LUKE CHRISTODLOU

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

WITH

LUKE CHRISTODLOU

PLEASE WELCOME THE BRILLIANT AUTHOR BEHIND THE GREEK ISLAND MYSTERIES, LUKE CHRISTOUDOULOU.

Tell us a little about yourself?

I am an author and an English teacher. I love books, movies and of course coffee. At the moment, I am promoting my thriller, THE OLYMPUS KILLER while writing the next book from my Greek Island Mysteries trilogy. 

How would you describe your books?

Thrillers with touches of humor, life dilemmas, Greek Islands and food...

Share with us a quote from one of your favourite characters?

Captain Papacosta: Everyone without an umbrella was running to cover themselves from the menacing drops. Some get cleansed by the rain, some just get wet.

Is it hard to come up with new ideas or plots?

Ideas are born all the time. The hard part is turning those ideas into an interesting plot. A plot people would be interested in reading.

How long does it take you to complete a finished book?

The Olympus Killer took 7 months of writing and 3 months of editing. At the moment, I have been writing the follow up for the last four months and it is nowhere near finishing.

Who is the easiest character to write for and why? Hardest and why?

Easiest would be for my two main leads. They are real to me. I know them and it is easy to write how they would act/react to various situations. The hardest so far, was Olympus Killer himself. I enjoyed writing him and his crimes, but his back-story was difficult. He was seriously abused and it was hard maintaining a distance.

Are your characters based on real people? People you may know on TV or Movie stars?

Entirely fictional. Born and raised in the corners of my mind.

Without giving anything away, what is or are your favourite scenes in your book?

I love all The Olympus Killer. The chase, the murder scenes, the back-story. I would like to share a favorite scene from my unpublished next book.

The last sunrays had sunk into the ocean. Orange and red waves turned dark blue. The night rolled in. The mountains around us silent and black. The flickering blue lights from the horde of police cars, flashing round and round, making shadows dance across the hills. Like a slithering snake, the line of patrol cars headed up the narrow dirt road towards the gloomy monastery. One after one, the cars came to a standstill and armed policemen exited them and prepared to storm into the building.

The gate was open. Inside darkness; quiet as a grave. The light had left and taken the wind with it. I went in first, gun steady between both my hands, flashlights from the men and women behind me showing me the way through inky trees that stood like soldiers under inspection. The smell of smoke reached us, blended with the ghastly odor of burnt flesh. Suddenly, we were faced with an image none of us will ever be able to remove from our minds. Every circle of light revealed a body. Cloaked in brown, all you could see was their face. Hollow eyes, mouth violently wide-open, all facial muscles, stretched and distorted. Blood dripping from their noses and forming crimson rivers from their ears. The lights moved around. Bodies everywhere. Small, see-through vials laid on the concrete ground in front of them. Poison.

The switch was found and the overhead spotlights came to life. We all froze at the sight of the smoking, charcoal body glued by burning skin to the stake. His mouth screaming out without flesh to cover his teeth. The fire had burned so hot, it reached his bones.

If this was the lawyer... ‘Find the girl! Find the girl! Look everywhere!’ Half the force scattered through the trees or entered the cells and church. The other half was checking the bodies for signs of life. Twenty-two dead and counting.

The abbot’s body was crouched over a thick, leather covered book. He had decorated it with his bloody saliva; his wrinkly fingers holding on tight. I wore my latex gloves and finger by finger, I removed the heavy book from his grasp. Could this be the gospel of Christ?

What's up next for you?

Greek Island Mysteries #2 will be released April 2015.

Do you have any hobbies?

Yes and no time to enjoy them. Writing starting out as a hobby and has since taken over my evenings. Movies are my favorite pass time.

Do you have any favourite books or authors?

Agatha Christie, Stephen King, Lynda Le Plante, Thomas Harris are favorites of mine.

Do you have a favourite character?

Ioli Cara. Top of her year, foul mouth, food-loving Cretan, Lieutenant Ioli Cara.

What is your favourite genre to write?

Thrillers!

What are your favourite movies?

Too many to mention. Depends on the genre. Action: T2. Fantasy: LOTR. Romantic: The Notebook. Thriller: The Exorcist and Psycho. And many, many more.

How long have you been writing?

All my life really. From science fiction as a kid, to angry poems as a teen, to thrillers as an adult.

How difficult is it for you to come up with one of your brilliant plots?

It is difficult to accept that this idea is great while this one is not. All your ideas are your children. But, in the end of the day, you have to follow your gut and develop the plot you believe in the most.

How about characters? Are they easily born and developed?

Easily born, hard to develop. Your words need to bring them to life and make them as real as possible. Otherwise, readers will have a hard time connecting with them.

Which one of your books would you like to see made into a movie?

The Olympus Killer. I would love to see the Greek Islands unfold on the big screen and deliver EVIL UNDER THE GREEK SUN!

What is your favourite band or artist?

I enjoy Pink out of the latest offerings.  Bon Jovi were my teen band. I listen to various types of music, ranging from classics to RnB and pop songs/flavor of the month.

What was it like to publish your first book?

It felt magical. My book, my ideas, my plot, my characters out there in the world for all to see.

What advice would you give to others who want to make writing their career?

Don't give up your day job! :-) Keep writing no matter what.

How do you overcome writers block and do you have a special place you like to write?

Never had writer's block and wish that I never do. I always write locked away in my office.

What inspired you to write your books?

Life itself and the need to release the ideas from my mind.