Maria Savva's Blog, page 50

March 4, 2012

Read an e-book week! Celebrate with a free copy of Second Chances!

It's Read an e-book Week between 4th and 10th March 2012.

Smashwords.com is celebrating with a promotion where authors can offer their books free. It's a great opportunity for readers to discover new authors.

I'm participating in the promotion by offering my novel, Second Chances , free. To get a free copy, go here: Second Chances, and use the code RE100 at the checkout!




As many of you already know, my short story collection, Pieces of a Rainbow, is also available free on Smashwords. To get your copy, go here: Pieces of a Rainbow. You don't need to use a code for this book as I am keeping this one free for a while.



There are lots of authors participating in this promotion. Many of my fellow BestsellerBound authors are offering free books. Here are links to their free book pages:

His Story by Cynthia Meyers Hanson
The GNAW Project by Cynthia Meyers Hanson

Stoneweaver by Gareth Lewis
Street of Lost Gods by Gareth Lewis

Caraliza by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick
Harmony's Passing by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick
Breathing Into Stone by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick


Recall! Return of the IRR by Doug DePew


ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes (Year 1) by Susan Helene Gottfried


ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes (Year 2) by Susan Helene Gottfried


Mannequin by Susan Helene Gottfried


Nexus Point by Jaleta Clegg

All of Sharon Cathcart's books are available free: Sharon Cathcart

Quiet Fury by Darcia Helle

The First Kill by Darcia Helle

Enemies and Playmates by Darcia Helle

And, remember, the BestsellerBound Anthologies are all available free:

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3


So, when you get a spare minute, pop over to Smashwords... you never know, you might find a new favourite author!

Happy Reading!
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March 3, 2012

Coincidences - second edition

I will soon be releasing the second edition of Coincidences, the first novel I ever wrote. The new edition is the same but different :)
I have added extra scenes and generally edited the book. The original book was just over 67,000 words, the new edition is nearly 82,000.

Coincidences was only ever published in hardback, over 10 years ago. I love the story and wanted to make it available to more readers. Many readers now prefer ebooks. I will be publishing this new version in ebook and paperback.

The idea was just to make it more easily available to people who want to read it, but as every writer knows, no novel is ever really finished, so whenever we re-read a book that we've written, we are more than likely to chop and change it, add bits, edit bits out, etc. This is why I would advise all writers to never, ever read their books again once published unless they want to spend their entire life editing :)

I didn't have an electronic version of Coincidences to work from, so I had to type up the manuscript from scratch. This meant reading it and hence this led to me editing it...

I am pleased with the final version and hope that I have succeeded in my aim to improve the book, while staying true to the original story. I know many of my readers love the book, so I avoided making any major changes to the plot.

I have a new cover to reveal... here it is:

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I took a photo of falling jigsaw pieces, to represent Alice's life and the way she was feeling in the book. I then messed around with the photo on iPhoto to change the colour because I think blue is most suited to the mood of the book.

The book is currently with my proofreaders and I am giving it the final once over before I'm ready to publish.
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Published on March 03, 2012 14:30 Tags: book, coincidences, maria-savva, novel

March 1, 2012

World Book Day 2012 and an update...

It's World Book Day today. Here's a link to the official site: World Book Day

I hope you'll be celebrating by reading a good book :)

I've just started reading a great book Caraliza by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick. I hear that it's free on Amazon for Kindle, so I thought I would let you all know it about it:

Here's a link to the free book: Caraliza - Amazon Kindle ebook

Caraliza by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick





In other news, I am putting the finishing touches to my second edition of Coincidences and hope to be publishing that in the coming months. I'll be revealing the new cover shortly.

Those of you who are on Facebook may be interested to know that I now have an author page there: Author, Maria Savva, on Facebook

I will be regularly updating that page with news about my writing. Hope to see you there!

Happy Reading!
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Published on March 01, 2012 10:34 Tags: amazon, caraliza, coincidences, facebook, joel-blaine-kirkpatrick, kindle, maria-savva, world-book-day

February 23, 2012

A chat with author Stacy Juba





Those of you who follow my blog may have seen my interview last year with Stacy Juba.

Here's a link to that interview where we talked about her book Twenty-Five Years Ago Today-- Stacy Juba Interview

Since then, Stacy has been a busy woman, publishing many more books, some of which I've read. I decided that it's been far too long since I had a good old chat with her on my blog, so I invited her back.

Stacy is one of those writers who can turn her hand to many different types of books; Children's books, Young Adult fiction, fantasy, paranormal, murder/mystery. I've really enjoyed reading Stacy's books and look forward to finding time to read her new ones.

She has very generously agreed to give away a paperback copy of Dark Before Dawn, her YA paranormal novel, to one lucky reader of my blog. This contest is limited to those of you who live in the U.S. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this interview or simply 'Like' it :) A winner will be picked on the 12th of March 2012.




Here's my latest interview with Stacy:


Your novel Sink or Swim has been getting some great reviews. I found it to be a very engrossing read. The plot revolves around Cassidy, the main character, who is stalked after appearing on a reality TV show. To celebrate the release last year you interviewed quite a few reality TV show stars on your blog. Who was your favourite guest and why?


That was a fun month! I interviewed so many guests, from shows like Survivor, Top Chef, Beauty & the Geek, and Bachelor Pad and loved hearing all their stories. I was especially happy to have Michelle Costa from Big Brother 10 on the blog, as Michelle has been a great supporter of Sink or Swim. She gave me a back cover blurb for the book, interviewed me on her radio show, and has been wonderful about spreading the word on her social networks. Anyone interested can find links to all the interviews at Sink or Swim Interviews





Would you ever consider appearing on a reality TV show of the type featured in Sink or Swim?

