Sara Alexi's Blog - Posts Tagged "sara-alexi"

Dario Ciriello, writer and blogger, flattered me with an interview which he posted on his site today. We had such fun talking and his questions were interesting and led smoothly one into the other.

You can find the interview here

https://dariospeaks.wordpress.com/201...

The Greek Village Series has become so popular that readers have asked for something to be published between books. So I came up with the idea of a Newsletter ‘from the village’ writing it as if the villages was real. Here is an example of this free newsletter, I hope you enjoy it. If you would like to subscribe please follow this link;

https://saraalexi.com/2015/02/10/the-...

Stranded Dolphins



A pair of dolphins were found on the beach adjacent to Stella's hotel last week. The stranded animals were spotted by Pericles, as he was preparing the nets early on Wednesday.
'I saw a splashing about near the shoreline,' he told us, 'and went over to investigate.'
Despite not being entirely sympathetic towards these animals, who often tear the nets and steal his fish, Pericles did not like to see them suffering on the sand, and he quickly raised the alarm.

'I called Mitsos, and he called some others, and between us we got them back in the water.'
The men dug a channel in the sand and filled it with water, so that the dolphins could be floated back out to sea...

The Greek Village Handbook

We spoke to Sara Alexi recently, and she tells us that work is well underway on the handbook. We can't wait, and are curious to know what she will say about us!

She wouldn't reveal any details, but she did let on that there will be some short stories, and pictures of Greece, as well as an author interview giving insights into her motivation for writing each of the first fifteen books in the series...

She also let slip that she has already started on the next novel, too.

LACE MAKING ON ORINO ISLAND



Vasso has asked us to let you know that two places are still available for the trip she organised to Orino Island next Wednesday.

The journey will be by bus (2 hours, leaving at 8am outside the church) and water taxi (about 20 minutes). T

There will be time for a coffee and a look around the island before we gather at the Maritime Museum for a demonstration of local lace making techniques, which are unique to the island.

Lunch will be served in the courtyard of the museum, and there will be an opportunity to make a piece of lace of your own.

Coffee and koulourakia will be served before the return trip, and we will get back to the village around 8pm.

Anyone interestedin the last couple of places should contact Vasso at the kiosk.

BAD DUSTERS



This is a warning to anyone who bought one of the cheap pale yellow dusters that where sold out of the back of a van in the village last week.

It has been discovered that the red stitching releases a great deal of dye if you machine wash them. Vasso was the first to discover the fact, and was understandably displeased.

'I put a load of Thanasis's white shirts in the wash with the dusters and they all came out a pale pink. He was not the happiest man in the world when he first saw them.'

A casual walk past the kafenio confirms that this has happened in a few households. There is a range of shirt colours from pale to deep pink, and even some that appear to be tie-dyed.

It is suggested, to avoid an further unwanted colouring that the dusters are washed in cold water by hand.

Thanks to Fillipos for modelling his!

CONGRATULATIONS!



A huge congratulations to Stella and Mitsos.

Stella's Hotel has been awarded Small Hotel of the Year Award by the Greek Tourist Commission.

Representatives came over the winter months and stayed incognito to assess the rooms, the service and the staff. Their report said:

'The warmth of the staff was genuine and not overdone. It was pleasant and made us feel that rather than staying in an hotel we where staying in a family member's home.'

They also had praise for the village:

'There is everything needed to hand. We can particularly recommend the bakery's Honey Cake that was served to us with a very well made cup of Greek coffee at the kafenio.'

Fillipos's Honey Cake recipe can be found here - http://saraalexi.com/2016/04/11/filli...

To sign up for The Greek Village newsletter follow this link: https://saraalexi.com/2015/02/10/the-...

So delicious. This is Fillipos from the bakery’s recipe for Honey Cake which you can buy at the bakery or have served with coffee over at Theo’s Kafenio.

Let me know how yours turns out!

Ingredients

1 cup of flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
A good pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Grated zest of orange (Straight from tree is best – trap that vitamin C)
3/4 cup of butter
3/4 cup of white sugar
3 village eggs
1/4 cup of milk
1 cup of chopped walnuts (Mitsos says he has a surplus if anyone needs some)
1 cup f honey (See Frona or Sarah, their wild flower honey is unbeatable)
3/4 of a cups of water
Squirt of fresh lemon.

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). You will need a 9 inch square tin, best to grease it well.

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind so they are ready for when you need them.

Cream together the butter and sugar, either with a an electric whisk or with the back of a wooden spoon, until fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one by one.

Add the already mixed dry ingredients, alternately this with the milk. Pop the walnuts in along the way.

Bake for about 40 mins.

