An Interview with P.M Christou

P.M Christou is part of the Ninja Writers Science Fiction & Fantasy Giveaway (check it out for some great free reads). Today she's here to talk about what inspires her and her books.

Tell us what inspires you?

I find inspiration from many things: historical events, myths and legends, fairy tales, reading books (not necessarily from the genre I write), watching films, conversations. I find elements from all the above inspire story lines and characters.

What makes your protagonist different from the industry standard or genre standard?

I love to write about strong female protagonists. I am currently writing a fantasy fairy tale series. Many female characters in fairy tales are typical damsels in distress waiting for a prince or someone else to save them. My protagonists are more than capable of saving/fending for themselves. However, they are still human. Instead of the standard perfect female, they have their faults, they don’t have the answer to everything, and they sometimes get things wrong.

Why do you love the Ninja Writers Facebook group?

I have only recently joined the group, but in the short time I have been a group member I have found everyone to be helpful, informative and generally a very nice bunch of people.

What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

In my book, (excuse the pun) the most unethical practice is paying for book reviews. (I don’t include Kirkus, Publishers Weekly etc.) Fair and honest reviews are worth their weight in gold. They are of course subjective, but they still give a potential reader an insight. Paid reviewers do not read the books they review. In some cases, the author can even write their own review. This is essentially a lie and deceitful.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

To be honest, a little of both. I love writing and more often than not, I find it energizing. That is not to say that this is always the case. If I am having a bad day, the writing does flow, or I have a lot of research to do, I can find it tiring.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I love to be original and would never consider writing to a prescriptive format. I do also listen to my readers, often asking them questions or advice and include them in ideas for up and coming books.

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

When I originally conceived the series of books, I am writing I did intend them to be stand-alone books. Somewhere along the line, the story took on a life of its own and become a trilogy. My book series will not end with the trilogy. There will be connections between subsequent books, even if it is only set in the same realm.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

I would tell myself to have more writing confidence and to start writing sooner. For many years, I put off writing my first book. I convinced myself I could never write a full-length novel. I felt didn’t have what it takes to be an author.

How many hours a day do you write?

Not as much as I should. The day job and running a household takes up a large chunk of my day. I try to snatch as much time as I can in the evenings and weekends. Ideally, I would like to write for a minimum of four hours a day and at least five days a weeks.

I have published two books in the Gothic Faerie Tale Series and I am currently working on the third book of a trilogy (A Gothic Faerie Tale) The fantasy fairy tale is a blend of fairy tales and myths and legends, with a touch of romance.

They are available in ebook and paperback.

Book 1: Throne of Ice

Book 2: Queen of Thorns

The books are available from other ebook retailers you can find more information and links on my website: www.pmchristou.uk

Book 3: Reign of Fire (currently WIP)

It is available on preorder at the following:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/656531

https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/p.m.-christou/id100193732

P. M. Christou, has lived in New Zealand, South Africa and Cyprus. As a child, she loved to write fictional stories, poems, and radio scripts for her fictional radio station Radio 4½. She studied and graduated from the University of Life.

She is an avid reader and enjoys writing fantasy, historical and humorous fiction. She lives in the UK with her husband and daughter.