I love this video.
My husband and I visited Zakynthos a few years ago, and this video brings back cherished memories of our trip.
Angel Sefer's Free Readers Group
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
GREEK ISLAND FUN!!
I love this video.
My husband and I visited Zakynthos a few years ago, and this video brings back cherished memories of our trip.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Helena's vision and her grandmother's diary
Book Excerpt
Hours later, Helena was lying in
bed, thinking of the events of the day. Everything had been fine until Dimitris showed up.
“Why does he have
to ruin everything?” she wondered out loud. Then again, if she wanted to be honest with herself, she was thrilled to
see him back. The moment she heard
his voice at the beach, her heartbeat accelerated, and her mouth went dry. No
matter how hard she tried to deny her feelings and the way her body responded to his mere presence, the fact remained
that she yearned for him the whole evening. She wanted to see his smile, get
lost in those captivating eyes of his, and feel his arms holding her close...
Helena shivered and clenched
her fists. What’s wrong with me? She’d never experienced anything like this before. And now,
she had those feelings
growing stronger every day. She felt as if she was losing control of her
emotions… And all that over him—the person
who’d stolen her family’s fortune.
Anxiously, she got out of bed
and walked out on the balcony. Taking
a deep breath, she let her eyes wander over the vast
body of the sea. The dark color of the waters
reflected the emotions tormenting her
soul. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the soft caress of the night breeze
on her face and body, and the coolness of the
tiles on her bare feet. She hugged herself while enticing thoughts whirled around in her mind…images of him holding her in his arms, gluing her to his rock hard body,
caressing her back and arms…
Bewildered, she snapped out
of it. Trying to shift her thoughts away from him, she thought about Alex. He seemed nice
and so much easier to get along with
than Dimitris. But even when she was alone with Alex, her intimate
thoughts kept on going back to Dimitris. Why was he so upset with her? She knew that Greeks had a strong sense of honor,
but Dimitris wasn’t her father or her
husband. He had no reason to get so upset over finding her alone with
Alex. There was nothing going on, but even if
it was, it was none of his business. Or was it? A soft voice kept on whispering
in the back of her head. What was going on?
Why did she have this feeling she’d done something wrong? What was this
overwhelming feeling that in some way she
belonged to him?
Enough
with this nonsense, Helena thought. She was sick and
tired of being carried away by her emotions and the strange premonitions she would have from time to time.
Her mother used to tell her she’d inherited this gift
from her grandmother, Eleana, who passed
away only a few months after Erin married Angelos. In the short time her
mother-in-law spent with them, Erin grew
fond of the wise, old lady who helped her overcome her anxiety and fears and blend in with
the people on the island. She seemed
to know so much about so many things…about life itself, and Erin enjoyed every minute of their endless conversations
whenever Angelos was away on business.
According
to Erin, Eleana had premonitions about certain people and upcoming events. She seemed to have known about Erin meeting her son and getting married to him, years before
it actually happened. And Erin had
seen proof of it… Those events were all written down in the old lady’s diary. And there were a lot more things
written down in that diary… Things her mother never wanted to talk
about. But she would warn Helena from time to
time to be careful. After they’d gone to England, she would keep on
urging her never to go back to the island.
Helena shivered, thinking of her mother’s face—weak and
pale—
staring at her with eyes wide open from
anxiety, and squeezing her arm desperately,
asking her to promise to stay away from Mykonos. She remembered her fainting voice saying: “I made the grave mistake to ignore the warnings once…and paid for it dearly. I would never make that mistake again…”
Even though it was summertime, all of a sudden, Helena was
freezing. She hastily went back inside, closing the French doors behind her.
Absentminded, she turned and glanced at the glass panel
of the doors. Oh, my God! Bewildered, she saw her mother’s figure, standing behind her in a long, sparkling white dress…
The hairs on the back of Helena’s
neck stood up. Mom! She turned
abruptly and looked behind her… Nobody was there. I need to grab hold of myself, Helena contemplated, feeling her mouth going dry. My vivid imagination is playing games with me, again. If I go on like this, I’ll end up
going crazy…
She sat on her bed and closed her eyes, taking a deep
breath. Please… she pleaded, not knowing if she was inwardly talking to
her mother or anyone else in particular. I need some help…
Her eyes flew open as she sensed a cold breeze sweeping
right
through her. Mystified, she looked at the French doors. They were closed.
