Effrosyni Moschoudi's Blog, page 64

Introducing Julie Ryan, author of “Jenna’s Journey”

I am pleased to welcome to my blog today, a British friend who feels like a Greek at heart too.  Her name is Julie Ryan and she is the author of the holiday mystery, “Jenna’s Journey’.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie was born and brought up in a mining village near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. She graduated with a BA (hons) in French Language and Literature from Hull University. Since then she has lived and worked as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language in France, Greece, Poland and Thailand. She now lives in rural Gloucestershire with her husband, son and a dippy cat with half a tail.  She is so passionate about books that her collection is now threatening to outgrow her house, much to her husband’s annoyance! “Jenna’s Journey” is her début novel set in Greece, a country to which she has a strong attachment. She is now working on a second novel in the series, “Sophia’s Story.”

A FEW WORDS ABOUT HER BOOK

When Jenna decides on a whim to go to Greece, she’s trying to escape her failing marriage. Will Greg let her go so easily though? Can she make a new future for herself and how did she get involved in an antiques smuggling ring? Is fellow holidaymaker Tom all he seems and will it be happy ever after with Nikos? It’s not until twenty-five years later that some of the questions are finally answered.

Welcome Julie! I am particularly intrigued by your book as it is set in Greece. The book cover is so enticing!  How come you decided to set your story in my country?

In other words, wh at has inspired you to write this book?

Living in Greece in the 1980s made a lifelong impression on me. It wasn’t until about two years ago, however, that it became the setting for my debut novel. It was a cold, grey winter’s morning in England and as I looked out of the window I couldn’t help wondering how my life might have been different if I’d stayed in Greece. That started me thinking about the choices we make and the repercussions and before I knew it, I had the bones of a story sketched out in my head.

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

I was always scribbling little stories as a child but the first thing I consciously remember writing was a little play for my friend and I to act out for our parents- I must have been about nine or ten at the time.

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

Reading, reading and reading! Oh and when I’m nor reading I am a member of our local amateur dramatic group. I love taking part in the annual pantomime and have made some good friends as a result. Travelling and learning languages also figure pretty highly in my interests too. There’s a lot of wanderlust in me although I’m pretty settled at the moment.

Where can people purchase your book?

“Jenna’s Journey” is available as an ebook for Kindle on Amazon at  ‘mybook.to/jennasjourney’

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

I’m currently working on another novel, “Sophia’s Story.” Although it is set on the same Greek island, it’s with different characters and has a more contemporary vibe. That’s not to say though that some of the characters from “Jenna’s Journey” won’t put in a brief appearance.

Do you plot your novels beforehand or do your stories unfold gradually as you write?

I usually start with a few characters, a location and a brief overview of a plot so that I know in my mind how I want the story to end. That’s when the trouble starts though as sometimes my characters won’t do what I want them to do and take the plot in a totally different direction. It’s a fascinating if frustrating process and I can end up with about ten different versions.

Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

The best advice that I was given which I’d like to pass on is to get your book into the best possible form that you can. A lot of the stigma against indie authors is fortunately disappearing and your book needs to look professional. The hard work really starts when you finish the book as you need to spend a lot of time promoting it.

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

This was passed on to me by another writer who said that you have to treat writing like a career and write every single day. After all, if you have something on paper, it can always be edited whereas a blank page can’t. If you’re really blocked, re-read what you’ve written and find the place where it seems to hold up the story. By rewriting that part, it might help the creative juices to flow. Now if only I could follow that advice I’d have finished my second book by now! Of course a research trip to Greece might also help.

Thank you Julie for stopping by to introduce yourself on my blog! Look forward to your next visit already and “Sofia’s Story” sounds like the perfect opportunity!

LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieryanauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julieryan18

Blog:  www.allthingsbookie.com

“Jenna’s Journey” is available at the Amazon Kindle  store  here

TIPS FOR AUTHORS: Book trailer made easy

For those who do not own or wish to use resident pc programs such as Movie Maker, the website Animoto.com provides an easy way to create book trailers. It only takes a few minutes from start to finish and it even offers a wide range of copyright-free music tracks as to complete your little masterpiece with added flair. A free subscription allows you to create a 30 second trailer that requires only a half dozen images. Take a look at the one I created just now:

30 second book trailer for “The Necklace of Goddess Athena”

Go on, try it for yourself, it’s fun! Visit the site’s homepage here to sign up and get creative!

