Q&A With Maria Vermisoglou

1) Tell us about your book

The book follows Zaz, who’s trying to make a living while taking care of her sick mother. Until one day, her best friend gives her a statuette of Themis, goddess of Justice, and everything changes. Gods are real and so are the monsters. The darkness covers the city, and the world is in peril. Will Zaz believe in herself and her powers before it’s too late?

2) Why did you focus on mythology/legends from that particular region?

It all started with the cover. Two friends showed it to me at the same time (!) so how could I say no? Since I’m Greek, I’m familiar with most mythology legends. Although, to be honest, I didn’t know that one. I researched the original myth, but to my utter surprise, there were only three paragraphs dedicated to Themis, so I made my own story, combining myths and monsters. Hopefully, I did the story justice.

3) Who is your favorite mythical figure?

Athena, goddess of wisdom. To win with cleverness instead of brutal force is something magical. Besides, the expressions on the others’ faces is reward enough. Ha, ha. But in all seriousness, Athena rocks. I believe she ranks above all gods because she’s smart.

4) if you could choose to hang out with one mythical God, who would it be and why?

Athena, so I can learn from the best. She has some interesting adventures where she used her brains and still won.

5) Do you plan on writing similar books in the future?

Yes! Zaz was the first installment of the Powers Rising series and there will be more to follow. Each one will feature a different god/goddess. My next story will be about Tyche, goddess of Luck!

Maria Vermisoglou is the author of multiple paranormal fantasy books and has an obsession for bringing witches to life.

Maria's Website