Friday, August 16, 2013

Character interview with Olympia Green


Character Interview with Olympia Green, now Princess Olympia
The Sheikh’s Spy by Gemma Juliana   


As I sit in Olympia Green’s sitting room in the Zahirian palace, I am reminded that this beautiful young woman with long legs, sparkling eyes and shimmering blonde hair was a young woman residing in Boston until recently. Her transformation into a woman of power and privilege is nothing short of remarkable. The golden room is filled with potted plants and flowers, and colorful artwork adorns the walls. Olympia is at ease as she pours each of us a glass of palace water, as she calls it, and hands me a glass.
GJ: Hi Olympia. As a main character in The Sheikh’s Spy, your bravery and loyalty have inspired many readers. You live a fairytale life now and are very busy, so thanks for joining us today for this interview.
Olympia: It’s my pleasure. I’m happy for the opportunity to shed light on the global problem human sex trafficking poses for vulnerable members of society everywhere.
GJ: This interview is more about you than about that disturbing problem.
Olympia: I almost became a victim when Sheikh Mahjub kidnapped me and kept me under lock and key in the women’s quarters of his Burindi palace. I met young women from many countries who were being processed into a life of sexual enslavement and it left a deep and lasting impression on me.
GJ: Tell us about the night you fled the palace and made your way across a desert into a neighboring kingdom.
Olympia: (Smiling) When stuck in a situation we know can only get worse it is amazing the hidden reserves of bravery we can find buried inside ourselves, and the risks we are willing to take to turn the odds in our favor. Of course having a black belt calmed me a little.
GJ: Sheikh Adnan was not terribly happy to find you in his palace in the middle of the night.
(Throwing back her head in laughter, Olympia’s long blonde hair shines in the sunlight coming through the open French doors leading onto a balcony.)
Olympia: We often mention our first meeting, because it was so powerful, so intense. Adnan didn’t trust me and didn’t want to hear my message, but he wanted me nevertheless.
GJ: You sound pretty confident that you had him in the palm of your hand right from the start.
Olympia: He was putty in my hands.
GJ: Do you ever play ‘what if’? What if you hadn’t risked your life that night and landed in Adnan’s office? Would he have married Leila and would she have been able to carry out her diabolical plan?
Olympia: (She shudders and a cloud dims her aquamarine eyes.) Destiny intervened. I don’t dwell on what might have been.
GJ: What do you think lies behind the mystery of the famous sapphire amulet?
Olympia: It’s a potent protector crafted by a powerful witch. It has worked well for over two hundred years since the kingdom of Zahiria has remained sovereign in spite of many wars.
GJ: How is your brother Rick? He suffered an ordeal of his own, even though he was a well-trained undercover agent.
Olympia: Rick is back to his old self, and is now in love for the first time in his life. It’s fun to watch. Terrorists and criminals don’t bother him, but he is scared to death of being in love.
GJ: Can you tell us more about his love affair?
Olympia: I don’t want to spill the beans since he has a book of his own, The Sheikh’s Crowning, releasing in September 2013. Let’s not spoil the story for the readers.
GJ: Can you share a favorite recipe for your readers, Olympia?
Olympia: We love to drink fruit-flavored water here in the palace, and call it palace water. It is easy to prepare and refreshing in the hot desert summer. Fill a glass pitcher with filtered water. Wash two strawberries and two lemons to remove pesticides and dirt (preferably use organic). Thinly slice two juicy lemons. Clean two strawberries and cutting them into quarters. Drop them into the water and add four packets of Stevia to sweeten. Stir and put a handful of ice in to chill slightly. Sometimes we add a spoonful of honey and a teaspoon of lime juice too.
GJ: Thanks again for joining us today, Olympia! We hope to read more about you in the new novellas in the Sheikhs of the Golden Triangle series.

BIO: Gemma Juliana lives in a little cottage in north Texas with her own alpha hero, a delightful teenage son and a magical herding dog who constantly tries to herd the family members. She is always busy writing a new novella and loves to hear from readers.


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