interview – Colette Ni Reamonn Ioannidou about her SHORT STORIES

Interview with Colette Ni Reamonn Ioannidou, the author of the two short story collections

TO LIVE OR NOT TO LIVE and TO DIE OR NOT TO DIE

…stories about life, death and everything in between…

Colette Ni Reamonn Ioannidou’s books (Kindle and paperback version) can be found on the Internet, e.g. amazon.com and amazon.co.uk or purchased directly from armida publications.

How would you describe your two short story collections to a new reader?

My mother and my husband died of cancer. My daughter fought it; her daughter is a miracle. I almost died at age three, many old friends are gone, I know Death personally. I was in Cyprus during the Invasion, so death in war is also in my learning curve. We live with death in all its forms all around us. It’s how we cope with it that counts, and that’s where life comes in. We have a measure of control over life, little over how we die. The stories were my exploration of both subjects.

How long have you been working on these two books?

Some stories came from old files. The newer ones were started in the summer of 2010. It’s been a year to spit and polish.

How come Death and Life became the main subjects of your stories?

It’s the journey we all face no matter who we are. Rich or poor, we all have to travel the same beginning, struggling for air as we emerge from a womb. And we leave breathing a last sigh of earthly air, the perfect circle. The differences of the ‘in betweens’ is what makes or breaks us. (see 1)

What has been the hardest part of writing?

Finding time, fingers that split in cold weather!

Your stories always include great details, which allow the reader to immerse into the action. What’s your source of inspiration? Have real experiences inspired you to write certain stories?

A writer has to have imagination not only to observe but to put him or herself into the shoes of the subjects about whom they write. However, life often offers marvellous snippets of stories that can be moulded or whittled, so that the combination of mind and material evolve into one entity. My two islands are rich in source material.

Are there any authors (living or dead) that you would name as influences?

Hemmingway, Steinbeck, Russell Braddon, Edna O’ Brien, John le Carre, Con Iggulden, among many others, some serious, some frivolous. The only books I could read when my husband died were the stories of James Herriot. He made me laugh. I love reading about ancient archaeology but would be a useless archaeologist, no memory for dates.

What did you learn from writing these short stories?

The satisfaction of completion. The slowly dawning awe of having books in hand instead of on a screen. I always want more time to work. If I never published anything I would still write, it’s my life therapy.

Is there something you would like to ask your readers?

Can you identify with any of the characters or emotions? Do the places and people seem real to you apart from the fact that some are dealing with ghosts?

Is there anything specific you would like to tell them?

How important they are. Without them, we would be nowhere. A writer writes for him/herself but a large part of the blessing is the pleasure you get via feedback from those who read you and enjoy or appreciate what you created. The reader gives us impetus to continue and feel valued members of society.

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Colette Ni Reamonn Ioannidou’s books (Kindle and paperback version) can be found on the Internet, e.g. amazon.com and amazon.co.uk or purchased directly from armida publications.

Find Colette on Goodreads!