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/

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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: MY YEAR WITH THE ITALIAN GIRL by Linda Leuzzi

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: MY YEAR WITH THE ITALIAN GIRL

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME: Linda Leuzzi

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS  Leuzzi.Linda@gmail.com

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS:  LindaLeuzzi.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon

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: 

Campbell Dalglish – (Writer, Director, Producer) - Founding Director of D'Arc Productions, award winning playwright, screenwriter and director. Associate Professor, The City University of New York. Amazon review

REVIEW: Having followed Linda Leuzzi’s award-winning journalism for the last 20 years in the Patchogue/Bellport area on the South Shore of Long Island, I can attest to her savvy uncompromising activism for the environment as well as her coverage of our community. She pulls us all together when it really counts, and you can count on her research. So it was no surprise that she is also a witty novelist who has created an imaginary community based on Bellport that is threatened by environmental concerns and the politics of builders eager to build more housing. “My Year With the Italian Girl” stands out as a novel about community and reminded me of Thornton Wilder’s play “Our Town” in its various voices, and even Dylan Thomas’ “Under Milkwood” that depicts unique characters in Welsh poetic fashion. Written in a “head hopping” point of view the reader gets to see our imaginary village that is of course a real village to us, the Bellport reader, through the voices of three women who share the role of protagonist. Vivian Allegra, also a journalist, has taken in an Italian exchange student, Francesca from Catania, Italy. The third woman in this triad is a high school Step Dancer, Keisha, who introduces Francesca to her world of Bellport. Other characters continue to pop up throughout this story as Vivian romances with a witty Brit, faces off with Rowland a builder, and revisits her community through the eyes of her Italian guest as she gets initiated into Keisha’s circle of friends at school. All the characters are rich and unique, including a Canadian Goose named George and a black bird named Crowbar. I have read the book already once and am starting it up again. Head Hopping is a pleasurable literary device when used well, allowing us to get into different mind sets to arrive at the truth, whatever that may be. Often used in mystery thrillers for a Rashomon Effect where the truth is a guessing game played out by unreliable narrators, Leuzzi has used it for the joy of seeing her imaginary world, which soon becomes ours through three different and distinct reliable perspectives, engaging us not so much in the mystery of Bellport as with its unique character. I could easily see this turned into a play or an episodic TV series, and it’s the kind of book you can take with you to the beach for summer reading again and again.

Campbell Dalglish’s website is https.darcproductions.net.

 (See video of Isabella Rossellini interview with Linda at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it0oVFeTSQU.

P.S. (I have a total of 48 reviews on Amazon.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED:  

Linda Leuzzi is an award-winning journalist, author and editor and her latest novel “My Year With the Italian Girl” was featured in a book talk interview by Isabella Rossellini. She’s written 8 non-fiction books for young adults, two of which garnered New York Public Library citations. Linda also wrote a book for the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts celebrating their 20^th anniversary. As former editor of the Long Island Advance, Tide of the Moriches and Suffolk County News who now writes frequently for them, her stories have won 19 New York Press Association Awards including First Place mentions for In-Depth Reporting, Spot News, Coverage of the Arts, Spot News Photo and Sports Feature. She’s won two Third Place Sharon Fullmer Awards for Community Leadership for team coverage of LGBTQ+ issues. Her many celebrity interviews have included Isabella Rossellini, Chazz Palminteri, Bernadette Peters, Sara Jean Ford, Tony Danza, Joe Piscopo, Melissa Errico, Lou Diamond Phillips, choreographer Randy Skinner as well as Nobel Prize, MacArthur Award scientists and astronauts. She also received a Media Award at the Long Island Women’s Conference for her contributions and positive community impact as well as a Science Museum of Long Island Outstanding Advocate for Science and Technology Award for Environmental Writing. She regularly writes musical theater previews and reviews for The Gateway Performing Arts Center as well as for art exhibits and film festivals. Community awards include Woman of Diversity for the Of Colors Black History celebration, Brookhaven Town’s Women’s History Outstanding Service in Media/Communications and a Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts honor for her stories. Linda also writes for the Fire Island News. She has mentored several young people over the years in the newspaper business and also via the Rotary Exchange Student program (six young women hosted at her home). A member of the Long Island Author’s Group, Linda is also a Sayville Rotarian who was asked to speak about her book during a regional conference. She trains at the Patchogue YMCA,, is an avid walker with her dog Tina, and loves trips to Manhattan visiting museums and attending Broadway plays as well as animals. Passionate about travel, her last two trips included a women’s wine tour to the Campagna region in Italy and a Celtic trip to Scotland and England. She also enjoys visits to the East End, stomping in preserves, and is an avid environmentalist. 

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 the right column of this blog home page (a silver and gold badge and threee silver-gray circles beneath it. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she 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 HowToDoItFrugally http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews. Pre-format the post editor for each new post. Cancel Save Post published

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: RAINBOW 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 

Book Review:: DESPERATELY SEEKING PERSEPHONE by Janet Rudolph

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK:

BOOK TITLE: DESPERATELY SEEKING PERSEPHONE: The true story of my Shamanic Journey through the Underworld.

AUTHOR OF BOOK: Janet Rudolph

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS: Jandelion@aol.com 

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: /mysticpagan.com/ /feminismandreligion.com/

 

 Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to

reprint their review in its entirety. 

