iUniverse Blog

Paula Renee Burzawa discusses her three books published by iUniverse: Seasons of Sun, Tasso’s Journey, and her most recent, Eternal Stones and Other Stories. Burzawa’s books poignantly capture Greek life and culture.

Please briefly describe your book . . .

Traveling with my family to Greece from the time I was five, connections to our ancestral land grew deep as the country of my mother’s birth became a second home. Through eight consecutive summers, time spent in Greece until I turned twenty-one years old profoundly shaped my identity. But returning to mom’s village as a middle-aged wife, with husband and children tin town, was an entirely different experience. My perspective transformed like a kaleidoscope changing intricate patterns of beauty and observation. The landscape, people and culture altered into a new design all unique and wonderful in its own way. Some changes were humorous, others more profound, and some sad – yet all were beautiful, even as the most heart wrenching moments of love and loss soften the heart in a most sensitive manner.

These heartfelt essays compile those observations, exuding heartwarming recollections gathered throughout return visits to Greece, and especially time spent in the tiny mountain village of Vassara, set deep in the mountains of Parnonas, where seeds of love for Greece were planted decades earlier during teenaged summers. As enduring as the Acropolis columns, adoration for the village remained, thus becoming the setting and muse of my two novels, Seasons of Sun and Tasso’s Journey. In a way, Eternal Stones and Other Stories is a sort of Seasons of Sun sequel, offering true accounts of revisiting a unique utopia, thousands of miles away, where time stands still. Seen with eyes wide open as an adult, as an American, as a Greek, and as Vassara’s #1 fan, I hope my readers will enjoy the journey once more.

And can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am born of Greek heritage, and spent ten summers visiting the ancient village of Vassara, Greece before turning twenty-one. Traveling to my ancestral land has been the basis of my writing, documenting unique insights into my mother’s and grandmother’s homeland. I write for the Arlington Heights Almanac, Vassara-Verroia.com and The Vassara News, an international newspaper. I also am a visiting guest at Elmhurst College, offering seminars on Creative Writing and Poetry to the English Department students. My debut novel, Seasons of Sun earned the Editor’s Choice Award, Rising Star Award, and Reader’s Choice award. My second novel, Tasso’s Journey depicts the love story of my grandparents during World War II and Greece’s Civil War. Eternal Stones and Other Memories of Greece has also been designated with the Editor’s Choice award and is my third book. I live in Arlington Heights, IL with my husband and two children.

Do you have any particular literary influences? What inspired you to write your book?

Harry Mark Petrakis is a New York Times Bestselling author in his 90s who has written over 25 books about Greece, and in particular, the War of Independence when the Greeks overcame the Ottoman Empire that occupied Greece for over 400 years. His depiction of Greece and its incredible people have always inspired me. Petrakis is a master storyteller, with artistic ability like no other. He paints the Greek landscape and its amazingly strong people so vibrantly – readers feel they have stepped into his story from the first page, and they are kept enraptured until the very end.

What is the one message you would like to convey to your readers?

In Seasons of Sun, my message was simple – that miracles really do happen – every day, in sometimes small ways, and sometimes, in very large ways that change us forever. In Tasso’s Journey, the detailed story of my grandfather’s life during WWII and the Greek civil war, my message to readers was that EACH man’s life has great purpose, no matter how ordinary their life may seem. With Eternal Stones, I hope readers gain a greater understanding of the beauty Greece beholds and the hospitality that awaits them in this extraordinary land.

Are you working on a sequel to your book?

Tasso’s Journey was a prequel to Seasons of Sun, but there are a few missing decades in between. I am writing that book now – the story of how my mother, at age 11, boarded a ship with her sister who was 14 and left Greece for America just after WWII. Their arrival to the US is an amazing story I am determined to tell.

Are there any events, marketing ideas, or promotions planned for Eternal Stones?

As I have been once again blessed and honored to receive the Editor’s Choice Award and Rising Star Award for Eternal Stones, I have already begun a book tour that takes me around the country, speaking at various venues to readers of all ages. More details can be found at my website, www.seasonsofsun.com. Although I speak to many Greek groups, I’m always amazed at how much people who have never been to Greece, or know little about the Greek culture enjoy my stories!

What was your favorite part of your publishing experience, overall and with iUniverse?

iUniverse remains a leader in customer service excellence, setting the bar for what customers should expect. As most writers know, turning over a manuscript to a publisher is a bit daunting as we have taken such care for so long of our words, our plot, our art. To trust that manuscript to a company three times over speaks volumes for the trust and satisfaction I find in iUniverse. They care. They help, and if something doesn’t go as planned, they are on it immediately to rectify whatever issues or questions emerge during the process of publication. I have zero complaints and have referred several authors to iUniverse. The graphic design team is amazing and blows me away each time with their lovely cover art and interior design. The copyediting team is superb! The day the ‘printer copy’ arrives, and you hold that book in your hands as a finished product for the first time is the most satisfying day of your writing life, when you say out loud, “I am SO glad I chose iUniverse!”

Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Be disciplined. Writing takes time and there’s a million other things you can eat up your free time doing, but nothing is as satisfying as creating “that” page with “that” dialogue or “that” description that allows you to walk on air the rest of the day. Say no to other things, but don’t put down your writing. The longer you set your project aside, the harder it is to return to it. A certain momentum builds when begin and that energy is what will fuel you until the project is complete. Stay devoted!

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