Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "comedy"

I am discovering some new favourite authors by downloading the free books onto my Kindle these days. That's how I discovered Ben Ditmars not too long ago. These days, I have less and less time for reading, having a full time job and also trying to fit in some writing/promoting.

Ben Ditmars's book of short plays Ten Minutes in Heaven sounded like the sort of thing I could read quickly. I have found that I am more drawn to short works these days, just because I have to balance my time between reading, writing, working, and promotion.

I am so glad I picked up this little book. I thoroughly enjoyed the plays. It was a refreshing read, not only because I don't usually read plays, but because the writing was so skilled and entertaining. Ben Ditmars is a gifted writer, in my opinion, and I am looking forward to reading more of his work.

After reading his book, I invited Ben here to talk about his writing. He has generously offered to give away a print copy of "Ten Minutes in Heaven" to one lucky reader of my blog!

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below, or simply 'Like' this blog post. A winner will be picked on 16th November 2012.

Here's the interview:

I've just read and enjoyed your book of short plays "Ten Minutes in Heaven". Did you write the plays specifically for this collection or were they written at different times and just put together in a collection?



It was an interesting process. I wrote some specifically for the collection but others such as Train Rob I converted to the format of ten minute plays after writing them. Bank Rob was the Ah-ha moment where I said I want to keep doing this and make something of it.

I imagine that you would like to see the plays acted in a theatre? If you had the chance to produce one of the plays, which one would you choose and who would you cast in each of the roles?

If I could see any of them produced I would definitely go with Jumper. Seeing Vincent Van Gogh and Edgar Allen Poe portrayed together would be righteous. I think Sean Penn would make the best Poe. As for Van Gogh, I would go with the actor who portrayed him in Doctor Who.



There is a lot of humour in Ten Minutes in Heaven. Who are your favourite comedians?

I like a wide range of comedians. It was something I grew up watching a lot of. Mitch Hedburg was a genius; the way he saw things, the unique observations but also the younger George Carlin was a favorite. Of those still living I would list Harland Williams, Louis C.K. and Dane Cook as favorites.

You have a few well known historical and famous figures appearing in your short plays, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Allan Poe, Judy Garland, and Noah, to name just a few. What gave you the idea to use these famous characters, and do you think that made it easier or harder than creating your own characters for the plays? Did you have to research things about those personalities before writing the plays?

Most of them were favorite artists of mine. I adore Van Gogh’s painting and his life story touches me deeply. To think that something so beautiful can come from such incredible sadness is astounding. But, Poe too was a troubled artist and I liked the idea of them putting little problems into big perspectives. I used quite a bit of their actual quotes in the dialogue. I thought it made things seem more authentic and humorous to anyone who had read the things they’ve said on painting or writing.



Judy Garland, I’ve learned more about since I wrote the play. But at the time, I focused on her death and how sad I imagined her to be. I mainly had an image of her, worn out by the constant pressures and drugs used to keep up with the entertainment business. The other characters I did quite a bit more research on. I used their history to play into the dialogue.

For the most part I think it made it easier than creating my own characters. I felt very familiar with all of them already.

You have other published works as well as Ten Minutes in Heaven, can you tell us a bit about each of your other books

Gnomes of Coyul: The Crystal Staff is my novel. It’s about a dissatisfied gnome who meets a human and eventually goes on an adventure to save his tree from an evil Elf Queen. There’s a lot of different characters, battles and creatures too. It’s a lot of fun, but like my book of plays, tries to get across a lot of deeper points.

Witherspork is my Kindle short. I’ve always had a really different sort of last name than most other kids. It was kind of my inspiration, writing a story about a man finding others that share his name and trying to solve a galactic mystery before the universe gets destroyed.

Night Poems is my collection of poetry. I waited a while before doing this because I wanted a really special idea. I think I found it with Night Poems. Each poem has its own time and takes you through the night in all its malaise and energy.

Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

I’m actually working on quite a bit. I’m doing another poetry book, this time on haiku and still themed on the night. There’s a children’s short too, that’s fantasy and I’m doing a zombie story for NaNoWriMo.

As you write in many different styles, poetry, plays, and prose, which would you say is your preferred style of writing?

My most natural style is poetry. I can sit down and write a poem just about any time of the day. But it’s harder to get complex ideas across. If I have something intricate I want to say it will often need to be in the form of a play or story.

You have a blog called 'Old Spice is Nice'. What inspired that title?

