Marissa Tejada Stops By to Discuss Chasing Athens

Marissa is coming to Writer’s Corner today to share her upcoming novel Chasing Athens.  Thank you

for stopping by!

I think Chasing Athens is a classic women’s fiction/chick-lit story but different in the sense that it has multiple multicultural elements and expat themes.  A sense of place plays a huge role in my heroine’s journey. Thirty-year-old Ava Martin’s is a multi-ethnic main character who finds herself struggling yet flourishing in a foreign country.

The bouts of culture shock and tongue tied attempts at speaking Greek are a just few examples of how the location adds to the story.  The economic crisis weaves itself throughout this romantic comedy as well offering another look at Athens which is featured in a contemporary setting.  I wrote scenes that depict the ugly realities Greeks face today including protests, violence, and unemployment.  On the other hand I also aimed to depict the sheer beauty of the landscapes and islands of Greece in other scenes.

In all, what Ava witnesses with her friends and experiences on her own offer her lessons about life, love and independence. They are lessons she couldn’t learn anywhere else in the world.  I like to think Chasing Athens has its fair share of humor. After all living abroad can be stressful for anyone so laughing along the way is absolutely necessary for survival.

You can purchase Chasing Athens on Amazon or from any other eBook vendor.

Synopsis:

When Ava Martin’s new husband unexpectedly ditches her months after they’ve relocated across the world to Greece, the heartbroken American ex-pat isn’t sure where home is anymore. On the verge of flying back to the States with her tail between her legs, she makes an abrupt decision to follow her gut instead and stay on in Greece. She soon discovers that the tumultuous, culture-rich Mediterranean country is coloring her life in a way no place else can, changing her forever. But is it where she belongs?

Ava’s new found independence throws her into the thick of Athenian reality, where she has brushes with violent police riots and gets a taste of both the alluring islands and the city nightlife. Despite pressure from her mother, uncertainty over her impending divorce, and unresolved issues with her long-estranged father weighing on her, she’s determined to make it on her own. With the help of two very colorful Greek friends, she laughs and learns while facing culture shock, language barriers and the charm of Mediterranean men, until a life-threatening medical emergency back home in sleepy Ithaca, N.Y., forces her to decide where she truly belongs – and what truly matters.

About Marissa:

Chasing Athens is Marissa Tejada’s debut women’s fiction novel. It was recently released under the Terpsichore imprint by eBook romance publisher, Musa Publishing.

Marissa is also full-time freelance journalist and writer specializing in food and wine, technology, and travel writing. She contributes to numerous publications including Fodor’s Travel, Forbes Travel, and Wine Enthusiast, Urban Travel Blog, KLM Holland Herald, Let’s Go with RyanAir and more. She also enjoys blogging for her travel photography blog, my greece, my travels.  

As an award-winning journalist, Marissa has worked across the United States as a television reporter and anchor in Florida, Washington State and Upstate New York. She has also worked in newsrooms in Los Angeles and London and managed high tech PR in San Francisco. Marissa graduated cum laude from the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College.

Marissa loves traveling, learning languages, sipping mochachinos, and devouring dark chocolate.  She currently lives in Athens, Greece.

As well as finding out more about Marissa at her website, you can also catch up with her on Facebook and Twitter.