Maria Savva's Blog, page 16
February 14, 2016
Free book: Come Back to Me, by Thomma Lyn Grindstaff
To celebrate Valentine's Day, Thomma Lyn Grindstaff is giving away her latest release, a love story, Come Back to Me. You can grab a free copy on Amazon worldwide today and tomorrow!
The book is a time travel romance novel about a modern-day singer/songwriter who travels back in time to fall in love with her hunky concert pianist mentor.
Thomma is a talented author. I always enjoy her books and stories. I invited her to join us for book 5 in the Mind's Eye Series, and am happy that she agreed. She's written two brilliant stories for that anthology. I'll have more news about that book soon.
About the book:
For Annasophia and Maestro, their love is ageless, and music is their door through time.
Annasophia Flynn is a young, classically-trained pianist and singer-songwriter who enjoys a special bond with Wilhelm Dahl, her older mentor and teacher whom she affectionately calls Maestro. Maestro is terminally ill, and Annasophia must come to grips with the fact that she’ll have to say goodbye to him soon.
But not so fast. Annasophia receives a mysterious email to which is attached a photo of her standing by the side of a virile and much-younger Maestro, years before she was born and during the height of his fame and power as a concert pianist. Either somebody’s doing some serious Photoshopping, or Annasophia traveled — or will travel — back in time, meaning that there’s more to her relationship with Maestro than meets the eye.
She visits Maestro in the hospital and shows him the photo. When he talks about a mysterious door and hums a few bars of a romantic Rachmaninoff concerto much beloved by them both, she is compelled to go home and play the piece on her piano. The concerto indeed turns out to be a door back through time, where she meets the younger Maestro, and they fall in love.
But staying in younger Maestro’s time proves tricky. For one thing, he has a son, who will never be conceived or born if Annasophia stays and changes things. She starts to second guess herself and tries to go back to her own time, only to find, each time, that the timeline as she has known it has been altered. For another thing, Maestro’s very elegant and cunning ex-wife, Elena, is determined to get him back and makes up her mind to do everything she can to send Annasophia back to her own timeline for good, where she will have to say goodbye to Maestro forever.
Links:
Amazon:
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BBBHTHS
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BBBHTHS
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01BBBHTHS
FR: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B01BBBHTHS
IN: http://www.amazon.in/dp/B01BBBHTHS
JP: http://www.amazon.co.jp/B01BBBHTHS
MX: http://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B01BBBHTHS
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01BBBHTHS
ES: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B01BBBHTHS
DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B01BBBHTHS
IT: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B01BBBHTHS
BR: http://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B01BBBHTHS
NL: http://www.amazon.nl/dp/B01BBBHTHS
The book is a time travel romance novel about a modern-day singer/songwriter who travels back in time to fall in love with her hunky concert pianist mentor.
Thomma is a talented author. I always enjoy her books and stories. I invited her to join us for book 5 in the Mind's Eye Series, and am happy that she agreed. She's written two brilliant stories for that anthology. I'll have more news about that book soon.
About the book:
For Annasophia and Maestro, their love is ageless, and music is their door through time.
Annasophia Flynn is a young, classically-trained pianist and singer-songwriter who enjoys a special bond with Wilhelm Dahl, her older mentor and teacher whom she affectionately calls Maestro. Maestro is terminally ill, and Annasophia must come to grips with the fact that she’ll have to say goodbye to him soon.
But not so fast. Annasophia receives a mysterious email to which is attached a photo of her standing by the side of a virile and much-younger Maestro, years before she was born and during the height of his fame and power as a concert pianist. Either somebody’s doing some serious Photoshopping, or Annasophia traveled — or will travel — back in time, meaning that there’s more to her relationship with Maestro than meets the eye.
She visits Maestro in the hospital and shows him the photo. When he talks about a mysterious door and hums a few bars of a romantic Rachmaninoff concerto much beloved by them both, she is compelled to go home and play the piece on her piano. The concerto indeed turns out to be a door back through time, where she meets the younger Maestro, and they fall in love.