The deodorant. I started the blog in High School and never thought I’d go anywhere with blogging so I just named it after the closest thing to me.

I understand that you have started a podcast with author Amber Jerome~Norrgard. Who came up with the idea for that? And can you tell us a bit about what you do on the podcast.

It’s called The Lyrical Versification Podcast and I think we both came up with the idea. I know I’ve been trying to get a writing podcast going for a while and she mentioned doing one on poetry. We usually read different poems we’ve come across or each other’s and have a guest we interview. They usually read a couple of what they’ve wrote or talk about an upcoming book.

Do you have any tips for anyone thinking of self-publishing a book?

Many. Do it to get your story out there and don’t expect huge financial gains. It will take a long time and several books. But don’t be afraid either. The indie community is a very generous one and they will help you a lot; whether it’s with covers, formatting advice or just a quick pep talk.

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

I really like Baum, Tolkien and Rowling for the worlds and characters they created. They’re the kinds that grow with you as you read. I also like a good deal of modern indie authors. I’ve read everything by Amber Norrgard and mostly everything by Charity Parkerson. Cinta García de la Rosa is also fantastic. She has one of the strongest characters I’ve read in her book The Funny Adventures of Little Nani. You just can’t get her out of your head. Or heart, for that matter.

What was the first thing you ever wrote?

In Middle and High School I did a lot of comics. They weren’t drawn very well but they were fun and people seemed to enjoy them. I also wrote stories featuring my friends doing different things like saving the day.

What are your aspirations for your writing?

I’ve always wanted to do a book of short fantasy stories. But I’m working on another poetry book at the moment. I’m hoping to come to come back to the stories eventually.

What's the nicest thing a reader has said about your work?

That it has helped them through a tough time they were going through. I think that’s really the most profound and encouraging thing for an author to hear. It’s great to get our story out there, get great reviews, but when it really makes a difference, that’s the best feeling.

As one of your short stories in Ten Minutes in Heaven is about The Wizard of Oz, if there was to be a new version of the Wizard of Oz and you could choose to play any character, who would you want to be, and why?

I would be the scarecrow or the lion. It’s hard to say. I’m looking for more courage at times and others more knowledge. Then again, the Wicked Witch is pretty bad ass. I guess I’d have to be the Wicked Warlock though.



Which one of the characters in Ten Minutes in Heaven is most like you?

Probably the Bastard. I have a dry sense of humor that’s very similar to his. I also share some of his philosophy on selfishness.

Do you have any news or events you want to share with your readers?

Of course. My novel Gnomes of Coyul will be free December 1st on Amazon Kindle. I hope you all get a chance to download it.



Thank you so much, Maria for giving me the opportunity to answer these questions. They’re the best, most in depth ones I’ve seen.

Thank you, Ben, and you're welcome! I am looking forward to reading more of your work.

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Remember, if you'd like a chance to win a copy of Ten Minutes in Heaven, leave a comment below, or simply 'like' the blog post. Good luck!

One of my favourite authors Andrew Peters is offering a free Kindle book for the next 5 days! Don't miss this one, and if you haven't read any of his books, you are missing out on some great fiction.

So far, I've read:







...and I'm currently reading:







They are all brilliant 5 star reads. I'm sure his free book will be just as great.


Subtraction will be free for Kindle for the next five days.



Here are the links you'll need:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Amazon JP

Amazon AU

Amazon FR

Amazon ES

Amazon IT

Amazon MX

Amazon IN

Amazon BR

Today, I'm excited to be introducing you to one of the friendliest and most supportive authors I've met online. Tara Ford not only writes great fiction, she also helps support her fellow indie authors with promotion on her blog.

After reading the wonderful Calling All Dentists I was keen to interview Tara about the book and her writing life in general.








So, without further ado, here's the interview:






In Calling All Dentists you have two female characters who are best friends, but have totally opposite personalities. Which one of the two girls would you say is more like you?

I think that I am more like Emma than Ruby. Ruby is a very sweet girl but far too nice to be considered anything like me. She is somewhat naive too and hopefully I have a little more grounding and experience than she does.

I can empathize with Emma and her fears but I'm not sure I would be as brave as her when it comes to the bottom line.


Emma has a terrible fear of dentists. Is that taken from your own experience or someone you know?

Oh, that would most definitely be taken from my own experiences of dentists over the years - I was terrified of them. I really could never understand why though. After all, a dentist is hardly ever going to tell you some terrible news about your health, like a doctor could!

