Thank you to all my readers for embracing my novel, Archangel!

A BIG Thank You to all my readers around the world who've embraced my novel Archangel!

http://www.amazon.com/Archangel-Maria-Menico-Sifniades/dp/0991579607/

I have been touched by the positive reception of the book, by the wonderful comments people have written on Amazon's reviews, and generally by the fact that people are willing to take a chance and read my book.


I was moved when, after a recent book club discussion of my novel, the readers welcomed me and had so many thoughtful things to say about the book, the story, the writing. The type of questions readers asked me were interesting and I want to share a few:


Q: Did I personally live through the specific war events that I describe in the book?
A: No, but the events I describe are a composite of ordeals other Cypriots experienced during the Turkish invasion. I did experience the bombing, the fear and the displacement.


Q:Am I faithful?(this is a tricky one)
A:No, not in a conventional sense but I'm a spiritual person. The Greek Orthodox tradition is part of my culture and I relate to it deeply.


Q: Have I ever been to Lythrangomi?
A: No. Lythrangomi is a real village in the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus, but I have never been there. The description of the village came out of my imagination.


Q: Is the Church of Panagia Kanakaria a real church?
A: Yes, the church is real and I have tried to describe it as close to the real church as I could from research that I did.


Q: Are the mosaics real, and have I ever seen them?
A: Yes, the mosaics are real and I got to see them at the Byzantine Museum in Nicosia, Cyprus long after I completed the book. They are as magnificent as I imagined them to be and more.


Readers wanted to know more about the situation in Cyprus and my personal story as a displaced person as a consequence of the Turkish invasion.


Every time I see that someone purchases a copy of Archangel I am overjoyed and happy to share my writing with everyone! On my cross-country car trip across America I also packed a box of books and cards. People along the way were open to buying "Archangel," either in hard copy or Kindle, and I cherish the discussions about Archangel I shared with them.


Enjoy!


Maria