No! I'm very introverted and just wouldn't be comfortable in front of the camera. My husband and I did try out for the game shows Jeopardy and The Price is Right, though, but I was praying that he would get picked and not me!

You have published a short story Laundry Day and it is also featured in the BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology - Volume 3. It's a fun and suspenseful read. Do you have any plans to write more short stories?





In the past, I never wrote or read many short stories, but I've been expanding my horizons lately by reading a lot of short stories on Kindle. As a result,
I'm planning an anthology of romance short stories to serve as a companion book to the romance/chick lit novel that I'm currently writing. I'm very excited about both projects and have been keeping a folder of short story ideas for the anthology. They're going to be upbeat, sweet romance stories. I'm also considering having Kris from Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, Cassidy from Sink or Swim, and Dawn from Dark Before Dawn star in their own short stories, but that is on the backburner.

Last year you also released a Young Adult book, Dark Before Dawn, which I understand is a paranormal novel about a young girl with psychic powers. What was the inspiration behind that book?

I've always enjoyed reading books about psychics and I actually wrote the first draft of that book when I was in my early twenties. An editor at Random House thought another paranormal YA novel that I'd submitted had promise and encouraged me to start over with a new book, something in the vein of Lois Duncan's YA books. That's when I began Dark Before Dawn. It came close at many publishing houses, but wound up in my drawer for several years. I'm thrilled that it's finally in front of readers.

You also released Face-Off (Book One) last year. I understand that this Young Adult hockey-themed novel was first published when you were a teenager and has been acclaimed by The Hockey Hall of Fame's Junior Education Program and Booklist among others. What made you decide to re-release the book, and are there any differences between the original version and the newly published one?




It had been out of print since the early 1990s and re-releasing it was on my to-do list for the past couple of years, with the growth of e-books and all the independent publishing opportunities available now which weren't available before. It was on the backburner for awhile as it was quite a project. The manuscript was typed on a computer model that doesn't even exist anymore, and I didn't have an electronic copy. I had to send the paperback book to a company, which took the book apart and scanned it in for me. Then I had to carefully proof it, to make sure I caught all the scanning conversion errors. Lastly, I had to think long and hard about how much to change in the book, as e-mail, cell phones, the Internet, social networking, and texting were not part of our culture in the early 1990s. All of that was in its infancy. But setting the book in the present would mean tearing it apart, and I didn't want to mess with a book that so many kids had enjoyed over the years. I decided to keep it simple, and just delete references that might confuse today's kids, such as the names of rock bands, TV shows, and retired hockey players. For example, I deleted a few lines about The Brady Bunch, as I don't think most kids today are overly familiar with that show.

I read that you're soon publishing a sequel to Face-Off. Was the sequel also something written when you were a teenager, or is that something that you wrote much later on?

I wrote the sequel, Offsides, when I was about 19 or 20 but it was never published. There was a lot of editorial turnover at the original publishing company. It went in my drawer for years and all I had was the typed manuscript. Last year, I hired a company to scan in the manuscript as the thought of retyping it was unbearable! I do feel it needs some rewriting before it's ready for publication, so that's the stage I'm at now - rewriting. I'm balancing that with writing the romance/chick lit novel that I mentioned above.

I love your book covers. Who designs them?

My husband Mark is a graphic designer, so how lucky is that! He designed the covers for Laundry Day, Face-Off, Dark Before Dawn, Teddy Bear Town Childrens E-book Bundle, and my other children's books. He's open to working with clients if anyone is interested, and down the line, we'll probably add some information about that on my web site. In the meantime, if anyone is interested in touching base with him, they can email me through my web site. The covers for Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Sink or Swim were done by Mainly Murder Press, which published the paperback editions.

Your latest release is a set of 3 children's books: Teddy Bear Town. This comprises The Flag Keeper(which we discussed the last time I interviewed you), and two more recent releases: Victoria Rose and the Big Bad Noise, and Sticker Shoes. Tell us a bit more about the collection and why you decided to release them as a 3 e-book bundle.




I'm really excited about this bundle as I think it fills a niche for parents who love to read to their children, but don't want to clutter up the bookshelf with more books. It's priced at $2.99 and is exclusive to Kindle at this time, but will likely be available at more retailers down the line. I wrote the stories and my father illustrated them. They all feature teddy bear characters, hence the name Teddy Bear Town, and were done in colored pencil. It's targeted at people who have color e-readers. The Flag Keeper is about Elizabeth, a bear determined to prove to her dad that she is capable of raising the U.S. flag by herself while following all the rules of flag etiquette. Victoria Rose and the Big Bad Noise is about a bear who has to learn to overcome her fear of loud noises like the vacuum and blender. And Sticker Shoes is a fun story about a bear who tries to create beautiful shoes using stickers, but runs into a few problems along the way. Sticker Shoes is exclusive to the e-book bundle; the other two stories can be downloaded separately. But I thought 3 books in one download, at an inexpensive price like $2.99, was more likely to capture parents' attention than the standalone picture books so that's the edition that I'm marketing the most. The teddy bear theme tied them all together.

I know you have young children. What do they think of your children's books?

They loved the picture books, especially the illustrations, and I read Face-Off to my older one. They're not overly impressed about the books being published, though. They're used to my writing and publishing addiction so when I show them a new book cover, they nod and smile, and then go back to what they were doing. I'm looking forward to them reading Dark Before Dawn someday though - then I think they'll think Mom is pretty cool!

You are one of the first authors to try out Amazon Kindle's KDP Select. How is that experience going? Do you think it is something more authors should be getting involved in?

It's going very well so far. I think authors should definitely consider it, unless they are making a significant amount of money at other outlets. But the majority of authors do best at Amazon. I think it's especially beneficial for authors with multiple titles, as if readers enjoy one book, they're more likely to seek out your other books. You don't have to put all your titles in it - you can try one or two and see how it goes. And you don't have to keep them in it forever. It's only a commitment of a few months, and then you have the option of whether to extend it or let it lapse. It takes some effort removing your titles from other outlets, but for many authors, I think it's worth the effort. I do understand why some authors are reluctant to give an exclusive though, and it's unfortunate for readers that have other kinds of e-readers such as the Nook. Authors on both sides of this issue have valid points. But personally, I thought this was the best decision for my career at this time. I've been working for 20 years to get established as an author, since I was in high school, and my royalties through Amazon have allowed me to cut back on other kinds of jobs and focus on my fiction.

Thank you, Stacy!

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Remember to leave a comment for Stacy or 'Like' this blog post, for your chance to win a copy of Dark Before Dawn! Good luck!
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February 16, 2012

Meet author Brian Mullally and enter to win a copy of A Patch of Blue!

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One of the great things about book reviewing is that I get to meet so many wonderful authors. Brian Mullally, my guest today, is a former Brit who now lives in Canada. I found his collection of short stories A Patch of Blue very entertaining and am looking forward to reading more of his books. I just had to invite him here to introduce him to all of you.





Brian has very generously offered to give away a copy of the book to one of my blog followers. To enter, all you need to do is 'like' this blog post or leave a comment below. We will pick a winner at random on 10th March 2012.

Here my interview with Brian:

Your bio states that you won your first writing award in an inter-school contest at the age of 9. When did you first discover your love of writing, and can you tell us a bit more about the story that won you an award at that age?

“Composition” was my favourite subject when I was at school. In 1938 my headmaster encouraged me to enter a contest sponsored by the bishop. I wrote a parable about an orphan boy who met Jesus. I was awarded a tiny calfskin Bible with a child size, thumb index.

I lost my copy of the story when a bomb destroyed our house in 1944. But the Bible survived, I found it amongst the rain soaked wreckage of our home. It sits upon a shelf in my den.

I understand that you used to live in London. I am a Londoner and was intrigued by one of the stories in A Patch of Blue where the couple was taking a holiday to London and the main character was remembering the London he used to know. Have you visited London recently, and if so, how has it changed from when you were a child growing up there?

In the early post war years, London was a dreary grey town, struggling to rebuild. Dotted with bomb craters and ruined building. Many of the houses still had boarded windows and tarpaulins on the roof. Money was tight, and with so many returning from war, jobs were scarce. It was impossible to find a place to live, and we still had ration books when my wife and I left for Canada in 1953.

When we returned in 1969 the Beatles were installed in Abbey Road and our children rushed to Carnaby Street. We have made several trips since Our last visit was in 2001 when we took a ride on The Eye and marveled at all the reconstruction. The grayness has all gone now and London is great place to visit.




I read that some of the short stories featured in A Patch of Blue are award winners. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Mock Turtle Island as voted winner of The Warren Adler Short Story Contest in 2010 and included the New York Anthology of short stories that year

Honorable mention from Writer's Digest for Afterglow in 2006.

2006 Honorable mention in the Arizona Literary Contest for An Insignificant Flower 2007 Short Listed in Fish International Competition for Christmas in the Barn {The title was changed to Maid from Orleans in the Patch of Blue collection.

As well as short stories you have written four novels. What genre would your novels come under, and can you tell us a little bit about each one?

Kinship of Blood A family history written as a novel beginning with the Battle of Waterloo and ending just before World War 1.

The Son of Left Handed Shoveler Boys & girls growing up during the Depression and W.W2.





Make me an Offer is a novel about love and missed chances, set in a fictional town in southern Ontario. The three protagonists, Maggie, Charlie, and Harry take turns telling a story, peeling off the years to reveal their loves and secrets.

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If I Were a Blackbird is set in 1797. Young Caro Lapsford is thrust into the center of one of the most dramatic years of that century, when she discovers that her future husband has been press ganged into the British Navy. She comes to London determined to help him escape, but he’s deeply involved in the Great Naval Mutiny; and despite all her efforts he is eventually hung. Heartbroken, she makes her escape with the help of an American sailor, who persuades her to come to America with him and learn to live and love again in a new land.

I read in your bio that you have also written some television scripts. Are there any that we would have heard of?

It was a half hour show for children, called The Maximum Dimension produced by Heartland Motion Pictures, Saskatchewan; a half hour series about math and the world around us. I wrote an episode about Stonehenge and another about the pyramids.

As well as novels, I write short stories, and have noticed that many readers are more willing to read a novel than a collection of short stories. What would you say to convince people to read more short stories?

I think reading habits are changing, everyone’s in a hurry these day and the introduction of EBooks and IPhones encourages the reader to read fiction in small bites.

P.S I am looking forward to reading some of your work. Can I get it on my IPad?

Very kind of you, Brian; yes, Smashwords has my books in many formats and three of them are available on the iBookstore at the moment :)

Do you have any favourite stories from A Patch of Blue? If so, can you tell us why they’re your favourites.

