April 2008
SOFIE METROPOLIS #3
In Paperback April.
Order from Amazon.com, B&N or Tor-Forge.
Order in Hardcover from Amazon.com.
In Audio from Blackstone

Summer 2008
SOFIE METROPOLIS #4 Available for Pre-Order from Amazon.com.

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Site updated 4/1/08 - Press F5 for latest update.

Proud Recipients of
Romantic Times Career Achievement Award
Reviewers International Organization's Award of Excellence
National Readers' Choice Award Nominee


Happy Spring
Click here to view a special e-card.

April Greetings!

"Birds flying high, you know how I feel. Sun in the sky, you know how I feel. Breeze drifting on by, you know how I feel. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me. And I'm feelin'...good." Ah, yes. A classic song sung best by Nina Simone, although I can't imagine anyone singing it badly. But Nina...sigh. She injected just the right about of soul-deep angst. (We've included a midi on this site; visit our myspace page at myspace.com/toricarrington to hear the actual song. You won't regret it.)

Simply, I'm trying to say that spring has finally sprung! And it's about damn time. ;>

OPENING DAY - FOUL PLAY AVAILABLE NOW!

A coincidence that even as pro baseball teams everywhere kick off the new season that FOUL PLAY hits store shelves? We think not!

Okay, so Sofie's beloved Mets failed to make the playoffs last year, but that doesn't mean they can't go all the way in 2008. Go Mets! FOUL PLAY, the third title in our SOFIE METROPOLIS series, celebrates all sports dreamers as it becomes available for the first time in paperback this month!

In case you missed the hardcover edition last year, here are a few reviews for FOUL PLAY:

"Smart, sassy Sofie knocks the ball out of Shea Stadium in this colorful concoction." Publishers Weekly

"If you like Stephanie Plum, you've got to meet Sofie Metropolis - she's a keeper!" Merry, Annie's Book Stop, Sharon, MA

"While retaining all the humor and off-kilter exploits that have made this series such a delight, Carrington's latest shows Sofie's growing confidence in her instincts and abilities. This writing duo excels at delivering both giggles and gasps, and they have another winner." Romantic Times

Order your copy from Amazon.com, B&N and Tor-Forge today!

Visit www.sofiemetro.com for more info on the title and the series.

METRO REPORT

Yes! Sofie IV aka WORKING STIFF is not only officially in the can, we've just received the FANTASTIC cover art. Isn't it great? It will certainly provide some much needed motivation as we slog through final revisions.

Look for more details on Sofie IV aka WORKING STIFF in the months to come.








DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

No, I'm so not talking Xmas Carols, though this news definitely falls into Gift category. FOUL PLAY is finally available on audio! Reader Rebecca Rogers does a magnificent job taking up where the late Anna Fields left off. Click here to listen to a sample and to order your copy from BlackstoneAudio.com.

BOOKS ON TAPE

We just received the fantastic news that WORKING STIFF has been picked up by Books on Tape for the audio version, its release to coincide with the book's hardcover debut later this summer. We can't wait to hear their version of our girl Sofie! Warm thanks to Trident Media Group's Alanna Ramirez for putting the deal together.

APRIL DRAWING


To celebrate the paperback release of FOUL PLAY this month, we're giving away a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Certificate to one lucky reader! It's our way of thanking you all for helping make our SOFIE METROPOLIS series such a wonderful success! To enter the drawing, click here to send us an email -- just write "drawing" in the subject line. We'll contact the winner for additional info on May 1st. Good luck and Happy Spring!

Order FOUL PLAY from Amazon.com, B&N and Tor-Forge today.

 
April
Another month, another reason to temp you over to Myspace! The page Authors of Myspace, created and maintained by fellow author R.M. Hamilton, is a great place to check out new talent or discover old. For the first week of April, FOUL PLAY is featured, including a new interview. Post to the blog, and we'll enter you twice in this month's drawing! Click here for more info.

April

Sofie's 1965 Mustang named Lucille is actually my dream car. But in my hunt for just the right model, I fell in love with this 35th Anniversay edition one and, yes, she's named Lucille. Tony roused her from hibernation as soon as the last of the snow melted. Although it'll probably be a couple/few weeks before we'll be able to cruise with the top down, just listening to her engine roar makes us hunger for all things summer! Click here to check out our full Blog/Photo Album.

