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Cover Reveal – The Song of Youth, a supernatural romantic comedy

*Drum Roll* *Cover Reveal Alert*

Hi, All! I am so excited to present to you today, The Song of Youth, my new novel featuring angels from The Amulet!

It’s a standalone story!

Emilia wished to be young again… And then it happened.

Emilia feels she’s lost out on life and wishes on her 45th birthday to be young again. A mysterious gypsy called Esmera takes pity on her and makes it happen, showing her how to switch her age back and forth by twenty years simply by listening to a song. Soon, new developments sweep Emilia off to the island of Milos, where she was raised, to start her life anew.

A nosy neighbor, a flirtatious ex, and an obnoxious cousin cause trouble as Emilia tries her new gift from time to time, but then two strange girls, Elise and Chloe, turn up one day and begin to help in miraculous ways, being just as magical as Esmera. They are all angels, except Emilia has no idea…

Being young again makes Emilia feel exuberant, but it pales in comparison to the way Andreas, a handsome Greek widower and newly established restauranteur on the island, makes her feel. Together they rescue a puppy, and now she feels like she is being rescued too. Because Andreas, who is in his 50s, has eyes only for the real her, not for her younger self…

What will she choose? The sweetness of love… or the exhilarating gift of youth?

Yes, folks! It took me a while, having trudged through a few family hardships these past few years, but I finally got there! Many thanks to those among you who wrote from time to time asking me when the new book was coming out. Sorry it took so long. The first draft is now finished and the editing begins next week. I plan to work hard on this book so I can publish it on Amazon in time for your summer vacation – well, August, for sure. Both kindle and paperback.

To be notified when The Song of Youth is out, follow me on Amazon  or join my newsletter

I would like to thank the amazing graphic designer COVERED BY MELINDA who made this beautiful cover for me.

If you’re a fellow author, give Melinda a try. She is incredibly kind, professional, and easy to work with! She also made my covers for An Old Promise, My Corfu Love Story, Running Haunted and The Boy on the Bridge.

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The Song of Youth, the new novel by Effrosyni Moschoudi #fiction #asmsg #newbook Share on X

 

Get Effrosyni’s FREE books with your signup to her bimonthly newsletter! Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

 

Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon

 

Kelly ran a marathon in Nafplio and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with tantalising clean romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Kate has a guardian angel. She just doesn’t know it. Plus, she’s falling for him. Delightful paranormal romance set on the idyllic island of Sifnos. The descriptions of Greek food will make you feel ravenous. Don’t read when hungry. You’ve been warned! OOOPPPPAAAAAA! Get it now on Amazon

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

 

The Greek Martis bracelet tradition. When, what, and what for!

It’s March, folks! Time to wear the ‘Martis!’

My mother, Ioanna, was a seamstress. Every March 1st, when my sister and I were little, she would call us to where she sat at her sewing machine and hand us red and white thread for us to twirl them around each other and make our ‘Martis’. She would then put this crude bracelet around our wrists, tie it up, and say, ‘Here you go! Now the sun won’t burn you this coming summer!’

I presume this happened all over Greece at the time, as I recall many kids in school wearing the Martis in school and they all looked exactly the same. They are like the ones closest to my wrist in the picture – 2 basic Martis bracelets, actually, twirled loosely together into one. Anyway, back in the 70s, marketing wasn’t what it is today, and it was unheard of to buy a Martis. You just had to make one yourself.

These days, this old Greek custom is really hard to ignore, seeing that you see them on display in the shops everywhere in my country, and they come in both basic and elaborate designs, many full of beads and metallic parts, and ‘eye’ beads to, to help ward off the ‘evil eye’.

According to the custom, the Martis is to be worn from March 1st until March 31, then you’re supposed to hang it on a flowering tree or bush. As I mentioned earlier, the bracelet is said to provide protection against the strong sun in the coming summer.

There are variations to the myth, though. According to one, the Martis also provides protection from disease. And, another tradition calls for taking off the bracelet as soon as you see a swallow for the first time in the spring. Having just returned from its southern refuge during winter, the swallow will be looking for somewhere to make a nest. Tradition then calls for placing the bracelet on a rose bush in your garden to encourage the swallow to make a nest nearby.

Apparently, this custom is thousands of years old, deriving from the ancient Eleusian Mysteries that were related to the worship of goddess Dimitra (goddess of agriculture) and her daughter, Persephone. No one really believes the threads will offer any kind of protection these days, obviously, but customs are important. They unite people together, create a relation, and bring back precious childhood memories, too.

For me, tradition is important, and in today’s dark world that seeks to globalize and blend everything together, I believe nations should strive harder than ever before, to protect each, their own identity. So I am wearing my Martis with pride for another year, and I am thinking of my mother.

The bracelet with the blue bead that you can see in the photograph was an impulsive buy of hers as a gift to me. She bought one for each of us when I took her to a store one day, a few years back, while she was in the thick of it, battling cancer. Now that she is gone I cherish it, and I always will.

And that is the meaning and the value of customs.

Please hold on to your traditions. Cherish them and protect them.

If you’d like to get hold of a Martis to wear every year, you’ll find them on sale online and they can be shipped worldwide. Look for ‘Marti bracelet’ on places like Amazon or ETSY.

For some reason, they call it ‘Marti’ in the eshops, but the proper word is ‘Martis’ – the Greek word for ‘March’.

 

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The Greek custom of the Martis bracelet. Make one at home, it's easy! #Greek #Greekculture #funtime Share on X

Check out more of my posts on Greek culture here: https://effrosyniwrites.com/category/greek-culture/

 

Get Effrosyni’s FREE books with your signup to her bimonthly newsletter! Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

 

Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon

 

Kelly ran a marathon in Nafplio and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with tantalising clean romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Kate has a guardian angel. She just doesn’t know it. Plus, she’s falling for him. Delightful paranormal romance set on the idyllic island of Sifnos. The descriptions of Greek food will make you feel ravenous. Don’t read when hungry. You’ve been warned! OOOPPPPAAAAAA! Get it now on Amazon

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

 

by

Women’s natural role in life. Reflections on International Women’s Day

Hello, All, and a special welcome to all you awesome women out there!

March 8 today, and on International Women’s Day, I feel I must salute you all. Every single one of us is special and well worth celebrating.

This is not a post about women’s rights, by the way. It goes without saying that both men and women should enjoy the same freedoms and the same benefits, both in the workplace and as citizens. This post is about the natural role of women in the world, and especially in the family in contrast to men.

I’ll also tell you upfront that in my Christian understanding and according to basic biology, I will be discussing the only two real sexes there are for human beings, which are male and female. Man and woman. If this offends you, please move on. This post is not for you and I’d hate to waste your time.

