Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "jay-finn"
Introducing author Jay Finn
Don't you just love that feeling when you find a new favourite author? It happened to me when I came across a tweet on Twitter about a new author Jay Finn. Even though I have hundreds of unread books on my Kindle, I was somehow mad enough to purchase his book, Looking Back. Maybe it was because of the subject matter; the description made me think of my new book, Haunted. Dark fiction, reflecting on the past... I liked the sound of it. I am so glad I did buy it. I loved the stories so much that I went on to buy his other collection of short stories, Beneath the Darkness. Jay Finn's writing style is flawless, it's rare to see a new writer who is able to convey what he wants to say so succinctly and effectively. I am very impressed by what I have read by this writer so far, and am looking forward to his future works. I was keen to invite him here so I could introduce him to you all. He really is a writer who deserves a huge following.Jay very kindly agreed to answer my interview questions and in addition, two of you lucky readers of my blog will win an e-book copy (pdf format) of either 'Looking Back' or 'Beneath The Darkness'(winner's choice)! To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this interview. The winners will be picked on 10th December 2012.
Now on to the interview:
Your stories caught my attention because they deal with the darker side of the human psyche. From my own experience, I find that writing about the darker side of life can be emotionally draining. Have you found that to be the case?
I’ve been asked that question a lot over the years and I’ve still never managed to give an answer to satisfy anyone who has asked it. I don’t think I will be able to here either. But, I will attempt to.
In a word. No. Although I can see how it could be for other people. I’m not claiming any sort of special ability here, I just enjoy writing stories that look at people ‘on the edge of things.’ Everyday we see normal people doing normal things but how do we know just how normal they are! How do we know what things they think about in their quiet moments! What kind of lives do they live behind their public face!
That is not to say that everything I write revolves around this theme, but I enjoy writing stories that verge ‘on the edge.’
The two stories in your collection Looking Back are about memories and how certain events have profound effects on our lives. The first story is very much about regret and how it can almost take over a person's life. Do you have any regrets?
Wow, big question. One way of looking at it is this: Do you like who you are now as a person? If the answer is yes, then there is no need to have regrets because every action that happened in your life, helped sculpt you into the person you are right now. Even if the answer is no, then you can still drop the need for regret because there is always tomorrow to change yourself into a person that you do like.
However, even though I have since quit, I do regret taking up smoking. Don’t smoke kids!
Wise words.
The second story in Looking Back, is about how one person had a major influence on the character's life. Was that influential character based on anyone in your own life?
Very loosely based on my maternal grandfather. We were very close and I wrote that short story shortly after his death. The actual events in the story are all fiction, apart from one or two minor details. There is no specific message lurking about in there apart from whatever one you might find yourself, but I will say, that as we grow up we tend to remember the people who, when we were children, didn’t always treat us as such.
In Beneath the Darkness, again you have a collection of 2 short stories. I enjoyed the way you play with the reader's mind in the first story, The Hitcher. I think this story in particular shows that you are a very skilled writer. Have you ever hitchhiked or picked up a hitchhiker?
As a teenager in rural Ireland in the '90s, hitchhiking was seen as not only a viable form of transport but often a necessity. All my friends and I, until some of us were lucky to get cars of our own, hitchhiked somewhere at least once a week. There were no bus services where I grew up (there still aren’t) so if you wanted to head into the larger towns and you had no other option, then hitchhiking it was. And so it stands to reason, that eventually someone would come along with a good story of who ‘gave them a lift.’ Perhaps someone got picked up by a drunk; maybe they were in a car crash of some sort. Whatever it was, the stories would become more outlandish and a few urban myths were born. I won’t give away the delicious twist in ‘The Hitcher’ but it’s safe to say, that story came directly from my mind and not based on real events.
The second story in Beneath the Darkness explores the subject of the end of the world. If you knew it was the last day of the world as we know it, what would you like to do?
I wouldn’t really care to be honest. The most important thing to me would be who I could spend my last few hours with. This was the motivation for ‘Orange Sky.’ Someone once asked me the same question you have and all I could think of was my girlfriend at the time and how it would be perfect if we had our remaining few hours together.
Who were your writing influences when you were growing up?
I began reading books as soon as I learnt how to read. I know that sounds a bit twee, but I can remember sitting in the classroom library (a single bookshelf sat upon a piece of red carpet) reading Enid Blyton stories. For years, all I bothered with was Enid Blyton. As I grew older I somehow came across a copy of The Hobbit That was when my eyes were well and truly opened to what storytelling could be. The Narnia books weren’t far behind.
Yet, despite that, books like ‘The Faraway Tree’ and ‘The Wishing Chair’ were my first introductions into the world of storytelling and I’ll be forever grateful to Enid Blyton for that. I’m sure there are thousands of adults who can look back to their childhood with similar memories.