While I was writing 'Calling All Dentists' it became apparent to me that there were so many people I knew who hated dentists and had real fears about them. I was relieved to find that I wasn't the only one.

I'm also terrified of dentists!

The book is the second in a series although it reads well as a stand alone book. I enjoyed it very much even though I haven't read the first one yet. Are you planning more books in the series?





Yes, there are two more books in the series, 'Calling All Customers' (due out at the end of this year) and then the last book is 'Calling All Neighbours'.

The series of Calling All... books are based around the lives of one family (the Frey family) but the stories are not always directly related to the Frey's and their lives. 'Calling All Customers', in particular, is related to the Frey family in an indirect way, i.e. the book isn't actually about them but they are there somewhere.... The other exception is that the first book, 'Calling All Services' is set ten years before the other three books. Are you confused yet? I am!

A bit! LOL :)

Incidentally, I now have the firm base for my fifth book which is very exciting. I can't write the others quick enough to get on to the fifth one!

That's great!

Apart from the 'Calling All...' series, are you working on any other projects?

Oops - think I just answered that one in the previous question. Well I'm not actually working on it (apart from in my head).

I have also been asked to write a biography for someone which really surprised me. I felt quite honoured to be asked actually and I'm in the early stages of talks about this exciting venture.

Intriguing... I look forward to finding out more about that.

How long have you been writing?

Er... I learnt to write when I was about 4, so I guess it's been for ** years. On a serious note, I've dabbled in writing, bits and pieces, for years. I always wanted to write a novel but could never think of what to write. Now I have come to realise that I was looking too hard all of those years and actually, the subjects/genre/style were right under my nose all of the time.

What would you say is the best thing about being a writer?

The best thing about being a writer is letting my overloaded brain explode out through my fingers and in to a Word document, in the form of words. I am quite a shy person, contrary to popular belief, and have always found it so much easier to communicate through word, rather than speech. I sometimes think that the internet, or more specifically social networks, were created for me and others like me who are able to express themselves easier through written words.

And the worst?

The worst thing about being a writer is doubt. I hear or read a lot about 'writer's block' and yet (touch wood), I haven't experienced it yet. The worst thing for me is wondering and worrying about whether people will like my writing. I am well aware that there will always be those who don't like it but in general we all want it to be liked - right? I suppose that I worry too much about it and possibly have a slight insecurity about what I'm writing sometimes. Perhaps all writers do?

Or am I just a wimp?

I think all writers have that :)

Have you read any books recently that you would recommend? What was it about that particular book or books that you most enjoyed?

I've stepped back almost 40 years just recently. I've been reading some of my childhood favourites, like 'Charlotte's Web' (which incidentally, has now helped me to overcome my fear of spiders... well up to a certain size of spider anyway... I'm working on the bigger ones). I've also just re-read 'The Secret Garden' which I didn't enjoy so much this time around and almost wish I could have left it in my memory dump from years ago and not read it.



I now have a long list of books that I want to read and they are all staring at me from my Kindle - Help! I don't know where to start...

A familiar feeling!

When choosing a book to read do you have a favourite genre, or are you open to trying any genre?

My usual choice of genre is chicklit/romantic comedy. I am open to trying other genres (except maybe horror, due to my 'wimpish' nature) and have read some true and sometimes really inspirational stories in the past too. So, as long as you're not scaring me, I'll have a go at anything.

Put these influencing factors in order from the most important to the least important when you're looking for a new book to read: Characters, Genre, Writing style, Cover, Blurb, Author, Price.

Genre, Author, Cover, Blurb, Characters, Writing style, Price.

What do you think of the current trend of writers giving books away free?

I used to think that this was a cheap and tacky, almost desperate thing to do. I couldn't understand why an author would work so hard to write a novel over a long period of time (whether it be 9 months or 9 years), just to give it away for free.

However, now I do understand this concept as I have done it myself. I read somewhere, some while ago, about the power of free promotions to gain a fan base from where to start working and marketing from. It worked for me in the sense that my free book was downloaded over 3,000 times, in just a few days. What was more exciting and unexpected was the fact that my other book started selling at a daily rate, tenfold to previous sales figures. This has now happened twice for me and I will do it again in the future.

I must stress that these free promotions are only temporary promotions, lasting no more than 5 days and I'm happy with that set up each quarter, throughout the year. I do wonder though, what is the purpose of permanently free books to the authors who wrote them?