Animoto.com

Look forward to seeing your trailers either linked here with your comments or anywhere across  our common cyberpace hangouts! Have fun making them

Newsflash: My interview on the website “Travel Terrain”

Visit the website “Travel Terrain” where among other things, I talk about my travel preferences and favorite Greek islands!

Read Effrosyni’s interview on “Travel Terrain”

Introducing Nikki Anne Schmutz, author of the heart-warming novella, “Found”

I am thrilled to inaugurate with this post a series of  interviews with fellow self-published authors. Please join me in welcoming my very first guest, the lovely indie author and friend, Nikki Anne Schmutz.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nikki Anne Schmutz decided she wanted to be a writer at the tender age of ten. After that decision, no other career was ever considered… except the one of being a mother. She is also a produced screenwriter, published poet, and aspiring songwriter. She lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains where she is constantly writing, mulling around new story ideas, spending time with her family, and enjoying the inspiring mysteries life has to offer. For more information on upcoming novels please follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT HER BOOK

After running away from home and living on the streets, pregnant sixteen year-old Samantha Stately is very sick and has nowhere to go. Through a miracle from God Samantha is found by Marion, wife of Reverend James Mahoney, who nurses her back to health and helps her face the consequences of her choices. Samantha unknowingly sets about a train of events that lead her, and those around her, to an extraordinary truth that can only be revealed by divine intervention. ‘Found’ is a heart-warmingly poignant story set during the Christmas season about mistakes, miracles, love, and the blessings of adoption.

Immerse yourself in a world of hope this Christmas season by reading ‘Found’, a story sure to become a yearly tradition, especially for those whose lives have been touched by adoption.

Welcome Nikki! It is a great pleasure to have you here today. I must say, your book sounds like the perfect Christmas read…

What has inspired you to write it?

I dreamed the entire storyline of ‘Found’ one night.  It was so vivid that I got up and wrote a quick outline before it left my mind.  I wrote it to be about the troubled teenage girl, but in the end it came to be a story about adoption. That wasn’t my doing – the story wrote itself.

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

 I started writing silly poems about rainbows and such when I was eight years old.  When I was ten I wrote a short story for a school project. We made book covers, title pages, etc. and the teacher bound them for us.  I was hooked.

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

 I read ALOT.  I am also an autism advocate as I have a son who is autistic.  I love to grow things in my garden, I play music all day and sing along at the top of my lungs.  I tried the whole music avenue when I was younger but ultimately writing is my deepest love.

 Where can people purchase your book?

 It is available only on Amazon.com for this holiday season and can be purchased as a paperback or bought for kindle. I’m hoping that people feel inspiration when they read it and that whatever they need ‘found’ in their lives, will be found.

What other writing have you done?

I have had a few poems published and write music.  I have written quite a few screenplays in differing genres, have had a few optioned, and one produced back in 2002 that was released in the local market where I am from.  I also have a couple film projects up my sleeve that I can’t comment on yet!

Do you have any advice for other writers?

The best compliment I ever received as a writer was quite a few years ago.  I had the chance to meet Richard Paul Evans at a book convention where I was releasing a book.  I shook his hand and told him he inspired me to write.  With the most sincere voice he congratulated me and said that I had done something most aspiring writers never do… actually sit down & finish it.  That’s my advice to share.  Sit down and just write it.  It’s not easy, but little by little you’ll get it done!

What would you like your readers to take away from your book?

I want everyone out there, no matter their situation, to have hope.  Hope in the future, hope in healing from whatever past hardships you’ve endured, hope in the unseen world around us that blesses and guides us in the journey of becoming who we are meant to be.

Thank you Nikki for taking the time to be here with us today, it’s been a real pleasure! 

LINKS

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/nikkianneschmutzauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiAnne510

Website/Blog: http://nikkianneschmutz.wordpress.com/

“Found” on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GTWG2XC

WHAT ARE THE PARTHENON MARBLES TO THE GREEKS?

The best answer to this question so far is perhaps the one given by Melina Mercouri during her famous speech to the Oxford Union in 1986:

“You must understand what the Parthenon Marbles mean to us. They are our pride. They are our sacrifices. They are our noblest symbol of excellence. They are a tribute to the democratic philosophy. They are our aspirations and our name. They are the essence of Greekness.”