Oh, yes, I loved The Secret Seven stories :)
I enjoyed all of your stories and they are all very different. I know that you are working on a novel, which I am looking forward to. Can you tell us a little about what it will be about? What style/genre?
I’m working on several projects at the moment. I have a novella completed that is a western. Again, the dark, malevolent, twisted side of human nature is on show, but never evil. The thing with dark characters, in fiction as well as in real life, they believe in the things that they do. It is in a very rough draft at the moment and I’m not too sure when I’m going to edit it. It will be after Christmas for sure.
Apart from that I have my newest novel in the works which I don’t want to say too much about. Not even a title! You know how us writers are.
LOL, yes... I also like to keep things pretty secret until the last month or so.
Do you have a projected date for the release of your novel?
Not as yet, but I will be surprised if either the novel or novella are not available to buy by the end of next spring.
Both of your books are only available on Kindle only at the moment. Do you have any plans to release paperback copies or e-books in other formats?
At the moment I can only confirm e-book formats. I am hoping that when the novel is complete that it will be available in paperback. As much as I like the power of self publishing I will be attempting to get published the traditional way with my novel.
Audiobooks are becoming more popular. Have you ever bought an audiobook? And do you have any plans to release your books as audiobooks?
I do like audiobooks. A lot! Especially when there is a lot of housework to be done or you’re taking a long drive by yourself. It reminds me of the radio plays I used to love as a child. If I ever were to release my books as audiobooks, I don’t think I would be happy unless it was my own voice being used.
I feel the same way about my own books, but it's finding the time that would be an issue...
What do you think of the Amazon KDP Select free promotion? Have you promoted your books that way and if so would you recommend it to other writers?
I have promoted my books that way yes, although I thick social media is a much more powerful tool for self promotion. That is not to say that the KDP select program is bad. ‘Looking Back’ went to number 1 in the short story section of the free downloads for a short time. Having people get their hands on your material is never a bad thing. If the words are good enough, then they will eventually find the audience they deserve.
Do you have any tips for writers who may be thinking of self-publishing a book?
Yes. You think writing a book is hard? Wait until you try to promote it!
Ha, ha! Truer words were never spoken
I have to say that I was very impressed with your writing, not only the stories and the writing style but the editing. Did you edit your own work or do you use an editor?
For the two e-books I have on sale, I did my own editing. I enjoy editing, I really do. I think that’s where the ‘real’ writer comes out. Sculpting away at the raw material of your story to turn it into something that flows and can become real in a readers mind. However, that is not to say that to not edit alone is a bad thing. Quite often it takes someone apart form yourself to drop that kissing scene that you love so much because it’s completely at odds with the rest of the story.
You'll be happy to know that you are now in my list of favourite writers. Who are your favourite writers?
Well thank you! I can’t emphasise enough how hearing a compliment like that never gets old. I have many different writers across many different genres, but it’s impossible to escape how much of an influence Stephen King has been on me as a storyteller. Although I am not a fan of all of his books and quite often his endings leave me feeling a slight bit cheated, his ability to draw me into the world he creates is something very few writers can do for me. At least consistently.
Where are the best places for readers to connect with you online?
You can follow me on Twitter feel free to get in touch with me there. I also have a blog On there you can find links to my facebook page, and most importantly, links to all my books. Oh, and I write about what I’m getting up to in the world once or twice a week. It won’t put you to sleep, honest. My amazon author page is here: http://www.amazon.com/Jay-Finn/e/B006...
Where can people buy your books?
Like I said above I can be found on Amazon. Links are on my Wordpress page. Alternatively, just go to Amazon and type Jay Finn into the search bar. I’m the only one in there.
Thanks so much for answering my questions, Jay, and I wish you every success with your writing!
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Remember, to be in with a chance of winning one of Jay's books, you should leave a comment below! Good luck :)
The Next Big Thing - Again!
Those of you who follow my blog may recall that about a month or so before Haunted was released I did a blog post called "The Next Big Thing" answering 10 questions about the book. Here's a link to that one to refresh your memory: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
I've been tagged in this blog challenge again. This time I will be answering the questions about my upcoming novel, one that I only starting writing a couple of weeks ago, so it's in the very early stages. I have written about twenty thousand words, though, and I have a rough plan as to how I want the novel to progress. It probably won't be in any shape to be published until at least the end of next year!
"The Next Big Thing" is a chain of book and author recommendations.
What happens is an author answers ten questions about his or her work in progress before tagging another five authors who have to do the same thing. And we all Facebook and/or tweet about it.
Jaime McDougall tagged me. Here is a link to her blog post: http://www.inkyblots.com/the-next-big...
Here are the 10 questions I have to answer:
1) What is the working title of your next book?
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
3) What genre does your book fall under?
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
8 ) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
My answers will probably be brief and secretive as I don't want to give too much away at this stage LOL.
