Book Review: WAITING FOR AEGINA by Effie Kammenou

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: WAITING FOR AEGINA

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME: Effie Kammenou

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS effie.k.speyer@gmail.com

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: Website http://effiekammenou.com  

Amazon author page

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Effie-Kammenou/author/B013NZRWLI?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true  

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/effie-kammenou

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/effiekammenou_author/

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW: 

X Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety. I have a written email if needed.

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Ekaterina Botziou - Author, writer, digital creator

THE REVIEW:

ANOTHER GREAT READ FROM THIS WONDERFULLY TALENTED AUTHOR!

 by Ekaterina Botziou

‘Waiting for Aegina‘ is the second book in Effie’s ‘The Gift Saga‘ following the immensely popular ‘Evanthia’s Gift‘. Influenced by Effie’s heritage, both books are set against a beautiful Greek backdrop and combine love and romance with the poignant emotions of a coming of age drama.
In this second outing, the story continues to follow the life of Sophia as she enters middle age and has to face certain demons from her past. Familiar faces (or imagined faces in a reader’s case!) from the first book return to bring colour and drama to each chapter and the story itself goes even deeper into the lives of its main characters.
‘Waiting for Aegina’ is far grittier than ‘Evanthia’s Gift’ but it is no less beautifully written and once again Effie’s amazing ability to bring the Greek setting to life with just a few carefully chosen words will have you wanting to dive straight into the page.
The inclusion of several secret recipes at the beginning of chapters is just another gem that Effie has thrown in.
Another great read from this wonderfully talented author."

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: 

Ekaterina Botziou is an author, writer and digital content creator. Her six-part Greek mythological children’s series 'The Adventures of Omicron' is available on Amazon worldwide and she also creates children's activity books under her planner brand 'Pandorus Publishing', as well as notebooks, diaries and journals and digital art. Ekaterina has written for British and European lifestyle magazines and is the founder of The Greek Wives Club - a group that promotes Hellenism and Greek brands. 

www.ekaterinabotziou.com 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED:  

Effie Kammenou believes it's never too late to chase your dreams, follow your heart, or change your career. She is proof of that. At one time, long ago, she'd hoped that by her age, she would have had an Oscar in her hand after a successful career as an actor. But instead, she worked in the optical field for forty years while raising her two daughters. 

 

In 2015, three years after her mother died from pancreatic cancer, she published her debut novel, Evanthia's Gift, the first book in a women's fiction, multigenerational love story, and family saga, inspired by her mother and her Greek heritage. Kammenou continued to pick her father's brain for stories of his family's life in Lesvos, Greece, and their journey to America until his recent death in November 2022 at 100. Her interview with him was published in the nationally circulated magazine Reminisce. 

 

Evanthia's Gift: Book One in The Gift Saga was a 2016 finalist in the Readers Favorite Book Awards. Book two, Waiting for Aegina, was awarded finalist status in the 2019 International Book Awards. Chasing Petalouthes, the last book in the trilogy, also placed in the Readers Favorite Book Awards for the 2018 contest.

Most recently, Love is Worth Fighting for won silver, second place for contemporary romance, in The Readers Favorite Book Awards.

Kammenou's latest project is The Meraki Series. Love is What You Bake of it, Love by Design, andLove is Worth Fighting for are available. Book four: Love in Plain Sight, will finish the series. Each book focuses on a sibling and their quest for love and professional success despite their sometimes stifling and meddling family. But it would only be a Kammenou novel with delving into the past or references to mouth-watering foods. A mystery shadowed by a historical event in Greek history is slowly uncovered throughout the series.

 

As a bonus, each book contains traditional Greek recipes; many passed down from her Athenian mother.

Effie Kammenou is a first-generation Greek-American who lives on Long Island. When she's not writing or posting recipes on her food blog, aptly named Cheffie's Kitchen, you can find her entertaining family and friends or traveling for 'research.' She recently returned to her roots by occasionally working as a background actor in film and television productions.

 

She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theater Arts from Hofstra University.

 

For updates on promotions, events, and new releases, follow Effie on Social media. Sign up for her newsletter to receive a free copy of her novella Don’t Want to Leave Her Now.

 

Website - http://effiekammenou.com

Newsletter signup - https://www.subscribepage.com/effiekammenou

https://twitter.com/EffieKammenou

www.facebook.com/EffieKammenou

https://www.instagram.com/effiekammenou_author/

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjMZUQRPRjX0R6VVPpIKk8A

BOOK REVIEW FOR THE FRUGAL EDITOR by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: THE FRUGAL EDITOR

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME: Carolyn Howard-Johnson

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS: 

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: (website, amazon, blog, etc.)