Before I tell you why I think we feel so strongly about these Marbles, allow me first to digress slightly. Two years ago, British Prime Minister David Cameron addressed Parliament with a remark that I simply think is the epitome of arrogance. It was about the Parthenon Marbles in response to the Greek demands for their repatriation. The infamous remark was a play on words: “Britain has no intention to lose its marbles.”

Obviously, the Prime Minister attempted to appear witty by suggesting that to give the Marbles back would mean to lose one’s mind (or losing one’s marbles according to the British saying). I think however that there was no wit in that remark whatsoever. On the contrary, given the fervour of the Greek demand and knowing the things I know which he obviously does not, such insensitivity and conceit in his response render his ‘wit’ quite disgusting to my sensitive Greek ears.

But what is it about these lifeless slabs of marble that is so important? What made Thomas Hardy refer to them as “captives in exile”? Why did Melina Mercouri once declare that should they return after her death, then that day she will be reborn? What makes celebrated British actor Stephen Fry such a passionate supporter of the cause and why do his eyes twinkle when he speaks about their return to “the blue light of Greece”? What do they all see in these ancient pieces of stone that Mr Cameron still cannot grasp?

A great measure of insight can perhaps be gained by reading a short passage from my recently published novel ‘The Necklace of Goddess Athena’. One of its leading characters is Efimios, an unsung hero of Athens who has saved the city many times by undertaking time-travelling missions (as instructed by Goddess Athena) in order to protect the city from its enemies. One of his missions involved his intervention during the Greek War of Independence against Turkish rule in the 1820’s. Although the passage that follows is a work of fiction in the sense that it suggests the involvement of Efimios, the event itself is absolutely true. It happened on the top of the Acropolis hill and at the time, Elgin had already been to loot the Parthenon temple to a devastating effect.

“At the time, the Turkish army had taken over the Acropolis and they were under siege by the Greeks led by Odysseus Androutsos. The enemy had run out of ammunition and they started to tear down the pillars of the Parthenon temple gouging out the lead inside them in order to melt it and cast bullets. The Greeks found out and the terrible news spread like wildfire among the troops. One of the few things that the average Greek has always been very sensitive about is the protection of the Parthenon from further harm. Led by this sensitivity, the Greeks delivered to the Turks a load of lead with the famous phrase: ‘Here are your bullets, don’t touch the pillars’. Efimios was there, having carried part of the load himself after raising the alarm among the men. As Athena had guessed, the Greeks had responded in the only way possible. They had virtually redeemed the pillars from the enemy with their blood seeing that the delivered lead was meant for their own chests.  This blind valor that borders on madness is the very reason why the Gods never forsake this nation. Its people have a favorite saying: ‘God loves the Greeks’. Often, just when all hope seems lost, a handful of Greeks will come together and perform a small miracle. And in such times, although the rest of the world may watch in incredulity, the average Greek will deem it entirely normal because of the specific conviction that is etched inside his soul.”

To me, Efimios is the embodiment of the Greek spirit throughout the ages. He has sprung forth from my mind as a result of my frustration to explain to my many friends abroad what it means to be Greek. He is the very DNA of Plato and Socrates that we Greeks still feel, grinding in our bones in protest as we swallow down callous and ignorant comebacks from people who fail to see our legitimate reasons for claiming our stolen treasures so persistently. What our cackling opponents in this noble cause fail to understand is that our notorious stoicism in the face of hardship through the ages renders us stronger in the long run and therefore unlikely to ever give up.

One day, Melina Mercouri will get her wish and she will be reborn when that glorious day comes, when the looted relics like the ones we we once protected with our lives finally grace our shores again. There are five Caryatids in the Acropolis museum. They are five eternal maidens with long hair braided down their backs and being from stone, they seem tireless as they stand on their feet still, waiting patiently for the return of their sixth sister from London. There isn’t one among us that doesn’t regard them as living and breathing things while we watch them wait. Through the ages that follow, anything is possible. Perhaps 10 Downing Street will have a true philhellene inhabitant some day; someone who will see clearly our logic behind our unwavering persistence. As for Mr Cameron, perhaps he should consider saving his lighthearted jokes for the local pub. After all, this was the venue where he once performed his most renowned joke to date. Neither ignorance nor arrogance is an admirable quality for a man who has been elected to lead so many lives by example. The world doesn’t need more wit or cleverness. After all, it is the scourge of worldwide ‘cleverness’ from politicians, banks and colossal institutions that has brought the world to the fine mess that it is now in. What the world needs right now is dreamers, thinkers and a good measure of common decency.

