September 10, 2021 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

FREE books, sunny Greek photos, and a very naughty kitty!

Clever Sissi… but naughty too! (What’s new?)

This is Sissi’s favorite new spot for stalking little birdies. Usually in the morning, straight after her breakfast on the veranda, she will jump onto this pillar (or sit on the ground under this bush) and wait for the birdies to come. This bush is full of small black berries, not proper ones, as this is just a decorative bush (if that makes sense!) That said, I had a dog in the past that used to jump up high to eat these berries. I am guessing the birdies go on there often to taste them, and my clever little kitty has noticed.

It is often that my veranda fills with feathers and bits of wings in between breakfast and lunch while I’m busy on my computer. I guess a cat has to do what it has to do. I don’t judge.

As for Loulou, she’s taken to disappearing often after breakfast, most days skipping lunch and only showing up again for dinner. One day, she didn’t show up all day and I was really worried! So the next day I went out looking, calling out her name. Thankfully, I didn’t need to go far! Going to check on the first vertical street to ours, she responded by coming out to follow me home as soon as she heard me. It was just the third house down that street, an uninhabited dwelling. She probably goes there to sit all day to have some peace and quiet LOL

I’ve seen Sissi plenty of times chasing her mother Loulou for a wrestling match when the latter is not in the mood at all, hence responding viciously, then running away. I guess bad manners have repercussions even for cats! Sissi never likes to be alone, and meows desperately when she is. Let’s hope she works it out soon – why Mummy runs away, LOL! Only she can fix this 🙂

Loulou, basking in the sunshine, on a rare occasion when Sissi doesn’t feel inclined to vex her, LOL!

GO HERE for FREE books and sunny photos! Fun news from my life in Greece to bring sunshine to your day. It will make you smile faster than you can say ‘spanakopita!’ Sign up to receive two of my books as welcome gifts! Oooooppaaaaa!

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FREE books, and fun news from Greece! #catlovers #freebiefriday #Greek Share on X

New book! A young man determined to protect his girl… A teenage boy offering prophecies… and a series of unexplained events. Check it out on Amazon: https://bit.ly/3ke2O9U

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! Check it out here

370 pages of Corfu summer bliss! This beach romance will make you fall in love… Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!

To grab “Facets of Love” for FREE, go here! Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

February 14, 2021 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

Happy Valentine’s Day with FREE books #freebookfriday #freebiefriday #valentinesdaygift

Hello! Hope you’re enjoying your Valentine’s Day weekend! Today, I am thrilled to share a bunch of great freebies and deals for your reading pleasure. First off, my own Valentine’s Day gift to you!

FREE! Delightful summer romance set in Corfu, Greece: Two girls, two different worlds, one mysterious connection and a love that won’t let go.

CORFU, GREECE, 1987: During her summer holidays, Sofia Aspioti meets Danny Markson, a charming flirt who makes her laugh. Being a young girl from a strict family, she’s worried about village gossip, but falls desperately in love. That’s when strange dreams about a woman dressed in black begin to haunt her. Who is this grieving woman, and how is her lament related to Sofia’s feelings for Danny?

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND, 1937: Dreaming of wealth and happiness, Laura Mayfield arrives in Brighton to pursue a new life. She falls for Christian Searle, a young worker at the West Pier theatre, but when she’s offered a chance to perform there, Charles Willard, a wealthy aristocrat, starts to pursue her relentlessly. Will Laura choose love… or money?

FOR MORE FREEBIES AND DEALS, CHECK OUT MY NEWSLETTER!

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

Happy #ValentinesDay with FREE #books and deals #booklover Share on X

New book! A young man determined to protect his girl… A teenage boy offering prophecies… and a series of unexplained events. Check it out on Amazon: https://bit.ly/3ke2O9U

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

370 pages of Corfu summer bliss! This beach romance will make you fall in love… Available in paperback , box set or 4 kindle episodes!

Did you enjoy this post? GO HERE to follow this blog and get to see all our future posts! To grab “Facets of Love” for FREE, go here! Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

May 1, 2020 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

A marathon race in Nafplio inspired my Greek novel, Running Haunted

Nafplio was the first capital of Greece after the country’s War of Independence in the 1820s against Turkish rule. As a result, it is a town steeped in history, an element that is present in every corner of the old town center, with its grand neoclassical buildings and the magnificent Venetian fortress, Palamidi, that dominates the town’s skyline with its unparalleled charm. Not to forget, of course, the picturesque waterfront. The tiny fortress of Bourtzi, set in the water like a jewel and a silent sentinel, is an idyllic landmark that visitors love to marvel at from the multitude of cafes and restaurants lining the port.

Thought I’d share today some photos from a special weekend break in this magnificent town, which took place a few years back. It was the weekend of the annual Nafplio Marathon race, plus it was in March, very close to Independence Day (March 25). The Greek flags decorating the picturesque lanes of Nafplio added to their inherent charm a touch of national pride.

During our weekend break, my husband and I made sure to walk around the town a lot, to take in the incredible energy of it all, and to fill our minds with the serenity of the setting.

Saturday was a quiet day, but Sunday was a celebration! The town came alive with big crowds that stood expectant and music blaring from massive speakers. The annual Marathon race of Nafplio, a highly successful event, took place that morning, sending both runners and cyclists on a series of races around town and its outskirts to be cheered by excited spectators.

As opposed to the Athens marathon that’s regarded one of the most difficult to participate in (because its last stretch is a continuous climb uphill), the Nafplio marathon proved to be much easier for my husband, who ran the race, seeing that the ground was flat throughout.

