E f f r o s y n i   M o s c h o u d i

G u e s t   A u t h o r   I n t e r v i e w

When did you decide to become a writer and why? 

I’ve been writing since childhood and it’s always been a hobby, something that pleased me and also served as psychotherapy for me, especially during my vulnerable teenage years. However, it never occurred to me to become published till after the age of forty, when I lost my job due to the credit crunch after a twenty-year career of office work. My life literally changed overnight, when I found myself at home alone, having nothing to do. So I started writing novels to pass the time. Soon, I discovered indie publishing and with it, a new, exciting life!

What inspires you in your writing?

My own experiences first of all and the things that I love. I have read heaps of esoteric philosophy, psychology and self-help books and I now find that the knowledge gained from those helps me to flesh out my characters and to understand their motives and their thinking better. It’s a quirk of mine, to want to psychoanalyze my characters in my head, and then I have a field trip with my findings, when I record them on paper.

What genre or genres do you write?

My debut novel, The Necklace of Goddess Athena, is an urban fantasy mixing mythology with time travel and romance. The Lady of the Pier – The Ebb (book 1 in the trilogy) is a historical romance that has a paranormal element. Once I finish working on The Lady of the Pier trilogy, I am going to write a story that’s classed as women’s fiction but it has a supernatural element in it. I also intend to finish a children’s story that I have started.

How many books do you have published?  Can you tell us about your current book?

I have published two books, as previously mentioned. I am currently working on the sequels of The Lady of the Pier trilogy. The Lady of the Pier follows the love stories of two different girls, a British girl living in Brighton in the 30s and a Greek girl in the 80s. As the story progresses in the three books, these seemingly irrelevant two stories start to merge more and more, until they become one story in the third book. I have always had a soft spot for The West Pier, the unique landmark of the city of Brighton that sadly is no more. In my mind, I have created a haunting on it, The Lady of the Pier, and the trilogy tells her story. She is a spirit that seeks redemption for a series of tragic mistakes in life and a love lost. It’s a heart-wrenching story that tugs at the heartstrings but does have a good dose of humor too. I think it’s perfect for romantic souls out there. I should know as I am one of them and had the time of my life writing it.

Who is your favorite author?

I have many favorites, although Stephen King and Dan Brown definitely stand out from all the rest. Stephen King is the only author who has ever chilled my blood with his stories, and I just love everything about him, even the way he talks in his interviews, bad language included. He is an original human being, totally down to earth, no frills, no masks. Also, I admire Dan Brown for his ability to end every chapter with an unbearable cliffhanger. I also find him astounding for the impossible amount of research he obviously does for every book. It leaves me speechless, how amazing his writing is.

What is your favorite movie and why?

I am a big movie lover and so, have heaps of favorite movies, but if I have to choose one, I’ll mention Dead Poets Society because it’s perfect in every way. Thanks to Peter Weir’s almost poetic direction, it’s a true work of art. What is to say about the late Robin Williams? I think it’s unnecessary to describe his performance in this movie. I love this inspiring tale. Stories of young people finding a mentor that changes them forever have always been among my favorites. One of the best scenes in the movie is the one where Robin Williams has covered young Ethan Hawke’s eyes in class and is urging him to make up a poem. It takes my breath away, every single time.

Where is your favorite place to travel?  Where would you like to go?

My favorite place on earth is Corfu. I’ve written The Lady of the Pier trilogy being inspired by my love for the island. Ask me anytime where I’d like to be right now, and I’ll say Corfu every time. Having said that, I have huge dreams about traveling abroad. I have never been out of Europe and one of the places I’d love to visit one day is New York.

Describe yourself in three words:

Strong, empathizing, romantic.

Do you have a family?

I share my home with my British husband Andy. Of course, in Athens I have my parents, my married sister and two teenage nieces as well as my beloved grandmother, still living on Corfu, now at the age of 91.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Don’t struggle alone. Open up to others and share information about yourself and your writing. There is no competition, only friends. Write books. Blog. Grow your author platform. Socialize online. Support others. Like everything else in life, the road is easier when you don’t walk it alone. Find yourself some like-minded allies. Don’t imitate others, don’t write what’s trending either. Write what you love, and what makes your own heart soar. If you decide to go indie, never forget that writing is more important than marketing and using social media. Keep writing and keep adding books to your Amazon page. That’s the best way to start seeing sales one day.

The first part of the trilogy, The Ebb, will be discounted to .99 on Amazon US from May 26-31.  Don't forget to take advantage of this offer!

Author Bio

Effrosyni Moschoudi was born and raised in Athens, Greece. As a child, she often sat alone in her granny’s garden scribbling rhymes about flowers, butterflies and ants. Through adolescence, she wrote dark poetry that suited her melancholic, romantic nature. She’s passionate about books and movies and simply couldn’t live without them. She lives in a quaint seaside town near Athens with her husband Andy and a naughty cat called Felix. Effrosyni is a proud member of the writer’s group, eNovel Authors at Work.

Her debut novel, The Necklace of Goddess Athena, is an urban fantasy of Greek myths and time travel, a touching family story with a good measure of romance. In 2014, it made the shortlist for the “50 Best Self-Published Books Worth Reading” from Indie Author Land.

Her historical romance, The Lady of the Pier – The Ebb, is an ABNA Quarter-Finalist with a paranormal twist. Set in England in the 1930's and in Greece in the 1980's, it follows the lives and loves of two young girls who've never met but are connected in a mysterious way. The book is the first part of a trilogy. The remaining two volumes, The Flow and The Storm, will be published later in 2015. As the story progresses, the two seemingly irrelevant timelines start to relate more and more to each other, until they completely merge into one story in The Storm.

Links

http://www.effrosyniwrites.com

http://www.amazon.com/author/effrosyni

http://www.twitter.com/frostiemoss

https://www.facebook.com/authoreffrosyni

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7362780.Effrosyni_Moschoudi

https://plus.google.com/+EffrosyniMoschoudi

http://www.pinterest.com/efrosinimoschou/

Thank you for appearing on Indie Lindy, Frossie.  It was a pleasure hosting you on my blog!

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