Maria Savva's Blog, page 8

Read my new short story, "In The Past", at The Write Launch!

Some of you will already know that I have a series of new short stories being featured on the online literary magazine The Write Launch. It's a fabulous site that features poetry, articles, and short stories from a variety of writers from around the world. There are always great things to read there.

This month you can read my latest short story, "In The Past". It's taken from my as yet unpublished collection of short stories, "Out Of Time".

Read it at the following link: https://thewritelaunch.com/2017/08/in...



While you're there, check out the other stories, poems, and features.

If you missed the first three stories in my series, you can catch up here:

The Ring: https://thewritelaunch.com/2017/05/th...

Gunshot: http://thewritelaunch.com/2017/05/31/...

Change of Heart: https://thewritelaunch.com/2017/07/ch...

If you enjoy the stories, please help promote them by sharing them on your Facebook/Twitter etc.

Thank you!

New releases by talented independent authors

You probably hear about the new releases from the big publishing houses, but you may miss announcements from independent authors about their new books. I've heard about a few new releases from some of my favourite indie authors in the past few months, so I thought it would be nice to promote them here.

I haven't read any of them yet, but I know that these authors usually write stuff that I enjoy. I hope you'll find something in the list to add to your to-read lists.

Maisie - by Julie Elizabeth Powell




About the book:

Maisie is special. Yes, she is blind, yes she’s an orphan and yes, few know her roots. But inside, she sparkles, more than an angel, more than those majestic stars that layer the universe in glory. Some see this sparkle while others deny its existence and insist she is nothing more than a brat, one that even her own parents didn’t want.

Maisie also has a secret. One she’d never share because if she did, she knew they’d lock her away in one of those places the others talked about - where all the weird people go.

Even Maisie doesn’t understand it all, but knows that one day she’ll meet the woman and the boy...those that she believes are part of her dreams, in a land where she can see, where colours are vibrant and the moon shines as bright as the sun.

What is the truth, and will Maisie ever find it?

Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B073...

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The Glass City, by Jen Knox



About the book:

WINNER of Prize Americana for Prose, Jen Knox’s The Glass City is a shrewd yet playful collection that explores the dangers of extremes with a subtle, skillful elegance. In these sixteen stories, weather becomes a mirror for the internal struggles of Knox’s indelible cast of characters. An aging acrobat looks for connectivity online as her city floods, two sisters are tasked to spread their mother's ashes on flowers that no longer exist, a man's scars become tattoos as he attempts to outrun truth, a reluctant host shares an island's secrets, and families survive natural disasters that shake out lies and bury inhibitions.

Buy the book:

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/099...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0...
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0996...

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Tipping Point, by Terry Tyler



About the book:

'I didn't know danger was floating behind us on the breeze as we walked along the beach, seeping in through the windows of our picture postcard life.'

The year is 2024. A new social networking site bursts onto the scene. Private Life promises total privacy, with freebies and financial incentives for all. Across the world, a record number of users sign up.

A deadly virus is discovered in a little known African province, and it's spreading—fast. The UK announces a countrywide vaccination programme. Members of underground group Unicorn believe the disease to be man-made, and that the people are being fed lies driven by a vast conspiracy.

Vicky Keating's boyfriend, Dex, is working for Unicorn over two hundred miles away when the first UK outbreak is detected in her home town of Shipden, on the Norfolk coast. The town is placed under military controlled quarantine and, despite official assurances that there is no need for panic, within days the virus is unstoppable.

In London, Travis begins to question the nature of the top secret data analysis project he is working on, while in Newcastle there are scores to be settled...

This is the first book in the Project Renova series; the second, Lindisfarne, is due to be published in September 2017, with the final instalment in the middle of 2018. A collection of outtake short stories, Patient Zero, is in progress, and should be available around December 2017.

Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B074...

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CONDEMNED: An Overview of Execution Methods Throughout History, by Darcia Helle



About the book:

Non-fiction: From hangings to beheading to lethal injections, Condemned brilliantly outlines the shocking, often-cruel conduits connecting early execution methods with modern-day executioners.

Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07562J92P
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07562J92P
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07562J92P

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The Book of a Thousand and One Destinies, by Gareth Lewis



About the book:

A paranoid Sultan, an Assassin found only in stories, and a Storyteller caught up in their battle.

Once upon a time, a great Sultan was plagued by an Assassin who struck at him with stories and lies. A young Storyteller is gathered with her colleagues, and forced to share her stories with the Sultan before their voices are stilled forever.

In a war of destinies, enslaved jinn, and comparative truths, the Storyteller must tread dangerous ground in what may be her final recital.

A fantasy novella.

Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Thousand-...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Thousan...
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Book-Thousand-O...

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Incognito, by Khaled Talib



About the book:

Specialist Ayden Tanner is dispatched by a covert division of the global hacker group, Anonymous, to find the pope who is missing.

A frantic search begins in Italy and beyond its borders amid speculation that the Holy See may know more than they are telling.

Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Incognito-Khal...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Incognito-Kh...
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Incognito-Khale...

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Femme Fatale, by Dominic Piper



About the book:

When private investigator Daniel Beckett foils an assault on a young girl in London’s West End, it leads to an offer of work from a sinister and unlikely source in Soho’s Chinatown.

But what starts out as a straightforward missing persons’ case soon takes on a more ominous aspect as he discovers a trail of blackmail, sadistic violence, conspiracy and murder, plus an influential, privileged and poisonous presence that seems to permeate all spheres of society.

The perpetrators, however, are not expecting to encounter an individual like Beckett; an intelligent, amoral and fearless individual with a skill-set that points to a covert and violent past.

Acquiring an entrancing and mysterious female associate, his investigation leads him into London’s electrifying burlesque scene where it seems some of the answers may lie.

But no one is as they seem, and the truth is unexpected and disturbing.

Femme Fatale is the third novel by Dominic Piper featuring private investigator Daniel Beckett.

Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B073...

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Change of Heart - a new short story

My new short story, "Change of Heart", is featured in the August edition of the online literary magazine "The Write Launch".

Here's a lovely review from the team at The Write Launch:

"The lives of two women are forever bound by one action in “Change of Heart” by Maria Savva. It is a story of fate, personal struggle, truth, and transcendence. Savva never disappoints; once you read a Savva story you will not forget it."

Read the story here: https://thewritelaunch.com/2017/07/ch...



"Change of Heart" is from my upcoming collection of short stories, "Out Of Time".

Two more of the stories from the collection have already been published at The Write Launch. You can read them at the following links:

The Ring: https://thewritelaunch.com/2017/05/th...
Gunshot: http://thewritelaunch.com/2017/05/31/...

Enjoy the stories!

Book Review: Child's Play, by Darcia Helle

Darcia Helle's latest novel in the Michael Sykora series, "Child's Play", was released on Friday! It's a page turner. I was lucky enough to read a pre-release copy of the book.

Here's my review:

Child's Play by Darcia Helle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"Child's Play" is the 4th in a series of books by Darcia Helle. If you're new to the series, I think you can still enjoy the book without reading the others first because with each of her novels in this series, Helle has included enough background to enable the reader to understand the story without needing to have already met the characters. However, the first three books are excellent so I would definitely recommend you read them too.

"Child's Play" is quite a dark novel, and I've come to expect this from Helle's writing. She does always have just the right balance between dark and light as there's a good dose of humour in all of her work. The subject for this work is perhaps one of the most disturbing as it involves child abduction, and child trafficking, abuse, and pornography. Helle's character Sean is seen at his most brutal as he deals with the criminals in a way only he could do.

Helle has a talent for building suspense in her stories. This is most noticeable whenever Sean and Michael have caught a criminal and are about to set about trying to get answers. There is that expectation of violence, and there are some quite hard-hitting scenes, but somehow the author always stops short of allowing the violence to become gratuitous. It's one of the things I admire about her writing.

In this story there is a lot of tension as we follow the characters who are trying to track down members of a paedophile ring.

