Welcome Author
Chrissie Parker
Author bio:
Chrissie lives in
London with her husband and is a freelance Production Coordinator working in
the TV, documentary and film industry.
Chrissie is also an
Author. Her thriller Integrate was released in October
2013. Chrissie is currently working on
two sequels to Integrate called Temperance and Retribution. Both will be
released in 2015.
Other written work
includes factual articles for the Bristolian
newspaper and guest articles for the charities Epilepsy Awareness Squad and Epilepsy
Literary Heritage Foundation.
Chrissie has also written a book of short stories and poems, one of
which was performed at the
100 poems by 100 women event at the
Bath International Literary Festival in 2013.
Chrissie is passionate about Ancient History, Archaeology
and Travel, and has completed two six-month Archaeology and Egyptology courses
with Exeter University. She also likes
to read, collect books, make bracelets and listen to music.
Brief synopsis of
your book:
The book is a work of historical fiction set in during two
time periods: Elena Petrakis lives on the island of Zakynthos in Greece and
loves her life, but world war two looms and she is forced to fight for her
freedom through the harsh realities of war.
It is the 1990’s and Kate Fisher lives in Cornwall in the
UK. On her twenty-first birthday she
discovers she is adopted and struggles to come to terms with the news.
Kate learns that the two women, who lived decades apart,
on different continents, have a lot more in common than she ever dreamed
possible, and she goes to Zakynthos to see what she can find out. What she learns shocks her and changes her
life as she knew it.
Book title:
Among the Olive Groves
Current book or
project you’re working on:
What moment or
event sparked the inspiration for your novel?
I was on holiday in Zakynthos (Zante), Greece in 2005, and
got chatting to a local about the island’s history. They mentioned something that happened to one
of their relatives during world war two (I can’t tell you what as it’s a
spoiler!), but this one sentence stayed with me and I felt the need to write
about it.
What is the most
complex issue you dealt with, as a writer, in your current novel?
I think the most complex issue was how to write about
world war two. A lot happened during the war and some of the accounts you read when
researching about it are quite horrific.
I wanted to write an honest book that showed the reader the reality of
war, but I didn’t want what I was writing to come across as sensationalist, or
write things that were too gruesome or shocking. It was a very fine line and something I had
to work very hard on to get right.
Are there any
characters in your book that remind you of yourself?
I think that Elena Petrakis and Kate Fisher are a mix of
me. Elena has my feisty, determined, stubborn traits and Kate has my emotional
and worrisome traits!
Genre/Author/Reader:
What genre and
age group does your book fall into?
The genre is historical fiction, and I would say it’s an
adult book because of some of the war related themes in it.
Which three
authors have inspired you the most, and why?
1) Agatha
Christie – She is my favourite author and her books are brilliantly written
with fantastic characters, they always keep you guessing until the end. She was also very interested in history and
archaeology like I am.
2) Belinda
Jones – She is my favourite Women’s Fiction author. I met her a few years ago and she writes
great books. She has been so supportive and I couldn’t have got this far
without her support.
3) Nora
Roberts – she writes great books (and has written almost 200!). She has proved
that as a woman, you can follow your dreams and become really successful if you
work hard at it.
Do you read a
book, while you are writing a book?
Yes. I read every day, for anything between 1-3 hours! I
read almost every genre going except for horror (I read the rats by James
Herbert when I was about fourteen and it scared the life out of me!).
The process:
How many books
have you written?
This is my second book.
My first was a novella called Integrate,
it was released in November last year.
Which book is
your favourite and why?
I like them both for different reasons, but if I had to
pick one, I would say Among the Olive
Groves is my favourite. I love the
characters and the story a lot. I also
really like the setting, it was a really inspiring and beautiful place to write
about.
Is there anything
that helps get you in the mood to write?
Music, a cup (or pot!) of tea, and lots of food! I forever
snack when I write. Peanut M&M’s are
my downfall, as are dark chocolate digestive biscuits!
What were three
challenges you faced when writing your book?
1) The
first was getting the history right. I’m
a bit of a history geek, but my love of history is more ancient than
modern. So I had to do a lot of research
about world war two. I visited many
museums, read a lot of books, and watched a lot of documentaries. Some of the information was quite harrowing,
but it was necessary to do the research in order to get the book right.
2) The
book is set on the island of Zakynthos (Zante) in Greece. Even though I know it quite well it was a
challenge getting the intricacies of island life and Greece right. I am eternally grateful to readers who live
on the island for pointing me in the right direction and for picking up on these
aspects during the editing process.
3) The
book is very emotional. The war is a
hard subject to write about, and I pushed my character Elena Petrakis to the
very edge (and probably beyond) her limits. There were many times when the
emotion got to me and gave me sleepless nights, or had me crying while trying
to type/edit, but I think that emotion is what makes Elena’s story so
important.
What is one of
your favourite sources for research and why?
I have so many sources and it’s hard just to pick one. I
am a very visual person though. I love
wandering around museums, places where the book is set, or looking at
photos. I find it gives me a much better
idea of what I’m writing about, and makes it easier writing a little
easier. I actually have a lot of photos
pinned around my desk!
Do you ever
experience writer’s block? If so what helps you to ‘overcome’?
Not often, I think with my Historical Fiction books I tend
to get History block! What I mean is
that sometimes I can get to a point in the book where I realise that I need to
do a bit more research before I can carry on writing, so I have to stop. It can be just as frustrating as writers
block!
Do you take part
in creating your book cover and if so what do you find the most difficult part
of the process?
Yes. I decide what
I want for my book cover and then pass all the information to my cover
designer. He is fantastic at delving
into my brain and coming up with what I want.
He usually gives me a number of different options and then I get a
number of people to vote for the ones they like and then we tweak them, until
we settle on the final image.
What part of the
process becomes the most critical for you?
Structural/content editing and beta reading. This is the point where others get to tell me
if I’m heading in the right direction and if it all makes sense. This is so critical to me. I am lucky to have an excellent editor who
helps me with the structural stuff, and she is dynamite at spotting
inaccuracies! I also think that beta
readers are essential too, people who know the places where books are written,
or are familiar with the subject matter, they can help pick up things that may
have caused a problem with readers down the line. It is a very intensive time, but definitely
worth it.
Do you study
science, criminology, police, medical, or anything special to help you with
your writing?
Yes, I love ancient history and archaeology. I always have, and the studying that I have
done in the past few years (a 6 month Egyptology course and a 6 month
Archaeology course with Exeter University), have proved invaluable. I hope to try and do some more history
courses in the future.
Personal favourite
info:
Drink – Tea! I
love a cup of Tea
Food – Cheese
and orange marmalade sandwiches
Vacation – Anywhere
that has ancient ruins for me to wander around
TV show – Charmed.
My all time favourite series
Movie – Practical
magic
Animal – Cat,
we own two!
Sport – I
don’t play any, but love watching Formula One (motor racing).
Book – And
then there were none – Agatha Christie
Comedy – Friends
Struggle – My
epilepsy
Addiction - Cheescake
How can people
connect with you?
Twitter: @Chrissie_author
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ChrissieAuthor/
Where can readers
find your book?
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