NK Chats To…Stephanie Wood

Hello Stephanie. Thank you so much for joining me today and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell us about your new book, Adorable April Afternoons and what inspired it?

Hello, and thanks for inviting me!

I have already written a series of holiday reads set in Greece, but that focuses more on the usual beach and party atmosphere of the popular resorts and I wanted to show what the smaller, less undeveloped islands also have to offer.

Adorable April Afternoons is the first in the GREEK RETREAT trilogy following Jessica, as she attempts to discover the kind of happy ever after which she hopes will create a successful future. She believes she needs the seclusion to make it happen, but the Greek hospitality and rich cultural heritage play a huge part in her search.

What were the challenges in writing this book considering it’s the first in a new series?

The main challenge in creating a new series is to be able to describe the location with some detail, without dumping all the information on the reader at once. In order to explain what the characters are doing and why they behave in certain ways, it’s helpful to have a good understanding of their current neighbourhood, but it can be tempting to reveal too much too quickly.

What’s your typical writing day like, do you have a favourite writing spot and any writing rituals?

When I first started writing more than twenty years ago, I had a PC on a desk overlooking my back garden and would always write in the afternoon. More recently, I frequently suffer from episodes of chronic fatigue syndrome, so I now have a laptop and just write in whatever space I feel comfortable at whatever time my body allows.

If you were creating a playlist for Adorable April Afternoons, which songs would you include?

I suppose it would be some of my favourite summer songs:

Lovely Day by Bill Withers

Ocean Drive by Lighthouse Family

La Isla Bonita by Madonna

Mr Blue Sky by ELO

Echo Beach by Martha and the Muffins

From idea to finished book, how long does it take you to typically write a novel? How do you know when you’ve done enough research and editing?

I don’t necessarily write one book at a time when I’m writing a series because I’m always coming up with ideas for the secondary characters in another book, which I then need to sketch out in case I forget.

After the first draft has been completed, which can be anything from 2 – 5 months, I spend another month rewriting and editing before it reaches more professional eyes. Feedback is always gratefully received and I suppose I know it’s finally ready when no further amendments are suggested.

What’s your favourite word and why? Also, is there a word you don’t like and hate using/hearing?

I didn’t think I had a favourite word until you asked that, but the first thing that came to mind is “shenanigans” which I do tend to use at least once in each book. I think it creates an impression of the atmosphere without having to go into specifics.

I don’t think there are any words that I hate, but I’m not keen on the “un” words like uncomfortable, unkind, unpleasant, etc. for obvious reasons.

What type of scene do you find hardest to write?

I don’t generally write sad scenes. When I’m reading, I want to be entertained and feel happy about the story, so I never read a book that would make me want to cry and, therefore, I choose not to write them either.

Do you believe in writers block and if so, any advice on how to overcome it?

I’m a plotter, so there is a lot of scene-setting and role playing before I even attempt to start putting words on the page, which means I don’t really get writer’s block. I play with different ideas for weeks before piecing the bits together, then I create a guideline of what should happen in each chapter to get the pacing right, giving me a solid plan of action when I am ready to start. When I’m writing, it’s just a simple process of putting all those scenes down in black and white, rather than still looking for ideas. I do envy the pantsers who can just start with an idea and develop it as they go along, because I couldn’t do it and would end up in a big mess!

In your opinion, what elements are essential for a good, compelling story?

My starting point is always to have believable characters who you can sympathise with, because then you want to know that they can succeed in what they are setting out to achieve.

In addition, I like to create realistic landscapes and I’m lucky that I mostly set my books in Greece, which has the perfect backdrop.

Any other advice for aspiring writers?

If you are aiming for financial success, it is imperative to learn about the market you want to attract and follow the guidelines for that genre but, if you simply love writing and telling stories, write from the heart and the satisfaction you create from being true to yourself will be worth more than money can provide.

Would you rather –

Have the ability to see into the future or be able to visit the past?

When I was younger, I was always interested to discover what the future held, but now that I’ve lost both my mum and dad, I would dearly love to go back to a memorable day in the past to spend it with them again.

Have the ability to move things with your mind or read minds?

I often dream that I do have the ability to move things with my mind, so I would have to say that. It probably would be too disturbing to read some peoples’ minds!

Would you rather have magical powers here on earth or live in a magical place without powers?

I’m not really a fan of fantasy, so it’s hard to imagine either, but I think we could all do with a bit of magic here on earth to sort things out at the moment so, yeah, why not?

Sing or dance to your favourite song for the rest of your life?

Well, my dancing nights at the Hacienda in the 80s and my clubbing nights in the 90s might have cause to disagree, but while I’m currently not in a position to throw shapes anymore, I would happily sing my way through eternity.

Have money or power?

I’m not really interested in either, unless they provide an answer to homelessness.

Have an endless summer or winter?

Summer. No question.

Drink tea or coffee?

I can’t have caffeine, so I have green tea in the morning and camomile in the afternoon.

See the movie or read the book first?

Book first. Always.

Read a Paperback or eBook?

Like most readers I love a paperback, but eBook is much more transportable for trips and holidays.

About Stephanie Wood –

Stephanie writes contemporary fiction in the form of novels, novellas and short stories and her books explore a wide range of life’s challenges, dreams and responsibilities. The stories are all character based, so she has fun expressing each unique personality and the reasons behind their actions in a setting which always has a strong sense of community.

She published the AEGEAN SUN series of books as a fly-on-the-wall vision of life in a Greek resort during the summer season, the CHRISTMAS ON THE CLOSE series is set in a British suburban cul-de-sac over the festive period and the GREEK RETREAT trilogy is planned for publication in 2025.

Stephanie lives in Lancashire where, apart from reading and writing, she loves gardening and cycling and is a huge fan of the soaps Emmerdale and Neighbours.

Say hello to Stephanie on Facebook, Twitter (X) and Bluesky. 

About Adorable April Afternoons – 

Jessica is escaping to the Greek Retreat to discover if running away from a broken engagement really can lead to a happy ever after. She doesn’t believe life works that way, but her future could depend on it.

The Greek island of Kynos is an idyllic hideaway, offering its visitors the space and time needed to truly appreciate the traditional hospitality. The locals are always friendly and ready to entertain their guests, while the daily activities offer many different ways to explore the island and its heritage.

Jessica is hoping The Retreat will provide everything she needs in order to plan for a successful future, but has she left it too late?

The Greek Retreat is a trilogy of standalone tales full of sunshine, surprises and love.

Adorable April Afternoons is book one of The Greek Retreat series and was released on 20th March 2025. Click here to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.