“Authors Give Back” Sale at Smashwords.com

What is this “Authors Give Back” sale everyone is talking about?

Until April 20, all Gina Fava ebooks will be slashed 60% off at Smashwords.com. So scoop some up, and take a moment to relax.

Now more than ever, the power of books is so important. In everyday life, books are used to educate, to enlighten and to escape. As the global Covid-19 pandemic unfolds, authors everywhere are doing their part to help mitigate the emotional and economic hardship that people all over the world are facing as they stay home and self-isolate. Deep-discounts on books is just one way to provide others with a gratifying, meaningful respite from the realities of life.

Be sure to peruse all the books and authors at Smashwords.com – there’s something for everyone. Take care and stay safe!

Italians Will Give Coronavirus the Boot

There’s a reason why my Italian father has the Italian boot tattooed over his heart. Though Coronavirus has struck Italy harder than most countries, forcing the nation into lockdown, I’m bolstered by the resilience of the 60 million citizens who live on the boot. Theirs is a culture based on expressing amore for one another. They stroll every evening among their community in a neighborly passeggiata for the purpose of sharing stories and gelato, embracing ideas and each other. They kiss on both cheeks in salutation. And they meet every day with their children, elders and relatives for lengthy meals to discuss the day’s events. It’s what makes this country beloved. And more susceptible to communicable illness. But based on love for each other and for their country, Italians will kick this thing. Hard. One looks at the shape of the Italian peninsula and marvels at the country’s beauty and style. But what people don’t know is that Italy’s terroire constitutes a mighty kickass, steel-toed boot. This republic was founded on strength and resiliency. It’s survived worse over the centuries and will continue to survive. And with a period of self-isolation, prayer, tradition, amore and a little of mamma’s minestrone soup, Italy will come back stronger. Forza e saluti paisani!

Siena, Italy

How To Use Research as a Writing Tool in Fiction & Non-Fiction

Why is research a necessary tool in writing fiction and nonfiction?

1) Brainstorming ideas, 2) Polishing a project, and 3) Developing future work

What are the keys to implementing research?

1) Have fun, 2) Stay focused, and 3) Earn more readers.

Here’s how to develop your own Research Plan: (see details below)

• Determine your methods of research based on the type of project
• Outline your research process
• Set a research timeline

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Methods of Research:

1. Live it: Extract nuggets from real life events (yours or others) such as a wedding, a birth, a natural disaster, running a marathon, being a lawyer, etc. For example, in my thriller, The Race, I used the Chernobyl nuclear disaster as a setting for my characters to smuggle bombs, using the actual timeline of events.
2. Take a trip & visit a location to build ideas or enhance your setting. For example, Matthew Reilly (Contest) flew from Australia to visit the NY Public Library. Douglas Preston admitted that he and his wife visited a prohibited island in NY Harbor to enhance a book’s setting. In The Race, I visited the 12 sites in Rome, Italy where I’d set bombs to ensure accuracy of detail.
3. Active Field Trip: Gain insights from actively participating in the activities that your written work dictates, such as target practice at a gun range (which I did to enhance my female protagonist/amateur sleuth in my mystery novel The Sculptor; a ride-along with the local police force; work at a cattle ranch; attendance at a flower show or a hockey game, etc.
4. Online/Library Because you can’t visit the moon or the Old Wild West, go online, talk to a librarian, and read old newspapers.
5. Personal Interviews Call, email, or visit/Skype pros in the field (like a member of the police force) or experts in the field. I spoke with a renowned wine expert on grappa and a number of water conservation experts when writing my latest suspense novel, Formula. I also interviewed the people involved in my nonfiction collection of essays, Un Momento: A Taste of Italian-American Pastimes.
6. Workshops & Conferences featuring writer panels and speakers.
7. Expert Conferences – ie medical conference
8. Read the genre you’re writing – the more you read, the more you learn (whether facts and ideas, or rather style and technique.)
9. Hire an Intern – high school, college, professional. Compile a list or an outline of specific questions to be answered and let someone else do the work, for you to read or review in detail later, thereby leaving more time for writing the story or marketing the work.
10. Develop and publish freelance articles/blog posts/op-ed pieces Stretch your research muscles by learning new material or enhancing knowledge on a topic, for use in longer works or for speaker opportunities.Outline Your Research Process: 

• Research Part 1: Brainstorm ideas, generally for the story, and specifically to develop and outline.
• Write first draft – Keep writing, but highlight areas for additional research later.
• Research Part 2: Comprehensive fact-finding, like homework. Flush out details of first daft, and make sure the work is credible and accurate.
• Revise:  In fiction works, ensure there are no info dumps. Also, be practical and interesting when peppering prose with research, not preachy or boring.
• Research Part 3: Tie up loose ends. Find nuggets of info to add richness to the story so that it resonates with the reader. Build on theme. Add extras like quotes. At this stage, you might come up with sequel/series ideas or freelance story articles.

