Carol Denise Mitchell at her FINEST Presents INTERRUPTED! A Personal Favorite for 2025

 Interrupted, that was supposed to be their beginning of forever...

Interrupted, all of it had only been a dream...

 

"Lord, maintain my spirit as it is, but transform me in ways that will most benefit my child. I do not wish to be the mother who shares a series of sorrowful tales with my child. I am weary of being the one who plays second fiddle to every man. When Shun called, I felt a
sense of relief. "Mommy, I miss you. When will you return home?" he inquired. "I am currently on the plane, sweetheart. I will be home shortly," I replied, attempting to create a sense of tranquility. I was 
beginning to descend into despair. "Is Munday coming with you, Mommy? I love him dearly," Shun lamented. "We will discuss it later. I assure you we will," I responded. After the call, I felt a burning sensation in my chest. My head began to spin, and I started to dry heave. A kind older woman seated beside me attempted to assist me in coping with
this distress. "It appears to be love. I have experienced it myself, dear. It is not as terrible as it seems. Love that is lost can be rediscovered in the
future when we possess the necessary tools to improve it," she remarked. Heavily burdened by Munday's actions, I could only nod in agreement with the kind woman's comforting words. Moments later, I
hurried to the private restroom. There, I experienced a complete nervous breakdown like the ones you hear about in an insane asylum. I sat down on the low toilet seat with the engine noise covering up the veracity of my screams." My affection for you is immense, my dear. How could you betray me in this manner? What about the love we once shared? How could you do this to me, Munday? Carla assured me she would inform
Malasia that I was alright for this family. She cared for me deeply. I had feelings for her as well. What mistake did I make?" I sobbed, striking my fists into my palms until they turned red. Tears streamed down my face, shifting from cold to hot, initiating this emotional turmoil that resonated in my neck and deep within my soul. My throat became parched, as the tears transformed into painful scratches in my dry throat, intensifying my suffering. "Money never prevented your family from destroying her life. That woman sacrificed her partner and child solely for the Kouris family to preserve its reputation. No one ever recognized me except for you, Munday. Am I too Black to bear the Kouris name? Why didn't you inform me that I failed the inheritance test, Munday? Oh, how I adore uttering your name. Monday with a 'u'—I love you. Is a Black woman unworthy of the Kouris name? What about love? I love you without the
typical samples of scorned lovers. What is it like to make love to Munday? I will never experience that. Ask Melinda," I yelled, gazing up at the blinding sunroof of the plane. No one else has penetrated this
deep into my heart, you bastard! I screamed. "How could you be with her?" I cried. "How am I going to live on this earth without you?" I screamed as I banged both fist into the cheap panel above the toilet. 
Soon after I vomited, I received Munday's last call. I was glad it had come out of the presence of such kind hearts on this plane.

"I am pleased that you answered the phone this time. You are a woman, not a child, Karise. Everyone makes mistakes. It is essential for you to rectify this situation. Get off of that plane and return to me
immediately. I needed to process the ordeal that woman caused me in order to be a good husband to you and a father to Shun. Life is not merely composed of sweetness and ease. Perfection is an illusion, and you must not allow a single indiscretion to dictate your feelings to the extent that you abandon me forever. Stop all of this crying, girl. Act like my woman and return to Santorini at once," Munday insisted. 

"Are you done?" I inquired. "Proceed," he replied. The other betrayals I have experienced in my life will not facilitate this for you. I could agree to your request. I could reverse this flight and be with you immediately, but you do not merit that. Here is the situation. I love you Munday with every grain of my being and would prefer to depart from here cherishing you for the remainder of my life than to allow you to take advantage of me. I am returning home on Monday. I intend to transform my life for
my child and for myself. My love for you surpasses what you will ever comprehend, and if this love is to endure, I require time to feel, endure pain, weep, and determine whether all of this justifies our being together whether it be, today or tomorrow. Ultimately, it is God who will determine the outcome of this relationship. At this moment, neither of us holds the reins," I concluded. I remember how I forcefully hung up the phone. I wept more intensely, realizing I had committed the gravest error of my life. Later, when one of the flight attendants pulled me from the restroom, I settled into the recliner and slept throughout the journey back to San Francisco. I was resolved in my decision to move forward from all of this with changes that no one would believe.