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW: 

 X  - Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety. 

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: (Lois W. Stern, author, editor, ghostwriter , Creator of Tales2Inspire )

INCLUDE THE THE REVIEW ITSELF, of course!

A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

When a friend gifted me with a copy of The Frugal Editor, my first thought was “Why do I need a book on editing? I know how to edit, and besides a book on that topic would be just plain boring. But I was so wrong! Carolyn Howard-Johnson has a style all her own, turning what could be a dull topic into a book that is both fun to read and informative. She shares some nuggets of wisdom that might just surprise you. I know they surprised me. In her chapter on up-to-date editing secrets, I learned that grammar rules actually change with the times. For example, in an effort to keep up with the times, today we want to be gender neutral so the she/he reference is now being replaced by they/their/them, even when making a singular reference to someone of unidentified gender. The Frugal Editor explores many of the subtleties in the use and misuse of italics, possessives, apostrophes . . . Trust me, you’ll know and understand them all by the time you finish this book.

 

I’ve done more than my share of line editing to check my typos, grammar, punctuation, and such. But until reading this book, I was unaware of some of the subtleties of editing…that there is so much more to the job than what I listed above. I never knew that a really good editor can actually help you find your voice. What a treasure to find one of those! I wonder if Carolyn Howard-Johnson would take me on as a client?

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: Lois is an associate of TheNewBookReview, working with a passion to help other authors strengthen their visibility on this blog and elsewhere. Through her annual Tales2Inspire contest, a labor of love that has received worldwide recognition, she accepts entries from talented newbies and accomplished authors alike and continues to feature her winning authors on an ongoing basis. True to her 'Authors Helping Authors' philosophy, she charges no submission fee for folks to enter her contest. She receives no remuneration for any of her services, but hopes those who benefit from them will express their appreciation by purchasing Tales2Inspire anthologies and writing reviews. In her continuing spirit of “Authors Helping Authors”, Lois provides several tips on how authors can help promote themselves while writing honest reviews for others. To read her article, Be a Hero: Make Some Magic for Yourself. CLICK HERE.

All details for submitting stories to her annual Tales2Inspire anthologies are detailed  HERE. To date, winning authors whose stories are published in Tales2Inspire anthologies come from across the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

REVIEWER’S TWITTER MONIKER: /tales2inspire2

Book Review: RAIBOW PANDA by Lisa Muchnik

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: RAINBOW PANDA 

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME: Lisa Muchnik 

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS: lisag79@aol.com

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS:

www.lisamuchnik.com

Amazon link: Rainbow Panda https://a.co/d/91nHw4W

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW: 

 __x Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety. - as per previous email, we discussed that it was ok to share 

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Booklist, the official book review magazine of the American Library Association 

THE REVIEW:

Little Panda loves doing yoga. Each day he takes class with the other jungle animals, stretching, posing, and balancing his body. But one day, Little Panda leaves class uncharacteristically sad. He realized that he didn’t have bright feathers like Peacock, yellow and brown patches like Giraffe, or colorful exteriors like Iguana and Flamingo. He is only black and white! Wise Mama Panda knows just what to say, reassuring him that he is colorful on the inside. She begins to tell him about his chakras, walking him (and readers) through the colors and meanings of an individual’s seven energy wheels. As each energy is introduced, the illustrations emphasize its representative hue, connecting Little Panda to his inner self as well as the world around him. By the end of this more spiritual exercise, Little Panda looks in the mirror and sees his colorful chakras shining bright inside of him. This positive story about self-acceptance will also work well for lessons on mindfulness.

— Rosie Camargo

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER:\

www.booklistonline.com

@booklist_ala on Instagram 

@ALA_Booklist on twitter 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED:

Lisa Muchnik is a children’s book author, nurse anesthetist, mother of two, and certified yoga instructor, with a specialty in aerial yoga. Having a lifelong desire to write books for kids and a love for yoga and the chakras, it was only natural she would bring these aspects together in her debut children’s book Rainbow Panda. She is a believer in the power of passion and dreams. She loves caring for and connecting with people in all aspects of her life - her children, her patients, her yoga students, and now her readers! Check out her website www.lisamuchnik.com, and follow her on Instagram @lisamuchnik 

How-to-Books For Authors - Celebrating Their Reviews and Their Reviewers

Please help me celebrate the release of the 3rd edition of the Winningest Book in Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s “HowToDoItFrugally” Series of books,  “The Frugal Editor”! 

SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2023

Dawn Colclasure Lauds Carolyn Howard-Johnson's "The Frugal Editor"

I love author-edited newsletters like the one below from Dawn Colclasure below for information, yes, but especially for networking and building a loyal base.  You'll see from the "More About the Author" that Dawn is not only a prolific author, but among her books are career-boosting how-tos for writers--and you (my SharingwithWriters and TheNewBookReview subscribers and visitors) know how I am about books being the most frugal way (and often the most credible way!) to build writing careers. Today's post was a surprise from Dawn, perhaps my first quite like this. It is what I will call and "editorial review" or recommendation.  It will become a vital part of my celebration of the release of the 3rd edition of my #TheFrugalEditor. Here it is! Along with a sample of her newsletter!   Welcome to the latest issue (the of the  Thirteenth!) of the SPARREW Newsletter! An Assortment of Dawn Colclasure's Poetry, Fiction, and About Anything and Everything Else!  The free monthly newsletter for self-publishers, authors, readers, reviewers, editors and writers! I am happy to have you aboard! Thank you for subscribing! And welcome to new subscribers! Thanks to her lovely contributions to this newsletter, Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s newest release, the third edition of The Frugal Editor: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets-From Your Query Letters to Final Manuscript to the Marketing of Your New Bestseller is not an unknown book to me. If you’d like to read about Carolyn’s thoughts on why the update of this book was necessary, you can check it out in my article in First Chapter Plus here: On pages 16-17   But aside from getting new nuggets of editorial wisdom from this book, I was surprised by how Carolyn’s reminder to edit query letters really hits home. I have reviewed many rejected query letters and realized that, after some thought, they definitely could use some editing. Carolyn’s book can help whip those query letters into shape! It’s definitely a must-have book for every writer serious about making their work shine.   We got a great issue put together for you this month.   In a recent issue of The Wordling newsletter, I learned about self-publisher Paul Millerd. After reading about his success as a self-publisher, I knew I had to interview him for my own newsletter! Despite his VERY busy schedule, Paul was able to find some time to answer my questions. Check out his sage advice about self-publishing below!   The author interview is with an author I have know for some time: William Meikle. I met William decades ago, through the Absolute Write Water Cooler. Even though it’s been many years since I’ve participated at the Water Cooler, I kept track of William through other online platforms – mainly, social media. When I learned he had books coming out this month, I wanted to interview him so he could share all about them! Don’t miss my interview with William and learn all about his journey in becoming an author.   And finally, the writer interview is with another fellow scribe I have known for many years: Shanta Everington. I met Shanta when I was writing for a parent publication based in England, and we kept in touch on and off ever since. Shanta graciously took some time to answer questions for the writer interview and to share her wisdom about all things writing.   This month’s feature article is from a fellow author who I recently crossed paths with. After I won a book drawing through Jessica McCann’s newsletter, I wanted to return the nice gesture and asked her if she would like to contribute a guest post to this newsletter. Thankfully, Jessica agreed to do so, and I loved how her ideas for writing puts a nice spin on the process! Please check out her article to find out just how she does it!   I hope you enjoy this issue! Feel free to drop me a note or connect with me on social media! I'd love to connect with you! Enjoy this issue!

Send Us Your Fav Book Review

Hi, it's Lois W. Stern here, your #NewBookReview Review Coordinator, with another idea to help you get more eyeballs focused on your book. We all know that reviews help sell books, so how about sending me your FAV REVIEW and I'll get it posted here. 

HOW TO GET THIS FREE MARKETING TOOL FOR YOUR BOOK AND FOR YOUR REVIEWER:  Did your book get one fabulous review that you wish you could share with the world? Well wish no more. Now you can. Just send it to me  (Lois!) @tales2Inspire2gmail.com/ WITH "My fav book review" in the subject line using the format below,  and I'll post it for you on TheNewBookReview blog. And that’s a big deal ‘cause this blog gets tons of readers. 

Note: Please get permission from your reviewer to republish their review. 

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR FAV REVIEW: To make the submission process easier, first copy and paste the template below to help you gather all your data.  Then I will post it for FREE at: https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK:

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME:

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS We don't publish this! 

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: (website, amazon, blog, etc.)

