Fish Boy

 

Fish-Boy: An Inuit Folk Tale

Vanita Oelschlager
Art By Mike Blanc

Price -$8.95

My Review-

 

A little boy is travelling to Diomedes with Teragloona, to trade bearskins for dearskins.
In the sea, the boy spots a beach, he thinks is made of black sand.
To his shock, it tunrs out that it isn't a beach but millions of birds who are known  as sea parrots.

That's when Teragloona tells him the story of Fish-Boy.
Fish- Boy is lonely and when he meets a fisherman, he requests him to be his father. The fisherman agrees after Fishboy helps him catch fishes easily.
Soon they're famous and get an invitation from a chief of another village.
But when they pay visit, they are disappointed by the way the people treat them.
The fishboy saves himself, his father and the crew through magic. But those who mistreated them where turned to birds forever.
This a great story for any kid, who likes the oceans, seas, fishes, mermaids, mermen and the deep.
The tale also explains how we should treat our guests with respect and kindness.
A must read!
Thank you Netgalley for the copy!

Diary Of A Monster

Diary Of A Monster
Dear Diary Series


Valeria D'avila, Mo'nica Lo'pez
Illustrations - Laura Aguerrebehere
Translation- David Warriner


My Review-

Wouldn't it be cool if you could just check out the diary of a Real Monster?
This book provides insight into the life of monster through his notes in his diary.
In his diary, he boasts how evil and ugly he is. How he is super happy to scare people!
How he loves having toad soup or mosquitoes or worm cake as dinner.
How at his sight, everyone screams. How he enjoys staying in the lake but his tail feels sore.
How he loves hugs from his mom and likes to hear about fairies.
Cool, Naughty and Funny!
Thank you Netgalley for the copy!

Book Review : Sweet Dreaming

Sweet Dreaming

Julia Rawlinson
Pictures by Nicole Wong


Price- $12.59

My review-

Little Molly is not able to sleep. Her mom comes up with an idea to help her.
What I liked about the book is, instead of "Let me tell you a story", her mother encourages her to use her own imagination and create her own story.

She gives her characters she can play and imagine and eventually fall asleep.
But every time Molly finds it unsuitable, no problem though her mom has more characters.

This book is definitely sweet and cute. It encourages the kid to run their own imaginations and build their own stories.
In a way, kids could remember what they've learned so far and use them in a story.

A very enjoyable and must read!

Thank you Netgalley for the copy!

Free on Kindle - Carnival of Fear

Carnival of Fear

J G Faherty

My Review-

Scary, Intriguing, Unique!
The first few chapters introduced so many characters, I thought I wouldn't be able to keep up with them. But as the story progressed, the characters felt real and easier to understand. 
The narration is distinctive and it just makes the reading experience a great one. 
No typical horror movie characters, the thing that impressed me. The story is about a carnival, as the name suggests, where nothing is what it seems. 
Everyone is interested in the house of horrors but it takes them to a different world. Scary fun!
If you're looking for a great read for this Halloween, this book has got it all. 
Aliens,  witches,  wolves, serial killers and every horror character you can think of. 
Thank you Netgalley for the free copy in exchange of an honest review.

About the book- The Halloween carnival seemed like the perfect way to spend a Friday night, but when a group of teenagers find themselves trapped in the haunted mansion, they learn the awful truth about the carnival, and the demons that run it.
Now they’re trapped, fighting their way through a maze of torturous attractions where vampires, werewolves, aliens, and other monsters come to life, eager for human blood. As the body count rises, friendships are made and lost, and unlikely heroes emerge.
The final showdown takes place in Hell, where the ultimate battle between good and evil will determine their fate.
The Carnival of Fear - the price of admission is your soul!

The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts (The Unbelievables Book 1)

The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts (The Unbelievables Book 1)

My Review

A horror story of a girl who can see ghosts right from childhood. But then she ignores them for a good reason until its impossible. I found the story genuine and an interesting read. I liked the narration, it was smooth and increased the curiosity. 

Scary,  Intriguing and Thrilling!

 I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley. 

About the book-

She tried to ignore them. But some things won’t be ignored.

Kat Preston doesn’t believe in ghosts. Not because she’s never seen one, but because she saw one too many. Refusing to believe is the only way to protect herself from the ghost that tried to steal her life. Kat’s disbelief keeps her safe until her junior year at McTernan Academy, when a research project for an eccentric teacher takes her to a tiny, private island off the coast of Connecticut. 

