Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "prize"

Introducing, Sandra Yuen MacKay, author of 'My Schizophrenic Life' & enter to win an ebook!

My guest this week is the multi-talented Sandra Yuen MacKay. She is an artist and writer. I first connected with Sandra via Goodreads over a year ago.
When I read her memoir,My Schizophrenic Life: The Road to Recovery From Mental Illness, I was in awe at how someone who had battled through a mental illness was able to achieve so much. She is a special person and a kind and generous friend. I'm happy we became friends, and would recommend that everyone read her memoir if only because it blows away some myths surrounding mental illness and tells the story through the eyes of someone who lives with the struggle and is able to stand as an inspiration and role-model for others.

As well as agreeing to answer my questions, Sandra is giving away an ebook copy of her memoir, or her new book, Hell's Fire, to one lucky reader of my blog. All you have to do to win is leave a comment below, or simply 'Like' this post, and we'll enter you into the draw. A winner will be picked at random on the 1st October 2011.

Here's the interview:

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

Self-publishing isn't for all writers. Ask yourself, how much money, time and effort are you willing to put into it? Self-publishing gives you control over the content and design of your book and also a larger profit per book sold. If you do self-publish, make sure you edit and proofread your work closely or find someone to do it beforehand. Having said that, you may have a quality book but you still need to promote it.

Weigh your options. If you are concerned about upfront costs consider print on demand or e-books. Do you need an ISBN and do you need to register it? BestsellerBound, an indie website, may connect you with other self-publishers who can answer questions you may have. Word of mouth and building a professional website are a good starting point. Free book giveaways or blog tours may be useful. Even if you have a traditional publisher, you still should promote yourself.

Your book ‘My Schizophrenic Life’ deals with your personal journey and road to recovery from mental illness.  I think it’s a book that should be read by mental health professionals as it gives insight into what someone with schizoaffective disorder is thinking and feeling. Have you had any feedback from any psychiatrists or psychologists who may have read the book and if so, what sort of comments do they have?



Yes I have. David Laing Dawson, a psychiatrist, writer, and filmmaker wrote: "Puts the reader nicely in her shoes experiencing the paranoia, misinterpretations, hallucinations."

Julie Holland, a psychiatrist and author in New York wrote: "There are precious few people who have experienced psychosis and can convey it accurately, clearly, and concisely. Sandra MacKay's story is an important one for all of us in the mental health field - doctors, patients, and their families. It is imperative that we take in the lessons she is imparting to us all, on how to manage, and in many ways, triumph over chronic mental illness."

I've received many favourable comments from people in the health field including occupational therapists and psychotherapist Laura Schultz (see link below for reviews).

You have suffered from your mental illness since you were a teenager.  Do you think the mental health system (doctors/hospitals) has improved in the time since you were first diagnosed?  Also, what do you think they could be doing better?

Previously, medication and electric shock treatment were the most common ways to treat the mentally ill. Since then, they introduced the recovery model, which puts the client first and is built around his or her needs and goals. Health professionals are moving toward a more holistic approach to treating clients. In Vancouver, BC, there seems to be more community supports and organizations to help people with mental illness. There's more community awareness and education in schools to reduce stigma. However, I'd like to see better medications without major side effects and more access for family members and caregivers to get support.

I understand that your creativity helped you to some extent when you were going through difficult times.  I also know that you are or were involved in a project that offered creative classes to people with mental illness.  In what way would you say creativity helps someone with mental illness?



There is a longstanding belief that mental illness and heightened creativity are linked. Personally, I see an association between my imagination and motivation to write and paint, and my illness. Creativity is a constructive outlet for my positive and negative energies.

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What is the one message you would like readers to take from your memoir?

People with mental illness aren't so different from everyone else despite our portrayal in the media. With the right treatment, there are people with mental illness who function well and contribute to society. I could have fallen by the wayside, but I received support and developed insight into my symptoms.

I know that you’re an artist as well as a writer.  I have enjoyed looking at your art work on your website and of course, the cover of ‘My Schizophrenic Life’ is one of your paintings.  You have a distinctive style, very colourful and eye-catching.  If you had to choose between writing and art, which would you choose?

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That's a difficult question to answer! I seek variety in what I do. My creativity comes in cycles. Sometimes I paint for days, sometimes I'm really involving in a writing project for months at a time. I don't prefer one over the other, but rather do both at different times.

Do you have any favourite artists?  If so, what is it about their art that you like?

