Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "harmony-bay"

In the past couple of years I have read some fabulous books by authors you may not have heard of.

There are lots of good books out there, and before I joined Goodreads, I really only read books by well known authors, or books I could find in my local bookshops.

Many of you may still do that. Maybe you only buy the bestsellers or you only buy books you can find in bricks and mortar shops. I think most people are probably like that.

I just wanted to open up a window for you, and introduce you to some fabulous writers who are not bestsellers, their books are not easy to find in your local shops, but their books are some of the best I have ever read.

Here are a few recommendations.

I hope you will pick at least one from this list to try. Then, if you like it, I hope you'll come back and read another.
And most of all, I hope you'll tell all your friends about them.

Books are written because there is a story to tell, that story deserves to be read.

I've fallen in love with these books, and I hope you will too:

Breathing into Stone Breathing into Stone by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick

Eighteenth century priest, Father Furio Novia, hates his employer, the Archbishop of Modena; almost as much as he hates Italian master sculptor, Antonio Lisi. When Novia discovers that Lisi uses his beautiful daughter's likeness in nearly every figure he carves, the priest realizes he can make accusations to the Archbishop that the sculptor has an incestuous knowledge of his daughter, Anoria. Novia begins to haunt their lives, and every family in their village of Resceto, not because he believes they have sinned, but because he desires Anoria for himself.For two years their lives twined around one another's, destined to clash in Rome; Novia, committing murder to stay free of the church; Anoria, nearly killing him to escape his lust.(some adult oriented content)

The Day the Flowers Died The Day The Flowers Died by Ami Blackwelder

A Passion set in the time of prejudice. A novel about love and loss. The completed final edition. 1930 Munich. Two Lovers. Different Worlds. A Crumbling Country Book Taste Review: Ami Blackwelder paints her words in this gently narrated historical romance set in Munich, Germany early 1930. The scenes recreate pre-war Germany...

Pixels of Young Mueller Pixels of Young Mueller by Jerry Schwartz

Klaus Mueller dreams of leaving tiny Southland someday to be a rock star. When he chooses stardom over college, however, he learns that his real education is only beginning. He endures a series of god-awful jobs while his music is repeatedly rejected, and he wonders how he will ever achieve success. After moving to the city, where he finds a career and becomes a father, he is torn between the great happiness he has found and the success he still craves. Klaus must reconcile his dreams with reality or spend the rest of his life lamenting what might have been.Pixels of Young Mueller is the story of an artist's growth to maturity and of his revolt against his family's Christian values. The tale of Klaus Mueller, as told in this modern coming-of-age novel, provides new perspectives on classic themes when Klaus confronts the forces that threaten his existence. Readers can listen to Klaus' music online at itsthejerrys.com. (edited by author)

Musical Chairs Musical Chairs by Jen Knox

Musical Chairs explores one family's history of mental health diagnoses and searches to define the cusp between a '90s working-class childhood and the trouble of adapting to a comfortable life in the suburbs. In order to understand her restlessness, Jennifer reflects on years of strip-dancing, alcoholism, and estrangement. Inspired by the least likely source, the family she left behind, Jennifer struggles towards reconciliation. This story is about identity, class, family ties, and the elusive nature of mental illness.


Horse Latitudes Horse Latitudes by Quentin R. Bufogle

Time is running out for Chester Sprockett. How is an unemployed, aspiring novelist supposed to survive when the thirty grand borrowed off his dead father's credit cards is almost gone, and the only work he can find is hawking toys and cheesy novelty items door-to-door . . . on commission yet?

And talk about woman trouble: There's Pandora, the beautiful magician's assistant who dumped him for an investment banker and the dream of becoming a performance artist; Beth, his true love, the girl he let slip through his fingers at the beach (maybe it was all that baby oil) and the mysterious blond nymph who hurls empty beer bottles at him from a black Z28 Camaro.

If it wasn't for the occasional visit from the ghost of his father, Chester would almost certainly be losing his grip on reality, and never navigate his way out of the . . . Horse Latitudes.