You know, certain cliches between the sexes are not so much cliches but amazing truths, and we all can see that when we ponder upon our differences with the men in our lives.

Man was made to be the hunter, the getter, the provider of food. That is why Nature endowed men with so much muscle, after all… Nothing in Nature is there without reason. Infinite Intelligence created it. It didn’t just happen by random. And so, it is with men. Things that for us women seem impossible are a piece of cake for our men when some elbow grease or heavylifting are required.

We, women, need to celebrate men for all that. Not to begrudge them or try to antagonise them about it. It is in their nature to be and do all that. Nature doesn’t lie and it doesn’t make mistakes. And it’s certainly not ‘toxic’.

As for us, by nature we are the givers of new life. It is we and only we who are equipped to bring a new human into the world. Everything else is an outright lie of devious individuals and systems that seek to ‘kill, steal and destroy’. It is but a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing lying about ‘unity’, ‘acceptance’ and inclusion.’

Back to the raw, biological truth: Women have the exclusive ability to create new life and therefore they have the responsibility to protect and nurture it. Every woman is called upon to honor what Divine Creation has equipped her with. It has to be her top priority, in the face of any given dilemma.

We are built to reach our limits, and even go beyond them as we protect and nurture the lives of those we are responsible for. That is why we have all been created super strong inside. It is not a role for the weak. Down to the last one, we women have the immense capacity to multitask, to endure emotionally, and to keep on going, no matter how tough it gets. And, as we do all that, we are powered by love alone.

Those of us who raise children and have a day job, are often found awake and busy till late at night, long after the husband and the kids have gone to bed. Oftentimes, gone 11 pm, we find ourselves doing the dishes or making to-do lists, or taking advantage of the quiet in the house to do something for ourselves. Be it to type something important on the computer, chat with a friend, catch up with a hobby that gives us joy, or just to read a book.

And even when we go to bed, our brain will refuse to let go of our troubles and to quieten for a good while. It’ll pick this time to give us new things to remember to do the next day, and we’ll fall asleep willing ourselves not to forget them overnight.

Have you ever heard of a man doing any of that? No. You couldn’t have. Because they don’t. Men perform their duties in the day, and at night, after dinner, they go to bed and sleep like babies. But our minds are never carefree. Not really.

Men are just as able and intelligent as we are, but the tasks they perform for the family are mainly related to their physical strength and their endurance, let’s face it. They may help with the house chores and the kids, but we women are the managers of our homes and our families. It is our job to remember every little detail and to take care of the house and our loved ones, to the last trivial thing. And, of course, to feed, to show up, to selflessly give, even when we get discouraged. To always forgive, even when we get hurt, and to go beyond our physical limits. And, somehow, we always find the strength. Because we love. Because we care.

This is what a woman is and what a woman does. And this is why we get to have a special day in the year to celebrate us. So we can ponder upon who we are and what we’re here for. So we can remember to give ourselves a pat on the back. To look at ourselves in the mirror, if only just one day in the year, and say: ‘You’re kicking ass, girl! I love ya!’

So, you awesome girl, you awesome lady, I am sending you blessings and sisterly love today across the ether. This dark world often tries to pit us against each other, but we shouldn’t let that happen. We must resist. We must strive, more than ever before, to stay united as sisters.

Some of us have got things backwards, it seems, but there’s still hope, that we will all soon return to our natural state, having acquired a solid understanding of our natural role in the world and our natural, wholesome relation to men.

OOPPAAA! SIGN UP TO MY BIMONTHLY NEWSLETTER AND GET 3 BOOKS FROM ME AS A WELCOME GIFT! SEE BELOW FOR THIS OFFER!

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

Reflections on Women's Day. What is a woman's natural role? #womensday #women #humanity Share on X

 

Get Effrosyni’s FREE books with your signup to her bimonthly newsletter! Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

 

Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon

 

Kelly ran a marathon in Nafplio and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with tantalising clean romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Kate has a guardian angel. She just doesn’t know it. Plus, she’s falling for him. Delightful paranormal romance set on the idyllic island of Sifnos. The descriptions of Greek food will make you feel ravenous. Don’t read when hungry. You’ve been warned! OOOPPPPAAAAAA! Get it now on Amazon

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.
by

Sightseeing in beautiful Thessaloniki and Greek lamb roast

Hello, All! Today, I am thrilled to share my travel report from my super-short stay in Thessaloniki (aka Salonica) earlier this month. I had only 1 full day to explore it and managed to admire most of its major sights and popular quarters.

Scroll down towards the end of this post to find out how I marinade lamb (or pork) for a Greek meat roast. I am sharing all my best tips on how to prepare this yummy meal including my family recipe for tzatziki. Enjoy it all, folks!

A stunning Greek city, so reminiscent of Rome…

I took this photograph of the magnificent ‘Kamara’ (Arch) on New Year’s Eve. It’s in the bustling city of Salonica, and it is one of many remnants from the Roman occupation of the city. The Kamara was constructed to honor the Roman Caesar Galerius (Galerius Valerius Maximianus) circa 300 A.C. to commemorate his successful expedition against the Persians. Galerius’s palace was situated near the Kamara and its ruins stand today on the other side of the busy avenue, amidst Navarinou Square.

Looking at this precious monument, it was hard for me to imagine that, a few decades ago, trams circulated in the city and used to pass right under the Kamara! I just couldn’t imagine this happening today. And I am pleased no accidents ever happened during that time to cause destruction to this magnificent structure. What a gem for the city it truly is today, creating such a delightful contrast to the contemporary urban landscape.

It is standing silently and with perfect dignity, despite its losses through the centuries, and it is practically obliging whomever approaches it, be it a tourist or a local, to slow their pace and let their eyes wander upon its beautiful, intricate sculpted marble slabs that depict the wars of Valerius against the Persians.

A stone’s throw away from the Kamara stands the magnificent Rotonda…

The Rotonda was built during the reign of Galerius in the 4th century A.C as a Roman temple. In the Byzantine era, it was a Christian church and beautiful frescoes were painted in it, some of which survive today. Later in time, the Rotonda also served as a mosque.

After the Minor Asia Catastrophe in the 1920s, when the Greeks fled their lands and arrived into Greece in droves, many of those who were brought into Salonica were placed in the Rotonda temporarily until they could be put into basic homes. It was an awe-inspiring experience for me to stand in this place of vast and such diverse history, and considered myself very lucky to visit it at a time when there was no one else around but my husband, Andy, and I.

The Rotonda is cylindrical in shape and so reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome, except the Oculus (the ‘eye’ on the top, at the center) is not open in the Rotonda.