As I have a background in art history, there are a lot of major artists and movements I appreciate. However, I particularly enjoy the Fauvists, Expressionists, and many Canadian painters like Tom Thomson, Jack Shadbolt and Gordon Smith. Each of these artists has given me something in the development of my own style especially in the use of colour.

Your latest book is a fiction story. ‘Hell’s Fire’ is a science fiction novella.  Is science fiction your favourite genre to write, or have you tried writing other genres?



I've written other unpublished stories in different genres. Some explore mental illness, culture, romance, murder, suicide and the paranormal. So I haven't limited myself to one genre however, all of these stories have pieces of my own experience or what I've observed in others.

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

I enjoy Margaret Atwood, Jeffrey Archer, Arthur C. Clarke, and Lorna T. Suzukiwho wrote the Imago series. I might add Maria Savva to that list as well! Each of these writers has the ability to wind a tale that totally engrosses me as a reader without a lot of fluff. Reading diverse genres suits my tastes.

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

I don't own it, but I've read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood more than once. I've also read Stephen King's On Writing over again.

What was the last book you read?

Recently, I read Kathryn Stockett's The Help. I liked the way the point of view changed between chapters. Each narrator has a unique voice and personality. Also reading about the racial tension and struggle struck me deeply.

Are you reading a book at the moment?

Currently I'm reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. I find it interesting to see how the characters develop and change over time.

What do you think of e-books?

I don't own an e-book reader but more people are moving that way. Some people still say they prefer to hold a book in their hands, but technology is moving to more paperless communication. I envision e-books in the future that are more interactive where readers can click on words or phrases and link to other trivia sources, or choose the character's next move, complete quizzes, and communicate with authors.

How important are reviews for you as a writer?

Reviews inform potential readers about the quality of a book, which may increase sales. In turn, reviews give me objective feedback, which hopefully can aid me in fine-tuning my future writing.

How do you go about choosing a cover for your books?

For My Schizophrenic Life and Hell's Fire, I designed the covers using my art and photography. The cover may be the customer's first impression of one's book so they have to stand out on the store shelf. I choose images that are a unique, refer to the content in a way, and as you said are "eye-catching."

Are you working on any other books?

I recently submitted a manuscript to some publishers. It's a novel about a Chinese girl who sacrifices for her sister when her parents divorce. Other than that I'm mostly working on my editor's column for "Majestic," an online newsletter for Lit.org, a writers forum.

Do you have any upcoming events that you’d like to tell people about?

On November 1st after 7 pm Pacific Time, I'll be on a Sound Therapy radio broadcast at CJSF 90.1 FM in Burnaby, British Columbia. I will be selling my book and art at some local art fairs if you live near Vancouver and would like to contact me.

Where can people buy your books?

My Schizophrenic Life is available in print & ebook at:
Amazon USA
Amazon Canada
Chapters Indigo - Canada (print only)
Amazon UK
Smashwords (ebook only)


Hell's Fire is available as an e-book at:
Amazon USA
Smashwords
Amazon UK

Some versions of my book are also available on Amazon in Germany, Italy and France.

Where can readers and fans find you on the internet?

Psychopia video at: http://vimeo.com/27794085
My blog, reviews, and radio/video interviews are at: Letters From Sandra

My art can be viewed at: http://symackay.webs.com
or http://www3.telus.net/sandra_yuen_mackay

I'm the editor for Majestic

Facebook

Linkedin

Thank you, Sandra!

Remember, if you want to enter the draw to try to win a copy of one of Sandra's book, leave a comment below, or click the 'Like' button. Good luck!

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Enter to Win a Signed Copy of Second Chances at Quiet Fury Books!

This month a few BestsellerBound members have got together to offer some free signed print copies of their books.

Up for grabs is a copy of my novel, Second Chances, along with 7 other books:

Second Chances by Maria Savva Into The Light by Darcia Helle Breathing into Stone by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick ShapeShifter The Demo Tapes (Year 2) by Susan Helene Gottfried Ladies and Gentlemen...The Redeemers by Michael Scott Miller Grey Engines by Gareth Lewis How the West Was Wicked by Jessy Marie Roberts Rock & Roll Homicide by R.J. McDonnell






There are 2 packages of 4 books to be won! For your chance to win one of the prize packages, follow this link: http://quietfurybooks.com/contests.html

Good luck!
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Introducing author Felicity Lennie and your chance to win an original prize!

