Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "tom-upton"

May is National Short Story Month!

As a short story writer, I am thrilled to discover that there is such a thing as National Short Story Month! I found out today from my good friend and fellow author, Stacy Juba, who has a free short story available for download on Smashwords entitled, 'Laundry Day'. I've read some of Stacy's work and would encourage you all to download this story; it's bound to be good, she's a very talented writer.

The short story seems to be getting more popular these days because people live busy lives and often don't have the time or energy to really get into a novel. A good short story can be a really satisfying way to end the day. You can read a whole story in one sitting, without having to wonder what happens next, or worry about forgetting important facts by the time you next sit down to read it.

I am an avid reader as well as a writer, and I used to only read novels, but have recently been finding that I enjoy short stories and short story collections just as much.

I'm very happy that short stories seem to be making a come back because I love writing them as well as reading them.

To celebrate short story month, I thought I would recommend a few short stories and collections that I have read and enjoyed in recent years. I hope you will choose one or two of them to read. (I've included quotes from my reviews of the stories, you can read my full reviews on the relevant pages).

In no particular order:

Forsaken by J. Michael Radcliffe

With this short story, Michael Radcliffe is introducing the world of the Guardian's Apprentice, his fantasy novel... If you like books about witches, wizards, magic, curses etc., you will love this story. It kept me interested and I loved the little twists contained within it. Nisha wants to save her father, a powerful Wizard who is dying. Will she be able to find the stone that will cure him, and at what cost?

The First Kill by Darcia Helle

A skillfully written crime short story, taking a minor character from Darcia's Michael Sykora series of novels, and giving him the spotlight. Sean Riley is a man with a dark past and this story shows just what effect his past has had on the way he now lives his life. If you like crime fiction, you'll love the way Darcia Helle writes. This character oozes pure evil, and the dialogue-driven prose helps to give the reader the impression that they are a fly on the wall witnessing this brutal scene. Definitely not a story for the fainthearted!

Losing Addison by Marty Beaudet

More of a novelette, but still a quick read :)
A psychological thriller exploring schizophrenia and the unexplained bond between twins. It's a story that will have you glued to the page. The suspense is well constructed and made me want to continue reading until I found out what was happening. The story unravels bit by bit, slowly revealing the reasons behind the characters' behaviour. Beaudet drip feeds the information in the most effective way, with flashback scenes and high drama. A wonderfully entertaining story. I'd recommend it to everyone who likes a good suspenseful thriller.


Oblivious by Neil Schiller

(collection of short stories)
This is a book that will give you a fly on the wall look at ordinary lives and the common scars and ties that bind us. It will reveal to you the hidden side of life, the side most people will never reveal, and of which we are usually oblivious.



A Valentine for Victoria by Lainey Bancroft

Those who love a good romance story will love 'A Valentine For Victoria'. It's a sweet story about how an unlikely couple fall in love. Apart from being a story about how love can blossom in unexpected ways, this story has more depth; it looks at the feelings of insecurity that come with loneliness, that can make us reach out to someone who may or may not be ideal... An underlying theme to this story seems to be 'never judge a book by its cover', and it reminds us that sometimes what we've been looking for has been there all along, but we just don't see it for one reason or another. An entertaining read.

Mannequin A Short Story by Susan Helene Gottfried

A wonderful, well written story, about a young girl and her father, who doesn't always live up to her ideal. She has created a fantasy figure in her mind of what a real father should behave like. The mannequin in an expensive store looks just right for the part. One day, her world changes when a mystery man appears and challenges her view of the world. An insightful and interesting read.

Road Markers by Jason McIntyre

A story that many will relate to. Dean is a 40 something sales rep who is tired of his humdrum life and job, and of the things in his life, like the road markers, that keep him hemmed in. He wants to break free. In the past he has had suicidal thoughts. We follow him on a ride along a dark highway as he deliberates about the consequences that would follow if he were to cross that line and end it all. His mind meanders like the twists and turns of the highway and McIntytre keeps the reader hooked with many a diversion in this skillfully structured short story. A recommended read.

The Heroes & Other Stories by Kat Hausler
(collection of stories)

'The Heroes and Other Stories'is a well composed collection of short stories. Kat Hausler has a wonderful talent for describing and portraying the nuances of human behaviour. For me this collection included absolute gems... Two stories in particular stood out for me, in that they grabbed my attention from the first page and would not let go: 'Peripeteia' and 'La Fee Noire'... I loved the ending of the first story 'What Makes Us Happy', a study of self-imposed loneliness; the ending is very fitting and thought-provoking, and that is one of the better stories in the collection too. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of short fiction. Many of the stories are so intricately detailed that I am sure I would enjoy reading them again and again. This is a promising debut from a talented author.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