A GREEK IN GERMANY

That's right, our girl Sofie Metropolis is available in German, retitled Wer küsst schon einen Griechen! Just check out the cover for the second title Liebe auf Griechisch, which becomes available in February '08. Click here for more info on both releases.

The German Love Letter Magazine has included a piece on us and what our girl Sofie Metropolis would eat for Valentine's Day. (Given her recent experiences with men, we included items with lots of garlic and pork...only she probably should have listened to the male Greeks in her family who insist that both actually stimulate the sex drive!) Click here to check out more info on the mag. Our thanks to Kris Alice Hohls for her warm generosity.

MYSTERY GUILD & RHAPSODY

FOUL PLAY is also available through the Mystery Guild Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club.

CHAT

Sunday, April 27th at 8 p.m. at Writerspace.com.
Come on out for a visit. We'll be giving at least one book -
winner's choice - to one lucky chatter. Depending on what
mood we're in, it may be two or three!

Click here for more chat/appearance info.

HOT STUFF!

Now, on to all things hot and sizzling! Namely, our February Extreme Blaze SHAMELESS, which is still available from on-line and used bookstores.

I've got to tell you, this has to be the hottest book we've ever written. And as such it was by far the most challenging. Just look at the original flash line, "Two guys, a girl...and a blindfold!" Um, even this was too hot for Harlequin because it doesn't appear on the final cover. ;>

Okay. So let's move on to the back cover copy:

An indecent proposal. A friendship betrayed.

One-night-only anonymous sex with a stranger? Seems too wanton even for Nina Leonard. Until it's insinuated that the mystery man might be one of her business partners—two guys she adores who also happen to be complete hotties.

Out comes the blindfold, and Nina has the steamiest night of her life. Now she's got to have more—only, no one's fessing up.

One of her two best friends rocked her world that night. But which one was it?

If she guesses wrong, she could lose them both….

Judge for yourself if we pulled this one off, then let us know your thoughts by emailing us at toricarrington@aol.com.

SHAMELESS launches our INDECENT PROPOSALS miniseries, with the next title RECKLESS out in November.

BULLETIN BOARD

Have you seen the special review piece of us and our novels -- especially our Sofie Metropolis series -- in The National Herald May 1st? If not, read it now! Our warm thanks to fellow author Aphrodite Matsakis for the wonderful experience.

Read Tony's Q&A with reporter George Kakarnias in December 9, 2006 National Herald's Periodiko.

BLOG/PHOTO ALBUM ADDITIONS

Click here to view the photo journal entries of everywhere we've been over the past few months, including:

Schlachter Family Reunion
Books & Co. July 10th, 2007
The Paperback Outlet, June 18th, 2007
Mystery Lovers Bookshop's Annual Festival of Mystery

A GIFT FOR YOURSELF OR OTHERS

Want to personalize your book purchase as a gift to yourself or someone else? Send an SASE to P.O. Box 12271, Toledo, Ohio 43612 and we'll send you a signed bookplate. Or, if you'd like a cover flat of any of our books, mail us a 9" x 11" self-addressed envelope with two first class stamps and we'll send you one, depending on availability.

Here’s wishing you and yours a spring full of wonder!

Very truly yours,


Lori & Tony
aka Tori Carrington

Interested in signed copies of our latest titles? Contact stores where we've signed recently, such as The Stately Raven Bookstore in Findlay, Ohio. But hurry! Stock is limited.

Having a hard time locating some of our older titles? Check out Delightful Dolores Silva of D's Book Service or email Annie McGee at Paperback Outlet at abook04@hotmail.com!

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New sizzling summer Greek recipe for Sofie's Souvlaki with Tzatsiki! Click here now.

Mmm...a Greek aphrodisiac? Of course, Tony swears that all Greek food falls solidly in that category. But his baklava...mmm. You be the judge! You can find a recipe for Tony's Famous Baklava by clicking here. Or catch up with us at appearances to sample some. Kali Orexi!

The view from Smila in 2004. The forests on the mountains across the way have burned to ash.

Click here to view Maria Menounos' personal report on the fire in Greece.

8/27/2007 - Greece Forest Fires: We've been on the phone constantly with family (Tony's brother, sister-in-law, niece and her family including two young children were down vacationing in their Smila country house -- niece and fam evacuated early Sunday morning, brother and sil still there) in the exact area near Olympia where the fires have been raging since Friday. At one point we were all terrified the family (and other extended family members in neighboring towns) were blocked in, the electric and water were off, and there was a time when we couldn't get through to them on the phone either.

