Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "christmas"

Amazon have now made it possible for customers to buy kindle books as gifts. The books can be sent to your loved one by email. Perfect timing for Christmas.

Gift a kindle

If you have friends who love to read, you can now purchase bargain books on kindle. In these tough economic times it's great that there is now a cheaper alternative for book buying. Many books on kindle are as low as $0.99/£0.72, and you can always find free books listed there as well. All the popular and bestselling books are now available as kindle books, as are many wonderful books by independent authors.

You don't have to worry about your friend or family member not owning a kindle ereader either. They will be able to read the kindle gift book on their pc or mac, ipod, iphone, blackberry or android by downloading a free app from Amazon.

So, when you're looking for gift ideas this Christmas, have a look at all the books available on Amazon kindle. There's something for everyone.

Here are some suggestions (including links to my own books on kindle):

My books Amazon US:

A Time to Tell

Second Chances

Pieces of a Rainbow

Love and Loyalty (and Other Tales)


My books Amazon UK:

Pieces of a Rainbow

Love and Loyalty (and Other Tales)

Second Chances

A Time to Tell


Here are some kindle books I recommend, written by my author friends:

Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools by Victoria Twead

Crooked Moon by Lisette Brodey

The Day The Flowers Died by Ami Blackwelder

Enemies and Playmates by Darcia Helle

Cry for the Moon by William Woodall

Musical Chairs by Jen Knox

My Schizophrenic Life by Sandra Yuen MacKay

Twenty Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba

The Safety Factor by Jerry Travis and Josephines Mayes

I have reduced the price of my kindle books on Amazon to just £0.72 (UK) $0.99 (US) for the Christmas period.

Hopefully this will ensure that anyone who wants to read my books can get them at an affordable price (I know how tight money is these days for most of us).

Also, kindle books can now be given as gifts. So because it's an expensive time of year, I'm offering my books at a lower price to help out if you want to buy them as gifts.

Remember that kindle books can still be read without a kindle ereader. There are free apps on Amazon which anyone can download so that they can read kindle books on other devices: ipad, iphone, android, blackberry, mac or pc.

Here are the links to my Amazon author pages:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Merry Christmas, everyone.

It's that time of year again, when we are frantically trying to think of just the right gift for the people we care about.

Books are wonderful gifts because they can educate, inspire and entertain. I think it's always nice to buy a print version whether it's hardback or paperback as a gift for someone, but nowadays because more people have e-readers, you can also buy e-books as gifts. Maybe you want to treat the book-lover in your life to an e-reader for Christmas and you want to download a few great books? Whatever you are planning, I hope you will find a bit of inspiration from my list of recommended books below.

I've read quite a lot of books this year, and most of them have been really great reads.

Here are purchase links for a few books that I would suggest as gifts:

The Other Room by James Everington - a collection of short stories



Here's the review I wrote for the book:
I am so glad I stumbled across this collection of short stories. It's original, well written, and one of the best collections I have ever read. Every story in this collection is good. There are some stand out ones because they are absolutely amazing, for example 'First Time Buyers'. I think my favourite of the whole collection has to be 'Red Route', the ending is just one of those that makes you go, "wow!".
It's a very diverse collection. There are horror stories, paranormal, thrillers.
This is an exciting new writer, the kind of writer that makes me proud to be a self-published author. In all his stories he takes you deep into the mind of the characters, so that you almost feel as though you are reliving their story. There are many memorable quotes... always a sign of a great writer in my opinion.
A couple of examples:
"Just the sense of the big machinery of the economy faltering and grinding somewhere... She thought of cog-wheels turning high above her, their aloof motion turning other wheels, and those wheels still others...'

"...as if the box of their room was just one box inside another, larger one...'

This is modern literature at its finest. Do not miss this collection.

Into The Light by Darcia Helle



Here's my review:
This is a wonderful story on so many levels. It contains humour, romance, and an element of mystery. It's a supernatural tale about a ghost, Max, who refuses to go `into the light' until his killer can be brought to justice.
Max, in life, was a very ordinary man, in fact he died feeling like a failure and as if his life had been in vain.
What Helle's book teaches us is that there are many things we do on a daily basis that have an effect on other people's lives, for good or bad. Max is forced to confront issues from his past when he dies, and this multi-layered story perfectly highlights the fact that we are often unaware of other people's thoughts and feelings and that makes all the difference when looking at the effects of things we do. Many readers will be able to relate to Max, and also the private investigator, Joe, who is roped in to help Max find his killer. Their relationship is an odd one, but they each learn something from the other as they both try to come to terms with their problems.
The book deals with the subjects of divorce, regret, relationships, insecurity, and miscommunication, among other things. It's a fun and often comical read, but also contains very deep thinking on human behaviour and relationships.
The underlying message appears to be that when we die we leave behind an imprint based on everything we have done, thought, and said... it's definitely food for thought.

