It’s Meet the Author Monday! Each week we meet a new author and get to know a little about them, their writing process, publishing experience, and tips for other writers. Today we’re talking to Stephanie Wood, author of “Adorable April Afternoons“.
About Stephanie Wood:
Stephanie Wood writes contemporary fiction in the form of novels, novellas and short stories and although she only started writing later in life, she has many more tales to tell.
She published the AEGEAN SUN series of books as a fly-on-the-wall vision of life in a Greek resort during the summer season, using her extensive experience as a holiday rep to bring some unusual incidents to life on the page.
The CHRISTMAS ON THE CLOSE series is set in a British suburban cul-de-sac over the festive period and visits each house individually to discover how the neighbours who live there celebrate the season in their own special way.
New for 2025 is the GREEK RETREAT trilogy, which follows visitors in April, June andSeptember as they search for answers in a beautifully peaceful setting.
Stephanie lives in Lancashire where, apart from reading and writing, she loves gardening and cycling and is a huge fan of Emmerdale and Neighbours, which is probably why her books read like a real-life soap opera!
About Adorable April Afternoons:
Jessica is escaping to the Greek Retreat to discover if running away from a broken engagement really can lead to a happy ever after. She doesn’t believe life works that way, but her future could depend on it.
The Greek island of Kynos is an idyllic hideaway, offering its visitors the space and time needed to truly appreciate the traditional hospitality. The locals are always friendly and ready to entertain their guests, while the daily activities offer many different ways to explore the island and its heritage.
Jessica is hoping The Retreat will provide everything she needs in order to plan for a successful future, but has she left it too late?
The Greek Retreat is a trilogy of standalone tales full of sunshine, surprises and love.
Author Interview with Stephanie Wood:
- What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho.
- How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Too many to count! They are all half-finished rather than unpublished, because I get far too many ideas and they all get started before I get distracted and end up beginning something new. I’ve got twenty-five years of half-written stories!
- Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Yes, I have done this in my AEGEAN SUN series, which is set in Kos. In most of those books, I make a mention of a local issue or place that describes something happening in a particular scene, whose underlying relevance will only be understood by the people who have actually visited Kos in person.
- What is your favorite childhood book?
When I was young, I couldn’t get enough of the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. I always wished I could have been part of that gang.
- How long have you been writing?
My last year working as a holiday rep in Greece was in 2000 and I began writing down my experiences the following year. At first, it was just for my own pleasure, but so many of my friends loved the stories that I went on to publish once Kindle was available.
- Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing the story?
I am a planner, so I pretty much have the story all worked out and scheduled into chapters before I actually start writing it properly. There are so many handwritten notes and suggestions and clips of dialogue in the early stages, that it can be hard to keep track of, but I have a system and it works for me.
- How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I have published 30 books so far, the final three being a trilogy to be released through 2025. It would depend on my mood as to which is my favourite, but I would say my summer book is Aegean Sun: The Kafenion and my festive book is The Christmas Miracle.
- If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
Well, I was asked this question in the very early days, when my first book was published in 2014, with an unusual outcome.
I said that I would like Zoe to be played by Michelle Keegan (of Corrie fame) and for Michalis to be Luke Pasqualino (my hero in The Musketeers). Imagine my surprise when the following year, they went on to appear together in Our Girl. My dreams were realised, but not quite in the way I had hoped. Fingers are still crossed though!
To learn more about Stephanie Wood, here’s where you can find Her:
X.com: https://x.com/StephanieWoodGR
Bluesky App: https://bsky.app/profile/stephaniewood.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieWoodAuthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8198175.Stephanie_Wood
