The Burgas Affair review - Me and My Books

Ellis has used real life events of the bombing of a bus at Burgas Airport in Bulgaria as the basis of his story.  He has used his unique knowledge and experiences to add extra dimensions to his story.

Overall a book that starts very dramatically, that then twists and turns its way through several themes.  It was a very insightful read with good attention to details, and a lot of little added extras that the author has used to create a dramatic, exciting edge of the seat read.  A real page turner from start to finish and one I would definitely recommend.  Ideal for readers of crime, thriller with good amount of action, adventure.  I also want to mention how after reading this book, that the cover is a perfect accompaniment.

Read the full review at Me and My Books

The Burgas Bombing: Where Fact and Fiction Meet

Two alleged Hezbollah terrorists went on trial in absentia in Sofia, Bulgaria, this week, for their role in the Burgas Airport bus bombing in July 2012, an attack in which five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian bus driver were killed.

Readers of my novel The Burgas Affair are well aware of the details of the bombing. The book is a fictional account of a joint Bulgarian-Israel investigation launched in the wake of the terror attack.

Why I Will Never Again Promote My Book with a Facebook Boost or Ad

I tried to promote my novel on Facebook, it was not successful. That was an experiment which I will not repeat and here’s why.

If I was to say to you, in the very first sentence of this article, that I just published a new novel and you can click here to buy it, your response would probably be one word: “Congratulations!” And that’s the only result I would get from my marketing pitch.

It’s quite an accomplishment to write, edit, format, and self-publish a book. It’s an even more daunting task to market a book.

If you’re expecting me to tell you the secret to marketing a book, you’re in for a disappointment. I have not yet been successful in my marketing endeavors, unfortunately, but I’m still working on it!

I Had Never Considered Writing about Bulgaria until…

At the end of 2008 I was summoned into my boss’s office. I worked in online marketing at a mid-level management position and I thought I was handling the work pretty well. My boss informed me that the position was being relocated from Israel, where I live, to Bulgaria.

In January 2009, I arrived in Sofia with my wife to start a two-year relocation of the job. I had never previously been to Bulgaria and I had never lived before in Europe. I was born in the United States and Israel has been my home since I was as a teenager. Living in Bulgaria would not only be an exciting challenge to my career, but also an adventure.

I found working at a desk in a Bulgarian office to be very similar to working at a desk in Tel Aviv. I eagerly looked forward to the weekends, when my wife and I set forth to explore the country which had become our temporary home.

Read the rest of the article on Donna's Book Blog.

10 Reasons to Visit Bulgaria in 2018

Bulgaria is not on the bucket list of most travellers and many would find it difficult to place the country on a map. This is a shame because Bulgaria is an amazing, underrated travel destination, one that is blessed with stunning natural beauty and an abundance of fascinating places to visit. Listed below are ten of the most compelling reasons to travel to Bulgaria this year.

Sofia. Many visitors start their exploration of Bulgaria in the country’s capital. Sofia has a very Eastern European ambience but everywhere there are signs of that it is quickly adapting to the modern era. Most of the main attractions are in the centre, where the Roman ruins of Serdika can be seen in the metro stations. It is hard to miss the gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built to honour Russia’s assistance to Bulgaria in its war of independence from the Ottomans in the 1870s.

Rila Monastery. The most popular tourist site in the entire country is located about an hour and half’s drive south from Sofia. In a serene mountain setting, the monastery is named for Ivan Rilski, Bulgaria’s patron saint who lived in a cave at the site. The main church is framed by black and white-striped pillars and its external walls are covered with Biblical-themed frescoes. The church’s interior is dark but welcoming for the many pilgrims who flock there to light candles.

Read the rest of the article on The Huffington Post.