Evanthia's Gift
Women’s
fiction/ contemporary romance
Date
Published: August
7, 2015
In
the year 1956, Anastacia Fotopoulos finds herself pregnant and betrayed,
fleeing from a bad marriage. With the love and support of her dear friends
Stavros and Soula Papadakis, Ana is able to face the challenges of single
motherhood. Left with emotional wounds, she resists her growing affection for
Alexandros Giannakos, an old acquaintance. But his persistence and
unconditional love for Ana and her child is eventually rewarded and his love is
returned. In a misguided, but well-intentioned effort to protect the ones they
love, both Ana and Alex keep secrets - ones that could threaten the delicate
balance of their family.
The
story continues in the 1970’s as Dean and Demi Papadakis, and Sophia Giannakos
attempt to negotiate between two cultures. Now Greek-American teenagers, Sophia
and Dean, who have shared a special connection since childhood, become
lovers. Sophia is shattered when Dean rebels against the pressure his father
places on him to uphold his Greek heritage and hides his feelings for her. When
he pulls away from his family, culture and ultimately his love for her, Sophia
is left with no choice but to find a life different from the one she’d hoped
for.
EVANTHIA’S
GIFT is a multigenerational love story spanning fifty years and crossing two
continents, chronicling the lives that unify two families.
Waiting
for Aegina
Women's
Fiction
Date
Published – January
7, 2016
Book
Two in The Gift Saga: The continuation of Evanthia’s Gift…
In
1961, five little girls moved into a suburban neighborhood and became
inseparable, lifelong friends. They called themselves the ‘Honey Hill Girls,’
named after the street on which they lived. As teenagers they shared one
another’s ambitions and dreams, secrets and heartaches. Now, more than thirty
years later, they remain devoted and loyal, supporting each other through
triumphs and sorrows.
Evanthia's
Gift follows
the life of Sophia Giannakos. In Waiting for Aegina the saga
continues from the perspectives of Sophia and her friends as the story drifts
back and forth in time, filling in the gaps as the women grow to adulthood.
Naive
teenage ideals are later challenged by harsh realities, as each of their lives
takes unexpected turns. Now nearing their fiftieth year, Sophia, Demi, Amy,
Mindy and Donna stand together through life-altering obstacles while they try
to regain the lighthearted optimism of their youth.
Excerpt from Waiting for Aegina
Chapter
1
Sophia
October
2004
Sophia was seated at the edge of a worn leather chair with
her eyes fixed on Dean, tears streaming down her cheeks. Ignoring the sting
from the cuts and bruises on her forehead and nose, the soreness on the left
side of her body, and the sharp pains coming from her casted arm, she gently
gripped her husband’s hand, hoping her touch would will him into consciousness.
Not twenty-four hours ago, they were having the time of
their lives—reconnecting with old friends, dancing, and maybe drinking a little
too much. Which is why Sophia took the keys from Dean and insisted she drive
home.
Their joyful night came to a crashing end when a bright
light reflecting from her side view mirror blinded Sophia. It was as though
everything after that happened in slow motion—the sound of crunching metal and
screeching tires, a surreal feeling that the car may have flipped over and over,
and the shattering of breaking glass when a car struck theirs, slamming into
the passenger door where Dean was seated.
When their vehicle came to a sudden halt, Sophia found that
the car had not turned over as she thought, yet somewhere in her confused and
disoriented mind, it had registered that they must have spun around.
Clouds of white surrounded Sophia and she screamed out to
Dean, afraid he was unconscious or severely injured from the impact the car had
taken.
Her door flung open. “Sophia, I have to get you out of the
car. Help is on its way.”
“Dino! Help Dino!” Sophia desperately pleaded, not sure to
whom she was speaking to. It was so dark and she was blinded by fear.
Slapping away the airbags obstructing her view, she called
out to her husband. “Dino! Talk to me. Say something.”
Struggling to open his eyes, Dean groaned, but his lids
remained closed.
Michael, who had been following in the car behind, could
see that metal from the car had compressed around the lower half of Dean’s body
and, without help, he would not be able to pull him from the wreckage.
Sophia reached for Dean, but Michael stopped her.
“It’s better not to touch him until the EMTs get here.”
Panic-stricken after watching the erratic driver crash into
her brother’s door, Demi helped Sophia out of the car and clung to her.
Within minutes, the dark road was polluted with flashing
lights and the sound of blaring sirens. Rescuers came swiftly, assessing the
situation quickly deciding to rely on the ‘Jaws of Life’ to cut Dean out of the
car. Another medic came to Sophia’s
aid, placing her arm in a splint and tending to the open gashes on her face and
arm.
