Tales from the Dark Side...of Love Giveaway - Maria Savva on the Darker Side of Love - and a Cover Reveal!


The Darker Side of Love
Many of my novels and stories have a romantic love theme running through them. A few touch upon the darker side of that emotion.

In my novel “A Time to Tell,” one of the main characters, Penelope/Penny, is a victim of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is a topic that I wrote about because of my experience working as a lawyer for mainly women (but also some men) who had suffered abuse at home. I was inspired to write a book including domestic violence as a theme because the people I met left a lasting impression on me.

Meeting so many victims meant that my character Penny is inevitably drawn from many of the women I met. For example, one woman who was being represented by my firm when I was training to be a lawyer, went through a kind of metamorphosis. When she came to start proceedings against her violent husband, she really did look like a completely different woman from the woman who, months later, was divorced from the man who had caused her so much pain. She was much more confident afterwards. There was a total change in her outer appearance.  As if she’d had a professional make-over.  She wasn’t the only woman I noticed go through that outward change, but she was the first and it stuck in my mind.

In my book, “A Time to Tell,” we see Penny at the beginning of the novel wearing old clothes, looking thin and bedraggled.  Later on, when she is free from David, her aggressive husband, she is dressed smartly and looks much happier, healthier, and seems to take more notice of her appearance.

The theme of domestic violence crops up again in my short story, “What the Girl Heard,” in my collection “3”.

One of the most common reasons I heard for women staying long-term with violent partners was that they ‘loved’ them. They thought they could change them. This seems to define to me, the meaning of ‘the darker side of love.’

Bianca’s Note: It’s heartbreaking that even with all the support and information out there about domestic violence, it remains such an epidemic.  Thank you to Maria for sharing the inspiration behind her writing.

In addition to offering an eBook copy of her book, “Haunted” (enter below for your chance to win!) I’m extremely honored that Maria has chosen my blog to do a cover reveal for the second edition of her forthcoming book, “A Time To Tell.”  Visit her at http://www.mariasavva.com/site/ for more information!

 
 
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Comments

  1. Great post, Maria. As you know, I've also tackled the topic of domestic abuse in one of my books. No woman or man should ever suffer at the hands of the person they love. I do believe we can help build awareness - and support - through fiction.

    Love the new cover for A Time To Tell!

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    1. I agree, Darcia. Fiction is one way to 'show' reality in a way that can reach more people. Glad you love the new cover :) I was so impressed by Kat's skill as a designer. I'd definitely recommend her to anyone looking for book cover design.

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  2. Looks like a recurring theme in our work. I'm not a lawyer but sat through many trials as a court reporter and heard evidence of abusive relationships. Good post.

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    1. Thanks, Alana. Domestic abuse is often swept under the carpet, or treated as unimportant, or even ignored by police and other authorities, yet it's one of the worst things someone can go through. It's important for the many women and men who are suffering to know that there is help out there, and more needs to be done to highlight it. I agree with Darcia that literature is one way of bringing attention to the subject.

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