Turning her head, she took a glimpse of a transparent, female figure dressed in
white, standing—or rather floating—in front of the painting on the wall.
Helena blinked, and the vision disappeared into thin air.
She took
a sharp intake of breath. What was that? She could swear she saw
someone. Was that Mom? No, she
thought and stared at the painting. Astonished,
she realized the figure she’d seen resembled the angel in the painting. Now I know there’s something wrong with me,
she thought, worryingly.
Feeling all shaken inside, she stood up and hesitantly
approached the painting. Standing in front of it, she
examined it closely and froze… “How come I
didn’t see that before?” she whispered, and bewildered stared at the angel in the painting. It was a portrait of her grandmother,
Eleana. Helena was left speechless…
Stepping
back, she sat down on the bed and looked at the picture as if seeing it for the first time. It was unbelievable… Years
before she was even born, her
grandmother had painted Helena at the age of eight, with the sadness in her eyes from losing her father, and
herself—as an angel—watching over Helena from Heaven.
“Grandma…” she whispered and sensed a soft breeze like a
caress
on her cheek. She didn’t care if it was real
or not. It felt real, and it made Helena feel wonderful. The bliss spreading
inside her was an unbelievable
experience.
She smiled, and as if in a dream, she stood up, walked to
the painting and took it off the wall. Going
back
to her bed, she placed the painting on the
bed face down and stared at the brown
paper covering the back. Without knowing why, she went to the
secretarial desk and took out a letter opener.
Then she carefully cut the brown paper on the back of the painting and
slowly pulled it away… And there it was…
End of the excerpt
I hope you have enjoyed this excerpt of mystery romance bestseller Deadly Secrets. Keep in mind that Helena Sistakis returned to the Greek Island of Mykonos to delve
into her family’s mysterious past. But what would be
the price to pay for ignoring her late mother’s warnings and
the prophecies hidden in her grandmother’s diary?
The novel is available as e-book and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and other fine booksellers everywhere:
Saturday, December 8, 2018
The secret hidden beneath the Demiris Mansion on the Greek Island of Corfu...
Sparkling diamonds, scarlet rubies, dazzling emeralds, and
breathtaking sapphires were only a few of the treasures hidden in the secret
room beneath the Demiris Mansion on the Greek Island of Corfu. But there was far
more than that...
Read the following excerpt from award-winning, mystery
romance bestseller Spellbound in His Arms to find out what else was hidden in
that enormous and elegant room with its protective steel walls covered with
carved stones, probably to prevent it from looking like a vault:
Excerpt:
Knowing exactly what she
needed to do, she took her sandwich and a glass of water and entered the study
in the back of the house. Walking inside, Jackie took a careful look around the
beautifully furnished room. The French doors leading to the veranda were
locked—she had checked them earlier—and the heavy curtains were drawn shut,
giving her privacy from anyone who might be spying on the house. On both sides
of the French doors, there were two arch-shaped, stained glass windows with a
beautiful flower designed pattern.
The study was furnished with
a burgundy leather sofa, an oval-shaped table in front of it, and two cream
color armchairs on the other side. An enormous desk was placed next to one of
the stained glass windows, with a burgundy leather armchair behind it and two
smaller ones in front of it.
The walls were covered with bookcases
filled with endless rows of books and beautiful silver,
bronze, and porcelain artifacts. Between two of the bookcases, there was a
showcase table made of cherry wood and glass, with a miniature of the mansion
and the estate surrounding it sitting on the table. A portrait of an elegant
old man dressed in a ship captain’s uniform was hanging on the wall behind the
table.