Malasia

"I cannot believe you did that to her, Munday. Before you returned home to Greece, all you spoke of was Karise. We all owe that girl a significant apology for what we subjected her to," Malasia stated sincerely. "I love her, Mom. My baby broke down on the plane alone with no one there to comfort her. I am sick behind it. I don't care how long it takes; I will make this all up to her and Shun no matter how long it takes. She has been away for a week, and I have not encountered Melinda since, because I love Karise and I told Melinda so. I have destroyed our relationship," Munday wept. His loving mother was hurt ten times more over all of this than he was. "You will win her back, Munday and when you do we will make it up to her. However, it will take some time. Why on earth did you heed Johnathan's advice? Your father is a scoundrel with ill intentions and lacks a moral compass. "I can only hold myself accountable. I love her, Mom. Perhaps in time, she will recognize that and return to me," he concluded.

Michelle
When Karise’s mother Dina called her to tell her what happened to Karise in Greece, Michelle was beyond herself in grief. She recalled having Munday’s phone number in her black book. She dialed the number several times. Each time the call was routed to voicemail. "If I had not known Munday well, I would never have permitted you to travel all the way to another country to be deceived by a 24-year-old boy,"
Michelle remarked. A few months after her return home, Karise vacated Munday's Penthouse. She returned his keys to the front office in trade for the keys to her previous apartment. She obtained a new and superior position at a financial firm and retained the black and gold Mercedes as a form of collateral for all the damage that Munday had put her through. Despite still being in love with him, Karise changed her phone number and instructed Shun's school to remove Munday from the permission list to see her son. The only silver lining in ending her relationship with Munday was that they never engaged in sexual relations. It seemed that whenever they were about to make love, some obstacle always arose to interrupt it. God was merciful. This served as a sign for Karise to
concentrate on raising her son and advancing her new career as an accountant in downtown San Francisco. Her sole desire was to nurture her son into a good man who would not engage in the types of games she had consistently faced with men. When mail was received, or when gifts were brought, Karise disposed of Munday's presents in the trash. For her, it was over. Learning from experiences is an excellent way to
become stronger in life. At times, Shun found it more difficult than she did, as Munday had acted more like a father to her son than his biological father. Munday set up a college fund for Shun prior to his departure for Greece, which was valued at over $500,000. For this, Karise was forever thankful. However, it was not sufficient for her to compromise her principles. She still needed to serve as a role model for her son, who
always came first in her life.

~~~~

I've been reading Books by Denise since 2008 when she wrote, What Happened to Suzy? and have read her books whenever I had a chance... But, her latest, I must say, is her best! In fact, she set out to do just that--write her best! And she even explains:

INTERRUPTED, explores love, resilience, and redemption, set against the backdrop of Greece and the complexities of family and fame. Carol writes not just to entertain, but to inspire. Her books are a gift to future generations, reminding readers that beauty, strength, and purpose can rise from even the most interrupted paths.

Readers will never know what her next book will be about. Her first book was about child abuse, while the last one I read was about investigating what really happened to a favorite singer of hers... Do type in her name in the right column and discover one or more of her books you might be interested in... She writes about things she is passionate about--I guess that's why I just keep on reading her--as you might have guessed, I get passionate about things too... especially injustice...

This book is no different, but, for me, there was a different vibe coming from Carol's writing this time... But no matter what, she stands and speaks for women and her race... In this book, she is confronted with a Greek mother who sees only her daily life as a mother--trying to take care of a child alone, not really caring about keeping herself presentable... All you young mothers know what I mean! But, a young boy/man saw her caring for her child. They lived in the same building and he would watch her. He saw her kisses of that child at every turn... He saw the natural love she gave and he responded to it... Thinking that her love was much like he had received from his own mother...

But it was, later, his mother, who didn't see her as her son saw her... Rather, she saw her as a rich and proud Greek who didn't identify with the young Black mother she saw in a few pictures...

That was not the first time that Karise had met a man with questionable motives...

But she had found that out only after she had married him and had his child, Shun, and then having him decide he didn't want to stay married or have a son... He had already found another woman he wanted to marry... Yeah, his payoff of $1M was enough, but it never alleviated the pain and suffering of a rejected new mother.

Munday was another rich man, but had made his life as an actor the main part of his life. He was young and very good looking, of course, and even was dark enough for Karise to wonder whether he had Black roots in his body... In any event, they began a mutual "stalking" of watching from their apartment windows to see when the other went outside... Soon Munday spoke to her and they became neighborly ...and slowly... more...

It was a lovely and fun part of the book that delighted me in the simplicity of it all...

But Munday's mother, and aunt, had Huntington's disease, and he was contacted to be with his mother during this latest event. It happened that Munday had to leave just before their planned "connection" was to happen... And months went by...

But Munday kept in touch with Karise and talked about her with his family while he was in Greece. Soon, however, his mother decided she had to do something--which led to a conspiracy which included paying Munday's past lover to come back to tempt him away from Karise...

Years passed and Munday's fame continued to rise. He was busy, but so was Karise... Thinking of her future she returned to her education and soon began working and doing well... She had begun to dress for her success and soon was being courted by many other men, but she was loyal to Munday, still hoping, still planning...

But his mother's plan had been devastating to both Karise and Munday... But, when he decided he had to "wash that woman out of his hair," he went to talk to her where she promptly started stripping... Yeah, you guessed it... until...six years later...

Munday, six years later:

Six years after she left him looking lost and disheveled at the Santorini Hotel, Actor Munday Kouris snagged an Academy Award for his incredibly convincing performance in Director Armando Polizo’s film, Twice-Denied. His portrayal of a blind painter who falls for his stunning Italian teacher shattered box office records. Blogs and influencers nationwide were curious about the source of the deep pain he expressed in that film. Still hurting from the loss of the only woman he ever absolutely loved, Munday Kouris walked the red-carpet solo. He had dated his co-star from "Twice Denied," but there was no romantic connection. On the night he received his award, the actor thanked his mother for her unwavering love and support, as well as his sister Marta who was in the audience, and a woman he met in San Francisco named Karise who would forever hold his heart. “I love you, and I’m sorry for how things turned out in Greece. Our love took a different path, but I still hope that somehow, someway, we’ll find our way back to each other. I can still feel your fingers on my face, and I cherish the wonderful moments we all shared in San Francisco...

But can Karise ever stop crying? Especially when her first husband came, seeing his son and admiring his life, then tried to become involved again? She has created a professional life that she is proud of. Her son is looking toward college some day... Where is her life heading? What do you think? Has her life been INTERRUPTED too many times? Does Love continue through time? Highly recommended!

GABixlerReviews

Thank you for reading. Thank you for feeling. And thank you for being my friends for all of my writing journeys.

With love, Carol Denise Mitchell

Carole P. Roman Takes Us to Greece in Her Child's Introduction to Culture About the World Series!

 You might live in the capital, Athens. Athens is 3,400 years old and the largest city in Greece. It is an important city and has often been called the "cradle of western civilization." It has earned that name because it is the birthplace of democracy. Democracy is a government run by many people rather than a single ruler.

Thousands of years ago, important teachers like Plato and Aristotle had schools there. Many of their lessons are still caught in schools today.