For the honey syrup: put the honey, 1 cup sugar and water into a pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and boil it for 2 mins. Pour this over your cake once it has cooled.

I'm rather excited to announce that my latest book A Wander Through the Village from The Greek Village series has now gone live on Amazon.

Grigoris sits under his olive tree, reluctant to go home and face the wrath of his wife, Lena... He's not been able to sell the oranges this year, and she's going to furious!!! Just then, a little green fly lands on his shirt, and it gives him an idea - something he can use to explain why the crop failed, and deflect the blame.

It's a bold lie, but it might just work...

A Wander Through the Village is a collection of short stories, in which we meet old friends and some new ones.

In addition, the book is a guide to the Greek village, listing the characters and Greek phrases that are used in each of the first fifteen books, as well as notes about what inspired me to write each of them, what I was hoping to achieve in the process and a set of questions for book clubs. I hope you find these interesting.

Oh, and there are maps of the village and Orino Island, too!

And finally - because I could not resist - I have included some wonderful pictures of beautiful Greece.

If you haven't read all the books in the series, please note that the handbook section includes spoilers...

A huge thank you for all the support so far, the book hit No1 on Amazon within 24 hours!

If you enjoyed the synopsis you can follow this link to buy the Kindle edition http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wander-Throug...

My Goodreads giveaway for 5 signed copies of The Illegal Gardener has just gone live! I'm also including a personalised postcard and book mark from Greece with each book.



The Illegal Gardener is the very first in my series The Greek Village and weaves an entrancing story of the burgeoning relationship that develops between two people from very different backgrounds and cultures; an English woman living in Greece and the Pakistani illegal immigrant who becomes her gardener and house boy.

Each brings their own problems, their own past baggage, and she approaches these with sympathy and understanding as well as exploring the nuances and differences in their cultures as they become more and more dependent on each other.

Here are what others have had to say:

'Reminiscent of Remains of the Day.'

'A good tale well told. Shades of Steinbeck and Bradbury.'

'The author has huge potential and if she keeps writing and developing like this then I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her name on a future Man Booker list!'

'Sensitive with beautifully crafted characters that you really cared about.'

'I was captivated from the start unable to put the book down.'

You can read the first two chapters from the book on my Goodreads profile, and you can enter the giveaway by following the link below.

The winners will be selected on June 10th.

Good luck!

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

As usual there is LOTS going on, so I thought I would put some of these goings on in one blog post for you to read through and see what tickles your fancy.

First up, tonight at 9pm GMT I am hosting my first live Q&A here on Goodreads. Those of us who are friends on Facebook will know we chat all the time, but here I am going to be sitting down for at least an hour to give your questions all of my attention, however serious or silly. I can't wait to see how this goes!

Follow this link to join up and join in the conversation:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Also in the Ask Sara Alexi author group, I have set up two other topics to which I more than welcome your input and contributions.

One is Greek Inspiration, where I am really enjoying posting photos of Greece that just really catch my eye and capture the essence of this wonderful country. Please feel free to add your photos or comments on there too!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

And the other topic is Greek Recipes (of course!). I will post some favourites of mine from time to time for you to try out, and would love your feedback on how they worked out! Also if you ever want to post a Greek inspired recipe for other people in the group to try, again please post away.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...



As many of you may have already seen, I also have a giveaway on Goodreads at the moment. 5 winners will receive a signed copy of The Illegal Gardener as well as a personalised postcard and a bookmark from Greece. Don't forget to enter!

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

That's quite a bit of news already...but I'm not done yet!

If you are on the Greek Village mailing list you will have seen the latest news letter from the Greek Village, where you get to catch up on the latest with the locals was emailed out this week. A sneak peak from my upcoming therapeutic colouring book based on the Greek Village Series was included. If you want to sign up to this newsletter you can do so here:

https://saraalexi.com/2015/02/10/the-...



And finally, as some of you already know, I very recently released the Greek Village Handbook for Kindle and paperback format. People have been very generous in taking their time to rate the book highly on Amazon and it has had a great reception so far.

I am planning to have it printed in colour to show the pictures of Greece to their greatest advantage, but if you want to order your paperback copy in the meantime it is available here https://www.createspace.com/6244744

Thanks so much for reading and I hope to chat to some of you tonight!

Sara

Anyone who knows my books won't need me to tell them that my stories are not only set in Greece, but the Greek village I write about could almost be described as a character in it's own right.

And with the summer months upon us I know many of you will be heading for Greece and it's jewel-like islands to indulge in the unique culture, perfect beaches, turquoise seas and incredible food.