LINKS:

THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en

I AM GREEK AND I WANT TO GO HOME https://www.facebook.com/IAmGreekAndIWantToGoHome?fref=ts

STEPHEN FRY’s SPEECH DURING THE PARTHENON MARBLES DEBATE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM-aWMmkjkA

MELINA MERCOURI FOUNDATION

MELINA MERCOURI’S FAMOUS SPEECH TO THE OXFORD UNION IN 1986 http://www.invgr.com/melina_mercouri_speech.htm

Weekly Photo Challenge: Habit

When I first read the theme of the current Weekly Photo Challenge by the Daily Post, I initially felt at a loss.  This may sound strange but when I hear the word “habit”, I think of dogs somehow. I guess it’s because as a former dog owner I know how they adore routine. At any time of day you have a pretty good idea where they’ll be around the house and what they’ll be up to. On the contrary, I like to think that humans should be more diverse and more interesting creatures than our adorable pet canines and in this sense, should be enjoying variety in life rather than do the same things every single day. Then again, I admitted to myself that my life is not that exciting after all, so again I sat and mused for a while, wondering what it was that I wind up doing every day. Being an aspiring author, I guess I do sit in front of a blinking screen for many hours daily so if computer use can be classed as a daily habit then this is definitely it for me. Still, I believe that a habit should be something else really, not merely an every day attempt to chase a lifelong dream but rather, something beneficial in a totally different way. And then it dawned on me. First of all, I feel I should mention that I am a big believer in the cosmic law of attraction. Since four years ago, when Rhonda Byrne’s ‘The Secret’ first landed in my hands, my life changed seemingly overnight. It was like a veil had been removed from before my eyes and I could suddenly see clearly how the world works, how God works even. What followed was a torrent of classic books that took me further down the rabbit hole: Works by Charles F. Haanel, Napoleon Hill, Robert Collier, Claude Bristol, Jim F. Straw and Catherine Ponder took my newly found revelation to new heights and to cut a long story short, as promised in the books, I soon started to change from the inside out and can now claim to be a new man (or woman, as it were).

As my inner beliefs about the world and myself started to change, my physical surroundings started to alter as well. A lifelong painful relationship with a close member of my family started to heal as feelings inside me began to shift from the negative to the positive scale. Feelings of anger and bitterness towards everyone who has ever wronged me perished from inside me as they gradually yielded to the liberating energies of compassion and forgiveness. At the time, another little miracle happened as well. For years, I had been stuck in a job that I had no courage to give up despite the fact that it had brought me far more grief than contentment. A series of obscure occurrences soon rendered me jobless in 2010 further to my employer’s bankrupcy and despite receiving solid job offers from another company from two different divisions, both of which got later withdrawn for budget reasons. The whole world had just crumbled before my eyes but after the initial devastation, I started focusing on the positive side of my predicament. Soon, I was counting a newly found blessing: a total freedom with my time. Inevitably, I wound up exploring my creativity by writing novels and short stories and making dreams again, something I hadn’t done for years on end. Why? Because I had been too short sighted to see past the forthcoming weekend after a long week’s work, because I was too caught up in the treadmill of routine and it hadn’t occurred to me that there is more to life than this. As I continued to write, my aspirations grew allthemore and it took a very small amount of soul searching to realize that this is what I wanted to do with my life after all. Ever since I was a little girl I had loved to write but then my parents’ praise over my great performance at school had left me wanting to please them more than I sought to please myself. As a result, the twenty years I had spent working as an employee for random others, hadn’t even been a choice of mine but rather my way to fulfill the expectations of others. With my professional career brought to a halt, my lifelong dream finally took wings and I attempted to strengthen my faith by reading even more books on the mechanics of the cosmic laws. In the process, I sought to practice what I learnt and the first thing I tried to manifest in my life was a new car.  Overly ambitious I know… but I thought, if the sky is indeed the limit, why not try for something substantial rather than the missing button from my shirt? The result astounded me. Despite having no source of income of my own, a dashing second hand car (but new to me!) was parked outside my house as early as three weeks later! This was a turning point for me, the time where I lost the last shred of doubt that the law of attraction really works. As I read on and tried to change my world from within, at some point I started to address the pain I still harbored over a miscarriage I had at an early pregnancy stage five years ago. That was the only time in my life that I managed to get pregnant. Needless to say, the miscarriage was a traumatic experience for me, especially as it was a defeat after painful, costly and distressing hormone treatments at a fertility clinic that went on for two dreary years. As I addressed the hurt inside, I came to a revelation. The extra weight I had gained since those hormonal treatments had left me depressed and furthermore, the reason why I couldn’t lose the extra pounds wasn’t physical but emotional. Suddenly it was clear to me that my body was holding on to the weight because emotionally, I was still holding on to the pain of my loss. So one day, I prayed for the pain to go away. What followed next, was totally unexpected: Out of the blue, a distant relative of mine started to make insistent and tactless remarks about my weight in a light-hearted manner. At first I laughed it off but as he carried on, after a couple of months of being the butt of these jokes, I wound up in tears one day, running away from a family scene in order to lick my wounds in private. Once I wiped the tears away and calmed down, that’s when realization hit me: My next of kin was actually helping me deal with the problem. He had been an answer to my prayer. It was clearly time to let go of the crippling regret, to heal and to take action. I sought diet advice on the internet at once and armed with a newly found enthusiasm, I followed a caveman diet plan that left me within a month skinnier than I had ever been throughout my married life, almost as skinny as I was as a schoolgirl. Needless to say, as those pounds were shed so was my pain about that miscarriage and I haven’t felt the slightest pang of bitterness about this part of my past ever since.