Here goes:
1. The working title of my next book is: Illusion
2. Where did the idea come from? It's strange because with this book, I didn't have an idea for a novel as such, I just started writing something based on a very loose idea, which shall remain a secret for now. As I am writing it, though, I'm noticing that as with all my other books, lots of inspiration from things in my own life are finding their way into the story.
3. Genre: Ha! I laugh at that word... it's all I can do, or I will cry. I can't stick to one genre at all. It's impossible to make me try. At the moment, it's mostly a fantasy, but also a contemporary romance, and drama.
4. It's hard to think of actors to play the parts of my characters as I don't yet know who the real main players in the book will be. At the moment, there is a twenty-something girl, who could possibly be played by someone like Keira Knightly. There is also her boyfriend who is younger than her. He could maybe be played by someone like, Robbie Amell.
5. One sentence synopsis: (again this is hard because I haven't finished the first draft yet!)
Maybe: "The mysterious is sometimes better left in the shadows."
6. My book will be self-published.
7. I have only written about a quarter of the book. It has taken me about 2-3 weeks. I imagine it will take at least another 4-5 months before the first draft is complete.
8. I would compare this current work-in-progress to my novel, The Dream. It has the same feel and a similar theme.
9. My inspiration for the book? All the strange thoughts that fly around inside my head all day.
10. What else might pique the reader's interest? This book embraces my love of music, as there is a (fictional) rock band that plays a major role.
Okay. Now to tag 5 more authors. Most of the authors I know have already done this challenge, so I am going to tag a few people who I don't usually tag, and hope that they haven't already done it!
Ben Ditmars
Cinta García de la Rosa
Justin Bog
Jay Finn
James Everington
If you haven't got a work in progress or you've already done this challenge you're excused! :)
I've been tagged in this blog challenge again. This time I will be answering the questions about my upcoming novel, one that I only starting writing a couple of weeks ago, so it's in the very early stages. I have written about twenty thousand words, though, and I have a rough plan as to how I want the novel to progress. It probably won't be in any shape to be published until at least the end of next year!
"The Next Big Thing" is a chain of book and author recommendations.
What happens is an author answers ten questions about his or her work in progress before tagging another five authors who have to do the same thing. And we all Facebook and/or tweet about it.
Jaime McDougall tagged me. Here is a link to her blog post: http://www.inkyblots.com/the-next-big...
Here are the 10 questions I have to answer:
1) What is the working title of your next book?
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
3) What genre does your book fall under?
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
8 ) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
My answers will probably be brief and secretive as I don't want to give too much away at this stage LOL.
Here goes:
1. The working title of my next book is: Illusion
2. Where did the idea come from? It's strange because with this book, I didn't have an idea for a novel as such, I just started writing something based on a very loose idea, which shall remain a secret for now. As I am writing it, though, I'm noticing that as with all my other books, lots of inspiration from things in my own life are finding their way into the story.
3. Genre: Ha! I laugh at that word... it's all I can do, or I will cry. I can't stick to one genre at all. It's impossible to make me try. At the moment, it's mostly a fantasy, but also a contemporary romance, and drama.
4. It's hard to think of actors to play the parts of my characters as I don't yet know who the real main players in the book will be. At the moment, there is a twenty-something girl, who could possibly be played by someone like Keira Knightly. There is also her boyfriend who is younger than her. He could maybe be played by someone like, Robbie Amell.
5. One sentence synopsis: (again this is hard because I haven't finished the first draft yet!)
Maybe: "The mysterious is sometimes better left in the shadows."
6. My book will be self-published.
7. I have only written about a quarter of the book. It has taken me about 2-3 weeks. I imagine it will take at least another 4-5 months before the first draft is complete.
8. I would compare this current work-in-progress to my novel, The Dream. It has the same feel and a similar theme.
9. My inspiration for the book? All the strange thoughts that fly around inside my head all day.
10. What else might pique the reader's interest? This book embraces my love of music, as there is a (fictional) rock band that plays a major role.
Okay. Now to tag 5 more authors. Most of the authors I know have already done this challenge, so I am going to tag a few people who I don't usually tag, and hope that they haven't already done it!
Ben Ditmars
Cinta García de la Rosa
Justin Bog
Jay Finn
James Everington
If you haven't got a work in progress or you've already done this challenge you're excused! :)
A few book recommendations
Some books that I have read recently that you might want to try:
It can be hard trying to find good books with all the free ones and thousands being published daily. Often we have to read a few not-so-good ones before we find the true gems.
All of the above books stood out to me as exceptional and well worth my time. I hope you'll try one or two of them.
It can be hard trying to find good books with all the free ones and thousands being published daily. Often we have to read a few not-so-good ones before we find the true gems.
All of the above books stood out to me as exceptional and well worth my time. I hope you'll try one or two of them.
Book & writing news, and an update on my own writing
I realise I haven't blogged much here recently, sorry... To make up for it I'm going to fill you in with lots of interesting stuff that's been going on in the book world. When I say 'the' book world, I mean 'my' book world of course. Not only my books, but books by my favourite authors.
