Book: Flowers & Fences: The Adventures Of Jack And Silas
Author: Nona Hirshberg
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 5/5
“Flowers & Fences: The Adventures of Jack and Silas” is a Children’s Book written by the author Nona Hirshberg. Story features a five years old boy named Jack. Jack’s neighborhood has a truck farm. Farmer Jones is the owner of the truck farm. Jack thought that trucks grew up on Jones’ farm. But later he learnt that it’s a flower and vegetable farm.
One day, a shy little boy named Silas moved into the neighborhood. Jack and Silas became friends. While exploring together, they found a dark, secret place in Silas’ basement. That place seems like a perfect witches’ den to them. Read this story to know what will happen next as Halloween is near.
This is an interesting story that kids will enjoy for sure. I appreciate the storytelling skills of the author. Cover photo is well designed. Pretty illustrations made the story more attractive. I read this book to my nephew and we enjoyed every bit of this story. Parents should add this book to their children’s bookshelf.
Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Well, My name is Salma Soliman, I am a 35 years old Egyptian and a proud mother of 2. A girl, Malak 3 and a half years old and a boy, Selim 2 years. I’ve always been so passionate about 4 main and constant things ever since I was a little girl; kids, reading, writing and dancing, and as I grew up, my passion for them grew as well and never changed or dimmed.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Series Of Kindness’ book?
Well, as hard as it still feels to talk about it, but the truth is that the key challenges I faced while writing my first book “The Series Of Kindness, Volume 1” was the fact that I was writing it during the course of a personal significant trauma. When I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility and undergone several failed IVF attempts only to be more certain that it is never going to happen for me, that’s when my husband told me it was time we tried something new and Oh my! Thank God we did! We traveled to the UK to undertake another round of IVF with a new approach and for the first time I conceived triplets, but sadly I lost my boys in my 6th month which somehow pushed me towards the darkest yet brightest phase of my life. The darkness of losing my precious babies and the light that after all I CAN conceive. Those two opposite and profound feelings lead me into a rollercoaster of emotions that I found myself writing stories to my unborn children manifesting through them the human beings I would wish them to grow up into and as I wrote I felt closer and closer to them and my dream felt so attainable. This was my real challenge, I was too emotional to write, yet I couldn’t stop myself. At some point, I was too scared that all my hurt and personal struggles will be reflected in my stories but yet again I believe that the best books are written from the heart, so I continued to write through all my pain and loses. My book includes 5 stories and as I finished my fifth, I was ready to give birth to my beautiful miracle “Malak”. I don’t think I will ever face a bigger challenge than losing the children I longed for for years, but these challenges are the real reason my book is written & are also the reason I am now enjoying every single second with my children.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
To be honest, I am not consciously aware that a certain writer influenced my writing more than others. I have a lot of favorite authors, I believe they all influenced me one way or another, but I am not sure how exactly have they influenced my own writing. But let me tell you about my favorite books & authors as a kid & as a grown woman. Ok, let’s see, as a kid, I loved Robinson Crusue by Daniel Defoe, i was fascinated by the survival skills & the adventure of this book that I had my uncle read it over & over to me again whenever he visited. The Whizard of Ozz by Liam Frank was also one of my very dearest books, I was enchanted by the fantasy world & it’s beautiful message that everyone has a missing part & it is either we accept our incomplete selves & focus on our own edges or we will keep searching forever for what we are missing & lose ourselves entirely in the process. Growing up, I fell in love with Charlotte’s web by E.B. White, I believe it is a story that teaches true meanings of kindness, acceptance & friendship. As I became a mother myself, I loved the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, I think it is a brilliant story that teaches your little ones so much in a fun & appealing way. Now, as a grown woman, I tend to love thrillers & dark novels like “the Prey Series” by John Sandford. Gone Girl & Dark Places by Gillion Flyn. Deceit & A Dark Devotion by Clare Francis.
