by Alan Cupp

Revenge.  It’s one of the oldest motives in our history, right up there with jealousy and greed.  An act of revenge can be a spontaneous reaction or a carefully calculated plan of retaliation.  Both can serve as a detriment to the person carrying out the payback.  Sure, the initial target recipient of revenge may get what’s coming to them, but often times the individual seeking vindication ends up sharing in the suffering as well.

We all want to see justice.  We long for it in the books we read, the movies we watch, the news stories we hear about.  Our desire to see justice is so overwhelming, we have the
potential to get fired up and consumed with stories of injustice that have absolutely no effect on us personally.  Do you ever find yourself becoming borderline enraged, or at the bare minimum, extremely annoyed with a TV, book, or movie villain who appears to be getting away with some atrocity they’ve committed?  Perhaps you notice your heart rate jumps to a higher level and you just feel irritable.  The fact that it’s fiction doesn’t matter because we all want justice; even in our world of make believe.  Revenge is merely the act of someone trying to achieve some level of justice on his or her own.

Spontaneous revenge is the kind in which we, as everyday members of society, most likely will find ourselves involved.  It’s usually the small stuff like speeding up to cut off
the person who just cut you off two miles back on the highway.  What is it about us that drive us to such action, risking a car accident, speeding ticket, or God-forbid, an actual altercation at the traffic stop ahead? An attitude of revenge can make us shortsighted and use poor judgment, especially in the heat of the moment.

Then there are those rare individuals who feel so offended and victimized by another person or group, they are willing to invest a significant amount of the time and energy
in getting back at their offender.  Unable to focus on anything else, their lives are soon wrapped up in one thing; revenge. This is the circumstance in my new novel, Malicious Masquerade. The unfortunate thing about this type of scenario is that often it’s not just the target of the revenge that ends up suffering.  Private investigator, Carter Mays, finds himself caught up in the path of destruction left by someone seeking revenge.  Deception dictates a series of calculated moves, all designed to bring about some significant justice for a past wrong.  Stuck in the middle are Carter and his new beautiful client, Cindy Bedford.

Those who follow the long road of revenge often discover that it requires such a deep level of commitment to carry out; the consequences prove to be even more costly than anticipated.  Frequently when the quest for revenge begins, little thought is given to the potential collateral damage inflicted upon the innocent who happen to live too close to the intended recipient.  Even the avenger is vulnerable to suffering in terms of happiness, integrity, and self-respect sacrificed in the pursuit of so-called justice.  Here’s the ultimate question.   Will the justice achieved be worth the cost?

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Alan Cupp loves to create and entertain, whether it’s with a captivating mystery novel or a funny promotional video for his church, he’s always anticipating his next creative endeavor.  In addition to writing fiction, Alan enjoys acting, music, travel, and playing sports.  His life’s motto is, “It’s better to wear out than rust out.”  Alan places a high value on time spent with his beautiful wife and their two sons.  He lives his life according to his 4F philosophy: Faith, Family, Friends, and Fun.

WEB: www.alancupp.com

To purchase Malicious Masquerade:

http://www.amazon.com/Malicious-Masquerade-Alan-Cupp/dp/1938383281/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363805622&sr=8-2&keywords=alan+cupp

GHOSTS, CURSES, AND CREATURES, OH MY!

by Cynthia Luhrs

 Can you guess the most frequently asked question I hear since publishing my debut book?   How did you ever come up with this?

Curl up in a chair, get comfy, grab your favorite beverage (icy, cold Pepsi for me) and let’s chat about how the book came together. Several years ago I traveled to Scotland for two lovely weeks over Halloween.

Wandering through the old cities, desolate countryside, castle ruins, and stone circles…well, let’s just say the atmosphere amplified my overactive imagination. Tour guides talked of ghosts but alas, I never encountered one. During the trip, the beginnings of a world revolving around curses, ghosts, and a world on the brink of destruction filled my thoughts.

Life interfered. I went back to work, pushed the story into a closet in my head and forgot about it—until last fall. One night while immersed in a book, I happened to glance up to see my cat intently staring at an empty spot in center of the living room. Thinking nothing of it, I continued reading. A low growl rumbled up from my normally calm feline. She was growling at nothing I could see, yet as I watched, Lulu stood, arched her back and hissed before pouncing on the spot of empty air. Thank goodness it wasn’t even close to Halloween or I probably would have run out of the house shrieking!