Through writing my books I have come to realise how important Greece is as a story setting for many readers (and can I blame you?), so I thought I would compile my own book shelf here on Goodreads for books based in, or inspired by Greece, of which you can have a nose through for yourselves here.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I have selected eight of these books to recommend to you, which I would most certainly take to the beach to read as the sea lapped at my toes. Some are recent releases, some are well known and some maybe not so known.

It was a difficult choice, I could have taken them all but I somehow don't think over 80 books would fit in my case!

So here goes:

The Magus
by John Fowles
An intriguing story that become a page turner. As reality and illusion intertwine, Urfe is caught up in the darkest of psychological games. John Fowles expertly unfolds a tale that is lush with over-powering imagery in a spellbinding exploration of human complexities. By turns disturbing, thrilling and seductive, one of my favourites.

Falconera
by Alexis Ladas
This is not the sort of thing I usually like. It is about a guerrilla fleet that was based on the Turkish coast in the second world war. They disguised their boats as Greek fishing boats and, during the night, they would attack German war ships. So beautifully written.

Zorba the Greek
by Nikos Kazantzakis
Most people have heard of this and maybe seen the film, but, for me, the book is richer and more evocative of human nature. Definitely worth reading even if you have seen the film.

Eleni
by Nicholas Gage
Quite a hard read at times due to what is being described. But over all this book takes you on a journey in which I found myself completely absorbed.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin
by Louis de Bernieres.
I saw the film, but again the book is so much richer. There are sections in the book that are missed out of the film entirely which I think gives great depth to the main character.

My Family and Other Animals
by Gerald Durrell
A delight. Wonderful storytelling following a family who relocate from a grey damp UK to Corfu. Light, fun, one you can dip in and dip out of.

The Odyssey
by Homer
This one needs no introduction. It reads like it is an adventure but it is more a reflection on the human condition. A timeless classic and of course if you like this The Illiad is a good book too.

Crete – A Notebook
by Richard Clarke
This is such a personal view of a personal journey. If you like history it is packed to the gills. I, however, like the intimate description of the writer as he makes his travels, bobs on boats and drinks Cretan wine. Clark has a gist with words.

Nights of Rain and Stars
by Maeve Binchy
This is a story of one summer when a group of people all have to face the particular life crisis which first made them leave their homes and end up in Greece. I love Maeve Binchy. You cant go wrong with this book. Perfect for the beach.

I hope you've enjoyed this brief nose through my Greece bookshelf. Please do take a look at all the books on there and let me know if there are any you think I should add.

Happy reading!

Sara

As some of you will have seen, a new giveaway went live this week for 5 people to win signed copies of Black Butterflies which is the second book from The Greek Village Series.

Along with the signed book, the 5 winners will also get a personalised postcard from Greece and a magnetic bookmark.



You can enter here:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

About the book:
Marina is a gentle soul who makes a modest living in her corner shop. Her husband died years ago, and her children have grown up. Life is pleasantly predictable, if a little dull.

But not even her daughters know that thirty five years ago Marina spent lonely months on a nearby island, and the events of that summer have haunted her ever since.

Now Marina's daughter is planning to move to the same island and the past and present threaten to collide with dreadful consequences.

Black Butterflies follows Marina reluctantly revisiting the island. She has a plan, of sorts, to avert possible tragedy but in doing so she will come face to face with the consequences of her long kept secret. Will she be in time, and why does she never go anywhere without her big black bag?

Packed with a troupe of colourful characters that intertwine in a gripping story, Black Butterflies is by turn uproariously funny, touching or sad.

Exploring themes of bigotry and how doing what we think is for the best can unwittingly harm those we love, this is a gentle journey to one woman's redemption.

What others have said about Black Butterflies;

"I loved this book. It takes us to a place both ancient and modern in every way and has an ending so satisfying and unusual that you will want to share this book with others, as I did."

"Another beautiful book. This is the second book I've read by Sara Alexi and it will not be the last. Her prose is beautiful, characters are true and believable."

"This delightful companion to Alexi's wonderful "The Illegal Gardner" takes a lighthearted and then serious look at the harm keeping secrets can do. Highly visual and beautifully described, the book sweeps the reader into Marina's life as she tries to prevent what could be a family disaster. Black Butterflies would be a perfect vacation or beach book."

You can also read the first two chapters from the book here on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...

Don't forget to enter the giveaway here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

In other news, my latest book from The Greek Village is now with the editors and is going to be available very soon! I shall be posting updates about that as soon as I can.

You can also keep up to date with news from The Greek Village by signing up to my free monthly newsletter here:https://saraalexi.com/2015/02/10/the-...

Happy reading!

Sara Alexi

I am excited to let you all know that the 18th book in The Greek Village Series will be launched on 9th July 2016.