I realize this has been longwinded and I am aware that it is supposed to be a piece about daily habits. I apologize for the seemingly irrelevant content but hopefully by the time I hit the full stop, it will all have made sense. You see, further to my conscious decision to become liberated from everything that held me back as I tried to evolve as a human being and an eternal spirit, I soon found myself practicing gratitude every day. By now, I get up in the morning and open the windows and feel thankful for the warming sunlight on my face. I get in my (miraculously acquired) car and drive along my street, rolling down my window to offer a wide smile to my kindly neighbors. As I drive to town, I marvel at the generous sea view along the highway, feeling lucky for living in such a peaceful and beautiful part of the world. When I come home laden with grocery bags, I feel high on the knowledge that I am more blessed than many in my country right now who often go to bed on an empty stomach. What I’m trying to say is that gratitude is now my daily and favorite habit. I am living proof of the miracles that it brings on. It hasn’t only transformed my life, my relations, my physical body and God knows what else, but it has also given me strength to overcome anything that life may ever toss at me. And because I stick to what works, I’ve also stuck to my caveman diet. Every morning, as I make up a smiley breakfast of egg, bacon and cucumber, I am reminded to smile even wider in gratitude for everything I have learnt that has brought me here; in this space in time where I know that no matter what the future brings, for as long as I still breathe, I can always change it…from the inside out.

Frantically waving across the distance….

Like all diaries, I feel this one must also start with an introduction of myself. This is me and my other half, Andy. My husband is my precious companion in life and my partner in the crime of surviving happily despite our government’s best intentions to annihalate us  with the frustration of continuous taxation demands in the post. We live in a quaint little seaside town near Athens, Greece. Although it can resemble paradise all year round, especially with the beach & the marina a mere stone’s throw away, it is such a small place! And like all small places, it offers very few things to do and very few people with similar interests with whom I could connect. Enter the internet-my savour-that has become my only means of daily communication with the world since the abrupt end of my professional career at Athens airport early 2010 due to the credit crunch (thank you Mr. Papandreou, Mr Banker and dearest IMF!). Like a castaway on a deserted island, I now see the internet as my boat out of here and lucky me, I can take it on a daily basis. Would you come with me for a quiet ride along the sparkling lagoon waters that lie ahead? You will find a lot of poetry here, not just in verse, but also in the way of my thinking.  By the way, I’m not much of a talker.  This quarkiness of mine, in a world  full of loud and busy voices, has alowed me to learn more this way through my eager ears and my silence.  Furthermore, I’ve always prefered the written word to speaking in order to express myself. Although I write novels these days, I started with writing poetry.   I have been scribbling verses ever since I was as young as ten and often relished my solitude even then, armed with a notepad and a pen, writing about an anthill in my gran’s garden or about the moon on a clear, starry night.  Join me as I experience the world, not through the tired eyes of the fourty-something who has just been handed a tax note too many by the postman, but through the clear, full of wonderment eyes of the perpetual child inside me.  Welcome here on my desert island and hop on that boat with me oh friend; let’s transcend magically the geographical distance between us as we cheer together as one: “Happy travels!”