TALES OF A TEXAS BOY | Marva Dasef
Our senior editor here at Cantarabooks, who hails from Oklahoma and is a bit of a tale-teller himself, has a particular affection for Marva's charming recreation of a not-too-distant time and place. Most of all, Tales of a Texas Boy brings to its audience - those who remember, and those "hearing" it for the first time - the warm and deeply assuring vernacular of our American past.
From the paperback version, available at B&N: How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of Tales of a Texas Boy, we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight - it's a bumpy ride!
PDF | 88 Pages | 8.5 x 11 | US$4.95
ISBN 9781933688084
Be reminded by email of Marva's events!
Click here.
LEAVE A WORD ABOUT MARVA AND TALES OF A TEXAS BOY.
Tales of a Texas Boy hits the "Best Seller" list on Amazon. I hope people buy the ebook if they want an affordable copy of this book, but I'd sure love to have folks also buy either of the print editions available on Amazon.
Why is Tales a best seller? The short answer is 'got me?' However, it would be dishonest unless I give the whole story. I noticed a big upsurge in sales for the Large Print edition on Amazon. Cool, methinks. So, I decided to do a bit of search engine work at Amazon to see where the LP version was in the big Amazon scheme of things.
I searched 'large print books Texas' and selected for Literature and Fiction. I sorted by Best Sellers and, lo and behold, there's Tales at position #1. Numero Uno. Top Dog. The big deal is that I didn't have my name or the book title in the search criteria. Hey, it's something, ain't it?
Buy Tales here at Cantara for an affordable read of the stories winning hearts across America (ahem, just a teensy bit of hype) or get the print version from Amazon. Check my website for links.
Why is Tales a best seller? The short answer is 'got me?' However, it would be dishonest unless I give the whole story. I noticed a big upsurge in sales for the Large Print edition on Amazon. Cool, methinks. So, I decided to do a bit of search engine work at Amazon to see where the LP version was in the big Amazon scheme of things.
I searched 'large print books Texas' and selected for Literature and Fiction. I sorted by Best Sellers and, lo and behold, there's Tales at position #1. Numero Uno. Top Dog. The big deal is that I didn't have my name or the book title in the search criteria. Hey, it's something, ain't it?
Buy Tales here at Cantara for an affordable read of the stories winning hearts across America (ahem, just a teensy bit of hype) or get the print version from Amazon. Check my website for links.
January 7, 2008 |
Marva Dasef
Marva Dasef
"Tales of a Texas Boy" (print edition) has been nominated for a Cybils Award in the middle-grade fiction category.See the Cybil website at http://www.cybils.com/ and check the nominated books list at http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2007/11/2007-middle-gra.html
Cybils stands for Children and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards.
Cybils stands for Children and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards.
December 8, 2007 |
Marva Dasef
Marva Dasef
Events for Tales of a Texas Boy:
November 17: Table at the Solvang Christmas Gift Fair in Eugene, OR. 9:00am - 2:00pm
November 18: Reading at Books Without Borders in Eugene, OR. Event hours: Noon to 4:00pm. Marva's Reading at 1:00pm
November 17: Table at the Solvang Christmas Gift Fair in Eugene, OR. 9:00am - 2:00pm
November 18: Reading at Books Without Borders in Eugene, OR. Event hours: Noon to 4:00pm. Marva's Reading at 1:00pm
October 16, 2007 |
Marva Dasef
Marva Dasef
What people are saying about Tales of a Texas Boy:
Enduring Romance Reviews - Kimber An
These stories are a fun and fantastic read for any age. Childhood is universal, so kids will totally relate. It also provides a glimpse into Texan life in that time period.
The Hopeless Writer - Bryan Catherman
It’s what most book critics or English teachers would call, “a coming of age” story. Adults will find this book entertaining, but it’s especially good younger readers.