Metallic Dreams by Mark Rice



My review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It's about a young man, Spark, who always dreamt of becoming a big name in heavy metal music. In his late teens he was part of a band 'Blood Brothers' who went their separate ways before they could make it into the big time. Some years later, Spark has a life changing experience and as a consequence he becomes determined to put his old band back together and live his dream. His belief is that the band will become successful, and he doesn't want to live his life in a dead end job when his passion lies in music. At its core, Metallic Dreams is about finding the courage to follow your dream, no matter how difficult it might seem to be. It is also about the power of love. It is indie fiction at its best, breaking out of the boundaries set by genre, and experimenting with new and exciting ways to write a story. It is extremely funny; hilarious in parts. I almost laughed out loud in public a few times whilst reading it. It does contain some controversial topics and taboo subjects, but those topics are skillfully woven into the story making them a realistic portrayal of very vivid characters' lives and experiences. This book is very original and entertaining. I would recommend Metallic Dreams to music fans, especially rock and heavy metal fans, as you will find much to relate to in the book. Due to some of the content in this book I would say it is only suitable for over 18s. I am looking forward to more books by this talented writer.

B-Sides and Broken Hearts by Caryn Rose



My review:
B-Sides and Broken Hearts is the story of 37 year-old Lisa, who is finding it hard coming to terms with the death of Joey Ramone, one of her favourite musicians. His death forces her to think about her life and she finds that she is not happy. Her relationship with the predictable, Ian, is not the type of relationship she had envisaged for herself when she was young. The death of Joey Ramone leads to a torrent of emails from Lisa's music-loving friends, and puts her back in touch with Jake, the singer with a successful band, Blue Electric. Lisa had been there with Jake and the rest of the band right from the start when they were unknown and penniless. She watched them grow into a band that could fill arenas. However, for the past 5 years her relationship with the band has been overshadowed by the fact that her boyfriend shows little interest in getting to know them. From the outside, all of Lisa's friends have always thought she should have ended up with Jake. None of her friends like Ian. After Joey Ramone's death, when Ian fails to understand why she is so upset, Lisa makes the decision to visit her old friends in LA. She packs some belongings, mainly CDs for the journey, and drives all night to revisit her past. Lisa goes on a journey in this novel, to find the person she really is. After a tragic relationship when she was younger, she had lost her way. Will her old friends in LA help her reconnect with the real Lisa?

This book is about dreams, friends, love, relationships, and above all it is about music and how music can have a profound influence on our lives.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt that the world had ended because their favourite band split up, anyone who obsessively waited for new albums to be released by their favourite bands and spent their last pennies on gigs and records, anyone who has ever screamed the lyrics to their favourite songs while driving in their car... This is a book for dreamers, and reaffirms the importance of believing in your dreams, and following your heart.
It is well written and engaging. I found myself feeling sad when I knew that the story would soon end. The ending is poignant and uplifting at the same time. This is a must read for music lovers.

Quiet Fury: An Anthology of Suspense



Another one by Darcia Helle. My review:
I am already a fan of Darcia Helle's writing having read her novels, Enemies and Playmates, Hit List, The Cutting Edge, and Into The Light. Darcia Helle has shown us with this anthology that short stories can be as compelling as novels. All of her characters seem real, they have feelings, they have a history, and we learn about them in fewer words than a novel, but still we know them. From the poignant first story, streaked with colour and tragedy, right through to the last one, that contains humour, human compassion and heart, Darcia takes us on a journey that we can relate to. We are all living in this world where calm and fury battle for our attention, just like the characters in Darcia's stories. There are stories to make you laugh, cry, wince, scream... there is every type of emotion within these pages. I enjoyed all the stories. Read Darcia Helle's stories and you will enter a world that may almost frighten you but you will be left curious enough to take another look. Her writing is addictive. She has mastered the art of suspense writing, and this collection is another example of that.

