Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "read"

I met Marty Beaudet online on Bestsellerbound.com. When he first joined us on that forum, he was a newly published author, having just finished his debut novel By A Thread. He was frustrated because life as an independent author was not working out as he had hoped. Why were people not buying his book? Why wasn't he a bestselling novelist yet?

Some of us who had been networking and marketing our work for years, and still selling about 1 book a month on average, wondered whether he was just not cut out for this self-published road. Was he expecting too much? Did he really have the passion to carry on writing even when months could go by without a book sale?

Over the few months that I have known him, I have grown very fond of Marty. He does have drive and passion. He knows he has an amazing talent as an author. When I recently read his novelette, Losing Addison, there was no doubt in my mind that this author is something special.

As well as answering my interview questions, Marty has very generously offered to give away a copy of each of his books! All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment. Random winners will be picked on 15th May 2011.

Here are Marty's answers to my interview questions:


Your debut novel, By A Thread is a political thriller that has been getting some great reviews. It’s been described by many reviewers as a conspiracy novel. I haven’t read it yet, and I don’t usually read political thrillers. What would you say to a reader like me to persuade me to read it?



My decision to write a book stemmed, in part, from my dissatisfaction with many of the books I had read. I like the puzzle-solving aspects of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers, but too often those kinds of books lack any real human component. The characters are often cardboard cutouts that seem to be used over and over again. Romance in such books is frequently trite, a cynical nod to the fact that sex sells. The confines of genre labels seems to assure that mainstream novels never stray far from the "successful" template, but it also makes them boring and predictable, in my opinion.

In writing By A Thread, I was determined to tell a story that was as much about the personal lives of the characters as it was about the intrigue in which they were engaged. What's more, I chose characters who were at times antithetical to the stereotypes readers have come to expect: Mormon missionaries, gay characters, Muslims who are NOT terrorists, self-doubting intelligence agents, Americans who are NOT all good guys, a strong female leader, and so on.

Alas, in order to market the book, even in the self-publishing realm, I am forced to assign a genre label to it. So I have settled for calling it a "political thriller with a heart," in order to convey the idea that the characters' personal relationships are every bit as urgent as the suspected conspiracy that drives them to action.

How much research went into writing ‘By A Thread’, and how long did it take you to write?

A huge-—and probably inordinate—-amount of research went into the book! I wrote it over an eight-year period, with a three-year health-induced hiatus in the midst. I love novels whose details are so explicit and accurate as to both teach me something about the real world in which they purport to take place, and to keep me guessing as to which parts are actually true. I'm fond of saying, "If the reader can tell where truth ends and fiction begins, the writer hasn't done his job." Consequently, my research was so detailed as to describe the actual furnishings of the actual apartments in which the characters live! I used real-life train schedules to determine arrival and departure times. If you were to go to Vienna today, you would be able to visit every venue in the story and see it exactly as I described it. In addition, the hypothetical political crisis in the book is based on real-life disputes about the U.S. Constitution, and the book's intelligence activities are grounded in reality, as well. One appreciative reader, himself an intelligence veteran, told me he knew immediately that I had an intelligence background when he read the book.

Your latest book, a novelette, Losing Addison, was inspired by a dream. Can you tell us a bit more about how that came about?



One morning in March I awoke, struggling with myself and the bedcovers. I had been having a nightmare. As I lay there staring at the ceiling and trying to come fully awake, I drifted in and out of the nightmare again. Each time I did so, more and more details of it became clear to me. My waking mind would ask a question, and my dreaming mind would answer it. It was so explicit as to seem an actual memory to me, as though I hadn't dreamt it, but lived it at some time. Finally, I could contain myself no longer; I flew out of bed, skipped breakfast and the bathroom, and began writing. I wrote only about 1,000 words before I was exhausted. I wanted to know more, but I felt I shouldn't push myself or the story would become a contrivance. Each day after that, for fifteen days, I wrote an additional thousand words and posted it to the new Losing Addison blog I'd begun. I didn't know where the story would go each day until it flowed out of me. I was so in awe of this process that I didn't even go back and read what I'd written until the entire thing was done, for fear that somehow my conscious efforts to fiddle with it would pollute it!

I was hooked on Losing Addison from the start. It was written as an online serial, unedited, but it reads like a fine-tuned psychological thriller. It’s almost as if you were writing something from memory. Are any of the characters or events in Losing Addison based on real life?

My experience with dreams—-as I am sure is common with others—-is that events are rarely linear and details come in and out of focus. For instance, my mother in one moment will suddenly be my sister in the next; or I'll be in San Francisco in one instant, then suddenly in Portland. This dream was no different. What was different was the progressive nature of the relationship among the characters and events. This provided a framework over which I laid details based on my own life experiences. Am I making any sense?

It's like this: suppose I tell you to imagine a time when you argued with a sister and ended up throwing something at her. Then I tell you to write it down. As you do this, your mind will recall details of the setting—location, time, persons present, what they were wearing, what was said, what you threw—-information that I didn't provide you. My writing process was similar. The dream told me what the gist of the event was, but not the details. As I attempted to describe it, pictures would pop into my mind that were a product of actual persons, places, and things in my own life.

Oh, one other thing: when my mother was pregnant with me, I/we were supposed to be twins. My four older siblings had been allowed to suggest names for the twins. They were all fans of the Mickey Mouse Club on television at the time, which featured a couple of twins on the Triple-J ranch, named Spin and Marty. When I came out alone, I'm fortunate that they named me Marty, not Spin! (Though I've considered using that as a pseudonym!)

Which one of the twins from Losing Addison, Addison or Les, can you most relate to, and why?

They are both me! I see in their struggle my own inner conflicts, especially in reconciling my erstwhile Mormon faith with being gay. There's my overly analytical, second-guessing self in Les, and my devil-may-care rebel in Addison.

Is there a particular author, or book, that inspired you to start writing?

Generally speaking, no. As I said earlier, many of the books I have read inspired me by leaving me wanting more, or a different turn of events than the author had provided. As I read these, I often found my mind wandering and rewriting the story with a different outcome. In particular, I found the absence of any gay characters like myself to be disappointing. We all want to jump into the skin of a book's character once in a while. On the other hand, most books labeled "gay fiction" are pulp or borderline pornographic. I'm no prude by any means, but that's not what I'm interested in reading. I want intellectual engagement. Anyone who can do that gets my book-buying dollar.

The one author who influenced me the most at the time that I started writing was Dean Koontz. In particular, From the Corner of His Eye really grabbed me. It was an ordinary story about ordinary people caught up in a crime. But slowly a paranormal element began to expose itself in a completely unexpected turn of events. I thought it was brilliant! It crossed genres. Crime, mystery, thriller, paranormal—-all rolled up into one. I thought, yes, I can do that too!

When did you first discover your love of writing?

Very late, indeed. In high school I took a creative writing course and hated it. The idea that creativity could be yoked to assignments and schedules seemed antithetical to me. I succeeded only when I wrote about my own experiences. But I never made the connection back then that non-fiction could be made into fiction in the hands of a skilled storyteller.

In my thirties I became a political activist in San Francisco and in the Mormon community. This necessitated putting feelings into writing to promote or defend various causes. I found that my passion enabled me to do this effectively and I became a spokesperson for several causes over the next decade. I was eventually hired as a staff writer and editor for several magazines, but had still not written fiction. As an avid reader however, I found my longing to write a novel growing over the years.

Do you have any tips for someone who is considering self-publishing their own book?

Yes. Beware of other writers who offer you tips! Truly, I found an overabundance of advice in the online writers' community when I was introduced to it last year. Much of it was contradictory and lead me in so many directions at once that I considered giving up completely. You might recall that when I joined Bestsellerbound my posts were so full of frustration and complaints that I got people's hackles up! (A shoutout to Joel Kirkpatrick who so graciously took me aside and cleaned up my act!) I was doing everything I'd been told on one hand, only to find that I was annoying people on the other hand.

I'm still not sure of what I'm doing! Do I tweet too little or too much? Am I required to blog about things other than writing? Or do I bore and annoy with off-topic posts? Are mentions of my books considered unwanted advertisements or useful links to something of interest to potential readers? I never know the answers to these things. And when my Twitter mentions and retweets dry up, and blog hits fall to zero for a week, I'm always second-guessing myself, wondering who I've offended and how!

So, no, I'll leave the advice-giving to those who have come before me. I'm flying by the seat of my pants out here!


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

Well, I've already described Dean Koontz. But even he has trailed off into commercial schlock at times, likely the result of deadlines and production quotas imposed by traditional publishers. I'm not a die-hard fan of anyone in particular. I come across books I love and books I can't finish. It doesn't seem that the author is any guarantee of the outcome. I read Stieg Larsson's first "The Girl Who…" book, but couldn't finish the overly dense, excruciatingly inner-monologue-bound, second one. Khaled Hosseini, on the other hand, thrilled me with both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns I read The Kite Runner twice. I've liked books as random as Bel Canto (Ann Patchett) and Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts (Julian Rubenstein). I absolutely loved Middlesex (Jeffrey Eugenides), and I thoroughly enjoyed Kim Stanley Robinson's "Mars Trilogy," a gift from a friend, and the first fiction I had read in nearly a decade prior.

Since becoming an indie writer, however, I'm now committed to buying only indie titles. There are too many gems out there that I'll never have time to read. I don't need to risk formulaic commercial novels any more. I will still read a mainstream book that is loaned to me however, if it comes with a recommendation from family or friends.

Is there a book you own that you’ve read more than once?

The Kite Runner, Lord of the Rings, Ballad of the Whiskey Robber, The Russians, From the Corner of His Eye, On the Road,Tales of the City, and probably others I can't remember.

What was the last book you read, and are you reading a book at the moment?

I'm currently reading both Jason McIntyre's Thalo Blue and Darcia Helle's The Cutting Edge. While driving I'm also listening to Lifeguard by James Patterson and Andrew Gross, loaned to me by a neighbor. I don't remember the name of the last book I finished! It was something I won on fReado's Bookbuzzr. Prior to that was Josh Bazell's Beat the Reaper.


What do you think of ebooks?

A curse and a blessing! I don't own an ereader and can't afford one. We live on very little, as I have chosen to be a writer and only work part time. As a reader I'm frustrated by the number of books by indie authors (such as those mentioned above) that aren't available in print. My only guaranteed reading time each day is at bedtime. I can't hold my computer to read ebooks in bed! Other reading opportunities are in the bath and on public transit, both places where a print book is more practical than a computer. Similarly, none of my closest friends and neighbors with whom I share reading interests own an ereader or iPad. Consequently, I can't share with them those downloaded indie titles I know they'd love.

On the other hand, as a writer I'm grateful for the opportunity ebooks give me to circulate my writing among a much larger audience than print books alone can offer. My recent novelette, Losing Addison, would never have been published in print by a traditional publisher. The cost of producing it, even as a self-published title, likely means that it will find its greatest audience in its ebook form.

Personally, I will never abandon print books. I love to hold them. And, as a graphic designer, I thoroughly appreciate good cover art. It's about the only art I can afford now! I believe that down the road, print books will experience a resurgence, just as vinyl has in the music world.

How important are reviews for you as a writer?

Would I sound too pathetic if I said "they're everything" to me? It's true, for this reason: Storytelling, like a conversation, requires two parties. I have no interest in a carrying on a monologue. I don't write to hear myself think. I write to share. Even if there were no monetary recompense for writing (and oftentimes there isn't when the books are balanced), my greatest joy is to read or hear and share the excitement of others as they discover the story that has captured my imagination in creating it. And, while I have been fortunate thus far to have had only one bad review (a Mormon who thought By A Thread was "not an LDS book"), I feel that constructive criticism will help me refine my work in the future.

How do you go about choosing a cover for your books?

I have been a part-time graphic designer for twenty-four years, so I do all my own cover work, including photography. Since the City of Vienna is a character in By A Thread, I chose an iconic symbol of that city as a focal point for the cover: the Riesenrad (Ferris wheel) at the Prater amusement park on the Danube. It has the added cachet of being an iconic symbol of the movie "The Third Man," about intrigue in post-war occupied Vienna. What better choice for my political thriller?

The cover of Losing Addison came to me as readily as the story itself did. I created it in about thirty minutes, starting with a photograph I had taken of an acquaintance several years ago. I knew it needed to be dark and mysterious, and tweaked it for that effect. The idea of a face over a face stems from the interaction of twins in the story. Creating covers is one of my favorite parts of the process! I'd love to do it for other authors, as well.


What are you working on now?

Ack! I'm going in so many directions at once now! Last November I sat down to write an entirely different, coming-of-age-in-the-high-desert story. But I had barely begun when I acceded to the requests of several fans who wanted me to write a sequel to By A Thread. The cynical, marketing-oriented part of my brain said, "strike while the iron's hot!" But I got 20,000 words into it and hit a wall. Like By A Thread, The Third Token has complex plot threads that gradually interweave. I found that, while I loved writing my protagonist, the creation of a villain was dragging me down. I don't like to get into evil people's heads! It doesn't come easily to me.

Losing Addison was such a refreshing and unexpected break from The Third Token, that I decided to explore some other ideas that were bubbling to the surface. I wrote three chapters of a new psychological thriller, but balked when I delved further into Jason McIntyre's Thalo Blue, because I found too many similarities between the two, even though I'd written mine before reading his. I then began another project, but am second-guessing myself on it now because it would likely find only a limited audience. I'm wondering if I should go back to my other projects first. As you can see, there is no method to my madness!


Where can people buy your books?

Readers wanting print editions can get the best deal by watching for my oft-tweeted discount codes and going to CreateSpace to use them. Currently, code DKAYY424 offers a $3 discount on By A Thread.
Code NGD939PC offers $2 off of Losing Addison.
Amazon doesn't allow author discounts, but has the advantage of free or combined shipping if you're buying multiple books. Both By A Thread and Losing Addison are available for Kindle at Amazon, as well.
Losing Addison is also available in all digital formats at Smashwords. (Readers of this blog may use code EW27M for a 50-percent discount there through the end of May.) By A Thread is on Smashwords, as well.
European buyers can also purchase my ebooks from XinXii (the price includes a VAT tax).

Do you have your own website or blog where people can read more about your work?

By A Thread has a website that offers reviews, as well as insights into both my background and the novel's, including links to the real-life counterparts to the story's elements and characters. There is also a By A Thread blog where I post related stories, occasional contests, and discount offers. Losing Addison has its own blog, where I post reviews and discounts.

Thank you, Marty.

Remember to win a copy of either By a Thread or Losing Addison, leave a comment below. Good luck!!

I met Michael Scott Miller through BestsellerBound.com... it seems I meet some of the best authors there. Michael's book Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers caught my eye as it has a live band on the cover... you know me.
I can never resist a bit of live music; combine it with a book and I'm in heaven.

A couple of months after Michael's book went on my to-read list, I spotted it in one of the emails I received from Bookpleasures.com (I'm a reviewer for that website.) I instantly requested a copy, knowing that it would be my type of read.

I didn't know what to expect, except that it was a book about a man trying to put a band together. I was very impressed with the book. It's hard to believe it's a debut novel. I can see a bright future for Mr. Miller.

You can read my review of his book here on Goodreads.

As I am on a mission to introduce you all to the best in indie writing, I just had to invite Michael to my blog. He kindly agreed to answer my questions and has offered to give away one paperback copy and three ebooks versions of the book!! All you have to do to enter is 'like' this blog post or leave a comment below! A winner will be picked at random on 20th June 2011. If you have a preference, you should state in your comment whether you're entering for the ebook version or the paperback.

Here are Michael's answers to my interview questions:

Your bio says you work with numbers by day and words by night. That’s an interesting combination. Do you enjoy working with both, or do you have a preference?

At this stage of my life, I am enjoying working with words more. The numbers side comes easily to me and I’ve made a great career in business out of that. However, I’ve found that I love expressing myself creatively through writing and I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of that. Plus, in all my years in the business world, I’ve never had a stranger tell me how much they enjoyed one of my spreadsheets.

Your background in writing appears to be non-fiction. I understand you’ve had work published in the Welcomat (now Philadelphia Weekly) and wrote music reviews for the Wharton Journal. How does writing non-fiction compare with fiction, in your opinion? Do you find it easier to write fiction or non-fiction?

Non-fiction is certainly easier for me since I don’t need to think about the story line or the style of music. I just need to come up with the appropriate words to describe it. I prefer the freedom of fiction though.

I’m assuming that a background in writing music reviews means you have a passion for music as well as words and numbers! (I’m also guessing this as your debut novel has a musical theme). What is your favourite type of music and do you keep up to date with new music?

I have an extensive music collection, mostly rock, but ranging broadly within the genre. My favorite style is pop-punk which is how I would characterize many of my favorite bands including Green Day, The Ramones, The Clash, Social Distortion, and Rancid. I also like more mainstream musicians like Bruce Springsteen and I confess to being a Deadhead. I keep up with new music actively and have been to see both Green Day and the Black Eyed Peas with my kids, which is very cool for me.

What was the last CD you bought?

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, by Kanye West

When you did music reviews for the Wharton Journal, what did the reviewing involve? Did you attend live performances to review them, or was it based on listening to CDs?

It was purely based on CDs. The editor of the paper would supply me with a batch of demo CDs and I would listen to them and get to choose the ones I wanted to review. I discovered one of my all-time favorite CDs that way, Fire of Freedom by Black 47. Another time, I gave a bad review to this glam band whose name now escapes me. Days later, I saw a review in a major publication where this band was professed to become the next big thing. They didn’t, and my review was vindicated.

Your debut novel is a wonderful book. I absolutely loved it. I’m a music fan, and I feel it really captured the essence of a band and the passion behind music. Have you ever worked in the music industry? The book was so realistic, it made me wonder.

Thank you (*blushing*). That’s awfully nice of you to say. I have not worked in the music industry so I am immensely flattered when readers tell me how true the story feels. I did my homework when I was writing the book so I’m glad that paid off.

How much research did you do for Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers, and how long did it take you to write?

I did a fair amount of research both on the music industry and the setting. My former company had offices in San Jose, so I was able to extend business trips to go to San Francisco and UC Berkeley. I spent a couple days there walking around, visiting the BART stations where many of the early scenes in the book take place, and wandering through the UC Berkeley campus, which is beautiful, by the way.

I have a tough time answering how long the book took to write. I started it about ten years ago, but there were long stretches of idle time.

Most of the characters in your book are musicians. Do you play any musical instruments?

I don’t. I dabbled with piano and guitar as a kid but never became proficient. My teenage son plays the trumpet and drums very well and I am enjoying performing vicariously through him.

Did you base any of the characters on people you know?

Abe Jackson was inspired by a blind singer that I saw regularly in Suburban Station in Philadelphia. There is a bit of me sprinkled throughout the other characters, both good qualities and bad.

Which of the characters in your book can you most relate to and why?

Bert Ingram. Like Bert, I am a dreamer and an eternal optimist.

Do you have any tips for someone who is considering self-publishing their own book?

You have to really want it. It is a long journey, not only the writing, but doing all the marketing and promotion afterward. So my advice is to be prepared for long hours, but don’t let that stop you. Writing and publishing has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

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

Douglas Adams – brilliantly clever and utterly hilarious
J. K. Rowling – how could anyone not love the contribution she has made with the seven Harry Potter books.
J.R.R. Tolkien – I read Lord of the Rings as a teenager and it remains my all-time favorite
Robert Ludlum – I haven’t read much from him lately, but his stories are intriguing and captivating -- the definition of page-turners.

Is there a book you own that you’ve read more than once?

I generally don’t read books more than once, but the one notable exception is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

What was the last book you read?

I’ve been reading books from other indie authors of late. The last couple were Wish List by John Locke and Rock & Roll Rip-Off by RJ McDonnell.

Are you reading a book at the moment?

I’m reading My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking to see what all the hype is about. I’ve never read a paranormal romance and am unlikely to read many of them, but I just had to see.

What do you think of ebooks?

I love them. As an author, especially a relatively unknown one, publishing an ebook allowed me to first test the market by publishing the book for free, and later set the price at a very low $0.99. As a reader, they are also wonderful. I mostly read indie authors now and it’s great to be able to pick up books for under $5.

How important are reviews for you as a writer?

Reviews are extremely important. Truly independent reviews (read: not from my mother) validate the quality of my novel and give potential readers the confidence to invest in the book. Reviews are also really important for my psyche. There isn’t anything that lifts me up more than reading a positive review or comment about my book.

How did you go about choosing a cover for your book?

I first put together a cover using clip art and sent it to my wife for feedback. She promptly told me it was awful and guided me to find a photographic image instead. I then searched iStockphoto for scenes from a concert and immediately fell in love with the one on the cover here. It is just perfect – a silhouette of the band with an orange-yellow glow symbolizing the sun rising on the Redeemers.

What are you working on now?

I have a basic outline put together for another character-driven novel, but I’m reluctant to say more out of superstition. I will say that it takes place in Northern England, so Maria, I may be coming to you for help ϑ

Where can people buy your book?

Ahh, my favorite question. Here you go:

Amazon

B&N

It’s also available at many other sites including Smashwords, Kobo,the Sony Reader store, and Apple’s iBooks store.

Where can people go to read more about your work?

At ladiesandgentlementheredeemers, people can read the first chapter and access all the novel’s reviews and comments.

Thanks for the interview, Maria!

You're very welcome Michael. Thanks for being a fabulous guest. I don't know how much help I can be with your new book as it's set in Northern England and I'm in London... But give me a shout if I can be of assistance!



Remember to click the 'like' button or leave a comment below to enter for your chance to win a copy of this great book. It's an international competition. Good luck!

My excitement for my book launch today has been doubled because I am launching on the same day as my good friend and fellow author, Darcia Helle.

For those of you who might be new to my blog, I'll explain a bit about how I connected with Darcia.
Last summer I was invited by Darcia to join BestsellerBound.com as a resident author. Up until that time I didn't really know Darcia, except that I was a friend through Goodreads and maybe some other networking sites. I was very impressed by her website and blog so I agreed to join her and Stacy Juba in launching BestsellerBound. That message board is now very popular with independent/small press authors and readers. If you haven't already been there to have a look, please do join us. We love meeting new authors and readers.

A few months ago I found out that Darcia was busy writing her new novel, 'Into The Light'. As I was planning to release my new novel, 'The Dream', it made sense to launch the books together, especially as they are both books that feature ghosts!

More about the books:

The Dream:



Blurb: Lynne cannot shake her feelings of dread; her dreams tell her she is making a terrible mistake, she must not marry Adam. But, how can she believe the dream? Lynne and Adam have shared their lives for three years now. She is certain she loves him. It is not that love, which her dream warns against. It doesn't matter that she loves this man she will soon marry. If she marries him, the voice in her dream says her soul mate will die. Her true love will perish. Soon, Lynne's world is transformed and becomes almost unrecognisable, except for the déjà vu. Time doesn't seem to mean much anymore, and things are not quite as they seem. As her world spins out of control, Lynne must sort out what's real and what isn't to fulfill her destiny.

Link to the book trailer: The Dream - Book Trailer

Where you can read a sample: Goodreads

Where you can buy it! Lulu.com for the paperback version. Save 30%!

The paperback version will also soon be available on Amazon and B&N and other such sites. You can also order it from any bookstore or library quoting the ISBN: 978-0-9564101-5-3

Ebook!
Amazon Kindle
Journal-Store
Smashwords.com Where you can download in any format to suit your ereader.

Into The Light:



The blurb:
Max Paddington refuses to go into the light until he finds his killer. This presents a dilemma, since Max is even less competent as a spirit than he was as a live person. No one sees or hears him and he can't manage to get anywhere or do anything on his own.

Joe Cavelli is a private investigator, living an ordinary life. Then one day he walks across a parking lot, gets yelled at by a ghost, and his life only gets stranger from there.

Max and Joe team up to find Max's killer. In the process, they form an unlikely friendship and change each other's lives in ways they never expected.

Link to the book trailer: Into The Light - book Trailer

Where you can read a sample: Darcia's Blog

Where you can buy it! On Darcia's website (print copy pay via paypal): The Book will also soon be available on Amazon and other good book stores. You can order it from any bookstore or library quoting ISBN: 978-1463640200

Ebook version on
Amazon Kindle
Smashwords

Contest!

Darcia Helle is currently hosting a giveaway where you can enter to win a print copy of both our books! It runs until Wednesday 20th July, so be quick, this is a 48hr giveaway! Here's the link to the contest: Giveaway!

Enjoy the books!

The Dream has been published for just over a week now, and I have already started writing my next novel. I told myself I would have a rest after completing The Dream as it was very hard work getting it finished! But as they say, there is no rest for the wicked, so I am on to my next project. In fact, far from feeling bogged down, I am actually enjoying it. As with all my work, it is slightly different from the other novels I have written to date... I like to try new things. This one is quite deep and deals mainly with crime and the psychology behind that and the impact of it. I shall say no more for now. With this one, I have started off with a plan, but am drifting away from that and into quite interesting territory. I have written about 12,000 words so far, although it's hard to be precise as I have gone back to writing it with pen and paper rather than typing it. It just seems to suit me better that way.

In other news, my latest short story: 'Isolation', will be featured in "The BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology-- Volume 2", which is to be released very soon... any day now I am told. Watch this space for further news.

You can read all about my new novel, 'The Dream', on Darcia Helle's blog:

Interview -- Dreaming With Maria Savva

As many of you who follow my blog know, I have a few obsessions... apart from reading and writing, I also love music. I was therefore thrilled to be invited to West of Mars to discuss my new release The Dream and to reveal what songs remind me of the book.

Click on the link, to find out which song I most associate with The Dream, and why...
West of Mars

Thanks to Susan Helene Gottfried, author of Trevor's Song, for inviting me to West of Mars!

My latest novel The Dream is a fantasy tale that explores the power of fate in our lives. There is no definite answer as to whether fate determines what happens to us or whether what happens to us is a result of choices that we make. Most people will believe in something in between.



In my novel, Lynne is about to get married, but she begins to question her choice of marriage partner shortly before she is due to walk up the aisle. When the story enters the realm of fantasy, the question that arises is whether Lynne's actions caused her to follow the path she took, or whether fate was holding the cards all along.

The idea of fate and destiny is an interesting one and as there is not definitive answer I found it was a fun subject to explore in a fiction novel. In real life, great thinkers, philosophers, religious leaders, and scientists have been pondering the subject for many centuries and their findings seems to create more questions than answers.

As many of you know, I am a reviewer for Bookpleasures.com

Part of this role involves sifting through emails and choosing books to review. I recently chose to read Destiny vs. Choice: The Scientific and Spiritual Evidence Behind Fate and Free Will by Marie D. Jones. My fate decided that I should end up with two copies of the book in the post... so, as I have an extra copy I am giving one away on my blog.

Will it be your destiny to win my extra copy of 'Destiny vs. Choice'? You'll have to enter to find out :)

All you have to do to enter is click the 'Like' button on this post, or leave a comment. If you do leave a comment I'd be interested to hear your views on whether there is such a thing as destiny or do we choose our future?

A winner will be chosen at random on 8th October 2011.

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Christmas Pictures Comments - Photobucket

I would like to wish a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends here on Goodreads. I have to say that Goodreads is one of my favourite websites. I have met so many people here who I now consider to be good friends, from fellow authors to readers.

A special Thank You to everyone who has read a copy of one of my books this year, and an even bigger Thank You to those who have taken the time to review one of my books. I am truly indebted to every one of you who reads and spreads the word about my books. As an independent author I really do rely on word of mouth to sell books. I am a long way away from being able to make a living from writing but it is a dream that I will carry with me into the new year.

Bearing in mind that I'm not the only indie author with a dream, I plan to continue bringing you interviews with my favourite indie authors on my blog in the new year.

I hope to be releasing a new novel some time in 2012, more news about that when I have it.

I hope you all enjoy a fun-filled festive season, and that 2012 will be a good year for you.

Finally, if you're stuck for something to read over the holidays, try some of the books below -- I would highly recommend them: