For those of you who’ve enjoyed Apokeri Bay, you may recall the spiky Aphrodite Café chef who gives Anna a hard time. Agnes also makes a few cameo appearances in Saving Elora and one scene perfectly captures her no-nonsense personality and was incredible fun to write. Take the plunge with Agnes Karapetsa is All at Sea and discover an intriguing backstory.
Did I set out to write Agnes Karapetsa is All at Sea as a novella?
No. Initially, Agnes Karapetsa is All at Sea was supposed to be short and sweet. A ten thousand word story set fifteen years earlier than Apokeri Bay. Well, that plan went out the window because a certain young, ambitious galley chef had other ideas.
Agnes’s adventures on the high seas (well the Mediterranean Sea to be precise) ended up being a shade short of fifty thousand words. And all of them were inspired by a chapter I deleted out of Apokeri Bay. I’m so happy I took the time to bring the twenty-three-year-old Agnes to life and judging by your positive feedback so are you. And it just shows cutting carefully crafted words from one story isn’t a bad thing. It provides a wonderful opportunity to create another one.
Do I need to read Apokeri Bay and Saving Elora first?
No. Although you can if you want to. Agnes Karapetsa is All Sea is a prequel but can also be read as a standalone story.
Across all my stories I set out to show both the good and the bad sides of human nature. After all, isn’t that what life’s all about? I’m driven to push my characters way out of their comfort zones and force them to face the consequences of their actions. Is it wrong to admit I love doing that?
In one respect Agnes Karapetsa is All at Sea is no different from Apokeri Bay and Saving Elora. There’s love, friendship, hope and heartbreak. But then again it isn’t the same at all. For a start this novella isn’t set on Lefkada (although the Greek island of Corfu does make an appearance). And this time there’s a lot more romance. However, because it’s me, the love affairs aren’t all squeaky clean and honest. Let’s just say, people aren’t always playing by the rules during this two-week getaway. Click here to find out more.
I do hope you enjoy the antics of both passengers and crew on this luxury Mediterranean cruise. And I hope I haven’t put you off booking one, or perhaps I might have encouraged you.
Want to grab your fortnight in the sun?
If you want to take the plunge with Agnes Karapetsa is All at Sea, it’s available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle. And you can also order it from bookshops and libraries. Enjoy and drop me a line to let me know what you thought.