The hair on my arms stood up and I must admit I was too freaked out to move. As quickly as it started, Lulu turned around, nose in the air, jumped up in the nearest chair, and proceeded to groom herself. Meanwhile, I slept with the lights on that night.

I could have brushed the entire incident off…however; living in your head has its advantages. The trip to Scotland came rushing back and combined with Lulu’s odd behavior, the story unfolded as I sat transfixed, book forgotten in my lap, staring off into space, thinking “What if?” And that my friends, is how my damaged, ghostly warrior came to be.

Lost in Shadow is a thrilling paranormal romance about a lost soul in search of redemption. Fans of J.R. Ward,  Sherrilyn Kenyon,  Karen Marie Moning, and Charlaine Harris will enjoy the Shadow Walkers Series.

Below is a description of the debut book Lost in Shadow.

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We were wrong…ghosts are frighteningly real.

For centuries a war has been raging between light and shadow. Shadow Walker pitted against Day Walker, threatening to plunge the world into darkness. Colin, an ancient warrior, lost hope long ago. Now he prowls the streets of Edinburgh eviscerating those who prey on humanity.

Emily possesses the ability to see beyond our realm into the dangerous realms of Light and Shadow. Unwittingly drawn into the shadows when she intervenes to help Colin, igniting his long-buried desires, she unleashes a terrible curse. Now with a week to break the curse, time is running out as they are locked in a deadly fight with forces that will stop at nothing to destroy them before they succeed.    Available on Amazon.

AND THERE’S MORE:

I’m offering a free Amazon download to two of our lucky commenters today.  Happy Spring!   So be sure to leave a comment to be in the drawing!

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About the Author

Cynthia Luhrs is the author of the Shadow Walkers novels.  A graduate of Towson University, she was practical, majoring in Business, which served her well now that she’s a writer and needs to stay organized. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she toiled away in Corporate America for many years. Her idea of a perfect day is no interruptions and the freedom to live in her head all day, writing to her heart’s content with an icy cold drink next to her as she creates the next Shadow Walkers book.  Of course her cats frequently disrupt this oasis of serenity.

Cynthia loves to hear from her readers or if you just want to learn more about her, be sure to visit her website and find out what she’s working on next. Show more Show less

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The Lure of the Lake

by Fiona Lowe

Thanks so much to the wonderful gals of Petit Fours & Hot Tamales for hosting me today.

When I was an exchange student back in the day, living in Canada, my host family had a cabin on the lake. Now, I’m a girl raised on the coast of Australia, used to golden sandy beaches so I was a bit skeptical about this lake.  I mean, squishy mud in between your toes instead of sand?  No thank you!

We’d go up there, fight off the mosquitoes, dive off the dock into freezing cold water that sucked the air out of your lungs, toast marshmallows, make ‘smores and kick back and read.  I loved it, although I never swam without sandals on my feet.  That mud?  Ick.

A decade later I was back living in North America, this time in Wisconsin.  Although Minnesota is known as, ‘The Land of Lakes’, Wisconsin has its fair share of lovely lakes, including the glorious inland sea of the great Lake Michigan. Who knew the great lakes had sandy beaches? I was in heaven although the water was still cold.

There’s an old, old movie called On Golden Pond, which I love. 

The call of the loons, the cabin which looked just like the one my host family had, and the glorious, classic wooden boat.  I made sure all three made it into my novel,

SAVED BY THE BRIDE

Bridey, my heroes’ sister and the secondary story of the novel, is determined to recreate what she recalls as a ‘perfect vacation’ at the lake.  One that took place before her parent’s divorced, before her brother threw himself into work — a vacation when everyone was happy. The thing about families is, not everyone wants the same thing and her brother, Finn is busy with Annika, her parent’s are still fighting twenty years later and her fiancée, Hank is increasingly distracted. But Bridey’s anything, if not determined to make it work, if only her family could be in the place for longer than five minutes.

Why am I talking about the secondary story?  Cos the main story is covered in the blurb and although the lake is important to everyone in the novel, it’s especially important to Bridey.

Have you ever had a vacation on a lake? Got a lake story? Or any vacation story will do! I’d love to hear it. Leave a comment and go into the draw to win an eBook copy of Saved By The Bride, the first book in my Wedding Fever trilogy and all three books feature the lake!

http://bit.ly/XR0HxP     Click on the link to see a book trailer for the Wedding Fever trilogy !

Welcome to Whitetail, Wisconsin, future home of Weddings that WOW!

