by Debby Mayne
Debby: A delightful Greek community on the Gulf of Mexico, Tarpon Springs has its own flavor and personality that attracts thousands of visitors every month. Walk along the Sponge Docks on Dodecanese Boulevard, and you'll not only smell the aroma of savory food wafting from the kitchens of authentic Greek restaurants, you'll hear the strains of Greek music and shouts of "Opa!" as waiters place delectable dishes in front of guests. Many of the merchants and residents in Tarpon Springs are first- and second-generation immigrants who have customs they've brought to their new home.
Q: How do you hope that readers will connect with the characters of this novel?
Debby: Members of this Greek community are fiercely loyal to those in their immediate families as well as people they've "adopted." I want my readers to get a sense of this through the Papadopoulos family in the story. Nick's parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins won't allow Alabama-born Paula to feel like an outsider. They include her in family activities to give her the sense of belonging that she needs. Of course, they have an ulterior motive of matchmaking, and they do their share of meddling to help Paula and Nick see the love they'll miss if they don't come to their senses.
Q: How were you able to lend authenticity to this story through its setting?
Debby: I show some of the Tarpon Springs culture with a blend of some real places and others I created for the story. The fictional family restaurant and bakery are typical of what visitors will see when they visit the real Sponge Docks on Dodecanese Boulevard, which runs along the Anclote River. The Sponge Docks host all kinds of shops offering souvenirs, Greek apparel, sponges, soaps, candles, and of course delicious Greek food—including baklava (of course!). Visitors can even take a boat ride and a tour of a sponge museum to learn how divers harvest the sponges.
Q: Just how important a part does "baklava" itself play?
Debby: As the creator of this story, I took the liberty of giving Paula a weakness for baklava, which becomes the bait for the Papadopoulos women to bring Nick and Paula together every chance they get. There are as many recipes for baklava as there are Greek families. Baklava takes time to make, but it is absolutely delicious, sweet, and worth the time and effort—just like the nurturing of a loving family.
Want to learn more about author
Debby Mayne and check out other great fiction
from Abingdon Press?
Sign up for our fiction newsletter at
www.AbingdonPress.com/fiction
to read interviews with your favorite authors, find tips
for starting a reading group, and stay posted on what
new titles are on the horizon. It's a place to connect
with other fi ction readers or post a
comment about this book.
Be sure to visit Debby online!
www.debbymayne.com
http://debbymayne.blogspot.com
What they're saying about...
Gone to Green, by Judy Christie
"...Refreshingly realistic religious fiction, this novel is unafraid to address the injustices of sexism, racism, and corruption as well as the spiritual devastation that often accompanies the loss of loved ones. Yet these darker narrative tones beautifully highlight the novel's message of friendship, community, and God's reassuring and transformative love." —Publishers Weekly starred review
The Call of Zulina, by Kay Marshall Strom
"This compelling drama will challenge readers to remember slavery's brutal history, and its heroic characters will inspire them. Highly recommended."— Library Journal starred review
Surrender the Wind, by Rita Gerlach
"I am purely a romance reader, and yet you hooked me in with a war scene, of all things! I would have never believed it. You set the mood beautifully and have a clean, strong, lyrical way with words. You have done your research well enough to transport me back to the war-torn period of colonial times."—Julie Lessman, author of The Daughters of Boston series
One Imperfect Christmas, by Myra Johnson
"Debut novelist Myra Johnson ushers us into the Christmas season with a fresh and exciting story that will give you a chuckle and a special warmth."—DiAnn Mills, author of Awaken My Heart and Breach of Trust
The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow, by Joyce Magnin
"Beware of The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow. Just when you have become fully enchanted by its marvelous quirky zaniness, you will suddenly be taken to your knees by its poignant truth-telling about what it means to be divinely human. I'm convinced that 'on our knees' is exactly where Joyce Magnin planned for us to land all along." —Nancy Rue, co-author of Healing Waters (Sullivan Crisp Series) 2009 Novel of the Year
The Fence My Father Built, by Linda S. Clare
"...Linda Clare reminds us with her writing that is wise, funny, and heartbreaking, that what matters most in life are the people we love and the One who gave them to us."—Gina Ochsner, Dark Horse Literary, winner of the Oregon Book Award and the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction
eye of the god, by Ariel Allison
"Filled with action on three continents, eye of the god is a riveting fast-paced thriller, but it is Abby—who, in spite of another letdown by a man, remains filled with hope—who makes Ariel Allison's tale a super read."—Harriet Klausner
www.AbingdonPress.com/fiction