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW: 

 __ Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety. 

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: (i.e. John Doe, author of, Group leader of , originally published at xxxx. )

INCLUDE THE THE REVIEW ITSELF, of course!

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: (100 words or less) You may include the reviewer's links to website, blog, book's buy page or whatever the reviewer would like to use that is book related or might serve as a resource by #TheNewBookReview's audience--visitors or subscribers. Include the reviewer's social network addresses. It may include:
REVIEWER'S TWITTER MONIKER (Strongly preferred but not required.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED:  (Don't be shy. This is a golden opportunity to brag a bit about yourself so include any links, photo, and where #TheNewBookReviews visitors and learn more that author.)  It may include:

REVIEWER'S TWITTER MONIKER (Strongly preferred but not required.)

ABOUT THE REVIEWER BIO (OPTIONAL): This may include information on the reviewer's book if they are also authors or information on their favorite writer-oriented project. (We do not accept information that includes selling book reviews.) You may include the reviewer's links to website, blog, book's buy page or whatever the reviewer would like to use that is book related or might serve as a resource by #TheNewBookReview's audience--visitors or subscribers. Include the reviewer's social network addresses. It may include  It may include:

REVIEWER'S TWITTER MONIKER (Strongly preferred but not required.)

INCLUDE ANY OF THE  FOLLOWING IMAGES WITH YOUR EMAIL: 

AUTHOR'S IMAGES: Author headshot and Author's book cover image

REVIEWER'S IMAGES: Reviewer headshot, Reviewer's book cover image (if they are  also a published author). We will use these images to create a free personal banner for the unrestricted use of both author and reviewer. 

E-MAIL YOUR REVIEW TO ME AT: tales2inspire2@gmail.com. Write “NEWBOOKREVIEW BEST REVIEW" in the subject line of your e-mail.

AND HERE’S THE BEST PART:

Place a Tweet about your review on Twitter, (YOU ARE ON TWITTER, RIGHT?), and tag both Carolyn Howard-Johnson @frugalbookpromo and me @tales2inspire2 and we will retweet your review to our over forty-six thousand Twitter followers. 

Now how's that for some great additional exposure for you, 

your reviewer and your books!

Your NewBookReview Acquisition Coordinator

Lois W. Stern

Lois W. Stern is a multi award winning author whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in many varied venues. She has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured anthologies of her contest winners' stories. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help authors on their paths to discovery.

Lois created her Tales2Inspire® ‘Authors Helping Authors’ project in 2012, helping hundreds of talented newbies and seasoned authors alike enhance their visibility. Click here to learn more about entering her annual no fee Tales2Inspire contest. That’s right, it’s free! What emerges from these annual contests are highly professional anthologies of inspirational memoirs. Fans of Chicken Soup for the Soul are particularly enamored of Tales2Inspire® books because, aside from being expertly crafted inspirational memoirs, they are filled with original photos to further enhance the power of each story. Lois invites interested readers to get a FREE Tales2Inspire® sampler book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts and visit Lois at these Media Marketing sites: 

Website: https://www.tales2Inspire.com 

Spend some media marketing time with Lois at: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tales2inspire2

BlueInk Review Reviews The Best Laid Traps by Philip La Croix

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: THE BEST LAID TRAPS

GENRE:  Mystery

YOUR FAVORITE LINKS):

https://a.co/d/3yFEIZJ

https://www.facebook.com/Philip.Lacroix06 

https://www.instagram.com/philip.lacroix_/

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW: 

 _PL_ Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety. 

REVIEWER’S BYLINE;

BlueInk Review, founded by respected literary agent Patricia Moosbrugger and award-winning former book review editor of the Rocky Mountain News, Patti Thorn, BlueInk is the gold standard in book reviews.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

While fee-based, all BlueInk reviews are honest appraisals, written by professionals drawn largely from mainstream media outlets or editors who have worked at well-respected publishing houses. As our critics discover worthy titles, we celebrate the finest of these books — featuring them in high profile positions on our web page and vigorously promoting them on social media and other venues.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Philip La Croix is a thirty-three-year-old Knight at Medieval Times In Scottsdale, Arizona, and is looking to expand his talent beyond his use of the sword and lance. He graduated from California State University Fullerton with a BA in theatre and has been a performer all his life. He is channeling his many experiences into telling new tales. The Best Laid Traps is the first of hopefully many books to be sent out into the world.

https://www.facebook.com/Philip.Lacroix06

https://www.instagram.com/philip.lacroix_/

https://www.philiplacroix.com

ReplyForward

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing