It’s my pleasure to welcome Effrosyni Moschoudi to Author Wednesday. Hailing from Greece, she offers up some intriguing stories combining Greek culture, myths, and romance. 

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, and right now it’s only $0.99! The book is the first part of a trilogy. The remaining two volumes, The Flow and The Storm, will be published later this year. The Flow – book 2 in The Lady of the Pier trilogy is available on preorder for $0.99, but only for a limited time. 

Welcome, Effrosyni. You’ve been busy in the past two years since the publication of your first novel. I’m curious about the moment when you first could call yourself an author. 

I’ve been writing since childhood, but as it’s always been a hobby, I never thought of myself as a writer. Even when I published my first book on Amazon, that didn’t change. I knew I was still too wet behind the ears to call myself that. Of course, one and a half years later, being in the process of writing my fourth novel and having learned so much on the craft of writing, I have no problem seeing myself seriously as an author today.

I’m impressed with your prolific body of work in such a short time. It’s also impressive that you’ve managed to receive such positive recognition for that work. Do you have particular themes you try to express through your fiction? 

Looking at my two published novels, I certainly see a couple of themes that repeat themselves, such as the love between parents and children, faith in a better future, the importance of true friends, and the sweetness of first love. In my fantasy, I even approach the subject of bullying between schoolchildren, which is a menace of our time. I hope my books will give comfort and inspire people out there, especially the young, as they are way more vulnerable than adults and need all the right guidance they can get.

How did you choose the title for The Lady of the Pier – The Ebb? Was it the title from the very beginning?

Yes, it’s been the same title from the start. I have a huge affinity for the West Pier, the landmark of the city of Brighton that sadly, is no more. In my mind, my devastation for its total destruction has taken on the shape of a haunting on it, The Lady of the Pier. It is a spirit of the past that mourns for a love lost and yearns for redemption.

What type of research did you do in the writing of this book?

I have done extensive research about The West Pier itself, i.e. its total history from its creation in 1866 till its final destruction in 2004. I also had to research heavily on life in England in the 1930s, as well as during WWII in the ’40s. The latter was necessary for the remaining two volumes of The Lady of the Pier trilogy, The Flow and The Storm. I’m publishing both of them later this year.

Who is the antagonist in The Lady of the Pier trilogy? I love creating my antagonist, so did you find some pleasure in creating yours? 

Charles is a psychopath, and he is ruthless. To get Laura to be his, he’ll do anything. But at the same time, as despicable as his acts are, I can’t help but feel sorry for him, and in a way, it is Laura’s fault too that things get to be so bad between them. Throughout the trilogy, I tell the story from the perspective of Charles quite often, providing tiny glimpses of his past that hint to the reader why he turned out to be that kind of man. This process has made for a baddie who is not all devil, but a bit of a fallen angel, too. As a character, Charles has been insupportable, talking in my head in the middle of the night or nagging at me as soon as I wake up in the morning to get writing. No other character has ever done that. It hasn’t been easy living with him in my head for a while, but now that I’ve completed writing his story, I do confess, I find I miss him a bit!

I understand that feeling. I’m sure that empathy with him is conveyed in the writing. What else do you want readers to know about The Lady of the Pier trilogy?

The trilogy has two different timelines:  there’s Laura, a British girl living in the 1930s in England, and Sofia, a Greek girl from the ’80s. As the story progresses, these seemingly irrelevant stories start to become more and more related to each other, and on the third and final book, they merge into one story.

How does your immediate family feel about your writing life?

My British husband is very supportive, egging me on through my writing journey, as well as providing me with invaluable editing assistance on my finished manuscripts. Having said that, it took quite a few months for him to realize that what I’d been doing at my desk all day wasn’t just a way to pass the time since becoming unemployed. Once the second book was published and he got to share my experiences and to read the awesome feedback I receive from readers, he got to understand what I’m trying to do and be. He is my number one fan and critic (both equally valuable to me). My parents are also very supportive and keep reminding me I ought to translate my books into Greek so that they can read them!

Yes, you should definitely do that! It’s been a pleasure having you visit today. And I hope you’ll return when the third and final book in the trilogy is published.

About Effrosyni Moschoudi: Effrosyni was born and raised in Athens, Greece. 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.

 

 

Click below to purchase books by Effrosyni Moschoudi 

The Ebb

The Flow

The Necklace of Goddess Athena

Book trailer for The Flow

 

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