UK-based Author Jackie Watson loves Greece so much, she’s set her novels there. Keep reading to learn more about her and her work.
Q&A with Jackie Watson
Jackie Watson is from the UK and has set her novels on the Greek island of Lefkada. Keep reading to find out more.
ABOUT JACKIE WATSON
Where are you from? Tell us a little about you.
I was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK so I’m what’s called a Geordie and proud to be one. I’ve lived in North East England most of my life, except for three sizeable chunks of time spent travelling in Australia, New Zealand, America and along the UK and Ireland coastline. I went to university as a mature student and then spent the next twenty years as a marketing professional. And then in 2020 the writing bug got me. I believe in taking chances rather than looking back and grumbling, “If only I’d done x,y,z..”.
Do you write full time or do you have a “day” job?
I’d love to write full time but currently I juggle writing with a day job. I’m the office manager for an extremely talented landscape architecture practice and I’m extremely lucky that they fully support my writing career.
TRAVEL TO GREECE
When did you visit Greece for the first time? Why?
I was eighteen and for my first holiday without the parents I had a shoe-string budget for a fortnight of sea, sand and sun. This was back in the day when you went to a travel agent and picked up holiday brochures. I remember sitting on the sofa with my friend and flicking through the glossy pages with photos of perfect blue skies, gorgeous beaches and distinctive, white-washed houses. We were both sold and booked a self-catering package deal to Corfu. That’s where my love of Greece began.
What made you choose to write a book set in Greece?
The simple truth is a dream. Or more precisely a recurring dream. For months and months, they’d start the same with a young woman trekking down a Greek hillside with two friends and they’d arrive parched with thirst at a bike rental shop. As the intense dreams developed the young woman met various characters, fell in love with the picturesque Greek seaside village and decided to stay. The dreams were so vivid that there’s no other way to put this other than I was compelled to write what turned out to be Apokeri Bay. But once I started to write it, I quickly realised this wasn’t going to be a stand-alone. This was going to be a trilogy.
Where do you get your ideas/inspiration?
I’m inspired by all those authors who have the wonderful gift of great storytelling. I’m inspired by that amazing, uplifting and joyous feeling you get after finishing a fantastic book. For me reading is pure escapism where I’ve laughed and cried. That’s what inspired me. I want to be an author who produces those emotions through their writing and invents stories that people love and want to read again and again.
BOOKS
How many books have you published?
I’ve published two books so far.
When did you publish your first book?
My books are contemporary fiction, mainly set on the beautiful Greek island of Lefkada. The trilogy charts the story of a feisty young British woman called Anna who arrives in Apokeri with friends. She falls in love with the quaint fishing village full of secrets and ends up with some of her own. The story spans twenty years as Anna is welcomed into the tight-knit community with complex characters and must face the consequences of the lies she has chosen to tell. Apokeri Bay came out in June 2023.
Talk about your latest book.
Published in May 2024, Saving Elora is the sequel to Apokeri Bay and is set 10 years later. Anna has constructed a seemingly perfect Greek island life, but cracks are starting to appear. When unwanted and unexpected visitors land on her doorstep, they threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. The fast-paced sequel also introduces brilliant new characters including a Mafia don, a childless wife, an adulterous husband, a widow haunted by the past and a con artist. I’ve deliberately raised the stakes in this emotional and explosive novel to push my characters to their breaking point. I’ve also introduced more locations so although the central place remains Greece, readers get to enjoy Thailand, Italy and Switzerland. The final part of the trilogy will be published next year.
WRAPPING UP
What’s next for you?
My novella will be published soon. It’s just shy of fifty thousand words and set on a Mediterranean cruise ship. The protagonist Agnes is a minor Apokeri Bay character, and we step back in time to fifteen years before the events in Apokeri Bay. What happens on this particular cruise will change her life forever.
My main focus now is hitting my editor’s deadline for the final part of the ‘Apokeri Bay’ trilogy and then gearing everything up for publication next year. In the trilogy, I created characters with interesting back stories, and I’ve got a possible whodunit idea for one of them set in America. I’m also mulling over an idea for a historical Greek-based series and also a British-based crime series. Before 2020 I never thought I could write a novel and now I have so many ideas. There’s more to come.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I have to say a massive thank you Peter for inviting me to feature on your website and to be in the company of so many great authors.
My books are available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited and can also be ordered from bookshops and libraries. If you do enjoy my little slices of Greek escapism please consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads and to keep up with my latest news sign up to my newsletter.
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