Saturday, June 4, 2011

Tales of Abu Nuwas - Marva Dasef

TALES OF ABU NUWAS
by Marva Dasef

Bio:
Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat.  Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation.  Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with her stories included in several Best of anthologies. She has eight published books.
http://marvadasef.com

Product description:
Abu Nuwas sits in the bazaar telling stories to the passersby he can tempt to pay. When Najda, a poor girl, offers him a packet of spice for a story, Abu Nuwas launches into a tale about a girl named Setara and her genie. As did Scheherazade, he leaves the girl hanging in the middle of each yarn to keep her coming back for more. While relating the fantastical accounts, Abu Nuwas learns more of the spice girl's life, then finds a way to save her from a forced marriage and find a better life.

The teller of tales relates the adventures of a girl and her genie as they encounter the creatures of legend and folklore: a lonely cave demon seeking a home; a flying, fire-breathing horse who has lost his mate; a dragon searching for his family; an evil genie hunting for the man who bottled him; and a merboy cast out of his undersea kingdom.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
This book plays with middle-eastern mythologies with which we're all familiar--genies, demons, flying horses--wrapped within the story of Najda, a reluctant bride-to-be. I believe readers will like the inter-related tales, and be moved to continue reading the tales as the Prince was compelled in 1001 Arabian Nights. I think readers will also enjoy the humor I inject in the stories. I just can't stay serious for too long.

Q: Why did you go indie?
I wrote the seven tales of Setara and her djinn, Basit, and submitted them as individual stories to various publishers. The first two were published, then the seven tales as a single book. I felt that the stories could be brought together as a novel by adding the frame story tying them together.

Since the stories had been published in a single book ("The Seven Adventures of Cadida" by Sam's Dot Publishing), even a thorough re-writing, name changing, and addition of the frame story leaves a 50K word reprint.

I had indie published a few of short books (not something that agents like), so I knew how to do it. It was a no-brainer to continue the stories when the contract expired with SDP.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
That's hard to say since I write in multiple genres.

I read the great English mystery writers such as P.D. James, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy Sayers.

I love YA fantasy and enjoy Rowling, Riordan, and Black. I tend toward contemporary settings, and the book has to have humor in it. Deadly serious epic chosen one fantasies aren't high on my TBR list.

I'm discovering many new, not-yet-famous authors by devoting much of my reading to indie authors. I appreciate their efforts since I know what they're going through.

Find The Tales of Abu Nuwas at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, etc. It's also available in print. Here's the ebook link at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Abu-Nuwas-ebook/dp/B004HW6AWY

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