As acting mayor, Annika will do anything to revive the economy of the town that’s been her refuge ever since her art career imploded and her fiancé walked out. Even if it means crashing an engagement party to talk business with the bride’s billionaire father. But the evening starts with a kiss from a gorgeous stranger—and ends with a night in jail.

Finn Callahan can’t believe his sister is getting married, not after their parents’ disastrous track record.  And he’d rather be anywhere than working from his family’s vacation home. Until he catches a leggy blonde sneaking in the window, and suddenly telecommuting for the season is very appealing.  Unable to resist their mutual attraction, Annika and Finn are soon mixing business and pleasure—just for the summer. Too bad Annika’s heart missed the memo about not falling in love…

Book one of Wedding Fever. 99,000 words

Saved By the Bride is available from Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Carina Press, Kobo iBooks, and all other eBook retailers.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Fiona Lowe is a RITA® and R*BY award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin and Carina Press.   Whether her books are set in outback Australia or in the mid-west of the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she’s not writing stories, she’s a weekend
wife, mother of two ‘ginger’ teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes and often found collapsed on the couch with wine. You can find her at her website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

I’m currently taking a writing class with Nancy Knight entitled Well Begun Is Half Done.  Maybe that’s the reason I dreamed about her last night.  (Can you imagine???)

In the dream, she was handing out an assignment, telling us to write about children or animals.  She said that we were to write the scene so that the child or the animal “stole” the scene from the hero and/or the heroine.

The dream seemed so real as my brain started churning and churning…trying to come up with a way that a child could accomplish this.  Well, in reality, I know it’s not all that hard.  Just make them cute, cuddly and irresistible.

In fact, the first book I sold, The Diplomatic Tutor, now available on Kindle e-books, Chelsea Gilmore (my editor at that time) told me she bought the book because of my precocious five-year old…and how I had the little darling hesitate for a moment, glance around to be sure no one was watching and then hike her leg over a banister and slide down to the bottom of the stairs.

Now, I realize Shelby wasn’t “stealing” a scene from the hero or heroine when she took her quick trip down to bump into the newel post, BUT that scene gives you an example of how the little girl faced life throughout the book.   In need of a suitcase for her Barbie doll clothes???  Simple to remedy….just dump all of Dad’s things on the floor and use his briefcase.  Problem solved!

Can you give me any suggestions from books you’ve read about a child or animal stealing the scene?  We’d love to hear about it since, if you’re like me, you love those books and tend to read them more than once.

AND THERE’S MORE !!!!        For one lucky commenter, I’ll be giving away a download of The Diplomatic Tutor, so be sure to comment!

Sure hope you enjoy the reviews and leave a comment.  We’ll be sharing all the comments with the two authors.

TRUE NORTH
by Marie Force

Published Marie Force   ISBN:9781466214040

Review by:  Susan Carlisle

The first time Travis North lays eyes on Liana McDermott, she’s wearing the most hideous bridesmaid dress he’s ever seen.  He doesn’t immediately recognize the world-famous model who is attending her cousin Enid’s wedding at the country club he owns. Thanks to Enid’s shameless matchmaking. Travis and Liana become acquainted and later embark on a two-week fling intended to be free of emotion and entanglement. As Liana’s return to work gets closer, however, Travis wonders how he’ll ever let her go
when the time comes whole Liana considers whether he might be her true north. Two high-powered careers, two amazing weeks and a love that comes along just once in a lifetime. Is she ready to give up her career for a different kind of life? Does he want the same things she does? After insisting on an emotionless affair, she can’t very well ask him. Or can she?

I have to admit that I heard Marie Force speak at a conference and had to check her book out. This is the one that she was told wouldn’t sale because it is about a model.  She went on to self-publish.  Sales skyrocketed. True North is an interesting read. I wasn’t put off by the heroine’s profession.  Force made her issues as real as any woman’s would be. The hero is a hot and self-made man that is easily likable.  The dog adds a realism. This book is nicely done and satisfying.

http://www.amazon.com/True-North-Marie-Force/dp/146621404X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1365519884&sr=8-5&keywords=True+North

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NIGHTFALL  -  A Dark Age Dawning Novel      by Ellen Connor

Published by: Berkley Sensation     ISBN 978-0-425-24169-1

Reviewed by:  Sandra Elzie

Growing up with an unstable, often absent father who preached about the end of the world, Jenna never thought, in her wildest nightmares, that his predictions would come true.  Or that he would have a plan in place to save her–one that includes the strong, stoic man who kidnaps and takes her to a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest.