Set a Research Timeline:

• Stay organized and keep resources in one location (ala Scrivener, etc.)
• Avoid Paralysis by Analysis Set an end date, and know when to say “when.”
• Once accuracy and authenticity are met, don’t delay publication for research
• Once project is complete/published, if you want to say more or want to add…
  1. Issue a revision to the current work;
  2. Create a new edition (non-fiction);
  3. Create a sequel or new stand-alone (fiction)
  4. Create short pieces: blog posts/articles; short story/novella.

Remember the keys to using research as a writing tool in fiction and nonfiction:

HAVE FUN. STAY FOCUSED. EARN MORE READERS.

It’s Book Release Day…Gina Fava’s Formula: Another HELL Ranger Thriller is out now!

It’s Book Release Day…

FORMULA is out now!

FORMULA: ANOTHER HELL RANGER THRILLER

When blood is thicker than water,

And a formula for revenge threatens a global calamity, 

Devlin Lucchesi must race against time to stop it,
Come HELL Rangers or high water.
Thirsty yet?

When Formula One champion and covert agent Devlin Lucchesi and his HELL Ranger crew return to the Monte Carlo Grand Prix to win big, a rival racer is fatally poisoned at the finish line. Devlin and the HELL Rangers suspect tainted grappa. They investigate Aurora Vineyard, set atop a hotly contested aquifer in the Italian Dolomites.

Threatened by extreme water rights activists and cut-throat industry competitors, CEO Erika Aurora, dubbed “the Bloodsucker” by the industry, hires Devlin and his crew to hunt down her company’s usurper. The cases intertwine. Devlin deduces that the Aurora siblings may be tangled in a bloody power grab. Things heat up fast when the killer begins targeting the estate’s sibling owners one-by-one.

Soon it becomes clear that a thirst for control and revenge is quenched only with a poison formula derived from the vineyard’s secret family recipe. The stakes soar when the formula’s lethal reach extends to the thousands gathered at a Palio horse race in Siena, including Devlin’s son, and to the world leaders of a global water summit in Verona. Devlin must risk everything to hunt down the killer and halt a poisonous calamity that threatens worldwide ramifications.

Available Now in Ebook & Print 

               

Call for Reviewers

Did you know…writers and readers both benefit from feedback on a book? Please leave one or two lines of review about any of my books on Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you!

Press Release: Author Gina Fava Rolls Out Thriller Sequel, Formula, at the Height of Auto Racing Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Author Gina Fava Rolls Out Thriller Sequel, Formula, at the Height of Auto Racing Season

[PLYMOUTH, MA, September 18]  On the heels of Gina Fava’s award-winning suspense novel, The Sculptor (Indie Book Awards’ Best Mystery/Suspense Ebook), comes her latest international crime thriller, Formula: Another HELL Ranger Thriller. Hitting the circuit amid auto racing season, the novel features elements of cut throat competition, romance, sibling rivalry, extreme activism, and sexy revenge. The mystery also explores the vibrant wine and spirits industry and today’s fresh water revolution.

In Formula, a sequel to her first HELL Ranger novel entitled The Race, F1 champion and covert agent Devlin “Lucky” Lucchesi returns to the Monte Carlo Grand Prix to win big, and a rival F1 racer is fatally poisoned at the finish line. Devlin and his HELL Ranger crew suspect tainted grappa and investigate a winery built atop a hotly contested aquifer in the Italian Dolomites. Things heat up fast when the killer begins targeting the vineyard’s sibling owners one-by-one. The stakes soar when that bloodlust menaces world leaders at a global water summit in Verona and the thousands gathered at a Palio horse race in Siena, including Devlin’s son. Devlin must risk everything to hunt down the killer in time to halt a poisonous calamity that threatens worldwide ramifications. It’s sure to please fans who love Daniel Silva, Joseph Finder, and Dan Brown novels.