But staying in younger Maestro’s time proves tricky. For one thing, he has a son, who will never be conceived or born if Annasophia stays and changes things. She starts to second guess herself and tries to go back to her own time, only to find, each time, that the timeline as she has known it has been altered. For another thing, Maestro’s very elegant and cunning ex-wife, Elena, is determined to get him back and makes up her mind to do everything she can to send Annasophia back to her own timeline for good, where she will have to say goodbye to Maestro forever.
Links:
Amazon:
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BBBHTHS
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BBBHTHS
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01BBBHTHS
FR: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B01BBBHTHS
IN: http://www.amazon.in/dp/B01BBBHTHS
JP: http://www.amazon.co.jp/B01BBBHTHS
MX: http://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B01BBBHTHS
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01BBBHTHS
ES: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B01BBBHTHS
DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B01BBBHTHS
IT: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B01BBBHTHS
BR: http://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B01BBBHTHS
NL: http://www.amazon.nl/dp/B01BBBHTHS
February 12, 2016
Book Review: The Puzzling Brain Of Martha Tidberry, by Julie Elizabeth Powell
The Puzzling Brain Of Martha Tidberry by Julie Elizabeth PowellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Julie Elizabeth Powell is an author who always surprises me because her imagination seems to know no bounds. This is a great gift for a writer to have. I'm a big fan of her work and always look forward to her new releases. This short story is a fascinating read. It has quite a dark theme because of the subject matter but it's a story that will make you think.
Martha Tidberry has known she was different ever since a disturbing event in her childhood. Her mind is a curious thing. She senses things that others can't and this has meant that her life took a path that was a kind of sacrifice because she wanted to do what was right. Is it a gift or a curse? She is soon faced with a moral dilemma.
An intricate story that held my interest right to the end. Definitely worth a read.
View all my reviews
February 9, 2016
Book review: Full Circle, by Tim Baker
Full Circle by Tim BakerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Full Circle is an entertaining read. It's the kind of book that could be described as a 'page turner'. It's fast-paced and full of interesting characters. I'm a big fan of this author's writing. Having read Living the Dream and No Good Deed, I was looking forward to finding time to read another of his books. He is a gifted storyteller whose writing flows effortlessly, creating realistic characters and suspenseful plots that are always full of exciting twists and turns. There's always plenty of humour in his books as well, which makes them fun to read.
Full Circle is all about karma and how what goes around comes around. There's lots of action and suspense. When you pick up the book be prepared to become hooked within the first few pages. I found that I was looking forward to finding out what happened to each of the characters.
The main character is Joe Moretti, a successful and unscrupulous businessman. Despite his flaws, he's an intriguing man. We follow his story and meet other characters whose stories are somehow connected to his. The chapters are written so that we see the same action from different perspectives. At first, I thought that would become repetitive and involve too much of the same information being duplicated. However, as the story progressed, I came to see that the style was very effective in relaying very important information that was central to the storyline and it all came together very well at the end.
This is quite a complex story, yet told as if it were a simple tale. There are many intricate elements to the story that all revolve around the main theme of cause and effect and how an individual's actions influences their future.
Tim Baker is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I'm looking forward to reading more of his books.
View all my reviews
February 6, 2016
Book Review: Cuts & Collected Poems 1989 - 2015, by Maria Haskins
Cuts & Collected Poems 1989 - 2015 by Maria HaskinsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Cuts & Collected Poems is a collection of poetry by Maria Haskins. Two of the books in the collection were originally written and published in Swedish, and recently translated by the author into English. That feat in itself is exceptional. I found myself wondering how she managed to keep the meaning and emotion in the older poetry, but somehow she has done just that.
All of the poetry is extremely evocative and thought-provoking. I would find myself reading certain lines and actually seeing the action in my head, and then other lines would make me wonder what she meant by that, and this would lead to all sorts of interesting imagery. It's clear that the first book, Cuts—which is the author's most recent poetry book and the first one written in English—is a collection written by a seasoned poet. She is someone who can make the reader feel emotions by just changing the way she constructs a sentence. One of the poems, I can't remember which now, brought a tear to my eye.
The older poetry, written mostly when she was a teenager, is full of passion and angst. There is a lot of dark imagery and you can almost feel the turmoil of a young girl still trying to come to terms with certain emotions and feelings.
This strikes me as a very personal collection of poetry, and it seems almost as if the author uses poetry to untangle the thoughts in her mind and bring clarity.
