Mary K. Savarese's Blog

"Set my goals, for the immediate. See my vision, for the long term.

It's a New Year! Yay!"

A new you, a new me. How many of us said this several weeks ago only to be

plagued by a familiar nemesis. Another four letter word in an Author's or writer's repertoire, and that word is, FEAR!

Who am I kidding, it's in everyone's repertoire. We can be our own toughest critic and therefore, throw in that proverbial towel.

Even though you try keeping it at bay, FEAR creeps up and can take its hold on us. You begin to wonder and ask yourself, Is my writing good enough? Is my manuscript edited enough? Why would an editor answer my query? Am I good enough? Our fear list can be endless.

Believe it or not even when you become a published author, that fear never goes away. So how do you deal with it? And not only for your writing but life in general.

1. Never, ever, give up on yourself or your dream.

2. Continue dreaming. It's who you are. It's what you live for.

3. Set your goals and vision and stick to them no matter what.

I take comfort in these following quotes and lean on them when fear hits:

“You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory.” —J. Donald Walters

"Some succeed because they are destined to. But, most succeed because they are determined to."

And, you too shall succeed!

Happy New Year! Until next time.

My best to you always,

Mary K. Savarese

Author, Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!) mystery romance

The Girl In The Toile Wallpaper, YA fantasy adventure trilogy, coming Summer 2021

www.maryksavarese.com

brings you into the SPIRIT…..

Something hits our psyche, hard, during the month of October. Summery days lead to snowing leaves, layers of clothing, hot toddies, and for those lovers of cozy mysteries (and yes, we love them year round) a celebration of mystery, murder, intrigue. So, to get us into the SPIRIT, hosts Marie McNary from A Cozy Experience and Author, Astoria Wright, conjured up the "magical" A Frightfully Cozy Book Fair.

A Sqweeevent Venue, we were hexed by Authors & Podcasters & Booktubers & Mystery Book Clubs & Reviewers. Polls were taken, 8 Balls shaken, prizes awarded along with bewitching book and merchandise browsing, chatting. A wonderful hour had by all this past Sunday. I am so honored as an author to have participated and with that said if you were not able to join us or need more info please check out these wonderful sites:

The Host

Thanks to Marie from A Cozy Experience for hosting today! Sign up to her website and follow her on social media to see more great cozy mystery parties in the future!

Website:
,https://cozyexperience.com
Facebook: ,https://www.facebook.com/
,cozyexperience
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyExperience
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozyexperience/


The Authors
Did you see any book series that intrigued you today? If so, subscribe to the authors' websites and never miss any new stories! Follow them on social media to keep up to date with all their events and new releases!


Melissa Bourbon

Website: melissabourbon.com
Instagram: @MelissaBourbonBooks ,
, Facebook.com/MelissaBourbonWinn
ieArcherBooks
Bookbub.com/authors/MelissaBour
bon
The Book Warriors Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/B ookWarriors/

,Gayle Leeson

Website: gaylelesson.com
Twitter.com/GayleTrent
Facebook.com/AuthorGayleLesson
Bookbub.com/authors/Gayle-Leeson

Lynn Morrison

Website: lynnmorrisonwriter.com
Twitter.com/@nomadmomdiary
Instagram.com/@nomadmomdiary
Facebook.com/NomadMomDiary
Bookbub.com/authors/LynnMorrison

Rosie Pease

Website: rosiepease.com
Twitter.com/WriteRosiePease
Facebook.com/WriteRosiePease
BBookbub.com/authors/rosie-pease

Mary K. Savarese

Website: maryksavarese.com
Twitter.com/MaryKSavarse
Facebook.com/MaryKSavarse
,Bookbub.com/authors/mary-k-
savarese

Victoria LK Williams

Website: victorialkwilliams.com
Facebook.com/VictoriaLKWilliams
,Bookbub.com/authors/victoria-lk-
williams

Astoria Wright

Website: astoriawright.com
Facebook.com/astoriawright
Bookbub.com/authors/astoriawright


The Podcasters & Booktubers

Sign up to cozy podcasts and book tube channels to hear the latest book recommendations and see what the cozy community is reading!