It's been an exciting few months with lots of my favourite authors releasing new books. One I must mention straight away is a FREE Kindle book that came out today! It's Nine Lives
Beautiful cover, isn't it?
You can get a free copy for your Kindle for the next few days from Amazon.
I've read You Wish... and The Other Side, by Terry Tyler, and would not hesitate to recommend both of those to anyone who loves a good book.
Here's the link to Amazon.com, but it's available worldwide: http://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lives-Terr...
Other notable new releases this month are:
I'm looking forward to reading all of those.
Recent books I've read that I would recommend are:
Ooh... I've just realised there's kind of a cat theme going on here, what with Terry Tyler's book cover, Jason Mcintyre's new release, and 'Four Paws', alongside 'Kiwi in Cat City' :)
I'm currently reading, and enjoying, 13, by Julie Elizabeth Powell - a dark fiction/horror novel that really shows how great this author's imagination is (oddly enough, there's a cat in this book too!).
Julie has one of her books on sale until Christmas, Knowing Jack is a wonderful adventure story, and only 99cents at the moment. Here's the link to the book on Amazon.com (it's also available at the reduced price in worldwide Amazon stores): http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-Jack-Ju...
Books that have been sitting on my Kindle for far too long (and which I hope to read very soon), include:
... and about 100 others ;)
Books that I've heard will be released soon and that I'm looking forward to, are:
The Christmas Spirit, by Susan Buchanan
Keep an eye on her blog for the release date: http://www.susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk
Fastian, by Jay Finn
Again, details of the release date should be on his blog soon: http://jayfinnauthor.wordpress.com
More news!
1. A writer I met at The Literary Consultancy's recent conference, Laxmi Hariharan, has started writing a series of short stories on UK Asia Online. You can read Bombay Shorts and follow the series, at the following link: http://www.ukasiaonline.com/features-dp1
2. I've just found out about this Kickstarter campaign by a new author, Charles H. Penn, that seems well worth backing. All you science fictions fans, take a look and help this young author realise his dream! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/c...
My writing
Now, a quick update on my own writing. I've been busy editing A Time to Tell, for a second edition. I have a brand new cover for it too, designed by Aeternum Designs http://aeternumdesigns.com/. I'm hoping to be revealing that soon.
I would imagine the book will be released in the early part of 2014.
I'm also working on a new short story collection, as yet untitled, but might be called 'Far Away in Time', which is the title of one of the stories.
Although I haven't yet finished the collection, I think there will be 10 short stories altogether. I have written 7 of those already, and have written the beginnings of the other 3 stories. I'm looking forward to sharing these stories with you all. They range from fantasy to dark fiction.
That's all for now.
If you'd like to keep up with my other blogs, I am currently the main blogger at Bestsellerbound Recommends, which brings you news of all the best indie books and authors: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...
And, I blog on the UK Music Directory (and UK Arts Directory): ukmusicdirectory.com/category/blog/ma... - you can find interviews with lots of great bands, ranging from pop, to rock and heavy metal.
It's been an exciting few months with lots of my favourite authors releasing new books. One I must mention straight away is a FREE Kindle book that came out today! It's Nine Lives
Beautiful cover, isn't it?
You can get a free copy for your Kindle for the next few days from Amazon.
I've read You Wish... and The Other Side, by Terry Tyler, and would not hesitate to recommend both of those to anyone who loves a good book.
Here's the link to Amazon.com, but it's available worldwide: http://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lives-Terr...
Other notable new releases this month are:
I'm looking forward to reading all of those.
Recent books I've read that I would recommend are:
Ooh... I've just realised there's kind of a cat theme going on here, what with Terry Tyler's book cover, Jason Mcintyre's new release, and 'Four Paws', alongside 'Kiwi in Cat City' :)
I'm currently reading, and enjoying, 13, by Julie Elizabeth Powell - a dark fiction/horror novel that really shows how great this author's imagination is (oddly enough, there's a cat in this book too!).
Julie has one of her books on sale until Christmas, Knowing Jack is a wonderful adventure story, and only 99cents at the moment. Here's the link to the book on Amazon.com (it's also available at the reduced price in worldwide Amazon stores): http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-Jack-Ju...
Books that have been sitting on my Kindle for far too long (and which I hope to read very soon), include:
... and about 100 others ;)Books that I've heard will be released soon and that I'm looking forward to, are:
The Christmas Spirit, by Susan Buchanan
Keep an eye on her blog for the release date: http://www.susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk
Fastian, by Jay Finn
Again, details of the release date should be on his blog soon: http://jayfinnauthor.wordpress.com
More news!
1. A writer I met at The Literary Consultancy's recent conference, Laxmi Hariharan, has started writing a series of short stories on UK Asia Online. You can read Bombay Shorts and follow the series, at the following link: http://www.ukasiaonline.com/features-dp1
2. I've just found out about this Kickstarter campaign by a new author, Charles H. Penn, that seems well worth backing. All you science fictions fans, take a look and help this young author realise his dream! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/c...