Between the sofa and the armchairs, a white marble
fireplace dominated the room, with two bronze hounds standing guards on each
side. A painting of a stunning teenage girl riding a black stallion was hanging
above it. She had shining black hair pulled back in a ponytail, amazing blue
eyes, and a breathtaking smile. Jackie noticed that the woods in the background
seemed very similar to those surrounding the mansion. The painting was probably done here, and the girl was a member of the
Demiris family.
She placed the plate with her sandwich and the
glass of water on the desk and stood there for a couple of minutes, totally
enchanted by the beauty of the girl who seemed vaguely familiar. She looked at
the painting troubled. Who is she and
where is she now? Was the girl still alive or yet another victim of this family
curse, or whatever it was that
haunted the heirs of Greek tycoon, Andreas Demiris?
The deafening sound of thunder brought her back to
reality, and Jackie realized she had to get on with what she had come here for.
Following Stephanos’
instructions, she walked over to the fireplace and turned
clockwise the head of the hound on the right. The entire fireplace moved back
inside the wall, revealing a small entrance to the left.
Stepping inside, she felt along the left wall
until she found a light switch and turned it
on. Thank God! The lights here are
working. She carefully descended the narrow steps, leading underneath the
house. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a corridor to the right, leading
to a steel door.
Jackie noticed the touch screen monitor to the
right of the door, and she punched in the first combination of numbers. She
waited breathlessly until she heard a soft
buzzing noise and then punched in the second combination. To her relief,
the steel door opened, and bright lights came on, leaving Jackie breathless at
the sight of the enormous secret room hidden beneath the mansion.
She stepped inside and let
her eyes wander around the impressive and elegant room
with its protective steel walls covered with carved stones, probably to prevent
it from looking like a vault.
A mahogany showcase, with four rows of glassed-in
shelves, covered the wall opposite to the door. Placed on the shelves, black
velvet, display stands were filled with the most exquisite pieces of jewelry
Jackie had ever seen… Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings of sparkling
diamonds, scarlet rubies, dazzling emeralds, and breathtaking sapphires were dominating the surroundings with their
brilliance. Jackie was so mesmerized by this
impeccable beauty that everything else seemed to fade away.
She took a few steps forward on the thick cream
color carpet and absentmindedly sunk down on one of the two, semicircular sofas,
placed in the middle of the room facing each other. Her eyes rested on an
exquisite, crystal vase with gold designs, placed on a round table in the
middle of the circle formed by the two sofas.
This was almost unreal, far beyond her
expectations. Jackie was sure that not even Stephanos knew exactly what was
hidden in the secret room underneath the old mansion. He was precise, as
always, giving her instructions how to get there and get in. But he had
mentioned nothing about the contents of the room, except that she would find in
there what she was looking for.
Sitting on the sofa, she faced the wall on the
left of the door. A desk, with a computer on it and a black leather armchair in
front of it, was placed facing the wall. Above the desk, eight, wall-mounted,
flat-screen monitors were placed in two rows. Even though the computer screen
and the monitors on the wall were black, Jackie could hear a soft, humming
noise and could see that the computer was operating. She guessed it was
probably a security system, monitoring the mansion and its surroundings.
Realizing that her entering the secret room might
have been recorded, she shifted uncomfortably. What if the system was connected
with a security company or even worse, the police? What if someone was watching
her? Well, there is nothing I can do
about it now. I might as well go ahead with my assignment and get out of here
as soon as possible.
She turned to look at the wall behind her. A bookcase was there, with shelves filled with
crystal, porcelain, and gold artifacts. The bottom part of the bookcase
had three closed cabinets, where Jackie was sure she would find what she had
come for.
She got up and walked over to the cabinets,
opening them one by one and checking their contents. In the first one, she
found stacks of black velvet jewelry cases. Opening a few of them, Jackie was
dazzled by the exquisite pieces and realized that some of these, if not all of them, had to be priceless. She
softly ran her fingers over the precious stones and closed her eyes,
imagining beautiful women in evening gowns wearing them.