All Things Cozy Podcast

Website:
allthingscozy.libsyn.com/website
Facebook: Facebook.com/AllThingsCozyPodcast/Pod... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-cozy/id1253783033
Patreon: https://wwwpatreon.com/allthingscozy

Comfy Cozy Podcast
Website: ettawelk.com/comfycozy
Twitter.com/EttaWelk
Acast: https://shows.acast.com/comfy-cozy/

Angela Maria Hart

Website: AngelaMariaHart.com
The Cozy Mystery Book Club
TheCozyMysteryBookClub.com
Classically Cozy Conversations
Youtube.com/watch?v=5zEQLrFXWn8
Books Are My Hart Youtube
Youtube.com/booksaremyhart
Twitter
https://twitter.com/CelebratingCozy

Courtagonist

Website: courtagonist.com
Youtube.com/Courtagonist
Twitter.com/Courtagonist
Facebook.com/Courtagonist
Instagram.com/Courtagonist

Intentionally Bookish
Youtube: Intentionally Bookish
Instagram: @IntentionallyBookish

Lisa Latte
Websites:
lisalatte.com
lisalondonbooks.com
Youtube: Youtube.com/lisalatte


Cozy Escape Book Club
Facebook.com/CozyEscapeMysteryBookClub

The Artist

If you like the background art and need any artwork in the future, check out the artist on Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/catherinehigh

Until next time. Stay in the SPIRIT.

My Best to You Always,

Mary K. Savarese

www.maryksavarese.com

Author, Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!)

A cozy mystery romance with a SPIRITual twist.

Answer: We all do, in one form or another. Motivation reaches into the depths of our souls and makes us for the better and certainly more productive human beings. Speaking of which, I recently had the enormous pleasure and enjoyment of being interviewed on the Podcast: Interviewer Hamza Davis-

INTRINSIC MOTIVATION – A HOMIE'S PERSPECTIVE

https://www.intrinsicmotivation.life

YT channel:
,https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxCy8t2zrzeXly9vC527QhQ

Facebook Page:
,https://www.facebook.com/Intrinsic-Motivation-A-Homies-Perspective-1840324906181321/

Also uploading shows on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Stitcher.

The website's opening quote: Exploring Depths of the Soul. And Hamza certainly does. You will find a multitude of motivating topics. I am the author of a mystery romance with a spiritual twist, Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!) Hamza interviewed me about Exploring How Hobbies Could Save Your Life. I hope you find this topic intriguing and helpful on how writing helped me through a difficult time in my life plus other twists and turns.

With insight, fun and laughter, Hamza interviewed me for a good while yet it seemed like only five minutes from my perspective. He weaved such thought-provoking questions, as I'm sure he does with each of his guests. I found Hamza to be a very gifted interviewer. As an author, I like to keep a personal side of me just that, personal. However, Hamza very artfully drew me out. I enjoyed every minute with Hamza & Intrinsic Motivation- A Homie's Perspective.

Check out his website. There is much offered and on every level.

Until next time, stay safe, motivated and happy.

My Best to You Always,

Mary K. Savarese

www.maryksavarese.com

Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand…and melting like a snowflake…

Such an empowering quote, as time is so fleeting, controlled by no one. And you, my friends need to take the bull by the horns. I am debuting, THE TWO MINUTE AUTHOR, during the month of August on my new V-Blog. I will be posting twice a week, www.maryksavarese.com/vblog.

What is

An inspirational journey to discuss your dream of writing, your dream of becoming published, or your dream of another creative artistic venture.

Why is it only two minutes?

Two minutes or as the inspirational quote suggests, grabbing moments in our lives now. Two minutes are only 120 moments out of our day of 86,400 moments should you decide to join me on this journey of you, of us.

