A young Greek American woman travels to the island of Petra.... The Island of Zoe a Fantasy Romance by Dino Hajiyorgi & Christos Sourligas
A young Greek American woman travels to the island of Petra....
has she found the fountain of youth?
The Island of Zoe
by Dino Hajiyorgi & Christos Sourligas
Genre: Fantasy Romance
A
young Greek American woman travels to the island of Petra bearing
precious cargo: her late grandmother’s body, to be buried on the
land where the old woman spent her youth. But when Zoe arrives on
Petra, she finds that her grandmother, Maria, has left her an opulent
villa and old family secrets hidden in the mystery of the
island.
Zoe
notices how spry and fit the island’s elderly residents are. In
fact, no one has miraculously died in over seventy years, and time
actually stands still on Petra. After Stefanos, a dapper older
gentleman, ends his life the night of Grandma’s funeral, Zoe learns
that Stefanos and her grandmother were lovers and realizes there’s
much more to the island than meets the eye.
Zoe
sets out to discover the island and uncovers strange happenings:
there isn’t a single working clock or telephone, rich migrants from
all over the world live clandestinely in the hills, the island is on
permanent lock-down by the Greek Navy, and the main residents are
subjected to repeated medical tests. Manos, the raki-loving bon
vivant who runs the local general store, hints that the islanders are
paying a price for what they did to Grandma Maria and Stefanos but
refuses to reveal more.
Hoping
to sell her grandmother’s house and use the money to help her
troubled retail business back in America, Zoe inadvertently falls for
the local priest’s son, Paris, who will soon be a priest in his own
right. As romantic tension mounts between them, he admits his
reluctance to become a priest. Believing Zoe is a threat to their
immortality, several islanders gang up on Zoe and try to expel her
from Petra when more truths come to light…
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“THE ISLAND OF
ZOE”
Chapter quotes
Chapter 1 – PETRA
Still, Zoe couldn’t shake her gut feeling that she was about to embark on a voyage of discoveries, that she would encounter countless lost secrets along the way. And she knew exactly the kinds. The ones that lay hidden deep inside the family trunk, hoping never to be found.
Chapter 2 – FIG TREE
With her last sip, Maria overturned the cup on its saucer and waited a few minutes. With fingers trembling, she turned the cup again and looked inside. There it was on the smeared porcelain, the whole truth for her to see. Aunt Erato had taught her well, and there was no mistaking the will of the gods.
Chapter 3 – REPAST
“Their secrets are written in stone. You cannot save them.”
Chapter 4 – SURRENDER
“She was a woman he could not understand, a woman who fascinated him like no other.”
Chapter 5 – ISLAND OF SECRETS
“A sizeable flowerpot exploded inches from her feet. Shards of pottery hit her as she jumped back in shock! Zoe looked up, her eyes checking the rooftops, windows and balconies.”
Chapter 6 – BROKEN CLOCK
“When it was all over, Maria and Stephan opened their eyes and unlocked their lips. They beamed with lust and lament, bearing the weight of infinite defeated loves that never saw the light of day.”
Chapter 7 – SUDDEN DEPARTURE
“Stefanos took off his hat and rested it on his chest. The canopy above him was full of sparkling stars. He smiled. He was in high spirits. Gentle waves rocked the keel, as he eventually closed his eyes and slipped soothingly into the cosmos.”
Chapter 8 – ESCAPE
“We got ourselves a boat. Kostas’ nephew, Argyris, will cross us to the mainland. It’s time.”
“It’s all a mystery. All I can say is that people from all over the world send me their broken clocks. Word has gone around that Petra holds some magical, mystical power where time stands still.”
Chapter 10 – PARIS
“I don’t deserve to be happy,” she stated. “Why not?” “I don’t know. I feel Petra will catch up with us... That it will eventually claim my soul.” He kissed her forehead and lovingly took her in his arms. “You can’t help it. You’re Greek. Drama runs in your veins.”
Chapter 11 – INTERNAL FLAME
“The island’s rich in mineral deposits and precious metals... Since the Dark Ages locals have avowed the elements buried under the ground attract or repel visitors to the island. Think of it as a highly charged energy field. Even The Crusaders came through here looking for the Holy Grail.”
Chapter 13 – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
“This place is beyond Blue Zone. It’s almost... supernatural. Is it the geology? Is it the water? We still don’t know.”
Chapter 14 – SEPARATE WAYS
“Maria laid a paper napkin flat on the counter and overturned the cup. After a minute she lifted it and leaned in to read the coffee stains left on the napkin. The gods had responded. She wasn’t going to lose the freedom she struggled so very hard to get.”
Chapter 15 – GAME OF DEEDS
“If leaving this place is so important to you, then by all means, I will sign your deed. Go. Get your money and go back to America to make some more, if that’s what matters the most to you.”
“One day Maria will return. And on that very day, a new love will be born. And the spell will finally be broken,” continued the woman with a devilish smile. “NO!” cried Sophia. “You are mistaken... you will see! I will not allow it!”
Chapter 17 – WRITTEN IN STONE
“Zoe was a woman possessed, ripping weeds and vines off the headstones, searching for something in the inscriptions without really knowing what she was looking for. She couldn’t believe her eyes! The youngest person to ever die on Petra in the last half-century was aged one hundred and two. In fact, some islanders had even reached the age of a hundred and fifty and higher.”
Chapter 18 – BLUE ZONE
“...Petra is unlike any other place on earth. Humans just don’t die here. Remember when you asked me what I would do if I find this elixir? Well, Petra is the elixir. This entire island is eternal life.”
Chapter 19 – EKATERINI
“The green slope of shrubbery below her, the blue Aegean beyond and the majestic sky above, all painted the imaginary bars of her cage that mercilessly imprisoned her. She paused to look and all she could see was the face of her mother, frozen in time, smiling at her from the picture frames on her father’s walls. Ekaterini would never see Rome, nor Paris, nor any place else. She felt the sting but refused to set her tears free.”
Chapter 20 –FORBIDDEN FRUIT
“You don’t want to lose those blue eyes to the church, do you?” Katie argued. “You should have done the nasty with him when you had the chance,” she continued. “He’s my cousin,” Zoe shot back. “Albert Einstein married his first cousin,” Katie argued, Zoe wondering how she even knew that?! She’s a naïve, wet behind the ears Millennial, after all.
Chapter 21 – BREAKING THE SPELL
“For years my mom anxiously prayed I could fix the clock and break the spell. And when she couldn’t take the guilt anymore of knowing she was the child of a cursed love affair, of a cursed island... she ended her life. It was no freak accident when she fell off the scaffolding—”
Chapter 22 – HEAVEN HAS FALLEN
The scene was tragic. Locals were visibly showing their age, shaking and moaning, shriveled up in the arms of their daughters and sons. Women and men over one hundred years old were now dying. Others were collapsing, too weak to stand on their own. Father Michael was on the deck of the frigate, bent over a dying man and administering the last rites.
Chapter 23 – FOR SALE
The ship sailed away fast, Petra immediately making distance with the stern. Zoe ran to the back railing and watched the setting sun... About a week ago, Petra had greeted her shrouded in mystery, as a puzzle and a promise. It took her in, gave her a Greek identity, and now was leaving her scarred and hurt. When she looked back at the island, Petra was already a memory.
Chapter 24 – GOODBYE
Suddenly, a woman shrieked outside and Father Michael shot to his feet. Troubled voices began multiplying in the church square as the old priest darted out of his house. A desperate crowd surrounded the base of the bell clock tower. As the people parted, Father Michael made way to find Paris sprawled on the ground and Claudia kneeling over him. She looked up and Father Michael read the message in her eyes. His son was dead.
Chapter 25 – AMERICAN DREAM
They eventually sat on a bench by the East River. Zoe rested her head on Paris’ chest, her ear joyously listening to his heartbeat. And they said nothing, just watched the boats sail by until the sun set... The park lamps turned on, the vista of the city sparkled under a canopy of stars. In Zoe’s imagination, Petra was there, just a bridge’s distance from them.
Dino Hajiyorgi was born in Istanbul in 1963 and lived in Chalkida, Greece. An award-winning writer, he was a film school graduate of ArtCenter College of Design in California, and worked as an animation series scriptwriter for Greek and German studios. A honorary member of the Athenian Club of Science Fiction, his short stories appeared in newspapers, magazines, anthologies, and in the Greek edition of Asimov’s Magazine. Dino’s additional published books are: “Nighttime Traditions”, “Ashes on Marble”, “Wolf of the Sea”, and “Saltibango and the Cats of Hydra”.
Christos Sourligas is an award-winning and bestselling author and award-winning filmmaker. He has created and produced multiple feature films and television shows, and as a former senior executive for several internationally-renowned television production companies, he’s successfully brought shows into the homes of over 1.5 billion television viewers worldwide, airing in over 140 countries, and on 100 airlines. He also serves as a mentor and volunteer with various awards events, festivals and non-profit organizations. Christos resides in Montreal, Canada, and travels often to his ancestral home in Arcadia, Greece.
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Hi all! I’m one of the co-writers of “THE ISLAND OF ZOE” and I’m available for a chat… Ask me a question, if you like. Cheers! Christos
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting about The Island of Zoe, I enjoyed reading the synopsis and chapter quotes and I am looking forward to reading the book
ReplyDeleteWe hope you get to read the book and continue to enjoy!
DeleteThe chapter quotes sound great. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi all! I’m one of the co-writers of “THE ISLAND OF ZOE” and I’m available for a chat… Ask me a question, if you like. Cheers! Christos
ReplyDeleteHi all! I’m one of the co-writers of “THE ISLAND OF ZOE” and I’m available for a chat… Ask me a question, if you like. Cheers! Christos
ReplyDelete