Your Subtitle text
Savannah's Castle - Martha Hite
Savannah’s Castle
Martha Hite
ISBN: 9780981777726
PM Moon Publishers
Reviewed By Rhonda Carver
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Every Saturday morning, Savannah joins her grandfather on their weekly excursion to the local antique shop, where she remains transfixed by a beautiful crystal castle. Safely stored away in a glass case, the castle captivates Savannah’s imagination, and she continues to wonder just why it draws her so. Tiny but powerful, the castle is truly a work of classic art, and – try as she might – Savannah just can’t let it out of her sight.
Noticing just how much she admires the castle, Mrs. Taylor, the shop’s owner, finally sits Savannah down one day and gives her more insight into the object’s allure. When she tells her that the castle is supposedly inhabited by a helpless princess who was imprisoned there by an evil sorcerer, Savannah becomes convinced of the story behind its mystical aura. When Mrs. Taylor decides to give the castle to Savannah, she’s initially thrilled, but when she finds out that the only way to free the princess is to break the castle, she’s immediately racked with doubt. After all, she doesn’t want the princess to remain trapped forever, but she also can’t imagine destroying such a priceless creation.
Faced with a growing internal dilemma, Savannah eventually finds herself at the crossroads of selfishness and maturity, realizing just how much depends on the path that she ultimately decides to take.
Savannah’s Castle is a solid, highly recommended read for young booklovers. In it, Martha Hite does an excellent job of framing the difficult decisions that confront us everyday in a helpful, understandable light. The choice to make personal sacrifices is never an easy one to make – and, when complete strangers are involved, the difficulty of the decision increases exponentially; however, as such decisions are requisite parts of our overall growth process, we need only proper guidance and direction in order to make them wisely, and, in commendable fashion, Savannah’s Castle does just that, ensuring that young readers benefit from – and relate very well to – Savannah’s dilemma and ultimate leap of faith.
A welcome addition to the world of children’s fiction, Savannah’s Castle both enlightens and entertains.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Martha Hite (Savannah’s Castle)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Martha. We're looking forward to learning more about your book.
Martha Hite: Thank you for inviting me.
AR: The story is both imaginative and enlightening. What inspired you to craft the tale?
MH: I wrote the story for my niece, Savannah’s, fifth birthday. Kids get so many toys and games on birthdays that I wanted to give her something she’d remember. I decided to write her a story she would have for the rest of her life.
AR: How long did it take you to create the story of the princess, the sorcerer, and the castle?
MH: I know it sounds crazy, but I wrote the original 1200 words of the story in about 3 hours; it just seemed to pour out of me. When PM Moon, my publisher, became interested in the manuscript, they asked me to double the size of the story, so I wrote three different versions and told them to pick the one they wanted. They went with the short version of the good princess.
AR: As our reviewer mentioned, the book does a great job of highlighting the difficult decisions we must make that often mark the transition to maturity. Was it your intent for that to be the primary focus of the story?
MH: Actually, I had no intent other than to write something I would like to read if I were a child. I know there are a lot of writers who plan out their stories. When I write, I have no idea what’s going to happen from one moment to the next. This is especially true with my longer manuscripts. The story I’m working on now is complete to Chapter 9. I just figured out what the ending was going to be, so I stopped and wrote the end of the story. All I have to do now is write in the blank chapters.
AR: Is Savannah based on someone you know?
MH: Savannah is my great-niece. She wasn’t exactly thrilled to have a story for her birthday, but she is now. I guess she had to grow into it. Her mother, my niece, is Roxanne. That’s how I came up with Princess Roxanna.
AR: The illustrations in the book complement the storyline quite nicely. Who created them?
MH: Renee McCary is the artist.
AR: How have readers reacted to the book thus far?
MH: Everyone has been very positive - which is good, since I’m very new to having strangers read my work.
AR: In addition to Savannah's Castle, you've completed three novels and several short stories. Please share more with our readers about your other writings.
MH: I haven’t been officially notified by my publisher yet, but in the back of Savannah they mention that her next adventure is coming soon. The sequel is Savannah’s Gift. It actually took me a couple days to write this one. Savannah ends up with the princess again. The sorcerer learns his lesson, and Savannah saves the day.