Looking forward to making this time with you.

I hope to inspire you. I hope to cheer you on in your own dreams. Have faith in yourself. Have faith in your writing, your words. Have faith in your ideas as they are sparkling like a star in your heart.

Until next time, stay happy, stay safe.

My Best To You Always,

Mary K. Savarese

Author, Tigers love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!)

A cozy mystery romance with a spiritual twist

https://youtu.be/8m75QMepIxA

Our Independent Book Stores If only I could, once so simple, I would walk through your door. If only I could, I would reach for that book, You so dearly let me look. If only I could, your store's creative spirit and joy, brings me smiles galore. Someday soon, I will physically return So, during your lull- I ask for all concerned…. During this virus crisis, our Indies are closed and taking a major financial hit. You know them, those charming little book shoppes tucked away on a side street, a street corner or planted right in the middle of our main drag. Some have wonderful themes like my fav, The Storyteller's Cottage, https://www.storytellerscottage.com, which sells books but is a theatre and mystery house in one. Nonetheless, I love you all and my list goes on and on from the holes in the wall to medium to Christian. You have always welcomed us Authors with open arms and I love you all for that. Help them out, reach out, they might be offering very creative programs online virtually to stay afloat. Leave them messages of encouragement and be the first ones there when they re-open. Check out if they're offering Zoom Rooms and order books. Indie owners, I have found are such special people. Love of books, community and so kind to Authors are the thread that weaves wonderful experiences into all our lives. Let's not let them down! Visit Indi Bound or follow their link at the top right corner of my website to find a local bookstore near you! Stay safe! Love and Smile. We will get through this together. Until next time- My Best To You Always, Mary K. Savarese Author, Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!) A cozy mystery romance with a spiritual twist https://www.maryksavarese.com

When stars align, and especially these two, MINDALIA TV and host, Mirna Perez with co-host Dan Blanchard, President of APSS*, something magical happens. MINDALIA TV reaches subscribers worldwide via a multi audiovisual platform offering programs promoting Spiritual, Mental and Physical Consciousness. I soar with gratitude. "SO… HOW IS THIS INTERVIEW GOING TO HAPPEN?" I ask Dan who has graciously invited me to appear on MINDALIA TV. "DO YOU HAVE ZOOM," Dan replies. "WHAT TYPES OF QUESTIONS WILL YOU BE ASKING ME ABOUT Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!)" I wonder how my answers will fill a half-hour segment. "MIRNA PEREZ, WILL FORWARD YOU A PRE-INTERVIEW QUESTIONAIRE," Dan confides and "DON'T WORRY, WE'LL TALK LIKE OLD FRIENDS." What comes into focus is how my expertise, A Hook as it is termed, evolves. My two passions, on writing and becoming a published Author as well as serving as a Eucharistic Minister visiting Nursing Homes takes precedence. The MINDALIA TV interview opens with Mirna Perez's gracious introduction followed by Dan's and then Dan takes over. Professionally and with such ease, he weaves a courtside display of leading one topic into another and before I realize and the jitters dissipate, it's over. And I love the final product dubbed, 'Letting Our Greater Force Guide Us'. I hope you will too. A good title if I may say for our present world situation. Dan Blanchard, my interviewer and friend, President of APSS*, is an international, bestselling, award-winning author, Speaker, Educator and TV Host. You can find Dan Blanchard at http://www.granddaddyssecrets.com. MINDALIA TV and Host, Mirna Perez, lead a wonderful platform offering creative programming worldwide. Take a peek at their format in the near future, even subscribe.

Keep smiling, keep loving, embrace the enlightenment. Together, we will move forward.

