Rhode Island Authors Showcase - Featuring Maria Kamoulakou!
The Rhode Island Authors Showcase is back! Each day in November, I’ll be featuring a different RI author. Each post features a giveaway – a book, an anthology, or something else! All you have to do to be eligible for the daily drawing is leave a comment on the blog post. I’ll use a random number generator to pick a winner one week after the blog post (to give you time to catch up).
By commenting on each post, you’re also entered to win our bigger prizes: GRAND PRIZE is a $250 Amazon gift card, BONUS PRIZE is a $100 Amazon gift card, and the CHEER UP YOU WON SOMETHING PRIZE is a $50 Amazon gift card. The big prizes will be chosen, again using a random number generator, on December 7.
I'm happy to welcome children's book author Maria Kamoulakou to the blog today. Hi, Maria! I have questions for you:
What name do you write under? Maria Kamoulakou
Where is your hometown? My hometown is Athens, Greece, but I currently live in Springfield, MA.
What genre(s) do you write? Children’s books for ages 7-10
What have you written?
Sky Cloud City: The Adventures of Hope & Trusty, 2016.
Sky Cloud City Activity Book, 2016 and 2018.
Arthur the Fly-Slayer & the Forty Dragons, 2018.
La Cité Sur les Nuées: Les Aventures d'Espérance et Fidèle, 2020.
La Cité Sur les Nuées Cahier d' Activités, 2020.
Sky Cloud City: The Adventures of Hope & Trusty, 2021 (chapter book edition).
(Who are some of your favorite children's book authors? Since I moved to the US, I’ve come to appreciate the books by E.B.White, Robert McCloskey, and Jane Yolen.
What were some of your favorite books growing up? During my childhood in Greece, I adored Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey for kids, The Little Match Girl and The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen. I still have the books and browse them from time to time.
What do you like best about writing? The transformation of an idea to a story to an illustrated children’s book. Getting to know my characters through writing and then visually meeting them on paper is a truly magical experience.
What do find most challenging about writing? Making time to write! The endless revisions and rewriting that follow a rough draft. The commitment it takes to turn an idea to a published children’s book.
Where do you draw your inspiration? Greek culture is a huge driving force behind me. Back in 2013, I made it my goal to familiarize English-speaking children with ancient Greek culture, Greek literature and traditional Greek folktales with kid-friendly retellings. My aim is to reach readers from as many cultural backgrounds as possible, not exclusively kids of Greek descent.
Learn more about Maria by visiting her websites: http://www.mariakamoulakou.com and http://www.littlecentaurpress.com
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleCentaurPress and https://www.facebook.com/MariaKamoulakou
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_maria_kamoulakou/
And at her Amazon page: https://tinyurl.com/3skhub4v
FIRST GIVEAWAY!
Arthur vs 40 dragons - Great warrior or fool?
Can a hopeless daydreamer save the village from a gang of thieving dragons?It will take a lot m ore than a sword to defeat them!
Arthur is an apprentice to his father, the blacksmith. His mind constantly wonders off to imaginary adventures. Arthur has no achievements to boast of, except for . . . killing flies!
The family underestimates him. The townspeople tease him. BUT two strangers mistake him for a great warrior . . . and the village is in dire need of a hero.
An absolute must-have for boys and girls who are transitioning from picture books to chapter books.
- A fun dragon adventure with multiple colored illustrations.
- Will keep children entertained night after night!
- Inspired by an old European folktale.
Kids will ENJOY guessing what happens next! You can win a copy by telling us your favorite children's book!
SECOND GIVEAWAY!
An award-winning chapter book inspired by an ancient Greek comedy (The Birds, Ornithes) by Aristophanes. When two young friends purchase a pair of talking birds, an adventure set in ancient Greece begins! The two friends -Hope and Trusty- embark on a journey to the Land of the Birds, accompanied by two caged crows and a couple of stray dogs. There they meet a colorful king and address a hostile assembly of birds. With skill, eloquence and courage, the two friends end up uniting the birds in a common goal: to erect a huge city high up in the clouds. The founding of this city shakes up humankind and humbles Zeus and the Olympian gods. It triggers a series of events that benefit the birds and improves their status in the world.
Written by a Greek archaeologist, this fun retelling of a popular ancient Greek play is an ode to friendship and to promises kept. It highlights the benefits of brotherhood, unity, democracy and peace. The story sends out a very positive message to young readers: never hesitate to dream big. Seemingly impossible goals CAN be reached with hard work and collaboration.
The skillful artwork by accomplished Greek artist, Natalia Kapatsoulia, brings the story to life, rendering the book appealing to kids and parents alike.
Sky Cloud City is a short chapter book for ages 7+, grades 2-4 and for the young at heart...
An absolute must-have for the kids who LOVE Greek mythology.
You can win a copy of this delightful book by answering a question: What is your favorite bird?
There will be TWO winners - one for each of Maria's giveaways.
