Maria Vermisoglou is a fantasy and fairytale author who loves throwing her heroes into impossible situations, drawing inspiration from travels and…the ceiling.

Her first book, The Cursed Girl was published in 2018 and surpassed her expectations with a second place award in the TCK Awards. 

When she’s not writing, she loves enjoying a ride on the fantasy dragon, but a book can also be exciting along with a cup of tea.

She’s currently residing in Crete as a librarian and battling supernatural creatures from overcoming the world.

Second place winner in the First Annual Indie Awards as the Favorite New Female Author. Nominated as the 2019 Top Female Author by The Authors Show.

You can find more about her upcoming series at  https://maraki2311.wixsite.com/creativequill

1. Will you tell us about your most recent published work? 

My most recent work is The Kingdom of Sand and Wishes Boxset. It's an Aladdin retelling and I collaborated with some other authors for that. It was my first experience in collaboration and it was so wonderful. My story is the last of the boxset and is set in Spain and there's a djinn called Alyssa who...Wait! I'm not supposed to tell you that! You have to pre-order it to find out what's in store for the heroes and the evil magic lamp.

2. What personal challenges do you face as a writer? 

I was born in Greece and somehow, I managed to write and publish an English book in 2018. I didn't know how things worked on the other side of the ocean and even now that I have more experience, I still don't know a lot of things. The most challenging though is marketing and writing. Nobody knows what works in marketing, you just try and hope for the best. Writing has many challenges since every story is different. But it's the challenges that make the stories unique. 

3. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process? 

Trying to get the story to talk to me and of course, procrastination. I am not a planner and let the stories talk so when they stop talking, I'm lost. But I have yet to face a writer's block which is good but I have faced a story's denial, revenge, and so many other funny things. Procrastination is the enemy of every writer but when I want to write, I try to minimize the distractions.  

4. What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

 Technology. Yes, technology has helped us in a lot of ways but it's also bad in more than one way. As a writer, I tend to check emails and social media and not write. If social media didn't exist, every writer would have been happier in terms of writing.

5. How did publishing your first book change your process of writing? 

My first book opened the gate for new connections, adventures, and stories. While it's not the best as I write much better now, it will forever be my favorite story. 

6. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? Will you tell us about them? 

Too many to count. I'm just going to name a few. I have a story about a mannequin who after a turn of fate, her glass window breaks and she walks free. She travels the world, meeting legends and supernatural beings. Sitting on the pile for a while is a story about a genius who experienced bad things from an early age and is a runaway. Fortunately, the story made it to the writing stage and I hope to finish it this year. Beware the Violet was a short story until it decided it wanted its own novel. Can you believe that? Lastly, Aladdin's story inspired some Red Riding Hood story so I'll be writing about Red chasing demons. I think I'll stop here. The rest...

7. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones? 

The first time I got a bad review I was really hurt but with time, I realized it didn't matter. Everyone can't like every book but for writers, bad reviews hurt because it's personal. An author has poured tears and sweat to his/her book so a part of their soul is in it. I always read reviews good and bad and the good always make my day shine like the sunrise.

8. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

 In my first book which is a part of a series, I have hidden clues and smart readers might find them and then they'll know what will happen next in the series. Maybe...

9. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer? 

I have lots of author friends but I can't possibly name them all. They're too many and I wouldn't be doing any justice if I only named a few. Every writer has helped me in his/her own unique way and I have learned a lot of things. Not only about writing but sometimes for life. I love how supportive our Indie community is and having writer friends makes me feel weird among the weirds. They understand, help and the best? We don't even know each other! It's a wonderful feeling!

10. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? 

Don't worry so much. It will be just fine. As long as you dream...

11. What are common traps for aspiring writers? 

There are a lot of traps but for me, vanity publishers and publishers who offer to self-publish for you is one of the most dangerous traps for young writers. These two are only after the money and writers never see a penny. It's sad that such things exist but aspiring writers must be careful. Research first!

12. What’s the best way to market your books?

 I have no idea. Posting your book in social media groups is a good marketing technique as well as ads.

13. What is your favorite childhood book?

 I am an obsessed reader so I can't possibly pick just one but I'll give you one of the books that changed my life: Harry Potter. If it wasn't for J.K. Rowling, I would still hate books and I would have certainly never considered to become a writer. I owe her much!

Social Media:

Website: https://maraki2311.wixsite.com/wonderpen 

fb page: www.facebook.com/thecursedgirl16 

instagram: @portal_to_the_unknown