“Formula promises the wicked adrenaline rush of a shot of grappa. With robust characters, fast-paced action, and a hot-button topic of global proportions, I believe this mystery will keep readers guessing to the end,” Fava stated.

J.M. Leduc, Amazon bestselling mystery author of the Sinclair O’Malley series says, “Strap in. The HELL Rangers will take you on the ride of your life with Formula. With twists and turns from the first page to the last, Gina Fava races to the head of the pack.” Sheila McCormick, author of Cousin Andrew agrees, calling it “[An] electrifying mystery…with [w]hirlwind pacing, breathless action, a sexy hero, and a tough but stunning heroine.” Stephen Besecker, author of The Samaritan and Executive Power, also endorses the work, saying, “Fava not only has a unique talent for storytelling, but it’s obvious too that her meticulous research brings credibility, depth, and real beauty to this novel that will undoubtedly satisfy both men and women.”

Fava plans a pre-launch tasting/book signing at Jamie’s Fine Wines & Spirits on Halloween weekend in Duxbury, MA, followed by a virtual launch of the book across social media on November 15, and a hometown Buffalo signing at The Bookworm on November 24. Additional book signings and events will take her into winter.

Fava’s an avid auto racing and Sabres fan, and she travels often to Italy to hunt down her characters’ favorite grappa. A former lawyer, she’s now a dedicated novelist, freelance writer, and the author of award-winning short stories who’s a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. A Buffalonian, she lives with her family in New England and is hard at work on her next novel.

Formula: Another HELL Ranger Thriller is available now for pre-order in Ebook on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and iPad, and thereafter in trade paperback (400 pp, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-9893587-9-8) at online and independent booksellers by Steepo Press.

Gina Fava is available for interviews, appearances, panel discussions, and/or book signings. Contact ginafava1@gmail.com, or visit www.GinaFava.com to learn more.

High resolution author images, book jacket art, press kit, and more available at:  http://www.GinaFava.com/media/

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Passionate Italians and Hand Gestures

My friends can see me talking from a mile away, even with my back turned. I’m the one with my hands gesticulating in the air, sometimes with elegant precision as I speak on my cell phone, sometimes with wild abandon as I’m ordering a sandwich. That’s because I was raised in an Italian household. Italians are typically expressive, passionate, and animated when communicating with others. It’s a demonstration of engagement and interest. Have you ever seen an Italian converse with his or her hands in their pockets? Never happens.

Italians, young and old, male or female, gesture naturally. Whether they’re busy licking a gelato, smoking a cigarette, or zipping a manual-shift car around a hilltop town, Italians are quite adept at pairing any activity with vivid hand gestures when engaged in conversation. Writing letters must drive most Italians crazy, as expression is limited. I regularly use emoticons when dashing off an email or posting on social media, because sometimes words are just not enough, and it’s the closest I can get to gesturing.  😉

Most people shake hands, but Italians typically grasp the other’s arm at the same time. Eye contact is important to them, and so is close personal contact. In fact, once a relationship is established, even if an acquaintance, a kiss on both cheeks upon greeting is the norm. Public displays of affection among Italians are prevalent, both among couples and families. Sons and daughters are equally apt to hug and kiss their parents as a sign of respect and affection, and strolling arm and arm through Italian towns as an expression of companionship is practiced by neighbors and friends as much as by Italian couples, who typically prefer a lip lock and tight embrace as further acknowledgement of their mutual affinity.

Americans are known to gesture on occasion, such as a flipped bird (raised middle finger) during rush hour traffic, or pressed thumbs and knuckles in the shape of a heart from a mother to her child on the school bus, or the peace sign from a graduate accepting his diploma, among others. But here are a few Italian gestures you may or may not be aware of:

• To gesture “Come here,” instead of beckoning with an index finger, an Italian sweeps an entire arm downward.
• That beckoning index finger might signal a romantic enticement in both cultures. But in Italian culture, one might also do the same to signal that he or she wishes to convey something very important to another.
• Index fingers pressed against the thumbs with a slight waggle of both hands means an exasperated “What do you want from me?”
• The index finger twisted into the cheek means something is good, lovely, or tasty.
• Tapping one’s wrist means “Hurry up.”
• Two open hands stands for “What’s happening here?”
• Waggling two hands pressed together as if in fervent prayer begs the question, “What do you want me to do about it?”
• The backside of one’s fingers brushing the chin is a classic blow off, as in “Who gives a flying fig?”
• My grandfather used to pat his throat, and say “gola, gola,” meaning that he had chocolate candy or decadent cookies to share. And my nana would simply throw her arms wide, demonstrating the need for a grandchild’s hug.