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Today I am pleased to be introducing you to a wonderful author I met on Twitter. Felicity Lennie has written numerous books, she's also a musician and has a myriad of other talents and interests, including making rockets! I am totally fascinated by this author as she seems to come up with a new creative idea every day. I wonder where she gets the time and energy for all she accomplishes. As well as being an author or countless books, she hosts no less than three blogs and makes her own book trailers, including composing the music herself!

I am excited because as well as agreeing to answer my interview questions, Felicity has thought up a very inventive and original prize for my blog readers. Followers of my blog will know that usually my guests give away a book or two when they appear on my blog, but today you are in for an extra special treat. One lucky reader of my blog will win a fabulous prize. Please keep reading to the end to find out what you could win and how to enter!

I recently read Felicity's book, Libra Liberati. A fun, murder mystery, revolving around the life of a famous (fictional) author. I would highly recommend it. I am now keen to read some more of Felicity's book.




Okay, that's enough chat from me, let's get on to the interview. Here it is:


I recently read and enjoyed 'Libra Liberati'. This book is a humourous murder mystery revolving around the life and works of an author. What inspired the character, Libra Liberati, and was she based on any author or authors you had read?

No idea where she came from and not based on anyone. It’s the name ‘Libra’ that is significant. An Italian friend died when I was 18. She was paralysed completely save for her facial muscles but she used to have everyone laughing all the time with her mad jokes. I asked her how she could joke all the time when her life was so challenged.
She said :- ‘I have only one choice left in life. I can be happy and make everyone around me happy or I can be sad and make them sad. I choose joy.’
She was one of my ‘significant signposts’ on the road of life. There she was in that hospital bed with no family or close friends visiting her but she was like sunshine to the other patients, one of whom was my Gran. I promised to remember her and I have. Her name ‘Libra’ will live on in this book after I am gone. It is my gift to her for the life lesson she gave me. When I’m down I say to myself – ‘ I choose Joy ’ and that was Libra’s gift to me. Sometimes laughing in the face of appalling tragedy is our only weapon and only defence.

You have written 14 books. Can you briefly tell us about each book and why you wrote it.



I wanted to be a seismologist but couldn’t be. I was a musician so everyone wanted me to do that but I wanted to be a writer. My English teacher told me I couldn’t write until I had truly ‘lived’. I guess I got carried away ‘living’ but when my young friend found out she was dying, she insisted I start writing promising to proofread and edit it. Dad was dying too so I gave up work and wrote at his bedside. They both died before it was finished. A young male friend of mine always wanted to be man of action and adventure but died too. I imagined the sort of life he always wished he had and wrote it for him and my friend, dedicating the book to them all.



Most of my stories were to entertain fellow-patients. I was stuck with about 9 others far away from home for weeks on end in digs having treatment. Days were slow so I filled them with cliff-hanger stories and adventures. They died. I lived. The books are a lasting memorial of that time and those people. They are in the British Library so after I go, all our names will be there rubbing shoulders with Agatha Christie, Dickens, Shakespeare, Chaucer and all the ‘greats’. It gives me goosebumps. Now I just write because I can and the clock is ticking so I am in a hurry. I’m trying all the different genres to see if I can do them all but not Romance.



How long does it take you to write a novel?

First one took too long due to loads of research. Each one takes less time. Last two were each written in a week.

Wow!

Are you writing a book at the moment? If so, can you tell us a little about it?

I’ve been writing a ghost story for some time in relay with a Canadian writer, also ill…. A labour of love for us both.
As to my current personal project - my best friend has told me after years of badgering I can write about him (something I have always wanted to do since he is beyond belief and utterly unique. The adventures I have shared with him and my husband are way more exciting than any book I have ever read but he wouldn’t let me before so I have kept my promise ….. but now I can tell the world ….. awesome or what !)

As I have been following you on Twitter, I know that you recently started making your own book trailers for your books. You also compose the music. Do you have a musical background?

Yes and that’s why I was kind-of corralled into a musical career. Started piano lessons at the age of 3 and taught for a while later on. Studied Piano, Cello and unlikely as it sounds Opera Singing at College but also played trombone in a Silver Band, Church Organ and guitar, and zither in Folk Group. Used to write a lot of music and wrote a Musical about ‘Nancy Astor’ with a drummer friend.

I read on your bio that you like to set yourself a number of challenges each year. I believe you started doing this from the age of 12. Was there a reason for this, and have you managed to accomplish all your challenges?