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
My favorite spot in my country is a very small & very primitive village called “Ballah” right by the Mediterranean Sea in the North Coast. I really don’t know what it is about this place that speaks right to my heart. It is amazingly beautiful in its very own way, it is like civilization has totally forgotten about it & so it is still pure, simple & real. When I go there, I feel so at ease & calm. The houses there are tiny, the sea is crystal blue, the sand is snow white & the weather warm with a chilly breeze. Just Perfect. It is the kind of place that freshens your heart & awakens your soul. I am very lucky to be living in Egypt, my country has all kinds of uniquely beautiful sceneries. It has exotic deserts, beautiful seas & shores, historical monuments, just all kinds of beauties that fit all tastes. Really It is a very special country, I can’t get enough of it, yet I still choose “Ballah” to be my favorite spot.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
Yes, I believe there is so much to do before starting to write a book, but it all has to start by having the right state of mind that helps your imagination blossom, whatever state it is that serves your personal self best. For me, It all begins with having an idea, then I have to get my mind to keep on thinking & thinking about this idea without trying to push it in a certain direction, just let it be until it defines itself. Once it has been defined, it is time I start putting it on paper in the form of key words & sub ideas that eventually shall lead to a complete story. I then start taking one sub idea at a time & start building on it by research, creation, & details in the form of characters, events & circumstances. At this point I should have a clear vision of who I am talking to & what is the effect I wish to leave on my readers. It is then that my initial idea is starting to breathe & come to life, during this stage it is essential to not stop & keep going. Let it flow without over thinking, self-criticism & evaluation. By the time I am done, I have my story & I am free to reevaluate, add & subtract as much as I want and boom! There you go, My book is alive!
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Series Of Kindness’ book?
It took me almost 2 years to be completely done & satisfied with my final draft.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘The Series Of Kindness’ book to buy?
My book is published now by Austin Maculey publishers. You can find it on their own website together with all major online retailers like amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, WHSmith and Book Depository under the name “The Series Of Kindness, Volume 1”. You can also find it on my very new Instagram page KINDKIDS by S S where you will soon find a bunch of interesting and appealing ideas on how to advocate Kindness to your kids, so please follow and stay tuned!
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Series Of Kindness’?
My book cover was my own sketch, I croakily drew it, then my mother being the talented architect & painter that she is neatly sketched it for me, & we had it sent to my publisher. I was trying to reflect through my cover the celebration of love & kindness by all, featuring the heroes of the book all teaming up together to carry the big heart of kindness feeling happy & empowered by all the love they are feeling. The title was pretty easy for me because my idea was very clear from the start. I wanted to create a whole series of books linking every value in life to kindness. Serving the purpose of advocating for a culture of kindness, emphasizing on the fact that the kinder you are the stronger you get & thus resulting in creating kinder realities for all our children. So the title very simply became “The Series of Kindness”
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Keeping things fresh is a very important aspect of writing. You have to practically be living in your story & not push away any idea that comes to your mind. I personally love to write in open spaces, it keeps my mind opened, vibrant, & fresh. I like to imagine that all my ideas are already a success, that gives me more confidence when writing. Also, I believe it is essential to add from my very own opinions & personality to anything I write, because we are all different & unique human beings & by adding a part of you, you know that it is only yours & thus it is fresh. Reading a lot also serves writers really well, the more you read different things, the better you write. For me every time I read a book, something lights in my mind & a door opens to a brand new idea that could turn into another book or simply just disappear in thin air, the important thing is that reading keeps my mind working & productive .Finally, having an inspiration always keeps my writing fresh, whether it is a person who inspired me or a feeling, a song, movie or anything else, Being inspired makes me write with passion, & passion is always fresh.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
The first secret is that I believe that “The Series of Kindness” could be a book that grownups could enjoy as much as children. It can be suitable from the age of 2 & all the way up to young adults, it all depends on how you pick from each story what you believe shall stick with your children according to their ages yet keeping the main moral of the story.
Another secret is that the characters of the book can be anyone & everyone of us. We can all make the choices that the heroes made in the book, we don’t have to be super or skillful. All you have to do to be karim, Hannah, Fares, Farida or The Little People is to be strong enough to see things differently & allow your heart to see everything before your eyes does!
