Contemporary romance author Andrya Bailey joins me today to chat a bit about her new novel, Olympian Love.
Bio:
Andrya Bailey is an award-winning contemporary romance writer. She enjoys traveling and visiting museums and historical landmarks where she can learn about art and history, which she usually incorporates into her stories. She loves to write love stories with strong alpha males and exotic scenarios – after all, what better romance fantasy is there?
Olympian Passion, the first book in the Olympian Love trilogy, has received the 5-star seal from Readers’ Favorite and is the 2016 New Apple Literary e-book Contemporary Romance – Solo Medalist winner. Olympian Heartbreak, the second book, is a 2018 New Apple Literary “official selection” in the romance category.
Welcome, Andrya. Please tell us about your current release.
Thanks for hosting me! My last release is the contemporary romance Olympian Love, which is the third and final installment of the Olympian Love trilogy. The trilogy follows the love story between Sabrina, an Art History graduate, working toward finishing her master’s degree, and Nikos, a museum curator and archaeologist from Athens, Greece. It is love at first sight for Sabrina when she sees Nikos for the first time, but their long-distance relationship has many challenges and conflicts as they try to work it out.
What inspired you to write this book?
I’m a big fan of all things Greek (language, history, mythology). I wanted to write a story that would incorporate some of these elements, and Olympian Passion, the first book in the trilogy, was born.
Excerpt from Olympian Love:
I decided to walk to the famous Koules Fortress with the postcard-perfect view I enjoyed from the hotel on my first night in Heraklion. I’d been wanting to visit it since arriving in Crete a few months earlier.
Once back at Lion’s Square, I stopped again at the Morosini Fountain. As with most fountains, it’s said that if you toss in a coin, you’ll return to visit there again someday. I retrieved a coin from my purse and threw it in before heading to the street that led to the fortress.
Soon, the monumental structure, built by the Republic of Venice in the early sixteenth century, came into view. I crossed the street to reach the sea wall for a better look at the majestic structure, which was bathed in the reflecting lights of the old port of Heraklion. There was a light breeze off the Aegean Sea. The sea wall was quite deserted, and all I heard was the sound of waves crashing into the rocks by the pier. I reached the fortress and stopped to marvel at its old stone walls. A little farther down the sea wall, I sat on a huge boulder, taking in the fort and the Aegean, with a full moon adorning the precious scene. The radiant, silver ripples in the ocean resembled the magical train of a wedding dress embroidered with pearls.
I was transported back to a night like this one many months before, when Nikos took me to the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. I smiled faintly as I recalled that glorious night, when Nikos told me that the gods surely envied him that evening. We had made love in that enchanting place. Tonight, though, I realized that memories were all I had. How would I ever forget the special moments I’d shared with him?
What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m in the very early stage of drafting a new romance novel, possibly inspired by Iceland and some Nordic mythology.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Since I as a child I wanted to be a writer, and because I used to read and write a lot, even without being published, I considered myself a writer.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
No, I have a day job M-F 9-5, so my writing time is limited to late nights and weekends.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I try to immerse myself in the culture or environment I’m writing about and music helps me. For example, while writing about Greece, I had Greek music playing in the background. When writing about the main characters getting together, or some of the more steamy scenes, I turned on to romantic songs, and when writing about the characters heartbreak, I’d listen to break-up songs! Music helps me stay in the mood as I see each scene as a movie in my mind and try to describe them on paper.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Among many things, being a writer was at the top of my list, followed by astronaut and archaeologist.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
As an interesting addition to the romance trilogy, there’s now also a coloring book. Inspired by The Olympian Love Trilogy, the coloring book offers pages of adult coloring. The illustrations reflect several scenes from the books. Readers will travel with Sabrina and Nikos while their romance heats up through Houston, San Antonio, and Greece, and take a look at the vases in the museum, and discover some of the Greek gods and myths that are mentioned in the trilogy. The coloring book is available on Amazon.
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Thanks for being here today!
Thank you for your time interviewing me! It’s been a pleasure.