Christina Pishiris | Interview | Author Spotlight | Q&A

 

Hey Bookworms,

I'm incredibly delighted to announce Christina Pishiris (pictured) is the focus of my Author Spotlight this month! Her debut Love Songs For Sceptics is out now - I am lucky enough to have had the joy of reading it already so I know you will love it as much as I did 😊

Christina was born in London to Greek Cypriot parents, who used to bribe her to go to family weddings by promising that George Michael might be there. To deal with the inevitable disappointment, she began making up stories on napkins and has been writing ever since.

 

 Without further ado here is my Q&A with the fabulous lady herself...

Can you tell me something about Love Songs For Sceptics that isn't in the blurb?

Alternative blurb: Zoë edits a music magazine that’s in danger of going under. To save it, she fixates on

bagging an interview with reclusive, legendary rock star Marcie Tyler – who also happens to be Zoë’s childhood idol.

Out of the blue, her other childhood idol appears. Simon Baxter was the boy next door and her first crush. She’s never been able to tell him how she feels, but something about his behaviour now makes her feel he might finally feel the same way…

Getting in the way of everything is publicist Nick Jones – tall, dark and irritating. They get off on the wrong foot when he sides with rude Jonny. Zoë dismisses Nick, but when it becomes clear he’s the key to getting the Marcie interview, she’s forced to suck up her irritation and spend more and more time with him. 

Is there anything quirky about Love Songs for Sceptics that most people don’t know?

I had to create this annoying boybander called Jonny Delaney, who we meet at the start of the book being a dick to Zoë. Everyone who knows me knows I LOVE boybands, so it was hard for me to write this incredibly rude and irritating character. Zoë might not like boybands, but I will defend them to my last breath. (Still holding out for an*NSYNC reunion tour!) They’re only ridiculed because their fans are mostly young and female and everyone knows that girls’ interests are pointless and silly …

In an early draft, the Nick character was a tabloid journalist and Zoë’s rival for the Marcie interview. But after the hacking scandal, I couldn’t bring myself to have a romantic hero be a tabloid showbiz reporter. 

Love Songs For Sceptics had two previous titles: ‘Hatchet Job’. This was when Nick was still a tabloid journo. The feedback I got was it made the book sound like a crime novel. ‘The Zak Scaramouche Fan Club’, again, the worry was we wouldn’t reach the romcom/chick lit audience as it sounded a bit YA.  I came up with LSFS after a brainstorming session with a writing friend in the café on the top floor of Waterstones Piccadilly. (Cheers, Sara-Mae!)

Music is brilliantly weaved all the way through your novel, what are some of your favourite songs?

I can listen to most styles of music, but I have a soft spot for both pop, and hard rock. Some of my fave tunes made it into the book, but here are some that didn’t (some are a bit obscure!):  I Am the Fool, by The Bros Landreth, A Mistake, by Fiona Apple, Gold Dust Woman, by Stevie Nicks, Cry by Take That, Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, by George Michael, Black Coffee by kd lang, Drunk Like You, by The Cadillac Three.

How do you come up with the inspiration for this novel?

I wanted to write about a heroine with a cool job, so I thought a music journalist would be fun! In terms of the theme, I guess I liked the idea of looking at nostalgia and how it can colour both the past and the stuff that’s right in front of us.

What is the most surprising thing you have discovered when writing your novels?

I found it really hard to finish my novel so it was such a relief and pleasant surprise to find that 99% of successful writers feel the same way. It’s easy to tell yourself that if it’s too difficult it must mean you’re not cut out for writing, but it’s not true. An analogy I heard once really hit home: Most of us can run for the bus, but we don’t all assume we can run a marathon. So, why do we assume if we can write a 200-word story, we can also knock out a 100k novel? 

Which authors do you admire the most?

I know this is going to sound like a massive cliché but seeing what it takes to get a book published, I’ve got masses of admiration for EVERY author! I even flinch when I read a bad review for a book I don’t particularly like because I wonder if the person writing it has ever wondered how it feels from the author’s point of view… OK, now I’ve got that off my chest, let me answer actually the question! Writers I love reading and admire are Mhairi McFarlane, Lucy Vine, Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes and Lindsey Kelk.

If you could choose to be a character in a book, who would it be? And why?

It has to be Elizabeth from Pride & Prejudice because she’s got everything – wit, intelligence, a sense of humour and self-confidence. She’s also got Mr Darcy, who is – how can I put this elegantly? - PHWOAARRR!

Where is your favourite place to write?

I have to say at my desk. I try and write in cafes or on a park bench or on a train, but the place I’m most productive is at my desk, phone in another room and the internet password a secret only my husband knows…

What is the best thing about being an author?

It’s such a lovely community of other writers, published or unpublished, and, as I’m discovering, bloggers! What we’ve all got in common is that we’re passionate about fiction. There’s a lot of love and support out there and it means so much to authors. 

What do you enjoy doing when you aren't writing?

Just before lockdown I went to my first Escape Room for my birthday (the official Sherlock Holmes one in Shepherd’s Bush) I loved it! We did a couple more and had loads planned before the pandemic hit. I love sleuthing, puzzles, and competitions so Escape Rooms are just bliss for me!

Which book is currently on your bedside table?

The Roommate by Rosie Danan. I am unbelievably excited to read it. I’ve heard such great things about it, and she is hilarious on social media. Go and find her unboxing video it – comedy gold and all completely off the cuff! 

What is your favourite quotation?

Cressida McLaughlin has a motto that she keeps close when she’s writing: ‘progress not perfection’, and I think that is such great advice. I’ve held myself back waiting and wanting for things to be perfect instead of just moving forward. It’s brilliant advice for any aspiring authors out there!

What is coming next for you?

Book 2 is well on the way - it’s a rom-com that also features a British Greek heroine. More details soon! 

Thanks, Christina it was an absolute pleasure!  😊

You guys can read my review of Love Songs For Sceptics here.

& keep your eyes peeled for our This or That later in the month!