When the character Kate is introduced, one of Nikki's old friends, the story takes an interesting twist and becomes more fast-paced until the nail-biting conclusion.

The criminal element of the story is nicely balanced with the romance element as we follow the interaction between Michael and Sean with their respective partners.

This is a compulsive, emotional, and edge-of-your-seat read. Highly recommended if you like crime, action, edgy, suspense fiction.



View all my reviews

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You can get a copy on Amazon (Worldwide):

US: https://www.amazon.com/Childs-Play-Mi...
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Childs-Play-...
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Childs-Play-Mic...
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Childs-Play...
FR: https://www.amazon.fr/Childs-Play-Mic...
JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/Childs-Play-...
IN: https://www.amazon.in/Childs-Play-Mic...
ES: https://www.amazon.es/Childs-Play-Mic...
NL: https://www.amazon.nl/Childs-Play-Mic...
MX: https://www.amazon.com.mx/Childs-Play...
BR: https://www.amazon.com.br/Childs-Play...
DE: https://www.amazon.de/Childs-Play-Mic...
IT: https://www.amazon.it/Childs-Play-Mic...

Also at B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chil...


The cover was designed by Jason McIntyre. As well as being a talented author, Jason now offers a cover design service to fellow writers. You can check out some of his designs on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasonM...


Author links:

Website/blog: http://quietfurybooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuietFuryBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarciaHelle

My short stories featured on Reading Nook and The Write Launch this month

You can read two of my short stories free online this month.

"The Great Painter" (from the Mind's Eye Series anthology Tales From The Cacao Tree) can be read on Quiet Fury Books' Reading Nook this week: http://quietfurybooks.com/readingnook...



A brand new story "Gunshot" is featured in the June issue of The Write Launch: http://thewritelaunch.com/2017/05/31/...



Enjoy the stories!

A new short story: The Ring

I'm excited to announce that my latest short story, "The Ring", has been published on a brand new website along with stories, poetry, and articles from some amazingly talented writers.

The Write Launch is the brainchild of the team behind Bookscover2cover.


My story, "The Ring", is the first in a series that will be published on the site. It's from my upcoming collection of short stories, "Out of Time".

Here's a short review of the story, from Sandra Fluck (one of the team at The Write Launch):

The character Paige confronts you with the decision she made a long time ago, and you will ask yourself if you made this decision, what would you do with it? This is the dilemma Paige faces and you will face it too. This is how Maria works the world of moral choices in her stories, especially in "The Ring".

Follow this link to read the story: http://thewritelaunch.com/2017/05/01/...



While you are there, check out the other stories and articles.

Also featured this month are two of my favourite writers, Maria Haskins and J. Michael Radcliffe

Read their awesome stories:

"Miriam and Cat", by Maria Haskins: http://thewritelaunch.com/2017/04/30/...




"Call of the Dragons", by J. Michael Radcliffe: http://thewritelaunch.com/2017/04/30/...




The site is full of great reads, so take your time and browse. It's a fabulous way to find new authors.

If you're a writer and you'd like to submit a story, essay, or poem, check out the submission guidelines: https://bookscover2coverllc.submittab...

Book Review: Redhead, by Jason McIntyre

Redhead by Jason McIntyre

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The fun thing about this series of books is that they're all set on the same island, Dovetail Cove, and you meet some new characters in each book but also learn a bit more about other characters that you may have met in previous books. Redhead is the third in the series, I think, but the order doesn't really matter because the novellas can be read in any order and can be read alone without reading any of the others. So far I've read three of the stories and they are all dark, mysterious, and intriguing. I'm looking forward to reading more.