Yes. I wanted to see what this person called ‘me’ could do. It seems logical that without trying everything I can’t possibly know what I could be good or not good at. There have been some surprises and some shocks! My best friend did it for a while too but she emigrated. I haven’t ploughed a whole field yet, seen the Aurora or been in the Arctic Circle though I have had opportunities to do them (one with marines expedition years ago). Strangely no matter how weird they are, the opportunities always turn up … it’s for me to accept or not. Mostly I accept. My mum made me say ‘Yes’ to everything more or less.

What are your outstanding challenges for this year, and do you think you'll accomplish them?

I’ve done 5...well 6 really and halfway to finishing 7 but added 3 more then lost one because I can’t get to Book festival this year. The Orrery is tricky but invariably expert advice will turn up from somewhere if I need it. My website is
Felicity Lennie

I recently nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award, and part of that included that you had to reveal 7 things about yourself. I must admit a couple of your revelations have made me curious. You state that a famous pirate and an inventor are your ancestors. Who are they?

I cannot say but if you had a mind, you might work it out. The clues are all there. I can tell you the pirate was extremely smart and the inventor was extremely smart too. I could tell you lots of interesting stuff but I won’t. I love secrets and I know quite a few.
Compared to my husband’s family tree, mine is quite ordinary. His father told me of his extraordinary pedigree but I thought he was joking at the time. It seems not and you could write a ton of books about them. I can tell you an interesting story about them and the Battle of Culloden but I won’t. I like secrets.

LOL. Now I'm even more curious!!

You also stated in the 7 things you revealed that you once had a million hits in 6 months on a website you created. What type of website was it, and are there any tips you can share with us about how you promoted it?

Amateur Rocketry and I worked hard on it sometimes through the night but then I was often in pain and it took my mind off things. It was all-singing … all dancing ….. colourful and I kept it up-to-date and constantly changing. I created crosswords… puzzles… online Treasure Hunts …. Logic Problems …. Still have a lot of them. Doing a crossword puzzle in the shape of a rocket was my pinnacle I think though all the Treasure Hunts were pretty cool. I was learning web-mastering at the time and had been at it a couple of years. One thing I learnt quickly was that being flash didn’t pay off- that it wasn’t about showing off my web skills but about showing off the club’s rocketry skills. I certainly put the area on the map around the world for a couple of years and got feedback from the most extraordinary places. We fascinated people. One thing I learnt was that people liked an easy-to navigate website.

You have varied interests, as well as writing and music, including astronomy and seismology. It seems to me that you are the type of person who is always looking for the next challenge. What keeps you motivated?

Death.
Life is a gift. Don’t waste time! My mother grabbed Life by the throat and squeezed every last second out of it. I would not be her daughter if I did not do the same. When you are dead you can’t do stuff so do it now.

You have two interesting blogs, as well as your fel-osophy blog: Castaway Astronomer and Castaway Author. They are great. I answered the questions on the Castaway Author one, and it was fun to do! How did you come up with the idea for those?

As a toddler I told my parents I intended to live on a deserted island with my large number of imaginary friends. In some ways like the ‘Simon and Garfunkle’ song I have lived my life on that imaginary island without anyone noticing. I thought being creative others might feel the same way as me. My husband thought Astronomers would appreciate dark island skies too so hence the blogs. We are highly competitive with each other my husband and I.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you've answered the Castaway Author questions, so I'll ask you a couple of them here:

Which of your own characters would you choose to be shipwrecked with and why?






All the dogs in ‘Edison Landrake ‘ , the dying house in ‘Backwater’ and Gilbert’s Pagani Zonda since no-one would care that I haven’t passed my test so I could drive round the island in it………………..FAST!!!




Which one of your books would you nominate for the library and what do you think it would contribute to future readers who might get shipwrecked there?

The one I’m about to write about my real best friend…. That will make toes curl and your heart skip a few beats !!!!

Do you have a favourite author?

No. I have favourite books but Far from the Madding Crowd is a favourite (read 18 times) and ‘Jude The Obscure’ is my least favourite (same author) This goes for Charles Kingsley… a favourite and one I don’t’ like by the same author. I judge each book individually. Love Icelandic Sagas and Anglo-Saxon Chronicles though.

Do you prefer print books or ebooks?

Have to enlarge the print ridiculously to be able to read any length so can’t read books anymore- eyesight problems.

Do you have any advice for anyone who is thinking of self-publishing a book?

Only Miss Crute’s …
‘If you haven’t hooked your reader by the end of the first sentence, don’t bother writing anymore.
‘Don’t’ be satisfied with less than 100% your best effort. The book will be how you are judged as a person too so be sure that it stands for the best you can possibly be.
Give your characters a hook to hang their hat on .

