New Releases

MNEMOSYNI’S MUSINGS…

Maria A. Karamitsos

You’ve heard of Mnemosyni, the Greek goddess of memory. Mythology buffs will know that she’s also the goddess of storytelling—and mother of the Muses! So, it’s only fitting to name a literary column in her honor. Here, you’ll learn about authors, poets, books, and all things “Greek” literary.
By: Maria A. Karamitsos

New Releases

Here are some new and upcoming releases to check out.

Longevity Guidebook: How to Slow, Stop, and Reverse Aging — and NOT Die from Something Stupid by Peter H. Diamandis, MD

Ethos Collective (January 3, 2025)

The Greek-American engineer, physician, and entrepreneur is the author of several books about science and business. He is best known as the founder and chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation.

The author states that we’re in the midst of a healthspan revolution that will enable us to live vitally beyond 100 years old. Advanced diagnostics are now able to catch any disease at inception, while advanced therapies in clinical trials have the potential to reverse disease while also slowing, stopping, and potentially even reversing aging. This practical reference guide can help to shape your longevity mindset and prepare to intercept the next wave of healthspan-extending breakthroughs expected during the decade ahead.

A Journey from Darkness to Sunlight by George Kakridas

Businessrise, Inc (February 25, 2025)

From the author of Growing Up Under the Nazi Boot (Independently published, 2020), comes another memoir about his life growing up in Sparta, Greece during the Nazi occupation, followed by the Greek Civil War.

The author shares his story through hunger, famine, and a constant fear of death and then his subsequent move to America. Despite the darkness of those years, his journey from darkness to sunlight led him on a path to making hopes and dreams come true. The story is a testament to human resilience and the perseverance needed for survival.

Circle of Peace: A Greek Tale of Perse’s Great Hall by Sophia Kouidou-Giles

She Writes Press (March 11, 2025)

Kouidou-Giles is the author of An Unexpected Ally:  A Greek Tale of Love, Revenge, and Redemption (She Writes Press, 2023), reimagined from a classic Greek myth. She’s back with another take on myth, a sequel to ‘Ally’, but it’s easily a standalone. This time, Circe’s father Helios asks her mother Perse to help his troubled sister Selene, who’s angered Zeus by her affair with a mortal. In exchange, Perse demands the construction of a grand hall in her honor. She gets her wish, but her plans take a back seat when Clymene and Helios’ son Phaeton dies, plunging the entire House of Helios into mourning.

While the family deals with their grief, war erupts outside the palace walls. But Perse rises up in the face of tragedy. While the House of Helios works to turn tragedy into a movement for peace, others prefer to sow the seeds of war and unrest, leading to a battle of wills of mythic proportions.

The Parthenon Paradox: Rivers of Redemption by Peter Barber

Independently Published (March 14, 2025)

Peter Barber, a Brit married to a Greek who splits his time between London and Greece, is back with the third and final installment in ‘The Parthenon Series’. The laugh-out-loud memoirs recount true tales from Peter’s life married to a Greek, integrating into a Greek society, and dealing with the infamous Greek bureaucracy.

When Peter and his fiery Greek wife, Alex, trade the rainy skies of England for a sunlit village in Greece, they believe they’ve found paradise. But their dream life turns into a nightmare. Caught in a whirlwind of legal battles, village gossip, and cultural clashes, Peter and Alex must navigate the absurdities of Greek bureaucracy, rebuild their lives, and face the ultimate question: will they seek revenge or choose forgiveness?

Not Dead Yet by Jeffrey Siger

Severn House (April 1, 2025)

The international bestselling author who splits his time between New York and Mykonos is back with book 14 in the Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery Series.

Wealthy Greek businessman Dimitris Onofrio is corrupt to the core, but the police have never been able to make his crimes stick. Powerful, influential, and extremely dangerous, Onofrio is not a man to cross, and every witness prepared to come forward against him has died before they could testify.

So when Onofrio’s private jet crashes, seemingly with no survivors, the police breathe a sigh of relief–quickly replaced by horror when Onofrio is found alive but catatonic on a remote Ionian beach, beside the body of his beloved wife. Was the crash an accident . . . or sabotage? Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis, head of Athens’ Special Crimes Unit, knows that unless he can discover the truth before Onofrio recovers, the tycoon will be out for bloody revenge on all involved. Including Kaldis’ own beloved wife, who is more mixed up in the accident than anyone would ever have suspected.

The Sky’s the Limit: Lessons in Service, Entrepreneurship and Achieving the American Dream by Joe Garner and John P. Calamos, Sr.

Wiley (April 22, 2025)

A real life rags-to-riches tale, this biography of Greek-American John P. Calamos, Sr., founder, chairman and COO of Calamos Investments is an inspirational story of an American trailblazer, self-made success story, and living legend in the world of investing. The book contains stories and business lessons he learned along the way. From a stock boy in his parents’ grocery store on Chicago’s West Side, to 400+ combat missions in Vietnam, to launching his own firm which now has upwards of $35 billion in assets, the success he’s enjoyed through that career have been built on taking risks and being resilient.

Stealing Dad by Sofka Zinovieff

Corsair (May 8, 2025)

The forthcoming novel by the Athens-based author of the acclaimed The House on Paradise Street (Atria books/Marble Arch Press, 2013) explores what happens when children are not allowed to attend their father’s funeral.

Alekos, a successful, if controversial sculptor, passes away in London. His last wife and now widow is determined that his far-flung children from other marriages stay away, but for the first time, all the sisters and brothers meet and plan to take matters into their own hands.

Under the Lemon Tree by Emma Cowell

Avon (May 8, 2025)

The Cornwall-based author of The Island Love Song (Avon, 2024) and The House in the Olive Grove (Avon, 2023) returns with another novel set in Greece.

Shattered by the sudden loss of her twin, Kat is lost in grief. The comfort of family feels both soothing and suffocating, but everything changes when she inherits a house from a mysterious uncle. Arriving on the island of Agistri, Kat is mesmerized by its crystalline waters, lush pine forests, and the citrus-scented air. Among the white-washed houses and warm, welcoming locals, she begins to feel her heart heal. The island offers more than solace, sparking courage in Kat to face her loss. But as she unearths her family’s buried past, Kat must also confront her own fears of belonging, forgiveness—and the possibility of rediscovering happiness in the shadow of heartbreak.

Happy reading! See you next time for more of Mnemosyni’s Musings.

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Maria A. Karamitsos is a journalist, author, and poet. She’s the founder & former publisher/editor of WindyCity Greek magazine and former associate editor & senior writer for The Greek Star newspaper. Maria also contributes to Greek City Times and TripFiction. Her work has been published in The Magic of Us-A Moms Who Write Poetry Anthology, The Pen Poetry Magazine, Voices of Hellenism Literary Journal, Highland Park Poetry, Recipes & Roots, GreekCircle magazine, The National Herald, GreekReporter, Harlots Sauce Radio, Women.Who.Write, KPHTH magazine, and more. Maria has contributed to two books: Greektown Chicago: Its History, Its Recipes and The Chicago Area Ethnic Handbook. She’s currently editing her 1st novel. mariakaramitsos.com