My publisher is also interested in Oscar and the Aliens. This was the first book I wrote and is probably my favorite. In Oscar and the Aliens, ten-year-old Oscar is assigned to show his new classmate, Bobeck, around school. The only problem is, Bobeck is an alien. The two quickly form a friendship. Enter the Seepers, alien villains who have escaped from the nearby military base. Oscar and Bobeck must save their loved ones from the peril of the evil Seepers.
Sierra, my other great-niece, wanted me to write something about her. Since she had to deal with a new step-father and step-sister, changing schools, plus moving to a new home, she gave me some great ideas to work with. Then, I added her being extremely tall with big feet. I know what that feels like, since I’m tall with big feet, too. Everyone in my family has the affliction of “Boor toes”.
The manuscript I just finished is Monster Exterminators. When I was about twelve, my friends and I decided it would be fun to walk through the sewer. We knew where it started and stopped, so there was no chance we would get lost. Guess what? We didn’t get lost, but the flashlight stopped working in the middle, and we had to feel our way out. The book is mirrored on that experience.
The story I’m writing now, My Grandmother, the Witch, is loosely based on my family and how I grew up. I also threw in some strange things, which I love in stories that I read.
AR: You're also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Please share more with us about your involvement with that group.
MH: I attend their conferences in Westminster, Maryland, twice a year. I’ve also gone to one in Arlington, VA. Their conferences give you the opportunity to speak directly with editors and agents. You are also allowed to submit to them after the conference. This is very helpful, since most of the big publishing houses won’t accept anything without it coming from an agent.
AR: Do you have a website where our readers can learn more about you and your efforts?
MH: www.savannahscastle.com
AR: Also, how can they contact you directly?
MH: They can email me at www.marthahite.com
AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?
MH: I plan on finishing My Grandmother, the Witch. I’ve already written the first chapter of another manuscript. Ideas for stories buzz around in my head all the time. I hope to get as many of them published as possible. What I would really love is to have one of my stories touch the public so the story would carry on long after me. Wouldn’t it be great to write something that someone you didn’t know would read and then pass on to their children and grandchildren?
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
MH: PLEASE read my book. If you can’t afford to buy it, then ask your library to get it for you. I believe your child will truly enjoy the story.
AR: Well, we can certainly attest to that. Thanks again, Martha, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
MH: Thank you so much for having me.
Martha Hite
ISBN: 9780981777726
PM Moon Publishers
Reviewed By Rhonda Carver
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
Every Saturday morning, Savannah joins her grandfather on their weekly excursion to the local antique shop, where she remains transfixed by a beautiful crystal castle. Safely stored away in a glass case, the castle captivates Savannah’s imagination, and she continues to wonder just why it draws her so. Tiny but powerful, the castle is truly a work of classic art, and – try as she might – Savannah just can’t let it out of her sight.
Noticing just how much she admires the castle, Mrs. Taylor, the shop’s owner, finally sits Savannah down one day and gives her more insight into the object’s allure. When she tells her that the castle is supposedly inhabited by a helpless princess who was imprisoned there by an evil sorcerer, Savannah becomes convinced of the story behind its mystical aura. When Mrs. Taylor decides to give the castle to Savannah, she’s initially thrilled, but when she finds out that the only way to free the princess is to break the castle, she’s immediately racked with doubt. After all, she doesn’t want the princess to remain trapped forever, but she also can’t imagine destroying such a priceless creation.
Faced with a growing internal dilemma, Savannah eventually finds herself at the crossroads of selfishness and maturity, realizing just how much depends on the path that she ultimately decides to take.
Savannah’s Castle is a solid, highly recommended read for young booklovers. In it, Martha Hite does an excellent job of framing the difficult decisions that confront us everyday in a helpful, understandable light. The choice to make personal sacrifices is never an easy one to make – and, when complete strangers are involved, the difficulty of the decision increases exponentially; however, as such decisions are requisite parts of our overall growth process, we need only proper guidance and direction in order to make them wisely, and, in commendable fashion, Savannah’s Castle does just that, ensuring that young readers benefit from – and relate very well to – Savannah’s dilemma and ultimate leap of faith.
A welcome addition to the world of children’s fiction, Savannah’s Castle both enlightens and entertains.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Martha Hite (Savannah’s Castle)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Martha. We're looking forward to learning more about your book.
Martha Hite: Thank you for inviting me.
AR: The story is both imaginative and enlightening. What inspired you to craft the tale?