“Forget about me! Take care of my husband,” she demanded,
her voice strained from fear.
“Your husband is in good hands.” The female medic looked up
after she finished wrapping Sophia’s arm. “They’re about to load him into the
ambulance now, ma’am.”
“Take me to him.”
“Of course.”
The uniformed woman guided Sophia to where Dean was strapped
on a stretcher and about to be lifted into the back end of an ambulance. Too
many people surrounded him, making it impossible for Sophia to get close.
Movement, noise, lights, and
voices shouting commands—it was all happening at lightening speed, yet at the
same time the moment seemed to drag on forever. Sophia became agitated. There
was too much fasaria around her. Her yiayiá would say that when there
was too much noise and commotion. It was the first word that came to mind as
witnesses dramatically recounted the accident, mangled cars were pulled onto
flatbeds, and police officers gave the drunk driver, who had sped across three
lanes before hitting them, a breathalyzer test. The son of a bitch didn’t look
as though he had a scratch on him, and Sophia’s Dino was—she didn’t want to
think about what his condition was. She just needed to get to him, but no one
would let her.
“Ma’am, we have another ambulance for you if you’ll come
with me.”
Sophia pushed away from the EMT. “I don’t need one. I want
to go with my husband.”
“That’s not possible, ma’am.”
“You’re hurt,” Demi said. “You need to go with them.”
“I want to stay with you. Michael, drive me to the
hospital. I want to be there when Dino arrives.”
“We’ll follow along behind the ambulance you’re in,”
Michael said. “You’re in shock, Sophia and you need to be examined. Let’s be on
the safe side.”
*****
Leaning over the hospital bed, Sophia prayed. “Please, God,
don’t take him from me now,” Sophia begged in an inaudible whisper. “Dino, oh,
my Dino.” She bent over him and caressed his cheek. “Don’t leave me. Not after
all we’ve been through. Squeeze my hand. Move your eyes. Give me a sign that
you’re still with me. Anything.”
Comforting arms wrapped around Sophia. “Sweetie, you need
to take a break. Get some sleep. I’ll stay with my brother.”
She turned to look at Demi, collapsed into sobs, and shook
her head. “No. What if he wakes up and I’m not here?” Sophia’s face grew pale
and her lower lip quivered. “Or what if—”
“Don’t say it,” Demi ordered. “Don’t even think it.” Demi
wrapped her arms around Sophia. “The doctor said he’ll be unconscious for a
while. If anything changes, I’ll call you.”
Sophia pulled away and shook her head. “I can’t.”
“If you don’t, I’ll get your doctor in here to order you to
go home and rest. Your body took quite a beating also. You can’t help Dean if
you don’t take care of yourself.” Turning Sophia by the shoulders to face the
entrance to the room, Demi said, “Look. Everyone is here. Any one of them will
be happy to take you home. I’ll stay with my brother until you get back.”
Sophia waved weakly, her heart melting at the sight of
them. In the doorway stood Amy, Mindy, and Donna. They were there when she
needed them—always at her side without question—her oldest and dearest friends.
The Honey Hill Girls were loyal to the core.
About the Author:
Effie Kammenou is a believer that
it is 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 thought that, by her
age, she would have had an Oscar in her hand after a successful career as an actor.
Instead, she worked in the optical field for 40 years and is the proud mother
of two accomplished young women.
Her
debut novel, Evanthia’s Gift, is a women’s fiction
multigenerational love story and family saga, influenced by her Greek heritage,
and the many real life accounts that have been passed down. She continues to
pick her father’s brain for stories of his family’s life in Lesvos, Greece, and
their journey to America. Her interview with him was published in a nationally
circulated magazine.
Evanthia’s
Gift: Book One in The Gift Saga was a 2016 award finalist in the
Readers Favorite Awards in the Women’s Fiction category. Waiting
for Aegina: Book Two in The Gift Saga is Kammenou’s latest release.
Effie
Kammenou is a first generation Greek-American who lives on Long Island with her
husband and two daughters. When she’s not writing, or posting recipes on her
food blog, cheffieskitchen.wordpress.com, you can find her cooking for her
family and friends.
As
an avid cook and baker, a skill she learned from watching her Athenian mother,
she incorporated traditional Greek family recipes throughout the books.
She
holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts from Hofstra University.
Contact Information
Purchase Links:
Evanthia’s
Gift
Waiting
For Aegina
Landing
page for both books:
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