Virginia Martin - Author

Lance Stavros is a doctor, who is an emotionally unavailable loner, with a death wish. He refuses to delve into the "skeletons in the closet" that keep him from living a fulfilled life. His solution is to end it all by committing suicide, yet he lacks the guts to do it. On his 47th birthday, he finally has it all planned out, but fate interferes, as a phone call summons him to make a house call to a mystic named Hadden. Hadden is an empathic, spiritually charged individual who lectures on the philosophies of life. He is perceived as a threat by city officials, who will stop at nothing to see him dead. Lance is pulled into a web of intrigue and murder, yet he is determined to protect Hadden's life, even while risking his own.

Hadden becomes a mentor and father figure to Lance. He enlightens Lance by leading him to face his inner fears and demons, as well as find his inner peace and sanctuary. We clearly see Lance's transformation as he discovers the true meaning of f…

Do you base your characters on people you know, or wish to know? I always base my characters on people I know. In my novel, Standing On A Whale, some of my characters are based on aspects of my deeper self that have come to life, or should I say, that I have set free. The other characters are based on people who have had an impact on me. I believe that our characters already exist within us, the good, the bad, and the ugly. We just need to choose which ones we are ready to face and then allow them to surface. Once they are set free, they practically write the story for us and take us on adventures we may or may not be ready for, but if we trust in the process, the journey is worth it.
Who has been the biggest influence on your work? I would have to say that Nikos Kazantzakis, the Greek writer and philosopher, has influenced me the most and continues to influence me today. His books:  Zorba the Greek, Report to Greco, The Last Temptation of Christ, and The Greek Passion have had a great i…