I know some authors who have one book permanently free as a sample of their work. I suppose that would work where the author always writes in the same genre, or where the freebie is the first book in a series.

What's your favourite genre to write?

Definitely comedy with some romance thrown in... or is it romance with some comedy thrown in? Not sure which way round but I hope you get the gist of it.

Do you do your best writing in the day or night?



I'm a day person, more specifically, a morning person. It all goes downhill at around 10am. By 7pm I'm an internet zombie, stunned in to a death-like state of immobility as I stare at other people's conversations on Facebook, watch numerous, sometimes pointless, video clips that jump out at me from the newsfeed, about all sorts of weird and wonderful things and then I trawl through the mountains of notifications, messages and general mayhem on Twitter. The internet is the bane of my life and the modern form of procrastination.

Some writers like music in the background when writing, others (me included) prefer silence. What is your preference?

I go for silence for 2 reasons. Firstly, I don't often get it in my busy household, therefore it's the ideal excuse not to write and to further my career in procrastination. Secondly, when it is silent and I do have to write, I can hear the characters in my head clearer. They may be talking to me or having conversations amongst themselves but at least I can hear what they're saying. Weird or what?

Hahahaha!

If you could meet one of the characters from your books and spend a day with him/her, who would you choose and what would you do?

I really liked Ruby from 'Calling All Dentists' and would love to spend a day with her. I would take her shopping to buy some outlandish clothing, sunbathe on a nudist beach (purely for the shock factor - both the shockingly, horrified looks of passers by [I'm not as sleek as I used to be] and to shock Ruby), encourage her to play 'Knock door run' with me, make some crank phone-calls, get extremely drunk in a local nightclub and 'pull' a one-night-stand. Hopefully after all of that, Ruby would be a little more worldly-wise and 'up for a laugh'.

Many authors write much of their fiction inspired by their own life experiences. How much of your own life goes into your fiction?

Quite a bit actually. I think of something that may have happened to me, or someone I know, but usually me. Then I twist it and turn it, take bits out, put other bits in (usually funny bits) and then scramble it all back together and throw it at a wall, just to splatter it a little further. I then scoop it all up and chuck it into a word document. I hope that's not reflected too much in my books, lol.

If you could invite 3 authors to dinner (can include authors from the past) who would you choose and what would you cook?

For a start I am the world's worst cook - I can burn a jelly! So I would hope that the 3 authors would be kind and forgiving. I would probably cheat due to my culinary inadequacies and either ask Mr Fordie (who is a wonderful cook) to pretend to be a hired cook for the evening (I'm sure he'd be up for that) or nip to the local take-away.

My 3 authors would be, Sophie Kinsella - I adore her and love her books. She seems to be a shy-ish person (like me) and I'm sure we would connect. Carole Matthews would be my next choice, she appears to be very outgoing, lively and fun and her books are fabutastic. She could bring me out of my little coconut shell. My final choice would be Roald Dahl, purely because I am so intrigued by his lifestyle, his shed (I would quite like one too) and his writing, I would love to know where his ideas came from. He would probably be the centre of attention actually, thus deflecting from the take-away or the fact that I had to get someone else to cook for me!

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Write, write, write... and keep writing. Don't give up on those 'bad days'. Keep at it and believe in yourself. I am completely sure that if I can do it, then anyone can. Another thing that I would say is, get your name known, well before your first book comes out. Social networking is an absolute must, particularly if you are going to be an independently published author.

It's a very good idea to set up a website/blog for yourself too. This is a window for interested readers/fans to go and take a peep through. I believe that the readers want to get to know you a little more, if they like your work.

I'm a great believer in 'what goes around, comes around', hence I do a lot of promotional work to help other authors too. I think this helps me as well.

How much research did you have to do for Calling All Dentists?



I did a little research for 'Calling All Dentists'. Luckily, I like my dentist, who I've been with for 3 years now and I used my experiences with her in either a negative or positive way (back to the 'chucking ideas at the wall' again). I've had some terrible experiences in the past and also my fair share of toothy problems so again, it all went up the wall.

Do you have any news for your readers?

Er... I think I've probably blown this question by waffling in previous questions. I'm looking forward to the release of my third book, 'Calling All Customers' at the end of this year. I'm hoping that it will be the best one yet. A fun read!

