussels as the recipe says.

I remember cooking this once for Adrian, my brother-in-law from England. He had visited here in May two years ago and I had made this for his birthday. I’ve never seen anyone eat his food with so much relish – he actually kept moaning with pleasure from the first mouthful until he polished his plate. I hope you will enjoy this meal half as much as he did!

 Ingredients

(serves 2-3)

1 Kg of mussels in their shells (washed/scrubbed)

1 shot glass of ouzo

Curry powder

4-5 fresh onions chopped

1 clove of garlic (chopped)

5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of basmati rice

1 tomato (skinned and chopped)

Fresh dill (chopped)

Fresh spearmint (chopped)

Black pepper

 Preparation

Have hot water in the kettle at the ready (might be needed towards the end of cooking).

Put a cup of hot water and the ouzo in a pan and bring to boil.

Add mussels, a pinch of curry powder and cover.

When it boils, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring gently a couple of times.

Remove from heat. Throw contents onto a sieve but have a bowl underneath to save the liquid! Put the mussels back in the pan and place cover on top to keep warm.

Put the hot liquid carefully through a very fine sieve (with a measuring jug underneath) with some cotton wool in the sieve as to catch the fine grains of sand. What you will then have in the jug is ready-made stock for the risotto (about 2.5 cups).

Heat the olive oil in another pan and when hot, add onions, garlic and ½ teaspoon of curry powder.

Sauté for a few seconds.  Add the rice, sauté for a minute, then add some of the stock.

Cover and simmer for 12 minutes.

Check regularly and add stock slowly as needed (not all at once). During this time, have a quick check at the mussels and remove any that haven’t opened.

After the 12 minutes, add the tomato, dill, spearmint, pepper and the mussels.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Check regularly and stir gently from time to time. Add more stock until it’s finished. If more liquid is needed, use hot water from the kettle but very little at a time.

This meal is already salty enough but taste and add a little salt if needed.

Cook until rice is soft and there’s no liquid left. Serve immediately with a green salad.

 Enjoy

&

“Kali Sarakosti” !!!

Notes:

If you cannot get fresh mussels in their shells, you can use frozen mussels without shells. In this case, use about 200 gr for 2 people. Again, you will need to put the liquid through a fine sieve with cotton wool inside as to catch any sand.
For extra aroma, put a few strands of saffron (or powder)  in a shot glass with hot water. After a few minutes, pour it into the risotto anytime during the first 12 minutes of cooking.
Instead of 4-5 fresh onions, use 1 large onion (chopped).
Be generous with the dill and the spearmint – you won’t regret it!

A different type of interview on “Best Seller Bound Recommends”

Okay, so I have reblogged a few interviews of mine so far! You’ve heard all about the book and to tell you the truth, it’s been a bit tedious for me at times too, answering the same type of questions. But Maria Savva, my hostess in “Best Seller Bound Recommends” surprised me in a refreshing way! We wound up chatting about anything else other than the book! I thought it made a lovely change to talk about me as a person as opposed to just my writing.

But before I give you a short excerpt and send you happily on your way to the original source………

here is a helpful resource for any fellow authors out there: Best Seller Bound has an EXQUISITE submissions page where you get to choose what feature you want to have on there among a long list of original choices! Why not take a look here and see how you can present something different to your readers next time? Make sure to apply well in advance to the site though because Maria, Darcia and Michael are three very very busy bees!

Also, on the menu option ‘Get Reviewed’ you will find a long selection of readers just itching to read your book! So if you’re ever stuck for Amazon reviewers, go straight here!

And now, without further ado, here is the interview:

What was your favourite subject in school?

French – I was the teacher’s pet and I often helped out my classmates with their homework too. Luckily my parents signed me up at a private school to do evening classes of English too – this has been my favourite subject throughout all my schooling. I love foreign languages and have studied a bit of Italian and German on my own as well, I even had a go at Korean at some point.

What is your favourite season?

Definitely the summer. If it were up to me, it’d never end. I can take the heat, it’s the cold I cannot take. I sort of hibernate indoors from September till June until it’s summer again and I can enjoy swimming, sunbathing and enjoying the great outdoors in general.

 

Read the whole interview here.

 

 

TOP TIP FOR AUTHORS: Gain traffic for your blog with Fabulosity Reads

You’ve heard it before I am sure: Blogging is of paramount importance to an indie author -  and I bet you all know just how much! You try to blog consistently, you tweet about your posts and even give it a try to publicize on less marketing-friendly platforms such as Facebook. Heck, you even got some author friends to RT for you. But are you doing everything you can to increase your traffic? Well let me tell you something – if you haven’t become a blog tour host yet, you clearly aren’t. Why? Because a blog tour organizer will link back to your blog (and so will the hosted author and their friends!) to reach thousands of readers for your benefit through their well-established social media accounts. This is what increases traffic to your blog considerably enough for you to readily notice. And as if this incentive weren’t enough to get you clapping your hands as you hop up and down with delight at the prospect, there are also goodies to be won!

