Since Sunsets in Oia was released in November 2013, I've been frequently asked by people what parts of my book are based in reality and what is purely fictional.

My past as a journalist heavily influenced my decisions when planning and writing this novel. I wanted it to feel as real as possible for a fictional story. That's why I interviewed the people who helped me, read countless articles and books about Greek culture, and eventually flew all the way to Santorini to write the book. The knowledge I gained and experiences I had during that 10-day writing retreat provided invaluable inspiration, thus blurring the line between fact and fiction even further.

So, let's get it straight once and for all.

The story of Sunsets in Oia and its plot are fictional. However, a few pieces of the puzzle were inspired by things I saw and people I met on the island, so I will now lend my fans some clarification. Part One of this article focuses on the characters.

Selene — Many people seem to think that Selene and I are one and the same, that she is my alter ego, but this isn't true. However, I will admit small parts of my personality were used to enrich this character. When I was creating her, I tried to imagine myself in another life. Who would I be? What would I be like? I love my life the way it is, but if I could choose to be any other person, I think it would be quite fun to be Selene. Recently, one reader even pointed out to me that our names are a bit similar, and used this to argue we're the same person. Again, this isn't the case. I chose the name Selene for a very specific reason. In Greek mythology, Selene is the goddess of the moon. In ancient depictions, she is often paired with a crescent moon. The island of Santorini is also crescent-shaped, and I thought those parallels made the name a rather poetic choice.

Nikos — I'm frequently asked if Nikos was inspired by a real person, perhaps a handsome Greek man with whom I had a steamy vacation romance during my writing retreat. Wrong! Nikos is completely fictional. He's merely a male fantasy of mine that I felt was deserving of being put in print. (Here's hoping my readers agree!) When it came to choosing his name, I decided to go with something that was easy to pronounce but was still obviously Greek. His surname was chosen after I searched through a regional online phone directory. I wanted it to be a family name that was common to the Aegean.

Several secondary and tertiary characters in Sunsets in Oia were named after real people. This was my way of paying tribute to them for their help during the research or writing phases. These characters are those that qualify:

Pavlo  — As mentioned in a previous blog post, I was guided in the research phase by my Greek music guru, Pavlo. I met him when he performed with his band in Ottawa, and we chatted on the phone a few days later. He offered great advice and helped turn me on to some of Greece's most influential folk-music artists, which in turn greatly influenced Selene's musical evolution in the book. I feel very fortunate to have such a talented friend and supporter, and naming this character after him was my way of paying tribute to his guidance.

Vicky, Maria, Spiro and Lewis  — These four characters were named after real people I met during my writing retreat. Spiro and Maria Kokkalis own Laokasti Villas, the traditional hotel that became my home during my stay in Oia. Their daughter Vicky practically ran the hotel by herself that season, while Maria and Spiro focused most of their energy on the restaurant. This family was incredibly supportive of my visit and its purpose, frequently answering my questions and offering advice. A young Brit named Lewis was working for them that summer, too. He liked to chat about the book's progress, and he even helped with some research during his time off. The book's authenticity would have suffered greatly without these four people, who treated me like family during those 10 days.

Olivier and Hélène  — This couple was named after two real people. Olivier is a friend I knew in Ottawa, who once told me an amusing story about how he hoped his life might be in the future. Its details inspired me to imagine him as a successful, middle-aged man and write him into the book. His "arm candy" got her name from an incredibly inspiring young Canadian named Hélène Campbell, who underwent a double-lung transplant in April 2012 at the age of 20 to treat advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. While on the waiting list, she started an awareness campaign through social media to promote organ donation, which eventually gained the support of Justin Bieber, Ellen DeGeneres and the international media. Hélène's popularity triggered a drastic increase in organ donor registrations. Her story inspired me so much that I felt compelled to include her somehow in my own story.

The remaining supporting characters, including Andrew, Roger and Ryan, are essentially pure fiction. However, some of Sophia and Georgios' mannerisms (e.g.: Sophia's loud voice, Georgios' habit of stroking worry beads) were loosely based on observations of Maria and Spiro Kokkalis during my stay at Laokasti Villas.

Lastly, four individuals are mentioned in the novel who are, in fact, real people. Roman, the waiter at Terpsi, is written to exactly mirror the real man. I treated myself to dinner at that restaurant one evening and struck up a conversation with Roman, who later introduced me to some wonderful places in the village during the rest of my stay. We're still friends to this day. Additionally, three real-life musicians are mentioned in the final pages of the book. Rosendo "Chendy" León, Jesse Brock and Liz Carroll are hired to record in-studio with Selene. These talented musicians lent me their names so I could help make my fictional leading lady's reputation within the industry more realistic.

Please check back soon for Part Two of this article. It will discuss the real-life places around Santorini that served as settings for various scenes, as well as a few liberties I took with the island's geography.

By: Sheila Busteed

The publishing, television and film industries are continuously feeding the latest fan obsession with witch, werewolf and vampire stories, flooding people's senses with loosely conceptualized fantasy worlds. Yet, these can leave many readers and viewers wanting more depth. Amidst all this, one author has created a story that truly earns its tagline as "the thinking person's sword and sorcery."