Cuts & Collected Poems is well worth reading and will take you inside the author's mind. Reading these poems is like venturing into a new world where everything is not quite as it seems.
View all my reviews
February 3, 2016
Free book: The Cutting Edge, by Darcia Helle
Darcia Helle's novel, The Cutting Edge, is FREE for Kindle at Amazon until Friday, 5th of February.
About the book:
My name is Skye Summers. I’m a hairstylist and I can’t stop fantasizing about killing my clients. Not all of them, of course. I only want to kill the ones who irritate me, which, if I’m being honest, is most of them. My occasional fantasies have turned into chronic daydreams. They’re bloody and vivid, like watching a slice-and-dice movie on IMAX.
I also want to kill my husband’s ex-girlfriend. She’s not a client but she tops my list. Eighteen years ago, she gave birth to his daughter and she has tormented him ever since. I should be troubled by this growing desire to use my surgically sharpened shears for more than a haircut. Instead, I wonder how I can get away with it.
My review:
From page 1, where Darcia Helle's protagonist introduces herself as Lilly Skye Destiny Summers (LSD Summers -- named by her hippie parents), and then goes on to explain that she is known as Skye, and her husband's surname is Skyler, so she kept her maiden name, I knew that I was going to enjoy this book!
Anyone who has worked in a job where they have to deal with the general public on a daily basis will appreciate the humour in this book.
Skye is a hairdresser and begins to have fantasies about killing her clients. She has reached the stage where she no longer enjoys her job and her clients irritate her. On top of that her husband's ex is causing problems. Skye wants her dead.
At the same time as Skye is having these murderous thoughts, there is a serial killer loose in town. He is killing women, seemingly randomly, no one is safe.
The book is written in the first person where Skye is narrating her daily life, and then in the third person where we follow the 'Mass Avenger', the serial killer, as he takes revenge on women for the way his mother treated him. He believes women use their 'power' to break men down. He sees something different in Skye, though. He is one of her clients. He becomes obsessed with her but does not want to kill her. He has other plans.
This is a murder mystery which you will not want to put down. Helle has written an entertaining, psychological thriller. One minute you will be laughing at Skye's wild thoughts, the next you will be on the edge of your seat wondering about the fate of the women abducted by the Mass Avenger. There is some violence in the book, prepare to be shocked. Also, prepare to be amazed by Helle's skill at crafting a book that hooks you from the first page, keeps you captive to the very last, and leaves you feeling awestruck.
This book reminds us how daily toils can turn us into someone we don't like, and that we should be careful what we wish for...
This is a must-read for fans of suspense/crime fiction. Grab your copy today:
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cutting-Edge-...
US: http://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Edge-Da...
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Cutting-Edge-Dar...
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Cutting-Edge...
JP: http://www.amazon.co.jp/Cutting-Edge-...
FR: http://www.amazon.fr/Cutting-Edge-Dar...
DE: http://www.amazon.de/Cutting-Edge-Dar...
IN: http://www.amazon.in/Cutting-Edge-Dar...
ES: http://www.amazon.es/Cutting-Edge-Dar...
MX: http://www.amazon.com.mx/Cutting-Edge...
BR: http://www.amazon.com.br/Cutting-Edge...
IT: http://www.amazon.it/Cutting-Edge-Dar...
NL: http://www.amazon.nl/Cutting-Edge-Dar...
January 30, 2016
Free book: Eyewitness Blues, by Tim Baker
Eyewitness Blues, by one of my favourite authors Tim Baker, is available free for Kindle at Amazon (worldwide) this weekend!
I've read a couple of Tim's books and loved them (Living the Dream and No Good deed), I'm also currently reading his latest novel Full Circle. I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it. This author writes witty, fast-paced, crime fiction. I think he's a gifted writer and definitely one you should check out.