Take care. Until next time,
My Best to You Always,
Mary K. Savarese *Association of Publishers for Special Sales

6 MONTHS LATER… Thrills, joy, every feeling an Author imagines…at the publication of Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!) In my case, ten years of hoping and imagining. What did I expect? I have to acknowledge it was all a learning curve from the moment I signed my contract, through editing and more editing, the cover and background information. They ain't kidding when they say you have to market your book a year before it's published. Yikes! a year before I was busy telling everyone and celebrating and editing with the most fabulous editor, honest and tough, sometimes too honest and tough, but the knowledge I gained from my Creative Editor, Lynn Moon, is priceless. She is also a fabulous Author in her own right. Yes, always love your many editors. They truly want the best for you. I can't say this enough. And with that said, it's six months after publication and my initial Book Launch. I'm still on that learning curve, the Marketing one, the Social Media one, where I had to jump in head first into a world I desperately ran from in the past. With thousands of new books published every year the question begs, What are the best ways to stand out from the crowd and get more eyeballs on my cozy mystery romance with a spiritual twist, Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!) There is a formula: Create an Author Website with links to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. Create a Book Trailer. Have an Amazon Author page, a Goodreads Author Profile, get Reviews. Give away a chapter preview as well as free books on 'Giveaways'. Create an email list (I'm still working on that.) Reach out to Bloggers. Go on a Virtual Blog Tour. Get Author Interviews. And on and on. It truly takes a village! Help and more help! Are you getting the jist here? Exposure, exposure, exposure! You can dream book signings and I've done many but I've learned you need a following and that takes a while which is okay for a debuting author. You are your own best Marketer. Don't give up. With that said, in concluding this blog piece my world rocked and I am so grateful and humbled. I just received an email from the worldwide prestigious Royal Dragonfly Book Award Contest. Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!) has been awarded excellence in literature in two categories. I garnered Honorable Mentions in Mystery as well as New Author: Fiction. I wouldn't change a thing! Until next time. My Best to you always, Mary K. Savarese

Question: What makes a great read? Answer: EDIT. Question: What makes a fast read where true motives and agenda are quickly recognized though not answered until the Author wants the reader to know? Answer: The four letter word, EDIT. By the time a Novel, any Novel, reaches your hands, whether in print or E-book, it has gone through a massive editing process, besides, initially your own. And through many Editor's hands, from a Creative Editor, through an Executive Editor culminating with the Copy Editor. Each has a unique perspective. Take the Creative Editor, (please do! Many an author has said) BUT DON'T. A Creative Editor sees your story. Exactly, sees it the correct way it should greet your reader and leaves them wanting more with that WOW factor. The Executive Editor looks for cohesiveness, flow, while the Copy Editor does the final grunt work, spelling, sentence structure, yada,yada…. It is not the Manuscript, your baby, you birthed and nourished. No, it is better and still your story, only tighter. Now, don't get me wrong. If an editor is editing your manuscript for publication it is thoroughly delightful. You wouldn't have gotten this far. With that said, now it will be FABULOUS!!!! After working with my Creative Editor, Lynn Moon, on Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!) for almost five months, that's once a week for a couple of hours, I can truthfully say I am forever grateful. What I learned and am applying to editing a previous manuscript is priceless. And here I thought it was damn good before… TIPS: Tell less, Show more. Use those Thesaurus verbs and not always the same ones. Put the reader into the action instead of telling them what's going on. Stop with the Data Dumps. Yikes, if you're bored and flipping through pages you're in a data dump. Get it into creative dialogue. There's only one voice in a break segment or chapter. Not every character's thoughts and feelings. Learn how to jump between past and present with it making sense. If you say, "Wait, what's going on" It ain't working properly. And speaking of LY words, Lose them. It's lazy writing. Sometimes, tight short sentences are enough. Use dialogue tags properly. Those are said, asked…Keeps the reader on track. Someday, when your Book is judged for an award where everything is taken into account receiving points, you'll say, "Hey. It was all worth it." I did. Until next time, Happy New Year! My best to you always, Mary K. Savarese

