Author Spotlight: Christina Vourcos

This month, meet Greek-Latinx-American Author Christina Vourcos! Learn about her, her books, and what’s next.

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Meet Christina Vourcos

Author Christina Vourcos was born in San Antonio, Texas. During her high school years, her family moved around for a while, eventually settling in Corpus Christi, where she currently lives. Keep reading to learn more about her, and her writing influenced by her two rich cultures.

*Greek-American Author Christina Vourcos*

Q&A with Christina Vourcos

… On her Greek and Latinx roots

Tell us about your roots.

My great-grandfather came to the United States from the Greek island of Lesvos. It has meant a lot to know that I have two rich cultures from Greek to Latinx. My mom is originally from Mexico, but on my dad’s side I also have Mexican and Hispanic roots. I’ve connected with my cultures through food, faith, music, film, and reading.

How have your cultures inspired you?

They have inspired me not only to learn more about where my family comes from and our communities, but also to incorporate my cultures in my writing.

What does being Greek mean to you?

For me, being Greek feels different than what is usually expected. Especially since I grew up Catholic and not Greek Orthodox, although I’m familiar with the Greek Orthodox Church through local Greek festivals. My great-grandfather never taught my grandfather the Greek language and Greek traditions. Even though he tried to learn Greek on his own, it wasn’t successful. Especially since in Brownsville and later McAllen, Texas, there has been a lack of Greek connections for many years.

Growing up, my parents took me to local Greek festivals from San Antonio to Corpus Christi. Eventually, my parents were able to take my grandparents to Greek festivals too. I could see how much going impacted my grandfather, as he connected to his past and culture. It made me want to learn more. Eventually, I would love to go visit my great-grandfather’s homeland, when I can afford it.

*Liberty Calling the first published book by Christina Vourcos*

… On Writing

When did you start writing?

I have been writing for most of my life, but it’s always been a struggle for me. My passion to read helped me get through and as soon as I realized that writing could have an impact, it led me to take a writing path in high school and college, as well as in grad school. It wasn’t really until I met fellow authors at a conference in 2012 that I thought more about being an author.

What do you like to write?

I’m passionate about writing about things that matter. I take a page from Jane Austen. While most might see her Romance as just couples getting together, when I studied her work in college, I learned that she really used the genre as a way to critique her society. I feel like weaving in my other passion for psychology/mental health as a chance to make a difference in storytelling, and writing overall.

*Never Forget* is a Latinx College Mystery Romance by Christina Vourcos

… On Her Books

When did you publish your first book?

I started my indie author career in 2021 when I published my first novel as a Kindle Vella serial. I had seen a few traditionally published authors publish through this platform and it gave me the confidence to share my debut, Liberty Calling, there. Eventually I was able to publish it in standard formats (ebook, paperback, and hardcover) that year.

Tell us about your other books.

After Liberty Calling, I published another serial novel, called Never Forget, which was written specifically for the Kindle Vella platform, and this year I published it in standard formats. In between this, I published a poetry and short story collection in standard formats, called Write from the Heart, Edit with Precise Measure. Additionally, I wrote a Kindle Vella nonfiction serial about writing with a mental health focus. The nonfiction book, called Writing Matters and So Do You, will be available in November of this year. Pre-order it here.

Christina Vourcos’ newest book will be out in November 2023

… On Reading

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Some of my favorite authors are in the Romance genre, but also in SciFi and Fantasy. Lately, I’ve been focusing more on Latinx Romance, so my top favorites are Angelina M. Lopez and Priscilla Oliveras. Some of my other favorite authors are Paula Yoo, Christina Farley, Beth Revis, and Shelby Leigh. I want to explore more Greek Romance. So far, thankful to know M.J. Golias.

… On Life

Do you have a job outside of writing?

At the moment, I can’t be a full-time author. So I also work part-time as an academic advisor and test proctor for a local adult education program.

Your life recently took an unexpected turn.

I’ve been fighting lymphoma. I had chemotherapy from December 2022-March 2023. I started radiation therapy May 16, and just completed my treatment. This has impacted me in different ways, but it has also slowed down some of my progress as an indie author. But sharing about my experience has made me realize the importance of survivorship stories. I’m sure this will continue to impact my writing in inspiring ways.

What’s next for you?

I have other books in the works, but hopefully they will be released this year and coming up. It’s all up to what I can accomplish. I’m thankful to have the knowledge and the tools to indie publish through self-publishing in different formats. While I tried to explore the traditional publishing route, it didn’t feel like the right fit for me, including through responses that I received. Either path, or a hybrid of both, is still difficult to do, but worth it. I hope someday to have more resources available to me, but I’m thankful to work with what I have and learn from others, along with learning from my previous work.