Take my blog tour organizer for example – Fabulosity Reads – that is run by South African Wendy Ewurum – a pro that makes each of her bloggers feel as if they were her only one – an amazing trait! I’ve only been associating with her very sparsely in the last 3 months and already, I have won a 1-day free blog tour (coming up April 17th by the way!) and a 15 USD Amazon guest certificate. Not bad, huh? And that is an extra bonus to the amazing traffic that she has already granted me with her efforts!

Wendy’s future plans involve raising the bar by offering even greater giveaways in future. Take her announcement for March for instance – this time you can win a multitude of gift certificates or credit on your paypal account and of course, her recruited bloggers will be delighted with the chance to win free books again on every occasion.

For more details, check out Wendy’s announcement for March.  I bet many among you will jump gladly at the chance to join forces with her.  I mean, why not? When a decision involves only benefits and zero risk, it’s a no brainer, right?

Remember, you will never be obliged to take on any post you are not happy with. You get to approve (or reject) every single one of her blog post suggestions! And as for saving you time, her posts always come in multiple formats – you choose the one that works best for you and simply copy – paste.  It’s so fast and convenient, it feels too good to be true really.

If you feel that this post will appeal to your own readers, please consider reblogging or tweeting about it as to spread the word. It’s good news and as such, I feel it should be shared

Wishing you all a happy week ahead, full of amazing opportunities!

Be a blog tour host for Wendy – loads of goodies just a click away!

The ultimate good deed: Leaving sticky notes in public bathrooms

Meet Christine Barba, a writer, blogger and earthly angel.  Her post that I feel compelled to reblog today has inspired me in a tremendous way. It is about her resolution to lift the spirits of fellow human beings by leaving inspirational notes in public bathrooms! The comments that people left her under her post are just as sweet. I don’t know about you, but I am off to buy post it notes!!!

Leave Inspirational Messages on Sticky Notes in Public Bathrooms/Places

Although this truth might sound petty, whenever it’s midterm or finals week at school and I notice someone has put an inspirational sticky note in a bathroom stall at the library, the note always brightens my day, even if just a little bit. The messages may be corny, but being forced to stare at a “Keep smiling” note or reading one that says, “You are beautiful,” while washing my hands always brings a smile to my face.

With that in mind, and after reading a “kind acts” suggestion page I found through Google, I figured this one would be good to add to my “kind acts and volunteering” bucket list. I bought flowered sticky notes a few weeks ago, but finally set out to start writing and posting inspirational messages a couple days ago.

Read the whole post here.

What Makes a Good Beta Reader?

Today, I wish to share with you all an incredibly helpful post by Australian writer and former journalist, Belinda Pollard. It is on the subject of Beta Readers and it includes references to her other posts on the same issue. I found those just as important to read and digest as this one. All put together, they leave absolutely no questions left unanswered and this is a painful matter that sooner or later all writers have to face.  I feel very lucky to have discovered Belinda; Her marketing tips came recommended by a dear author friend recently. I headed over to Belinda’s site and was swiftly impressed; signing up to her newsletter which granted me also the extra bonus of a very helpful ebook on self-publishing!  From what I have read so far on Belinda’s site, she is definitely worth reading and following!

So, without further ado, here is the answer to the question that tortures us all:

Where do I find a good beta reader?

Good beta readers can be found gathering in little groups just to the left of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Ha.

But seriously… I won’t lie to you, it’s not easy to find a good beta reader. But it is possible.

Today I’m going to list some of the characteristics of the “ideal” beta reader. Don’t forget that I said ideal. You will have to pick and choose among these characteristics, to decide which ones are most important to you and your book. Think about them, and don’t rush yourself. You’ll begin to get a feel for the people you know who could fit the bill. You’ll begin to understand which aspects are more important to you and your book, and which are less relevant.

Read the whole article here.

My Interview on the Blog of Meglena Ivanova

The lovely Meglena Ivanova is the author of the fantasy trilogy “The Legend of The Moonstone”. When I offered to host her on my blog with an interview, she was kind enough to offer me one too. A couple of days ago, she visited my blog to talk about her book as well as her cute pet lizard (see our interview here). What follows is our other interview, this time on her blog on the same day.  She did a remarkable job presenting me and my novel and I hope you will enjoy it.