Strolling around Nafplio is a unique experience. Magnificent squares, such as Syntagma (Constitution) and Trion Navarchon (Three Admirals), picturesque lanes, cafes and tavernas, curio shops and smart boutiques attract the eye in every corner. Surely, a photographer’s paradise.

For the enthusiasts of history, there is a lot to see and explore. Other than the Archeological museum and the Mosque (that housed the first parliament of Greece after the War of Independence), there are three historical forts around town.

Palamidi is, by far, the most magnificent, set atop a high peak that overlooks Nafplio. On a lower peak beside it, stands the fort of Akronafplia, and last but not least, the tiny fort of Bourtzi is, hands down, the most enchanting, seeing that it’s built on a tiny island at a short distance from the seafront. On a peaceful, sunny day, it’s a mesmerizing sight, seemingly floating on the water like a peaceful, off-white bird.

To me, it is no surprise that my great love for Nafplio, coupled with the delightful experience of that Marathon weekend there, in time inspired to write a novel – my romantic comedy, Running Haunted. And, in it, I unfold the allure of Nafplio in all its glory.

The book tells the story of Kelly Mellios, a marathon runner, who visits Nafplio to run the race and winds up getting hired to run a house. With a ghost in it!

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The stunning and athletic Kelly Mellios runs a marathon in the alluring Greek town of Nafplio and winds up getting hired as a housekeeper by Alex Sarakis, a charming hotelier. Alex lives with his three underage children and a quirky pug, but no one knows there’s an extra inhabitant in the house… It’s the ghost of Alex’s late wife that lingers on with a secret plan.

When Kelly finds out the house is haunted, she freaks out at first, but then finds herself itching to help the ghost settle its unfinished business. It is evident there’s room for improvement in this family… Plus, her growing attraction towards Alex is overpowering…

Will Kelly do the ghost’s bidding? How will it affect her? And just how strange is this pug?

Interested to visit the picture-perfect town of Nafplio? My FREE travel guide includes my best recommendations for your sightseeing, including recommended walks for the most panoramic vistas! See my guide now!

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

A #Greek rom com about a #Marathon race and... a ghost! #Greece Share on X

Summer love and a mysterious haunting in Corfu… Only $0.99 for a limited time!

Check it out!

370 pages of Corfu summer bliss! This beach romance will make you fall in love… Choose between the paperback , the box set or 4 kindle episodes!Did you enjoy this post? GO HERE to follow this blog and get to see all our future posts! To grab “Facets of Love” for FREE, go here! Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.

February 27, 2019 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

New release! The Lost Lyra by Richard Clark

Richard Clark, fabulous author of travel books around Greece, has just released his very first fiction book. Richard’s heart-rending tale is set in his beloved Crete. It captures original village life as well as the magnificence of the White Mountains in Chania. If you love Greece, or if stories of old family history intrigue you, chances are you’ll love this book. And, it’s only $0.99 at the moment! Check it out:

(Please double-check prices before purchasing from Amazon)

‘Full of hope, a captivating novel.’

When musician Sarah Piper’s beloved grandfather dies, he bequeaths her a gift that will change her life forever. Eager to discover the truth about her grandfather’s past, she arrives at the sun-drenched island of Crete. There, old secrets of the past slowly come to light and, in the process, her own destiny begins to unfold…

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Hi Richard! Great to have you on my blog today! What inspired you to write this book?

Thank you for the invitation, Fros! You know, I have long wanted to dip my toe into the waters of writing fiction but suppose I had previously been afraid to. The success of the travel books had in some ways made it easy to continue writing what I felt comfortable with. The idea for The Lost Lyra came to me almost fully formed and was the perfect combination of things I love, Crete and lyra music. Both the island and the inspirational musical instrument are characters central to the story and the power of landscape and music to change people’s lives is really at the heart of the tale, which I suppose in a way is a love story.

How did you find writing fiction as opposed to your usual travel books?

I loved it; being able to use my imagination when the going got tough was really liberating. I was keen to anchor the story firmly in fact, however. My father was a Desert Rat who fought in both North Africa and the invasion of Europe and was wounded, so I drew on detail from his life for some of the wartime storyline. I was also lucky enough to meet the great lyra player Ross Daly when I first visited Crete in the early 1980s, and he introduced me to this magnificent instrument. Memories of evenings out all those years ago helped colour the story as I was writing. The landscape itself I am fairly familiar with, as I spend some of each year at my own house in a village on Crete.

How wonderful! What are your future plans?

To have a break. A trip to Crete is on the cards as soon as I can get organised and once I’ve finished my promotional work. When the batteries are recharged I will resume writing a book I have started about Central Crete. I really would like to write another novel, particularly as The Lost Lyra has been so well received, but I do need a strong storyline. If I can find that, and I do have a couple of ideas, that will be my next project. One thing is fairly certain – it will be set in Greece!

In 1982, on a whim, the English journalist Richard upped sticks and left the country of his birth to go and work as a teacher in Crete. So began a love affair with the Greek Islands which he frequently returns to.

His nine travel books about Greece are a series of snapshots of his experiences on the islands he has grown to love. They are less travel guides and more travelling companions.

Scroll up now to check out Richard’s spell-binding tale!

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love!An enchanting #newbook by Richard Clark #greek #books Share on X

Summer love and a mysterious haunting… Only $0.99 for a limited time!

Check it out!

NEW RELEASE BESTSELLER! 370 pages of Corfu summer bliss! This beach romance will make you fall in love… Choose between the paperback or 4 kindle episodes!Did you enjoy this post? GO HERE to follow this blog and get to see all our future posts! To grab “Facets of Love” for FREE, go here! Planning to visit Greece? Check out our FREE guide to Corfu! For delicious Greek recipes, go here. Are you an author? Check out our FREE promo tips & resources here.