The writing process is a curious thing. It’s where imagination and reality collide, and creativity quietly takes root. The how of it all remains something of an enigma—at least for me. Ideas appear out of nowhere: sometimes in the middle of the night, other times while I’m doing something entirely mundane. Some flourish, many don’t. But the ones that do take hold lead to the most wonderful journey—a story that reveals itself piece by piece, often in ways I could never have predicted.
For the Coin of Time series, that spark came from a replica of an ancient Greek coin I once received. Such a small token, yet it carried within it the seed of an entire world. From that single object, Nik and Iasos Zosimos were born.
When I first began to explore the idea, I knew the coins would be more than mere relics. They would hold mystical powers so ancient they predated the dawn of Western civilisation. That’s when Nik appeared to me—a young Greek-Australian who loves ancient history and grew up listening to the stories told by his grandfather. Soon after came Iasos, a retired professor of the classics with a secret known only to his wife.
What struck me most was how familiar they felt, even before I truly knew them. It was as if the Zosimos men had been waiting patiently for me to finish my other series before stepping forward and saying, “We’re next.”
Their first incarnation appeared in my short story Herodotos’ Coin, written for a publication. Since then, they’ve evolved into complex, distinctive characters who often surprise me. I always imagined Nik as a secondary teacher specialising in Ancient History, following in the scholarly footsteps of his beloved ‘Papou’. In The Guardian’s Legacy, he begins as an ordinary teacher, worried about marking papers and managing students. By the end, he’s embraced a destiny far greater—becoming the guardian of the coin, though not without a few protests along the way.
Nik has been quite vocal about how I should portray him—insisting I show his courage, quick thinking, and fearlessness (qualities that, I must say, many teachers share, though he’s taken them to heroic levels). Watching his transformation has been a delight, and I’m eager to see where he takes me next.
Iasos, however, has been the biggest surprise of all. His quiet strength and deep sense of responsibility as the coin’s guardian have shaped him into a formidable presence. From the start, he made it clear he would not be reduced to a frail old man once Nik accepted his role. Far from it. Iasos can be intimidating when he wants to be—a quality I hadn’t anticipated, yet one that suits him perfectly as he confronts captivity and moral conflict.
His adaptability and intellect continue to impress me—from the well-equipped bunker he maintains to his surprising ease with modern technology. Iasos is a man who will fight to the end, even at great personal cost. That fierce determination wasn’t something I expected in the beginning, but it’s now central to who he is. I’m not entirely sure what he has planned for book three, but I have no doubt he’ll make his intentions known soon enough.
In The Race for the Lost Coin, Nik finds himself on the run from the authorities, forced to make impossible choices and accept help from unexpected sources—people who operate far outside the bounds of the law. Those choices lead him down a path he never would have imagined in his old life as a teacher. Meanwhile, Iasos must navigate the perilous terrain of his own captivity and make a decision that would make his ancestors proud.
Every story begins with a spark, and for me, it all started with that little coin. From it emerged two characters who have refused to stay silent, shaping their destinies—and mine—with every page I write.
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Ancient History, books, creative process, inspiration, writing