A difficult question to answer–I love all my stories. Each one reminds me of a different time in my life. The General and Moon Lady is a true story. Strasbourg Revisited reminds me of a happy vacation with my youngest son.

When reading some of your short stories and then reading your bio, I did wonder whether any of the stories in your collection were autobiographical. For example a couple of your main characters are Real Estate agents and your bio states that you worked as a Real Estate Agent, and there are also a couple of stories that take place in war time Britain, and your bio states that you lived through the London Blitz. Are any of them inspired by real events or based on people you know?

The Afterglow and My First Canadian were inspired by real events. When people are listing their house for sale they invite you into their homes and you become involved with their family stories as you search for suitable homes. Some of my characters are borrowed from this time in my life. The historical stories are pure fiction inspired by true events.

What are your memories of the London Blitz?

Croydon was still a separate town in the county of Surrey when I was born, and it didn’t become part of the Borough of London until 1965. But the town only ten miles from the London docks and a lot homes were destroyed and some of my school friend were killed during the Blitz in 1940.

Hitler began launching flying bombs at London in June 1944, many of the 9,521 fell short of central London and landed in Croydon. Seventy five percent of the houses in Croydon were damaged or destroyed by the end of the war. My mother and I were bombed out twice and my future wife’s family also lost two homes. During this same period both our fathers were away fighting}. I remember walking across Blackfriar’s Bridge on my first day of work in 1945 and staring at old St. Paul’s surrounded by ruined building.

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

Laurie Lee his prose is poetry, he immortalized the English countryside.

Albert Camus I don’t always agree with him – but I never doubt his sincerity and humanity.

Len Deighton I have been a fan of his cryptic style since The Ipcress File.

Margaret Lawrence was one of Canada’s greatest novelists she wrote of a Canada that has disappeared.

Elizabeth von Arnim I love her sense of humour and wit.

Gabriel García Márquez He opened my mind to an unknown world.

David Lodge I love his style and wit

Colleen McCullough A great story teller

Ernest K. Gann We share similar interests – aviation and Africa

I’m only halfway along the first shelf - but it’s time to quit.

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

The Edge of Day by Laurie Lee

If someone wanted to read your books, which would you recommend they read first, and why?

A Patch of Blue offers the reader a choice of contemporary and historical stories.

Are you reading a book at the moment?

Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth and Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose

What do you think of EBooks as opposed to print books?

I think EBooks will become the main source for novels and short stories. But books will survive once the publishing world settles down.

How important are reviews for you as a writer?

They tell me if my writing is worth reading – everything else is just advertising


How do you go about choosing covers for your books?

Consultation with my publisher, and my artist wife.


What are you working on now?

Halfway through a sequel to Make Me An Offer, and completing my second collection of short stories.

Where can people buy your books?

Blue Denim Press
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Amazon US
Barnes & Noble

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

http://www.brianmullally.net

Thank you, Brian!

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Remember, if you'd like to win a copy of A Patch of Blue, leave a comment below. It's an international competition. Good luck!
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Published on February 16, 2012 14:01 Tags: author-interview, brian-mullally, giveaway, patch-of-blue, short-stories

February 15, 2012

My Favourite Books: February

Each month I will be picking one of my favourite books and recommending it here on my blog.

Last month, I recommended the wonderful The Day the Flowers Died by Ami Blackwelder.

The Day the Flowers Died by Ami Blackwelder




This month, I am choosing one of the first books I found here on Goodreads when I joined back in 2008. Caviar Dreams by Judy Nichols.




I'm planning to read this one again when I get time because I have almost forgotten the story but I remember I really enjoyed it. It's a murder mystery. Here's the review I wrote when I read the book:

I was hooked on this book from the start. It's funny, entertaining and compulsive. The characters are well developed and totally believeable. There are so many twists and turns, the book is a real page-turner, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The main character Lisa's life is turned upside down when her best friend falls in love with a thief who steals all her money, and there are devastating consequences for all involved. I would highly recommend this book.

Here's a link to the book on Amazon.com: Caviar Dreams

It doesn't appear to be available on Kindle yet.

It is on Nook: Caviar Dreams - Nook

Look out for my next book choice in March!
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Published on February 15, 2012 11:02 Tags: caviar-dreams, judy-nichols, recommended

February 8, 2012

An interview with author Benjamin Jones



I am thrilled to be introducing you to author Benjamin Jones today. I met Ben on Twitter quite a while ago when I ran a competition giving away hardback copies of my first novel Coincidences. He was one of the winners.

I recently read his latest novel Head Above Water, a romance with a twist of the paranormal. This fantasy tale is a fun and enthralling read, with a very unexpected ending. Ben has generously offered to give away some e-books to my blog readers, so to be in with a chance of winning a copy please either 'like' this blog post, or leave a comment for Ben below.

After reading his highly original new book, I wanted to find out more about this talented indie author. Here are the interview questions I sent him along with his replies:

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


Before I wanted to be a writer I wanted to be in the film business (specifically as a screenwriter and director) and I was HEAVILY influenced by Spike Lee so he was the one that really inspired me to write as I wanted to be just like him when I grew up.




When did you first discover your love of writing

I discovered my love of writing probably in middle school. Growing up in that particular time (before the internet and the emergence of cell phones to the masses like they are today), we didn't have a home phone so, in order to keep up with my school friends during the summer months I had to write letters as that was the only way that I could communicate with them (at least those that didn't live within walking distance to me). That was really when I got hit by the writing bug.