A Murderer's Heart by Julie Elizabeth Powell



My review:
I was already a fan of Julie Elizabeth Powell's writing before reading this book, and I just knew I would love it. Julie is a very versatile writer, with a compulsive and easy to read style. Her past books have been fantasy, children's, and non-fiction. 'A Murderer's Heart' is her first murder mystery. It's excellent!
Dr. Anne Blake is a psychiatrist who is good at her job. She has a firm belief that all mentally ill people can be cured, or saved so that they can lead a better life. She is involved in her own practice as well as helping at the Tadmore Psychiatric Hospital and she has lately become involved in a project 'Back Into the World' to try to raise money to help the mentally ill to be cared for so they can return to their lives in the community. Her busy life means that she has very little time for her friends or for a relationship.
When Dr. Blake meets Peter Armstrong, the son of a woman who needs psychiatric help, her world begins to change. A mysterious murderer is on the prowl and there seems to be a link to the Tadmore hospital.
After hearing that her close friend, Jenny, may be in danger, Anne resolves to do all she can to keep her safe from the killer.
In a dramatic and entertaining story, the author does a great job in putting across the idea that sometimes things are not as they seem and we don't always see what is in front of our own eyes. Dr. Blake is forced to face the limitations of her own knowledge and power.

I loved the way the tale progressed, with all the unexpected twists and turns. It kept me hooked from the start and the ending was delightful.
It's a quick, compulsive read. Highly recommended. I would also recommend all of Julie's other titles.

The Shelter by James Everington



Another one by James Everington. My review: The Shelter is a well crafted story by a master storyteller. I am a big fan of James Everington's writing. After reading his short story collection The Other Room I was excited to hear that he was about to release a novella. I just have a feeling that this author is going to be a big name in literature one day.
James has self-titled his style of fiction 'weird fiction' and I would agree that there is an element of the weird in his writing, but underlying it is a deep understanding of human nature and why people think or behave in certain ways. He takes us inside his characters' heads, and we live through their hopes and fears with them. This skill is proof of his talent as a writer.
The Shelter is a creepy, spooky, horror story. It contains elements of psychological thriller, ghost story, and mystery. The relationship between the schoolboys is realistic and well portrayed. It kept me hooked all the way through and deals with the subject of how guilt can change the course of a person's life. An interesting and thought provoking read.

To Begin Again by Jen Knox



My review: The first story in the collection really drew me in. It's a story that makes you question human nature and really makes you think. After reading that I was sure I was in for a very interesting journey reading this anthology. All of the stories have a 'fly on the wall' feel to them, as if you are watching events unfold that you would not usually be made privy to. I use the word 'watch' as it really felt to me as I read Jen Knox's prose, that these scenes were snippets of other people's lives, short clips of action, and I was seeing them as if on film. Such is the power of her description. The stories cover the subjects of desperation, regret, family relationships, the human condition, love, mental illness, and betrayal, amongst other things. Jen Knox moves a magnifying glass over current social problems, and expertly explores different scenarios on how people deal with loss, pain, fear etc. In Jen Knox's stories we glimpse fragments of people's lives, and she touches on emotions that we can all relate to with a subtlety that is sublime. This collection is a wonderful encapsulation of stories that reflect our current time in history, with all the social pressures and hardships. This is a very emotional and heartfelt collection. I really can't pick a favourite as liked all the stories for different reasons. I found two of them particularly heartbreaking, 'The Probability of Him', and 'Disengaged'. I loved the almost comical tone to the story, 'Absurd Hunger', which is written about a dark subject. 'Solitary Value' is a wonderful example of how Jen Knox observes human nature and the things that make us all the same. I loved the simplicity of the story, 'Dandelion Ghosts', which has a touching ending. I wondered whether some of the stories are autobiographical. An enthralling collection by a talented writer. Highly recommended

Losing Addison by Marty Beaudet



My review: I was hooked on this story from the start. I find the way it was written fascinating. The author literally dreamt this book, and then wrote it all out from his memory, without editing it. It's just perfect as it is! I heard about Marty Beaudet's experimental writing and, although curious, I didn't have time to go and read the serial as it was developing online. I finally found time to visit the blog and read the free online version when the author had already written 16 chapters. I read the whole thing in one sitting because it was that gripping!
Losing Addison is a psychological thriller exploring schizophrenia and the unexplained bond between twins. It's a story that will have you glued to the page. The suspense is well constructed and made me want to continue reading until I found out what was happening. The story unravels bit by bit, slowly revealing the reasons behind the characters' behaviour. Beaudet drip feeds the information in the most effective way, with flashback scenes and high drama. A wonderfully entertaining story. I'd recommend it to everyone who likes a good suspenseful thriller. And I am thrilled that the author chose to name one of the characters after me! My namesake appears in chapter 13!

Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba



My review: Stacy Juba is skilled at the art of writing a scene and making the reader feel the tension and suspense. When I began reading the book about a young girl, Cassidy Novak, who was a star of a reality show and then becomes concerned about a stalker, I was slightly concerned that 'Sink or Swim' would be just another forgettable run-of-the-mill story. But Juba is a professional. She has the reader right where she wants them, one minute Cassidy is concerned about her stalker, the next we are caught up in a multi-layered mystery where Cassidy is at the centre and I could feel the danger she was in. It's a gripping and enthralling read. At times, I was so engrossed in the book that I wanted to jump inside and save Cassidy... that is how adept Juba is at creating real characters and suspenseful storylines. I highly recommend this read from a rising star in the murder mystery genre.
The story deals with family relationships, the impact of reality shows on people's lives, obsession, love, trust, and of course murder!

The Word Gang by Mark McKenna



Mark McKenna has created a wonderful story based on every author's and reader's first love: the written word. All of the characters in the novel are well developed; we learn about their backgrounds and can sympathise with their flaws. Even the detestable teacher, Mr. Ralston, seems to have a side to him that we can all relate to.
After taking a year off school, without telling her mother, Kalisha Jackson begins to feel guilty and decides to go back to school when the new year begins. She finds herself in Project Restart, a new type of teaching system for students who are deemed to be failing in some way. On her first day, she gets off to a bad start when she turns up late, and her moody teacher, Mr. Ralston, immediately marks her out as a bad seed.

Kalisha quickly makes friends with two fellow students in Project Restart; BD, who lives with his alcoholic father; and Sahmbaht, whose family fled from Cambodia for a better life in America, but have brought their painful memories with them.

After helping out an elderly neighbour, Kalisha is given a gift; a dictionary. She begins to read it and starts learning new words. When she uses one of these unknown words in class one day, her teacher thinks she is trying to be disruptive.

Kalisha and her new friends formulate a plan. They have had enough of being treated as troublemakers through no fault of their own, so they decide to learn as many new and obscure words as possible with the intention of making a mockery of Project Restart and hopefully destroying it.

The ensuing adventure is a fun and engaging read; and also educational as there are many rarely used words contained in the novel. This is the type of book that could encourage teens and young adults to look at language in a different way, and perhaps inspire them to learn more words or even more languages.
The story held my interest all the way through. The elderly neighbour, Mr. Spinoza, is a wonderfully eccentric character, and I liked the interaction between him and Kalisha.

There seems to be is a deeper meaning to this story; all about how anyone can be misunderstood. For example, Kalisha is affected by her parents' divorce. Her teacher, Jack Ralston does not try to find out about reasons why the children in Project Restart might be failing, but labels them as disruptive and undisciplined; he has little patience with them. Meanwhile, Kalisha at such a young age has been helping to keep her family together, bringing up her two young siblings while her mother works the night shift at a hospital to make ends meet. Kalisha also shows her caring side when she first meets old Mr. Spinoza.

The Word Gang is all about how misunderstandings can make problems worse, and that it is best to try a bit harder to see the reasons behind the way people behave before you judge them.
Mark McKenna has somehow managed to get inside the minds of his characters and create realistic, believable people.
A very enjoyable read, highly recommended.

Oblivious by Neil Schiller



My review:
This is a wonderful collection of short stories. I enjoyed the sparse prose, the evocative description, and the fact that although the stories are all about different people, male and female, they could almost merge into one. All the main characters are struggling in some way. The themes of difficult family relationships, addiction, regret, depression, guilt, repeat themselves over and over. Schiller has created real characters; these could be people you pass in the street. Schiller has stripped away the layers that ordinary people use to hide their true circumstances or feelings, and gone beneath to examine and reveal the underbelly of human nature. We are taken right inside the characters' homes, hearts, and minds. Schiller has mastered the art of short story and likes to show off about it too. He has included a one sentence story, `Trapped', and a half a page story, `Half'--both of which are perfect--and the latter is one of my favourites in the collection.