The White Tower and the seafront were that something else…

I thought I was impressed enough visiting Roman ruins and Byzantine churches, admiring old mosques and the impressive arched openings of the city’s famous indoor markets, and then we wound up on the seafront, where the White Tower stood, a beauty to behold, and our excitement hit the roof. I always wanted to visit the White Tower, and, let me tell you – it was well worth the wait.

The ascend is comfortable, with wide corridors and steps, and on every level there are displays that offer old pictures and information where the holding cells used to be, at the time of the Ottoman Occupation of the city. The Ottomans built the tower in the 16th century and were brutal rulers. After they massacred the rebellious Gennissaries inside the tower, the latter acquired a new name… It was referred to for some time after that as the Red Tower or the Tower of Blood.

Today, the displays on each level explore a different facet of the history of the White Tower and Salonica, too. The mentions to the harrowing Nazi occupation era linger on my mind still. During WWII, the Nazis rounded up Salonica’s large Jewish community and put those poor souls on trains to the butcher camps of Europe we have all heard about… Only a few returned to Salonica to tell the tale. Mentions to contemporary times were included on the displays in the White Tower, including ones to Greek movies and songs that are relevant to the city. The view from the top of the tower was too beautiful for words, on all sides…

By far, the best was the sea view, of course, and we marveled at the wide bay that stretched as far as the eye could see. A couple of pleasure boats were docked down below, and others were cruising up and down along the bay, offering even food on board as they gave the tourists a fun ride in the sea air. The most delightful were the pirate ships.

A Captain Jack Sparrow character stood on the dock at the entrance of one ship luring the little ones in, who tugged at their parents’ sleeves from afar, rushing to get a ride. Clever marketing, I say, and it definitely works! But, we didn’t get a boat ride. Our time was limited and we wanted to visit several popular quarters of the city before nightfall. So we went for a walk along the seafront instead, where we made sure to tick off all the famous landmarks on our list of things to see.

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The famous ‘Umbrellas’ didn’t disappoint. Everyone wanted to take the same photo, it seems (unlike this pretty girl in this photo, but then she had loads taken, including THE pose). What’s THE pose, I hear you ask? Well, you’re supposed to grab one of the umbrellas by the handle and have your photo taken with one foot mid-air, knee bent, as if you’re being lifted off the ground. We stood nearby for a while and everyone seemed to know what to do. It made us chuckle.

We also loved the fountains (you can see part of these on the right of this photo). It certainly made the little ones giggle. Standing on that platform you never know where the water will spurt from next. I must return in the summer to try that on a scorching hot day, LOL The famous sculpture of Alexander the Great, King of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia, on horseback was beautiful, though our guide ruined it a little for us, by telling us a secret…

There is a mistake in the depiction of this great king and general. His horse is depicted with both its front hooves up in the air, which signifies the rider died in battle, but this wasn’t the case with Alexander. Since he died from disease, one irrelevant to a battle wound even (that would call for one hoof off the ground, BTW), the horse’s front legs would have to both be on the ground.

Still, the statue looks beautiful, and more impressive, that way. And Alexander did love his horse, Bucephalus (pronounced ‘Voukefalas’, in Greek, which means ‘Head of an Ox). I am so glad it was included in the sculpture!

St Dimitrios was the most amazing among all the churches I visited. That says a lot, believe me… Salonica reminded me so much of Rome, and not just because of the Roman ruins and history. It did that also in the sense that its ancient yet magnificent churches filled me with a sense of unparalleled awe. And that was mostly the case when I entered the grandiose church of St Dimitris, patron saint of Salonica. Inside the colonnade on both sides of the main space, one will find a multitude of relics and beautiful icons to marvel at. The top floor offers another impressive prespective, as you can see, and we loved it that it was Sunday when we visited, and a mass was underway, the church full with people.    

As stunning as the main church space is, though, nothing prepares the visitor for the true magificence of what hides in its bowels. Truly, I pity the visitor not in the know, who enters this church and leaves it without ever visiting the Roman crypt underneath – a labyrinthine space that easily throws you back into Roman times, if you let it…

And let it, I did, looking at ancient artifacts scattered everywhere as I visited various cell-like spaces in this underground, outwordly place. It all resonated in me like a chill on my spine, and it was an odd experience because at the same time the comforting sounds of the mass from the ground floor echoed down into the ancient spaces and pleased my ears.

At the centre of it all, stands the exact space where St Dimitrius himself was once kept imprisoned and ultimately executed by the Romans.

Galerios himself ordered the Saint’s imprisonment and ultimately his execution, simply because he prayed in public spaces and believed in Jesus Christ. St Dimitrios is heralded as the Holy Great Martyr (Megalomartiras), and also as the ‘Myrrh-Gusher’ (Mirovlitis) because according to legend, streams of scented oil came forth from his relics.

According to some sources, he was a soldier of the Roman army, which makes it hard for me to fathom just how much hate the Romans might have had for Christianity, enough to turn against one of their own, in a sense. St Dimitrios was young when he was martyred, around 26 years of age.

It was very moving and awe-inspiring for me to stand alone for a few moments before this beautiful monument raised to honour the Saint and pray to him.

A plain bougatsa…. is a ‘bougatsa me krema’ in Salonica!

Salonica is very much about food… and desserts especially. But you have to order them right!

We spent the rest of the time visiting famous quarters of the city, starting from Ladadika. This popular area took its name from the word ‘ladi’ (oil), as this was where the merchants once kept their stock of olive oil, and it was truly fortuitous that the Great Fire of 1917 that destroyed two thirds of the city, leaving 70,000 homeless, never reached this area.

Ladadika became a red light district later in time and today it is a hip place to be, full of vibrancy, a place where locals and tourists alike go for a meal or a drink and it really comes alive in the evenings, or so I hear.

We sat there lunchtime for a gyros pitta, but I forgot to call it a ‘sandwich’ when I ordered, like the locals oddly do. Luckily, the young waitress was well versed on the Athenian vernacular and got me the right meal haha

Same thing happened when we went to one of many small family establishments, just off the famous Aristotle (Aristotelous) Square, to order a Bougatsa. I asked for one and the lady asked, ‘Savoury? With cheese? Or sweet?’ And I had to laugh, because I’d promised myself that when I got to Salonica I’d order for a ‘Bougatsa’ the right way, but force of habit got in the way and I failed. The Athenians and the Salonicans have forever been teasing each other on the subject of Bougatsa…

You see, in Athens, a Bougatsa is filled with custard and sprinkled with cinnamon. It’s sweet. You can’t get it wrong if you ask for one. But in Thessaloniki, a Bougatsa means ‘pastry’. It’s a vague term. So the Salonicans differentiate by saying Bougatsa with cheese, Bougatsa with spinach, Bougatsa with cream, and so on.

