The lovely Tessa Afshar returns to the blog to talk about her latest Biblical tale, Thief of Corinth, her affection for her sofa, and why her character Theo won’t let her go! I hope you enjoy getting to know Tessa and her novel a little better. There’s a giveaway to enter as well, thanks to Tyndale House.

Over to you, Tessa!

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Why do you tell stories?

What? You mean it’s possible to do something else for a living? I tell stories because I feel I was born to do just that, though on hard days I am liable to forget that truth.

Your favourite place to read

Curled up on the sofa, with my hubby curled up on the other side.

Best meal of the day

Breakfast. It’s the fastest and easiest to prepare and usually involves chocolate and almond butter. A winning combination!

Most beloved childhood book

Daddy Long Legs

If your life was a TV show, what would it be?

Sherlock, because writing historical fiction is a lot like sleuthing impossible cases.

Some of Tessa’s “light” reading 😉

Whose music inspires you?

Lauren Daigle and Matt Maher

What ice-cream flavour would you be?

Vanilla with different toppings. My life is a mix of the ordinary, and exotic. Vanilla for the ordinary, and wild toppings to capture the parts that only God could have thought of.

The most recent novel you read

Beth Moore’s The Undoing of Saint Silvanus. Loved it.

What’s your current book recommendation?

Water From My Heart by Charles Martin. And The Selection by Kiera Cass for YA readers.

Name a book character you can’t forget

Just one? My brain is teeming with them. Jane Eyre, Mr. Darcy, Aslan, Gandalf, Atticus Finch to name a few. They are my old friends. Fortunately, they get along with my in-the-real-world friends. Well, most of the time.

Dream travel destination

One trip that would include a stop in every country where my books are sold. And getting to meet the readers in person.

Thief of Corinth

First-century Corinth is a city teeming with commerce and charm. It’s also filled with danger and corruption-the perfect setting for Ariadne’s greatest adventure.

After years spent living with her mother and oppressive grandfather in Athens, Ariadne runs away to her father’s home in Corinth, only to discover the perilous secret that destroyed his marriage: though a Greek of high birth, Galenos is the infamous thief who has been robbing the city’s corrupt of their ill-gotten gains.

Desperate to keep him safe, Ariadne risks her good name, her freedom, and the love of the man she adores to become her father’s apprentice. As her unusual athletic ability leads her into dangerous exploits, Ariadne discovers that she secretly revels in playing with fire. But when the wrong person discovers their secret, Ariadne and her father find their future-and very lives-hanging in the balance.

When they befriend a Jewish rabbi named Paul, they realize that his radical message challenges everything they’ve fought to build, yet offers something neither dared hope for.

What was the working title?

It was always called Thief of Corinth.

Describe your book in 5 adjectives

Romantic, surprising, emotional, encouraging, historical.

Which character did you enjoy writing most?

Probably Theo. I liked him so much that I have decided to bring him back for the third book in this series. In Thief of Corinth, we find out about Theo’s past. In the final book of the series, hopefully we will find out about his future.

Which character gave you the most grief?

Ariadne. She is very athletic and I like my sofa. A lot. So it was hard to write authentically about someone whose physical world is so different from mine. Ariadne is a complex character. She is clever and stubborn and loving and rebellious and loyal all in one. And she narrates the story, so we sometimes fought about what she should say.

What emotions do you think your story will generate in readers?

Well, when they get to the scene with the unabashed bathroom humour, I hope they laugh out loud. But I suspect they may well up in a few places as well. Along the way, as they turn the pages to find out what happens next, I hope their hearts quiet down long enough to ask: is that me? Have I ever been that lonely, that desperate to win approval, that unforgiving, that stubborn, that determined to have my own way?

What emotions did you experience while writing this story?

There was one scene where Theo confronted his foster father that was especially charged for me. I remember I cried when I wrote the words for that exchange. My heart broke for him as he finally expressed the hurt that had accumulated over the years.

Writing a book is always an emotional experience, at least for me. It brings me to my knees, and regularly drives me to the end of myself. Can I pull it off one more time? Can I tell this story in an authentic way that will draw my readers into this world and allows them to emerge encouraged, or even healed in some way? In the midst of writing, I repeatedly hit moments where I feel that it is impossible. Writing is a grace-driven endeavour.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Because I write biblical fiction, some of the names are predetermined. Others have to be period correct and culturally appropriate. I don’t have a wide selection if I want to be historically accurate. And obviously I do!

Thank you so much for inviting me to hang out with your readers again, Rel. It is always a pleasure.

A delight to have you, Tessa!

Relz Reviewz Extras
All Things Afshar @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Tessa’s website and blog
Buy from Amazon: Thief of Corinth or Koorong

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