In Redhead we meet Fanny, the town prostitute. The story is told from her point of view; at the beginning we're told that she killed two men and this story is her confession. That is a great way to start. It really caught my interest. We follow Fanny's story, which tells of murder, betrayal, lust, regret, and how one person's actions can affect a whole community. This is a tragic tale but is told in a very entertaining way. Fanny is a very believable character and all of the players in the story are larger than life. It kept me interested and, like all of Jason McIntyre's fiction, it is multi-layered and engaging.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Forever Freaky, by Tom Upton

Forever Freaky by Tom Upton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love Tom Upton's writing style and quirky characters. Julia (Jules) is known as a freak because of her paranormal abilities. In these two entertaining short novellas, we follow her on a journey of self-discovery. The teenager struggles to come to terms with her own powers and how they affect the world around her. There is intrigue, danger, adventure, and a lot of imagination in these two stories.

In the first tale, a girl disappears at Jules' school and she is called on to use her special abilities to find the girl before it's too late. In the second story, Jules is again coerced into assisting with something she is initially reluctant to do; High School athletes are bursting into flames and no one knows why. Can Freaky Jules get to the bottom of it? Joining her in her adventures is a boy called Jack, who has an interest in all things paranormal and is also hoping to win Jules' heart.

Forever Freaky contains many interesting and realistic characters. These fun fantasy/paranormal tales come across as quite believable even though there are many strange things going on, which shows how skilled this writer is. I was drawn into the stories and enjoyed every page. I will definitely be looking out for more of this author's books.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Invisible Victims: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (Crimes Canada: True Crimes That Shocked the Nation, #15), by Katherine McCarthy

Invisible Victims: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women by Katherine McCarthy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a well-researched and well written book about true crimes. It was eye opening for me because I was not familiar with the history of Canada and the way in which indigenous people have been treated in that country over the years. Katherine McCarthy's account of the missing and murdered women's cases and the way the authorities often turned a blind eye to what was going on, is quite shocking and definitely makes you think. In this book, the author has highlighted specific cases and documented the crimes of serial killers who preyed on vulnerable indigenous women and girls. She has referred to statistical information to back up her findings. It's not an easy read because much of the subject matter is disturbing, but it's a book that should be read by all because it sheds light on a matter that appears to have been covered up for a long time.



View all my reviews

Book Review: Dark Flash, by Maria Haskins

Dark Flash by Maria Haskins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Dark Flash is a collection of 8 flash fiction stories that originally appeared on R.B. Wood's Word Count Podcast. I remember reading a couple of them when the author posted them on her website and I enjoyed them, so I jumped at the chance to read an e-book with all of the stories in it. The first story "The Unicorn" was one of those that I had already read. It's a fantasy tale that contains a touch of magic and horror. It is a wonderfully imaginative story that has an unexpected twist at the end. A common thread running through most of these stories is that of memories, and sometimes memories from past lives or other worlds.

The second story,"Nemesis", is a fascinating and entertaining story that looks at the idea of reincarnation and past lives. It's followed by the poignant "Miriam and Cat". This story was one I'd read before but on re-reading I picked up on another theme that runs through the story, one which I'd missed on the first reading. It's a wonderful fantasy tale about loyalty and dependence, told in an enchanting way with a cat being the main character.

"Treasure Island" is another story where different worlds and timelines collide in the most interesting way. This one will have you guessing until the end and even then you won't be sure; it's a multi-layered and thought-provoking tale about dreams and revenge.

"True Words (Kirke's Bed & Breakfast)" is a dark, speculative fiction tale that builds slowly. Chloe has returned to a beach that holds a secret from her youth. The author weaves a mystical tale with a breathtaking ending.

"Chiaroscuro" is probably my favourite story in this collection. It's a story of obsession and secrets that will keep you guessing up until its surprising ending.

"OK Computer" is an awesome science fiction story about computers, future technology, and precognition. The ending again is one that creeps up on you unexpectedly.

The final story, "The Demon", is a bit of a thriller, and it also contains elements of fantasy and magic. It has a satisfying and unexpected ending; a great way to end this brilliant collection of stories.

Maria Haskins' tales are short but full of substance. These are the sort of stories that you could read again and again, and each time you'll take something else from them. They are full of imaginative, thought-provoking ideas and otherworldly characters. The prose is eloquent and draws the reader in with intriguing storylines and fantastical journeys to other worlds and timelines. It will make you think.




View all my reviews