Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "ghosts"

I have lots of news for you, but I'll start with the most exciting! I am so happy to tell you that the BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology, which includes my short story 'Flames', shot to #1 in the Amazon kindle bestseller lists for 'short stories' and 'anthologies' yesterday when Amazon.com decided to make it available free for kindle. As many of you already know, this anthology is already free to download on Smashwords and we wanted to offer it free on Amazon as well, but Amazon has a policy whereby the author must charge at least $0.99 for any kindle book. Yesterday, however, our luck was in and Amazon listed it free for a day. In that short time we had over 5000 downloads and it entered the top 10 in the free kindle downloads chart on Amazon.com!
At BestsellerBound.com, we are very proud of this achievement. Darcia Helle, Stacy Juba, and I, created BestsellerBound.com last year as a way to raise the profile of indie authors, and this Amazon success has really shown us that with a lot of hard work and determined effort it is possible to get some recognition in the publishing world whether you are published by a large publishing company, or whether you publish in your own home using just your computer.
It's all very exciting.
We are intending to publish more volumes of the BestsellerBound Short Story Anthologies as we have attracted so many talented authors at BestsellerBound, we need a way to showcase that talent. If you're an indie/small press author and would like to contribute a story for an upcoming collection, please visit BestsellerBound.com for details on how to submit.



Now to news about my soon to be published novel, 'The Dream'.




Firstly, sorry for the delay in getting the book published, this has been due to a combination of very boring reasons, such as I now finally have a full time day job so less time to spend on editing. I have now reached the final proof stage and believe the book is ready (subject to a final read-over by me).

Some of you may be aware that my good friend and fellow author Darcia Helle has a new novel coming out in July, Into The Light'. We have decided to launch our two books together as they both have a ghostly/paranormal theme. Stay tuned for news about the launch and an exciting contest where you will be able to enter to win a copy of both books!



Finally, I have news of an award "honouring brilliance and 'reach' in the world of book marketing, sales and readership" The 2011 Farthest Reach Award.

This award is the brainchild of author Jason McIntyre (my co-author for Cutting The Fat).

I would encourage you all to vote in the award. Nominations are now open, so if you know of an author, publisher, marketing professional, who has excelled in the field of book promotion, fill in the form on Jason's website and tell the world about them. I like the idea of this award because as authors (especially indie authors) we rely on word of mouth for book sales, and are eternally grateful to people who go out of their way to promote and help with marketing.

It's nearly Halloween.



I've always loved a good ghost story. It might have something to do with the fact that I grew up in a haunted house. Many of my novels and stories have some elements of paranormal in them, probably for the same reason.

Open Culture posted a blog today about horror author H.P. Lovecraft's books. You can get his complete works free, either as an e-book or audiobook. Follow the link to find our more: http://www.openculture.com/2014/10/h-...

Reading that blog got me thinking about what books I could recommend as Halloween reads.

Here are a few suggestions:

Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger.



From the bestselling author of The Time Traveler's Wife. I loved absolutely everything about this book. It's definitely spooky, and there are ghosts in it. I'd say this is a more or less perfect Halloween read. It's great for those who don't really like gory books. It's also quite light-hearted in parts even though the theme is dark and disturbing.

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Sym...

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Fearful-S...

Legend of the Pumpkin King by J. Michael Radcliffe.



If you like fantasy tales, J. Michael Radcliffe is a master of the genre; this is a nice little story. It's part fantasy and part horror. It will definitely get you in the mood for Halloween.

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Pumpkin-...

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Legend-Pumpki...


Dying Embers, by M.R. Cosby.



This is a book of dark and strange tales with ghosts that turn up often as memories from the past. It's an ideal read to put you in the frame of mind for the spooky goings-on at Halloween. The characters will lead you down very dark and ghostly paths.

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Embers-M-...

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dying-Embers-...


The Other Room and
Falling Over by James Everington.



I couldn't decide between James Everington's two brilliant collections. These contain horror, paranormal, and all things twisted. He has some other books that are also dark and highly recommended. These stories definitely challenge our perception of reality and are just right for this spine-chilling season.

The Other Room:
Amazon US:http://www.amazon.com/Other-Room-Jame...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-Room-Ja...

Falling Over:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Over-Ja...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Falling-Over-...

While we're on the subject of horror, you could try 13, by Julie Elizabeth Powell, if you want to be shocked and scared. This is a perfectly crafted horror story that will send shivers down your spine.





Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/13-Julie-Elizab...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/13-Julie-Eliz...

If you want ghosts in your Halloween read, but would prefer a book that will also make you laugh, you should check out Into The Light, by Darcia Helle and Horse Latitudes, by Quentin R. Bufogle.





Into The Light is the story of a ghost who is trying to help to solve his own murder. It will definitely add an element of fun to your Halloween.

