Maria Savva's Blog, page 22

Short Story Month

May is International Short Story Month.

Those of you who know my own writing and who follow my blog will already know how much I love reading and writing short stories.

I have written a few collections of short stories.








I have also contributed stories to the BestsellerBound Anthologies (most of which are currently free to download on Amazon Kindle).








I also have a story in the collection Murder, Madness, and Mystery






More recently, I have been contributing stories to the Mind's Eye Series.






Book four in that series is coming soon with 2 new short stories from me.

I'm also currently editing my latest collection of short stories, 'Lost and Found'. Look out for that later in the year.

I'm happy that there is a month to celebrate the short story form because this type of fiction is often neglected in favour of novels.

I think short stories are perfect for the way we live these days. Finding time for reading is a luxury. If you pick up a short story you can often finish reading it in one sitting. That means you don't have to remember what happened when you last read it. With novels, if you don't get time to read and go for 2 or 3 days without picking it up, it's easy to forget what happened, who the characters are, etc. etc.

Aside from all that, some of the best works of fiction I've ever read have been short stories.

I'm going to recommend some of my favourites and hope you'll try at least one. (Click on the covers to find out about the books.)



























































I'm going to stop there, but you can check out my list of books/reviews to see others that I've read and enjoyed.

Happy Short Story Month and Happy Reading! I hope you find a new favourite author from this list!

New Release: Sandcastle and Other Stories - The Complete Edition, by Justin Bog

I read and enjoyed Sandcastle and Other Stories when it was first released a couple of years ago.

This new edition has just been released with a fabulous new cover. It contains two additional dark psychological tales from the talented Justin Bog. I'm looking forward to reading the extra stories.

You can get a copy of the book in eBook or paperback, worldwide on Amazon.

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Sandcastle-Othe...

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sandcastle-Ot...



Author links:

Website/Blog: http://justinbog.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustinBog1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinBog

Book Review: The Smell of Paprika (The Quarantined City #1), by James Everington

The Smell Of Paprika by James Everington

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'm already a fan of James Everington's writing, having enjoyed his short story collections The Other Room and Falling Over. "The Smell of Paprika" is the first part of a six part serial. It's only the beginning of a story and as such it doesn't give away all of its secrets. I like the start of this serial and am looking forward to reading on as it has definitely raised many questions in my mind about this strange city that has been quarantined.

Fellows, the main character, lives in a haunted house, he is still getting used to the strange quarantine conditions and when we meet him he's looking for some short stories written by a mysterious writer. No one knows who the writer is but Fellows has heard about the stories and, being a writer himself, he's interested to read them.

So far Fellows has noticed a few odd things happening in the city. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. I'll definitely be reading the second story soon to find out what happens!

The story is well written and flows nicely. It kept me interested throughout. I liked the interactions between the characters, all of which were very realistic, and there is some humour intertwined with the darker elements in the story.




View all my reviews

Book Review: That Last Summer - Susan M. Toy

That Last Summer by Susan M. Toy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this story. It's an engrossing read. It's the tale of one family's summer spent away from home on holiday in 1965. The references to historic events of the time help to evoke a nostalgic feeling and make the story seem true to life. I found all the characters to be interesting and realistic and I'm sure many people will be able to relate to the ups and downs that many of the characters face in the book.

We mainly follow Rachel's story. She is away from home at the age of 15 with her younger sister and their parents. Rachel find's her younger sister annoying as they don't share the same interests. Rachel is also upset because she's been forced to spend the summer away from her boyfriend.

Things take an interesting turn when Rachel meets a group of teenagers who are also on holiday with their family nearby. They soon become friends.

There are just enough twists and turns to keep the story flowing nicely.

The main story revolves around the events of the summer of '65, however, the last part of the book takes us forward into the future so we see how Rachel's life has turned out. We meet her again at a time when she is looking back at that particular summer. The ending is quite poignant.

This is an insightful and captivating look at one family's story. Well written and well worth a read.





View all my reviews

#ShortStoryMonth - Book Review: Odin's Eye, by Maria Haskins

Odin's Eye by Maria Haskins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was captivated by the cover of this book and when I read about the author's inspiration for the title and cover on her blog I was intrigued. Maria Haskins' writing definitely fits into the literary fiction genre. These are stories that are to be savoured. There is a depth to the tales that can only be fully appreciated by taking time to really read and digest every sentence, every nuance. Each sentence is skillfully crafted.

One of this writer's strengths is that she is able to describe something so succinctly and with such precision that everything she writes becomes a picture in the mind of the reader. Her stories show a deep understanding of the human condition.

All the stories are science fiction and are set in the near or distant future. They are set on different planets, different worlds. The characters are so well depicted and seem like real people telling their tale. We see things through their eyes, we feel their fear and sense their concerns.

These twelve stories will make you think about what could happen if science became so advanced that we were able to travel easily through time and space.

All of the stories transported me to different times and strange new worlds and each one contains insightful observations about life and people. The stand out story for me was 'Lost and Found', a tale about an astronaut, who is the only survivor after a crash, waiting to be rescued. That one is just perfect, in my opinion. It would make a great movie or short film.