Here's more about the free book:
"Martin Aquino has been dealt a rotten hand in life—from the bottom of a stacked deck. In a flash of inspiration Martin decides the witness protection program is exactly what he needs if he’s ever going to have a quiet, normal life. Martin didn’t exactly witness the murder, but he knows who pulled the trigger – so reporting it to the law and using it as his ticket into the program isn’t wrong. Is it? Unfortunately, when mob boss Don Gammino learns that his right-hand man has been named as a murder suspect he decides to teach Martin a new tune. A chance for escape comes to him from an unexpected source, and he takes it—all the way to Flagler Beach, Florida where he gets his first taste in years of the life he’s been longing for. However, in keeping with is life in Rhode Island, his new life isn't without its complications. Now his only protection from Gammino and his goon squad is in the form of a wheelchair-bound bookie and an ex-Navy SEAL, named Ike, with a penchant for bending the rules. Martin’s in a tropical paradise surrounded by people but he still feels alone in the world. Life isn’t easy when you have the Eyewitness Blues."
Grab your free copy:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eyewitness-Bl...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Eyewitness-Blue...
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon FR: http://www.amazon.fr/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon IT: http://www.amazon.it/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon ES: http://www.amazon.es/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon MX: http://www.amazon.com.mx/Eyewitness-B...
Amazon BR: http://www.amazon.com.br/Eyewitness-B...
Amazon IN: http://www.amazon.in/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Eyewitness-B...
Amazon NL: http://www.amazon.nl/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon JP: http://www.amazon.co.jp/Eyewitness-Bl...
I've read a couple of Tim's books and loved them (Living the Dream and No Good deed), I'm also currently reading his latest novel Full Circle. I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it. This author writes witty, fast-paced, crime fiction. I think he's a gifted writer and definitely one you should check out.
Here's more about the free book:
"Martin Aquino has been dealt a rotten hand in life—from the bottom of a stacked deck. In a flash of inspiration Martin decides the witness protection program is exactly what he needs if he’s ever going to have a quiet, normal life. Martin didn’t exactly witness the murder, but he knows who pulled the trigger – so reporting it to the law and using it as his ticket into the program isn’t wrong. Is it? Unfortunately, when mob boss Don Gammino learns that his right-hand man has been named as a murder suspect he decides to teach Martin a new tune. A chance for escape comes to him from an unexpected source, and he takes it—all the way to Flagler Beach, Florida where he gets his first taste in years of the life he’s been longing for. However, in keeping with is life in Rhode Island, his new life isn't without its complications. Now his only protection from Gammino and his goon squad is in the form of a wheelchair-bound bookie and an ex-Navy SEAL, named Ike, with a penchant for bending the rules. Martin’s in a tropical paradise surrounded by people but he still feels alone in the world. Life isn’t easy when you have the Eyewitness Blues."
Grab your free copy:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eyewitness-Bl...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Eyewitness-Blue...
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon FR: http://www.amazon.fr/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon IT: http://www.amazon.it/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon ES: http://www.amazon.es/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon MX: http://www.amazon.com.mx/Eyewitness-B...
Amazon BR: http://www.amazon.com.br/Eyewitness-B...
Amazon IN: http://www.amazon.in/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Eyewitness-B...
Amazon NL: http://www.amazon.nl/Eyewitness-Blues...
Amazon JP: http://www.amazon.co.jp/Eyewitness-Bl...
January 29, 2016
New Release: Between Will and Surrender, by Margaret Duarte
Margaret Duarte has just published "Between Will and Surrender" (the first of four books in her "Enter the Between" Visionary Fiction series).
It's described as, "A paranormal adventure of personal growth and transformation".
About the book:
In the midst of plenty, she lives in want, until she embraces the spirit of surrender. Silicon Valley resident Marjorie Veil’s sense of reality frays when she begins hearing a voice when no one is there. Afraid that she’s losing her mind, she goes on a soul-searching journey to remote Carmel Valley. But she does not find the reprieve she desires. Instead, she encounters Morgan Van Dyke, whose romantic interest in her is a distraction she can ill afford. She then meets an identical twin sister she didn’t know she had, another blow to her already fragile sense of self. And, finally, she befriends a mute and orphaned Native American child, who gives her his most valued possession, a mouse totem, thus introducing her to the power of selfless love.
BETWEEN WILL AND SURRENDER, book one of the "Enter the Between" Visionary Fiction series, is a paranormal adventure of personal growth and transformation that takes the reader on a visionary journey into the wilds of the Los Padres National Forest, home of the Esselen, one of the smallest Native American populations in California nearly exterminated as a result of Spanish Missions. Readers are introduced to the teachings of the Native American Medicine Wheel, which can be applied to their personal journeys toward self-discovery. Like the fires that blaze through the Los Padres National Forest, the mysterious voice in Marjorie Veil’s head burns the frameworks that imprison her—her limiting beliefs, her old patterns of thought—transforming them into blackened snags, a perfect habitat for the seeds of awareness buried deep inside her to burst into life.
