‘Sad Bitch Poems’ penned by Lily Dihann is the debut book of the author. It is a collection of poems that describe the author’s feelings as she navigates through the different aspects of life.
I loved the below lines from the poem “I Hope You Cry”: I hope you miss me I hope you miss me in the way that you miss the June sun in December I hope you ruminate over me I hope you ruminate over me the way you ruminate over April showers in July I hope you need me I hope you need me in the way that you need the moon to light the dark I hope you dream of me I hope you dream of me in the way that you dream of love in February
Some of my favorite poems from the collection are: I Promise To Try, I Hope You Cry, Abstract, etc. Being an overthinker, I related very well to the poem ‘Thoughtful Rambles’.
The line that I loved the most from this book is “There is a certain amount of darkness that is necessary to see the stars”. Please be advised that the poem’s content is sensitive. Language used in the book is simple to understand. The feelings that the author has described are relatable. This is a short read. Because of simple language, those who want to give a try to reading poetry should go ahead with this collection. Poetry fans should pick this one. I loved this collection.
Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
I have written and published all of my life. But always nonfiction. Fiction is new. Well, new within the last ten years. My 7th novel, The Reluctant Queen is the third in the ancient novel series. The 1st four are a medical mystery series featuring cardiologist Dr. Lindsey McCall. I am now working on the 5th in that series, Plausible Liars.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Reluctant Queen’ book?
Since I’d written I Claudia and My Name is Saul, I thought the research and writing of a story about the ancient Persian Kingdom would be more of the same. But, unfortunately, I was wholly, totally wrong. Finding reliable information about a book in the Bible current scholars believe to be fictional was exceedingly difficult.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Every book I read influences me. Reading other people’s novels relaxes me. Hence I read a lot. And I notice the good and poor plots, character development and coherence of the story. But, more and more frequently, I stop reading after fifty pages because of the lack of the previous attributes.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
Maybe because I write about places worldwide, I feel as if I travel a lot. Malthus Revisited, the 4h Dr. Lindsey McCall novel, features Slovakia, the California central coast, Germany, China, and Zurich. Traveling in my head saves enormous hassle.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?
Yes.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Reluctant Queen’ book?
About a year.
Q7. What all platforms can readers find ‘The Reluctant Queen’ book to buy?
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Books, and many of the venues carrying Ebooks.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Reluctant Queen’ ?
I work closely with a design/ publisher. And need the cover before I start the story. For some reason, having the cover is a critical first step.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I think readers look for compelling stories with plots that grab. And they need characters with flesh and blood who feel as if they are sitting beside them. To accomplish this, I send the 1st iteration of my manuscript to four readers. I look for plot coherence, character development, and consistency, not editing. Their feedback sometimes require extensive rewrites but the finished product is always far better because of their input.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
Reviewers to date tell me that they find Esther’s story compelling. Several have said that one of their favorite characters is Queen Atossa, the mother of King Xerxes. They also enjoy the story of the Achaemenid Empire and the mix of history with fiction.
Lead the Way, Hanuman written by Tisha is a storybook for both Children and adults. This book introduces hindu God Hanuman to the readers. Hanuman is the God of Bal, Buddhi and Vidya. He is the son of Kesari Nandan and Anjana Devi. Through this book, readers will get to know more about Hanuman. They will come to know how to worship him, how he met Lord Rama, his best friend, etc.
I loved this story and it is a true story from a Hindu mythology Ramayana. This story has great significance and everyone should know about it.
This book is also for those who are suffering from memory loss. Lord Hanuman is always with us. Illustrations are pretty and made this book more interesting to read. Tisha has done a wonderful job in telling this famous tale in such simple words for little readers. Parents should add this book to the little readers bookshelf for sure.
“Joey Finds His Jump” is a children’s book by Once Upon A Dance.
Main character of the story is Joey Kangaroo at Funville Zoo. He is very friendly and he fully enjoys it when children visit the zoo. Give a quick read to the story to know what made Joey sad and will he be able to defeat the thing that makes him sad? This book focuses on encouraging children to use their body parts in a different way just like kangaroo Joey.
Little readers should read this book to find out will Joey be able to find his jump? Children will learn that we all have talent inside us but we only need to learn how to use it.
The story is fast paced and exciting. The illustrations tell a story themselves. This book will help readers to express movement. It is a wonderful story that I will surely share with my friends. The book clearly depicts how children can learn the dance moves in a fun and easy way. I like to highly recommend this book to other readers.
Heartless Hette is an intriguing story penned by the author M L Farb. Princess Hette’s father is dying. He has ruled his kingdom without a wife since Hette’s birth. Now, Hette feels that she is powerful enough to rule the kingdom after her father. But until her father’s death, she has to follow him. Hette’s father is making her see suitors.
One of her sorcerers introduced himself as Friedrich. When the Princess refused his offer, the sorcerer threatened her and he stole her heart. Using her heart, he could control her. Princess now has a clockwork heart and she has to take the advice of Konrad, a Court fool to get her heart back. They have to track the stealer.