MH: I wrote the story for my niece, Savannah’s, fifth birthday. Kids get so many toys and games on birthdays that I wanted to give her something she’d remember. I decided to write her a story she would have for the rest of her life.
AR: How long did it take you to create the story of the princess, the sorcerer, and the castle?
MH: I know it sounds crazy, but I wrote the original 1200 words of the story in about 3 hours; it just seemed to pour out of me. When PM Moon, my publisher, became interested in the manuscript, they asked me to double the size of the story, so I wrote three different versions and told them to pick the one they wanted. They went with the short version of the good princess.
AR: As our reviewer mentioned, the book does a great job of highlighting the difficult decisions we must make that often mark the transition to maturity. Was it your intent for that to be the primary focus of the story?
MH: Actually, I had no intent other than to write something I would like to read if I were a child. I know there are a lot of writers who plan out their stories. When I write, I have no idea what’s going to happen from one moment to the next. This is especially true with my longer manuscripts. The story I’m working on now is complete to Chapter 9. I just figured out what the ending was going to be, so I stopped and wrote the end of the story. All I have to do now is write in the blank chapters.
AR: Is Savannah based on someone you know?
MH: Savannah is my great-niece. She wasn’t exactly thrilled to have a story for her birthday, but she is now. I guess she had to grow into it. Her mother, my niece, is Roxanne. That’s how I came up with Princess Roxanna.
AR: The illustrations in the book complement the storyline quite nicely. Who created them?
MH: Renee McCary is the artist.
AR: How have readers reacted to the book thus far?
MH: Everyone has been very positive - which is good, since I’m very new to having strangers read my work.
AR: In addition to Savannah's Castle, you've completed three novels and several short stories. Please share more with our readers about your other writings.
MH: I haven’t been officially notified by my publisher yet, but in the back of Savannah they mention that her next adventure is coming soon. The sequel is Savannah’s Gift. It actually took me a couple days to write this one. Savannah ends up with the princess again. The sorcerer learns his lesson, and Savannah saves the day.
My publisher is also interested in Oscar and the Aliens. This was the first book I wrote and is probably my favorite. In Oscar and the Aliens, ten-year-old Oscar is assigned to show his new classmate, Bobeck, around school. The only problem is, Bobeck is an alien. The two quickly form a friendship. Enter the Seepers, alien villains who have escaped from the nearby military base. Oscar and Bobeck must save their loved ones from the peril of the evil Seepers.
Sierra, my other great-niece, wanted me to write something about her. Since she had to deal with a new step-father and step-sister, changing schools, plus moving to a new home, she gave me some great ideas to work with. Then, I added her being extremely tall with big feet. I know what that feels like, since I’m tall with big feet, too. Everyone in my family has the affliction of “Boor toes”.
The manuscript I just finished is Monster Exterminators. When I was about twelve, my friends and I decided it would be fun to walk through the sewer. We knew where it started and stopped, so there was no chance we would get lost. Guess what? We didn’t get lost, but the flashlight stopped working in the middle, and we had to feel our way out. The book is mirrored on that experience.
The story I’m writing now, My Grandmother, the Witch, is loosely based on my family and how I grew up. I also threw in some strange things, which I love in stories that I read.
AR: You're also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Please share more with us about your involvement with that group.
MH: I attend their conferences in Westminster, Maryland, twice a year. I’ve also gone to one in Arlington, VA. Their conferences give you the opportunity to speak directly with editors and agents. You are also allowed to submit to them after the conference. This is very helpful, since most of the big publishing houses won’t accept anything without it coming from an agent.
AR: Do you have a website where our readers can learn more about you and your efforts?
MH: www.savannahscastle.com
AR: Also, how can they contact you directly?
MH: They can email me at www.marthahite.com
AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?
MH: I plan on finishing My Grandmother, the Witch. I’ve already written the first chapter of another manuscript. Ideas for stories buzz around in my head all the time. I hope to get as many of them published as possible. What I would really love is to have one of my stories touch the public so the story would carry on long after me. Wouldn’t it be great to write something that someone you didn’t know would read and then pass on to their children and grandchildren?
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
MH: PLEASE read my book. If you can’t afford to buy it, then ask your library to get it for you. I believe your child will truly enjoy the story.
AR: Well, we can certainly attest to that. Thanks again, Martha, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
MH: Thank you so much for having me.