Meet Some UtopYA2015 Lovelies (Unofficial) : Eva Pohler

Please welcome my next guest in my Meet Some UtopYA2015 Lovelies (Unofficial) series. I actually met the beautiful Eva last year, but this year I got to hang out with her at The Parthenon just after UtopYA ended. It was the perfect way to wrap up a wonderful five days.

She’s truly a beautiful person and so eager to share her knowledge and inspiration with everyone. Much love for her.

Thanks for hanging out on my blog today!

EP: Thanks so much for having me!

When I read your author bio, I want to go back to school and study all things literature. What was your favorite literature class and why?

EP: Wow, that’s a tough one. You don’t waste any time, do you? Hmm. I think my very favorite was Narratology, because we analyzed the different elements in prose—such as plot, character, and point of view—using specific systems created by six different narratologists. I’d never looked at storytelling so analytically before that class, and I absolutely loved it.

Man, I really do want to go back to school some days! What inspires you most about teaching literature to college students? What’s the best thing a student ever said to you?

EP: The reactions of my students continue to remind me of the importance of stories in our lives. I love it when a student finds a deep connection with one of the assigned readings. It totally reinforces the idea that our work as writers is valuable to others.

The best thing a student ever said to me was in a letter. He told me that he entered my class hating literature and left it wanting to major in English so that he could teach it on the college level one day, too. He said my enthusiasm was contagious. That felt amazing.

I totally agree... your enthusiasm is contagious. So, now I have to ask about your writing. Is there a common element in all of your books?

EP: Another tough one! Maybe you should be a college teacher, too! You could write some really hard exam questions, lol.

I write two different types of books. My fantasy novels revolve around Greek mythology and the desire to experience adventures of god-like proportions. Usually these adventures lead the human protagonists to an important moment of self-actualization.

My suspense novels revolve around the idea that readers are like victims of the Stockholm Syndrome (the phenomenon that occurs when captives fall in love with their captors). Narrators lure us in, abduct us, and torment us with their stories, and yet we are grateful.

So inspiring. Now, what book are you currently working on? When can readers expect to get their hands on it?

EP: I’m working on the final book in The Vampires of Athens series, Vampire Ascension. It will be released on August 24^th of this year. I’m so thrilled for everyone to discover how this trilogy ends!

Congrats! I have some more information and a short trailer about that below. So, I have to ask... what was your first favorite book? Why was it so special?

EP: Very first? Probably a Nancy Drew mystery. I loved trying to solve the mystery before the characters could.

  

I loved Nancy Drew, too. A question I've been asking everyone: What is your favorite inspirational quote? Why?

EP: I have two, and they both come from my series, The Gatekeeper’s Saga. The first was inspired by Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, and is inscribed on a locket that Athena gives to my main character, Therese: “The most common way people give up their power is by believing they have none.”

The second comes from Hades: “Life isn’t fair, but death is.” I like this because it reminds us that we are all equal in the end. None of us is immune to death. I think we should try to remember that in our dealings with others.

I love those! It's been such a treat getting to know you at UtopYA the last two years. What do you think makes UtopYA, renamed Utopia for its fifth year in 2016, so special?

EP: As Rachel Harris said in a Publisher’s Weekly article, “It’s the conference with heart.” The Utopia team goes out of its way to make sure people feel included and to make sure the conference is successful for all. The authors who attend also try really hard to avoid being cliquish. They invite newbies in and make them part of the tribe.

Some lovely UtopYA-an women surround Eva 

✮✮✮✮✮ Quick Answers ✮✮✮✮✮

Last Movie you Saw: Jurassic World

Comedy, Romance, Drama, or Horror? Drama!

Last book you Read: A Cygnet’s Tale, by Susan Burdorf

First Job: Pizza Maker at Mr. Gatti’s Pizza

Gift cards or Cash? Either!

Favorite Vacation Spot: The mountains of Colorado

Thanks so much for hanging out today, Eva. Now, to share more about Vampire Ascension...

Watch the trailer

More About Eva

Eva Pohler is the Amazon bestselling author of The Gatekeeper's Saga, The Purgatorium Series, The Vampires of Athens Series, and The Mystery Book Collection. She also teaches writing and literature at a university in San Antonio, where she lives with her husband and three children.

You can keep in touch with Eva on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,Linked In, and by email at eva@evapohler.com.

Please visit often for more UtopYA2015 Lovelies (Unofficial) interviews, 

and check out the announcement post to see

the schedule and links to past interviews.