I will be going part time when I go back to school in September - yay! All thanks to Mr Fordie's kindly supportive role as husband-type-thing. So I hope to be able to write a lot more and procrastinate a lot less. I may well be banning myself from the internet for a certain amount of time each day, just so that I don't waste any more time. I can also catch up with the ironing!

Sounds wonderful, and I'm looking forward to reading more of your books!


Keep up with Tara Ford's news at the following links:

Author Website: http://taraford.weebly.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rata2e

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/Tara.Ford...

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/rata2e2/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/tara-for...

Stuff the Turkey by Tara Ford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Susie Satchel is either the luckiest or unluckiest woman on the planet, depending on how you look at it. In this novel we follow her through a series of adventures, some funny but some extremely sad.

When you look at the cover and the title, and even when you first start reading the book, it's easy to think that it will be just a fun chick-lit read, but "Stuff the Turkey" is so much more than that. It is a rollercoaster ride of emotional highs and lows. It's well-observed and the characters are very believable.

When the book starts, Susie is in a steady relationship and is very happy after starting a new job as a teaching assistant. When her colleagues play a practical joke on her she is left humiliated, but she does her best to see the funny side.

Christmas proves to be life-changing for Susie in more ways than one. "Stuff the Turkey" is written in the first person, so sometimes it did feel a bit like reading someone's diary or journal. It's a bit like a modern Bridget Jones.

The novel is fast-paced and kept me interested. I'd love to see it on the big screen as a romantic comedy.

The ending isn't really an ending, and I was pleased about that. I'm looking forward to reading more about Susie Satchel's adventures in the future.



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I Hate (love) Brussels Sprouts by Tara Ford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved the first book in this series, and was looking forward to reading this one. Tara Ford certainly knows how to keep readers guessing. This book is suspenseful and entertaining.

Susie Satchel's life seems to be setting down after her disastrous Christmas and she's determined to keep it that way, to the extent that she does some crazy things that end up making her situation worse. It's written in a comical way but this book, like the first in the series, has a lot of depth. The deeper meaning here seems to be about control and how when we try to hard to control things in our life it can actually make everything worse.

The ongoing theme is of Susie Satchel's inability to tell the truth for fear of being seen in a bad light, this character trait can be a bit infuriating at times. The way the author deals with this is great and it really casts a light on something we can all relate to. We've all been in the situation when we don't want people to find something out because of the way they will react, but more often than not it would have been better to just tell the truth from the start. This is a recurring theme in this book.

"I Hate (love) Brussels Sprouts" is a well written novel, there's a good dose of comedy along with the wise observations about life and human nature. Susie Satchel is a very realistic character, and there are so many true-to-life characters that pop up in this book. The part about the Brussels sprouts, and the ensuing consequences, is one of the most memorable laugh-out-loud moments in the book.

A fun read, with lots of ups and downs. I was happy to find out at the end that this isn't the end of the story and there is another book coming. Definitely a series I would recommend.



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Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine




My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eleanor-Olip...


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The Guest Cat



My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guest-Cat-Ta...


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I Hate (love) Brussels Sprouts



My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brussels-Spr...

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Under



My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Under-David-...

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WaR: Wizards and Robots



My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/WaR-Wizards-...

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Stark Contrasts




My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stark-Contra...

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What Does This Button Do?: An Autobiography



My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Does-Th...

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Unwed (Dovetail Cove, 1976)



My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unwed-Doveta...

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24 Stories: of Hope for Survivors of the Grenfell Tower Fire




My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/24-Stories-S...

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Dark Flash 3



My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Flash-3...

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Whispers In The Tower



My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whispers-Tow...

It's What He Would've Wanted by Sean Hughes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


"It's What He Would've Wanted" is a dark comedy. I got the impression that this book was semi-autobiographical, the main character being very similar to the Sean we knew and loved from his stand up shows. The novel tells the story of Shea, whose father commits suicide. Shea finds his father's diaries and is inspired to look more deeply into his father's past to find out what could have led him to take his own life.

It's an intricate mystery, with lots of humour but also lots of introspective prose and darker parts to the tale. There are sections of the book where the author seems to be speaking directly to the reader, rather than narrating the characters' views; that reminded me of the segments in "Sean's Show" when Sean would take a few minutes to talk directly to the audience.

Although the book is quite dark, it's entertaining and thought-provoking. Much like Sean's stand-up comedy, this story vents certain frustrations about life and the human condition in an honest and open way.

If you were a fan of Sean's comedy, I would definitely recommend this book.



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