“The Tales of Scuba Steve: Honu’s Reef” is an interesting story book written by the author Steven Kamlet and illustrated by Shannon Marsolais. Story features a boy named Ben who arrived at Camp Oneega. Ben met his two friends Oliver and Al at the camp. The boys have different questions in their mind like “How will the food be this summer?”, “Who’s going to be their swim instructor?”, etc. Every student at the camp wishes to be in Scuba Steve’s Swim Group. Luckily, Ben and his friends were asked to join Scuba Steve’s Swim Group.
Soon, they were teleported to Hawaii and they had the best adventure of their life. The story involves Scuba diving which made me excited to do it.
Cover photo of the book is well designed. Title of the book couldn’t have been better than this. Storyline is quite intriguing. This book takes the readers on an adventurous journey. I enjoyed every bit of this book. Kids who love adventures shouldn’t miss to get their hands on this amazing book.
Progeny written by the author K M Hardy is the third Sam McKay thriller. Main character of the story is a detective named Sampson Angus McKay. Sam is the permanent asset of the Cleveland, Ohio FBI office and the leader of the Special Investigative Task Force. One day, Sam’s old friend Chief Anthony Humbar visited him and informed him about the serial killer who is known by the name of Christmas Angel.
The criminal rape and murder the women. He wasn’t active for the past fifteen years but the recent victim is Chloe Hale. Her body was found by a dog near Chesterville and it was buried in three feet of snow. Will Sam and his team be able to get to the bottom of the case?
Hardy has written this story well. Plot of the novel is captivating and I couldn’t put this book down. Those who love reading crime thrillers would become a fan of Hardy’s writing. Cover photo of the book is well designed and the language used is lucid. Characters are unique and written nicely. I enjoyed reading this thriller story.
Moratorium is a short story collection written by the author Gary Percesepe. There are 35+ short stories in this book.
Christmas: 1972 is a story around Christmas time. The narrator’s girlfriend had blue Christmas lights strung on trees in front of her house. It was snowing and the narrator parked in her driveway. But Snowflakes stuck to the windshield of his father’s Ford.
Beautiful Girls is about a cop giving a ticket to the driver and discussing the movie Beautiful girl.
One More Thing features Annie Riser whose husband died twenty years before. She has put her house up for sale and booked a flight to Colorado. Annie has lost her youngest child Rose to the same Ovarian cancer.
These short fiction stories involve sudden losses or deaths. Stories are full of different emotions. Narration is so strong that these stories are gonna stay in my head for a longer time. The stories are unique, refreshing, etc. I like the writing style of Gary.
I enjoyed reading a couple of stories in a single sitting. Stories are witty and I am glad to get my hands on this amazing collection.
“The Cure For Onlyness” written by Coach Michael Taylor is a black man’s guide to joy, passion & purpose. In this book, the author has talked about the word Onlyness. The author has mentioned how black men face different feelings like loneliness, sadness, anger and happiness. They know that they would be judged based on the color of their skin and therefore they have to work twice as hard to accomplish things.
This book guides black men to overcome Onlyness and build the life of their dreams. The illness of a negative mindset and attitude is a barrier and one should be optimistic to achieve their dreams. 10 illusions have been mentioned in the book and one should be aware of those stereotypes to live a life of joy. One can start finding the cure for this illness by asking themselves “Who Are You?”.
Those who are looking for the blueprint to live a life of joy, happiness and accomplishment, this book is for you. One important lesson that I learnt from this book is that anything is possible if we set our mind to it. I loved the quotes mentioned by famous personalities in the book. Writing style of the author is nice. It’s an insightful read. The 10 lessons that the author is giving to the readers through this book are valuable. Overall, it’s a book worth reading.
Q1. Hello Sir, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Of course! My name is Caleb Thornton and I’m an author from Warner Robins, GA. I love writing, I consider it my first love. I also love reading. It’s sort of my second love. If that’s a thing.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Tenacious’ book?
The key challenges were trying to include things that I’ve been through as a teenage boy in middle school and high school. Experiences that made me very sad. Things that made me feel as though I wasn’t in control or inferior perhaps.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
I read a lot of manga. There’s this manga artist named Harada. I love ANYTHING she writes. I’ve probably read all of her works.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
My favorite spot to visit is probably my room. My bed to be exact. I’m a Pisces, so anytime that I can rest my head and dream, I take it.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
With this book there wasn’t really anything that I felt the need to do. Once I shot the promo photos and everything, I just wanted to finish it.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Tenacious’ book?
