1,396 pages read on Kindle Unlimited. Which is a strange metric to be emotional about — it's not sales or reviews, it's just a number that ticks up when someone is actually reading. But that's the part that gets me. Somebody, somewhere, is on page 200 of a book about a Greek island that doesn't exist. Or several somebodies finished the book.

Seven ratings on Amazon averaging 4.2, and thirteen on Goodreads. Neither is a big number. But every one of them is a person who finished the book and then decided to go back and say something about it, which is more effort than a lot of us give most things.

And someone reviewed the origins novella Whispers in the Grounds on TikTok, which I did not see coming.

👉 Watch it here: Review

If you haven't read the novella, it's free here

Now, the next bit is something I'm sharing with you first.

I'm going to publish Spirits and Whine in Spanish.

It's always been my intention, and I've stumbled into a favorable process so I'm jumping in with both feet. I'm guessing some of you read in more than one language — so I'd like your thoughts.

If you read translated fiction: what makes a translation feel right to you? What ruins it? Have you ever started a translated novel and abandoned it because something in the voice was off?

I'm particularly uncertain about the Greek. The book is full of it — food, place names, the rhythm of how people talk to each other on Lifnos. In English, that Greek reads as texture. In Spanish, I'm not sure whether it reads as texture or as clutter.

If you have opinions, I want them. Reply, or leave a comment.

Ta leme,

Lisa

If you’ve been here a while, you already know Lifnos: the whitewashed houses, the nosy locals, the taverna where gossip travels faster than the smell of a grilled steak. Some of you met Melina in Whispers in the Grounds and know exactly what runs in that family. Today you finally get to meet her granddaughter.

Anastasia didn’t come back to Lifnos for ghosts. She came back to run Taverna Agistri while her father recovers from surgery. That was already complicated enough before a murdered influencer’s spirit attached herself to Anastasia and refused to leave. Frieda Baron has opinions on everything—the menu, the décor, the investigation into her own death. What she doesn’t have is any memory of who killed her.

A reluctant sleuth, a ghost who won’t stop critiquing, a small island where everyone knows everything except the one thing that matters. Oh, and a by-the-book sergeant who wishes Anastasia would stop investigating. Iced coffee on the table, murder with a sea view, that's what you're in for.

Where to get it:

📖 Ebook — $2.99, or free with Kindle Unlimited: Amazon

📚 Prefer print? The paperback lands next week — I'll send a quick note when it's live.

And a small ask. You twenty-something people reading this are my earliest readers—the ones who opened every email while I was still figuring out what this series was. If you read Spirits and Whine and enjoy it, a short review on Amazon or Goodreads does more for a debut than almost anything else I could buy or plan. Even two sentences. And if you know someone who inhales cozy mysteries, forward them this email — Lifnos always has room at the table.

Thank you for being here from the start. The first case has landed at Saint Barbara Bay; I’ll see you on the island.

— Lisa

She grew up on Lifnos, left as soon as she could, and came back for one reason only: her father needed her. Her plan was simple — help, keep out of the way, and leave before the island remembered she, like the rest of her Andrianou side of the family, was persona non grata.

Anastasia is sharp, logical, and allergic to vibes and third eyes. She's the kind of person who has an explanation for everything, or finds one. She can't explain away Frieda.

Frieda Baron has never known a life without attention. With a billionaire father and a Reality TV stint behind her, she has a presence that fills every room she walks into and several she doesn't. She arrived on Lifnos the way she arrives everywhere — assuming it would be grateful.

Lifnos, of course, had other ideas.

Two women. One island. One of them ends up dead and is utterly disrespectful of personal boundaries.

If you like your mysteries sun-soaked, your protagonist reluctant, and your ghosts unwilling to face their death — you're in the right place. The Lifnos Cozy Mysteries begin June 2026.

Lifnos is a small island in the Cyclades.

In summer, ferries arrive every other day. Visitors come to swim in clear coves, linger over long, delicious lunches, and leave with the feeling that time moves differently here.

And they’re not wrong.

Like Greece itself, Lifnos is generous. It offers beauty easily — the kind that invites you to slow down, stay a little longer than planned, and take it all in. But like most islands, it has more than one rhythm.

There’s the Lifnos you see on holiday, and the Lifnos that reveals itself gradually — through routines, shared history, and the quiet familiarity of people who live here year-round.

That’s where my stories live: just beneath the island people fall in love with. The lived-in Lifnos. The one shaped by small details, fond memories, and stories told over a cup of warm tea.

If you’ve ever felt a place had more to tell you, Lifnos is the place to visit.

Pack your bags.

Ta leme,

Lisa

Some smell like nutmeg and cloves...

And some come with ghosts too.

Kala Xristougenna,

Lisa

There’s something magical about an island where the sea is the deepest blue, the food is rich, and the secrets refuse to stay buried. I didn’t plan on writing Greek island mysteries; the stories grabbed me by the ankles and dragged me in. It started as a side project—but once I imagined a murder beneath a bougainvillea arch, I couldn't stop.