My writing
Now, a quick update on my own writing. I've been busy editing A Time to Tell, for a second edition. I have a brand new cover for it too, designed by Aeternum Designs http://aeternumdesigns.com/. I'm hoping to be revealing that soon.
I would imagine the book will be released in the early part of 2014.
I'm also working on a new short story collection, as yet untitled, but might be called 'Far Away in Time', which is the title of one of the stories.
Although I haven't yet finished the collection, I think there will be 10 short stories altogether. I have written 7 of those already, and have written the beginnings of the other 3 stories. I'm looking forward to sharing these stories with you all. They range from fantasy to dark fiction.
That's all for now.
If you'd like to keep up with my other blogs, I am currently the main blogger at Bestsellerbound Recommends, which brings you news of all the best indie books and authors: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...
And, I blog on the UK Music Directory (and UK Arts Directory): ukmusicdirectory.com/category/blog/ma... - you can find interviews with lots of great bands, ranging from pop, to rock and heavy metal.
My favourite book covers of 2013
One of my favourite parts of self-publishing my books is choosing the right cover. In the past I have used my own artwork, or photographs that have caught my eye in some way.
For me, the important thing is that the cover should reflect what is inside the book. I love art and I've always liked browsing bookstores just to look at the book covers. Some of them are very eye-catching and I've sometimes bought a book just because I like the cover so much!
I thought it would be nice as an end of year list to choose my favourite book covers of 2013.
I'm going to include the covers of my books, Delusion and Dreams, and 3, both of which were published this year. I love the photographs on the covers.
Here are my favourites from this year. (I'd also be interested in hearing about yours, so if you have any favourites, please comment with a link so we can all see!)
My Favourite Book Covers of 2013 (in no particular order)
Rise of the Shadow by J. Michael Radcliffe
The Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan
13 by Julie Elizabeth Powell
Delusion and Dreams
3
Nine Lives by Terry Tyler
Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale (The Weaver Saga, #1). by Jay Finn
An Eye For An Eye For An Eye by Marc Nash
Nocturnal Embers by Helle Gade
Sandcastle and Other Stories byJustin Bog
The Conversationalist by Justin Bog
A Virtual Love by Andrew Blackman
For me, the important thing is that the cover should reflect what is inside the book. I love art and I've always liked browsing bookstores just to look at the book covers. Some of them are very eye-catching and I've sometimes bought a book just because I like the cover so much!
I thought it would be nice as an end of year list to choose my favourite book covers of 2013.
I'm going to include the covers of my books, Delusion and Dreams, and 3, both of which were published this year. I love the photographs on the covers.
Here are my favourites from this year. (I'd also be interested in hearing about yours, so if you have any favourites, please comment with a link so we can all see!)
My Favourite Book Covers of 2013 (in no particular order)
Rise of the Shadow by J. Michael Radcliffe
The Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan
13 by Julie Elizabeth Powell
Delusion and Dreams
3
Nine Lives by Terry Tyler
Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale (The Weaver Saga, #1). by Jay Finn
An Eye For An Eye For An Eye by Marc Nash
Nocturnal Embers by Helle Gade
Sandcastle and Other Stories byJustin Bog
The Conversationalist by Justin Bog
A Virtual Love by Andrew Blackman
The Chocolate Book Tag Challenge
I've been invited to write a blog post about books and chocolate. How can I resist?
I love chocolate and I love books, not sure which I love the most. Okay, maybe chocolate would win... but maybe books... You see the problem?
Thank you to author Susan Buchanan for tagging me in this challenge. You can read Susan's blog post here: http://susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk/...
So the rules are that you should choose between 6-8 chocolate bars or types of chocolate and link them to books you think they might be a good accompaniment for.
Here goes:
Killing Instinct: A Michael Sykora Novel
Darcia Helle's wonderful novel uncovers a very dark and murky underworld. This dark fiction suspense is surely suited to one of the darkest chocolates out there :)
Beyond the Veil - Omnibus Edition
J. Michael Radcliffe's brilliant trilogy contains wizards and witches from the Black Order who are skilled in the darkest of magic. This omnibus edition is suited to the Black Magic selection box as there are also some short stories included. Some of the characters are good characters and some are bad, so a box of chocolates seems to be an appropriate accompaniment.
The Avalon Trilogy
Julie Elizabeth Powell's enchanting Avalon trilogy contains lots of magic, so how about a selection box from The Magic Chocolate Company to accompany this series? It's a very colourful collection, and her books contain some very fun and colourful characters.
Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale
Jay Finn's characters go in search of a key in this first adventure in the series, so a chocolate key from Not On The High Street would be perfect.
