Cross with her father, Abby, 17, boards a flight to Greece, but gets hopelessly lost and ends up in the wrong village. Alone, with very little money, no Greek and no way to contact her friend Jackie, who has lined up a bar job for her, Abby realises she has to stand on her own two feet for the first time... She meets Stella, who runs the local ouzeri - a rough and ready eatery were farmers gather to drink and take refuge from their domestic lives. Stella does not need a naive young English girl hanging around, and the ouzeri is not the glamorous bar that Abby had bargained for. But when events throw them together, the situation brings to the boil tensions that have been brewing for years, the ripples drawing in other people in the village, threatening Abby's ability to ever leave, culminating in shocking unforeseen events and the uncovering of dark secrets that change peoples' thinking about themselves and others permanently. If you like Gypsy's Dream, you'll love the other books in the series: The Illegal GardenerBlack ButterfliesThe Explosive Nature of Friendship**ReviewThis is the 4th book in the Greek village series and they just keep getting better. - Julie A. Tipton "Kansas Book Girl" (Geneseo, KS)This series is one of the best I have read. - Diane Zabriskie (PACOIMA, CALIFORNIA, US) I couldn't put this book down. - Epithet, Amazon Sara Alexi's Greek Village series just keeps getting better and better. - Alexes, Goodreads The Gypsys Dream, by Sara Alexi was a wonderful surprise. The writing was fresh and the style flowed well. It was almost as if I took a vacation in Greece for a week. I really enjoyed the characters and the story was full of life lessons. This was by far the best book Ive read in years. - Wade Faubert (Ontario Canada) Views: 66
A sweet and sexy holiday sequel to the bestselling romance, The Play Lachlan McGregor and Kayla Moore have fought hard for their happily ever after, so one would think their first Christmas together would be a piece of sugarplum cake. But even though the city of Edinburgh is absolutely magical during the holiday season and the sizzling duo has enough steam between them to make snow melt, Christmas often brings its own share of troubles. Kayla misses her mother and San Francisco while trying to adapt to life in Scotland, Lachlan struggles to stay on top of his ever-present demons (which pack more punch during the holidays) and his older brother Brigs is facing difficult memories of his own. One thing is for sure though - this will be a Christmas they'll never forget. NOTE: Winter Wishes is a holiday novella (AKA not a full-length book) and not a standalone. The story takes place between the last chapter of The Play and the epilogue.** Views: 66
As Ute and her husband Jerry travel to a remote area on the west coast of South America, they decide to visit a recently established eco retreat called Villa Pacifica. The resort, run by a group of eccentric expatriates, offers a luxuriant refuge – in the middle of an arid and poverty-stricken region – to an exotic menagerie of large cats, monkeys, giant turtles and birds of paradise which have been rescued from traffickers. When a huge storm descends on the coast, travellers and locals are left to fend for themselves. The hot-house world that teems below the surface of Villa Pacifica rises to engulf everyone. Madness begins to take hold, and everybody starts questioning themselves and their own sanity. Brilliantly written, hauntingly atmospheric, Villa Pacifica, Kapka Kassabova's stunning new novel, will leave a lasting impression in the minds of its readers. Views: 66
The Explosive Nature of Friendship explores the tensions that exist between two lifelong friends. Mitsos, one of the friends, and now an old man, leads a solitary and ordered life, which is interrupted by the arrival of his young nephew, whom he reluctantly agrees to babysit. To amuse the child, he recounts tales from his own youth, which are romantic, tragic, funny, and ultimately touching.In the telling of these tales he is prompted to reassess his past and to come to terms with the events of a single day that has haunted him for twenty years, and all that led up to it. This reminiscing is also prompted by a letter which gives him a chance to rectify his biggest wrong and gain the peace he is seeking.But is what he has sought for the last twenty years what he wants now? Is he the man he thought he was? Set against a backdrop of a small Greek farming village, comedy and tragedy are present in equal measures. Sara transports you to a land of sea and sun as she explores what it means to be human, and fallible. The book examines the nature of friendship, and how our choices and our perceptions of our place in society can define us. Praise for The Explosive Nature of Friendship Not only is the story rich in content, but the manner in which Alexi writes opens windows onto a culture of Greece as warmly related as anyone before. The book is not a heavy read - it is that kind of book to savour on a few sunny afternoons and evenings. If Greece is anything like the manner in which Sara Alexi shares it then it is high on the list for journeys in the future. - Grady Harp, Hall of Fame Top Fifty Reviewer It was a real page-turner and evocative of a lovely life style perhaps lost to many of us in the modern world. - Dad Pad "K60PAD" (Wales, UK), Amazon If you have made the trip to Sara's two previous visits to the village, you are going to be highly pleased with the third. We find the familiar faces and places as it gets even deeper into the backstory of its characters. - Paul Howard, Goodreads Another fab book by this very talented author Sara Alexi. Within the first chapter of this book I was transported to that Greek village. I even felt as though the hot sun was on my skin. It's a book that you could read anytime, anywhere. Sara has a way of writing that enthrals me. Her books are very easy to read and the storylines are lovely and this one was no exception. I dont think you would be disappointed having read The Explosive Nature of Friendship but you will be disappointed that you have finished it. I would recommend this book to anyone. - Kittycate, Amazon I think the author has created a great world, full of colourful characters (both main and supporting) with interesting ways of life, all set in a beautiful surrounding. I can't wait to get on to the next one... - Kath, Goodreads This is a brilliant series of books, and this (the third) did not disappoint. I love the characters, I love the setting and I love the story. - Mrs CFC, Amazon If you enjoyed The Explosive Nature of Friendship, you may like the other books in the series: The Illegal GardenerBlack ButterfliesThe Gypsy's Dream**ReviewIt was a real page-turner and evocative of a lovely life style perhaps lost to many of us in the modern