Horse Latitudes features a ghost who helps the main character make an important decision. It's a book that will definitely make you laugh out loud.

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I've seen lots authors promoting special Halloween stories or posting on Twitter about their books that would make great Halloween reads, so below is a list I have compiled from those promotions. I haven't read any of the books listed below, but they all sound great and will be added to my never-ending TBR list!

Shadow the Ghost Dog by J T Therrien



(Children' fiction)

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Ghost-Do...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Ghost-...

Sad I Am, by Regina Puckett



Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N99F1K8/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00N99F1K8/

Dark Before Dawn, by Stacy Juba



Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Before-Daw...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Before-D...

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Talented author, Justin Bog has been posting chapters from his current work in progress since May this year, on his blog. It's a horror story called The Play (The Queen’s Idle Fancy). Having read both of Justin's published works I know this must be good. I haven't found time to read any of it yet! Seems like the ideal time of year to start. The first part is here: http://justinbog.com/new-horror-ficti... and you can follow the story on his blog.



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As I mentioned at the start of this post, some of my novels and stories have elements of paranormal in them. The Dream and Haunted both feature ghosts. There are also ghost stories included in my short story collections Fusion and 3.

The new novel I'm working on also features a ghost, but probably won't be released until Halloween next year!





Haunted:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Maria-S...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haunted-Maria...

"3":
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/3-Maria-Savva-e...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/3-Maria-Savva...

The Dream:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Maria-Sav...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dream-Maria-S...

Fusion:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Fusion-Maria-Sa...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fusion-Maria-...
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I hope you find something from the above suggestions to help make your Halloween more spooky! Whatever you're planning, have fun and stay safe!



HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The Trains Don't Stop Here by Martin Cosby

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is a real treasure trove of stories. I enjoyed every one of them and was completely immersed in the strange and dark tales. Martin Cosby has a way of writing that draws you in and keeps you interested. There are themes that run through this collection of stories, including loss and grief, mental illness, the past, fear and ghosts. Each story is a complete world in itself. There are similarities in the circumstances some of the characters in different stories find themselves in. Many of them are lost for some time, either in darkness or looking for someone in some unfamiliar place. The overriding sense you get is that this author is a masterful storyteller who is able to manipulate both the characters and the readers with the twists and turns. Many of the endings of these stories are not clear cut and you find yourself wondering about what it all meant, but it's almost like a puzzle that slowly slips into place as the different elements of the story start to make sense the more you ponder them and it adds depth to the tales. Many of the stories have dark and sometimes sinister elements.

As well as similar themes, two of the stories are linked in a very creative way, with the same characters appearing in the later story and being instantly recognisable, as these are characters and stories that will stay with you long after you have finished reading them.

All of the characters in this book seem like real people and their stories seem like they really could have happened even though these are mostly very odd and unusual tales. The author has a wonderful way of describing surroundings and people that makes them seem all the more real. He also uses imagery effectively to add further layers to his complex storylines.

I read Martin Cosby's book Dying Embers quite a few years ago and really enjoyed it, so I was thrilled to see he had published another collection. I am pleased to say that this collection did not disappoint. I am looking forward to more stories from this talented writer.



View all my reviews

If you are looking for free and bargain books to read, you should head over to Smashwords this week. The "Read an Ebook Week" sale is currently underway with discounted and free books available in every genre across the site.

Here's the link you need: Read an Ebook Week - Smashwords

Two of my novels are available on Smashwords, so I have decided to offer those to readers for free between 6th and 12th March 2022, as part of the promotion.

The Dream



Lynne cannot shake her feelings of dread; her dreams tell her she is making a terrible mistake, she must not marry Adam. But, how can she believe the dream? Lynne and Adam have shared their lives for three years now. She is certain she loves him.

It is not that love, which her dream warns against.

It doesn't matter that she loves this man she will soon marry. If she marries him, the voice in her dream says her soul mate will die. Her true love will perish.

Soon, Lynne's world is transformed and becomes almost unrecognisable, except for the déjà vu. Time doesn't seem to mean much anymore, and things are not quite as they seem. As her world spins out of control, Lynne must sort out what's real and what isn't to fulfill her destiny.

Link to Smashwords: The Dream

Goodreads link: The Dream

Haunted



Nigel Price has MURDER on his mind.

He can run but he cannot hide. Nigel's past has come back to haunt him. The truth is, his past has never left him... it follows him without remorse, catching him at every turn. There is no escape.

Regret, guilt, nightmares, despair... these fill his every waking hour and disturb his sleepless nights.

Take a trip inside Nigel's mind, in this dark, psychological thriller with a paranormal twist.

Link to Smashwords: Haunted

Goodreads link: Haunted