From following you on Twitter, I know you are big fan of musicals. Do you have a favourite musical? And if you could star in a musical which character would you like to play and why?

Crikey …. An old lady who said she could read fortunes told me once I would end up on Broadway. Overheard by family, it has been a thorn in my side ever since.
As a child I wanted to be Cyd Charisse which is kind of nice ‘cos my husband is her biggest fan and painted her on the side of his biggest Rocket. I’d love to do that ‘Bandwagon’ final number hot sexy or what …..that dress… wow!



Most like me of course would be ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown’ … I could give that some ‘wellie’.



Thank you, Felicity!

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I told you she was a fascinating lady, didn't I?

Check out Felicity's novels here: http://www.felicity-lennie.com/

Now, I know you're eager to find out what you can win! Felicity has offered to write a short story on any topic for the winner of this contest. The winner gets to choose what the story is about. A personal short story, written for YOU by the extraordinarily talented Felicity Lennie!

To enter, please leave a comment below stating what you would choose as the topic for the short story. A winner will be chosen on 30th July 2012!

Good luck!
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Published on July 03, 2012 04:07 Tags: author, author-interview, contest, felicity-lennie, libra-liberati, prize, short-story

The BestsellerBound Friendship Blog Hop







BestsellerBound is a wonderful community of indie authors. Created by Darcia Helle in the late summer of 2010, I'm lucky enough to be a resident author along with Stacy Juba. The community has grown and now boasts over 500 members. Quite a few of the members are active on the forum. The group wanted to celebrate one thing that has kept them all going over the past two years: friendship. Many friendships have been formed on the board. In fact, one of the most common things our members say is that BestsellerBound is the friendliest group of writers they have found. We pride ourselves on that.

To celebrate not only a successful 2 years as a popular indie writer forum, but also the friendships we have made on the board, a few of the regular members have organised a blog hop. The theme for this blog hop is of course, Friendship. If you follow the tour, you can read blogs by each of the participating authors based on the theme of friendship. Some of the authors will be writing about fictional friendships in their novels, others will be writing about real friendships. We are sure it will be an interesting and varied blog hop. We are also offering a big prize! One lucky winner will win the following prizes:

Secrets by Darcia Helle (Print)
Haunted by Maria Savva (Print)
Priestess of the Eggstone by Jaleta Clegg (Print)
Belkin Mod Standing Cover for Kindle Fire
Nexus Point by Jaleta Clegg (ebook)
Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba (ebook)
Alaskan Healing by Lana Voynich (ebook)
Harmony's Passing by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick (Print)

** This is a tour-wide giveaway, so you can enter from any one of the blogs. Use the Rafflecopter form and follow the instructions for multiple entries. Each author has included a simple question as a way for you to earn bonus entries. The answers can be found within that author's friendship blog post. You can answer all the questions on one form, or answer from the form on each author?s blog.

This giveaway is open to everyone 16 and older, everywhere in the world. Enter between Monday, November 12 and midnight, EST on Monday, November 26. **

Here's the link you need to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Friendship

The subject of friendship appears again and again in my novels and stories. Friendship is something that is important in all of our lives. In this blog, I'm going to highlight a few paragraphs and quotes from my novels and short stories that say something about friendship.


Fusion by Maria Savva The Dream by Maria Savva A Time to Tell by Maria Savva Love and Loyalty (and Other Tales) by Maria Savva Coincidences by Maria Savva Haunted by Maria Savva Pieces of a Rainbow by Maria Savva Second Chances by Maria Savva





Friendship can survive over time and distance.

In my novel, Coincidences, Stephanie meets her friend Rita again after 20 years apart. They swap telephone numbers and talk later:

"After the telephone conversation, Stephanie mused that although she hadn’t spoken to Rita for nearly twenty years, she had been able to talk to her as if they’d never lost touch."

I often find this is the way when I meet an old friend again after a period of absence. You can talk to each other as if there was never any time in between your last meeting.

In my short story, The Reunion, from my collection, Fusion, four university friends make a pact to meet again when they are 40, and in this story, which has a twist in the tail, I wanted to make the point that nothing would have stopped them getting together again.

"‘Robert!’ Susie ran across the park towards him. Had it really been over 18 years since she’d last seen him? The run towards her friend felt almost like a flashback, or a run through time and space to where she used to be. She recognised him immediately, even though his hair was now grey. As she drew closer, she noticed he had wrinkles on his once fresh face. Back in their college days, Robert, Susie, Gail, and Charles had been inseparable."