Shadows of the Realm
This chocolate dragon could probably accompany J. Michael Radcliffe's Beyond the Veil trilogy as well :)
Dionne's wonderful fantasy adventure contains dragons galore, so this lovely handcrafted chocolate dragon would go very well as a snack to eat while you read.
Metallic Dreams
All you music fans out there might like to nibble on a novelty chocolate guitar from Yummies.com while you read this 'very metal' novel by Mark Rice.
Either Side of Midnight
This cleverly written thriller about twins Naomi and Annabel, would go very nicely with a Twix bar :)
Love & The Goddess
Last but not least, for this heavenly novel featuring no less than three goddesses, how about something from the Divine chocolate range? I would suggest some dark chocolate hearts as there's lots of romance between the pages :)
This challenge has been fun! I hope you liked my suggestions.
I'm now going to tag a few of my author friends:
Helle Gade, poet and photographer. Has written three fabulous collections of poetry and is a talented photographer, as well as a chocolate addict so I am sure her choices will be very interesting! Find out more about her on her blog: http://hellegade.wordpress.com/
J. Michael Radcliffe, writer of spellbinding fantasy fiction, and cat hoarder! You can find out more about him here: http://michaelradcliffe.wordpress.com/
Darcia Helle, talented author of suspense novels and short stories. Visit her blog here: http://quietfurybooks.com/blog/
Ben Ditmars, talented poet and author of novels and plays, you can find out more about Ben on his blog: http://niceoldspice.blogspot.co.uk/
Look out for their chocolate and book choices on their blogs soon!
I love chocolate and I love books, not sure which I love the most. Okay, maybe chocolate would win... but maybe books... You see the problem?
Thank you to author Susan Buchanan for tagging me in this challenge. You can read Susan's blog post here: http://susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk/...
So the rules are that you should choose between 6-8 chocolate bars or types of chocolate and link them to books you think they might be a good accompaniment for.
Here goes:
Killing Instinct: A Michael Sykora Novel
Darcia Helle's wonderful novel uncovers a very dark and murky underworld. This dark fiction suspense is surely suited to one of the darkest chocolates out there :)
Beyond the Veil - Omnibus Edition
J. Michael Radcliffe's brilliant trilogy contains wizards and witches from the Black Order who are skilled in the darkest of magic. This omnibus edition is suited to the Black Magic selection box as there are also some short stories included. Some of the characters are good characters and some are bad, so a box of chocolates seems to be an appropriate accompaniment.
The Avalon Trilogy
Julie Elizabeth Powell's enchanting Avalon trilogy contains lots of magic, so how about a selection box from The Magic Chocolate Company to accompany this series? It's a very colourful collection, and her books contain some very fun and colourful characters.
Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale
Jay Finn's characters go in search of a key in this first adventure in the series, so a chocolate key from Not On The High Street would be perfect.
Shadows of the Realm
This chocolate dragon could probably accompany J. Michael Radcliffe's Beyond the Veil trilogy as well :)
Dionne's wonderful fantasy adventure contains dragons galore, so this lovely handcrafted chocolate dragon would go very well as a snack to eat while you read.
Metallic Dreams
All you music fans out there might like to nibble on a novelty chocolate guitar from Yummies.com while you read this 'very metal' novel by Mark Rice.
Either Side of Midnight
This cleverly written thriller about twins Naomi and Annabel, would go very nicely with a Twix bar :)
Love & The Goddess
Last but not least, for this heavenly novel featuring no less than three goddesses, how about something from the Divine chocolate range? I would suggest some dark chocolate hearts as there's lots of romance between the pages :)
This challenge has been fun! I hope you liked my suggestions.
I'm now going to tag a few of my author friends:
Helle Gade, poet and photographer. Has written three fabulous collections of poetry and is a talented photographer, as well as a chocolate addict so I am sure her choices will be very interesting! Find out more about her on her blog: http://hellegade.wordpress.com/
J. Michael Radcliffe, writer of spellbinding fantasy fiction, and cat hoarder! You can find out more about him here: http://michaelradcliffe.wordpress.com/
Darcia Helle, talented author of suspense novels and short stories. Visit her blog here: http://quietfurybooks.com/blog/
Ben Ditmars, talented poet and author of novels and plays, you can find out more about Ben on his blog: http://niceoldspice.blogspot.co.uk/
Look out for their chocolate and book choices on their blogs soon!
My Top Ten Reads of 2014
It's the time of year when we reflect on the past 12 months. I've read lots of great books this year, so I thought I'd choose my top ten. It wasn't easy to pick just ten!
Here they are, in no particular order:
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
A wonderful fantasy tale, with lots of great imagery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-at-End-La...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ocean-at-End-...
#######
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
A chilling and entertaining ghost story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Sym...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Fearful-S...
#######
Welsh Love Story by Clive Pearce
A hilarious love story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Flew-Over-Dodos...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flew-Over-Dod...
#######
Mystical High by Lisette Brodey
An intriguing paranormal mystery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/MYSTICAL-HIGH-D...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/MYSTICAL-HIGH...