Today, I am pleased to welcome Effrosyni Moschoudi, author of the urban fantasy, The Necklace of Goddess Athena. As of February 1st, the eBook is available for download exclusively on Amazon in Kindle format. Join us as I ask her a series of questions in order to find out more about her and her writing!

Welcome Effrosyni – pleasure to have you here today!

Pleasure is all mine, thank you Meglena!

Why do you write?

A writer writes just like a singer sings and so on. Each person is built in a certain way and I believe it is for a reason but we can’t justify it. Perhaps it’s our life’s purpose, who knows? When I write, it gives me tremendous joy. It’s the only thing I do that makes me lose track of time. They say that when you find that one thing in your life that makes you do that, you should never let it go and of course I don’t intend to.  I have been writing ever since I was a little girl. I didn’t reason then and I don’t reason now. It is a compulsion. This is simply how I am built regardless of what talent I may possess. I think it is the same for every writer.

Read the whole interview here.

Food from Outer Space (No, Not Really!)

Today’s post inaugurates a brand new category of posts named “Kitchen Delights” which I hope you will enjoy. I intend to share with you some of my favorite dishes, both savory and sweet. However, the first post in the series isn’t exactly a recipe as such but rather, my account of a first encounter with a strange vegetable that I believe, is well worth a mention!

A couple of weeks ago, during my routine visit at the local supermarket, a big surprise awaited for me at the grocery section. Some very strange vegetables sat neatly in a crate under the sign “romanesque cauliflower”. Mystified, I reached out to take one in my hands and inspect it closely. It was like a physical manifestation of a psychedelic trip – the patterns of its pale green spires were mesmerizing and yet, the name was preposterous. Last time I checked, cauliflower was white, right? And what does Romanesque mean anyway? I wondered if it was an Italian epithet, pertaining to Rome perhaps and I was hooked. Intrigued and enthused, I placed it in my basket and after rushing my groceries through the till, arrived home eager to find out more. First thing I tried was to take it to my parents next door. I thought that being on this earth for 70 odd years, they’d be bound to know what it is! Conveniently, they were both in their kitchen at the time, about to have their daily ouzo and meze break, at 11:00 am sharp.

“EEEK!” goes my mother, her face crumpled with sheer distaste. “That’s monstrous!”

My dad, calmer in his reactions, merely huffed and then shook his head. “Why on earth did you buy that? It looks genetically modified!” he commented with disdain.

Undeterred, I brought my beautiful finding back home, then headed straight for my laptop. Something had to be done! My conservative parents thought that I was nuts and I had to defend my enormous curiosity that had led me to bring this little beauty home. Also, the ‘Romanesque’ part of the name had me almost convinced that this couldn’t be a modern concoction engineered in some obscure lab.

As I expected, Google swiftly came to my rescue! Not only was my finding NOT genetically modified after all, but apparently it has been farmed in Italy since the 16th century, i.e. more or less, for 500 years!

Romanesque Cauliflower aka Romanesco broccoli is a particularly nutritious vegetable, high in Vitamin C and K. It is crunchier than cauliflower and broccoli and in order for its crunchiness and nutty flavor to be enjoyed fully, it must be consumed as fresh as possible, cooked tenderly and slightly.

Among all facts that I learnt though, I thought the coolest one was this:

“The spirals on the head of the romanesco broccoli are a Fibonacci sequence. i.e. Its pattern is a natural representation of the Fibonacci or golden spiral, a logarithmic spiral where every quarter turn is farther from the origin by a factor of phi, the golden ratio.”

According to the sites I visited, many people say this vegetable resembles an alien form of life and others – just like my dad – mistake it for some malicious form of genetically modified food. Apparently, the only reason we don’t know about this incredible vegetable is because it is only now being distributed widely around the world for the first time.

I chose to cook my fascinating finding according to the instructions I read online, i.e. lightly steamed (I gave it 15 minutes and thought it was perfect!), then sprinkled with red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Dinner that night turned out to be a Greek meal in a big sense as I used some organic ingredients from my parents’ homelands i.e the Greek islands of Lemnos (dad) and Corfu (mum).

 I enjoyed the romanesco broccoli in a delightful combo of fried place and rice. After steaming it, I sprinkled on top organic red wine vinegar from Lemnos and extra virgin olive oil from Corfu. The plaice was coated with the famous Lemnos flour and even the lemon was freshly squashed on the fish, having been cut from our lemon tree in the yard, just an hour before serving. Therefore, this meal stands out in my memory as one of the most wholesome, nutritious and yummy dinners that I have had in a long time! I can vouch for the incredible crunchiness and nuttiness of this vegetable and can’t wait to buy it again! So if you spot them at your local store too, don’t miss out by thinking that this is something weird! Far from it, it could be the best thing you’ve tasted in a while!

