K.S. Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.
U.S. Thanks for inviting me to your blog Katie. I come from a town by the sea in southern Greece, where I live with my husband and my two gorgeous teenage sons. I’ve worked as a teacher of English in State schools for the last twenty years. Plus, I’m a student myself, as I’m working on my PhD with Aston University in UK. A typical Gemini, trying to do many things at the same time; that’s the story of my life in brief.
K.S. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
U.S. I guess it’s interesting that as an author I can only write in English. For years I was wondering why I couldn’t put down my thoughts in Greek, since every time I started a story it didn’t come out as I intended to. But when I started writing in English, Pandora’s Box was open. So, I guess it’s strange that I can overcome my personal inhibitions and express myself only in my second language.
K.S. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
U.S. I’d say emotional overload. You see I’m the kind of person who needs to communicate my feelings with other people. Suppressing emotion is incredibly torturing for me. I wrote my first story in English a few years ago, when I was going through a very hard time after the loss of a beloved person. Writing was incredibly healing. After that, I knew my life had changed. I had created my own refuge in a world of fantasy.
K.S. What genre do you write?
U.S. Mainly young adult romance (although I prefer the term forever-young-adult) with a touch of fantasy or science fiction.. “Gate Deadlock” is science fiction, as the hero is a time-traveler from the future, but it’s a romance above all.
K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?
U.S. I read a lot. I have a very mixed taste in books. I admire Gabriel Garcia Markes and Paulo Coehlio but I also enjoy reading Stephen King, P.D. James and Patricia Cornwell too. My students got me to love the Harry Potter series and Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight Saga. Every book I read inspires me, but mostly I’d say I’m inspired by two things; music and the sea.
K.S. What does your family think of your writing?
U.S. They’ve been really encouraging all the way.
K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?
U.S. That I can do it; that nothing is really impossible as long as you put your soul in it. Moreover, I found that I can publish my book, even though I live far way from my target audience, I mean the English-speaking readers. I had no idea about self-publishing, you see. Of course I’ve also learned it means hard work, especially as far as it concerns promotion.
K.S. What inspired you to write your novel?
U.S. “Gate Deadlock” is the story of a forbidden love, a love that purifies the soul and rectifies the past. Can you believe I was inspired by a song? Two songs, actually. “Sing for absolution” and “Starlight” by the band I absolutely worship, The Muse.
K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel?
R.S. You can watch the trailer video on you tube to get an idea:
here’s a short synopsis:
In a world where reality is predetermined and constantly monitored by the dark forces of the future world with the only aim to protect their own reality, Emma a university student, comes across a huge discovery; everything she has considered to be her own choice was nothing but the inevitable response to the sly directions of the future.
Even her heart betrays her when she falls in love with the wrong man. Christopher has come to her from another world, another time. She has found out that he is now here to protect her, although the first time they met he was ordered to kill her. Even more, he is responsible for the tragedy in her life, her father’s loss, along with other crimes that haunt his past. He is looking for redemption of his soul through his love for her and she is willing to offer him anything he asks because she is desperately in love with him. But what hope can there be when you are in love with a soldier of the future, a trained assassin?
They both know their love is condemned but are determined to fight against the odds till the odds beat them down. When the powerful rulers of the future threaten Emma’s life again, Christopher sacrifices his soul to save her by becoming the same monster he used to be.
But Emma is not willing to accept his sacrifice. This time she will be the one to save him, with the help of his former comrades, the Crusaders.
K.S. Where can we find your novel?
U.S. You can order it from Amazon on this link
http://www.amazon.com/Gate-Deadlock-Urania-Sarri/dp/055708217X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260805721&sr=8-1
Or from Lulu.com
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/gate-deadlock/5658351
It’s also available by Barnes and Noble and all the major wholesalers.
K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
U.S. My blog, “Urania’s distractions” is fairly new . You are all welcome to follow http://uraniasarri.blogspot.com/ . There’s a giveaway for “Gate Deadlock” at the moment. You can also find out about me and my book on my website:
http://uraniasarri.webs.com/ Once you’re there, sign the guestbook or sign in as members. There are many surprises for the members on the way.
K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?
U.S. To be brave and go for it. It’s worth every single moment even if they sell only one copy of their book. It’s not a matter of profit but of personal achievement and fulfillment.
GATE DEADLOCK
PREFACE
The heat of the summer night did not get to me at all. I felt chills and I was trembling like a leaf, shattered by the news that had struck me like a bolt out of the blue.
Susan, the delirious female Crusader and emissary of the future world, was trying to rationalize Christopher’s decision, searching desperately for comforting words, but I was not listening to her anymore. I opened the drawer of the desk next to me and took my car keys with a fast move before Susan had time to react. It had to be one of the League’s tricks, I thought; although deep down I knew Susan would never lie to me.
I was frantic. I thought of his house. I had to go there, see with my own eyes, his clothes, his books, sense his smell… Maybe it was not too late. Maybe I could still make him change his mind.
I rushed outside and Susan followed me, shouting my name. But I was faster. Despair had been my motive power. I started the car, wasting no time to fasten my seatbelt.
‘It can’t be true… It can’t be happening! Please God, no! Don’t let it be too late. Oh, Christopher, what have you done?’ I repeated to myself, speeding off, my face soaked from the tears. He could not have gone back, hundreds of years away from me, leaving me here. Even worse, he could not have returned to the life that had consumed all his humanity in the past, to the crimes he was desperately trying to redeem his soul from. It would sooner or later destroy him. I should not let him sacrifice himself to save me. I could not allow that. There had to be another way out of that deadlock.
I remembered the words he had whispered to me that night, when I had told him I was determined to fight for us.
‘When you get to a deadlock, will you please remember that I love you… That you are my life… My heart and my soul…belong to you… Wherever I am… Whatever I do… Promise me…you won’t hate me.’ he had pleaded. Their meaning was so clear to me now.
Tears were blocking my view as I clenched the wheel, but that did not keep me from stepping on the gas.
I only caught a glimpse of the car that appeared out of nowhere ignoring the stop sign. My Beetle swerved dangerously in a last effort to avoid the collision and I found myself heading towards a cluster of trees, having lost control of the wheel.
The awful sound of the crash sounded as a blast to my ears. Then, the darkness of the night surrounded me, swallowing me into the blessed oblivion of nothingness.