Featured Urban Fantasy Author - Yannis Karatsioris

Today I introduce you to the last of the featured authors in Pay It Forward—a different and interesting feature. John Karatsioris, real name Yannis Karatsioris, is a 29-year-old Greek born and raised and living in Athens, Greece.

He has already staged a play, published a fantasy novel in Greek and, after winning the gold medal on HarperCollins' competition on authonomy.com with The Book of the Forsaken, is now making his first steps in the publishing world out of Greece. His tastes, dark and sarcastic, guide him to a style reminiscent of Neil Gaiman, Douglas Adams, Jonathon Stroud and Mikhail Bulghakoff.

The Book of the Forsaken Synopsis

A sarcastic storyteller traps three characters in his web in order to get hold of a special book.

Daniel, Cassidy and Igor are three unique individuals, considered outcasts for different reasons. They are about to meet and stick together, as coincidences and forced situations lead them to a journey all around Europe.

As everyone is after the Book of the Forsaken, the coming Game is about to take place on the dark side of the moon. But there is a cost to that knowledge. Let alone to the wish to partake. 

Where did he get the idea for The Book of the Forsaken?

When Yannis read Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" he was inspired to write about the old gods on a more specific basis. How would they survive in a modern world? What would their concerns and every day habits be? Also, he wanted to offer a broader picture regarding "the other side" that has become so popular lately. Yannis wanted to include in one story, spanning a whole series, every creature our imagination has put together the past centuries. "The Game" is that series. It's a Game between the Magi and the Forsaken races, a Game of life or extinction.

If this book was made into a movie, who could you see playing the main roles?

Robert Cassidy - Tony Curran/ Seth Green/ James or Oliver Phelps

Daniel Maladie - Johnny Depp/ Ian Somerhalder

Igor Rubinstein - Adrien Brody

The Narrator - Edward Norton

Adelina Romanka - Helena Bonham Carter

Dragomir Romanka - Ian McKellen

You say you already staged a play. Did you write the play and perform it in Greece? 

Yes. One of the plays I've written was produced on stage in Greece, with me in one of the two leading roles.

Are you a big reader?

Yes, very much so. When I’m not reading and reviewing unpublished work, I indulge myself in some good contemporary fantasy or historical fiction. I’d like to think I’ll find good high/epic fantasy someday again.

Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?

Yes, stupidly so, I have. Read a lot, there’s no other way to know where you stand and what is old or new out there. Write whenever you feel like writing, not whenever others say you have to. "Having to" leads us to imitation, to mass production. 

Why did you self-publish?

Yannis says his writing was good enough for the gold medal in the competition on authonomy.com hosted by HarperCollins UK, but he’s not good at writing query letters…at all.

Links to purchase the book:

Paperback: http://amzn.to/ONiLU3 (U.S.)

http://amzn.to/VbJszP (U.K.)

Kindle

http://amzn.to/Ti141a (U.S.)

http://amzn.to/RLXgU5 (U.K.)

Links to author ‘s sites:

Author Website: http://www.yanniskarats.com/

Goodreads Profile: http://bit.ly/S7m3Bb

I want to thank Yannis for his time and participation in Paying It Forward and to all of my bloggers for showing up and supporting these authors. Now for the last time, get out there and let people know about Yannis Karatsioris. – http://bit.ly/QvPw6t.

Creatures and Mythical Gods,

Bea