#######
Playmates by Jess C. Scott
A wonderfully edgy psychological thriller.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Playmates-Wilde...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playmates-Wil...
#######
Love & The Goddess by Mary E. Coen
An inspirational, captivating read.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Goddess-Ma...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Goddess-...
#######
Doppelganger by Geoffrey David West
An edge-of-your-seat crime thriller.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Doppelganger-Ja...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doppelganger-...
#######
Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale by Jay Finn
An engrossing fantasy adventure.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Fastian-Edgewei...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fastian-Edgew...
#######
Dirty Business by Julie Elizabeth Powell
A dark and intriguing murder mystery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Business-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dirty-Busines...
#######
The Silence of Juliet Mann by Joanne Phillips
A heartwarming story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Silence-Juliet-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silence-Julie...
Here they are, in no particular order:
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
A wonderful fantasy tale, with lots of great imagery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-at-End-La...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ocean-at-End-...
#######
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
A chilling and entertaining ghost story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Sym...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Fearful-S...
#######
Welsh Love Story by Clive Pearce
A hilarious love story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Flew-Over-Dodos...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flew-Over-Dod...
#######
Mystical High by Lisette Brodey
An intriguing paranormal mystery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/MYSTICAL-HIGH-D...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/MYSTICAL-HIGH...
#######
Playmates by Jess C. Scott
A wonderfully edgy psychological thriller.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Playmates-Wilde...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playmates-Wil...
#######
Love & The Goddess by Mary E. Coen
An inspirational, captivating read.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Goddess-Ma...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Goddess-...
#######
Doppelganger by Geoffrey David West
An edge-of-your-seat crime thriller.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Doppelganger-Ja...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doppelganger-...
#######
Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale by Jay Finn
An engrossing fantasy adventure.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Fastian-Edgewei...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fastian-Edgew...
#######
Dirty Business by Julie Elizabeth Powell
A dark and intriguing murder mystery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Business-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dirty-Busines...
#######
The Silence of Juliet Mann by Joanne Phillips
A heartwarming story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Silence-Juliet-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silence-Julie...
Update on my writing
I'm working on a few different projects at the moment.
1. "Triptychs" - What is that? I hear you ask. Well, I had to google the word when it was first suggested as a title for the upcoming anthology I'm working on with a few fellow writers. J. Michael Radcliffe suggested it, and when I found out what it means, I thought it was perfect for the book.
Triptychs will be the 3rd book in the Mind's Eye Series. Perspectives and Reflections, the first two books in the series were published last year. This is a series of anthologies where authors/poets write their story/poem inspired by a photograph.
The reason we're calling the 3rd book "Triptychs" is because there will be 3 poems/stories for each of the photographs featured in the book. Definition of "triptych": "a set of three associated artistic, literary, or musical works intended to be appreciated together".
I've written 2 new short stories for the collection, and there will also be stories from: Darcia Helle, J. Michael Radcliffe, Jason McIntyre, Julie Elizabeth Powell, Eden Baylee, Lisette Brodey, Marc Nash, Geoffrey David West, and Jay Finn. Poems will be contributed by Helle Gade and Ben Ditmars.
Photographs in the collection were taken by Martin David Porter and Helle Gade.
The anthology is almost finished. I'll have more news about that soon.
2. While we're on the subject of short stories, I will have a new short story collection out sometime this year (I say that optimistically as I am trying to fit it in between other projects!). This one is called 'Lost and Found'. One of the stories is called 'Lost and Found', but the collection will include some short stories I wrote in the '90s, which I thought were lost because they were on an old floppy disk and I couldn't retrieve them; recently I found typed copies in a drawer at home while cleaning (this is proof that I need to clean up more often!).
I was very happy to find them again after so many years, especially after thinking they'd been lost. So I thought that title would be very fitting for the collection. So far I've only typed up and edited one of the stories, so it may be a while before the book is ready to be published.
3. A Time to Tell - I'm working on a second edition of the novel. It was originally published in 2006 but is no longer available in paperback, so I'm soon going to release a revised/re-edited version in e-book and paperback. Watch this space for news.
4. My new novel will hopefully be ready for publication sometime this year. I wrote the first draft it in just under two months last year, which is the quickest I've ever written a novel. It usually takes me about 6 months. I've read over the first draft and done an initial edit, but will need to read it over again before sending to my editor. The novel is called 'In the Web of Dreams and Lies'. It's part thriller/horror, part romance/contemporary fiction, with a splash of humour and paranormal. I have already designed a cover for it, but will wait to reveal that nearer to the publication date.
Best places to keep up with my writing news are my website: http://www.mariasavva.com/site/ and my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author...
1. "Triptychs" - What is that? I hear you ask. Well, I had to google the word when it was first suggested as a title for the upcoming anthology I'm working on with a few fellow writers. J. Michael Radcliffe suggested it, and when I found out what it means, I thought it was perfect for the book.