The mysterious ex-marine named Mason owes a life debt to Jenna’s father.  Skilled and steadfast, he’s ready for the prophesied change, but Jenna proves tough to convince.  Until the power grid collapses and the mutant dogs attack–vicious things that reek of nature gone wrong.

When five strangers appear, desperate to escape the bloodthirsty packs, Jenna defies her protector and rescues them.  As technology fails and the old world falls away, Jenna changes, too, forever altered by supernatural forces.  To fight for their future, she and Mason must learn to trust their instinctive passion–a flame that will see them through the bitter winter, the endless nights, and the violence of a new Dark Age.

I got this book at RWA Nationals in 2011, but it was kept toward the bottom of my to-be-read stack because I kept stacking books on top.  Finally, I turned the pile upside down and very soon I was reading Nightfall.  Wow.  Well, if the cover doesn’t grab you…and the blurb doesn’t grab you, the high-action book will definitely grab you.

This book starts by explaining that in m id-twenty-first century, the world, as we know it implodes.  Without power to supply all our needs, people are left to fend for themselves.  Can you imagine?  Well, this is about two characters, Jenna and Mason, who find a way to cope and survive whatever comes their way.   Believe me, if the world is ever in a crisis as this book describes, I hope there’s a guy like Mason available to help me survive.  It might sound like a terrifying situation, but I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book.  Paranormal Romance
The other two in the series, Daybreak, is available, and Midnight,  which will release on August 6th, 2013.  Order Nightfall and Daybreak and pre-order the Midnight today so you don’t miss one single action-packed chapter.

Dark Age Trilogy

                                                              SO WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW?   PLEASE SHARE  !!!   WE ALL LOVE RECOMMENDATIONS.

So, life has kicked you in the teeth….again.   Another rejection of your best-written and most-loved story?  Dieted all week and gained a pound?  Well, you know what types of things get under your skin, but I’d like to know how you react?

Do you get angry and take your aggression out on whatever is closest to you?  Or maybe you are the calm type (a type I have trouble identifying with) and your first reaction is to call a friend and share your disappointment.

Some folks pray.  Yes, that can calm the angry seas.

Some just relax & let it pass.   Now, there are some who take their minds off challenges by heading to the mall and rewarding themselves with a day of shopping in their favorite store(s).

You shop till you drop.

But whatever method you choose to handle stress, there’s one I DON”T recommend.   Don’t throw caution to the wind

Don’t Take A Walk On The Wild Side.

Although some of these might have given you a smile, the need to handle stress is a serious topic.  So, what method (s) do you use to de-stress???

Leave a comment & be in the running for a $5.00 Starbucks gift card. 

By:  Donna Cummings
There is something magical about the winemaking process. I used to be a tasting room manager at a winery, so I got to have an up-close-and-personal view of how wine was made.  With just three ingredients — grapes, sugar, and yeast — an endless variety of wonderful beverages is possible.

Even more magical is the wine DRINKING process. That’s something everyone can enjoy!  When people came up to the tasting bar to sample the wines, they would often confess to me how they didn’t know much about wine, apologizing for their lack of knowledge as if they expected me to toss them out. And I think that’s because the people who do know a lot about wine often make it seem like an exclusive club, filled with crazy descriptive terms meant to act as some sort of secret handshake. I mean, “jammy” to describe wine with a lot of fruit flavor?  Everyone knows “jammy” is part of the writer’s official uniform!  So whenever someone told me they didn’t know a lot about wine, I always replied, “Great!  You’re going to have so much fun.”

The most important thing is to discover what pleases your palate. This is definitely a subjective thing. Everyone experiences life differently, so it’s to be expected that we’ll enjoy wine differently too.  For example, I like wines that are “fruity” or “fruit forward”. A lot of people interpret this to mean the wine is sweet. But that’s not the case. (Hah! Case. Wine humor.)  Anyway, it just means that the grape flavor is more dominant, because it hasn’t been subdued via oak casks.  When a wine is “dry”, it has been aged in oak, for an amount of time the winemaker determines.  This takes away the fruit flavor, and adds layers of things that use descriptions involving bread or toast or croissants.   (Is anyone besides me getting hungry now?)