The descriptive prose is fresh and original. An example of his writing, from, `Brand Awareness', a story about a man facing redundancy: "I've squandered six years of my life on this job. More if you count the myriad of spoiled hopes it pulled into the swirling vortex of its black heart. I've commuted over twelve thousand miles; I've missed my daughter's first steps, first words, first school play; I've worked and slept and stressed myself into an isolation around which my wife has built a new life to compensate. And it was all for nothing."

And from, `Sabotage', about a man estranged from his young son. "In the midst of the other families, in the kinetic frenzy and shrill excitement of the afternoon, we are silent and desperate and miserable. A dark stain on the gaiety of life. Two broken pilings of rock in a glinting sea of youthful energy."
There is much more where that came from in this fabulous collection.

This is a book that will give you a fly on the wall look at ordinary lives and the common scars and ties that bind us. It will reveal to you the hidden side of life, the side most people will never reveal, and of which we are usually 'oblivious'.

Highly recommended.

33 Days by Bill See



My review: The story of a 33 day tour by the band Divine Weeks. Bill See, the author, was the lead singer of the L.A. band who enjoyed some notoriety in the `80s.
In this memoir, See has collected together journal entries and memories to create much more than just a tour diary. He documents the tour with a great descriptive narrative that really captures the moment and brings his memories to life. He also talks about his own dysfunctional home life, which in some ways spurred him on to chase his dream.

See is a talented writer, who is able to impart wisdom and knowledge through his prose.

I enjoyed reading about the band's progression from an unknown group who played only weekday gigs in their home town, to a successful band touring nationwide. But this is not just a story about the band's journey, it's also about the individual band members' personal journeys along the way. See's introspective and thought-provoking prose make the book a compulsive and insightful read.
We follow the band on their first real tour, across the US and Canada in 1987, where they play small venues, often to a handful of people. But the band's passion is such that they are determined to do anything to reach their dream of one day becoming real rock stars. They survive with hardly any money and sleep in a van and cheap hotels, or even on friends' floors. There is a lot of humour sprinkled throughout the book which makes it an enjoyable read. I liked the fact that the author has included photographs of memorable parts of the tour and his life in the book. It gives an extra dimension to the story.

As well as being an enthralling tour diary, this book deals with such subjects as family life, alcoholism, racism, dysfunctional families, relationships, friendship, loyalty, and the power of dreams.
Divine Weeks's story is an inspirational one that shows what someone can achieve if they follow their dream. The author captures the essence of the book best, when he says: `This book is for everyone who's stood at their crossroads with a dream screaming inside wondering whether to choose the road that goes off the map or fold up their tent and head back home.'

Highly recommended.

The Cutting Edge by Darcia Helle



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...

Those are just a few of the great books I've read this year. I hope you'll find one that will stand out as an ideal gift for someone you know.

It's arrived!! An online bookstore where the hassle is removed from your browsing. At BestsellerBound we seek out the best indie authors and promote their work. It's that simple. So, if you want to own some first edition copies of books by literary stars of the future, look no further. Some of our authors have had tens of thousands of downloads of their ebooks on Amazon already, and it won't be long before word gets out about the hangout for the coolest independent authors. We are proud of Bestsellerbound. Since the message board launched last year it has grown and developed into a hub for the best fiction. You only have to read our short story anthologies to know that there is something special about the authors who frequent our board. Our members are friendly, supportive and most importantly they are extremely talented.

We are always looking for ways to shout out about our members and tell the world about them. We have the wonderfully creative and resourceful Darcia Helle at the helm, and she always comes up with the best ideas for promotion. She was not only the brains behind creating BestsellerBound in the first place, but she also initiated the short story anthology idea, and has now developed the new bookstore. There are 2 links you'll need to browse our store. One for kindle books and the other for print books.

The categories available are:

Contemporary fiction
Family Saga
General/Mainstream Fiction
Romance
Historical Fiction
Mystery/Suspense
Thriller
Paranormal Fiction
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Short Story Anthologies
YA Fiction
Children's Books
Nonfiction - Inspirational

There are more books being added to the stores each day, so please come back often :)

Here are the links you'll need:

BsB Kindle Store

BsB Print Store

Now's the perfect time to have a look in our stores, to help you make those important book purchase decisions for Christmas gifts for your friends and family.

Happy shopping!

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Christmas Pictures Comments - Photobucket

I would like to wish a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends here on Goodreads. I have to say that Goodreads is one of my favourite websites. I have met so many people here who I now consider to be good friends, from fellow authors to readers.