So, when the nice lady asked what kind of Bougatsa I wanted, all I could do was say, ‘Sweet, with cream! Sorry!’, chuckle awkwardly, and try to save face… for being one of those odd Athenians haha

We also had the chance to walk quickly past the Louloudadika area (an open-air flower market) that was heaving at the time. It was like Monastiraki in Athens, but on speed! Since it was New Year’s Eve, it was packed, vendors were cooking souvlakis on a couple stalls, and people were eating standing all over the place, dancing and whooping to loud live music.

We found the same kind of crowds and commotion in Fraggomahalas, an area that used to be the French Quarter back in the day.

We didn’t stay long there for the same reason, but we did admire beautiful old buildings, and the most renowned landmark of this quarter – the Old Clock on the impressive bank building that still shows the time it stopped (at 11:05) during the Earthquake of 1978.

After sundown, we headed back to Aristotle Square to watch a beautiful event. Crowds started to gather way earlier than the pre-announced time, and more kept on coming, to place written wishes inside paper lanterns and lit them up.

Soon, a multitude of lanterns was rising into the night sky, offering a magical spectacle.

I took this photo as we were heading back to the hotel, at the end of a tiring (14 hours walking and exploring!) but truly unforgettable day.

I was standing before the Roman Forum, looking towards Aristotle Square and the seafront. It was a whimsical sight with the lanterns in the night sky. The photo doesn’t do it justice, but I hope you’ll enjoy this little peek.

A couple of weeks have passed now, and I miss Salonica beyond words. It was a short stay and we only had one day (New Year’s Eve, hence the crowds) to explore it in the daytime, as we were on the coach travelling or seeing other places of interest on the other days. I hope to visit it again, just hubby and me, to take it all in, in our own pace. And to visit the Ano Poli, which we missed totally during this trip.

Overlooking the city on high ground, Ano Poli (Higher City) offers generous views to the city and the bay. There are beautiful lanes and churches to explore up there, great cafes and eateries, but most of all, there are the ancient walls of the city to admire, as well as the ‘Yedi Koule’ (aka Eptapyrgion) – an Ottoman Fortress of 7 towers. These ‘promises’ are certainly enough to keep me dreaming of Salonica and aching to go back.

Not to forget those pirate ships… I certainly hope to enjoy a boat ride with ‘Captain Jack Sparrow’ at the helm next time!

VISIT FACEBOOK TO SEE THE PIRATE SHIP, ALEXANDER’S STATUE, AND MANY OTHER OF THE PHOTOS I TOOK IN SALONICA!

GO HERE TO WATCH A SHORT VIDEO THAT I MADE FOR YOU AT THE TOP OF THE WHITE TOWER!

 

Finger-licking stuff! Greek lamb roast using a delish marinade with herbs and spices

Today, I am pleased to share my special marinade for lamb (or pork). The combination of mustard, garlic, dried mint, paprika, and rosemary makes the kind of magic I cannot possibly describe. You’ll just have to try it to know. You can use oregano instead of mint, and you can add carrots and tomatillos in the pan for a colourful dish. 

GO HERE FOR MY RECIPE, INCLUDING THE ONE FOR THE TZATZIKI DIP. ENJOY!

 

OOPPAAA! SIGN UP TO MY BIMONTHLY NEWSLETTER AND GET 3 BOOKS FROM ME AS A WELCOME GIFT! SEE BELOW FOR THIS OFFER!

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

Sightseeing in beautiful Thessaloniki #Salonica #travel #Greece Share on X

 

Get Effrosyni’s FREE books with your signup to her bimonthly newsletter! Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

 

Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon

 

Kelly ran a marathon in Nafplio and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with tantalising clean romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon

 

Kate has a guardian angel. She just doesn’t know it. Plus, she’s falling for him. Delightful paranormal romance set on the idyllic island of Sifnos. The descriptions of Greek food will make you feel ravenous. Don’t read when hungry. You’ve been warned! OOOPPPPAAAAAA! Get it now on Amazon

 

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!

 

 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

 

by

Frantically waving to the world… 10 years later

I am feeling moved today, and a little overwhelmed. Yesterday, November 1st, marked 10 years since I sent out my very first blog post.

This month also marks 10 years since I published my first novel on Amazon (The Necklace of Goddess Athena), and consequently entering the indie publishing universe for one bumpy yet enthralling ride thus far. This is the picture I posted in that very first blog post 10 years ago… I titled it ‘Frantically Waving Across the Distance’ to introduce myself and ask the world out there to connect with me. Reading the short post now fills me with nostalgia, but also with amazement at how little I have changed since then in the way that I think and express myself.

The only things that make me cringe as I read it are the repetitive mentions to the tax office haha. But hey, in my defense, I wrote this at the heart of the Greek credit crunch and everything was about the lack of money back then. Oh, how little did we know back then about what really matters! But anyway, here is an excerpt, if you’d like to take a peek:

“Would you come with me for a quiet ride along the sparkling lagoon waters that lie ahead? You will find a lot of poetry here, not just in verse, but also in the way of my thinking. By the way, I’m not much of a talker. This quirkiness of mine, in a world full of loud and busy voices, has allowed me to learn more this way through my eager ears and my silence. Furthermore, I’ve always preferred the written word to speaking in order to express myself.

“Although I write novels these days, I started with writing poetry. I have been scribbling verses ever since I was as young as ten and often relished my solitude even then, armed with a notepad and a pen, writing about an anthill in my gran’s garden or about the moon on a clear, starry night. Join me as I experience the world, not through the tired eyes of the forty-something who has just been handed a tax note too many by the postman, but through the clear, full of wonderment eyes of the perpetual child inside me.

“Welcome here on my desert island and hop on that boat with me oh friend; let’s transcend magically the geographical distance between us as we cheer together as one: “Happy travels!” ”

I would like to end this post by offering thanks. To all of you who stuck with me these last 10 years. Authors who mentored me, like Jackie Weger and Carmen DeSousa, authors who helped me tremendously along the way, like Nicholas Rossis and MM Jaye, and even more authors who trusted me by associating with me numerous times, like Amy Vansant,  SR Mallery and Chris Kallias.

Last, but not least, I thank the readers of my blog who have been sharing my posts, like Dr Glen Hepker, Annette Rochelle Aben, and Marina Costa, and, of course, the loyal readers of my novels, like Jean Symonds, Louise Mullarkey, Cheryl Worrall, and many many others. I could not possibly list everyone here but I will hold you all forever in my heart with sheer gratitude.