The site of a grisly mystery, the Isle of Acacia is no place for a girl who ignores ghosts, but the ghosts leave Kat little choice. Accompanied by her research partner, Evan Kingsley, she investigates the disappearance of Cassie Mallory and Sebastian Radcliffe on their wedding night in 1886. Evan’s scientific approach to everything leaves Kat on her own to confront a host of unbelievables: ancestral curses, powerful spells, and her strange connection to the ghosts that haunt Castle Creighton. 

But that’s all before Kat’s yanked through a magic portal and Evan follows her. When the two of them awaken 129 years in the past with their souls trapped inside the bodies of two wedding guests, everything changes. Together, Kat and Evan race to stop the wedding-night murders and find a way back to their own time—and their own bodies—before their souls slip away forever. 

THE GIRL WHO IGNORED GHOSTS is a fast-paced YA time-travel murder mystery novel that combines time-traveling, paranormal, and gothic mystery genres to weave a tale full of ancestral curses, powerful spells, strange connections, and inherited surprises. The novel is sure to delight fans of Paige McKenzie's The Haunting of Sunshine Girl series and Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

Book Review: The Angry Ghost and Other Stories

The Angry Ghost and Other Stories

Author- Peter Spokes

Price - $4.96 (Kindle)



My Review-

3 Stars

 The narration creates the atmosphere for a gripping horror but it also tests your patience at the same time.
This is more like that horror movie, where you ask "when will the ghost come?" Written in a slow style and  predictable at times but still interesting.
Not very scary but still good to cause you to have nightmares.
A very unique and stand out horror collection.
Thank you Netgalley!

About- A collection of spooky ghost stories and dark tales based on the classic style of horror/supernatural writing, The Angry Ghost and Other Stories introduces a return to classic form with a fresh perspective. A man journeying to Cornwall seeking a Ghost - and flowers, an obnoxious bully being welcomed to spend the evening at an old museum, and an author of fictional horror unable to take his friend seriously when he’s told of the Werewolf roaming around his village are just three of a collection that will have you reading with every light on.

The stories have a chilling undertone, a sense of unease without outright horror which is matched by its cast of characters that run the gamut from the ordinary to the undead. These characters share the same fate, a confrontation with something unearthly and should not exist - that is, except in a world where creatures of darkness can still, occasionally, break through. The book also features a mix of voices, from first person to third, and from past to present tense which keeps the pace fast, exciting and varied. With descriptive language, the tales bring with them an atmosphere not easily shrugged off.

“Ultimately, the storyteller weaves his tale of dark possibilities to coax out and into the light creatures that may occasionally intrude upon the living, but never encroach upon or breach the shield of safety of the listener. For the listener is always safe from ghosts…almost always.”
 
 

 

Book Review : Happy Mail

 

Name -Happy Mail
Format - Paperback

About-

It’s more than just writing, it’s an art! Hand-lettering with Happy Mail is just the thing for even beginning artists to blast-off their DIY projects.

Guided by the lettering artists behind the Hello!Lucky letterpress greeting cards, you will learn the basics of how to create beautiful hand-lettered designs and how to apply your hand-lettering skills to creating beautiful cards, stationery, envelopes, and more.

Happy Mail introduces a variety of lettering styles, including the basics of brush calligraphy, and the basics of writing and mailing lettersthe old-fashioned way. Once you learn and practice several different lettering styles, follow along with the simple step-by-step projects to create beautiful, personalized, and hand-written letters, cards, and envelopes to share with your loved ones.

Includes more than 25 perforated cards and stationery designs as a fun bonus! Simply tear out, decorate, and mail your masterpieces to family and friends.  

 

My Review-

A good book packed with ideas and suggestions for creating your very own greeting/invitation cards, letters and much more. Will take you back to a world where people connected through words, paper and mail. Very encouraging and creative!
Thank you Netgalley!

W to M of Self-Publishing: Why do Indie Authors Fail? (Free on KU)

Click the pic to Read

 

Price - Free! (Kindle Unlimited)

0.72$/ 49Rs to buy

W to M of Self-Publishing: Why do Indie Authors Fail?  Kindle Edition 
by Prakash Vir Sharma (Author)


My review: 

W to M of self publishing is a gem of a book. Its simple, quick and very useful. The author begins with sharing his personal experiences and advice for other authors.
A great book for newbies or for that matter, every writer. The author himself has explored a wide ways of publishing and writing, which at some point every writer has to go through.
But if you read the book, you'll find out what really works and what does not. Better, than to try yourself and learn the hard way.
Contradictory to most of the books in this genre, the narration is very simple and easy to understand. You won't require to re-read again and again. It's that easy to read.
Everyone experiences the good and the bad, but not many decide to share it with others so that they benefit from it. Kudos to the Author!
If reaching Amazon's Best-seller's list is your aim, this book is for you. 