Buy from Amazon:
US: http://www.amazon.com/Between-Will-Su...
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Between-Will-...
Author links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Margaret-Dua...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargaretMDuarte
Website: http://www.margaretduarte.com/
It's described as, "A paranormal adventure of personal growth and transformation".
About the book:
In the midst of plenty, she lives in want, until she embraces the spirit of surrender. Silicon Valley resident Marjorie Veil’s sense of reality frays when she begins hearing a voice when no one is there. Afraid that she’s losing her mind, she goes on a soul-searching journey to remote Carmel Valley. But she does not find the reprieve she desires. Instead, she encounters Morgan Van Dyke, whose romantic interest in her is a distraction she can ill afford. She then meets an identical twin sister she didn’t know she had, another blow to her already fragile sense of self. And, finally, she befriends a mute and orphaned Native American child, who gives her his most valued possession, a mouse totem, thus introducing her to the power of selfless love.
BETWEEN WILL AND SURRENDER, book one of the "Enter the Between" Visionary Fiction series, is a paranormal adventure of personal growth and transformation that takes the reader on a visionary journey into the wilds of the Los Padres National Forest, home of the Esselen, one of the smallest Native American populations in California nearly exterminated as a result of Spanish Missions. Readers are introduced to the teachings of the Native American Medicine Wheel, which can be applied to their personal journeys toward self-discovery. Like the fires that blaze through the Los Padres National Forest, the mysterious voice in Marjorie Veil’s head burns the frameworks that imprison her—her limiting beliefs, her old patterns of thought—transforming them into blackened snags, a perfect habitat for the seeds of awareness buried deep inside her to burst into life.
Buy from Amazon:
US: http://www.amazon.com/Between-Will-Su...
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Between-Will-...
Author links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Margaret-Dua...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargaretMDuarte
Website: http://www.margaretduarte.com/
January 28, 2016
Book Review: Lost And Found, by Maria Haskins
Lost And Found - A Short Story From Odin's Eye by Maria HaskinsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
'Lost and Found' is a tale about an astronaut, who is the only survivor after a crash, waiting to be rescued. It would make a great movie or short film. It's full of suspense and Maria Haskins writes so eloquently. I read this story as part of her short story collection Odin's Eye. Lost and Found was one of the stand-out stories for me in that collection. This would be the perfect story to read as an introduction to Maria Haskins' work. If you like science fiction, you'll love this story, and even if you don't usually read science fiction I'd recommend this short story.
View all my reviews
Book Review: The Box That Jane Built, by Julie Elizabeth Powell
The Box That Jane Built by Julie Elizabeth PowellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I'd already read the first story, "The Box That Jane Built", in the author's excellent book "Figments", but that was a few years ago and I'd forgotten much of the story; in many ways it felt like I was reading it for the first time. It's a suspenseful read and quite sinister. The tale is told from multiple character viewpoints which adds to the suspense element. It's the longest story in the book, followed by three equally chilling new tales.
The intriguing story "The Back Of My Hand" has a very unexpected and quite gruesome ending. "The Audition" will keep you guessing right to the end and is a great example of this author's boundless imagination. "My Imaginary Friend" is very thought provoking. Written about quite a dark subject, it has a chilling conclusion.
Fans of fantasy, horror, or psychological thrillers will love these stories.
View all my reviews
Book Review: Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity: Missive Three
Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity: Missive Three by Julie Elizabeth PowellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Having read the first two "oddities" in this series, I was keen to read Missive Three. Henry Ian Darling is an interesting character. The stories in this series are very fast-paced and written as if the character is narrating his adventures. In Missive Three we find out more about Henry's ghost friend Brett.
Henry has a dream that leads him to Shadowlands. It's a treacherous journey that he must take.
The books in this series are a fun read, and always full of surprises. I think "Weird" is a good way to describe the adventures. I'll be looking forward to Missive Four.
View all my reviews