So, grab your own specimen, stick it in your steamer and shout with delight like I did: Viva Italia! Viva romanesco broccoli!!

 

Enthused? Why not find out more? Read what Wikipedia has to say:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesco_broccoli

Introducing Meglena Ivanova, Author of The Legend of the Moonstone

Today, I have a lovely lady here with me. She is Bulgarian but she is based in New York. She is here to talk about her amazing fantasy trilogy, her favorite reads as well as her pet that sounds kinda intriguing!  What’s more, she’s arrived like a Greek i.e. bearing gifts (for you!)  Read on peeps!

Brief Summary of The Legend of The Moonstone:

After his participation in a top secret project, the famous teller of legends and myths, Professor of Mineralogy Bernard Stransky, receives a present like no other – an enormous, glittering gem. Little does he know that this legendary stone will bring with it a world of mystery and danger. The stone seems to hold strange powers beyond mere beauty, perhaps even a prophecy that goes with it. The sparkling Moonstone belongs to Professor Stransky but he isn’t the stone’s real master. Part of the hidden heart of the mystery planet, the gem is the subject of an intense worldwide search by Upper Souls whose ultimate duty is to find and restore the stone to its rightful place. According to their beliefs, the special and powerful stone belongs to them and their families. That’s not quite true! The Uppers want to possess the Moonstone only because they think they are the Better part of their tribe. They are ready to do whatever it takes in order to possess the stone and that is all that matters to them! The Moonstone has to be returned back to its guardians but a storm of supernatural and unexpected circumstances as well as some surprising tricks of fate follow in its wake.

Some of the major themes covered in this novel are supernatural; such as exploration of myths and legends, rebirth and reincarnation, encounters with extraterrestrials and time travel. The book is also about friendship, leadership, romance and darkness, survival and death.

Welcome Meglena! So tell us, what has inspired you to write this book?

Pleasure to be here Fros! Well, years ago in Silistra, Bulgaria, I was given a moonstone by a friend who told me it was the stone of tenderness, an amulet of protection for travelers, a gift of lovers for passion, a channel for prophecy and a path to wisdom. I was so thrilled by that gift so I decided to do some research and then to write a story, not with any intention of publishing but to create the kind of story I wanted to read but couldn’t find. It became addictive and I enjoyed it more than reading; a bit of a god complex, I guess. That how I started to write The Legend of the Moonstone: A Series for Kids and Young Adults. The Moonstone is the first stone of the sacred stones collection. I’m currently working on the second book of the trilogy – The Bloodstone. If you want to read more about me and my books, you are welcome to visit my website meglenaivanova.com.

What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?

The first thing I ever wrote was when I was 8 years old. I wrote a short story about a homeless person, who I met on the street. Me and my friends were walking in the park and we saw a very skinny, old and dirty man who was standing on a bench. My friends laughed at him and then they immediately rushed to walk away. I was shocked to see how sad this homeless old man was. I didn’t say anything to my friends but when I went home later that day I started to think more about him. I wanted to help him to get off the streets and get back on his feet. Back then I didn’t know how to help him, so I decided to start with sorting out all my thoughts of the whole day. When I was finished I saw that I had written a three-page essay that later on won third place in the local literary contest. Inspired by my words some people from my hometown helped that skinny homeless man. I still think of him sometimes and how I felt when was told that he was okay.

What other writing have you done? Anything else published?

I have been writing about so many things like love, death, friendship, betrayal, AIDS, alcohol problems, diseases, gems and mythology, school, historical moments and personalities, relatives, friends, anything you can think of. Now I’m writing more about innocent times, objects, creatures and magic.

I have published a several short stories, a couple of essays and poems, and of course my first book – The Legend of the Moonstone: A Series for Kids and Young Adults.

Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

When I’m not writing, reading or blogging, I enjoy gaining insights into the psychologies of other cultures and times, cooking or hanging out with my bearded dragon, my friends and my family. I also like to dance, cook and watch movies.

Bearded dragon you said? How intriguing! Is this your pet?

Yes, it’s a lizard. His name is Bieber and he is 2 years old. He is very sweet and he likes to play a lot. He sleeps through the whole night without waking up but sometimes it is hard to get him back in his tank once he starts wandering around the house!

Do you see yourself in any of your characters or do any of them have traits you wish you had?

In my Moonstone story, the characters are based on people that I encounter as well as me. Not directly of course, but certain traits. I find a lot of interesting traits in my friends and family too and I often try to use some of them to make my characters real. You’d be surprised at the gems you can find if you watch the world around you; in fact, I even plan to write a blog post about that sometime in future.