In order to find what your palate prefers, you’ll have to sample a variety of wines. I know, I know. It’s hard to have homework, but that’s what a well-rounded education requires!  Once you’ve got that sorted out, you can experiment by pairing food with wines. Most people go with the old “white wine/white food, red wine/red food” mantra, but it’s worth being more adventurous than that. There are plenty of websites that can help expand your pairings, and give you reasons why they think spicy food should have a fruitier wine, for example. It’s usually about balance, and bringing out the best in the food and the wine. It’s a lot of fun to try combinations that on the surface seem like they couldn’t possibly work well together, and then discovering they do–just like our favorite couples in romances.  As for my favorite wine pairing right now. . .it would have to be a lightly chilled Riesling and the hot baseball pitcher hero in BACK ON TRACK, my just-released novella set on the Napa Wine Train.   

What’s your favorite wine?  Or your favorite winery?   To celebrate the release of BACK ON TRACK, one random commenter will win an e-book download.  Good Luck!

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BLURB:   What’s a little lie between strangers?

Allie Whittaker is in a dating slump, too busy getting her fledgling marketing company off the ground to have a personal life.  All that could change, though, if she can get baseball superstar Matt Kearns on the cover of a charity calendar.  Except Matt won’t even talk to her.

Matt is in a slump, worried his career might be over.  A Napa Valley wine tour isn’t enough to take his mind off his troubles–until sexy, funny Allie plops into the adjacent seat and tells him three things about herself.  One of them, she says, is a lie.

Matt can’t resist playing along, and soon the afternoon getaway becomes an interlude with lies, truths, and desire flowing as fast as the wine. Then Allie lets slip one truth too many…and they both realize they’re playing for keeps.

Warning: A handsome hunk, a determined lady and a few glasses of wine.  Throw in a little on-the-run action, and what more do you need to while away an afternoon?

Author Bio:

I have worked as an attorney, winery tasting room manager, and retail business owner, but nothing beats the thrill of writing humorously-ever-after romances.
I reside in New England, although I fantasize about spending the rest of my days in a tropical locale, wearing flip flops year-round, or in Regency London, scandalizing the ton.

BACK ON TRACK, part of the Strangers on a Train collection, just released from Samhain on April 2nd. Also available are I Do. . .or Die, a romantic comedy/mystery from Crimson Romance, Summer Lovin‘, a contemporary romantic comedy novella, and Lord Midnight, a Regency historical.

My books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.   Click to check them out.

Where to find me:
Website/blog: www.AllAboutTheWriting.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@BookEmDonna
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Donna.Cummings.Author
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5349107.Donna_Cummings
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/bookemdonna

The Hero Journeys with a Cast of Thousands

My first five historical romances featured characters who were only children and had the bare minimum of on-stage parents or siblings. Since my books are set in the medieval period, this took more explanation than you might think.

I made them orphans. Or bastards who were abandoned by parents they never knew. Or with siblings who stayed safely off-stage. Yes, there was the occasional sister or mother and those characters were important, but my primary characters, like the central figures of so many fairy tales, traveled the Hero’s Journey alone.

Most of us don’t.

Most of us have family we deal with on a daily basis.  And like it or not, those family members influence our romantic relationships, for good or ill.

When I started The Brunson Clan trilogy, only children were not an option.  Family was a key theme of the series and, because of the overall storyline and timetable,
I would have to deal with all three Brunson siblings, two brothers and a sister, in every book.

Not only with them, but in each book, I had to add the romantic partner brought into the story in the previous book. Strictly speaking, not a cast of “thousands,” I
realize, but a vastly more complex ecosphere than I usually juggled.

So by the time I wrote the final book of the trilogy, TAKEN BY THE BORDER REBEL, a March release from Harlequin Historical, Rob Brunson’s prospective partner had to be vetted by Rob’s brother (and his wife), from RETURN OF THE BORDER WARRIOR, and Rob’s sister (and her husband), from CAPTIVE OF THE BORDER LORD. Four important people would weigh in on Stella Storwick, who just happened to be a daughter of their blood enemies, which meant the immediate answer was “no.”

Instead of being the nightmare I had feared, this provided an extra layer of tension and conflict without taking away from the hero and heroine. As the head of the clan, the ramifications of Black Rob’s choice went far beyond the personal, and the story reflected that through the very personal reactions of his brother and sister and in-laws.
And anyone who ever made the awful “meet the family” trip can sympathize with what Stella Storwick had to face.

So, in a way I had not planned when I started the series, the last book ended with the conclusion of a family journey, as well as a romantic one.

How about you? Have you stories about bringing a prospective suitor home to meet the family? I’m offering your choice of a book from the Brunson Clan trilogy to one lucky commenter.  US and Canadian mailing only, please!