Thankfully, it looks like the fire has finally passed them, but it's still raging in the area.

Home insurance is virtually unheard of in Greece, so abandoning houses to fire means losing everything. I don't think the image of so many trying to battle back monstrous walls of flames with garden hoses will ever leave me.

Please visit http://www.redcross.gr for developing information, and click here to donate now.

Thanks so very much to all those who've written and called. Please keep Greece in your thoughts and prayers.

October
Photos from the September 22nd Grand Opening Celebration of The Stately Raven Bookstore in Findlay, Ohio, are posted on our Blog. Click here for a great piece on the store, then click here to visit the store's new site to order autographed copies of FOUL PLAY, DIRTY LAUNDRY, and SOFIE METROPOLIS.

2007 Toledo Greek Fest
Tony, Christos Kamilaris and our son Tim take time out to smile for the camera. Click
here to view all the photos from the event.

The latest reviews of DIRTY LAUNDRY:

"This fast-paced book captures the colorful Greek community of Astoria where Sofie navigates between the expectations of her Greek upbringing and the desires of her heart to be an independent and strong woman." Greek Circle, Fall 2006

"Tori Carrington has a hit with this oddball mystery that is in the same class as Stephanie Plum... The novel is a delightful first installment that will have readers laughing out loud." The Midwest Book Review, Nov 2006

Read Tony's Q&A with reporter George Kakarnias in December 9, 2006 National Herald's Periodiko.

The latest edition of Greek Circle magazine includes DIRTY LAUNDRY as a recommended read.

"A droll approach to crimesolving while attempting to solve some of the lingering gender and cultural biases facing female PIs. The wife/husband writing team of Lori and Tony Karayianni combine elements found in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding with the kind of capers Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum has made famous, and the result is Sofie, a Greek-American woman swimming against the tidal forces of family expectations with predictably little success but with the resolve to continue on. The ethnic humor is good-natured. Carrington's filled the book with characters that have enough originality to stand out."--Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

"DIRTY LAUNDRY is the type of book that will appeal to everyone. It has danger, excitement, humor and a zany supporting cast that'll keep you entertained...I loved every page of this story and can't wait for the next installment." Rosie Bindra, FreshFiction.com

That’s Welcome in Greek. Following the 2004 Athens Olympics, we’re all feeling a little Greek, aren't we? And with good reason. Greek history and culture are the foundation on which much of our civilization was built. Tony’s always been proud of his heritage, but never prouder than he is now. This new awareness has touched every aspect of our lives, including the characters we create, the stories we choose to tell.

This evolution couldn't be more evident than in SOFIE METROPOLIS, our hardcover series from Forge! The first novel of the same name introduces a Greek-American heroine who breaks from tradition to become a P.I. It was issued in paperback in April 2006. The second hardcover title DIRTY LAUNDRY hit store shelves May 2006.

Both SOFIE METROPOLIS and DIRTY LAUNDRY are now available for download at audible.com. We had no idea how the book would translate into audio, but Anna Fields embodied everything our SOFIE is and more. And just wait till you hear the voices she uses for the secondary characters. Thalia Metropolis is hoot and Jake...well, you'll just have to check it out for yourself. Click here to hear a sample.

AND THE ROMANTIC TIMES CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD GOES TO...

Us. Holy cow! I can't tell you how excited we were when we received the news from RT publisher Carol Stacy. You can bet your socks we hogged the mike when we accepted the great statuette at the RT Awards Ceremony in Daytona Beach. Click here to check out all our photographic memories from the marvelous event.

REVIEWERS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION'S (RIO) 2005 AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Our girl SOFIE METROPOLIS has been honored with the RIO's Award of Excellence. Heartfelt thanks to all the reviewers. This isn't a contest you enter, but rather one for which you're nominated, which makes the experience all the sweeter. Check out the full list of winners by clicking here.

Other Tori Carrington titles starring Greek-American characters...

That's Amore! (Wedding Fever in the British market, if you prefer. What's with the Italian thing, anyway? ;>) Features a Greek-American hero *and* heroine from the Grosse Pointe area north of Detroit. Efi Panayotopoulou is about to marry her childhood sweetheart Nick Constantino. Everything should be perfect. But their families seem hell bent on turning the wedding into a farce – or Greek tragedy. And Efi is about a baklava flake away from running off…without her groom.

