Author Claudia Kielich grew up in New York, but now calls Los Angeles home. Keep reading to learn how she discovered Greece and what led her to write about it.
Q&A with Claudia Kielich
American Author Claudia Kielich began her writing life years ago in New York, but these days, she’s writing about Greece. Read on to learn more.
ABOUT CLAUDIA KIELICH
Where are you from?
I grew up in Buffalo, New York.
Where do you live now?
I moved to Los Angeles to work at Universal Studios, and still live here.
Do write full time or do you have a “day” job?
I have a day job. My travel company, Goddesses Go to Greece, a mythological tour of Greece for women, keeps me busy.
TRAVEL TO GREECE
When did you first go to Greece?
I visited Greece for the first time 30 years ago when my sister married a Greek officer with a luxury liner.
What made you fall in love with Greece?
I fell in love with the people of Greece, my extended family and their friends, then with the architecture and history. There is always a conversation about historical sites, mythology, language, and literature.
WRITING ABOUT GREECE
When did you start writing?
I got into writing when I got my first job in television and was asked to write public service announcements and then commercials. I guess it is in my blood. Then I then moved to New York City and joined Radio City Music Hall as a writer/producer in live entertainment.
When did you know you had to write about Greece?
The light of Greece has been an inspiration to writers and painters for centuries and it drew me in.
I chose to write about my experiences in Greece to help other women going through a personal life transition like divorce. I set out to explore my inner goddess in Greece. After traveling to Greece every summer over the years to visit my family, I began to apply Greek mythology to my circumstances.
What inspires you?
The five senses. I write about everyday people, simple cooking, beaches, trees, music, and most of all — fun.
BOOKS
When did you publish your first book?
In 2023. It’s called Greek Island Adventures: Escapades for the Sophisticated Traveler (OXPIERN HOUSE, 2023). It includes years of colorful stories I wrote while traveling throughout Greece and the Greek Islands and how I transformed from a lost soul to a goddess.
How many books have you published so far?
Two. The second is based on my experience as a solo traveler. Being in the travel business, I realized the increase in the popularity of solo travel right now and I feel by writing Traveling Solo – 75 Winning Tips for the Solo Traveler (Oxnip, 2024) is a contribution I can make to this new wonderful traveler. I want to take the fear out of traveling solo especially for women and since I began traveling solo at a young age, 32 to be exact, when it was unusual for women to be traveling alone for business, I created my own safety tips.
How have they been received?
I’m happy to say the books have been received quite well. Greek Island Adventures has been promoted not only as a book to enjoy prior and on your vacation to Greece to assist with all the exciting expectations, it also has a terrific armchair reader audience. Readers who are not going to Greece because of a variety of circumstances but always dreamed of going.
WRAPPING UP
What’s next for you?
I’m working on my next book, an adaptation of a screenplay I wrote on a true story about a billionaire, romance, a kidnapping, Los Angeles women tourists, and most of all the payoff! I know this is backwards in the adaptation world but that is what makes it fun. I’m also hosting ‘Transformation Through Travel’ retreats in Greece. Think self-discovery through reading and writing about your inner goddess.
Anything else you want to share?
I enjoy reading philosophy, mythology, astrology, geography, and anything about travel. My favorite writers include Daisaku Ikeda, Montaigne, Jonas Saul, and Virginia Woolf.
CONNECT WITH CLAUDIA KIELICH
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