A special Thank You to everyone who has read a copy of one of my books this year, and an even bigger Thank You to those who have taken the time to review one of my books. I am truly indebted to every one of you who reads and spreads the word about my books. As an independent author I really do rely on word of mouth to sell books. I am a long way away from being able to make a living from writing but it is a dream that I will carry with me into the new year.

Bearing in mind that I'm not the only indie author with a dream, I plan to continue bringing you interviews with my favourite indie authors on my blog in the new year.

I hope to be releasing a new novel some time in 2012, more news about that when I have it.

I hope you all enjoy a fun-filled festive season, and that 2012 will be a good year for you.

Finally, if you're stuck for something to read over the holidays, try some of the books below -- I would highly recommend them:

My new novel, Haunted, scheduled for release on 31st October 2012, is featured in The Independent Paperback Gift Shop's Christmas Catalogue!




The Catalogue is packed full of Christmas gift ideas for the book lovers in your life. You can download a pdf copy of the catalogue from my website. Just go to Http://www.mariasavva.com and scroll down to the bottom of the Home page. You'll find a link to download the catalogue in the bottom right hand corner of the page (in the box that says "I.P. Giftshop")

Please 'Like' the Gift Shop on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheIndependen... It helps to promote independently published books.

A brief update on Haunted:

As I write this blog, I am about a third of the way through the final edits. I hope to have a finished version by the end of this week. It will then be sent to my formatter eBookBuilders

I am still hopeful the Kindle version will be available by the 31st October. If not, I will update you.

I will have a paperback version available to buy through Lulu.com, in time for your Christmas gift purchases. For some reason, Amazon are taking a very long time to get around to making paperback books from Lulu available in the store, so I can't guarantee that the Amazon paperback will be available in time for Christmas. Lulu is a great site to purchase Independent books, however, and I actually get a higher royalty if you buy direct from Lulu rather than Amazon, so would encourage you to buy Independent books from there whenever you can. I know their postage prices can be off-putting, but there are often great discounts available.

Please tell all your friends about The Independent Paperback Gift Shop's Christmas Catalogue. I hope you find some great new books to read!

For the next few days there are great savings to be had at Lulu.com (offer ends 16th November 2012).

I, and many other self-published authors, publish our books through Lulu.com. I've discovered some of my favourite writers there, including, fantasy author Julie Elizabeth Powell.

Check out my author page where you can find copies of all my books. I have discounts available on all my paperbacks, ranging from 20% - 50%!

On top of those existing discounts for the next few days, if you use the code: SERENTIS at the checkout, you get an extra 20%

What this means to you is you're basically getting the books cheaper than the usual price and saving the cost of postage and package. So it's well worth checking out the site.

My latest novel,Haunted, has a 20% discount already, so with the extra 20%, there are some real savings there.

Here's a link to my author page: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mariasavva

Below are links to some other authors' pages on Lulu that I recommend. Perhaps you can get all of that Christmas shopping done early and stock up with gifts for your bookworm friends :)


Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kirkpat...

Julie Elizabeth Powell,
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/JEP

Bill See,
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/billsee

Heather Grace Stewart
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/heather...

Jess C Scott
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/jesscscott

Alex Sumner,
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/alex_su...

Susan Helene Gottfried,
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/susan1134

Mark Rice,
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/metalli...

Remember, you can use the code: SERENTIS to get 20% off any books at Lulu, not just mine. So stock up!

Happy Browsing :)

I would like to wish a Merry Christmas to all of my readers and fellow authors. Thank you for following my blog this year and making it lots of fun.

I will be bringing you more interviews with great authors and other artists next year, more giveaways, as well as publishing at least one more book, so I'll have news about that.

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone!

Just a quick blog to let you know that Books Direct is running a special Christmas giveaway! There are tons of great books to be won, including an e-book copy of my novel Coincidences

Here's the link you'll need if you want to enter: booksdirectonline.blogspot.co.uk/2013...

Good luck, everyone!

As the Christmas season is nearly upon us and some of you may be thinking of stocking up on books for your friends, I thought I'd let you know about the great discount I've heard about on my Lulu.com paperback books.

If you buy up to 14 books by 5th December (midnight), and use code LULUVIP466781 at the checkout, you can get 30% off any of my books! You'll see that some of my books are already available at a discounted price, so this makes them even more of a bargain buy!

Here's a link to my page at Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mariasavva

Most of my books are available there.