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

Be prepared to do EVERYTHING. The job doesn't stop when you finish the book - that's the easy part. The hard part is getting the word out and promotion and all of that good stuff. Another good thing is to find some peers on Twitter, Facebook, etc... that are self publishing and learn from them (both their successes and failures).

Your first published books were in the H.U.B. series Humanity's Ultimate Battle (H.U.B.) Volume 1 and 2 Collection, and Volume 3. I haven’t read those yet. I understand from your website that these books are about Vampires but ‘not the Twilight kind’. Can you tell us a bit more about the series and what inspired it.



The H.U.B. series is set in a world where vampires and humans co-exist in a very fragile "truce"; vampires are the minority and most of them simply want to live amongst the humans peacefully. There are certain people/groups on both sides that aren't happy living with each other and are willing to do anything, even provoke a war, to re-insert their dominance.

The series was inspired by what I perceived to be the watering down of vampires. The vampires you see in movies and television shows today are about romance and partying and all that good stuff but I wanted to take it back to the essence and show vampires as I always knew and loved them to be - bloodthirsty animals that only wanted blood. Once the idea was born it really took off and I had the first three volumes written within 18 months.



I read in the bio on your website that you describe yourself as and ‘independent’ author ‘for the time being’, and you go on to say that you don’t have an agent ‘at the moment’. Does that mean you’re actively seeking a publisher or agent? Tell us more about your aspirations for your future writing career. What’s your ultimate goal?

I think it's most everyone's dream as an aspiring author to be represented by an agent and to be in a big publishing house but, at the same time, the odds for that are very slim. Plus, you have to look at the economics of it all; you sign with a big publishing house and you'll sell more books (hopefully) but you're gonna get less and you'll have less control over the whole process. Being an independent author, I like being able to control when and how I want to release my books and doing things how I want to do them. I may sell less books but I get more of the profit and it's, at least for me, a greater sense of satisfaction in knowing that I wrote these books on my own and people are reading and enjoying them; it's a great feeling.

As for my ultimate goal - it's to continue to get better at my craft and build my fanbase one book/person at a time in the hopes that, one day, I can quit my corporate job and be able to live off of nothing but writing.

I’ve seen that you have taken part in a few blog talk radio interviews. Do you find that those types of interviews help with promoting your work? Have you found new readers through that medium, as far as you know?

Yes, I've done a few blog talk radio interviews and I think it does help promote your work as you never know who's listening to it. As far as I know I think those interviews have translated into a few new readers, which is great, but, at the same, I'm also hoping to inspire someone to work on their dream of being a writer by them listening to me and my story and them knowing that I'm just like them.

I understand that you are currently involved in a non-fiction Hip Hop book project with co-writer, Debbie Cunningham. Tell us what that’s about and how you got involved with this. What can Hip Hop fans expect from the book?

I got involved with the Hip-Hop book project through an interview that I had with Debbie Cunningham and her online blog/magazine entitled For The Masses. We follow each other on Twitter and we both were familiar with each other's taste in Hip-Hop music so, at the end of the interview, when she asked me if I would be interested in writing a book on Hip-Hop, I jumped on it.

As for what the book is about, it's simply two fans (Debbie and myself) profiling the Hip-Hop artists that we feel represent what Hip-Hop is to us. Hip-Hop fans can expect to get different takes on their favorite artists and also to read some interviews that we have conducted with some of the artists that we talk about in the book. It's gonna be really nice when it comes all together as you have Debbie who lives in New York and me who was born in Tennessee and currently lives in Dallas, and the different likes and dislikes that we have in regards to Hip-Hop. We tend to agree on a lot of the artists we talk about but, some, not so much. :-)

Is Hip Hop your favourite music? What bands are you listening to these days?

Hip-Hop is my favorite form of music but my interests in music are varied. My favorite artist is The Notorious B.I.G. and I love Jay-Z. Outside of Hip-Hop, I like Adele, Sade, Beyonce, Fiona Apple, Corinne Bailey Rae, etc...




I also read on your website that you’re working on a book called The Girl in the Red Balloon. What genre is that book, and can you tell us a little about it?

The Girl In The Red Balloon is, at it's heart, a romance, but there's another element to it, much like Head Above Water. As for what it's about, it's about how a note in a balloon sets off a very "interesting" relationship between two people that have never met each other before, both of which are "broken" in a sense.



I know that you’re involved in a separate project Clan of the Flying Pen, which I understand is a group of writers that have got together to release a book. Is this going to be an anthology of short stories in many genres, or is there a theme to the book? Do you have an anticipated release date?

The Clan of the Flying Pens is a group I put together with 4 other writers that I met on Twitter. Their is no theme to it, just a collection of our work (excerpts from novels, poetry, flash fiction, short stories, etc...) to give potential readers a taste for our writing and hopefully allow one (hopefully all) of us to sell some more books and get some more shine in the industry. I call it a big writing gumbo as you're getting so many different tastes of things from 5 very different writers and it's gonna be great when it's all said and done.

As for a release date, all of the work has been submitted and everything so I would anticipate a late spring/early summer release.

You have book trailers for the H.U.B. book series. What’s your opinion about the effectiveness of book trailers as a promotional tool, and have you ever been influenced to buy a book after watching the trailer?

I'm kinda torn on book trailers. They do serve their purpose of getting people to notice the book and what not but I would have to say that I've really never been influenced to buy a book after watching a trailer. I'm more influenced by the synopsis and, if that catches me, then I'm good.