What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I’m currently writing the second book in the trilogy – The Bloodstone. I am not even done with the book and I have generated so much buzz over the project that I have had several people tell me that they want autographed copies. I am still getting used to these requests. It feels good though… to have people reacting so strongly to the concept of my book. I just can’t wait to finish it and move into the next phase of promoting it. When it is ready I promise I will send it to you for an honest review Fros!

 That’ll be great Meglena, thanks! Which are your favorite authors and what do you love about them?

My favorite authors include Aleko Konstantinov, Ivan Vazov, Dimitar Dimov, Atanas Dalchev, David and Leigh Eddings, Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren, Anne Rice, H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, Lynn Flewelling, Paulo Coelho, Dan Brown, C. S. Lewis, L. J. Smith, J. K. Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, Nick Cassavetes and more. I read a lot of non-fiction and fiction, mostly science fiction & fantasy, also books on religion & spirituality.

 What genres do you read mostly and what are you reading now?

I think reading anything helps. I read mostly fiction. For me reading fiction fires up one’s imagination and the stories can “take you away from life” for a few moments allowing your mind and imagination to wander in a different way. I love reading. At any given time, I have a minimum of 6 books in progress. I am constantly adding books to my “To Read” list. There will never be enough time to read all the books I want to read. Now I’m currently reading Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence, Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson, Thief’s Magic by Trudi Canavan, The Shadow Throne by Django, The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, Veil of the Deserters by Jeff Salyards and Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick.

 Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

My advice is not to get too stressed out about the lack of sales, lack of reviews, etc. Having fun and a few satisfied readers is what’s most important for a writer who is driven to write.

How do you overcome writer’s block? Any advice on that?

Personally, I start working on something else for a couple of minutes or days. I honestly prefer taking a break before going back to writing but sometimes it takes just writing to get through the block instead of over it. And also when I get an awesome idea, I tend to write it down in a GIANT ideas book! So, every time when I need inspiration, I will open that book and see what I can use from my previously ideas.

 What is the best and the worst part of the writing process for you?

For me the worst thing about writing is finishing the book and having to leave the characters I have become close to and know so well, but there are new people to meet in the book ahead. Of course, because writing doesn’t bring in a regular income, I’m not allowed to take it seriously. Some people still seem to see it as a cute hobby to keep my little brain occupied while I’m sitting at home doing nothing except looking after a toddler. I wish society would accept that some things are worth doing even if they don’t attract a wage.

As of the best part, I love the writing itself. I love just writing for a few hours straight and getting so engrossed that I can hardly remember the differences between the characters and myself. I love when you really get into the zone and you block everything else out and it’s just you and your words and the story. It’s an incredible feeling.

Choose a male and a female character from your book and tell us which actor/actress you’d wish to play them in a film adaptation.

Sometimes it’s fun to think about which actors could best portray the characters in your book.  Sometimes, I think it even helps get a better picture of what these characters could look like and how they could carry themselves.

For my Moonstone story, if it was made into a movie, I’d love to see the following cast:

Jim Broadbent as Professor Stransky;

Jennifer Lawrence or Bella Thorne as Sophia Mortal;

Logan Lerman or Zac Efron as Daniel De Novo;

Jamie Dornan As Christoph Collins.

I’m open for suggestions, so please tell me which actor/actress you’d wish to play my characters in a film adaptation!!!

Tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?

At my Blog you will find interviews with remarkable authors about their life, books and writing experience! Also a few articles about self-publishing, guest posts and book recommendations/reviews.

At my Website you will find information about my fantasy novels, short stories and the creative ground it grew out of:  gems and mythology. Why gems and mythology? I suspect because both hold inherent mystery and intrigue for me. And perhaps because I’m a big fan of mythology and legends about innocent times and objects.

Where can people purchase your book?

 People can also purchase my book at Amazon, Smashwords and other online retailers. You can read all about my book by clicking here.

Fros, I wish to give a little gift to your readers today! Anyone can enter! Just send me an email with “ Meglena Ivanova ” in the subject line, mention that you have read my interview on “Effrosyni’s Blog” and I will send a FREE COPY of the ebook to the first 10 readers who email me!

My email address is: meglena.ivanovany@gmail.com

This is very generous of you! Thank you Meglena for being here with us today!

It’s been a pleasure Fros! Again, thank you kindly for this opportunity.

 

 

Connect with Meglena

Facebook

YouTube

Pinterest

Goodreads

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/118088705452693219921/posts

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/377347

Website – http://meglenaivanova.com/

Blog - http://meglenaivanova.wordpress.com/