Caviar Dreams Caviar Dreams by Judy Nichols

Your best friend's in love with a lying, scum-bag thief. How do you tell her? Because what she doesn't know could kill her. This is photographer Lisa Watson's dilemma. Lisa has always relied on her plain, overweight friend Debbie to cheer her up when she's down on her luck (which is most of the time). When Debbie falls hard for a handsome stranger named Derek. Lisa is skeptical, believing Prince Charming is more interested in Debbie's money than her kind nature. Derek may be a small-time hustler, but he has big-time plans. He intends to blackmail his wealthy lover, Robert Helton, a conservative industrialist desperate to hide his secret gay life. However, Derek's plan takes a fatal turn when Debbie is found dead in her apartment.


Harmony Bay: An adventurous slice of waterfront life where mystery surrounds history... Harmony Bay by Tom Gahan

Harmony Bay uncovers the rich historical past of a small town through the eyes of newcomers...Detailed description laced with historical references gives the reader a feel for life in a bayside town

Enemies and Playmates Enemies and Playmates by Darcia Helle

When the abused decide to fight back, the abuser's world might just shatter. Lauren Covington's family maintains a grand facade that belies the life they live behind closed doors. Alex Covington, Lauren's father, keeps a tight rein on his family through dominance, abuse, and obsessive control. Consequently, Lauren doesn't believe she could ever trust a man, much less fall in love with one.

When Lauren meets Jesse Ryder, her carefully constructed protective wall shatters. She falls hopelessly and completely in love. It's only fitting that Jesse is a private detective who had once worked for her father, had defied him, and was now the subject of Alex Covington's wrath.

Amidst devastating loss, betrayal, and her father's destructive pursuit of Jesse, Lauren finds the trust and love she had always longed for.

Digger's Bones Digger's Bones by Paul Mansfield Keefe

Archaeologist Angie Cooper's colleague and friend, Tarek "Digger" Rashid, is murdered in front of her. But not before giving her cryptic photographic clues to a hidden tomb and the two thousand year old bones within. Angie must battle a ruthless hitman, hired by a U.S. senator with presidential aspirations, and a sociopathic religious zealot while overcoming severe acrophobia. Caught in a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal, she works to unravel the secret of Digger's bones. Bones that affect the lives of all they touch.

Digger’s Bones is an action packed thriller that takes you from the churches and burial tombs of ancient Jerusalem to the harrowing cliffs of Bandelier National Monument and the glacier capped Zugspitze in Germany. Angie Cooper, her career in shambles, finds herself on the run from mercenaries, the Holy See, the FBI, and Interpol while trying to solve one of archaeology’s great mysteries. Yet some things are better left in the past.

Twenty-Five Years Ago Today Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba

Kris Langley has always been obsessed with murder. She blames herself for the violent death of her cousin when they were kids and has let guilt invade every corner of her existence. Now an editorial assistant and obit writer for a Massachusetts newspaper, Kris stumbles across an unsolved murder while compiling "25 Years Ago Today" items from the microfilm. She grows fascinated with the case of a young cocktail waitress who was bludgeoned to death and dumped in the woods. Determined to solve the case and atone for the death of her cousin, Kris immerses herself in the mystery of what happened to Diana Ferguson, a talented artist who expressed herself through haunting paintings of Greek mythology. Not only does Kris face resistance from her family and her managing editor, she also clashes with Diana's suspicious nephew, Eric Soares - until neither she nor Eric can deny the chemistry flaring between them. Kris soon learns that old news never leaves the morgue and that yesterday's headline is tomorrow's danger, for finding out the truth about that night twenty-five years ago may shatter Kris's present, costing her love, her career, and ultimately, her life.

My Schizophrenic Life: The Road to Recovery from Mental Illness My Schizophrenic Life by Sandra Yuen MacKay

Vancouver artist Sandra Yuen MacKay has an abnormality of the brain - a disease called schizophrenia. As she says, "my life is schizophrenic because I have schizophrenia. It will always be there". Much of her life has been a struggle to cope with the symptoms of her disease and the side effects of the medications required to keep those symptoms in check.

Early in her life, Sandra started to exhibit the typical symptoms of this disease which came as a surprise to her unsuspecting family. Her book chronicles her struggles, hospitalizations, encounters with professionals, return to school, eventual marriage, and success as an artist, writer and advocate.

Fade Fade by Darren Smith

"Perhaps the best way to describe just how much this book caught my imagination is to reveal that even almost a year after reading it, there are still scenes that I remember vividly, quotations that I can recall and to confess that I will never think of doughnuts with sprinkles in the same way again."