Your latest book, Head Above Water is a wonderful romantic novel with a twist of the supernatural/paranormal. I really enjoyed it. Hopefully I’m not giving too much away by saying that I noticed one of the themes in the book strikes me as quite similar to the H.U.B. series in the sense of ‘we are not alone’, there are other types of ‘humans’ on the planet (of course in H.U.B. they’re Vampires). Is this something that you believe, or is your inspiration purely derived from imagination?



The similarities between H.U.B. and Head Above Water was purely coincidental and was/is inspired purely from imagination. But, do I believe that there could be "others" out there (i.e. aliens), I would be hard pressed to rule it out. The universe is a big place and who knows what could be lurking out there waiting to be discovered?

Head Above Water is a very romantic novel, I especially found Darryl, the lead male character, to be romantic. Leena and Darryl are portrayed as soulmates. Do you believe in true love?

As a romantic at heart, I am prone to believe in true love but I often struggle with the concept of there only being "one" person out there for someone; I feel if that were the case then people would only get married once and stay married. I tend to believe that there are several individuals that someone could find "true love" because, as we grow and mature, sometimes our ideals of love can change and what used to be true isn't any longer.

I felt that the ending of Head Above Water left the possibility that there could be a sequel. Is this something you had in mind when writing the book? Or, if not, do you have plans to write a sequel?

When I initially wrote the book I had never really intended for it to be a sequel but, the more I worked on it, my ideas started to change a bit. I have a few thoughts swimming around in my head in regards to where a potential sequel could go but, right now, I'm happy with where things are in the book. Ask me again in six months, I may change that answer. LOL

I read that you have been working on Head Above Water for many years, changing bits until you were happy with it. How long in total did it take to write the book?

I would say all in all, I worked on Head Above Water off and on for a decade; putting it down, picking it back up and editing, etc..., etc... At one time I had tried to find an agent and get published the traditional way with the book and I got rejection letter after rejection letter. I kept tinkering with it until I was happy with it and that is what I released. It helped that I learned a lot by putting out the H.U.B. series and getting the little bit of success with that definitely made me feel better about putting Head Above Water out.

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

Stephen King is my all time favorite; he's the master at what he does. I grew up reading his books and watching the movies of his and was in amazement in all of the great stories he was able to tell.





I'm a big fan of a writing friend of mine named Reena Jacobs who wrote a WONDERFUL book entitled I Loved You First; I just loved everything about the book and her characters were so well written and made me care about them. By being able to network on social media I've been able to read so many good books by independent authors such as myself and they all inspire me as there are some GREAT writers out there.

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

Yes, The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King which is my favorite book. The story is just so different from his other works and there's just something about it that I love.

Are you reading a book at the moment?

I just finished reading 11/22/63 by, again, Stephen King which was fantastic. I do have 4 books from my writing friends that I need to read, though.

What do you think of e-books as opposed to print books?

As a reader I'm still the type of guy that prefers to have a physical book in my hand but I'm coming around to the idea of e-books. As a writer, the importance of e-books can't be stated enough. E-books allow authors like myself to reach a wider audience at less cost to us which is always a bonus.

What is your opinion of the new Amazon KDP Select option for authors? Are you planning to try it out?

I think for someone more established the Amazon KDP Select program is good but, for someone like myself who needs to get my book in as many different places as I can, it doesn't appeal to me. It doesn't help that I sell the majority of my books via the Nook anyway (for whatever reason that is) so, I'm not liking the appeal of having my book in only one place for a certain amount of time.

How important are reviews for you as a writer?

Reviews, to me, are the life blood of any book, especially from an "unknown" writer like myself. Reviews are like word of mouth and the right buzz can do wonders.

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

Once I finish a book I usually have an idea of which scene/idea from the book that I think will signify something special enough to be on the cover. I was fortunate enough to find a very good cover designer named Chris Leepow that is awesome at taking my ideas and turning them into a great looking cover.

Do you have any upcoming events or news you’d like to share with your readers?

On March 3rd I will be in Oklahoma City, OK promoting my H.U.B. series at the Underground Monster Carnival. Also, on March 24th I will be conducting a live radio interview that can be heard at 6 AM EST (I know it's early! LOL) with Mr. Marc Medley at http://gobrave.org . Readers can always keep up with me by visiting my Event-Calendar

Where can people buy your books?

My books can be found via the following:
Purchase links
All e-book at $0.99 each

Paperback of H.U.B. Volumes 1 & 2 are available for $10 (autographed) via the website

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you, Ben!!

Remember, if you'd like the chance to win an e-book of Head Above Water, leave a comment below, or simply 'like' this post :)
Good luck! Winners will be picked on 24th February 2012.
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Published on February 08, 2012 12:45 Tags: author-interview, benjamin-jones, fantasy, giveaway, h-u-b, head-above-water, paranormal, romance, vampires

Pre-Valentines sale :)

It's nearly upon us, Valentines Day. For those of you in a happy relationship who may be wondering what to buy your other half, books always make a good gift. Maybe you're feeling even more generous and are thinking of buying an e-book reader for your loved one?
Anyway, I know that times are still hard for most of us, so I have reduced the price of all my Kindle books in the run-up to Valentines Day in case you want to grab a bargain.

Here's a link to my Amazon page: Amazon's Maria Savva Page

I even have a book with hearts on the cover! Love and Loyalty and there are a couple of romantic stories in that one.

Love and Loyalty (and Other Tales) by Maria Savva





My book, Fusion, includes a story called 'The Valentine's Card' which is most appropriate for this time of year :)



Fusion by Maria Savva






For the hopeless romantic in your life, you may prefer my bestselling book (that's bestselling in the sense of it sells more than my other books, not it's a bestseller - I wish!!) A Time to Tell This is a family saga, but at its core is the idea of true love.