Also, Red-Hot and Reckless stars Alex Cassevetis. And our first ever Temptation Constant Craving features a Greek-American family in Mississippi Delta, bayous of Louisiana. A Greek-American sports agent makes an appearance in Just Between Us. And in Flavor of the Month, the heroine's sister married a Greek-American and has two Greek-American neices who help her with her bakery. Click here to check out full bibliography.

As you can see, Tony's Greek heritage usually finds a way into many of our books.

Tony's World Famous Baklava Recipe
That's right, you, too, can make baklava just the way Tony does. Well, okay, maybe not *exactly* the way he makes it (a guy's got to maintain some mystery), but close enough to satisfy your appetite for the traditional Greek dessert that he claims is an aphrodiasiac. Of course, he believes that everything qualifies as the same, but that probably falls solidly into TMI territory. I think it's a Greek thing. ;> At any rate, we've created a Recipes page that we'll be adding to monthly. And for even more great Greek recipes, check out Cooking with Georgia and her many fantastic cookbooks by clicking here!. Kali orixi!

Astoria pics
Curious about the inspiration for Sofie's stomping grounds in Queens, NY? Check out some of our favorite pictures out of the hundreds we've snapped. Ah, I can almost smell the souvlaki grilling on Broadway and 32nd now...

Reviews
Lynne Welch rings in with a NoveList review: "Great characterization, especially of ethnic family dynamics and expectations, add charm and humor to this romp reminiscent of Stephanie Plum at her most wacky and wonderful." (Read more reviews below.!)

Special thanks to our agent Robert Gottlieb and our wonderful editor Melissa Ann Singer for helping make this dream a reality.

Everybody up, it's time to do the Zorba dance. Opa!

Me agape kai filia,

Lori & Tony
aka Tori Carrington

P.S. Interested in seeing SOFIE for possible foreign language reprint? Contact us at karayianni@aol.com for our foreign rights agent's name, address and phone number at Trident Media Group.

BEN & JERRY'S GOES GREEK?

That's right. As part of their latest Do Us a Flavor Contest, Ben & Jerry's is offering up Baklava Ice Cream, a sweet Greek treat designed to rock your Acropolis! Let's take this flavor from temporary fling to full out happily-ever-after. Click here to find a scoop shop near you.

Put a little "Opa!" into your holiday season by making traditional Greek Christmas cookies! Click here for the recipes. Kales Yiortes!

12/1/05 - Our agents Robert Gottlieb and Kim Whalen of Trident Media Group sell foreign rights to both Sofie I & II to Germany's Bertelsmann and the rights to Sofie I to the Czech Republic.

11/1/05 - Trident's Hilary Rubin sells the audio rights for Dirty Laundry to Blackstone for double the amount of the first contract. Look for more info on the release soon here and at BlackstoneAudio.com.

METRO REPORT

I’ve got to tell you, we weren’t huge fans of audio books until our summer 2005 Baklava Express Tour. But spending so much time on the road, and getting tired of hearing the same old news on AM, the same old music on FM, and, I’m sorry, there are just so many times you can listen to your favorite CDs before wanting to toss them out the window, audio books have become our new best friends. Which is why we’re excited to share that SOFIE is now available on audio! Go to www.blackstoneaudio.com for more info on where you can lay your hands on a copy, or download it at www.audible.com!

RECOMMENDED SUMMER READING...

Hot summer nights - this is what Detroit Free Press reviewer Marcia Abramson had to say about Sofie: "Bright and breezy, contemporary romance novels are filling beach bags and airplane carry-ons this summer. They're as hot as the weather. Especially hot is the chick-lit detective. Chick lit has been big since about 1996, building on the popularity of the Bridget Jones novels and "Sex in the City." But the shoes-sex-and-shopping formula is starting to look like last year's Jimmy Choos. That's why "Sofie Metropolis," by Tori Carrington [is] such a treat." Click here to check out her full review.

We're featured in The Greek News. Click here to check out the great piece written by Vicki Yiannis.

We had a great phone interview with Andrew Moesel of the Queens Tribune. He's planning on running a piece soon! Keep posted at http://www.queenstribune.com/.

New York's TimesLedger reporter Kelly Loudenberg called and chatted with us this past week. Look for a piece in the next weekly edition!

Local 13ABC morning new anchor extraordinaire Rebecca Regnier put together a special bit for summer reading, and right up front and center is none other than SOFIE, along with fellow MVRWA member and Tor author Elizabeth Vaughan's first book War Prize! To read a transcript of the broadcast, click here. Thanks, Rebecca!