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Elizabeth Cunningham is the author of numerous books

including My Life as a Prayer: A Multifaith Memoir and The Maeve Chronicles

5.0 out of 5 stars 

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2023 on Amazon

REVIEW:

DESPERATELY SEEKING, JOYFULLY BEING FOUND

Rudolph takes us with her on a journey that is at once deeply personal to her and

as well as mythic. In her story, interwoven with Persephone’s and Inanna’s, we may

recognize elements of our own, find inspiration and companionship for our own quest

and questions. Janet also reminds us that life is full of mysteries, time spirals

backward and forward; we not only seek but we are also found by human angels who

come into our lives when we most need them, and who are, in some way, always with

us. This beautiful, thoughtful, funny, poetic memoir gives the reader comfort and

inspires awe.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER:  Elizabeth Cunningham has written numerous

other novels including The Return of the Goddess and The Wild Mother. She lives in

the valley of the Mahicantuck (the river that flows both ways) on unceded land that

was home to the Esopus Tribe of the Lenape. She is at work on a fairytale novel. For

more visit her website: https://elizabethcunninghamwrites.com/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED:  Janet

Rudolph is a wife, lover, mother, grandmother, seeker, finder, earth-breather, water-

swimmer, there is no end to her descriptions. She has traveled to many sacred places

in the world to soak up knowledge and experience culture. Along the way she earned

two shamanic initiations and written a few books including When Moses Was a

Shaman, and When Eve Was a Goddess.. She writes wherever and whenever she can

to express, heal, inform, challenge, startle and to expand love. She is a contributor and

co-weaver at /feminismandreligion.com/ You can visit her website for more

information at https://themysticpagan.com/

Book Review: The Famous Phoebe of Long Isand

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: 

THE FAMOUS PHOEBE OF LONG ISLAND: Phoebe's Adventures at Sailors Haven

 

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME: Jean Derespina

 

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS jeand.tmg@gmail.com

 

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: www.FamousPhoebeofLI.com

 

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: Rita Plush, Fire Island News Book Review Columnist

 

INCLUDE THE REVIEW ITSELF

Long Islander Jean Derespina, a writer of marketing materials, has brought her affection for Fire Island and its seashore to the pages of a children’s book. 

This is a story about Phoebe, a puppy who is adopted from a shelter and has adventures on Sailors Haven with her new parents, Jeana and Frank. It is a warm and engaging story that will resonate with anyone who has a dog or is thinking of adopting one. But the book is more than that. It’s about feeling loved and protected, and though the tale is told from a puppy’s point of view, it could very well be a child who is telling the story. 

Phoebe is “the luckiest puppy in the world because out of all the puppies in the shelter, I got picked by the nicest family. They love me very much.” And off they motor in their boat into the Great South Bay, Phoebe “more than a little scared at first,” but Jeana held her close while Frank drove. 

Phoebe has many experiences at Sailors Haven. She makes friends as children do, and her excitement is palpable when she learns she can swim. In the forest she comes upon animals she has never seen before. “A long, skinny animal that didn’t have legs or paws wiggled right by us!” 

On the walk back to the beach, Phoebe notices three deer grazing and makes the connection that her parents are going to have their dinner too, linking humans to the animal world. 

Venturing out on her own, Phoebe dashes down the beach after a bird in flight. After the bird is out of sight she worries. “Where was everyone? Where was I? I was alone, and I was really scared,” her doggie brain thinks, but her fears could just as well be the fears of a child. 

I can see a parent reading this story and saying to their little one. “You must never run away or go where we can’t find you,” the child nodding solemnly. 

The soft watercolor drawings by Amelina Jones play on the easy narrative. Jones uses blues, blue/greens for water, and browns for the puppy and vegetation in many of the illustrations, but she is not confined to a limited palette. Variations of yellow and yellow/greens come up in a spread where the family is walking through Sunken Forest, the prose set on the page as if illuminated by the sun. On the other end of the spectrum is black, used lavishly in a dramatic nighttime scene. The pages come to life with little pinpoints of white like “millions of stars lighting up the sky.” The boat’s “gentle rocking kept [Phoebe] asleep all night,” as the family headed back to shore. 

And that’s what this book is: a gentle story about family, with little Phoebe its centerpiece.

Link to the review: https://www.fireislandnews.com/arts-culture/book-reviews/the-famous-phoebe-of-long-island-phoebes-adventures-at-sailors-haven/

 

 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: Rita Plush has been the book reviewer for The Fire Island News since 2015. Learn more at her website https://ritaplush.com/about, or at https://www.fireislandnews.com/.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED:  

Jean is a member of the SCBWI and is on the Board of Directors of the Long Island Author Group. 

 

For years, Jean held positions as a corporate content developer. During her marketing career, she always made timeto indulge in her passion for writing children's stories. In 2014, Jean left the corporate world to start my own company, The Marketing Gig, LLC. After an encouraging start, she was seriously injured in an accident that required over a year’s recovery. Writing played an instrumental role in her healing process.

 

Post rehabilitation, Jean released two self-published two picture books, which have sold over 1,500 copies. They are in circulation at approximately six libraries and on the shelves at Barnes & Noble. Learn more about Jean and The Famous Phoebe of Long Island at https://www.famousphoebeofli.com/. 

Twitter @JeandAuthor