Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "ben-ditmars"

I am discovering some new favourite authors by downloading the free books onto my Kindle these days. That's how I discovered Ben Ditmars not too long ago. These days, I have less and less time for reading, having a full time job and also trying to fit in some writing/promoting.

Ben Ditmars's book of short plays Ten Minutes in Heaven sounded like the sort of thing I could read quickly. I have found that I am more drawn to short works these days, just because I have to balance my time between reading, writing, working, and promotion.

I am so glad I picked up this little book. I thoroughly enjoyed the plays. It was a refreshing read, not only because I don't usually read plays, but because the writing was so skilled and entertaining. Ben Ditmars is a gifted writer, in my opinion, and I am looking forward to reading more of his work.

After reading his book, I invited Ben here to talk about his writing. He has generously offered to give away a print copy of "Ten Minutes in Heaven" to one lucky reader of my blog!

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below, or simply 'Like' this blog post. A winner will be picked on 16th November 2012.

Here's the interview:

I've just read and enjoyed your book of short plays "Ten Minutes in Heaven". Did you write the plays specifically for this collection or were they written at different times and just put together in a collection?



It was an interesting process. I wrote some specifically for the collection but others such as Train Rob I converted to the format of ten minute plays after writing them. Bank Rob was the Ah-ha moment where I said I want to keep doing this and make something of it.

I imagine that you would like to see the plays acted in a theatre? If you had the chance to produce one of the plays, which one would you choose and who would you cast in each of the roles?

If I could see any of them produced I would definitely go with Jumper. Seeing Vincent Van Gogh and Edgar Allen Poe portrayed together would be righteous. I think Sean Penn would make the best Poe. As for Van Gogh, I would go with the actor who portrayed him in Doctor Who.



There is a lot of humour in Ten Minutes in Heaven. Who are your favourite comedians?

I like a wide range of comedians. It was something I grew up watching a lot of. Mitch Hedburg was a genius; the way he saw things, the unique observations but also the younger George Carlin was a favorite. Of those still living I would list Harland Williams, Louis C.K. and Dane Cook as favorites.

You have a few well known historical and famous figures appearing in your short plays, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Allan Poe, Judy Garland, and Noah, to name just a few. What gave you the idea to use these famous characters, and do you think that made it easier or harder than creating your own characters for the plays? Did you have to research things about those personalities before writing the plays?

Most of them were favorite artists of mine. I adore Van Gogh’s painting and his life story touches me deeply. To think that something so beautiful can come from such incredible sadness is astounding. But, Poe too was a troubled artist and I liked the idea of them putting little problems into big perspectives. I used quite a bit of their actual quotes in the dialogue. I thought it made things seem more authentic and humorous to anyone who had read the things they’ve said on painting or writing.



Judy Garland, I’ve learned more about since I wrote the play. But at the time, I focused on her death and how sad I imagined her to be. I mainly had an image of her, worn out by the constant pressures and drugs used to keep up with the entertainment business. The other characters I did quite a bit more research on. I used their history to play into the dialogue.

For the most part I think it made it easier than creating my own characters. I felt very familiar with all of them already.

You have other published works as well as Ten Minutes in Heaven, can you tell us a bit about each of your other books

Gnomes of Coyul: The Crystal Staff is my novel. It’s about a dissatisfied gnome who meets a human and eventually goes on an adventure to save his tree from an evil Elf Queen. There’s a lot of different characters, battles and creatures too. It’s a lot of fun, but like my book of plays, tries to get across a lot of deeper points.

Witherspork is my Kindle short. I’ve always had a really different sort of last name than most other kids. It was kind of my inspiration, writing a story about a man finding others that share his name and trying to solve a galactic mystery before the universe gets destroyed.

Night Poems is my collection of poetry. I waited a while before doing this because I wanted a really special idea. I think I found it with Night Poems. Each poem has its own time and takes you through the night in all its malaise and energy.

Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

I’m actually working on quite a bit. I’m doing another poetry book, this time on haiku and still themed on the night. There’s a children’s short too, that’s fantasy and I’m doing a zombie story for NaNoWriMo.

As you write in many different styles, poetry, plays, and prose, which would you say is your preferred style of writing?

My most natural style is poetry. I can sit down and write a poem just about any time of the day. But it’s harder to get complex ideas across. If I have something intricate I want to say it will often need to be in the form of a play or story.

You have a blog called 'Old Spice is Nice'. What inspired that title?

The deodorant. I started the blog in High School and never thought I’d go anywhere with blogging so I just named it after the closest thing to me.

I understand that you have started a podcast with author Amber Jerome~Norrgard. Who came up with the idea for that? And can you tell us a bit about what you do on the podcast.

It’s called The Lyrical Versification Podcast and I think we both came up with the idea. I know I’ve been trying to get a writing podcast going for a while and she mentioned doing one on poetry. We usually read different poems we’ve come across or each other’s and have a guest we interview. They usually read a couple of what they’ve wrote or talk about an upcoming book.

Do you have any tips for anyone thinking of self-publishing a book?

Many. Do it to get your story out there and don’t expect huge financial gains. It will take a long time and several books. But don’t be afraid either. The indie community is a very generous one and they will help you a lot; whether it’s with covers, formatting advice or just a quick pep talk.

Who are your favourite writers, and what is it about their writing that you like?

I really like Baum, Tolkien and Rowling for the worlds and characters they created. They’re the kinds that grow with you as you read. I also like a good deal of modern indie authors. I’ve read everything by Amber Norrgard and mostly everything by Charity Parkerson. Cinta García de la Rosa is also fantastic. She has one of the strongest characters I’ve read in her book The Funny Adventures of Little Nani. You just can’t get her out of your head. Or heart, for that matter.

What was the first thing you ever wrote?

In Middle and High School I did a lot of comics. They weren’t drawn very well but they were fun and people seemed to enjoy them. I also wrote stories featuring my friends doing different things like saving the day.

What are your aspirations for your writing?

I’ve always wanted to do a book of short fantasy stories. But I’m working on another poetry book at the moment. I’m hoping to come to come back to the stories eventually.

What's the nicest thing a reader has said about your work?

That it has helped them through a tough time they were going through. I think that’s really the most profound and encouraging thing for an author to hear. It’s great to get our story out there, get great reviews, but when it really makes a difference, that’s the best feeling.

As one of your short stories in Ten Minutes in Heaven is about The Wizard of Oz, if there was to be a new version of the Wizard of Oz and you could choose to play any character, who would you want to be, and why?

I would be the scarecrow or the lion. It’s hard to say. I’m looking for more courage at times and others more knowledge. Then again, the Wicked Witch is pretty bad ass. I guess I’d have to be the Wicked Warlock though.



Which one of the characters in Ten Minutes in Heaven is most like you?

Probably the Bastard. I have a dry sense of humor that’s very similar to his. I also share some of his philosophy on selfishness.

Do you have any news or events you want to share with your readers?

Of course. My novel Gnomes of Coyul will be free December 1st on Amazon Kindle. I hope you all get a chance to download it.



Thank you so much, Maria for giving me the opportunity to answer these questions. They’re the best, most in depth ones I’ve seen.

Thank you, Ben, and you're welcome! I am looking forward to reading more of your work.

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Remember, if you'd like a chance to win a copy of Ten Minutes in Heaven, leave a comment below, or simply 'like' the blog post. Good luck!

My latest novel Haunted, will be free for Kindle this weekend, from the 1st - 3rd December 2012 (3 days).

If you like dark fiction, you should try this one.





Below are the links you'll need to download your copy, and please tell all your friends about it.

(Remember, you don't have to own a Kindle to read Kindle books; you can download free apps from Amazon so you can read them on you iPad, smartphone, PC or Mac.)

Amazon.com (includes India) http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-ebook/d...

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haunted-ebook...

Amazon France: http://www.amazon.fr/Haunted-ebook/dp...

Amazon Germany: http://www.amazon.de/Haunted-ebook/dp...

Amazon Italy: http://www.amazon.it/Haunted-ebook/dp...

Amazon Spain: http://www.amazon.es/Haunted-ebook/dp...

Amazon Japan: http://www.amazon.co.jp/Haunted-ebook...

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There are also other FREE books available this weekend (for the Amazon books, I'm only giving the Amazon.com links below, but all the books are available on the worldwide Amazon sites, just search for the author or title):


The fabulous fantasy novel, The Guardian's Apprentice by J. Michael Radcliffe, is FREE for Kindle on the 1st & 2nd December 2012!

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Appre...




Enemies and Playmates by Darcia Helle is always FREE for Kindle, so if you haven't got your copy of this wonderful suspense novel, grab it now :)

http://www.amazon.com/Enemies-and-Pla...


Add amazon links

A book I haven't read yet, but am looking forward to reading, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide by Geoffrey David West, is available free on Smashwords in any e-book format you choose. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/... Use Coupon Code: LL59Y at the checkout to get you free copy (free until 4th December 2012).



Nomabduce by Gareth Lewis, is a free short story available on Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...



Mannequin: A Short Story by Susan Helene Gottfried, is free on Smashwords at the moment.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...




Gnomes of Coyul by Ben Ditmars is free on 1st December 2012

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Gnomes-Coyul-Cr...



Burden of Sisyphus by Jon Messenger will be free for Kindle on 30th November - 1st December 2012 (2 days)

Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Burden-Sisyphus...



Children of Destruction by Al Philipson, post-apocalyptic SciFi eBook, will be free Friday-Sun (11/30-12/2)

http://www.amazon.com/Children-of-Des...

Those of you who follow my blog may recall that about a month or so before Haunted was released I did a blog post called "The Next Big Thing" answering 10 questions about the book. Here's a link to that one to refresh your memory: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...

I've been tagged in this blog challenge again. This time I will be answering the questions about my upcoming novel, one that I only starting writing a couple of weeks ago, so it's in the very early stages. I have written about twenty thousand words, though, and I have a rough plan as to how I want the novel to progress. It probably won't be in any shape to be published until at least the end of next year!

"The Next Big Thing" is a chain of book and author recommendations.

What happens is an author answers ten questions about his or her work in progress before tagging another five authors who have to do the same thing. And we all Facebook and/or tweet about it.

Jaime McDougall tagged me. Here is a link to her blog post: http://www.inkyblots.com/the-next-big...

Here are the 10 questions I have to answer:

1) What is the working title of your next book?

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

3) What genre does your book fall under?

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

8 ) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

My answers will probably be brief and secretive as I don't want to give too much away at this stage LOL.

Here goes:

1. The working title of my next book is: Illusion

2. Where did the idea come from? It's strange because with this book, I didn't have an idea for a novel as such, I just started writing something based on a very loose idea, which shall remain a secret for now. As I am writing it, though, I'm noticing that as with all my other books, lots of inspiration from things in my own life are finding their way into the story.

3. Genre: Ha! I laugh at that word... it's all I can do, or I will cry. I can't stick to one genre at all. It's impossible to make me try. At the moment, it's mostly a fantasy, but also a contemporary romance, and drama.

4. It's hard to think of actors to play the parts of my characters as I don't yet know who the real main players in the book will be. At the moment, there is a twenty-something girl, who could possibly be played by someone like Keira Knightly. There is also her boyfriend who is younger than her. He could maybe be played by someone like, Robbie Amell.



5. One sentence synopsis: (again this is hard because I haven't finished the first draft yet!)
Maybe: "The mysterious is sometimes better left in the shadows."

6. My book will be self-published.

7. I have only written about a quarter of the book. It has taken me about 2-3 weeks. I imagine it will take at least another 4-5 months before the first draft is complete.

8. I would compare this current work-in-progress to my novel, The Dream. It has the same feel and a similar theme.

9. My inspiration for the book? All the strange thoughts that fly around inside my head all day.

10. What else might pique the reader's interest? This book embraces my love of music, as there is a (fictional) rock band that plays a major role.

Okay. Now to tag 5 more authors. Most of the authors I know have already done this challenge, so I am going to tag a few people who I don't usually tag, and hope that they haven't already done it!

Ben Ditmars
Cinta García de la Rosa
Justin Bog
Jay Finn
James Everington

If you haven't got a work in progress or you've already done this challenge you're excused! :)

I've been invited to write a blog post about books and chocolate. How can I resist?

I love chocolate and I love books, not sure which I love the most. Okay, maybe chocolate would win... but maybe books... You see the problem?

Thank you to author Susan Buchanan for tagging me in this challenge. You can read Susan's blog post here: http://susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk/...

So the rules are that you should choose between 6-8 chocolate bars or types of chocolate and link them to books you think they might be a good accompaniment for.

Here goes:

Killing Instinct: A Michael Sykora Novel





Darcia Helle's wonderful novel uncovers a very dark and murky underworld. This dark fiction suspense is surely suited to one of the darkest chocolates out there :)

Beyond the Veil - Omnibus Edition







J. Michael Radcliffe's brilliant trilogy contains wizards and witches from the Black Order who are skilled in the darkest of magic. This omnibus edition is suited to the Black Magic selection box as there are also some short stories included. Some of the characters are good characters and some are bad, so a box of chocolates seems to be an appropriate accompaniment.

The Avalon Trilogy





Julie Elizabeth Powell's enchanting Avalon trilogy contains lots of magic, so how about a selection box from The Magic Chocolate Company to accompany this series? It's a very colourful collection, and her books contain some very fun and colourful characters.

Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale





Jay Finn's characters go in search of a key in this first adventure in the series, so a chocolate key from Not On The High Street would be perfect.

Shadows of the Realm





This chocolate dragon could probably accompany J. Michael Radcliffe's Beyond the Veil trilogy as well :)

Dionne's wonderful fantasy adventure contains dragons galore, so this lovely handcrafted chocolate dragon would go very well as a snack to eat while you read.

Metallic Dreams





All you music fans out there might like to nibble on a novelty chocolate guitar from Yummies.com while you read this 'very metal' novel by Mark Rice.

Either Side of Midnight





This cleverly written thriller about twins Naomi and Annabel, would go very nicely with a Twix bar :)

Love & The Goddess





Last but not least, for this heavenly novel featuring no less than three goddesses, how about something from the Divine chocolate range? I would suggest some dark chocolate hearts as there's lots of romance between the pages :)

This challenge has been fun! I hope you liked my suggestions.

I'm now going to tag a few of my author friends:

Helle Gade, poet and photographer. Has written three fabulous collections of poetry and is a talented photographer, as well as a chocolate addict so I am sure her choices will be very interesting! Find out more about her on her blog: http://hellegade.wordpress.com/

J. Michael Radcliffe, writer of spellbinding fantasy fiction, and cat hoarder! You can find out more about him here: http://michaelradcliffe.wordpress.com/


Darcia Helle, talented author of suspense novels and short stories. Visit her blog here: http://quietfurybooks.com/blog/

Ben Ditmars, talented poet and author of novels and plays, you can find out more about Ben on his blog: http://niceoldspice.blogspot.co.uk/

Look out for their chocolate and book choices on their blogs soon!

The giveaway for Far Away In Time is now over. Thank you to everyone who entered. Congratulations to Sarah, Adrian, Maggie, Spencer, and Elliott, who are the lucky winners of signed paperback copies!

I will try to get those in the post for you tomorrow. I hope you enjoy the stories :)







Now, a short update about my writing. What have I been working on recently? you ask.

Well...

My second novel, A Time to Tell, originally published in 2006, is currently with my proofreader Perfect Prose as I'm preparing a second edition. It has been fully edited. I think I'll get the book back from my proofreader in September, then will send it out to beta readers.

Secondly, I'm working on a new novel. It started off as a short story but then took on a life of its own. I am having fun writing it. It has elements of drama, suspense, romance, thriller, comedy, and even horror, with a sprinkling of the paranormal.

Following the publication of Perspectives in April, the second book in the Mind's Eye Series is now almost ready to be published.







It will be called 'Reflections', and feature stories and poems from Helle Gade, Jason McIntyre, Ben Ditmars, Darcia Helle, J. Michael Radcliffe, Martin David Porter, and myself. The stories/poems were inspired by photographs taken by Martin and Helle. The cover has been designed by Jason McIntyre and it's brilliant. Hopefully I'll be able to do a cover reveal soon!

That's all for now. Watch this space for more soon :)

I'm excited to be revealing the cover of Reflections today. Reflections is the second book in The Mind's Eye series. I have 3 new short stories featured in the book. There are also stories by Darcia Helle, Jason McIntyre, and J. Michael Radcliffe, as well as poems by Helle Gade and Ben Ditmars.

Photographs featured in Reflections come from Helle Gade and Martin David Porter.

Follow the link below to check out my blog at the UK Arts Directory where you can find out more about the book and the series, and see the fabulous cover!

http://ukartsdirectory.com/cover-reve...

Book 2 in The Mind's Eye Series will be published on November 1st, and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon for just 99c/77p!

The special price is just for the next couple of weeks to celebrate the launch, after that it will be priced at $2.99.



As many of you will know, the Mind's Eye Series began with Perspectives, which was a collection of short stories by me and Darcia Helle, inspired by Martin David Porter's photographs (Mart's Arts Photography).

There are 12 stories in Perspectives. Darcia and I had so much fun writing them that we decided to turn this into a series.

Reflections is the second book and includes stories by me and Darcia, as well as J. Michael Radcliffe, and Jason McIntyre. It also includes poems from Helle Gade, and Ben Ditmars.

The photos featured in Reflections are from Martin David Porter and Helle Gade (Helle Gade Photography).

You'll find three new short stories from me in there: Shadows, Escape, and The Great Flood.

We're very excited about this release and will be hosting a Facebook party on Wednesday 15th October. Come and join us for a day of fun. There will be chat from the various writers and photographers as well as giveaways, and teasers from the book!

Follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/58959...




The cover was designed by Jason McIntyre from a photo by Martin David Porter.

To pre-order the book at the special discounted price, please follow the links:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Min...

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reflections-M...

Amazon FR: http://www.amazon.fr/Reflections-Mind...

Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Reflections-Mind...

Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Reflections-...

Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Reflections-Mind...

Amazon IT: http://www.amazon.it/Reflections-Mind...

Amazon ES: http://www.amazon.es/Reflections-Mind...

Amazon JP: http://www.amazon.co.jp/Reflections-M...

Amazon MX: http://www.amazon.com.mx/Reflections-...

Amazon BR: http://www.amazon.com.br/Reflections-...

I know it's only November, but it's the time of year when we think about buying gifts for friends and family.

I thought it would be nice to make a list of some books I recommend. Hopefully it'll help and save you hours of browsing and getting a headache because there are so many choices out there!!

I've read and enjoyed all the books in this list. They're my favourites.

Books make wonderful gifts. They entertain and last a lifetime.



Julie Elizabeth Powell, has written lots of books and they're all excellent, in my opinion. If you know someone who likes fantasy books, you could buy any one of Julie's books for them. Take a look at her author page on Amazon. She has written something for all tastes. http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Elizabeth...

Her books range from Children's books to Horror. Julie is one of the most imaginative writers I know. I'd recommend any one of her books as a great gift, but I've chosen Gone because it's the first one of her books I read and was one of the books that made me start reading fantasy again.



J. Michael Radcliffe, like Julie Elizabeth Powell, is also one of my favourite authors and I've read all his books and would recommend them all as great gifts. He writes fantasy, too, but the difference is that his books usually contain dragons! I love his Beyond the Veil series. You can buy it as an omnibus edition, which I think is nice as a gift, or you can buy each book in the series individually. http://www.amazon.com/J.-Michael-Radc...



Darcia Helle is a very talented author, another one of my favourites, and I have read most of her books. Every one of them is fabulous, so it's hard to choose only one as a recommendation. I'm highlighting her Michael Sykora series because it comes in a box set, which is perfect for a Christmas gift, but I could have recommended many others, especially, Into The Light and The Cutting Edge
http://www.amazon.com/Darcia-Helle/e/...



Helle Gade is a talented poet and photographer, and her books combine the two with stunning photo art and passionate poems. I must admit that before reading Helle's poems I never liked reading poetry. Helle Gade has changed the way I view poetry. Her verse expresses feelings in a way that really touches the heart. All her books are excellent. With Northern Whispers she has collected together all three of her poetry/art books. It would make a lovely Christmas gift.

http://www.amazon.com/Helle-Gade/e/B0...

I'm going to recommend a book series that I have contributed stories to, as well. I think The Mind's Eye Series is a wonderful project, and because it contains photography and stories/poems would make a great Christmas gift. It's also available in paperback and the paperbacks look great. I love them. There are two books available at the moment, which contain stories by Darcia Helle. J. Michael Radcliffe, Jason McIntyre, and myself. Book 2 also contains poetry from Helle Gade and Ben Ditmars. The photography for the series is by Martin David Porter and Helle Gade.

Perspectives: http://www.amazon.com/Perspectives-Mi...

Reflections: http://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Min...









Geoffrey David West's Jack Lockwood Mystery series is compulsive reading. I've read the first two books, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide and Doppelganger - I'd recommend them both. I'm currently reading and enjoying the third book in the series, Sheer Fear. An excellent choice for a Christmas gift for the Crime Fiction fan in your life.

http://www.amazon.com/Geoffrey-West/e...



Mark Rice's Metallic Dreams is the perfect present for the rock/metal fan in your life. It contains humour, fantasy, and romance. I think it's fantastic. (over 18s only).

http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Rice/e/B00...



Quentin R. Bufogle is a talented writer and this is a laugh out loud book that also has a deeper story that many will relate to. It would make be perfect gift for those who appreciate comedy and great fiction.

http://www.amazon.com/Horse-Latitudes...



Terry Tyler is a prolific writer of contemporary fiction. I've read You Wish, Round and Round, and The Other Side, as well as her collection of short stories, Nine Lives, and they're all brilliant. They are the kind of books that contain realistic characters and true-to-life situations. You Wish stands out as my favourite of hers so far; I love the humour. She has a list of books that the fiction fan in your life will love. Check out her Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Terry-Tyler/e/B...



Lisette Brodey produces great books consistently. I have read all of her books and love them all for different reasons. I'm highlighting Crooked Moon as it's my favourite, but any one of her books would make a lovely gift for someone who likes fiction with depth and meaning. Her books are also very entertaining and well written.

http://www.amazon.com/Lisette-Brodey/...

I'm going to stop there, even though there are probably loads more books I could recommend!

I hope I've given you a few ideas for Christmas gifts :)

As we approach the end of 2014, I thought it would be nice to look back at my writing year.

This time last year I had no idea that I would be involved in an exciting short story series. The Mind's Eye Series started with an idea put forward by a photographer friend of mine, Martin David Porter (https://www.facebook.com/MartsArtsPho...). He said he had an idea for a book and asked if he could send me ten photos and I could write ten stories, each one inspired by one of the photos. I'd used one of Martin's photos before, for the cover of my book Delusion and Dreams




When Martin asked me if I'd like to take part in the project, I really wanted to because it sounded like a challenge, but I was busy editing my collection Far Away In Time. I asked if I could bring another writer on board and we could each write 5 stories. Martin agreed so I asked Darcia Helle and she was also interested in the project. That's when Perspectives was born.

We started writing the stories in February and by April we had published the book! It was so much fun to write that we decided to ask some other writers to join us and make it a series of books.



For the second book in the series, Reflections, we were joined by Ben Ditmars, Jason McIntyre, Helle Gade, and J. Michael Radcliffe. Now we had poems as well as short stories, and Helle is also a photographer, so she provided some of the photos.



We are currently working on book 3 in the series, as yet untitled. I've written two stories for that one.

As well as the Mind's Eye Series this year, I also published my collection of short stories Far Away In Time in March.



This collection of 8 tales includes dark fiction, mystery, and fantasy.

This year, I've also been editing my novel A Time to Tell (originally published in 2006). I thought it was the right time for a second edition of the book as I'd ended the contract with the publisher who originally published it, so that I could self-publish the book. When I read through it, I realised how much my writing has changed since I wrote it, and I wanted to edit it so that I could use what I've learned from my writing to hopefully improve the book. It's currently with my beta readers and I hope to publish that early next year.

It has a lovely new cover, designed by Aeternum Designs: http://aeternumdesigns.com/



I've also written a new novel this year. It's called 'In The Web Of Dreams And Lies'. It has elements of horror, comedy, romance, and paranormal.

I'm currently editing the book and it will hopefully be published sometime next year.

I'm looking forward to writing more in 2015!

Reflections has been nominated in the Preditors and Editors poll in the category of best anthology of 2014.





If you enjoyed the book, please vote for it in the poll. It's very easy to vote. Just follow this link: http://critters.org/predpoll/antho.shtml

Scroll down the page until you see 'Reflections (Book2 - Mind's Eye Series)', then just click on the circle next to it. If you scroll down further, you'll be asked to confirm the vote. You'll then receive an e-mail with a link so that you can verify the vote.

The book contains stories from me, Darcia Helle, Jason McIntyre, and J. Michael Radcliffe, as well as poems from Helle Gade and Ben Ditmars. All the poems and stories are inspired by photos. The photos were taken by Helle Gade, and Martin David Porter.

It's available as an e-book or paperback on Amazon worldwide:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com./Reflections-Mi...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk./Reflections-...

Voting is open until 14th January 2015. Thanks in advance to everyone who votes!!