"Brilliantly written love story captures your thoughts and emotions throughout the whole reading and long after it. The lucid and detailed narration provides multi layered complexity of each character's personality, startling revelations, creative turns of the plot."

"Dramatic and touching, the author does a brilliant job of capturing the reader's attention and reeling them into the depths of his story telling."

What Remains What Remains, by Rosemary Poole Carter

WHAT REMAINS is set on a rundown plantation shortly after the Civil War. In the shadow of live oaks and Spanish moss, Isabelle Ross, who has lost her fiancé to the war, joins forces with journalist Paul Delahoussaye to untangle a web of secrets, lies, and murder.

Road Markers Road Markers by Jason C McIntyre

Dean is a forty-something sales rep for a company that ropes small, mostly blue-collar firms into long term cellphone plans. Heading home from a bad meeting, he begins to see evidence that he can will things to happen just by thinking about them. But will this tantalizing realization lead him to cross the line for good?

* * *

Most of these writers have written more books, and I'm looking forward to reading more of their work.

Give them a try.

Remember, if you like a book, remember to review it, either here on Goodreads, or on Amazon and other bookseller websites. Authors are always grateful for honest reviews. It doesn't have to be anything detailed, just a couple of lines to say why you liked it would be wonderful.

Happy reading!

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Today, I'd like to introduce you to a talented author I discovered through Bookpleasures.com. Tom Gahan's debut novel was the first book I reviewed for Bookpleasures, and it's a favourite of mine.
Harmony Bay: An adventurous slice of waterfront life where mystery surrounds history... is the story of a single mother and her young son, moving away from the city to a small bayside town. I would highly recommend it to all. It's advertised as 'true escapism' and I think that really sums the book up well. Harmony Bay seems like a real place with real people, and Tom Gahan's writing style is mesmerising.

Tom is giving away a signed copy of this wonderful book to my blog readers. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below.

Here are Tom's answers to my interview questions:

Your bio on your website states that you have an extensive writing background, include writing for a newspaper, and freelance writing.  Do you think that this background helped you to write your novel?

Without a doubt it did; especially for the experience of looking into people’s life stories. It also helped me develop a better sense of what information is important to convey to the reader, how to make it digestible, and what trips their trigger.

What do you think the main differences are between writing fiction and non-fiction.  Which comes easiest to you?

Mark Twain probably said it best, “The difference between reality and fiction is, fiction has to be credible.” Writing fiction is a completely different mindset. It really allows you to flex your creative muscles. Fiction is much deeper and right-brained. Although, to make it believable, it must be liberally dosed with fact. Sometimes, that’s the challenge. In writing about reality, it seems as if it’s nothing more than an endless series of fact checks. If enjoyment is the measure of which is easier for me, I would have to say fiction—hands down.

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

As a kid, Jack London’s The Call of the Wild and White Fang profoundly influenced me. It stuck with me. I think you see a little bit of that delivered in Harmony Bay’s character Angus.

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

Self-publishing is a courageous adventure. To date, the only people that I have received criticism from for self-publishing are authors who have been published by publishing houses in the traditional sense. My advice to writers who want to self-publish is; carefully research the self-publishing company you are considering. There are a lot of scammers out there. Everybody wants to put their hand in a writer’s pocket. I hope that these will be weeded out over time. There is no policing agency for them, other than the Better Business Bureau. Also, have a realistic total budget in place. It will cost you more in time and money to market a book than you think.

Over the last six or seven years, things have changed dramatically for the better for self-published writers. You will see they become more and more the norm. Publishing industry insiders predict that published authors will begin to leave their traditional publishing houses and go self-published. A big reason for that is to maintain artistic control of their work.

I really enjoyed reading Harmony Bay.  It contains details about the American Revolution, marine biology and fishing, among other things.  How much research did you have to do, and how long did it take you to write the novel? 

This goes back to the statement about fiction being credible. On the American Revolution, everything that happens in Harmony Bay is fiction—-the characters and events. Although, those events were strongly influenced by actual events during the war. I did extensive research about the factual events that took place outside of Harmony Bay to help carry the story and the believability of the fictitious events in Harmony Bay. Some of the research involved visiting historic sites.

