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| Chrissie Parker, Author AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES |
UK author
Chrissie Parker just released her latest novel, AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES, a suspense story with threads
of romance inspired by an occurrence on a Greek island in World War II. She wanted to tell a “raw and real” story about her main character Elena,
whose life was typical of what happened to Greeks during WW II. She also wanted
to attract people to visit Greece, a country that has had “such a hard time
lately.”
Parker, who
lives in London with her actor husband and two cats named appropriately after
Roman goddesses, enjoys ancient history and archeology. She has also published
the thriller INTEGRATE, and is working on two sequels to it along with two
historical novels set in Egypt and Jordan. In addition to writing, she likes
making spiral beaded bracelets.
Q: How did you
conceive of the story for AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES? Is it based on a true story? Or on characters from your
family?
Chrissie
Parker: The
entire book is based on a conversation I had with a Greek local while on
holiday in Zakynthos, Greece in 2005.
During the conversation the local told me all about something that
happened on the island during World War Two (I can’t tell you what it as it’s a
huge spoiler for the book!).
Needless to say, the conversation stayed with me and I decided to write
about it. I also wanted to set a
book on the island of Zakynthos as it’s a beautiful place and Greece has been
through such a hard time recently.
I wanted to write something that would inspire people to visit it.
Q: How would
you characterize AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES? Is it a “coming of age” story? Or
romance? Or suspense?
Chrissie
Parker: AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES is Historical Fiction.
It is very definitely a suspense, but there are aspects of romance
weaving through it. I think in
essence the book is about change, and dealing with things in your life that you
can’t control. Both Elena and Kate
are faced with things that they have to deal with head on. It’s about strength of characters and
doing the right thing for ‘you’ as well as others.
Q: How helpful
was setting to telling your story? Thinking about events in Greece during WW II
invokes all kinds of possibilities. Could you have told this story as
effectively at any time in any place?
Chrissie
Parker: The
setting was crucial. As the story
hinges on this one piece of information I heard, Zakynthos was the only place
it could have been told. If you
then combine that with the main character and the isolation of the island and
its idyllic nature, I don’t think the story would have worked as well anywhere
else.
The
thing that surprised me the most was the lack of researchable material that
remains. Most information about
what happened on Zakynthos in World War Two, came from a limited number of
sources, either word of mouth, or from one book in the island’s library. Many
records of what happened were destroyed during a big earthquake on the island
in 1953.
Q: How did you
assure historical accuracy? Is accuracy important for credibility and
believability? Or for enhancing the story?
Chrissie
Parker: I
did a lot of research. I love
history, but I’m more into Ancient History than modern, so World War Two was a
bit of a learning curve for me. I
read books about the war, the Greek resistance, and women’s roles during the
war. I watched a lot of
documentaries on the subject and also visited some museums. I also had to do a lot of research
about Greece in general. For this
particular book, accuracy was incredibly important, as the chapters set in
Greece are chronologically set from 1938 to 1944, so I needed to make sure that
any world events mentioned, that impacted the story, fell in the right place in
the book.
I
wanted the book to not only tell a story but to be raw and real. It is rumored that what eventually
happened to my character Elena actually happened to Greeks for real during the
war. I needed to understand why,
so that I could write in the best way possible without sensationalizing
it.
Q: What did you
do to help readers engage with your characters in an historical setting? Why do
we care what happens to them?
Chrissie
Parker: I
think Elena is an important character.
She is a woman, she is expected to act a certain way for a woman of her
time. She breaks with
conventionality in many ways in this book. Everything she does is for others, she is completely
selfless and I love that about her. She is strong willed, has a big heart and is also very
feisty. In a way I feel that what
happened to her was always meant to be.
Q: Did you
write AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES strictly to entertain? Or did you also want to
educate readers? Or deliver a message?
Chrissie
Parker: I
wrote it to both entertain and to send a message. In fact there are a few messages in this book. War is hard, it changes life, but Elena
fought for everything she believed in, people are strong and will do everything
they can to protect those they love, and whether we are at war or just living
life normally, we should always look after those we love and protect them the
best we can. There is always an
answer to your troubles if you search hard enough, and I think all of that
comes across in the book.
I
also wanted to show people what a wonderful place Greece is. As I mentioned above, it has been
through a really hard time over the last few years and if people read the book
and choose to then visit it, it means that it is helping the people who live
there.
Q: Does the
concept of “heroes” vs “villains” play an important part in AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES?
Do you need a villain to have a hero? What makes a good villain?
Chrissie
Parker: Very
much so. There are a number of
villains in this book, and a few heroes too. War changes people and people have to choose sides whether
they like it or not. In this book
we have the typical villain, Italians and Germans who have invaded the island
and taken away the freedom of those who live there. There are also people who have unintentionally become villains
by choosing to align with the enemy as a way of self-preservation. Sometimes in
life people don’t always pick the right side, and they unintentionally then become
a villain, but if there is good in them, they will do something heroic in the
end. There is a definite need for
hero and villain in AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES, the war was full of both, and it
very clearly comes through in this story.
In
the case of this story a good villain is one that suppresses the masses, one
that takes away their freedom, that leaves them scared and afraid, with no
choice but to fight against the oppression. This in turn makes the islanders heroic, they fight for
their family and their neighbors and for their ultimate freedom.
Q: Are you in
control of your characters, or do they take over occasionally and make you
write something you never intended?
Chrissie
Parker: Most
of the time I am in control of my characters but I struggled a lot with
Elena. She is such a feisty and
headstrong character. She led me
down paths I was least expecting. I knew what I wanted from her, but she really
did break all of the boundaries, and ended up being much braver and more determined
than I could ever have imagined. I
also struggled with a few others too, Kate Fisher was hard to predict, in the
book she receives a big shock, and she handles it very badly, she definitely
suffered with mood swings during the writing process!
Q: What’s next?
Chrissie
Parker: I
am currently working on two sequels to INTEGRATE called Temperance and
Retribution, both of which will be released next year. I also have two works of historical
fiction in the pipeline that I need to revise, they are set in Egypt and
Jordan.
Q: Tell us
about Chrissie Parker. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Chrissie
Parker: I am married to an actor, and live in London (UK), and we
have two cats that are named after Roman Goddesses. I’m a history and
archaeology geek, and I have completed a 6 month Egyptology course and a 6
month Archaeology course with Exeter University. I love collecting and reading
history books and watching documentaries about ancient history too. I
also make beaded spiral bracelets.
Quirks:
- I always write with a green pen
- I
can’t say the word anonymous – it comes out as anomynous
-
My favorite sandwich is cheese and orange marmalade – everyone thinks it’s odd
About Chrissie
Parker
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. To find out
more about Chrissie visit her website www.chrissieparker.com
Elena Petrakis
adores living on the Greek island of Zakynthos. When World War Two looms her
way of life is threatened. Left with no choice she joins the island's
resistance to fight for what she believes in; her family, her home, and her
freedom.
Decades later,
thousands of miles away in the Cornish town of Newquay, Kate Fisher prepares to
celebrate her twenty-first birthday, but her joy is fleeting when she learns
she is adopted. Abandoning life in England, Kate flees to Zakynthos, where she
is forced to acknowledge a life she has struggled to come to terms with, one
that will change her future.
From the
beautiful crystal turquoise seas of the Ionian Islands to the rugged shores of
the Cornish coast, AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES is a story of love, bravery and
sacrifice.
Links
Purchase Link
Author Links
Twitter
- @Chrissie_author
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