Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Rebecca Hall, another lovely British author who has an affinity for Greece. In her debut novel, Girl Gone Greek, Rebecca shares a lot from her real-life experiences in my country, although the story itself is a work of fiction.  Check out this delightful cover!

 

Rachel is finding it increasingly difficult to ignore her sister’s derision, society’s silent wagging finger and her father’s advancing years. She’s travelled the world, but now finds herself at a crossroads at an age where most people would stop globetrotting and settle. She’s never been one to conform to the nine-to-five lifestyle, so why should she start now? Was it wrong to love the freedom and independence a single life provided, to put off the search for Mr Right and the children? Perhaps she could find the time for one last adventure…
So with sunshine in mind, Rachel takes a TEFL course and heads to Greece after securing a job teaching English in a remote village. She wasn’t looking for love, but she found it in the lifestyle and history of the country, its culture and the enduring volatility of its people.

Girl Gone Greek is a contemporary women’s fiction novel. When Rachel moved to Greece to escape a life of social conformity, she found a country of unconventional characters and economic turmoil. The last thing she expected was to fall in love with the chaos that reigned about her.

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Hello Rebecca and welcome to my blog!

Hi Fros, thank you for inviting me!

The cover of Girl Gone Greek is stunning, makes me want to dig right in! What inspired you to write a story set in Greece?

Girl Gone Greek developed because I had been through a struggle through most of my life; I wasn’t accepted by certain members of my family because of the decisions I made and the life I wanted to live. It took me to come to Greece as an English teacher, for the country to somehow weave its magic spell over me and toughen me up – this country made me stronger and taught me to accept myself. Although it’s a novel, it’s loosely based on my experiences, and I hope shows the Greece we all love; a country where you can’t hide from yourself, a country that strips you bear and rebuilds you through meeting the characters that we do, and their charming (and sometimes outlandish!) traits.

I can relate as I’ve been there, Rebecca. Harsh criticism within the family when growing up is crippling. It’s great to hear you found the strength to follow your heart, regardless. Are there any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

I enjoy swimming. I am also a huge fan of the cinema and love going to outdoor cinemas in the summer in Greece.

Ah yes! Outdoor cinemas are a unique treat in Greece during summer! Do you see yourself in any of your characters, or do any of them have traits you wish you had?

As my book is (loosely) based on my experiences, I naturally see myself in the protagonist. She is, however, somewhat more ‘ballsy’ in some respects!

What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

Girl Gone Greek finishes in a way that hopefully entices readers to read more about the protagonist. Rachel started in a Greek village – let’s see where she spends her next teaching year!

I can’t wait to find out! Choose a male and a female character from your book and tell us which actor/actress you’d wish to play them in a film adaptation.

Well, Rachel’s best friend – ‘Kaliopi’ – would have to be played by the real person that inspired me to write about her. Most of what you read about ‘Kaliopi’ is true, so even though she’s not an actress, she’s such an amazing person, she’d play herself very well!

Tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?

I’ve spent the summer of 2010 in Cairo teaching, so I started my blog Leaving Cairo in September of the same year when I returned to Greece, and I wrote about my experiences in Greece, mainly to let my dad know how I was, rather than send emails. He isn’t on Facebook, but who knew who else might be interested in it? I wrote about cultural observations during the trips I made as well. It seemed to organically grow and I discovered I was receiving emails from people – especially in 2012 – asking if it was safe to come to Greece. It was then I realized I needed to make it more ‘professional’, to understand more about the blogging process.

I gave it an overhaul: name change: Life Beyond Borders Blog – with a new logo and it’s been growing ever since.

Sounds fantastic, well done! What do you enjoy the most as an indie author that you imagine you wouldn’t if you were traditionally published? If you had a choice would you still go indie?

Hmm, that’s a little tough because this is my first published book (apart from my contract work with Rough Guide Guidebook series where I occasionally update their guidebooks). I think there’s more freedom as an indie author – not so much pressure to fit into a genre.

The days of being given an advance to work are very rare, so I like the idea that a majority of the royalties come to me. Having said that, if anyone was interested in giving me an advance… haha!

Is there anything you like to do to get the creative juices flowing when you write?

I personally can’t sit down and think ‘Right! I am going to work on my novel now.’ I feel a lot of pressure if I have to do that – so I tend to work in spurts: I write a lot in one go, then maybe leave it for a while – maybe that’s why I’m better suited to self-publishing: it’s on my own terms.

I do – however – love having my two rescue cats around me. I feel that 15-20 minutes sitting watching them play, or interacting with them is never time wasted.

 

Oh! What lovely cats! You do know that I am a cat lover, don’t you? Excuse the pause while I coo and go all gooey…

LOL! You really love cats, don’t you?

Yes, okay . . . (*hands the pictures back reluctantly*) On to the last question! If you could choose another profession, what would that be?

Well, as well as writing I teach English as a foreign language. I have taught both adults and children – from the age of 6 years old up. I really get a kick out of spending time with young students… kids can teach us a lot about ourselves; our capacity for patience, their ability to be so brutally honest is very refreshing!

Yes, I am sure it’s very rewarding, too. It’s been wonderful to have you here today, Rebecca. Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you Fros, for the opportunity to present my novel to your readers!

 

After extensive global travels, Rebecca left the UK to return to the country she fell in love with: Greece, where she taught English for a while, writes, and wryly observes that the chaotic nature of her adopted country actually suits her personality very well.

She is a Rough Guide Travel Guides co-author and has contributed to numerous publications including Apollo Business Class Magazine for Cyprus Airways and Let’s Go for RyanAir. The Daily Telegraph Travel Section and her container ship voyage from Athens to Hong Kong caught the eye of NPR National Radio in the United States, where she was interviewed twice.

When not writing, you’ll usually find her drinking coffee with her friends, or sourcing a new place to eat baklava.

Visit Rebecca’s Amazon page

Visit Rebecca’s blog

Other links:

FB: www.facebook.com/AuthorRebeccaAHall

FB: www.facebook.com/LifeBeyondBordersBlog

Twitter: www.twitter.com/BeyondBex

Instagram: www.instagram.com/BeyondBex

Google Plus: http://plus.google.com/+BexHall

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/BeyondBex

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/LeavingCairo

 

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