I am very humbled & grateful for the following two reviews I have received and excited to share with you! Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (Who Knew!) Mary K. Savarese KöehlerBooks 978-1-63393-708-6 $27.95 Hardcover; $17.95 Paper; $7.19 Kindle www.koehlerbooks.com Freshly-divorced Angie Pantera looks for new life in the town of Birdsong, Maine, working as the recreational director of a Catholic nursing home. But when elderly residents begin to die, suspicion falls on Angie, who may be delivering more than the Eucharist. Mary K. Savarese writes with warmth, wisdom and spiritual magic, revealing how the impossible can become possible in a community of fragile but faithful people. Henry G. Brinton, author of City of Peace D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review: If the title of this book doesn't attract interest right off the bat, its subject (a woman who forges a new life for herself as a nursing home recreation director, only to face charges of negligence and murder as residents begin to die under mysterious circumstances) will. Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume is billed as a cozy mystery, but under that headline lies a wealth of unique attributes of which the book's title is only the first indication that this is not your typical cozy mystery read. For one thing, forty-eighty-year-old Angie Pantera, a self-proclaimed good-looker facing the ultimate betrayal by the love of her life, is reinventing her world under not just one cloud, but a new threat. This leads her on a mission to clear her name, rebuild her life, and become an amateur sleuth in order to do so, bringing readers into the heart of a mystery that edges into questions of miracles as well as murder. Readers thus receive a more multifaceted story than most cozy mysteries offer, with more twists and turns than the typical production. From Church politics and involvements in the home they manage to the aftermath of divorce, the influence of serendipity and new obstacles to Angie's ultimate success, Mary K. Savarese writes with a warm, revealing hand. She deftly develops characters while painting a swirl of crisis situations that keeps readers not just involved, but emotionally connected to events. The ethical reflections are just as intriguing as the mystery itself: "Our residents asked for a final wish. God granted that wish. Why else would they die with smiles on their faces?” Tigers Love Bubble Baths provides an engrossing saga of love, betrayal, murder, and underlying wishes and dreams about life's progression and end. These facets weave nicely into a story that will keep mystery readers engaged and thinking long after Angie's own dilemmas are resolved. #novel #author #debutingauthor #books #mystery #romance #spiritual #cozy #spiritualmystery #maine #divorce #serendipity #tigers #calvinklein #obsession #perfume #obsessionperfume #bubblebaths #tigerslovebubblebaths #whoknew

Coincidence, meaning, a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent casual connection. I'm sure you have. As a matter of fact we all have. You've heard the clichés, the sun, moon and stars aligned or you're always so lucky, things always work out for you! Whether you believe in a higher power, are spiritual or not, our lives are all touched by moments that we sometimes cannot explain. Things that have occurred in a good way or sometimes in a bad way but then I'll call up that other cliché, when one door closes another opens, and things turn out even better. Each of our experiences are different and for an author make for wonderful writing. Such is the theme of my mystery/romance with a spiritual twist. Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!) to be published April 24, 2019, by Koehler Books, www.maryksavarese.com Angie Pantera, the protagonist, hits rock bottom. Her cheating husband blindsides her on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. She wishes for something better, to have what we all want, a happy life, and in her case Angie just wants to be happy again. A tiny white feather or coincidence prods her to begin anew in sleepy Birdsong, Maine. And so begins her journey fraught with anything and everything but happiness. Here lies the question. Was Angie brought there for a reason? Or do things happen for a reason? Birdsong, Maine is steeped in its own unhappiness. Plagued by recession, a town losing its faith and faithful needs its own resurgence. As the town's peoples' hopes and desires begin to be weaved into one thread and then cloth longing for something better, is a Hand of Divine Intervention designing the cloak? As they all become part of the cloak of mystery, do some experience a miracle or just hell?! Until next time, may you all experience a little mystery yourselves intertwined with coincidence and joy, Mary K. Savarese #novel #author #debutingauthor #books #mystery #romance #spiritual #cozy #spiritualmystery #maine #divorce #serendipity #tigers #calvinklein #obsession #perfume #obsessionperfume #bubblebaths #tigerslovebubblebaths #whoknew