A Time To Tell by Maria Savva





My novels Second Chances and The Dream both contain a healthy dose of romance.




Second Chances by Maria Savva The Dream by Maria Savva





In my short story collection Pieces of a Rainbow (currently free on kindle), there is a story 'Forever Blue' which is very romantic, if a little poignant.



Pieces of a Rainbow by Maria Savva





I hope you will consider purchasing one of my books -- now at the low, low price of $0.99 or £0.71 on Kindle. The prices will go up again after Valentines Day.

I wish you all a very Happy Valentines Day, whether you are single, married, or in a relationship. I hope you enjoy the day.
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Published on February 08, 2012 06:21 Tags: book, ebook, kindle, maria-savva, romance, sale, valentines-day

February 5, 2012

Kimberly Dana interview




















I met author Kimberly Dana through Bookpleasures when I reviewed her book Pretty Dolls. Pretty Dolls is a wonderful illutrated children's book that deals with the subjects of friendship, jealousy and bullying.

Kimberly is an award winning author and teacher. She was recently interviewed on NBC's More at Midday. Here's a link to the interview on YouTube: Video interview

Kimberly currently has a giveaway here on Goodreads which runs until 1st April 2012. It's open to anyone in the US. To enter you just need to navigate to the Pretty Dolls book page and follow the link to the giveaway. There are 5 copies available.






Here's my interview with the author:


I understand that as well as being a writer you are also a schoolteacher who teaches middle school children. As you write children’s and young adult books I guess that a lot of your inspiration comes from the children you teach. Have any of them read your books, and if so, what kind of feedback have you got from them?

I get A LOT of my inspiration and ideas from my middle school students. Teens and preteens are so smart and astute. They are the emotional truth-tellers of the world and just by observing them in action, you learn a lot about authenticity – something most adults have lost along the way. That said, my middle reader book, Lucy and CeCee’s How to Survive (and Thrive) in Middle School and YA novel, Cheerage Fearage are soon to be released, so my students have yet to read them. But when I teach my children’s picture book unit in creative writing, they all read Pretty Dolls with very positive reviews, I’m happy to report.

Pretty Dolls deal with the subject of bullying, in a very creative way. As a school teacher what advice would you give to a child who is being bullied, and do you think there are any tell-tale signs that parents and teachers can look out for?

Wow, great question. Bullying is such a hot topic right now. We hear about it all the time in the news and with the Internet as the perfect covert medium, bullying seems to be getting worse in a much more menacing way. As far as telltale signs, I think it’s important to ask your child what’s going on in their life and be on the watch for moodiness, dejection, and social avoidance. Let kids know if they are being bullied that it’s not their fault, they’re not alone, and adults are here to help them.

From your insight as a teacher, what do you think schools can do to deal more effectively with bullying?

Early intervention is so important when dealing with bullying. Research shows that kids are bullied every seven minutes and it starts in the primary and elementary years. Our greatest defense is implementing character education programs, starting with quality literature. By relating to fictional characters, such as Gracie in my picture book Pretty Dolls, kids learn empathy at a young age, which is the core to human social interaction.

The illustrations in Pretty Dolls are beautiful and really bring the story to life, in my opinion. How did you go about finding an illustrator and did you have any input as to how the characters in the story would look?

I agree that the illustrations are gorgeous. Kurt Jones did a wonderful job bringing the characters and action to life. Unfortunately, I can’t take any credit for finding him. Kurt works for my publishing company, Tate Publishing, and yes - he has talent in spades!

You have a book trailer for Pretty Dolls on YouTube. Book trailers are becoming very popular these days as a way of promoting books. What’s your opinion about the effectiveness of book trailers as a promotional tool, and have you ever been influenced to buy a book after watching the trailer?

Book trailers are wonderful promoting tools, and as a new author, I fully subscribe to utilizing new marketing techniques. Some traditionalists have a case of “video killed the radio star,” but I say if it works for Hollywood, it should work for us. Book trailers are especially beneficial for hooking YA and middle readers because the Internet is their playground.

I have seen on your website that you’ve done some book signings for Pretty Dolls, how did they go? And, do you have any tips for authors who are considering organising a book-signing event? I know that many authors are put off because of a fear that no one will turn up!

Hahaha! Promotion is all about getting over your fear! I am actually a very private person so when I first started promoting, Internet visibility really freaked me out. But I’m so over it now. An online presence is essential, especially considering my audience. Book signings are great because even if only five people show up, that’s five readers you didn’t have before and word-of-mouth is the best advertising around. So yes, books signings are definitely worth the effort (and courage)! A helpful hint my marketing representative told me is to bring cookies and candy. When people come over to grub, hit them with your stuff!

As well as Pretty Dolls, you’ve also written a YA thriller, ‘Cheerage Fearage’; can you tell us a bit about that very interesting title, and also a bit about the book itself, please?







My YA book, Cheerage Fearage takes place at Camp Valentine - a cheerleading camp with raging spirit. It’s ten years after a popular girl’s bizarre death and the bloodthirsty pranks are going down at a hypnotic pace. Enter Tiki Tinklemeyer my protagonist, an indentured servant to the geek label, who’s thrown into the middle of camp mayhem. Not only is she out of her element spending a week with the micro-miniskirt V.I.P.’s, but now someone wants to kill her. The book’s tagline is Fly high and die!