A man wakes up one day to find he has been changed into a large insect/beetle. The story follows his efforts to deal with this, and his family's reaction to the change. But it's not just a story about a man turning into a beetle, it's a clever way of writing about how a family would deal with the main breadwinner in the house becoming unable to work, and also on a wider scope, the way a family (and the world at large) reacts to someone who is disabled, or terminally ill... The once able and hard-working man, transformed into a beetle, is now rejected, and his family blame him for their financial situation and the fact that they cannot move to a smaller house, because they need to have a room to keep him in.
The descriptive quality of the writing is excellent, and although it is a sad and gruesome tale, it is also very funny in parts; I couldn't help laughing out loud a couple of times... The main thing that struck me, was that even though this story is nearly 100 years old, it is still totally relevant to today's world.

Mourning Doves and other stories. by Tom Upton

(collection of stories)

Tom Upton's talent seems to lie in being able to grab the reader's attention and draw them into the story, and most importantly to keep the reader's interest. There are many believeable and well-observed/developed characters in these tales... My personal favourites are, 'The Hanging Boy', which I felt was particularly insightful, and, 'Life Along the Okie-dokie Highway'...
I enjoyed reading this book and it's definitely a collection worth reading.

Without Feathers by Woody Allen

(collection of stories and plays)

This book is hilarious. If you like Woody Allen's humour I would highly recommend it. It's totally ridiculous, but brilliant at the same time — which sums up Woody Allen as a comedian. This is a book to make you laugh out loud. It's a collection of short essays, short plays and other strange observations... If you want a giggle you should pick up this book.

Deliveries A Collection by Richard Yee

I have to start this review with a word of warning: you have to read with an open mind, and I would not recommend this collection of stories to anyone who is of a nervous disposition or who dislikes graphic descriptions of sex and violence, or who has an aversion to the use of swearwords. With that out of the way, I have to say that on the whole, I really enjoyed reading this collection. The author is a very talented writer and has a fantastic imagination. He has created many interesting and compelling tales... The stories are written about the darker side of life and some are frightening, some shocking. All the tales will make you think. Most, if not all, are controversial... definitely a book which you will want to read to the end.

And now, of course, I have to mention my own short story collections :)
I have three collections

Love and Loyalty (and Other Tales) by Maria Savva

A diverse collection of short stories, dealing with subjects such as love, luck, loss, and other things beginning with L (LOL).

Pieces of a Rainbow by Maria Savva

A themed collection of stories. 7 stories, each one inspired by a different colour of the rainbow.

Fusion by Maria Savva

My latest collection. Contains ghost stories, love stories and even a bit of sci-fi :)


I hope you will find some short stories to enjoy, and perhaps you'll be persuaded, like I was, that short stories can be just as much fun to read as novels.

Happy National Short Story Month!!
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Book Review: Just Plain Weird, by Tom Upton

Just Plain Weird Just Plain Weird by Tom Upton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Definitely one of my favourite reads this year. Storytelling at its best. It's just so imaginative and yes, "weird"!

Teenager Travis leads quite a dull life until he meets the new neighbours, Eliza and her father Doc.

Travis and Eliza's first adventure together is read edge-of-your-seat stuff, and then the story just gets even more strange and engrossing.

This is a really entertaining mix of sci-fi, romance, adventure, and fun. It would make a great movie.

It's quite fast-paced with lots of interesting ideas, and plenty of twists and turns.

It could have done with a proofread, but I'm giving it five stars because it's such an amazing story. I loved the ending and the last line was just perfect.




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Published on September 06, 2016 13:41 Tags: adventure, book-review, just-plain-weird, novel, review, romance, sci-fi, tom-upton, young-adult

Halloween reading recommendations

It's nearly Halloween, so maybe you're looking for some creepy fiction to read...

Here are some suggestions. All of them have some kind of paranormal/supernatural elements to the story, and all are very entertaining.

13, by Julie Elizabeth Powell



About the book:

What is found within the depths of the human soul? Does wickedness linger, as if the Devil’s thumb is ready to pluck the strings of certain choices? And with the strumming, just how far will Evil spread?

13 is the story of random souls pitted against the tragedy of the modern world. What is their connection, if any? Nameless; are these mere humans whose weaknesses force them to commit heinous crimes, or demons under the skin, aware of their sins yet indifferent to the outcome?

Will they decipher the unknown and make it out alive?



Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/13-Julie-Eliza...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/13-Julie-Eli...

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Signal Failure, by David Wailing




About the book:

It’s four in the morning and Emily is heading home on a London Underground train. But the Night Tube is running slow tonight – delays caused by a signal failure, as usual.

The train stops again, stuck in a tunnel between Tube stations. And then the lights go off. The motors cut out. Silence from the driver.

All the doors slide open at the same time, exposing the passengers to the tunnel.

To let them out?

Or to let something in?