GO HERE TO READ THAT FIRST POST

 

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NEW! A historical paranormal romance box set. This is the timeless love story that will stay with you forever. Set in Moraitika, Corfu and Brighton, England. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3HEvMPG
Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3pAP3rf

 

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

 

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Beautiful Corfu town and… spetseriko, Corfu’s secret spice mix!

The vaulted street of Liston in Corfu town was modelled after Rue Rivoli in Paris

Hello, All! I am back from Corfu, where I spent 10 wonderful days, and I am thrilled to share with you today a few photos from the old town. Also, I am about to spill the beans on Spetseriko–the traditional, delicious AND secret spice mix of Corfu! Below, you will find out where you can get the real deal while in Corfu town AND how you can make it at home on your own too! Sounds good? Let’s go!

A sea view from the grounds of the Old Palace

My husband and I spent a sunny morning around the capital of Corfu, visiting the old quarter.

Our day started with the must-have coffee at Liston–the famous vaulted street which was made during the French Occupation of Corfu. The French modelled it after Rue Rivoli in Paris. The old town quarter with its stunning antiquated buildings and the large square of Spianada remain silent witnesses to the history of Corfu.

In succession, the island was occupied first by the Venetians, who made the Old and the New Fortress, then the English, to whom we owe the beautiful greenery at the Old Square (Spianada) as well as the cricket green before Liston where the Brits taught the Corfiots how to play cricket!

Finally, the French, the last foreign occupants on the island, decorated the Spianada with gorgeous architecture. I’ve already mentioned Liston, which they constructed, and they also made the round edifice with the colonade all around it that still stands at the end of the square beyond the bandstand.

Speaking of Liston, did you know that in the old days there was a thing called Libro D’ Oro which is Italian for ‘Golden Book’? The names of all the aristocrats were listed in it. And only people whose name was in the Libro D’ Oro were allowed to walk along the street of Liston! Talk about keeping the riff-raff away, LOL. Things were pretty strict back then!

Anyway… During our visit, we enjoyed the generous sea views from the garden of the Old Palace such as the one you see above. All around these grounds, there are marvelous vistas that compel the visitors to use their cameras. This summer, there were two art exhibitions housed on two different sides of the palace. Buying one ticket gave you access to both, and they were delightfully diverse, which was a bonus.

My favourite was a homage to the Greek Revolution in 1821 which depicted in paintings mostly prominent figures from that time. The other exhibition involved paintings of contemporary themes by a single lady artist. I loved the flowers she painted especially. Stunning stuff. I don’t know for how long these exhibitions will be at the palace, but if you are on the island, they are well worth a visit.

SEE ALL THE PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK

 

Sssh! I am about to disclose a secret! The secret of Spetseriko!!

During our day in town, we made sure to visit this old pharmacy… to buy a spice mix for pasta!!!!

During my long summer stays in Moraitika in the 1980s, my granny was forever taking my sister and me for a walk around Corfu town and for a spot of shopping too. She never missed visiting this old pharmacy just off Sarocco Square. It’s situated on the right side of the road, just after Sarocco, heading towards Liston and the old town quarter.

I hadn’t been in there for many years, but I never forgot Granny referred to it as ‘the Pitsilos pharmacy’. As I stood at its facade, I realised at once it had been heavily renovated and guessed it was under new management too. Going inside, I saw the antiquated cabinets I recalled from the old days where no longer there, but I have to admit the new decoration was just as beautiful and paid homage to the pharmacy’s long-standing tradition on the island.

Before I knew it, I was asking the owner about the name ‘Pitsilos’ and he didn’t seem to know it in relation to the property. Then again, he was very young, in his 30s I would think, and if my granny was alive today she’d be 99 years old. So, she probably had seen this place change hands more than once during her lifetime. The kindly owner, other than selling me a large sachet of spetseriko much to my delight, told me that, as far as he knew, the pharmacy was owned previously by a lady called Carmella. When I asked around later on, other locals confirmed that name and some still refer to it as ‘Carmella’s pharmacy’.

None seem to have heard of the name Pitsilos, though, but since Granny had a sharp memory till the day she died at 92, I can only give her the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps it was owned by a pharmacist called Pitsilos much earlier in time. After all, the place was founded in 1915 according to the writing on the facade. And a website I found claimed it was in operation back in 1850!

Chatting with locals on Facebook about this place, I found out that a few decades back, at least one doctor used to work from this pharmacy in the evenings. I can only guess that every day people didn’t have easy access to doctors back then. Visiting a pharmacy and getting some advice from a doctor rather than having to visit a remote hospital or a costly private surgery, may have been easier to afford and provided many with prompt access to medical care.

Apparently, in the old days, all pharmacists in Corfu made spetseriko and they were called ‘spetsierides’ because of this. The word ‘spetseriko’ has Venetian origin. It is derived from the word ‘speci’ which means ‘spices’. Every pharmacist had their own recipe for spetseriko back in the day, and, at least this specific pharmacy I visited, which still seems to make it, keeps theirs a secret to this day.

By the way, the owner of the pharmacy today is Mr Skiadopoulos and the address is Georgiou Theotoki 56, Sarocco Square – in case you wish to have your own sachet of spetseriko!

I put my recent purchase to the test the first time I made Bolognese and it was as divine as I can remember. I cannot wait to try it also in Pastichio like my granny did too. She also made the best Pastitsada with spetseriko. I urgy you to try it if you cook any of the aforementioned meals, or in any tomato sauce for pasta.

Just use very little at first, and see how you go. Perhaps 1/4 of a teaspoon at first. I once made a mistake of putting 1 teaspoon in my Pastichio and it made me VERY ill. Do not try this, folks, unless you’re sure you have the system to take a large amount. As it was proven, I don’t 🙂

And, hey, did I say you don’t have to visit Corfu to get spetseriko? As it turns out, there are recipes online! I found a Greek blog that shares an easy-to-follow recipe. I’ve translated it into English for you. Enjoy!

10 gr ground clove

50 gr ground cinnamon

50 gr ground nutmeg

70 gr sweet paprika

50 gr ground cumin

20 gr spicy chilli powder (i.e. spicy ‘boukovo’, ground)

100 gr sweet chilli powder (i.e. sweet ‘boukovo’, ground)

20 gr ground allspice balls (i.e. ‘bahari’)

30 medium laurel leaves (ground to fine powder)

25 gr ground black pepper

Mix the ingredients together well, and keep in a sealed jar in a cool place.

Sources for the recipe: SecretKitchenandTravel.gr and AtCorfu.com

Note: I found other recipes too, and each one had more or less the same ingredients but with different measurements and proportions, but it’s worth saying this: All the others I found omitted the laurel leaves and just advised to add 2 laurel leaves in the pot with the spetseriko. I would go for that option, personally, but it’s up to you!  