I’ve seen from your bio that you are a judge and co-ordinator for the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition’s annual ebook competition. Can you tell us more about this competition?

EPIC hosts the oldest competition honoring eBooks and the ePublishing industry. The annual contest accepts all categories, including children’s, mainstream, action/adventure, fantasy, historical, horror, suspense/thriller, science fiction, and romance to name a few. It’s a terrific opportunity for published authors to showcase their work.

I’ve seen on your website that you’ve won awards for your writing. Please feel free to show off about them here. There are too many forums on the Internet that stop authors talking about their achievements, and I think that writing books is a very hard job and authors should be able to brag about any awards they win. So, please tell us, what awards have you won, and how did these come about?

I’m a bit of a competition junkie, but I really think it helps aspiring authors get out of the slush pile. It certainly changed the trajectory of my writing career. I have won the following awards:

· PRETTY DOLLS - Finalist - Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest, Children’s Picture Book Category

· LUCY AND CECEE’S HOW TO SURVIVE (AND THRIVE) IN MIDDLE SCHOOL - Editor’s Choice Award, Rising Star Award by iUniverse

· CHEERAGE FEARAGE - Honorable Mention - Writers Digest Writing Competition - YA Novel Category

· BUNGALOW 52 - Finalist - Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest - YA Novel Category and Honorable Mention - Writers Digest Writing Competition - YA Novel Category

· JONAS AND THE BLUE LADY - Honorable Mention - Writers Digest Writing Competition - Children’s Picture Book Category


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

I read the phenomenal author:Francesca Lia Block|9072],Rachel Cohn, and Sara Shepard, voraciously. The all have an ear for how really teens talk (and think). I have recently found a new appreciation for graphic novels, specifically manga. Along with amazing storytelling, manga is aesthetically beautiful and it’s clear why it has been so fully embraced by the international market.

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

One of the joys of being an English teacher is reading great books multiple times. The books I teach over and over and never tire of are S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango StreetThe Diary of a Young Girl, and quintessential classics like Homer’s The Odyssey and Shakespeare’s ]Romeo and Juliet. When Juliet impales herself with Romeo’s dagger, and a sniveling ninth grade boy asks you for a tissue, you know you’ve hooked them!

What is the target age-group for Pretty Dolls?

The target age-group for Pretty Dolls would around 4-8. But I add that the book’s universal themes of friendship, jealousy, and love are pertinent for any age.

Pretty Dolls is innovative as it also comes with a free code so that the reader can download an audio to go along with the book. Who came up with that idea?

My publisher thought Pretty Dolls would lend itself nicely as an audio download. Shawna Windom did a fabulous job with capturing each girl’s individual voice and narrating the story.

Are you reading a book at the moment?

I usually read at least three books at a time: a children’s book, a YA book, and an “adult contemporary book,” preferably a thriller so scary I can’t sleep at night. As for the moment, I’m enjoying Tomie dePaola children’s books, Rachel Cohn’s YA book Gingerbread,and The Snowman by Jo Nesbo. I love the new Nordic Thriller craze. Go all dragon tattoo chicks!

What do you think of ebooks as opposed to print books?

I’m pretty much on board with ebooks, especially since my next release, Cheerage Fearage, is coming out with Wild Child, a prominent ebook publisher. Love it or hate it, ebooks are here to stay, so it’s probably best to go out and embrace your Kindle!

How important are reviews for you as a writer?

Who doesn’t love a good review? You hear authors say they never read or pay attention to such things, but I contend that is not realistic especially when you are first starting out. I’m going to be honest and say reviews are very important and of value. An author needs to hear the good and the bad in order to grow and hone their craft.

Are you working on any other books at the moment?

At the moment, I am looking forward to promoting my upcoming releases. I’m also writing a creepy beast poem book tailored more for boys. Here is my poem on Zombies:

Brains for breakfast – brains for lunch
Brains for dinner – brains for brunch
Flesh with fries is what they crave
When they burst out from their grave
The walking dead’s alive and well
Most come from a voodoo spell.


Do you have any upcoming events that you’d like to tell your readers about?

I’m really excited about my next two releases. Cheerage Fearage by Wild Child Publishing and Lucy and CeCee’s How to Survive (and Thrive) in Middle School by iUniverse are both coming out in the next few months, so I’m preparing for that. Additionally, I’m hosting several local book signings and author visitations. Promotion is a lot of hard work, but it’s so rewarding to meet your readers in person.

Where can people buy your books?

Thank you so much, Maria, for this wonderful opportunity to interview on your blog. Readers can buy my books at Amazon, BarnesandNoble, and Tate Pubishing. Also, please check my website and blog for new release information. Cheers!

It's been a pleasure, Kimberly, I wish you continued success with you books and writing!
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Published on February 05, 2012 05:15 Tags: author-interview, cheerage-fearage, children-s-book, giveaway, interview, kimberly-dana, pretty-dolls

February 1, 2012

BestsellerBound Book Bonanza!

Christmas was in December, right? Well, come the end of this month, one lucky book addict will be thinking it's Christmas again when he or she wins 17 books in the BestsellerBound Book Bonanza!

10 authors, all members of BestsellerBound (including me), have donated books to the giveaway. Here's what's on offer:

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All books will be signed print copies.

Yes, all these books could be yours! To enter, all you have to do is click on the link below which will take you to Darcia Helle's website, and fill in the form. It's an international competition open to anyone aged 16 and over.

The contest closes on 29th February 2012.
BestsellerBoundBookBonanza

There can only be one lucky winner! Good luck everyone!
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