Who's That Girl? interview with Eleni Konstantine

Please welcome one of my fellow Dark Side DownUnder members!

Name: Eleni Konstantine.

Where are you? Adelaide, Australia.

How many years have you been a member of Romance Writers of Australia? Hmm….about 13 years. They can’t get rid of me!

What genre/s do you write? Fantasy and paranormal fiction, both in the short and long forms.

Who are your favourite authors? Tough, tough question….so many to name. But here I go - David & Leigh Eddings, Jennifer Roberson, Diana Gabaldon, Keri Arthur, Tracey O’Hara, Denise Rossetti, Jennifer Crusie, J.R Ward, J.D Robb, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Barbara Hannay, Marion Lennox, Nikki Logan, Rachel Bailey, Anne Gracie, Anna Campbell, and many many more…..

What inspired you to write romance? I’ve always loved romance in stories but didn’t’ realize I wanted to write romance myself until I read Diana Gabaldon’s CROSS STITCH (OUTLANDER in the US). I totally fell in love with the characters. Jamie – phwar!

I also loved fantasy, so the cross seemed like a great match to me. It hasn’t been easy to place though.

Who's your dream agent and/or dream publisher? Basically someone who believes in my work and wants to work with me to on my writing as a career instead of just one book. It’s a hard market out there and I have queried some top agents. So far, I’m still waiting. Maybe with the next project… But publishers that I would love to be published are Tor, Ace/Roc, DAW, Berkley – the big names with speculative fiction.

What's the best thing about going to conference? Oh the gas-bagging, hands down.

There is nothing like being with a group of your peers. No one understands me as a writer as other writers do. They don’t think it strange that I have voices in my head. They nod, understanding perfectly.

I suppose I love all aspects of the conference – the networking, the information at sessions, the functions, the pitching, the support, and basically relishing in being in such a great learning atmosphere. It’s such a buzz and I would recommend it to anyone—if can make it, go for it.

Having said that, there is still a feeling of fun and camaraderie with the RWAustralia Clayton’s Conference. So if you can’t make it in person, all is NOT lost.

And lastly, finish these statements...
My greatest strength as a writer is...ha, strength? That I’ve persevered despite barriers to health. I can be a stubborn thing at times. *wink *
A sexy hero needs...a sense of humour, a great smile, and eyes you can get lost in!
My latest WIP (work in progress) is about...OK, which WIP? There’s the fantasy story of a princess and a dragon, who quest to find the lost tribe of dragons. Romance comes in the form of a Traveller. There’s also the novella of the Gateways to Hell and the Warders who guard against evil.  Or the short story about a Gypsy and another about a female paranormal detective.
When I write I like to...eat! And the sad thing is it’s either chips or chocolate lately. I try and substitute with nuts and fruit but it doesn’t always work. Hmmm…I’m feeling peckish!
My best writing milestone to date is...being requested for a full.

Thanks for answering my questions, Eleni!
Thanks for having me here on your fantabulous blog, Kylie. You know how much I love it here!

You can visit Eleni at her website, her blog - Eleni’s Taverna, Twitter, and of course, don’t forget to visit the Dark Side DownUnder blog, where Eleni is the blog mistress.