Interested to see more of Corfu town? Check out this older post of mine. Magnificent vistas in Garitsa & Anemomylos, the stunning old quarter of Campielo, and a traditional soap factory. Enjoy!

 

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NEW! A historical paranormal romance box set. This is the timeless love story that will stay with you forever. Set in Moraitika, Corfu and Brighton, England. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3HEvMPG
Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3pAP3rf

 

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

 

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A post about my father, may he R.I.P.

SEE THE PHOTOS HERE

It is with great sadness that I am announcing today that my father passed away earlier this month, at the age of 81.

In the end, there was nothing I could do, no matter how hard I tried at home to make my father strong again with the help of two highly experienced and attentive nurses. His three long stays at the hospital since June while taking endless courses of strong antibiotics to fight the many infections caused irreversible damage to his organs.

He tried so hard and he was so brave, and now he is finally rested… I am comforted to think of him in heaven now, reunited with my dear mother. The fact he didn’t feel the slightest twinge of pain in his last days is also a great comfort for me, and a good indication that your collective prayers did a miracle to make his passing as easy as possible. And, for that, I will always be grateful to you all.

My father had a great affinity for horses, having been raised on the island of Limnos with various farm animals, including horses, thanks to his father’s job–he was a merchant of livestock. In the army, my father was put in charge of the horses, and he loved that. He was a bit of a horse whisperer too, in the sense that he could tame even the most wild ones – at one time surprising even his father with this skill when he was still very young.

Dad has always been super strong, despite being thin, thanks to his Greco-Roman wrestling training that he did as a youngster. In the army, he used to lift his friends up into the air while posing for photographs. I am sharing these pictures today with you all, as I find them very comforting.

I prefer to think of my father like this, rather than the way he looked on those dreadful last days, trapped in a skeletal, broken body. He is clothed in the glory of God right now, anyway, surely looking in heaven exactly as he does in these pictures: Forever young and able-bodied, eyes sparkling, face beaming.

To all those of you who have lost a loved one, I hope you are joining me in remembering that our separation from them is only temporary. Death is only for the body, after all, as the soul is eternal. Also, let us be comforted with the fact that the sadness is only for us, who are left behind, and never for those who leave us. The kind souls who move on beyond the veil have only bliss and only joy to look forward to. Love and blessings to all, till next time.

Hey, before you go! In my latest newsletter, I am sharing a plethora of FREE kindle books!

Check it out here!

 

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Get Effrosyni’s FREE books with your signup to her bimonthly newsletter! Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

NEW! A historical paranormal romance box set. This is the timeless love story that will stay with you forever. Set in Moraitika, Corfu and Brighton, England. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3HEvMPG
Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3pAP3rf

 

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

 

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How to get stress relief fast. An easy and quick method you can do anywhere!

In this recent post, I shared with you a couple of free books on the subject of negative emotions and their relation with dis-ease. Negative emotions, such as stress, anger or upset, can compromise our health, eventually manifesting in our body as dis-ease, if we don’t keep them in check.

I have been researching a lot on this subject for many years and have picked up a lot of new skills along the way to keep my mind calm and my uncomfortable emotions under control even when a storm is raging around me and my life’s circumstances can be too much to bear.

With my mother passing away in 2020 after battling cancer for 4 years, and my father developing cancer first, then deep depression too after her loss, you can imagine how the angst of the past few years has affected my own life and health by now. But, the new methods I have learned really help me find relief, each time I resort to them for assistance.

Today, I am pleased to share with you my favourite stress-relief method. It is called Tapping (aka EFT). It is like acupuncture, except it uses the fingertips instead of needles so you can do it anytime, anywhere.

Tapping has been proven to dissolve cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body in a matter of minutes!

Have you ever heard about EFT (Tapping)? It changed my life!

Learn how to tap with this short video. It’s so easy to do!

Note on the video: I just want to clarify that, in each session, you say ‘the set up statement’ three times on the ‘karate chop’ point, then you don’t do it again. After making the statement, you just do rounds of the 8 tapping points. You can stop after a few rounds and take a breath. Ask yourself how you feel. I bet you you’ll admit you’re feeling the difference!

Here’s how Tapping works:

While you tap, you basically let it all out! You simply speak aloud about your problems, your physical pain, your anger, your stress, your sadness, whatever it is that’s bothering you. Imagine that you’re talking to a friend and hold nothing back. Sounds simplistic, I know, but it works like a charm!

The tapping serves to open a door to your subconscious, so to speak. And it is the subconscious that then responds to work on your body to dissolve the negative feeling, or a physical pain or discomfort, and in every case to give you a unique sense of calm and peace. After just a few minutes of doing this!

Sometimes, your subconscious will give you thoughts or images as you tap, especially if you ask questions… It’s literally, a conversation with your subconscious – the latter being the real genie in the bottle, the miraculous agent in the body that makes everything possible.

If you want to really delve into the amazing stress-relief practice that is EFT (Tapping), I highly recommend the book below by Nick Ortner, which has helped me deal with (and to dissolve) chronic tension in my neck that wouldn’t go away. But then one day, during a tapping session, as I tapped and expressed aloud how I felt, I was able to pinpoint the traumatic memory that had caused the tension.

An image from an old memory flashed in my head. It was the image of a loved one crying on my shoulder. She had rested her head in the crook of my neck as she cried and I felt her pain palpably at the time. Someone had treated her unfairly and I wanted to say something to that person, to defend her, but she asked me not to. I guess I kept it all in, for her sake. And, instantly, it made sense why my body had ‘stored’ chronic tension right there.

And then, during the tapping, when I realised, it simply disappeared on the spot and never came back! I just tilted my head sideways towards that shoulder and it nearly touched it. For years, I hadn’t been able to tilt my head towards that side in the least. It felt like a miracle and I guess it is. Being able to speak to your subconscious mind and get it to ‘talk back’ surely is a miraculous thing!

The book below by Nick Ortner makes references to real people’s stories that used tapping to heal from all kinds of dis-ease. Yet, it focuses mainly on battling stress. The author has published another book that is more about pain management.

Whichever you go for, I know your life will change forever with Tapping. It will allow you to quickly resolve all sorts of health complaints and to maintain a calmer mind in your daily life.

Have you ever tried Tapping? Did you get any good results? Make sure to comment and let me know. I’d love to hear from you! 

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Get Effrosyni’s FREE books with your signup to her bimonthly newsletter! Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No

NEW! A historical paranormal romance box set. This is the timeless love story that will stay with you forever. Set in Moraitika, Corfu and Brighton, England. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3HEvMPG
Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3pAP3rf

 

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here

Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!