Professor Stephen Holder, Past Chair of English Language and Literature, Central Michigan University
I enjoyed reading Marva's book. American local color writing has always been a favorite genre, and she handles this very well. She creates characters colorfully and effectively. She was smart, I think, to avoid having the boy make any thematic conclusions on his own, and leave them for the reader to think about. The book is a very nice snapshot of one kind of life. I tell students that the chief reason for reading literature is to gain insight into the possibilities of the human experience, and that certainly would be true in this case. Overall, my compliments!
Dianne K. Salerni, Author of High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance
I plan to use them in my fifth grade classroom as models for writing personal narrative. Each story is fairly short, the perfect length for a quick classroom reading, and will undoubtedly spark the students to respond with anecdotes of their own. "That makes me think of the time ..."
Barry Yelton, Author of Scarecrow in Gray, a Civil War Novel
These folksy, heartwarming stories bring to life endearing characters who were real, flesh and blood people struggling to farm the prairie lands of the Texas panhandle.
Enduring Romance Reviews - Kimber An
These stories are a fun and fantastic read for any age. Childhood is universal, so kids will totally relate. It also provides a glimpse into Texan life in that time period.
The Hopeless Writer - Bryan Catherman
It’s what most book critics or English teachers would call, “a coming of age” story. Adults will find this book entertaining, but it’s especially good younger readers.
Professor Stephen Holder, Past Chair of English Language and Literature, Central Michigan University
I enjoyed reading Marva's book. American local color writing has always been a favorite genre, and she handles this very well. She creates characters colorfully and effectively. She was smart, I think, to avoid having the boy make any thematic conclusions on his own, and leave them for the reader to think about. The book is a very nice snapshot of one kind of life. I tell students that the chief reason for reading literature is to gain insight into the possibilities of the human experience, and that certainly would be true in this case. Overall, my compliments!
Dianne K. Salerni, Author of High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance
I plan to use them in my fifth grade classroom as models for writing personal narrative. Each story is fairly short, the perfect length for a quick classroom reading, and will undoubtedly spark the students to respond with anecdotes of their own. "That makes me think of the time ..."
Barry Yelton, Author of Scarecrow in Gray, a Civil War Novel
These folksy, heartwarming stories bring to life endearing characters who were real, flesh and blood people struggling to farm the prairie lands of the Texas panhandle.
September 13, 2007 |
Marva Dasef
Marva Dasef
Meet the Authors event in Eugene, Oregon.
Marva Dasef is one of the featured authors at the event to be held on September 12th from 2-4pm in the Daneland Park Clubhouse.
All of the authors are local to Eugene and include a range of genres from thrillers to historical to memoirs.
Marva Dasef is one of the featured authors at the event to be held on September 12th from 2-4pm in the Daneland Park Clubhouse.
All of the authors are local to Eugene and include a range of genres from thrillers to historical to memoirs.
August 29, 2007 |
Marva Dasef
Marva Dasef
I'm pleased to have Cantarabooks offering Tales in ebook format. It is already available in print through Amazon and my website.
I hope that people who enjoy the stories in e-format will go on to purchase a trade paperback or large print edition.
I hope that people who enjoy the stories in e-format will go on to purchase a trade paperback or large print edition.
August 4, 2007 |
Marva Dasef
Marva Dasef
Here's the link to the first on-line store selling the book. http://www.genremall.com/fictionr.htm#firstduty
THE GREAT NORTHWEST [SDP] -- Years ago, Robert A. Heinlein thrilled millions of younger readers with his YA novels filled with adventures among the stars. Remember The Star Beast? Citizen of the Galaxy? Podkayne of Mars? Starman Jones?
Now comes a YA novel from Marva Dasef that is surely the adventurous equal of those long-ago tales. "First Duty" is the story of Nyra Hutchings, a young woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive factory planet, who is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaves her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. Now, she must decide what to believe, where her first duty lies, and fight for more than her life against impossible odds.
Marva Dasef lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her husband and a fat cat. She has dabbled in a variety of genres, with fantasy, science fiction, romance, literary, children's, and historical fiction published in a variety of on-line and print magazines. First Duty is her breakout into longer fiction.