No matter the exuberant gesture, signal, facial or bodily indication, of which there are hundreds, Italians use them to enhance communication in an uninhibited, liberating way. Take it or leave it, we’re just letting you know how passionate we are on a subject.

SIENA’S PALIO: THRILLING TRADITION, COMPETITION, & PRIDE

Imagine that your hometown team will be competing in the biggest sporting event of the year, as it does every year, right in the center of town. Pack the venue with over 50,000 spectators, both local and international, all there to see your team participate. Now bring on all the fanfare and hoopla in the days leading up to the main event, including an open-air feast and a ritual blessing of the key player. Now imagine that this monumental sporting event lasts just seventy-five seconds…

For the people of Siena, Italy, this fantasy is a reality. Considered Italy’s most famous annual sporting event, Palio is a horse race that combines pageantry, competition, and civic pride. The Tuscan hillside town of Siena fans out from the central, shell-shaped Piazza del Campo town square, where the race is run. It extends outward, through the maze of cobblestone alleyways, stone houses, shops, and smaller piazze. Siena is divided into seventeen contrade, akin to the boroughs of Manhattan, in which neighborhoods aspire to a passionate regionalism based on centuries old tradition. Since the Middle Ages, ten of the contrade vie one another for bragging rights achieved by a victory in a bare-back horse race that’s one lap around the piazza. The first horse to cross the finish line, with or without the rider, wins.

The race, held twice a year on July 2 and August 16, is preceded by as much pomp and circumstance as the post-race victory parties. Participants and spectators have been brought to their knees over a loss, or a win. Every stage is critical, from the initial presentation of the horses, to the “tratta” in which the horses and jockeys are matched. It continues with the five preliminary runs, to the final rehearsal dinner, to the blessing of the horse and jockey inside the contrada’s parish church, and finally to the race.

I attended my first Palio with my dad when I was ten years old. With my Aquila scarf wrapped securely around my shoulders, I cheered parade flagbearers marching down the ancient cobblestone streets while my gelato ran down my arm. We watched a trial run. Serious business, as men in suits converged to hash out the players’ worth, similar to a football draft, only with horses. My favorite part was the pre-race dinner. I couldn’t believe that with all the eating, the drinking, the singing, and the cheering, they had yet to run the race! Though we missed the main race, I’d experienced something truly memorable.

Years later, my husband, Jamie, and I made it to the big event. We packed into Piazza del Campo with my cousins in early morning…and waited. For hours beneath the August sun, the piazza filled with spectators, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, or peering out from hotel windows overlooking the track. Fans from competing contrade would argue, laugh, make bets, and proudly wave their flags’ colors. At dusk, the tension was palpable. The crowds roared as the horses cantered into the piazza. The tradition of centuries past, and the competitive spirit roiling between the contrade, and the anxiety built up over days of preparation all came down to a race lasting just over a minute. In one mad dash around the track, colors blazed past us in a blur. Men, women, and children shouted and chanted the names of their contrada. Cameras flashed. Hoof-beaten dust flew into the humid Sienese twilight. I don’t remember who won. But I bet it was Aquila.

Like a good thriller, Palio’s suspense builds to a satisfying climax that resonates with fans until long after it ends. Want to live the thrill? Head to Palio. Want to read about it? My latest mystery novel, FORMULA, features Palio, and it’s coming soon!

“Bocce, Anyone?”

Bocce is a competitive sport, a strategic game, and a leisurely pastime, all rolled into one ever-popular activity. Dating back to the Roman Empire, bocce, in all its derivations, has since captured the hearts of players and spectators the world over, no matter the age or skill level, where the objective is to roll balls on a court as close to a target ball as possible to score points. And, if you peek into some of the backyards or parking lots of local hangouts across America, it seems the popularity of bocce has recently shifted into high gear.