 

For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

 

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Concerns about the involvement of AI in fiction writing and other human art forms

It’s very disheartening (and alarming) to know authors have started to use AI platforms to create books. This makes it so hard for authors who still refuse (and will always refuse) to do the same. So these authors who refuse to use AI (and I am one of them) are in a bit of a pickle. I mean, how do you compete with an AI that’s tireless and all brilliant?

But AI-written books can be a form of a ‘threat’ for the readers as well. In terms of quality, for one. Book-writing is an art form, as we all understand. Are we sure that what the AI offers will amount to what a human being can offer to a reader? Writing a novel involves the heart and the soul of the writer – plus, a mystical connection with something ethereal, something ‘out there’ that even though every fiction writer experiences as a ‘download’ of information, they often have no idea where the inspiration is really coming from. Anyone who’s ever written a novel understands this statement.

Reducing the art form that is called fiction-writing to something a piece of code can put together (using its admittedly powerful and brilliant skills), is something that the human race cannot possibly benefit from. Why? Because, as I said, the writing process will not involve the workings of a living soul. What makes good writing is the quality (and the height) of the emotions the reader experiences. When a reader laughs out loud or reaches out for a hankie as they read, it’s only because the human being who wrote the book did the same as they read it themselves previously. This creates a connection between the author and the reader that no AI can ever form.

To be honest, I am very concerned that the ‘soul-less’ pieces of writing churned out by an AI will in time change the experience of the readers, habituating them to it, enough for them to ultimately settle for less. There’s also the matter of plagiarism to consider, whereas there’s no relevant legislation in place involving AI.

In case you’re not aware, an AI devours everything out there as it trains itself before it’s ready to become a ‘writer’ itself. And when I say ‘everything’ I don’t just mean the classics. It registers the works of contemporary authors too. For what I know, AIs have access to all books EVER WRITTEN, including mine.

But are they licenced to do that? No, they are not. There is therefore an ethical matter to consider here, as this is plagiarism if a passage from an author’s book winds up in an AI’s piece of writing.

But is it plagiarism if an AI wrote it when there’s no legislation to call it so? How then, will a human writer ever be able to protect their copyright in a court of law against an AI software platform or an author who used AI software to write the offending book? You see where I am getting at here?

Things are not that simple. And they are bound to have severe implications in the authors’ sales/lives in the long run. The AI platforms that provide the software make it sound like it’s the best thing ever… They promise authors high earnings if they jump first into the game. They say, ‘Get the AI to write a book for you. You publish it, and everybody’s happy…’ But no, not really. I don’t see authors becoming happy, for one. Including those who will let an AI write their books for them.

I am very curious about the readers out there, about what they will choose to do. It will be good news for me to hear that readers will actually tell the difference and will not enjoy an AI book anywhere near as much as one written by a human being. But what if they do? Now, that is my greatest concern…

Consider someone who is forced daily to eat the food of a bad cook… The first time they may think it’s yukky, but if they try it again and again, in time it may taste a little better. Why? Because the human brain is hardwired that way. It gets used to bad experiences with repetition.

So, when you ‘consume’ something of a lesser quality long enough, sooner or later, you will compromise… you’ll begin to forget what you used to ‘consume’ before, so this bad soup (or bad book, as the case may be) starts to seem okay… And, in time, it even becomes wonderful!

And, just like that, we could all wind up witnessing masses of readers worldwide queueing outside the big stores to get the next paperback of the most celebrated AI out there. Sounds like a sci-fi story? No, not really. That may very well be our near future if we’re not careful. If we don’t nip this in the bud.

If we allow this craziness to start with literature, then what stops an AI from trying its ‘hand’ on painting next? How about photography? Music-writing? Screenplay writing? Or even fashion design? What will become of our world if we let AI take over and make decisions for us about our entertainment, what we eat and what we wear?

And here’s another question for you to perhaps mull over: Does art have any value when the thinking, emotions, traumas, and the whisperings of the soul of a human being are not involved in its birth? I’ll let you answer this question for yourself.

Regardless of all that… I expect you’re feeling curious to read a book written by an AI. I’ll be brutally honest. SO AM I! But being curious is not the same thing as opting to buy such a work again and again. As I said earlier, AI is presenting a threat not just for authors but for all kinds of artists.

Choosing AI-generated art means that with our hard-earned money we are failing to support human artists instead. And most artists are forever plagued by a lack of sufficient funds. This would seriously threaten the survival of many. Many will be forced to stop creating their art and go get a mundane job instead. One that will make them as soulless as the AI, I will add. Their talent will be kept to themselves, never put to good use, their works never shared. And that, in itself, is the epitome of misery for any given artist.

For what it’s worth: I urge you to resist this AI takeover on the art of literature. For the reasons I have explained, I find it unethical and demoralising. But, of course, you can decide for yourselves on that.

Now, something you should be aware of, either way: Writers who use AI platforms to write their books for them, are obliged to declare this clearly inside the books. So, you have the chance to know what you’re buying and reading. Just make sure to read the copyright page carefully. If it states that the writer is a piece of software, you may want to think twice before buying it. If you lean towards supporting human writers, that is.

Hopefully, this new, appalling trend will create a big bubble that’ll soon blow over. And it’s all up to us. All of us, human beings, to make the right choice and support each other. It’s always up to us to choose to protect or not to protect our own – and the true essence of art, if I may add.

For all the reasons I have put forward, I ask you to consider protecting and upholding the importance of the living soul in the creation of any art form out there.

 

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

Concerns about AI-written books. What are the implications for authors and readers? #writers #indieauthors #authors Share on X

 
Get Effrosyni’s FREE books with your signup to her bimonthly newsletter! Fun news from her life in Greece and a load of FREE kindle books in every issue! http://bit.ly/2yA74No
NEW! A historical paranormal romance box set. This is the timeless love story that will stay with you forever. Set in Moraitika, Corfu and Brighton, England. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3HEvMPG
Clean romance short read, FREE with Kindle Unlimited. It’ll transport you straight to Corfu to experience summer in an idyllic Greek seaside village. Visit Amazon: https://bit.ly/3pAP3rf
 

Kelly ran a marathon and wound up running a house. With a ghost in it! Both humorous and moving, with delightful sweet romance, it’s just the ticket to lose yourself reading! Read more on Amazon
Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu! Effrosyni’s debut romance, The Ebb, has received an award from Amazon! Check it out here
Beach fun and sweet romance mixed with magic spells and bird shifters… The Raven Witch of Corfu is an original story that will rivet you with its unrelenting suspense. The final twist will blow your mind!
Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to south Corfu!
 
For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.
 
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Can negative emotions such as stress, sadness, or anger cause disease?