She opened the second cabinet to find that it was
filled with piles of stocks and bonds, as well as black velvet cases filled with
gold and silver coins that seemed very old. Jackie swallowed hard, realizing
that the secret room was hiding a treasure. This whole experience had thrown
her off balance. In her entire life, she’d never seen such riches before and
probably would never again. This was a once in a lifetime experience…an
amazing, intoxicating thrill that made her smile.
Finally, she opened the third cabinet... Here we are!
End of the excerpt
I hope you have enjoyed this excerpt of Spellbound in His Arms. But keep in mind that investigative reporter Jackie Alexander did not fly six
thousand miles away from home for any those treasures. It was something
else—something far more important—that she was looking for in that vault. Read
the book to find out what that priceless object was...
The novel is available as e-book and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and other fine booksellers everywhere:
Friday, November 30, 2018
The mysterious young woman I met on Santorini
What can I say? It was one of the most thrilling
experiences in my life—the luxurious resort with a view to the volcano,
romantic sunsets to take your breath away, and a deep blue sea vista to make
you want to stay there forever.
But there was something more on Santorini that
intrigued the writer in me: the couple that stayed next to us, Mark and
Alexandra. Of course, these are not their real names but the names I gave them
in my mystery romance novel “The Heiress of Santorini”.
They were from the States and having spent ten
years of my life in Atlanta, Georgia, we hit it off right away. Mark was an
attorney and Alexandra an insurance agent in a big city on the west coast. In
my book, however, I describe them as being from Atlanta since I lived there and
loved that city.
Our two suites shared a private terrace and a
swimming pool carved on the rocks. So we spent a lot of time with that couple,
swimming or sunbathing by the pool, talking and enjoying candlelight dinners
with an amazing view of the Aegean Sea.
But there was always something intriguing about
them, especially about Alexandra. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but I could
feel it in the air.
And then, on the last night we spent on the
island, and while Mark and my husband were shooting pool at the hotel’s bar,
Alexandra broke down in tears and talked to me about her life…
I was surprised to find out that Mark wasn’t
her husband—there was so much chemistry between the two of them that I was sure
they were a couple. When I told her that, she explained that Mark was the love
of her life and leaving him was the biggest mistake she ever made. But the fact
remained that she was married to someone else—someone who’s been cheating on
her and lying about his past. Alexandra didn’t go into details about her
husband’s past or how she ended up on Santorini with Mark, but she sure seemed afraid
of her husband and reluctant to ask for a divorce.
I asked her if she had anyone else besides Mark
to help her get through this difficult time and she said no. She came from a
wealthy family but for some reason wanted nothing to do with them.
In the still of the night, Alexandra and I
stayed on the terrace, drinking wine and talking for hours. She needed a
shoulder to cry on, and I’m a good listener.
I didn’t get much sleep that night, thinking
about our talk. A story was already forming in my mind…
I was up at six in the morning and started
writing “The Heiress of Santorini”. And hours later, I was still typing away on
my laptop during our entire trip from Santorini to Piraeus—the harbor of
Athens. Alexandra gave me the inspiration, but “The Heiress of Santorini” is a
product of my imagination and doesn’t include real facts of that intriguing
young lady’s life.
If you would like to check out “The Heiress of
Santorini”, the novel is available as an e-book or paperback on Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, Apple, Kobo and other fine booksellers everywhere.
Buy Now
Buy Now
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Some of the best beaches in Greece!
Need a break?
Take a few minutes and indulge... This video will "transport" you to some of the best beaches in Greece...
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
"This one will ultimately warm your heart!" 5 stars for new release Rekindled Passion
This is the third novella in the Alluring Love Collection by Angel Sefer. Yes I have read the first 2 and most if not all the other full length novels Angel Sefer has written. The imagery of which ever Greek Island is portrayed is so vibrant you will think you are there!
This novella took me about an hour to read (I am a fast reader!). There is some high drama and yes, a rekindled love between Christina and Alexandros. Not before she allows him to tell her why he left her all those years ago, and shows her!!
This one will ultimately warm your heart!
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