~~~

If You Were Me and Lived in Greece:

A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World

By Carole P. Roman

After reading the epic historical novel by Loretta Proctor, set in Greece, I thought it would be fun to go back and take another look and take our children! 

If you were me and lived in Greece, you would find yourself in Southern Europe in a country that is located in the crossroads of Europe, Western Asic, and Africa. Greece is also known as the Hellenic Republic and has always been referred to as Hellas, [pertaining to the constitutional history of the country...]

Undoubtedly before children all over the world finish school, they will have studied and learned to a lesser or greater extent about the teachers--Aristotle, Plato and Socrates are probably the most famous, but there are many others who helped mold the ideas of a democracy such as we have here in the United States.

Before we go further, let's meet some of the kids you will get to know and maybe even have time to play with:

If you were born in Greece, your parents might have picked Georgios, or Dimitrios, or Nikolaos, if you are a boy...

If you are a girl, they could have chosen Eleni, Sophia, or Katerina...

Stuffed grape leaves, salad and tzatziki

Their parents or other relatives probably bought the doll(s) with euros... While you have your money out, you might go

ahead and have lunch! What looks good? Or maybe you might like something like this...

You may have had most of these items in a sandwich called a gyro? Have you ever eaten one? Oh, they are delicious! Do try what each country can offer you, that's the way to learn more about what is grown, what animals are there and what the culture traditionally serves... Oh, and don't forget to try theloukoumades, which is a doughnut covered with honey and cinnamon... Yum!








Did you know that the Olympics Games, which still go on today, all over the world, were created in the town of Olympia, Greece, in the 8th century B.C.?