I found this quote by Hippocrates mounted over the exit of the hospital where my father was treated recently. It reads the following, in Greekgood v:

“Before you cure someone, ask them if they are willing to leave behind all that makes them sick.” ~Hippocrates

It struck me as 100% wise and true, but also as a huge irony, seeing that conventional medicine focuses on the body and often overlooks the importance of the mind and the spirit in the process of healing as well as the catastrophic effects of negative emotions.

Those who’ve followed me for a while know that I keep a natural approach to maintaining good health. I am passionate about healthy living/eating, and also about discovering ‘alternative’ practices and techniques to manage negative feelings (including stress) and to keep myself healthy.

To me, all diseases are psychosomatic. Even if what causes a disease can be something wrong in our diet or lifestyle, or a certain nutrient deficiency, the catalyst is always a negative emotion. According to the philosophy of Qi Gong (an ancient Chinese healing practice that I am fascinated about), every major organ can become sick from a specific negative emotion. Given enough time, fear hurts the kidneys, for example. Sorrow hurts the lungs, stress hurts the stomach and the spleen, anger hurts the liver, and malice or bearing grudges is bound to hurt the heart. To Qi Gong, disease is nothing but negative emotion (stale energy) stuck in the body.

Using Qi Gong exercises or a Qi Gong healing practice, the energy meridians are cleared of the stale energy. Qi flows effortlessly along the meridians anew and thus health is restored. It sounds very simple, I know, but it certainly works. In the past year, I have learned to do simple Qi Gong exercises at home to get the Qi moving and remove stale energy. I’ve also attended an online seminar to learn the basics of the ancient healing practice of Qi Gong. It’s very self-intuitive and it makes me very excited when I work on someone and get to guess where they have pain or discomfort!

But it’s not just Qi Gong that I picked up in the recent years that helped me change the way I look at dis-ease. There’s also the amazing medicine of Dr Hamer that tells us that every disease has an emotional trigger…

Back in the 1970s, Dr Hamer began to develop the ground-breaking Germanic New Medicine – nowadays more commonly known as ‘German New Medicine’. According to his findings, every dis-ease has an emotional trigger. In response to that detrimental emotional trigger, the mind runs a ‘program’ in the body, which we call dis-ease, and which has a cycle and a healing phase.

Dr Hamer charted the human brain, recording which part of the brain corresponds to which part of the body. He noted that in the case of every dis-ease, the brain acquires marks that look like shooting targets in the corresponding part of the brain for the ailing part of the body.

His colleagues used to hand him the brain MRIs of their patients and Dr Hamer would tell them which dis-eases their patients had in the past and in the present time, based on the look of these target marks. According to him, when the brain runs the ‘healing’ program, it can employ viruses, bacteria and fungi in the body to eat away at anything that needs to go – cysts, fibroids or cancer tumours, for example.

For the ‘dis-ease program’ to stop running in the brain, the patient needs to pinpoint which was the stressful or upsetting or otherwise emotionally negative situation that triggered their dis-ease in the first place. Germanic New Medicine is truly a remarkable medical method, and I have full faith that it will gain more ground in the years to come.

I have a British friend in India who has saved the lives of at least 200 terminally ill cancer patients in this country so far using the Germanic New Medicine method. Just by talking to them and helping them find the trigger that gave them the cancer. He works for free, treating poor families there.

Those patients were told by their doctors they didn’t have long to live. They could help them no more and basically sent them home to await the inevitable. But this man sat them down and asked them a few questions to pinpoint what happened to them emotionally around the time when the dis-ease started. That conversation was all that was needed. Every time. You see, once the patient realizes, the dis-ease ‘program’ in the brain is ceased and a new ‘program’ for healing kicks in.

FREE! Read it, and you’ll never think of cancer the same way again!

The Brit in India I just shared about is an author called Danny Carroll and this is his new book.

Today, I am pleased to offer you the chance to read Danny’s amazing book for FREE! It is a short read – about 80 pages, but the knowledge it packs is so inspiring that I believe it’s a true life-changer. I hope and expect it will flick that switch in many people’s minds to realize that they have way more control on overcoming disease without medical assistance than they tend to think. And then, perhaps, they won’t be as dependent on a medical system that is often found to be ineffective, to say the least.

The author is happy to give out free copies of his book to anyone willing to consider posting a review on Amazon upon reading. To claim your free copy, simply email the author directly at dc@danny-carroll.com

A presentation of the book by the author:

My name is Danny Carroll, I have been researching cancer for nearly two decades, and spent the last seven years helping terminally and chronically ill cancer patients, who medical doctors had given up on, to fully recover their health. And I am not a doctor.

My teacher was a traditional medical doctor specialized in research and in 1978, discovered a critical link between emotional trauma and cancer when he was diagnosed with cancer two months after his 19 year old son was shot and murdered. His subsequent medical discoveries are quite extraordinary.

“This is one of the most empowering books on cancer you will ever read. We are so used to symptom treatment being our medical standard of care today. Everyone deserves to know and understand that their bodies have the innate power to heal themselves. This is our birth right that we need to accept, acknowledge, and activate. This book helps you to do just that.” – Tessa Anthia John Guerra, Licensed Psychologist & Psychotherapist

Email the author at dc@danny-carroll.com to request a FREE copy of this book. All he asks is that you will consider posting a review on Amazon upon reading – if you choose to do so.

Update: Now, you may also purchase the book on Amazon. It is a bestseller!

VISIT AMAZON  US   UK

 

Fascinating stuff, huh? If you’d like to know more, there is a free book on the internet that analyses the philosophy of Dr Hamer’s Germanic New Medicine. It also lists all diseases with real cases recorded by the doctor himself, with advice for healing.

I use it as a reference book to look things up (it’s been accurate so many times!!) but it’s very ‘meaty’ in many parts, getting into fascinating details about the philosophy of this medical practice and the workings of the human mind.

The book is called THE PSYCHIC ROOTS OF DISEASE BY BJORN EYBL. Just google it and download a FREE PDF. Other electronic formats may also be available.

Alternatively, you can buy the paperback on Amazon:

VISIT AMAZON  US   UK

On the subject of cancer, I highly recommend this book. It explains things simply and mentions various protocols on how to beat the dis-ease naturally. The author, Ty Bollinger, has made an amazing documentary on the subject, which I’ve watched on the Internet and found mind-blowing. See my review of the book and links to the first couple free episodes of the docuseries here: http://effrosyniwrites.com/2017/12/04/book-review-the-truth-about-cancer-by-ty-bollinger/

 

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

Can emotional triggers cause disease? Find out how Germanic New Medicine can help. FREE books on the subject #disease #cancer #freebooks Share on X

 

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