The story is riveting. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. Cover photo of the book is eye-catching. Writing style of the author is impressive. Pace of the story is fast and I didn’t feel bored anytime while reading it. I appreciate world building. It’s a must read story.
Grace, Grit & Gratitude is the memoir of Tara Coyote. When Tara was 22 years old, she became a single mom. When her son Willow was fourteen years old, she met Tom. Within two years, Tom and Tara got married. Tom was a father of two kids already. Tara wanted to have her own child with Tom. But after being five years into the relationship, when she heard from Tom that he didn’t ever want to have a child of theirs, Tara’s world shattered. It was at that time, she came in touch with the horses. On the trip to Bali, Indonesia, Tara found her answer to be with horses.
Years ago, Tara had a friend Debbie with whom she vibed well. Tara and Debbie grew up together and had many experiences together. When Debbie was forty four years old, she was diagnosed with blood cancer. She could live only for forty six years on this Earth. Debbie’s death taught Tara to let go of the ones who are no more as it is true love. After Deb’s death Tara’s world fell apart.
Read her story to find out what all happens in Tara’s life. How the healing power of horses made a difference in her life. The story is worth reading. It’s an insightful read with many valuable lessons. I am grateful to Tara for sharing her story with us. Cover photo of the book is eye-catching and suitable according to the story. It’s a book worth reading.
Utah is the debut novel of the author Levi Rogers. This book will introduce readers to the most misunderstood state Utah. Lee, Becca and Analise are a small family that lives in Logan, Utah. There’s a level-two evacuation meaning be packed and ready to go at the moment’s notice. There is a danger of wildfire. Becca is too tired from the marriage and especially motherhood responsibilities that she thought a destruction of the planet is better than marriage or motherhood. They moved towards Salt Lake City and on the way they remembered about the past events from their life: the unexpected pregnancy, death of Becca’s father, etc.
This book gave me much information about the state of Utah. It also made me realise that being a parent is not that easy. Pace of the story is slow at times. Writing style of the author is nice. Cover photo could have been more creative. Language used in the book is lucid and I was easily able to follow the story. It’s a book worth reading. Go ahead with it.
“What Lurks in the Shadows” penned by the author S.C. Shannon is the debut novel of the author. Story features a Twenty years old girl named Grace. She lives with her parents and older brother in Los Angeles. Power outages have become common these days. People started looting and rioting in the streets. Grace’s family left Los Angeles so they can be safe. After a few hours drive, they reached a small town just outside of Lake Tahoe.
There was an old family cabin, hidden deep in the woods. Grace and her family learnt some survival techniques. They became new people and had lost many closed ones. Their life was normal for 226 days but on day 227, the monsters came. Grace was left alone to survive. She lost her family and started having nightmares. Her notebook is her companion to share her feelings. Will Grace ever be able to live a normal life again? Will she be able to defeat the monsters?
Cover photo of the book is well designed. The title of the book couldn’t have been better. The story is well paced. It hooked my attention from the first page itself. The author has created an interesting world in the story. It would be amazing to see a movie based on this story. Those who love to read stories involving mystery, horror, suspense, etc should pick this book.
The Morning Star Entanglement is the debut book of the authors Ebonie Wayne. Main character of the story is Feyisayo. Feyisayo and her little sister Tutu didn’t have memories of their father. Whenever they asked their mother about their father, they didn’t receive proper answers. Both Fey and Tutu are home for a summer break. Tutu saw on old luggage in the attic. On opening it, she found letters from her father addressed to Fey and her.
When Tutu told Fey about this, Fey got frustrated thinking why her mom was lying all the time and why she didn’t want them to meet their father. On confronting her mom, Fey discovered more about it. She is now determined to track her father. She moved to Munich for a study-abroad semester at TMU. There she met a guy Iben with whom she fell in love. Read this intriguing story to find out what happens next in the story.
Cover photo of the book looks nice. The plot of the story is interesting. Writing style of the authors is nice. I enjoyed every bit of this story. The authors have done a great job in their debut book and I am highly impressed. One shouldn’t miss to read this story. It’s worth reading one.
Scarab in the Storm penned by the author Lauren Lee Merewether is the third installment in The Lost Pharaoh Chronicles. This book will take readers to ancient Egypt. Tutankhamun is a king of the nation that is being divided and conspiracy runs in it. There is political tension too. Tutankhamun is determined to put his nation back but since people are betraying, he doesn’t know whom he could trust. Meanwhile, his wife Ankhesenamun felt that their lives were in danger. There is a dangerous storm from which the King and the Queen have to come out victorious. But will they be successful?
Glossary at the beginning of the book is helpful for sure. The world building is interesting. Descriptions are written well and that makes the reading pace smooth. I appreciate the author’s vast historical knowledge in writing this book. The story is full of drama, history and action. Historical lovers would enjoy it. Length of the book is more so I took some time to finish it. Writing style of Lauren is unique and impressive.
True Historical fiction fans couldn’t afford to miss reading this novel.
Sassy Reviews 