...everyone in Greece loves the Olympics... It was a huge athletic festival when it started, celebrating the best athletes from every town in the area. It is said that when they created the games, it caused the wars to often stop so they could compete instead...

Learn about the Parliament Building ceremony, the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Athena, The Feast of Basil and why there is a coin in the cake, and more in this full-

color children's book, which includes an extensive list of all the new words you will learn and how to pronounce them in the Greek language...

Wouldn't you like to visit? I know I would. We may not get there in reality, but this introduction to the culture for your children will certainly help them to learn more about one of the most important civilizations that has brought so much meaning across the world! 

Highly recommended and add it to your children's permanent library for future reference...

GABixlerReviews

Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012 for her first book, award winning author Carole P. Roman started writing as a dare from one of her sons. Using an imaginary game she played with her grandson as a base, Captain No Beard was born."Captain No Beard- An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life" has not only been named to Kirkus Best of 2012, it received the Star of Remarkable Merit, and won the Pinnacle Award for 2012. "Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience" Book 2 in the series, received 5 Stars from The ForeWord Review The Clarion Review. Strangers on the High Seas has won second place in the Rebecca's Reads Choice Awards 2013. It has followed with six more books to the series.
Motivated by her love of yoga, Roman has written a book that not only teaches four poses, but shows how easy and accessible yoga can be.
Her new non fiction series, "If You Were Me and Lived in..." combines her teaching past with her love of exploration and interest in the world around us. The debut book in the series, "If You Were Me and Lived in...Mexico" has won the Pinnacle Award for Best in Children's Non Fiction 2012. France, South Korea, and Norway. Rebecca's Reads has given If You Were Me and Lived in...Norway an honorable mention in the 2013 Choice Awards. If You Were Me and lived in ...France won second place. ForeWord Review has nominated If You Were Me and Lived in...France for best in children's non fiction literature 2013. They will be followed with Kenya, Turkey, India, and Australia. She plans to do Portugal, Greece, and Argentina next year.
Writing for children has opened up a whole second act for her. While she is still working in her family business, this has enabled her to share her sense of humor as well as love for history and culture with the audience she adores. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children.

Dying Phoenix by Loretta Proctor Epic Historical Romantic Novel Set Against Turmoil in Greece

Grigoris Lambrakis (Greek: Γρηγόρης Λαμπράκης) (April 3, 1912 – May 27, 1963) was a Greek politician, physician, track and field athlete, and member of the faculty of the School of Medicine at the University of Athens...On May 22, 1963, shortly after he had delivered the keynote speech at an anti-war meeting in Thessaloniki, two far-right extremists, Emannouel Emannouilides and Spyro Gotzamanis, driving a three-wheeled vehicle, struck Lambrakis with a club over the head in plain view of a large number of people and (allegedly) some police officers. He suffered brain injuries and died in the hospital five days later, on May 27. The two men were arrested because of the reaction of a passenger who jumped on their vehicle and fought with them (Manolis Hatziapostolou, nicknamed Tiger).

Maria Nafpliotou
Nina subsided a little and gave
a shrug. It's hard, Niko, I hate
to see how Greece escaped the
wretched Turks only to become
a pawn for Britain and America.
Nothing is sacred, democracy is
lost. Plato would love it. He always
liked an oligarchy. Nevertheless,
his vision was one of reason and
order. We have little left of that."
~~~

"Which is worse? The
Americans, the British? They
made a pawn of Greece. If
Frederica hadn't come to
England, Lambrakis might
still be alive." ...He always
wanted to fight for justice
and peace...
Nikos looked around and
lowered his voice, "Shh...
not so loud, Nina...
~~~

Nikos Galanis watched her covertly as she sat opposite him in the fashionable London bar. Her long slender fingers moved up and down the stem of the wine glass as if caressing it, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Nina Hammett was a beautiful woman, there was no denying it. Her dark hair was sleeked back into a loose bun at the nape of her neck On anyone else it would look unfashionable and severe; on her it looked elegant and poised. It was something to do with her eyes as well, he thought, looking into them now; unfathomable, enigmatic pools of brown, depending almost to black When she spoke, her voice was low but clear. Her Greek was impeccable, without a regional accent. An educated woman and an intelligent one.

"I have always admired Lambrakis," she said, "and I always will. I met him just before he was murdered. He was a friend of my great aunt, Christoula. Auntie lived in Kavalla but she had a flat in Thessaloniki as well, where she used to hold little soirees....