The Witch's Hand follows Liana, the uncooperative protégé and successor of Malaxia, the most formidable witch in 13th Century France. Liana is hesitant to accept such awesome powers from Malaxia, and her situation grows worse when she's driven into the wild by the church. However, she receives unexpected help from Jettaret, a returned Crusader and lost soul with PTSD, and his rascally friend Alberge. Liana's efforts to find her path still aren't easy as she struggles within a world filled with magic, swordplay, religion-fueled hysteria, and the use and misuse of power.

This novel, a remarkable fantasy that is well rooted in realism, is rather unconventional within its genre. So, of course, it could only come from the creative mind of an unconventional author. Enter, Wendy Joseph.

The American writer is a merchant sailor by day, following in the footsteps of her father and uncles. Her adventures at sea have included outrunning Somali pirates, surviving typhoons, and rescuing seals. She was once dedicated to her writing craft full-time but, as most writers will agree, there comes a moment when the starving artist has to be a bit more practical.

"I went two winters without heat in Seattle, and danced with pneumonia and other joys," Joseph recalled. "Then the economy tanked. The only place I could find a job was back at sea, so [here] I am."

Working as a deckhand can be exhausting and time-consuming, but Joseph continues to dedicate a part of her life to creative pursuits. She credits influences from her childhood for that endurance.

"My dad was the greatest storyteller who ever lived," said Joseph, whose love of language and literature was also enriched by a few exceptional teachers in her early years. And yet, to her, writing has also been a very natural vocation. "Nobody ever told me to be a writer or encouraged me. I just wrote. I've had no mentors as an adult. They wouldn't be able to tell me what to do anyway."

Joseph began working on The Witch’s Hand in 1985, first as a stage play, then as a screenplay, and finally finishing it as a novel.

"Nobody was interested in the first two," she said, "and with a novel you have more control over the final product; a producer can't take creative control away from you."

A great lover of fantasy, drama, and storytelling from an early age, Joseph wanted to contribute something that could stand the test of time in the literary world.

"I pay no attention to trends. I don't write for the New York Times bestseller list; I write for the ages. I wanted to tell a good story, and give the tale more depth and philosophical meaning than the usual hero-must-conquer-the-evil-sorcerer-and-save-the-princess saga," she said.

"Jettaret's angst is something I haven't seen much of in other sword and sorcery novels, and Malaxia's original desire to be a guiding light to humanity is absent in most of this genre's villains," she continued. "That came from wanting to make each character fully three-dimensional, which makes them far more interesting."

Joseph journeyed to France to research and write the novel, which was an adventure in itself. During the day, she took long walks exploring the ground her characters walked. She soaked up every facet of medieval French history she could uncover by visiting countless local museums. She spent hours studying volumes detailing medieval legends and tales. There were even times when men with questionable motives tried to pick her up at the Gare de Lyon. And, of course, there were many late nights dedicated to frenzied composition.

"While ensconced in a hotel near the Louvre to consolidate my research, I luxuriated in the knowledge that I was playing American expatriate writer in Paris, like Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Gertie Stein," she recalled. "The poor cleaning girl wanted to come in and vacuum — she was under pressure from the dragon lady manager — but I had papers carefully strewn over everything and wouldn't let her. Finally, I opened the door and pointed to a space about one foot square. 'Vacuum there.'"

When the author possesses such an adventurous spirit, it is certain that bibliophiles are in for a good read.

To learn more about author Wendy Joseph and her novel The Witch's Hand, visit her official website, or order your copy now from Amazon.

The power of music is one of the most important themes in Sunsets in Oia, and I listened to a great deal of music as inspiration for this book. In tribute to this theme and my love of music, I'm sharing these videos of some of the songs and artists who were central to this book's creation.

Pavlo isn't just a brilliant performer of Mediterranean tunes; he also served as my musical consultant while I was doing research. Watch this great live performance of "Seleni":

My favourite artist, Sarah McLachlan, enriches my life with her poetic tunes. Selene plays her song "Hold On" while sitting out on the cliffside (page 116):

The incomparable Jesse Cook, whose music I've loved for more than 15 years (watch for Rosendo "Chendy" León on drums -- he is hired by Selene on page 246):

Fabulous fiddler Liz Carroll is another real-life musician written into the book. Check out this video of her playing, while Nic Gareiss wows the crowd with his Celtic dancing:

The third real musician hired by Selene is Jesse Brock. Check him out on mandolin and vocals while accompanying Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper:

Before I met Pavlo, I was first introduced to Greek-style music while attending Ottawa GreekFest, where I enjoyed many live performances by Yiannis Kapoulas. This video features his song "Sun In Your Eyes":

This beautiful song, "Ise Ipefthini Gia Mena," is by Giorgos Mazonakis:

Another track by Giorgos Mazonakis, "Tha Sou Dagosoun Tin Psihi Ta Dyo Mou Hili" is a popular choice among Zorba dancers:

This beautiful ballad, "To Lathos," is performed by Melina Aslanidou:

This track is a live performance by Gerasimos Andreatos and Pantelis Thalassinos of the song "Karavia Sti Steria":

The great George Dalaras (page 175), one of Greece's most beloved performers:

And, of course, who could deny the influence of Mikis Theodorakis' "Zorbas," the titular song to which Anthony Quinn danced in the classic film: