Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "reflections"

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-...

You can now get book 2 in The Mind's Eye Series either as a Kindle download or a paperback!

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

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

Reflections is a collection of short stories and poetry inspired by photography. It contains 3 new stories from me. Each of my stories is inspired by photos taken by Helle Gade.

My first new story, Shadows, follows a couple who return to the mountain resort where they enjoyed their honeymoon twenty years earlier. The husband is looking forward to the trip, whereas the wife is not so happy to be returning. It is quite a dark story and deals with the themes of regret, guilt, and relationships.

My second featured story, Escape, is about a man who has become tired of his 9 to 5 existence and wants to find a way out. He takes a trip to an ancient site and begins to wonder what life would be like in a place like that.

My last story is a paranormal tale about an old woman who lived by the sea.

There are also stories from Darcia Helle, J. Michael Radcliffe, and Jason McIntyre. A great mix of dark fiction and fantasy.

Reflections also contains poetry by Helle Gade and Ben Ditmars.

Photographs featured in the book are from Martin David Porter and Helle Gade.





This week, Reflections is spotlighted on Booktastik: http://booktastik.com/reflections-min...



We also have a Thunderclap campaign to help spread the news about the release. I'd love it if you'd support us. Here's a link to the page: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/1...

All you have to do is add your support either from your Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr account and on the 30th November Thunderclap will automatically post something on your timeline about Reflections. It's free to add your support and only takes a minute. Thanks in advance on behalf of all the featured artists!

You can also join a Facebook event for the Thunderclap promotion to keep up with the news. One lucky supporter will win a paperback copy of Reflections: https://www.facebook.com/events/36893...

You can add Reflections to your to-read list here on Goodreads by going to the book page: Reflections.

I hope you enjoy the book! :)

A week ago, I told you about the Thunderclap campaign for REFLECTIONS.



Thank you to everyone who has added support so far! we're up to 79 supporters and only need 21 more :) If you haven't supported it yet, all you need is either a Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter account. Don't worry if you haven't got many followers, it's your support we need to get up to 100 supporters, otherwise the Thunderclap won't happen, so you can make a difference even if you've only got a few followers. Please follow this link, which will take you to our Thunderclap page: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/1...

Once on the page, you'll see options to 'Add' your support for either Twitter, FB, or Tumblr. Just click on one or all of those and you're done! Thank you so much for taking the time to help.

While I'm on the subject of Thunderclap, my good friend and fellow author Julie Elizabeth Powell has a campaign running there at the moment. Please help out if you can: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/1...

Julie's campaign is to help spread the word about her book Slings & Arrows and Gone Omnibus Edition.



Julie says: "My daughter, Samantha, was born with transposition of the main arteries to the heart (crossed the wrong way), two holes in her heart and a block valve. After corrective surgery all seemed fine until the 26 November, 1984, when her heart stopped and she died for the first time.

Doctors resuscitated too little, too late, which left her severely brain damaged for 17 years. During that time, I had a question: Where had my daughter gone? Because who she had been had been wiped clean, leaving only an empty, suffering shell. So I made up a world and went in search of her. This unique fantasy is called, Gone. Slings & Arrows is the non-fictional account of this terrible time."


Thank you!

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!!

Thank you to everyone who voted for Reflections in the P&E Poll! The book was a top ten finisher in the Best Anthology category. You can see the full results by following the link: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/fina...





The book is available for Kindle and in paperback on Amazon worldwide:

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

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

I'm very excited to announce that book 3 in The Mind's Eye Series will soon be available for pre-order at Amazon! It's in the final formatting stages at the moment :)

The book is called "Triptychs". The definition of the word is: "a set of three associated artistic, literary, or musical works intended to be appreciated together."

In the book, you will find eight photographs and three stories and/or poems which were inspired by each photograph. It was a bit of an experiment to see how similar/different the stories inspired by the same photo would be. As with all the books in the series, writers were allocated the photographs at random and were not given any information by the photographers.

The writers involved in the project are: Darcia Helle (who, like me, has been involved in the series from the start and has written stories for Perspectives and Reflections); J. Michael Radcliffe, Ben Ditmars, Helle Gade, and Jason McIntyre, who all wrote stories/poems for Reflections. New writers who joined us for Triptychs: Lisette Brodey, Eden Baylee, Marc Nash, Julie Elizabeth Powell, Jay Finn, and Geoffrey West.

Photographers involved in the series: Martin David Porter and Helle Gade.

Each writer has contributed two stories or poems. Everyone has different writing styles, so you'll find fantasy stories, suspense, dark fiction, literary fiction, experimental prose, and everything in between!

Here's the beautiful cover, which was designed by Jason McIntyre (from one of Helle Gade's photographs). Jason is one of the writers, but is also a talented graphic designer. He also provided the blurb for the book.




My two stories for this collection are called "Glimmer Siluridae" and "Lost in You".

The first one is a fantasy tale and the second a more reflective, dark fiction story.

You can find Perspectives and Reflections (the first two books in the series) at the following links (available in eBook and paperback)

Perspectives:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perspectives-...

Reflections:

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

I'll let you know when Triptychs is available for pre-order! :)