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Showing posts from December, 2017

Crumbs On The Stairs

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This is a cute picture book by Karl. I have zero knowledge of Spanish. This story helped me learn a few Spanish words. Being an Indian, my kids loved the illustrations and of course the new words in a new language. The plot revolves around the mystery of crumbs on the stairs and everywhere. For further details please do read the story. Yes the writing is simple. And as a non-spanish speaker I loved the illustrations, the way the translation helped in my understanding. Like I said, my children loved it too. Spanish is neither our mother tongue nor the language we speak. The writings in this book definitely piqued our interest in the language and I will soon be probably enrolling myself for a 'Learn Spanish' course. The images are vibrant and I loved the way the pictures could 'speak out' to the reader. The real protagonist of the story is the storyline itself. The characters and illustrations perfectly execute the same. To sum up, this story is a must read f

Shorts: Once Lost Lords

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Once Lost Lords (Royal Scales Book 1) an Urban Fantasy book. The word count is approximately 106k. Publication Date:  January 12, 2016 Synopsis:  Humanity hasn’t been alone for almost two thousand years. Elves, wolves, vampires, all joined together with mankind to eradicate the ‘darker’ races and maintained a tentative peace until modern times. Society adapted, everyone has rules that help keep the peace in this modern era. Yet, absolute genocide is impossible when talking about creatures beyond the pale. Some hid, some buried, other were re-purposed. Some, like Jay Fields, pass for human with a little bit extra. His abilities didn’t belong to one of the major races, but any information was buried along with the long dead boogie men. All Jay cared about was those closest to him and a job that let him hit people. He used to be a bouncer at a bar, a part-time enforcer for a loan shark, and even a fight club champion. That was four years ago, before betrayal by someo

Polar Bear Bowler

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A cute and yet another amazing story by master crafter Karl. This is a picture book eithout sny words. It means no dialogue, no descriptions and beautiful illustrations. This story is about a polar bear, his serendipity with penguins and bowling. You need to pick up this book to get into the interesting world of the protagonist. After reading this story without words I realised that there was indeed truth in the old adage that a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Yes, this wordless story could be understood so much better. While turning the pages I realised that my mind was narrating a story alongside. The auditory imageries made me read effortlessly.  I wish this too gets remade into an animation. The characters in this story are easily identifiable and for the who, how and where, you need to read the story. This story is about meeting new people, making friends, breaking the ice and learning to accept changes. To sum up, a must-see-through story that is excelle

Shorts: Wicked Truths

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Wicked Truths  is a young adult paranormal adventure of about 100 pages. A synopsis of the book follows. Synopsis Death seems to follow seventeen year old Sadie Sanders everywhere she goes–literally. As a mediator to the dead, she must constantly face fighting demons and the occasional angry dead girl. After a dangerous and almost deadly first year in Salem, Sadie's parents decided to send her away for the summer to visit her Aunt Morgan in the small town of Nicholasville, Kentucky. After uncovering a murder hidden for centuries, she embarked on a deadly mission to solve the crime while trying to enjoy her summer vacation. Now back in Salem, Sadie has found another hidden secret in the wicked town. Secret underground tunnels are hidden under the streets of Salem, beckoning to those with wicked souls. When Sadie encounters a ghost named Laura roaming the streets of Salem, she and her friends Noah and Lucy must uncover the clues leading to Laura's death, which is

Human: Finding Myself In The Autism Spectrum

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Some writings are so powerful that it is a shame to actually rate them. This book is worth more than 10 stars.  Human is a real-life narration by the writer about his life as a sufferer of autism. The story is about the problems faced, the ordeals faced, his support system and of course, his journey of self discovery. Hats off to Warren for writing straight from his heart. His narration is flawless. I know, there are few technical terms but I had no problem in understanding since I am trained in Psychology. Coming back to Warren's writing style, every description can easily be comprehended. He has written about his pain, his sufferings, his inspiration, his life journey. And this is not at all easy. Writing a memoir is difficult because of the emotions of the writer involved in it. And for a person going through such a challenging experience, writing about it is even more difficult. It takes a lot of courage to come out in the open and express this way. The writin

Cover Reveal: The Vengeance Of Indra

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~ Cover Reveal ~ The Vengeance of Indra  (Vikramaditya Veergatha #3) by Shatrujeet Nath VENGEANCE IS A CAGE FORGIVENESS IS FREEDOM In their greed to possess the deadly Halahala, the devas and the asuras have employed every dirty trick against Vikramaditya and his Council of Nine. But the humans are still standing, bloodied but unbowed. When the wily Shukracharya discovers the secret to breaking the Council’s strength and unity, he forges an unlikely alliance with his arch-enemy, Indra, to set a deceitful plan in motion. As cracks emerge between the councilors and their king, ghosts from the past threaten to ruin Vikramaditya and Kalidasa’s friendship, signaling the beginning of an eclipse that will cast a long shadow over all that Vikramaditya holds dear. And into this shadow steps Indra, bearing an old grudge — and a devastating new weapon. How much longer before the Guardians of the Halahala finally fall apart? Other Books in the Series:   (Click

An Excerpt: Lean In To Relationships

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Zehen was experiencing sweet joy in his heart. Memories bustled in the head. When did he first see her? Zehen searched his head madly. Orientation session? Corridor to the classroom? However, he tried, he couldn’t pinpoint the moment. A whirr of images, of moments, yet-to-be collaged. And a heart that already had a narrative, waiting to be inset. We imagine that all romantic stories will have a sigh-worthy romantic beginning. But beginnings are when the heart awakens, when the soul remembers. A presence stills and emerges from the shadows of time. His first memory was when she introduced herself in the class. They had gathered at Presidium University for a one-year course on Social Impact Leadership. Outside, the white fringe tree was laden with its grape-like fruits. The pine, oak and spruce waited for winter to tell the world how unchangeable they were. And the old Redwood stood proud like the institution itself. Inside, in the warm classroom, students from various c

The Best Dark Rain

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Some stories leave you thinking long after you have read them. The Best Dark Rain is one such book. This post apocalyptic story brings out a tiny ray of hope that is hidden within. I know I sound crazy but then the truth is this story actually didnot turn out the way I expected. I am not a fan of zombie stories or any other post apocalypse genre. Inspite of that this story made me cast aside my stereotypical thoughts with regards to such stories. Yes, there are zombies, the world is facing an era pist apocalypse. However, what sets tjis story apart from others in this genre is the storyline. Trust me when I say this, do read this book because the story is so different. Marco has a unique style of writing. If I say that his writings shatter stereotypes then I will not be wrong in saying so. I must also compliment the narration. It is fast paced, smooth and definitely keeps the reader engaged. Every scene triggers off an imagery and I do wish this story gets converted into a mot

Mama Graciela's Secret

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This is a story for kids and adults alike. It is a short picture story that can be finished in one reading. The story revolves around a lady, her secret recipe for making fritos and her love for cats. What happens in the story is something you need the book to find out. The writing is simple with a rustic flavour. The narrative is continuous  and has no breaks. Mayra's writing helps trigger imageries and wherever it is difficult to comprehend a colloquial word the illustrations help understanding. The story has one main protagonist and an important group - 1000 cats. What endears a reader is the fact that she is an ardent animal lover, kind and generous, and is willing to do choose them above anything else. One hitch I found was the fact that with so many cats around, her shanty still sold eatables. There was no mention of how hygiene was being maintained at her eatery while she prepared her eats. This being a children's book, had the onus of teaching the little

Curva Peligrosa

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I had loved Lily's first book Fling! because it inspired me to do something special for my mother. And I must admit, getting to know Curva helped me to get to know a person I have been neglecting for long - Myself. The plot revolves around the vivacious, carefree yet mysterious Mexican woman Curva. She is a midwife, a potion brewer, a mother, a friend, a lover, but above all, she is a woman who has not forgotten her individuality. She has her own identity inspite of the multiple roles she essays. In today's world, we humans are so busy in pursuit of happiness in the form of success, money, career etc., that we have almost forgotten that happiness is within us. In order to be a part of the rat race, majority have started emulating others overlooking the 'real me' within themselves. This is what I felt was the subtle theme throughout the story. Lily never ceases to amaze me. An awesome writing style that succeeds in conveying exact emotions that every character i

40 Tips On Creative Writing

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Dan's writings have always come into my life at a time when I was badly in need of an inspiration. Be it his first, Pieces Like Pottery or this one. The book is a guide for every writer as well as those aspiring to write. What sets this book apart is the style of writing. There is a personal touch in every tip given. And, the tips, if followed to the T, would help improve not just the writing but life as well. For the what, how and why, you need to read the book. Dan's writings have the power to make you think. The language is really simple but the meaning that every sentence conveys has a lot of depth. These 40 tips for creative writing can be taken for the writing process per se as well as for living life in a different manner as well. The tips help rake the reader's brain and mould him/ her to think divergently. Every chapter title is a life principle to live by if I may say so. Kudos to Dan for his amazing style. The writing takes the reader through a journey o

A Certain Connection

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This is a story for all romantics and believers of love. The plot revolves around a woman and a man, the magic that sparks between them and what happens thereafter. Sounds like a quintessential love story right? Wrong. There are twists and turns which you will get to know when you read this story. Zoey's writing has an ability to reach out and appeal to a person's heart. What I felt overshadowed an otherwise beautiful story was an overdose of physical interactions between the protagonists. Some places, the subtle element of romance got brushed aside. Also, I felt, again a personal opinion, that the ending was a bit rushed up. If there could have been a bit more details towards the end, the story's momentum would have continued. The narration was absolutely smooth with limited jerks due to scenes which could have been cut down a bit. I must admit, the imageries conjured up by my brain while I was reading were pretty vivid. And, this story has all the potential to be