It was three years now since that left-wing politician, Dr. Grigoris Lambrakis, was mown down by a vehicle and clubbed to death during broad daylighy in the streets of Thessaloniki. For Heaven's sake, the man was dead and gone and still she thought of him! Nikos wished a woman would speak of him with such admiration. How little he had accomplished compared to the brave and splendid things which that martyr Lanbrakis had done in his short life...

~~~

Dying Phoenix

By Loretta Proctor

This novel, above all, is a love story. Like many, however, it was filled with conflict, anger, and two individuals with completely different lives...who discovered their love was deeper than they ever thought... But Nina had another love--a love for her country--that seemed to be more important than anything else... would that ultimately affect their lives? 

Of course, it didn't help with Max had an affair with an office girl...

They were now separated. Nina was working as a reporter at a relative's newspaper, while Max continued his work selling tractors.... His background is quite different, being of humble beginnings. But he had begun early to pick up knowledge of tractors and other machinery and, in fact, he was soon off to Greece to attend a major sales event...

And that is where he made a personal enemy through no fault of his own! He had seen a man physically abusing a woman and stopped to help... She was the wife of the man and later escaped and came to find Max. He quickly worked with friends to help her escape to another location, but her husband found Max and beat him so badly, including a broken jaw, that he went into the hospital. Fortunately his friend and fellow worker, Dimitri, had a bad feeling and had got to find him, and fortunately did, because he would have died otherwise...

Everybody was trying to find Nina to get her there, but she had not left any information on her location. When she finally heard, she quickly got there and then went home to help him recuperate. But nobody had ever explained to Nina the exact circumstances behind his assault...

For a while, that was ok and they both returned to Greece when he was better, only to have the woman come to find Max, and ask for money... Nina saw the exchange! Nina was a passionate woman but had learned to control it, except she seemed not to be able to with her jealousy and lack of trust of Max.... They again separated... At a very dangerous time that was just beginning in Greece...

The author takes the time to bring readers fully into the lives of her main characters, allowing us to form our opinions of what might happen in this volatile relationship. It was quite a shock, therefore, when in the midst of this personal drama, we move into a period of time when, in many ways, seemed worse than entering into a war... Because most people didn't know what was happening!

"I'm not sure what you mean...a sympathizer," she
murmured at least.
"You were concerned about the Lambrakis business and
wrote a letter about it at the time; it was printed in the
Guardian. It's common knowledge and many admired you
for saying what you did. I admire you, Mrs. Hammett. It
inspired me to join the Lambrakis Youth when I finished
by National Service. I think it's a marvelous cause though,
as you know, it's dangerous these days to belong to such
causes. But we need to fight for justice in Greece. You
heard about Petroulas?"
Sotiris Petroulas was a young economic student, a member
of the Lambrakides. He had carried Mikis Theodorakis
through the crows in order for the heroic musician to make
a rousing speech against the tyranny of the government.
Later Petroulas was killed by a tear gas grenade that
exploded above his head and his body was whisked away
by the police...
~~~

It was while Nina was still in London, and working on an assignment, when she stopped in at the Troubadour. It was the type of place where the young and liberal congregated... many writers, journalists and other creative people. It was there that a young man came to talk to her. He introduced himself as George Praxiteles and explained he was attending school there... He knew who she was and quite a bit about her and her family, which, at first, made her feel concerned...

Their discussion aroused Nina's passion and she knew she must go back to Greece. She believed, like George, that something was going to happen...

There had already been many restrictions placed on the young--the music of Mikis Theodorakis had been banned, but was still played wherever they could. The group George had joined, the Lambrakides, were following the actions of
Grigoris Lambrakis who had been murdered...

"My friends caught some agents trying to bury Sotiris secretly but Theodorakis roused the local people and made them hand over the body. Then, do you know this, Mrs. Hammett?... Hundreds of people accompanied the body from Athens Cathedral to the cemetery...hundreds! Theodorakis wrote a song in his memory and it was sung by the cortege. If was so moving. I wept and so did everyone else. My God, it was so moving.

Nine leant back in her chair and stared at the floor for a long moment. "I heard of it but didn't know the details." Where had she been when this happened? Little escaped her attention when it came to Greek politics. Ah, of course, it was last summer. The time when she and Max had been in the process of reconsidering their marriage. She had shouted at him like a fishwife, like a possessed creature. Was that dreadful harpy really her? Nina tore her mind away from the memories and the uncomfortable and guilty emotions they produced in her.