world. - Dad Pad "K60PAD" (Wales, UK), Amazon If you have made the trip to Sara's two previous visits to the village, you are going to be highly pleased with the third. We find the familiar faces and places as it gets even deeper into the backstory of its characters. - Paul Howard, Goodreads Another fab book by this very talented author Sara Alexi. Within the first chapter of this book I was transported to that Greek village. I even felt as though the hot sun was on my skin. It's a book that you could read anytime, anywhere. Sara has a way of writing that enthrals me. Her books are very easy to read and the storylines are lovely and this one was no exception. I dont think you would be disappointed having read The Explosive Nature of Friendship but you will be disappointed that you have finished it. I would recommend this book to anyone. - Kittycate, Amazon I think the author has created a great world, full of colourful characters (both main and supporting) with interesting ways of life, all set in a beautiful surrounding. I can't wait to get on to the next one... - Kath, Goodreads This is a brilliant series of books, and this (the third) did not disappoint. I love the characters, I love the setting and I love the story. - Mrs CFC, AmazonAbout the AuthorSara Alexi was born in Oxford, England. She has travelled widely and now spends much of her time in a tiny rural village in the Peloponnese, in Greece, where she is (very slowly!) renovating a ruined stone farmhouse, whilst observing the Greek way of life and absorbing the culture, to enrich her vision for both writing and painting. Sara began writing later in life. In school English lessons were a time of confusion, books indecipherable hieroglyphics. Dyslexia was not well understood then and no support was available. The joy of reading and writing were cancelled by the teacher's red pen ... Despite her dyslexia Sara qualified as a psychotherapist and ran her own practice for years. Her artistic nature was, at that time, confined to painting and she exhibited widely. In a casual conversation with a client she discovered that Agatha Christie, Jules Verne and Hans Christian Andersen were all dyslexic, and Sara's perspective changed. The world of fiction opened to her with this shift in perception and she has been a prolific writer ever since. Her 'Greek Village Series' has been very well received and provides a keenly observed, compassionate insight into the Greek people and culture, and the human condition in general. Watch this space for the next in the series, coming soon! Views: 65
Mykonos has always had a romantic reputation, until the body of a blonde female tourist is discovered on a pile of bones under the floor of a remote mountain church. When the island’s new police chief - the young, politically incorrect, former Athens homicide detective Andreas Kaldis - starts finding bodies, bones and suspects almost everywhere he looks, he’s forced to admit that the island paradise is harbouring a ritualistic serial killer. Mykonos’s character is at stake, but political niceties no longer matter when another blonde vanishes. Andreas must delve into ancient myths and forgotten island hideaways as he races against a killer intent on claiming a new blonde victim - who is herself determined to out step him . . . Views: 65
Simon Winchester undertakes a journey from the mouth of the Yangste River to its source. This is the story of the river, it's cities and their people, built around the author's own journey to discover something of the essence of China and her people, the Yangtse being her soul and centre Views: 65
Some crimes can never be forgiven--or atoned for
When Athens journalist Nikoletta Elia disappears while on assignment on the island of Naxos, her editor calls on Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis to investigate. Sent to report on the conflict between preservationists and advocates for expanded tourism, Nikoletta is approached by a fan who takes credit for several suspicious deaths she'd reported on in the past. The assassin claims to have abandoned that life, and convinces the reporter to write about him and his murderous exploits for hire.
Kaldis sends his deputy, Yianni, to look into her disappearance when an unidentified body is found at the base of a cliff. Who is the mysterious corpse, and where is Nikoletta? Leads turn into more dead bodies in this twisting tale of greed, corruption, and murder that puts Kaldis, his family, and members of his team in the path of a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to keep dark secrets buried--forever. Views: 65
"Am I giving the impression that I don't like the Veneto? It's not true. I love it. But like any place that's become home I hate it too."
How does an Englishman cope when he moves to Italy - not the tourist idyll but the real Italy? When Tim Parks first moved to Verona he found it irresistible and infuriating in equal measure; this book is the story of his love affair with it. Infused with an objective passion, he unpicks the idiosyncrasies and nuances of Italian culture with wit and affection. Italian Neighbours is travel writing at its best. Views: 65
"Am I giving the impression that I don't like the Veneto? It's not true. I love it. But like any place that's become home I hate it too."How does an Englishman cope when he moves to Italy - not the tourist idyll but the real Italy? When Tim Parks first moved to Verona he found it irresistible and infuriating in equal measure; this book is the story of his love affair with it. Infused with an objective passion, he unpicks the idiosyncrasies and nuances of Italian culture with wit and affection. Italian Neighbours is travel writing at its best. Views: 65
"Wonderful...the closest we are ever going to get to a Chatwin autobiography."-William Dalrymple, The Times Literary Supplement (London)The celebrated author of such beloved works as In Patagonia and The Songlines, Bruce Chatwin was a nomad whose desire for adventure and enlightenment was made wholly evident by his writing. This marvelous selection of letters-to his wife, to his parents, and to friends, including Patrick Leigh Fermor, James Ivory, and Paul Theroux- reveals a passionate man and a storyteller par excellence. Written with the verve and sharpness of expression that first marked him as an author of singular talent, Chatwin's letters provide a window into his remarkable life and strikingly detailed insights regarding his literary ambitions and tastes. Views: 65
When novelist and former editor Bunty Avieson's husband found his work led him to India and the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, Bunty decided to take her young baby and travel with him. This resulting travel narrative outlines the joys and horrors of travelling in the developing world with a small child. Views: 65