About the book:

"W to M of Self-publishing - Why do Indie Authors Fail? is a beginner's guide to learn everything about What, Why, How, and Where of writing, editing, formatting, publishing, and marketing of books.


I thank the author for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

Book Review: Pearls For Pearl

 

Aww... this book is so cute and is definitely the perfect gift for every little girl. The illustrations are equally pretty as the story.

 

And what's the cherry on the top, it has a positive message. Beautifully narrated, a tale of a little mermaid who is adopted by a little girl. How the mermaid finds a friend and tries to reach what she desires.

A must read bedtime tale.
Thank you Netgalley for the copy.

 

 

Description
Determined to reach a distant treasure, a little mermaid creates a bubbly new way to travel!

When a petite mermaid named Pearl is adopted, she finds herself in a world of exciting treasures. With the help of her friend and her wits, Pearl goes after her dreams.

Goal setting is difficult to teach, but a concept that is extremely important for preschoolers to learn. Heaton wonderfully illustrates how important it is to make goals that are just out of reach.  By brainstorming with her new friend, Peal finds a way to solve her problem and reach her goal.

Author Interview : Prakash Vir Sharma

 Author Interview : Prakash Vir Sharma

Special question- How did you come up with idea of “W to M OF Self Publishing”? What inspired you to write about the challenges of a self published author?

Well, there were a lot of things that resulted in this book. Its basically about the observations I made during these few years while I was writing books.
So a couple of years back when I started to write books, I noticed some of my friends had really great writing skills. Some of them also wanted to publish their works but got discouraged due to the difficulties they faced in their journey. Also, as an active member of many Facebook and Goodreads groups, I observed a lot of indie authors give up their dreams due to marketing issues. 

Added to that I saw a lot of misconceptions amongst people regarding the book writing process. I'll give you an example, about a couple of months ago, I was having a conversation with a friend who told me that he wanted to write a self-help book. We had a long conversation where he asked me a lot of stuff regarding self-publishing. During that conversation I happened to ask him what was the topic he wanted to write on and how was he qualified to write on the subject. Shockingly, he thought that it doesn't matter as he only wants to inspire others. That is not how it is though. In my opinion you should have the qualification to write on a topic and have experiences related to it to share with the readers for better understanding. 

Another misconception that I found was from various self-publishing guides and stuff. I noticed a lot of those said that write in genres that are popular among the readers and they told how to find those genres. However in my opinion, how can you write in genres you aren't even interested in. I mean yes, you can write but that will never be your best. I believe a person will give his best if he is interested in that given field.
To this date I have published 3 self-help books out of which my last book - MINDSET AND PASSION reached rank #1 on Amazon India and I have never used paid promotions. So this book is my experiences and strategies that I implemented during my journey so far and want to share with all those people who faced such issues and hope they can fulfill their dream as well.

Let’s welcome Prakash.
Thank you Hemdiva for having me here.
 
Introduction:
I am an educator and management professional by qualification, but social thinker and author by passion.
I was born in a remote village of Moradabad (U.P.) and raised in a village of Bijnor (U.P.). With a day job in steel sector, I travelled across India (except North-East).
At present, I am living in Kolkata (Calcutta - the city of joy) with my wife, a son and a daughter.
 
Tell us about your books.
Kathputli - short stories on socio-political and socio-religious issues of India.
Life In Shackles - short stories on plight of Indian women.
Mindset And Passion - The Psychology Of Success: a self-help book for personal development.
W to M of Self-Publishing: Why do Indie Authors Fail? - a comprehensive guide for self-publishing.

The books are absolutely free on Kindle Unlimited! Click the covers to start reading!

Why did you choose this particular genre/s?
My passion for helping others and thoughts on socio-political, socio-religious issues inspired me to write fiction and non-fiction.

The day you decided you will be a writer?
Though I was always interested in writing since my school days, but in 1990, during my graduation, I started freelancing for newspapers, which was the time when I not only realized I could write but also wrote a novel (unfortunately it’s still unpublished.)

Who helped you with your dream? Your support?
My guide was Mr Hari Singh Nirbhay, the editor of a Hindi weekly newspaper "Shrambheri" who published my first article. My Facebook friend, Ma Jivan Shaifaly, the editor of "Palpal India" and "Making India," inspired me to continue my writing. It's my wife, Divya, who not only supported me, but also helped me a lot to get recognition as a published author.

One important lesson you learned about self-publishing?
Don't follow any advice blindly.