On the marine biology end, particularly about shellfish, I owe a debt of gratitude to the scientists at the Cornell University Cooperative Extension in Southold NY who shared their knowledge, points-of-view, and personal stories. All of which made it into Harmony Bay. Touring their lab provided the data and vibe I needed to create Jake’s shellfish reproduction facility and his boat, the Seahorse. A lot of the other info about fishing and so forth is common knowledge. Facts about the marine animals where often drawn from on-line research.

The idea for Harmony Bay came to me many years ago—I wrote the first, second and twenty-seventh chapters and put them on the shelf. Life had gotten in the way until a couple of years ago when I had the time to concentrate on finishing it. Once I sat down to write in earnest, I probably spent about nine months finishing it. I was doing the research during the writing process. Rewrites and edits took about just as long.

One of the things that impressed me most about your wonderful debut novel, was how realistic the characters are. The portrayal of Dory, the single mother wanting to do the best for her son, with all the financial challenges, and her nervousness about introducing a new man into her son’s life, is all very realistic and believable, and the book is full of larger than life, well developed characters.  Did you base any of the characters on people you know, or are they totally fictional?

Let’s talk about the village of Harmony Bay, a key character itself. I wanted the town to have a certain identity. Originally, the name was going to be Amity Harbor. I thought harbor sounded too industrial, and in the movie Jaws, the location was Amity Island. Besides, there’s a town on Long Island named Amityville and I didn’t wanted my town to be somewhere that already exists. Likewise, that’s why I refer to “the city” as only that. I wanted the reader to feel free to let it be wherever they wanted it to be.

Geographically, Harmony Bay exists nowhere and everywhere. I’ve had readers swear that they knew exactly the town that Harmony Bay was based on. They were all wrong, but I couldn’t spoil their imagination. My standard response has been, “It’s wherever you want it to be.” Is Harmony Bay a believable place? Sure. There are little pieces from dozens of towns all over the northeastern U.S. I also included vernacular bits from New England and Canada—along with a manufactured expression or two to give Harmony Bay its own sense of place. A friends’ house in Wading River, New York influenced the location of Dory’s cottage. The long gone Wading River hardware store was the basis for Hirsch’s. A restaurant on Long Island’s East End helped me create the vision of Molly’s. The Harmony Bay village hall is direct description of a courthouse built in the 1890’s in the town where I grew up. It too originally served as a town hall.

Okay, about the human, and animal, characters. The human characters are all composite characters. I did use several Hollywood stars as a visual point of reference for most of the lead characters, except James. I’ll never tell the readers who those stars are—I want them to be their own creations. Some of the character names were plucked from my family tree. Dory McDonough (maiden name, O’Toole), Jake Kane and Chief Dooley all inherited their names from both sides of my family. The ever-wise Billy was named in honor of my father, William, a true hero of mine. His family always called him Billy. I named some other characters after signers of the Declaration of Independence or those on the passenger manifest of the Mayflower. I really wanted to instill a subconscious feel of Americana and patriotism. Winton Hector’s last name is borrowed from an African-American hero of the American Revolution. Sergeant Major Randall Stone-Bayard’s hyphenated last name was from two names that I pulled off a Civil War monument at West Point Military Academy in New York. There are other interesting anecdotes about the origin of Jake’s first name and the names for Pastor Simvasten and Mr. Coaterie the banker.

As far as physical attributes, Dory’s appearance was based on my mother as a young woman. I started to write Dory as a teacher, but later quickly switched her to a librarian to fit the plot better. I saw Dory as Indiana Jones disguised as a librarian. My older sister is a librarian, and I’ve always thought she was amazing. She was an influence. James was somewhat modeled after my son and myself as kids. Other than that—mostly pure fabrication, but again, using actors for physical reference.

All of the personality traits are a combination of people that I’ve encountered over the years. I mentored ten-year-old boys for a number of years and began to realize that although they are all different, many kids shared the same character traits. That was the basis for James. I wanted the landlord, Cutsciko, and the mayor to appear as villains or at least very unlikable. Harmony Bay, so idyllic a place, needed a counterbalance. I saw Cutsciko as a Snidely Whiplash, and Mayor Pesce as a typical weasel politician. Cutsciko was portrayed as a greedy bully, yet a wimp— all traits that I despise. After all, almost every town has, or has had, a slimy slumlord or a smarmy politician at times. I thought most readers could relate.