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FROM THE BACK COVER:

TORMENTED BY HER INNOCENCE
As leader of his clan, Black Rob Brunson has earned every dark syllable of his name. But, having taken hostage his enemy’s daughter in a fierce act of rebellion, he is tormented by feelings of guilt and torn apart with the growing need to protect her—and seduce her!  Stella Storwick feels Rob’s disdain from the first. Then slowly she starts to see behind his eyes to a man in turmoil. Something he has no words for, something that can only be captured in a heart-wrenching kiss….

Blythe Gifford has been known for medieval romances featuring characters born on the wrong side of the royal blanket.   Now, she’s written a Harlequin Historical trilogy set on the turbulent Scottish Borders of the early Tudor era.  The books are RETURN OF THE BORDER WARRIOR, November 2012, CAPTIVE OF THE BORDER LORD, January 2013, and TAKEN BY THE BORDER REBEL in March 2013.   The Chicago Tribune has called her work “the perfect balance between history and romance.”    (You can order on Amazon)

Visit her at www.blythegifford.com    www.facebook.com/BlytheGifford,  www.pinterest.com/BlytheGifford or on Twitter @BlytheGifford.

Author photo by Jennifer Girard.   Cover Art Copyright © 2013 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited.   Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

By Sandra Elzie

If you’re just joining us on this month’s visits to Italy, Turkey… and now Greece,  I hope you’ll take a few minutes to click on the link to read the first two articles.  Wouldn’t want you to miss anything!

Like most of Europe, Athens, Greece is rich in history that dates back centuries.  In fact, Athens has been one of the most important and influential cities of that part of the world.   Athens became the capital of Greece in 1834, growing from approximately 6,000 residents at that time to the 4.5 million today.

In the 8^th century BC Athens was considered the artistic center of Greece…reaching it’s peak in the 5^th century BC during an era known as the Golden Age.  During this period, huge strides were made in literature, architecture, math, philosophy, medicine, and, in fact, all sciences of that time.  You’ll recognize many of the distinguished men from this area…Sophocles, Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato & Aristotle….just to name a few.

In the 2nd century BC, Greece was conquered by the Romans…and eventually the Byzantine Empire and centuries later by the Turks.  The Greek War of Independence  (1821 – 1829) prepared Greece for their rightful independence established in 1834.

Our tour included lunch where we had the opportunity to try some local fare.  There was Taramasalata…which is a dip made from fish roe…and which (shudder) I passed on;  Melitsanosalata which is made from smoked eggplant and is quite delicious; and Tzatziki which is a yogurt-type dip made with cucumbers and garlic that we spread on bread.  I enjoyed it, but hubby scrunched up his nose.  I think he preferred the fish eggs.   A lot of the small eating shops served pita bread stuffed with grilled lamb, tomatoes and onions, but I also passed on the lamb.  I’m not too brave when it comes to local foods, I guess.  However, I never passed up an opportunity to savor the baklava (a sweet pastry filled with walnuts & honey).

Our tour took us out into the country where we got out and walked among the ruins of several cities & numerous temples.  We visited the Acropolis which is one of the great wonders of the world and consists of four ancient buildings…the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike & the Erechtheion and the Propylaea.  The Acropolis was built during the 5^th century BC.

I found the Parthenon fascinating.  They are in the process of reconstructing the huge columns by painstakingly fitting together broken pieces of the columns and making pieces to fill in spots where the missing piece is too crumbled to use.  It’s like putting together a huge, huge puzzle.  If you look closely, you can see some scaffolding behind the mounted charts of the project AND if you look closer, you can see the columns…with what looks like white patches.  The white patches are the pieces they had to cut out of stone to fit the space on the column where the original column piece was too badly damaged.

The architecture of the Parthenon was obviously magnificent as depicted in one well-preserved structure circled by statues of their gods. 

The site…perched on top of the hill overlooking the valley, gives it a spectacular view of the surrounding area.

When the tour was over and we returned to the ship, it was to sail back to Italy where our trip would end and we’d fly home.  But that evening, during dinner, we were blessed with a beautiful view of a setting sun that captured the essence of our trip and bid us farewell…or adio, as they say in Greece.  

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Sandra loves to hear from her readers, so drop by her website and visit.  Read more about her and what’s coming in the near future at:

www.SandraElzie.com   

Sandra’s first print book, The Diplomatic Tutor,  is now available from Kindle e-books.

 She also writes as Sandra McGregor and you can view the selection at Amazon e-books.