"The four friends enjoyed a pleasant picnic in the park. Gail had brought a cake, and a bottle of champagne, to celebrate her birthday. The initial awkwardness soon disappeared as they reminisced about their college days.

Friends can help you through difficult times

In Coincidences, Jenny, Alice's friend, helps her in her search for her father, and is always there for her.

She suggests a way Alice could try finding her father:

"She was pleased that she’d spoken to Jenny about it; Jenny was always so practical and positive about things. Over the past few days the confusion in Alice’s mind had made it hard for her to concentrate on anything..."

She also finds out some information to help Alice secure a meeting with her father:

"Jenny read out the address and a telephone number, and Alice wrote them down. Her mouth fell open as the realisation hit her that she had her father’s address and telephone number..."

In Second Chances, James helps his friend Tim who is going through a difficult time in his marriage,

"He had been confiding in James a great deal recently, about his marital problems, as if he were crying for help."

Later in the novel, Tim helps James when he finds himself out of work:

"He [James] took a deep breath, and stretched his legs, feeling happy. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he pulled out the two business cards that Tim had given him. One was Tim’s own card. He smiled to himself, and placed it back into his pocket. The other was Kenneth Hipplethwaite’s card. Looking at the gold- embossed card: ‘Hipplethwaite’s Solicitors’, he felt gratified; that was where he would be working, starting from next week. He couldn’t believe his luck.
Tim had felt sorry for him, when he had told him that he’d been sacked..."


Friends will stand by you

"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
― Elbert Hubbard

In my novel, Haunted, Nigel's best friend, Mike, always stands by him, even knowing that Nigel is an angry young man who often gets them involved in fights:

"Nigel never did understand why Mike continued to stand by him as a friend, but he was genuinely grateful for that friendship; it was the only thing that kept him sane in an otherwise confusing and turbulent childhood."


Age is not a barrier to friendship

In A Time To Tell, Penelope becomes friends with, Steve, one of the counsellors from the Women's Refuge. She is in her early thirties and he is in his fifties.

"'Yes, dear,’ said Cara, slightly concerned that she might have developed some sort of crush or infatuation over Steve; he seemed old enough to be her father, perhaps in his late forties or early fifties.
‘Oh, he is, he helped me so much. I can’t wait until the kids see him again. They really got on well with him... He’s like a dad to me; a proper dad, not the lousy one I had. He’s just such an inspiration to me.’"


In my short story, The Legacy, from Fusion, Barry becomes friends with the man he looks after for a living:

"Barry had been Arthur’s carer for the past three years. Arthur was almost eighty years old and had arthritis, which made it difficult for him to look after himself, especially in the winter months... He often telephoned Barry in the middle of the night, asking him to come over and help out in one way or another. Barry was always pleased to be of assistance.
Barry had been made redundant the month before, due to cutbacks at the company he worked for. He had continued to visit Arthur as usual, while he was looking for another job. They had become good friends over the years."


This poignant story of a friendship is one of the most popular ones in my collection; it really seems to strike a chord with lots of people.

Friendships can be made online these days

With the Internet, many friendships are being formed online. I have found that I have connected with many people who I consider friends, but whom I have never met. I find that the support given by online friends can sometimes be just as strong as our 'real' friends and help us through some tough times. Some of my stories, though, take a look at the other side of online friendships i.e. people can pretend to be who they want to be online.

In my story, A Virtual Affair, from Fusion, Angela meets Jake online and becomes good friends, but when she meets him, is he really who he says he is?

Finally, in my story, Speed King, from my collection: Love and Loyalty, George meets Sarah L. online and they seem to have a lot in common. His wife Amelia seems boring in comparison.

"He had made many ‘virtual’ friends on the speed racing website. One of his favourites was ‘Sarah L’. She was about his age, but unlike Amelia, she seemed to understand him."

Would she turn out to be the same in real life?

Friendship is a fascinating subject as it means different things to different people.

Check out the following blogs by BetsellerBound members, for some wonderful stories about friendship!

BestsellerBound Recommends (http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...)
A Word Please (http://quietfurybooks.com/blog/2012/1...) - Darcia Helle
The Far Edge of Normal (http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com/) - Jaleta Clegg
The Tale's The Thing: http://thetaleisthething.blogspot.com... - Joel Kirkpatrick
Stacy Juba's One Stop Reading: http://stacyjuba.com/blog/2012/11/12/...
Scribblings from my mind (http://www.lanavoynich.com/blog-2/) - Lana Voynich
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