Signal Failure is a 12,000-word short story set in the London Underground. It is a standalone story and also a prelude to the forthcoming novel "Under".


Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Signal-Failure...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Signal-Failu...

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Just Plain Weird, by Tom Upton



About the book:

Travis MacDuff has always led an uneventful life. His greatest concern was making the high school football, until an odd girl moves in next store, a girl whose secrets threaten not only his existence but the existence of everyone on the planet.

Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Plain-Wei...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Plain-W...

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Into The Light, by Darcia Helle



About the book:

Max Paddington refuses to go into the light until he finds his killer. This presents a dilemma, since Max is even less competent as a spirit than he was as a live person. No one sees or hears him and he can't manage to get anywhere or do anything on his own.

Joe Cavelli is a private investigator, living an ordinary life. Then one day he walks across a parking lot, gets yelled at by a ghost, and his life only gets stranger from there.

Max and Joe team up to find Max's killer. In the process, they form an unlikely friendship and change each other's lives in ways they never expected.


Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Into-The-Light...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Into-The-Lig...

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Lost And Found - A Short Story From Odin's Eye, by Maria Haskins



Somewhere in the vast depths of space, a mission has gone horribly wrong. Now a woman is trapped all alone on an alien planet with nothing but her pain and her harrowing memories. At least, she thought she was alone... Lost And Found is a chilling and evocative science fiction short story from Maria Haskins' book Odin's Eye

Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Found-Sho...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Found-S...

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The Hyde Hotel, by various authors



About the book:

The Hyde Hotel Welcomes You...
The Hyde Hotel looks almost exactly as you'd expect it to: a faceless, budget hotel in a grey city you are just passing through. A hotel aimed at people travelling alone, a hotel where you know so little about your fellow guests that they could be anyone... and where, perhaps, so could you. But sometimes things are hiding in plain sight, and not everyone who stays at The Hyde gets a good night's sleep... Featuring stories about the guests and staff of The Hyde Hotel from James Everington, Simon Bestwick, Ray Cluley, Alex Davis, Cate Gardner, V H Leslie, Alison Littlewood, Amelia Mangan, S P Miskowski, Iain Rowan, Mark West and the editors.
Enjoy your stay.


Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Hyde-Hotel-Jam...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hyde-Hotel-J...

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Mystical High, by Lisette Brodey



About the book:

In Mystekal, a small, dying town in the Southern California desert, only 75 students attend the old, sometimes creepy high school dubbed “Mystical High,” where strange things have been known to happen. Jessie Dalworth and Jinxsy Patterson are juniors and lifelong best friends. At home, Jessie deals with the pain of an absentee mother who has abandoned the family for the lure of Hollywood; Jinxsy contends with a 17th “birthday present” she never wanted or expected.

Meanwhile, at school, the unexplained activity begins to escalate when Jinxsy keeps seeing a long-haired guy in the hallway checking her out. Jessie can’t see him, but her younger brother, River, can.

Then, in English class, a stapler mysteriously flies off teacher Eve Carrow’s desk, hitting a student in the face who has just mouthed off to her. The beloved teacher is in the unenviable position of having her brute of a father as principal, so she hates sending any student to his office. As Principal Ernest Carrow begins to terrorize Eve and others more openly, something or someone unseen decides that it’s payback time.

School is getting stranger, and Jinxsy and Jessie are faced with mind-boggling changes in their home lives that complicate everything. When a string of shocking events expose explosive secrets, decades-long mysteries are finally revealed.


Buy the book:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/MYSTICAL-HIGH-...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MYSTICAL-HIG...

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I'll finish off by mentioning a couple of my own novels that have a paranormal theme:

The Spider and Haunted






You can find more details about those and my other books/stories on my website: http://www.mariasavva.com

Enjoy Halloween!
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Favourite reads 2017

Here's a list of ten of the best books I read this year.

If you're looking for something to read, try one of them - you won't be disappointed!

(Slight Return) - Neil Schiller



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

Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075PBR6F6/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075PBR6F6/

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Dark Flash - Maria Haskins





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

Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Flash-M...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Flash-Mar...

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Redhead - Jason McIntyre




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

Buy links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Redhead-Dove...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Redhead-Doveta...

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Condemned - Darcia Helle



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

Buy links:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07562J92P
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07562J92P


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Dark Flash 2 - Maria Haskins



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

Buy links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0776NSXR2
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776NSXR2

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Forever Freaky - Tom Upton



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

Buy links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forever-Frea...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Freaky...

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Deathbed - Jason McIntyre



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

Buy links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N1QQSDJ/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1QQSDJ/

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Invisible Victims - Kat McCarthy



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

Buy links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

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The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle



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

Buy links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002361MLA
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002361MLA

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Stuff The Turkey - Tara Ford



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

Buy links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
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