I have fond memories of running through my grandparents’ backyard as a young girl, tossing the tiny white pallina through the freshly mown grass of summer, while the adults chased after it with their teams’ heavier, larger, red or green balls in hopes of scoring points during a weekend pickup game in my mostly Italian neighborhood in South Buffalo, NY. Friends and neighbors would join in on the fun all day, some recounting how they used to play in their local piazza back in Italy. It was a chance to be together, and to catch up on each others’ lives. And no matter how old you were, it was an opportunity to forget life’s pressures and just play outside with your friends.

My husband, I later learned, did the same thing as a kid in Lawrence, Massachusetts. So, a few years ago, when my parents gave us a bocce set for Christmas, we decided to carve out a corner of our own yard for a court. When the ground thawed, we hooked some railroad ties together with rebar, and we spread some stone dust on a scrap of yard under some trees–instant bocce court! (Here’s a link on how to build your own court and how to play.) Now, every summer we pull up a few lawn chairs for our family, neighbors, and friends, and we roll out some fun. Our children are outside, getting fresh air and exercise, enjoying friendly competition with their buddies–they think it’s cool. Who am I to tell them it’s old-fashioned? Actually, it’s very cool these days. While still a regular fixture at many senior centers and public parks, now bars and restaurants are sacrificing parking space and rooftop accommodations for bocce courts because the demand is so high. Move over darts and billiards, bocce’s in town.

Major League Bocce is an organization, founded in 2004, that promotes bocce leagues for sport and fun across the country. Check out their website or Facebook page for locations around the country. The United States Bocce Federation, established in 1977, is the preeminent organization that sets the rules, promotes the sport, and establishes guidelines for players on the countrywide and international levels. This year, the Methuen Sons of Italy, Lodge 902 is hosting the 2015 U.S. Bocce National Championships, June 22-27. For the first time ever in New England, the championship will host over 150 elite bocce players in five different events over the week. If you think that you’ve got what it takes to compete with the best, or if you simply want to join in on the fun of watching the best, be sure to check it out!

Bocce’s come a long way, and now, more than ever, it appears that future generations are guiding it along to a thriving tomorrow. Perhaps soon, “Bocce, anyone?” will become just as likely an invitation as any other.

 

Gina Fava’s THE SCULPTOR wins GOLD for Best Mystery/Thriller Ebook in the Indie Pub Awards!

 THE SCULPTOR has won the GOLD medal for the Best Mystery/Thriller E-Book in the 19th Annual, 2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards.

I’m so honored and thrilled. Thank you, sincerely, to the judges, and most humbly to every one of my readers.

Congratulations to all the winners, and if you write everyday, you win everyday.

E3. BEST MYSTERY / THRILLER E-BOOK

GOLD: The Sculptor, by Gina Fava (Steepo Press)

SILVER: Twisted Vine, by Toby Neal (Self-Published)

BRONZE (tie): All Good Deeds, by Stacy Green (Twisted Minds Press)

Last Words, by Rich Zahradnik (Camel Press)

Click Here to Buy a Copy of THE SCULPTOR.

Click Here for the full list of the all those who submitted their work and medaled.

Congratulations to all who submitted, as the work is the ultimate reward.

 

Gina Fava’s THE SCULPTOR “Chisel A Review & Plaster it Everywhere” Contest

“Chisel A Review and Plaster it Everywhere” Contest

To Enter:
1) After reading THE SCULPTOR, post a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, your blog or website, AND/OR everywhere others can read it.

2) Use the contest entry form on my CONTACT page at my website, http://www.GinaFava.com/Contact, to include your name, email address, AND the link(s) to the blog or review website where you posted your review. It will better your chances of winning if you post on several sites.

This contest is worldwide and rolls out on May 21, 2014 and runs until midnight on November 7, 2014. On November 8, 2014 three winners will be chosen.

Prizes:
1st Place: $40 Barnes & Noble gift card + $10 Cold Stone Creamery gift card
2d Place: $30 Charming Charlie gift card
3d Place: $25 iTunes gift card

In addition, the winner of the Most Thoughtful Review will be acknowledged in my next book.

And, the person who wins the Funniest Review will be a named character in a future book.

Good luck, everyone! And, thank you for posting a review of THE SCULPTOR! It’s greatly appreciated.

For more information on THE SCULPTOR, or

Gina Fava’s thriller, THE RACE,

check out www.GinaFava.com.