Angus was a one-hundred percent a real-life character based on my late high-school chum Tom Skinner’s dog, Cappy. Chapter 22 was based on a true story told to me by Tom when were about sixteen.

Which of the character in Harmony Bay can you most relate to, and why?

That’s hard to say. Having created the characters of Harmony Bay, I love them all as if they were my children. I did put bits of me into Jake, James and Dory. Can I relate to any one of them more than the others? I’d have to say no.

I see from your website, that you have a few author talks coming up, can you tell us a bit more about how these came about and what you’ll be talking about?

Some have slightly different formats than others. Lecturing at a high school rolls a little different than speaking to an audience at a public library. In all of my author talks, I do include factual and humorous anecdotes about the English language, the role of many of the unsung heroes who fought in the American Revolution and how it all came together to write Harmony Bay. It’s all part of the book-tour to promote Harmony Bay. I do enjoy it. Particularly question and answer segments… like this one!

Your impressive background includes that you are the creator of NY State's largest outdoor music festival, for which you have won awards.  Can you tell us a bit more about the festival and how you got involved in the creation of it?

It was the Riverhead Blues Festival, which I created in 1999. I produced and directed it from ’99 until 2003. My vision was to bring a more positive public image back to the town of Riverhead. At that time it ran for three days, featured several stages and almost sixty acts. Admission was free in those days and it attracted an enormous crowd. We had people from numerous states and from as far as Canada and Brazil. It was a music love-fest on the riverfront. Unfortunately, the people who took it over ran it into the ground. It was done-in by greed and politics. Ironically, Harmony Bay’s two malevolent characters represent those two traits. Last year was the last event.

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

Nelson DeMille for his fast pace and stories that take place on Long Island, Vince Flynn for his content. I have always enjoyed the classics by Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. Surely they had an influence in writing Harmony Bay. I think because I read them at an early, impressionable age, they had more impact.

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

Hmmm… I don’t think so. Probably not since I was a kid and reread Victor Appleton’s Tom Swift serialized novels. Who didn’t love those swifties? “I read them again and again,” Tom said repeatedly…

I am always looking toward something new. My to-read stack is always at least a foot high.

What was the last book you read?

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. Hilarious and well written.

Are you reading a book at the moment?

The Blue Bear: A True Story of Friendship and Discovery in the Alaskan Wild by Lynn Schooler. Also very well written.

What do you think of ebooks?

Since the invention of the Guttenberg press, nothing else has increased an interest in reading more than ebooks. Kindle reader sales, and all of the associated e-reader devices, continue to skyrocket while printed book sales decline equally. Ebooks, along with self-publishing, will completely revolutionize the way publishing works. They have been a great boon for authors.

How important are reviews for you as a writer?

I cannot over-emphasize the importance of positive reviews for any author.

How did you go about choosing a cover for your book?  I think it fits the story perfectly.

The brilliant photographer Rory McNish did the cover photo. He lives on Long Island’s North Fork. The picture was taken at Hog’s Neck, in Southold, NY, not far from Cornell’s marine labs where I researched shellfish production management. Rory submitted several photos for consideration—-but you are correct, it does fit the story. It was a file photo taken years ago, yet you would think it was made to order for the book.

What are you working on now?

I am doing research for a sequel to Harmony Bay. In writing Harmony Bay I was doing research while writing, which became too distracting. I’d like to get the research out of the way now. My wife and I just returned from Philadelphia where I filled my fact bucket. The sequel takes place in Harmony Bay over three time periods. The 1850’s, the 1920’s and present day. I had so much fun with the historical fiction aspect of Harmony Bay; I thought I’d do more. Stay tuned.

Where can people buy your book?

To order, follow the links at Tom Gahan official website

Or at Goodreads.com

Or any bookstore can order it for you. The ISBN is 978-1-4327-6663-4

Apart from your website, where people can read more about your work?

Readers can visit my Facebook page and click Like. I post news about the book and upcoming events there. Feel free to post a message there, too.

Thank you, Tom, for answering my questions.

Remember, if you'd like the chance to win a signed copy of Harmony Bay leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen on 30th April 2011. Good luck!