I started a rough draft on August 13, 2020 and finished in the middle of May 2021. So, I’d say about 9 months?
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Tenacious’ book to buy?
Everyone can go find “Tenacious” on Amazon Kindle, Archive of Our Own, Wattpad, and Inkitt.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Tenacious’?
The bear that I’m always with is supposed to symbolize the guy that Matthew, the main character, is head over heels for. I don’t think a guy would let me blindfold him and stab him. That would be sort of traumatic I’d imagine. I was talking to my friend Diamond and an idea just sparked in my head to use a bear to take out all of my frustration.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I try to stay as true to the story as I can. Or as true to my feelings, I would say.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
I was once friends with this boy in middle school, and I was so happy because he was the first guy friend that I had. Word had got around that I was gay, and he stopped talking to me. At the time, “KIK” was very popular, and I use to always hit him up and he suddenly wouldn’t reply to me. That stuck with me for a while. I recently just saw him at my job and I acted like I didn’t know who he was. Our friendship could’ve been great. His loss, haha. Ethan, which is Matthew’s friend, is supposed to represent the guy I’m talking about.
“Naji and the mystery of the dig” is a great story book penned by Vahid Imani. Story is set in Tehran. One day Naji woke up to the unusual sound coming from her courtyard. So, she decided to investigate. Naji got to know from her sister Leila that her father had hired some workers to dig a hole. But Naji is worried thinking that the diggers may upset the demons, looloos, and genies. As a result, they all may have to suffer.
Many questions are in little Naji’s head like “how deep are they digging?”, etc. Naji even asked for her mother’s permission to watch the digging. Read this story yourself to find what Naji is gonna find out ultimately.
This is a wonderful story for middle grade readers. Language used in the book is simple and easy to understand. The story plot kept me hooked till the last page. Glossary given at the end of the book was helpful. Discussion Questions would also be helpful for the kids. I enjoyed reading this story and like to strongly recommend it for children.
Book: He Loves Me! He Truly Loves Me!: The Story Of Mupsie And Me And How We Came To Be!
Author: Devon Michael Sangiovanni
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 5/5
“He Loves Me! He Truly Loves Me!: The Story of Mupsie and Me and How We Came to Be!” is a Children’s Book written by the author Devon Michael Sangiovanni. Story features a boy kitten with big, beautiful blue eyes and a heart to match. He was born with a few little sisters. Every day when the phone rang, people would ask for only girl kittens.
The little boy kitten became so sad but then he prayed for some gentle and kind man to come and pick him up. Read this story to know will the boy kitten get the love of someone or anyone.
Story is written beautifully. It gives us hope and teaches readers to be patient to get the things they deserve. I appreciate the storytelling skills of the author. Illustrations are beautiful and make the story more enjoyable. I am interested in reading more books by the author in future. Parents should add this beautiful story book to their children’s bookshelf.
Written by David James Sandquist, Sparkfire is the first book in the series. The people living on Legona are unaware of its rich history. Legona is formed from five different parts of the universe. It unites the remains of spheres that were once great and full of life. To the south of Legona, a group of people called Krisites live. They honor their traditions. Tugor and his wife Cora gave birth to a beautiful daughter and Tugor named her Sparkfire.
It was amazing to read when Tugor asked his friend Stilmar and his wife Daymia to be godparents to his daughter. This reminded me of the movie Harry Potter.
Tugor was wondering what name he could give to his daughter. When he saw a face of fire looking back at him, and got to know that his daughter will prevent this world from getting destroyed, he named her Sparkfire. The way the author has chosen the title for this book is really interesting.
Length of the novel is 100 pages and one could finish it in a single sitting. Cover photo of the book is well designed. It’s a fast paced story that will not give a chance to readers to put it down without finishing it. It would be interesting to watch a movie based on this novel. I enjoyed every bit of this story and would like to highly recommend it to others.
Sassy Reviews 