A Stranger in the Village is now available for pre-order here http://snig.gr/m and to celebrate I am letting you all have a sneak preview of the opening chapter of the story.

Chapter 1

The corner shop in the Greek village

Those present –

Marina, the village shop owner

Stella, who runs the hotel and local eatery

Juliet, an English woman who moved to the village

Frona, an older woman of the village who has lived in both Australia and America

Vasso, who runs the kiosk in the village square

Marina holds court in her corner shop. Stella, Frona and Juliet have all found somewhere to sit.


‘It’s like buying a pig in a sack. We don’t know what we get till we open the sack.’ Marina laughs.

‘I got lucky with my “pig”,’ Frona says, her shapeless black cardigan quivering as she giggles.

‘Thank God I got lucky second time around!’ Stella says, crossing herself three times and kissing her thumbnail as she shifts her slight frame, tucking one leg under her on the wooden chair. She is hemmed in by barrels of rice, lentils, pasta and dried beans, and by the komboloi hanging from a nail on the edge of a shelf, by her head.

‘Ah, but he wasn’t in a sack then, was he, your second pig?’ Marina’s face is red with laughing. ‘He was out in the daylight. You could see all of what you were getting!’ She dabs at the corners of her eyes with a tissue from up her sleeve.

‘My piglet was running around for all to see, so cute then, but I didn’t know he was going to grow to be a boar,’ Juliet says, but the joke does not translate well – it would have sounded so much better in her mother tongue.

But Marina, Stella and Frona howl with laughter anyway, the sound muffled only by the plethoric jumble of goods and produce that lines the walls of Marina’s shop. Fly swats, shepherds’ crooks, balls in plastic string bags and a variety of other items hang from the ceiling. The shelves on the three back walls sag with the weight of jars of honey, tins of dolmades, packets of tights, bottles of chlorine, and countless other things. The counter extends from under the window at the front of the shop, at right angles to anyone coming in through the door, its top overflowing with sweets, cigarette lighters, kolourakia, packets of nuts in colourful wrappers and a shiny set of scales at one end. The door, which is permanently open, leads out to the village square. On the pavement outside there is just enough space for a couple of drinks cabinets and a wire rack of locally grown produce.

At this time of year the sun does not have the intensity it will later in the year, but it is warm enough to lure Juliet out daily. She will step out for something as simple as a bottle of milk and then linger for hours simply because the sun makes everything delightful and the world has transformed from the grey of winter into a wonderful place promising the excitement of summer.

This morning she loitered to admire the yellow flowers blooming along the roadside, and the almond and cherry blossom creating splashes of white and pink in the gardens, announcing the arrival of spring. The whitewashed walls and houses reflected the bright blossoms that are appearing in their gardens. The sudden warmth makes everything happen more slowly: the household chores, the shopping for the evening meal, even the conversations. There is no rushing to get out of the cold, there are no clipped exchanges to limit the minutes spent with frozen fingers away from the fire. Instead she has the luxury of being able to take her time. She has been in the corner shop half an hour already and she only came in for one item. Her chair is beside a barrel of rice. Stella is behind her, near the back shelf, which is loaded with cleaning products.

‘And what are you girls gossiping about?’ Vasso stoops slightly, protective of her lacquered hair, as she steps in through the door, eager to join her friends. The shop is almost in darkness for a moment as she fills the door frame.

‘Pigs in sacks.’ Frona giggles, her eyes bright in the gloom. Her soft old skin pleats all the way up her cheeks as she smiles.

Vasso frowns slightly and looks at Frona. She is sitting under the television, which is permanently on with the sound turned down, and she is separated from Juliet and Stella by a set of low shelves piled high with bars of chocolate and packets of biscuits and crisps, set centrally down the length of the shop.

Marina pulls out empty wrappers from the box of sweets she keeps on the counter for children sent to buy things for their parents.

‘Husbands,’ she clarifies, not even looking up.

Enjoyed this preview? Pre-order the book on Amazon >>

Happy reading!
Sara

Amazon are currently running a book offer for the first ten books in my Greek Village Series.

You can now buy the following titles for the bargain price of 99p each for a limited time only.

Sorry to readers from other corners of the planet, but this offer is for UK readers only!

Happy reading

Sara



The Illegal Gardener
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/Illegal-Gard...




Black Butterflies
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Butter...




The Explosive Nature of Friendship
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/Explosive-Na...




The Gypsy's Dream
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gypsys-Dream...




The Art of Becoming Homeless
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Hom...




A Handful of Pebbles
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...




The Unquiet Mind
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...




Watching the Wind Blow
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...




The Reluctant Baker
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...




Saving Septic Cyril
Buy now for 99p https://www.amazon.co.uk/Saving-Septi...