Do you think the process of writing (Typing/Handwriting) is tiring? How do you deal with it?
Not at all. I enjoy it because I have a perfect strategy for that. But, undoubtedly, editing and proofreading sucks.

What profession you’d choose if not an author?
I wish to be a politician but I hate politics, job and business all. Everywhere everyone is compromising with ethics, and it hurts me. So, as of now I am planning to establish a good educational institute.

Do you think it’s easy/ difficult to write non-fiction?
Of course, writing a non-fiction is easier than fiction.

Have you ever met a fan/reader?
Not personally, because I haven't tried any book signing event yet.But, because I provide my social media links and email with my author bio in my books, I received many emails and messages on FB messenger appreciating my books. I would love to meet them.

Would you ever go for traditional publishing? (If you’re a self published author or vice versa)
Obviously, I would love to hook a renowned publisher. However, I have traditionally published two co-authored books.

Do you interact with other authors? Do you think it’s important?
Let's start with second part of this question. Yes, it's important to interact with other authors. As I told earlier, I am active member of many FB and GR groups, I interact with many authors, and most of them are foreigners. They are awesome, kind, helpful and cooperative. We learn from each other, do cross promotions and arrange many online events.

Your Birthday
My birthday falls four times in a year. Ha ha ha .…
Actually, it's 31st August, but on records 26th May. So, two times it falls according to English months and two times as per Hindi months. Ha ha ha …

Your favorite actor/actress?
Big B.

Your favorite authors. What are you reading currently?
It's common between you and me, "Rhonda Byrne."
Most of the time I read non-fiction and that too from indie authors. It helps them with reviews.

Ebooks / Paperbacks/ Hardcovers- Choose any two.
Paperbacks and E-books.

Your favorite food/dish/cuisine?
Onion Paratha, that I occasionally cook myself for whole family. They love it.

Your favorite place on earth? Why?
Goa, Vishakhapatnam and Puri, because I love nature, and sea beaches are my favorite places.

Your hobbies other than writing? Do you find time for it?
Traveling. I think I spent several years in train. Ha ha ha ...
I find time for long distance journeys almost on quarterly basis.

Your thoughts on life? What helps you to deal with ups and downs of life?
Life is a competition. Like success and failures, Ups and downs are part of life. When I feel stuck, I add more time to my daily exercise, walking and meditation routine.
Practically, being a management professional, I work on root cause analysis and elimination.

Your favorite quote?
"Nothing is impossible in the world. If you know exactly what you want to do, there is always a way of doing it."

If you become a billionaire overnight, what would be your reaction? What will you do with the money?
Personally, I don't want to be a billionaire. Because money can not bring happiness and joy.
But, if I become, I would prefer charity.

Do you do something for social cause, for the needy?
Yes, I visit a few old-age home and orphanage occasionally. I donate for social organizations. I prefer helping others. I provide online guidance to students.

Do you use any advertisement methods to promote your book? Which worked for you?
I never hired someone to promote my books. I believe in collaborative efforts. Even, apart from free KDP promotions and Goodreads giveaways, I distribute pdf to get reviews. I provide opportunities for guest blog, interviews and book reviews, and vice-versa. It works for me because I don't write for earning.

Your advice to newbie authors.
Establish an author brand. While outlining your first book, plan for marketing (collaboration or paid promotions whatever suits you). Be a good reader.
Do you think a self-published author can earn as much as they want or is it an impossible dream?
Yes, but with a solid marketing plan. Marketing means prodct, price place and promotion.
Simple economics: invest and earn.
However, there are many celebrity authors who after hitting bestseller list, started earning through writing and marketing coaching. If someone has those skills, better to hire a ghostwriter to continue writing, and focus on coaching as a source of income.

Thank you to the author for an amazing interview!

Amazon Author page-https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B072PCYJL1
Amazon Book Links-
W to M of Self-Publishing: Why do Indie Authors Fail?www.amazon.com/dp/B07B57FTBR
Mindset And Passion - The Psychology Of Successwww.amazon.com/dp/B074CSRCVT
Life In Shackleswww.amazon.com/dp/B072LF28ZL
Kathputliwww.amazon.com/dp/B071GHNSMV

Facebook page-https://www.facebook.com/prakaash.sharma.5
Twitter-https://twitter.com/Prakaashsharma
Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/authorprakash/
Pinterest-https://www.pinterest.com/prakash2484/
Blog/ website-http://www.booksandmotivation.wordpress.com
Goodreads author page-https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16683777.Prakash_Vir_Sharma
Google+ -
E-mail- prakash2484@gmail.com


In the next post I'll be reviewing the author's newest book "W to M of self publishing". Stay tuned!