Two—or maybe it was three?—summers ago, I sat in a quiet taverna overlooking a stretch of sparkling blue water. The waiter was setting down a plate of tzatziki when I overheard someone at the table behind me ask: have you ever walked past the dilapidated building at the far end of the beach at night? A woman answered, “Not since I heard the ghost singing.”

They spoke with a mix of fascination and fear that sparked something in my writer's mind. That blend of uncertainty among the clatter of plates, the hum of cicadas, and a whisper of something not entirely explainable—is the heartbeat of my series. It’s the Greece I know: warm, sometimes a little weird, but always unpredictable.

It’s taken me a while to get the story where I want it, but I’m finally close to the vision that’s been living in my head. This week, I’ve been elbows-deep in revisions, tightening the clues and sharpening the dialogue. Book 1’s ghost finally has her voice, and her arc is becoming one of my favorites. The island of Lifnos is starting to feel real enough for you to step into.

I hope this made you pause, even for a second, and fantasize about what it would be like to live on a Greek island. I wonder… who would you be?

• Fisher with a stubborn sea-dog

• Baker who knows everyone’s secrets

• Taverna owner with his grandmother’s recipe book

• Lighthouse keeper who chats with seagulls

If this post made you smile, tap reply and tell me which island role you’d choose. And if you know someone who’d enjoy ghosts, food, sunshine, and a little, harmless murder—feel free to share this with them.

Ta leme,

Lisa

Granted, I’ve had to deal with some personal stuff that sucked all my energy and will to write. I still managed to work on some design ideas and take some business courses that will help me as I start to build my brand though. So why did the main thing I need for said brand—a finished product, in this case, a novel—fall through the cracks?

Most people are unaware, but writing a novel is an arduous process that requires a significant amount of time, dedication, and creativity. A writer puts their soul on the page. And the first draft sometimes becomes a herculean labor, especially if you can't seem to wrap up the story. It's a demoralizing experience I can assure you.

It takes great focus and unwavering motivation to write day after day, no matter what’s happening in the world around you. And even if everything goes your way and nothing derails your schedule, guess what? Self-doubt comes knocking.

Even though I’m not alone in this, and many writers struggle with feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome, being in good company doesn’t make these feelings go away any faster. And if we add perfectionism to the mix, the difficult to bear feeling that my work is not good enough and so I must constantly revise and edit my work before it is ready? Well, it’s no wonder that a small hiccup can keep me from opening the document of my current WIP.

But I know that the biggest mistake I can make is let these feelings take root and stay away from writing for too long. Therein lies the biggest monster a writer can struggle with: writer's block. You want with all your heart to write, but your brain refuses to obey.

Why you ask?

For me anyway, it’s not just fear of not writing well. At some point, I start to have second thoughts about my plot. Is it interesting enough? Could something like that really happen? What about the characters, are they compelling or just meh?

The sheer scope and complexity of writing a novel is not something I realized when I first decided to write. God, it's laughable (to the point of tears) how I thought I could just sit down and the words would come.

Too late I saw how the mere planning can be daunting, not to mention all the methods out there might drive you mad--the 3-act structure and the Freytag pyramid, save the cat and the hero’s journey, the wheel of emotions and the enneagram are just a few of the terms a budding writer will come across. And the temptation to try most of them because one of them has to be the glass slipper that fits your…or rather, the velvet glove that fits your hand.

Writers must juggle multiple plotlines, characters, and themes while maintaining a consistent voice and tone throughout the book. And if you are new to writing, the odds are you'll end up overwhelmed even if you're the most organized type A in all the land.

The longer it takes you to finish your work in progress, the more frustrated you get with the book, with yourself, with the world. And then guess what happens? That frustration is demotivating and discouraging, and can also lead to feelings of self-doubt and anxiety, in other words, heighten all the negative feelings that are preventing you from typing the end which is why you're frustrated in the first place!

It's a vicious, vicious cycle.

So how do we break it? How do we push through all the bullshit until we reach the last page? I wish I could say there's a magical one-size-fits-all solution, but every person is different. One of the most important strategies is to develop a consistent writing routine. That could mean setting aside a specific time each day or week to write, or it may involve breaking the writing process down into smaller, manageable tasks that can be completed over time (Pomodoro technique anyone?) Maybe you listen to music or put on noise-cancelling headphones. The point is that you find what works for you and you keep doing it day in, day out.

Another helpful strategy is to seek support from other writers and become part of a community. Writing can be a solitary and isolating activity, so it can be helpful to connect with others who are going through similar struggles and challenges. Joining a writing group, attending writing workshops, or seeking feedback from beta readers can all be helpful ways for a writer to stay motivated and keep their eye on the ball.

Finally, it is important to remember that writing is a process, and that the first draft is just the first step in the ladder of that process. It is okay to make mistakes, to write imperfectly, and to struggle with the end result. Embracing that

can be liberating and just the absolution we need. The novel we write may be less perfect than the one in our head, but that's okay because at the end of the day, we write because we're creative beings. Neither we nor our creative visions need to be perfect.