SOFIE AS A TV SERIES?

While still hush-hush and very much up in the air, there's been some interest expressed in putting SOFIE on TV, perhaps as a series! Keep your fingers -- aw, hell, all appendages! -- crossed.

METRO UPDATE

SOFIEMETRO.COM is ever evolving! Read the first chapter and quotes from our -- and your! -- favorite authors, plus lots of other stuff designed to make you want to get up and do a zembekiko (solo Greek dance -- think Zorba).

Some of our recent updates include:

Radio, newspapers and TV, oh my!
From our recent radio interview on NYC Aktina at 91.5 FM where the station gave away copies of SOFIE as part of their annual pledge drive, to an in-studio interview on WPSO-AM in Tampa, Florida on June 11th, and a possible appearance on Cooking with Georgia, media events and appearances abound! Click here for more details of where we'll be and when.

"This is a fantastic story! I was sucked into Sofie’s world and didn’t want to come up for air... Sofie is smart and plucky, while at the same time doesn’t take herself too seriously. In fact, I found her endearing and amusing and will definitely be picking up more of Sofie’s books as they are published. When reading this book, be sure and pick a time when you will have few disruptions as you won’t want to put it down. I highly recommend SOFIE METROPOLIS, especially for fans of the Stephanie Plum books. Top Pick!"
Kendra Patterson, Romance Reader at Heart

"SOFIE METROPOLIS is the first hardcover from popular author Tori Carrington and is also the first in a hopefully very long series... I have been looking forward to Sofie Metropolis for what seems like forever and now that I read it, can honestly say the wait was worth waiting for and I cannot wait for the next installment of Sofie Metropolis."
Barb Hicks, The Best Reviews

“Move over Stephanie Plum, there’s a new gal just east of your home turf that will give you a run for your money in apprehending the bad guys. SOFIE METROPOLIS Private Investigator is the stellar comedic mystery debut of beloved husband/wife writing team, Lori & Tony Karayianni aka Tori Carrington for TOR/Forge June 2005. This quick-witted P.I. while trying to catch her suspects in the act often finds herself in big T-R-O-U-B-L-E in her very ethnic Greek neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, NY. Being a good Greek daughter, Sofie was about to get married and have lots of babies. However, finding her husband-to-be schtupping her maid of honor on her wedding day drastically changed her plans. Now Sofie works for her absentee Greek uncle, assisted by feisty office manager, Rosie, she drives around in her troublesome vintage Mustang, Lucille and runs into hunky Australian, Jake Porter at every turn. The burning question on Sofie’s very kissable lips is who is this guy anyway? Read this delightful mystery to find out why shots were flying on Sofie’s cheating spouse case, if she can find her elderly neighbor’s annoying Jack Russell terrier, Muffy and why her other neighbor is never seen in the light of day. SOFIE METROPOLIS kept me grinning from first page to last and anticipating more zany adventures from this lovable P.I.! Oh, and craving all those delicious hard to pronounce Greek dishes!”
Patricia Rouse, Rouse’s Romance Readers Groups

FENN Rep Pick!
"If you loved Toula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I’d like to introduce you to Sofie Metropolis... Recommended for summer reading—make sure you have your coffee and a snack on hand, all the references to food will make you hungry!"
Carol Gordon (Product Manager)

"Excellent mystery. This terrific private investigative tale reads more like a chick lit amateur sleuth novel as Sofie is a rookie learning on the job. The story line focuses on her lighthearted cases with a hint of romance between the heroine and Jake. Tori Carrington writes a fun breezy detective tale starring a likable protagonist who brings alive the mean street of Queens, New York."
Harriet Klausner

"A different type of P.I. story takes 'Fiction' to a whole new level. More than one plot is continuously running. There are also a few sub-plots to keep the pace moving at a good clip. Romance is touched on, but no hot scenes, so either gender will enjoy the ride. Of course, everything closes neat and tidy. Yet Tori Carrington ends it in a way so that another 'Sofie' book may come out in the future. I certainly hope there is another! Lots of action, comedy, and mystery rolled into one great tale. Recommended reading."
Debra Fitch, Huntress Reviews

"Tori Carrington has once again written a funny, sexy and I am hoping a series of books to come. I want to know about each character in more detail. I want to also know will there be a relationship between Jake and Sofie. I am left looking for the next chapter in their lives! Once you start reading you will not be able to put the book down. It’s a hit!!!!"
Theresa, A Romance Review