Triptychs will be the 3rd book in the Mind's Eye Series. Perspectives and Reflections, the first two books in the series were published last year. This is a series of anthologies where authors/poets write their story/poem inspired by a photograph.
The reason we're calling the 3rd book "Triptychs" is because there will be 3 poems/stories for each of the photographs featured in the book. Definition of "triptych": "a set of three associated artistic, literary, or musical works intended to be appreciated together".
I've written 2 new short stories for the collection, and there will also be stories from: Darcia Helle, J. Michael Radcliffe, Jason McIntyre, Julie Elizabeth Powell, Eden Baylee, Lisette Brodey, Marc Nash, Geoffrey David West, and Jay Finn. Poems will be contributed by Helle Gade and Ben Ditmars.
Photographs in the collection were taken by Martin David Porter and Helle Gade.
The anthology is almost finished. I'll have more news about that soon.
2. While we're on the subject of short stories, I will have a new short story collection out sometime this year (I say that optimistically as I am trying to fit it in between other projects!). This one is called 'Lost and Found'. One of the stories is called 'Lost and Found', but the collection will include some short stories I wrote in the '90s, which I thought were lost because they were on an old floppy disk and I couldn't retrieve them; recently I found typed copies in a drawer at home while cleaning (this is proof that I need to clean up more often!).
I was very happy to find them again after so many years, especially after thinking they'd been lost. So I thought that title would be very fitting for the collection. So far I've only typed up and edited one of the stories, so it may be a while before the book is ready to be published.
3. A Time to Tell - I'm working on a second edition of the novel. It was originally published in 2006 but is no longer available in paperback, so I'm soon going to release a revised/re-edited version in e-book and paperback. Watch this space for news.
4. My new novel will hopefully be ready for publication sometime this year. I wrote the first draft it in just under two months last year, which is the quickest I've ever written a novel. It usually takes me about 6 months. I've read over the first draft and done an initial edit, but will need to read it over again before sending to my editor. The novel is called 'In the Web of Dreams and Lies'. It's part thriller/horror, part romance/contemporary fiction, with a splash of humour and paranormal. I have already designed a cover for it, but will wait to reveal that nearer to the publication date.
Best places to keep up with my writing news are my website: http://www.mariasavva.com/site/ and my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author...
Triptychs available for pre-order!!
You can now pre-order a copy of the latest book in The Mind's Eye Series, "Triptychs" on Amazon Kindle! It's available at the special pre-order price of 99c/99p. The price will rise to £3.99/$3.99 when it's published on 16th March.
You'll find two new stories from me in the collection, a fantasy story called "Glimmer Siluridae", and a dark and twisted tale of love lost, called "Lost in You".
There are also stories from the talented, Darcia Helle, J. Michael Radcliffe, Lisette Brodey, Jay Finn, Eden Baylee, Geoffrey West, Marc Nash, Jason McIntyre, and Julie Elizabeth Powell, as well as poetry from the wonderful Helle Gade, and Ben Ditmars.
All stories and poems in the collection were inspired by photos taken by Martin David Porter and Helle Gade (you'll find the stunning photos in the book).
Grab your copy at the following links:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Triptychs-Minds...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Triptychs-Min...
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Triptychs-Mi...
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon IN: http://www.amazon.in/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon JP: http://www.amazon.co.jp/Triptychs-Min...
Amazon IT: http://www.amazon.it/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon ES: http://www.amazon.es/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon FR: http://www.amazon.fr/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon MX: http://www.amazon.com.mx/Triptychs-Mi...
Amazon BR: http://www.amazon.com.br/Triptychs-Mi...
Amazon NL: http://www.amazon.nl/Triptychs-Minds-...
You'll find two new stories from me in the collection, a fantasy story called "Glimmer Siluridae", and a dark and twisted tale of love lost, called "Lost in You".
There are also stories from the talented, Darcia Helle, J. Michael Radcliffe, Lisette Brodey, Jay Finn, Eden Baylee, Geoffrey West, Marc Nash, Jason McIntyre, and Julie Elizabeth Powell, as well as poetry from the wonderful Helle Gade, and Ben Ditmars.
All stories and poems in the collection were inspired by photos taken by Martin David Porter and Helle Gade (you'll find the stunning photos in the book).
Grab your copy at the following links:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Triptychs-Minds...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Triptychs-Min...
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Triptychs-Mi...
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon IN: http://www.amazon.in/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon JP: http://www.amazon.co.jp/Triptychs-Min...
Amazon IT: http://www.amazon.it/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon ES: http://www.amazon.es/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon FR: http://www.amazon.fr/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Triptychs-Minds-...
Amazon MX: http://www.amazon.com.mx/Triptychs-Mi...
Amazon BR: http://www.amazon.com.br/Triptychs-Mi...
Amazon NL: http://www.amazon.nl/Triptychs-Minds-...