"I would have wept too," her voice low with feeling. "But sadly incidents like that are no longer uncommon are they? The government which the King has set in place is utterly corrupt; the plaything of the King and his generals..."

~~~

When Nina returned, she stayed with George's family and started out to learn more about what was happening. But then one night she awoke at 3AM... It had begun...

Something was very wrong. She woke up and listened intently. There is was again, the sound of heavy solid wheels rumbing in the distance, but what wheel made a noise like that? Nina looked at the clock and stared into the darkness, broken only by the faint light that crept through the slats of the shutters. Her heart was beating with a mixture of alarm and excitement.

She rose, her throat parched and dry. Swallowing some water from the glass by her bed, she made her way over to the window. Pulling back the thickly pleated net curtains, Nina threw open the shutters and leant out into the coolness of an April night. Just a few hours earlier she had been chatting in a cafe with some friends; a normal and peaceful Athenian night. Now a strange atmosphere gripped the city, a sense of panic, anger and dismay. Shouts, strident voices and shrieks floated on the night air. She needed to find out what was happening. The commotion was round Fassileis Sofias,  a main road some way beyond where the Praxiteies family owned a small block of apartments in a quiet back street in Zografou...

Hurriedly Nina dressed, flung on a jacket and seized her Leika camera. She had no idea what was going on but her instinct told her that the unusual hubbub was due to some major crisis. A fire? No, not that--there were no fire alarms or church bells ringing the tocsin. It sounded for all the world as if huge vehicles such as tanks were rumbling along.

It had long been rumored in political circles that the King intended to enforce some kind of military law and disband his Parliament. Greece had been filled with unrest for so long...

What was this deep fear in everyone's hearts? Yes, there were communists in Greece and many others who veered to the left like herself, but they were small in numbers; nothing like the threat imagined. But fear is like a virus, spreading to everyone. Stories of communist terrorism, half-imagined, became reality in the minds of the comfortable middle classes, fueled by the propaganda of the extreme right who spread tales of paidomazoma--the supposed kidnapping of children for brainwashing into communism--tortures, massacres to strike fear and loathing in people's hearts...

At the corner of one of the streets, she stopped in sheer amazement. Hugh armoured tanks were rolling past. So she was right, that was the noise she had heard. There seemed to be armed soldiers everywhere, shouting commands in deep, harsh tones, stopping cars, pointing guns at ordinary unarmed people as if they were involved in a film, in a mock battle. It was pretense, surely? It couldn't be real. Not Athens on a quiet night before Easter? There had been no warning at all, nothing of late to indicate that simmering beneath the surface were  plots and counter-plots and discontented, power-hungry individuals ready to enforce their own version of the law. She snapped away with her camera, taking care not to be seen. Those soldiers looked unpleasant and she didn't want to get mixed up with them...

A soldier with a gun in his arms turned and stared in her direction...

~~~

Tanks were in the streets, communication lines had been cut...then the Prime Minister was taken...

And Nina was right in the middle, sending out the first exclusive article to England! But a later one was taken... All of her friends were in trouble and she went to the only man who had claimed he had connections... To get her friends' freedom, she must spend one night with him...

Wow! This story is full of thrilling human drama--the fear of the unknown, the loss, as people are taken without a cause, or family members must run to prevent being jailed... And the amazing thing was that the coup left the King helpless, since he had been bested by his opposition... Who was behind this quiet, silent invasion?

Like Nina, I was involved with my own life, working at a new interesting job in the 60s...What were you doing then? Did we even know that something like described in this novel was happening? No, I am sure many did not... And, yet, the most amazing thing for all of us should be that it was here, in Greek, that the world had its first democracy! This is a historical treasure that is well worth reading! Check it out!

Democracy can be traced back from the present day to classical Athens in the 6th century B.C.E. According to one definition, democracy is a political system in which all the members of the society have an equal share of formal political power. In modern representative democracy, this formal equality is embodied primarily in the right to vote...

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http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/books/loretta-proctor-396527.html - Check out interview with "Female First..."

Born in Cairo, Egypt, to an English father and Greek mother, Loretta Proctor won prizes in the 1970's for essays and plays, then wrote specialized articles. She studied Jungian, psychology and worked as a counsellor. Now retired, she delights in story telling, writes poetry and is pleased to be a distant relation of Elizabeth Barrett-Browning. Dying Phoenix is Loretta's fourth novel.