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Let MINOS ZOIROS (Μίνως Ζωηρός / Lively Minos) take you by the hand and introduce you to a Bronze Age Civilization that flourished for hundreds of years on the island of Crete in Greece, long before the age of Christ.
Short stories on Minoan Crete, featuring MINOS ZOIROS, will appear on the KPHTH MAGAZINE starting with the April/May issue. You can grab the issue in due course on their website. Make sure to JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER for FREE ACTIVITIES with every story. |
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The Sky Cloud City Activity Book is now available on amazon.com and all its international sites.
If you have already purchased a copy, please visit amazon to leave your review. We would love to read your opinion :) Plus you would be giving us a helping hand with promotion... It may also be purchased here at a much discounted price. 10/19/2017 |
A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to D.R.E.A.M. Studios Inc and its most talented campers. The kids were amazing! They were spot on with their dancing, singing and acting. And had such fun during the performance. It was a memorable day for Sky Cloud City and we truly look forward to working again with them in the future :)
The event was most skillfully covered by masslive.com photographer, Edward Cohen. Many thanks from the heart :) You may watch the photo gallery here. |
After three whole weeks of rehearsals, day-in, day-out, from 9am until 5pm, the D.R.E.A.M. Studios Inc. performers are good to go! All 22 of them worked so hard, with such enthusiasm and joy that they deserve our praise and applause. I was SO IMPRESSED by their talent and dancing abilities! Join us tomorrow for a fun afternoon with a lot of singing & dancing on stage at the performance of Sky Cloud City. |
We are delighted to announce the cooperation with D.R.E.A.M. Studios Inc for staging Sky Cloud City in Springfield on July 15th! A big thank you goes out to Benjamin Smith for sharing my vision of having Sky Cloud City performed on stage by Springfield youth. At a brief meeting today we discussed certain details of this production and exchanged ideas. Between Benjamin's vast experience, imagination and enthusiasm, and the talent of his students there is no doubt for the outcome! It will be a fun performance to remember... :) |
We are more than happy to announce that:
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Watching Springfield artist Mary Blaxland at work during the Hartford Greek Festival was truly an unexpected bonus! Mary kept us company with her drawing board and pencils. She made sketches in a flash, bringing to life all the major characters of the next Hope & Trusty adventure (due in 2018). Hope, Trusty, the goddess Irene and War could not escape from her swift hands and vivid imagination! I truly look forward to working together for the next book in the series :) |
If you drop in at the Consulate General of Greece in Boston, please help yourself to one of our leaflets at the waiting room.
Many sincere thanks to Mrs Koukoutsi for supporting Sky Cloud City by allowing us to leave promotional material at the Consulate. |
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The first adventure of Hope & Trusty, Sky Cloud City, is officially on YouTube! Watch the video and don't forget to like it. Pass the word by sharing it on your Facebook page. Your support is greatly appreciated :) |
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As of December 1st, 2016, Sky Cloud City and the accompanying Activity Book are available for purchase at the amazing independent bookstore in downtown Westfield, Blue Umbrella Books. |
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As of the beginning of November, 2016, Sky Cloud City and the accompanying Activity Book are available for purchase at the amazing gift shop Wonderland Gifts on the first floor of Tower Square. |
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Combine SKY CLOUD CITY and its accompanying ACTIVITY BOOK in one festive package. Every package is wrapped up in brown or white paper and then adorned with sparkling mesh in festive colors, ribbons, Xmas balls and an adorable handmade ornament for the Xmas tree: a gingerbread doll, all handmade and hand embroidered. Made by Blossoms, a very talented lady in Macedonia, Greece. This is a limited time offer, because we only have 20 dolls (10 boys and 10 girls). Each doll has a suspension ribbon for hanging on the Xmas tree. It comes in its own bag with a Blossoms tag and a knitted flower that could serve as bookmark. |
Just received from Greece 20 of these adorable gingerbread dolls (10 boys, 10 girls)! They are totally handmade and embroidered by hand by Blossoms, a very talented lady in Macedonia, Greece. Each doll has a suspension ribbon for hanging on the Xmas tree. It comes in its own bag with a Blossoms tag and a knitted flower that could serve as bookmark.
Stay tuned to see our colorful Xmas packages and don't miss the opportunity to purchase a set with this lovely doll! |
Combine SKY CLOUD CITY and its accompanying ACTIVITY BOOK in one beautifully decorated package! Following the colors of the season we choose white, or brown paper, wrap it up with sparkling orange netting & brown ribbon, and then decorate it with seasonal stickers.
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Combine SKY CLOUD CITY and its accompanying ACTIVITY BOOK in one beautifully decorated package! For your summer gifts we choose white, or brown paper, wrap it up with blue/silver netting & colorful ribbons, and then decorate it with: - natural sea shells, - adorable little wood ornaments ready for coloring, and - handmade salty dough sea ornaments. The combinations are endless! |
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Another royalty just checked in!The king of India in Sky Cloud City flew a long way from home to spend time with us in Massachusetts.
He is looking into a very busy schedule this summer and fall at book events all over New England. King Hoopoe was delighted to make his acquaintance! He will be most happy to share his royal duties with a fellow, blue blooded, ruler. A creation by Alicja Piotrowska. |
My very first interview , June 27, 2016
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being interviewed for the Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE). It was a fun interview by Elizabeth Lorayne, fellow children's author, very talented artist and gifted poet. Thank you Elizabeth and IPNE for giving me the opportunity to address a wider audience about my book and future projects. You can read the interview here.
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Sky Cloud City at the Springfield Central Library!
Many sincere thanks to Springfield Central Library for displaying The Adventures of Hope & Trusty: Sky Cloud City in the showcase for local authors. It is indeed a great honor and I am deeply moved by the support Springfield Central Library is offering to local authors :)
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May 28, 2016 |
Final Activity Book covers!
With the covers of the Activity Book complete we should be ready for print sometime next week. It will be a race against time to have the Activity Book available on the 3rd and 4th of June at the Hartford Greek Festival. Watching an idea coming into fruition is such an amazing experience! I am grateful to Mary Blaxland for the stunning illustrations and to graphic designer Ina Melengoglou for designing the book with such skill and finesse!
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Best testimonial ever!
The smiles; the deep, engaging stare; the inquisitive attitude are all there.. Need one ask for more?
Absolutely not! These photos are a children's author greatest reward. |
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SNEAK PEEK of Activity Book
How about a sneak peek of the Activity Book? It has been very skillfully designed by Ina Melengoglou.
Click PLAY for the slideshow to begin, or click on a photo to browse through sections of the book. It includes information on Aristophanes and his play The Birds, discussion questions for the enthusiastic reader, an ongoing illustration contest, a crossword puzzle based on Sky Cloud City, a maze, facts about birds, cut-out masks to enact the roles in the book, coloring pages, and decorative calligraphy tracing. |
April 13th, 2016
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Updates on the upcoming Activity Book
We are working intensively to finish the Activity Book that accompanies Sky Cloud City. The layout is almost complete, but a young and promising illustrator, Mary Blaxland, is currently working on a new idea for the cover! If all goes well, we should be ready for press by the end of May.
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April 13th, 2016 |
Official launch in September 2016!
The official launch of Sky Cloud City will be in Boston in September 2016. So, stay tuned for more information while my publisher, Charlotte Pierce, organizes the event.
The book is currently available through Ebay and directly from this website. So please Contact Me if you would like to purchase any copies of Sky Cloud City prior to the official launch. We offer door delivery for Springfield, MA, and the surrounding area. |
April 8th, 2016 |
The King has arrived!King Hoopoe of Sky Cloud City has freshly arrived from Poland! The winds were favorable and even though he had to fly at a higher altitude due to an unexpected snow blizzard over the Atlantic, he safely landed in our front yard in Springfield, MA, at precisely 03:20pm this afternoon. He very carefully inspected his books and will be signing autographs tomorrow, April 9th, at the 2016 Easthampton BookFest.
See you there! |
April 8th, 2016 |
First 300 copies of Sky Cloud City are here!The first 300 copies of The Adventures of Hope & Trusty: Sky Cloud City are finally available for purchase. Contact me or the publisher at hopeandtrusty@piercepress.com for purchases before the official launch date, which is June 8th. HF Group/ACME Binding have done a wonderful job printing the first book in the series. The printing is impeccable, the colors radiant and the care with which they are packed in the card boxes is truly exemplary. If you live in Boston and you have not visited their facilities in Charlestown, you are missing a great experience!
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Meet the King !
King Hoopoe of Sky Cloud City, ruler of Ornithopolis, is flying all the way from Poland to the US. We wish him a safe flight and a happy landing. In his long migratory route may the winds be favorable and bring him safely to Springfield, MA before the Easthampton Bookfest.
Looking forward to receiving you King Hoopoe :) A creation by Alicja Piotrowska. |
One step closer to printing!
Designer Cate Barr is holding the first preview copy of The Adventures of Hope & Trusty: Sky Cloud City, which was printed at HF Group /Acme Binding in Charlestown, Massachusetts. After a few adjustments and a second preview copy, Sky Cloud City is ready to launch! Give it a few more weeks and the book should be available through the author (that is me!) and the publisher.
Stay tuned for more updates :) |