Other favourites include 'Bethel', an expertly crafted story about the prisons of the future and what they might be like; 'Life Line' that will make you think about the concept of reality and what it actually is; and 'The Child', a very interesting tale about choices and the repercussions.

All the stories are brilliant and I'm glad to have discovered such a talented writer.

Take a trip into the future with these twelve short stories. You won't be disappointed.



View all my reviews

New Release: Eli's Coming, by Darcia Helle

My good friend and fellow author, Darcia Helle has just released a new novel. Eli's Coming is the first in a brand new series.

I was lucky enough to be able to read a pre-release copy.

Here's my review:

Eli's Coming by Darcia Helle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'm a big fan of Darcia Helle's writing. This author really knows how to write books that keep you turning the pages. I have yet to read something by this author that has disappointed me and I think the key to that is that she always keeps surprising the reader with new and exciting ideas. With this book she surprised me again because it was not what I was expecting at all. It's a supernatural thriller with elements of fantasy and suspense. Even though she has written something that deviates from her usual fiction it still has all her hallmarks: suspense, thrills, humour, and believable characters that we can all relate to.

When we meet Eli he is at a kind of crossroads in his life because he has found love but there is a dark secret that he is keeping and something that could threaten his new love and also his own life. The secret is slowly and steadily revealed as the story unfolds and his past comes back to find him.

I really enjoyed Eli's Coming. The dark fantasy element is fascinating. I'm pleased that this is the first in the series and am looking forward to the next book!



You can get a copy on Amazon and Barnes and Noble at the links below:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Elis-Coming-Cha...

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elis-Coming-C...

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elis-...

Book Review: Living the Dream - Tim Baker

Living the Dream by Tim Baker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book had me hooked from the start and kept me interested throughout. It's a fun and fast-paced read with lots of surprising twists and turns. The characters all seemed very real which made it easy to sympathise with them, even if they were baddies!

The book revolves around a series of strange recurring dreams that many of the characters have been having. The dreams seem to point to an event involving some kind of crime with money involved, and there are familiar faces in the dreams that the characters keep seeing.

Most of the main characters are going through some kind of crisis where they feel that they need to change their lives.

Every chapter brings new surprises and there's lots of suspense and action.

I think the ending brought everything together brilliantly. It's a complex tale involving many different characters and the author did a fantastic job with it. This would make a great movie!

Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity: Missive Two - Julie Elizabeth Powell

Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity: Missive Two by Julie Elizabeth Powell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'm a big fan of Julie Elizabeth Powell's books and having read the first book in this series I was looking forward to Missive Two. This is a wonderfully engrossing story. It's told in the first person by the character Henry Ian Darling. His story is indeed a 'weird' one but it kept me interested throughout!

In the first book we found out that Henry had died and then come back to life and had been slightly 'changed' because of the experience. In this story we find out more about how he's changed.

After the discovery of something in the boot of a car we are taken on an adventure as Henry and his wife Clara, try to put a stop to a powerful and evil witch's plans.

I don't think it's essential to have read the first story to enjoy this one because the author has explained a lot of the background in this book, but I would definitely recommend Missive One as well as this Missive.

This fantasy series is turning out to be a lot of fun to read and the characters are fascinating. I'm now looking forward to Missive Three!



View all my reviews

New Release - Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity: Missive Two - Julie Elizabeth Powell

Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity: Missive Two - by Julie Elizabeth Powell

What is the significance of what Henry Ian Darling found in the boot of a car?

And how did his wife know of the event?

How could anyone be cruel enough to do such a thing?

Find out where the discovery leads this collector of oddities and what it may mean for Henry’s ultimate quest - finding the enigma, that which will save or destroy all dimensions.




Julie Elizabeth Powell's imagination never ceases to amaze me. I have read and enjoyed all her books and am thrilled to find that she has just released the second in her new "Henry Ian Darling Oddity" series.

I loved the first story in the series (Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity Missive One) and am looking forward to reading this one.

You can find both books on Amazon:

Missive 1:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weird-Henry-D...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Weird-Henry-Dar...

Missive 2:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weird-Henry-D...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Weird-Henry-Dar...








Author links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Elizabeth...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieelizabe...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/starjewelz
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/julizpow/

National Poetry Month - Part 3

Continuing my series of posts about National Poetry Month, I'm turning my attention to The Mind's Eye Series.

This series of anthologies began as a collection of short stories inspired by photographs. Books 2 and 3 in the series, however, also contain some excellent poems.

Helle Gade and Ben Ditmars are two of my favourite contemporary poets and I'm proud to say that they are part of the core group of writers for The Mind's Eye Series.

In Reflections and Triptychs you will find poetry from Ben and Helle inspired by photography.



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



Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Triptychs-Minds...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Triptychs-Min...


These two poets are prolific and can often be found posting their original poetry on their blogs. Here are a few example of their recent poems:











Pick up a copy of Reflections or Triptychs to discover more from these talented poets.


Follow their blogs:

Ben Ditmars: https://benjaminditmars.wordpress.com/

Helle Gade: https://hellegade.wordpress.com/