P. Wish Rants and Reviews

So far, interesting. 

Things a mother discovers is a hilarious anecdote of the author's experiences as a mother. The book contains some valuable information about the types of pregnant women, types of mothers, tips for eating out with children, top ten pros and cons of being pregnant and the changes that a woman goes through (physically and emotionally) when she becomes a mother. I loved the author's style of writing. I had many laugh out loud moments.

I am not a mother but many of the people around me are. I've also had to do my fair share of babysitting my relatives' kids. The book was very relatable and helped me understand the frustrations of mothers better. I primarily downloaded the book because it was supposed to be funny. The book delivers what it promises in the blurb. The writing style is fluid and sparkles with enthusiasm and humour. The author's sarcastic tone and unique take on the subject also make for an enjoyable read. I'm sure I'll be referring to this book the next time my friend's children annoy me.

The book also contains the first chapter of the author's upcoming chick lit novel. Overall, the book delivered what it promised. It is a realistic and funny take on motherhood.

A must read for all to-be parents, curious ones and those that would love a well written, funny take on motherhood.

(Note: I downloaded a free copy of the book from Story Cartel. This has not affected my review in any way.)

(Disclaimer: I got a copy of this book from Story Cartel. This has not influenced my review in any way.)

I first came across this book on Jessica's blog on Booklikes. Being an amateur illustrator myself, I was immediately hooked to the bright and colourful illustrations. I watched the narration of the book on youtube and loved it. I later got an opportunity to read the book on Story Cartel.

On top of a hill there's a Billy is a simple, sweet and endearing tale of Billy. Seth manages to give Billy a distinct character in just 34 pages. His single tooth, his wackiness, clumsiness and his orange beard stuck to my memory. Though I can't classify Billy (a gnome? caveman? yeti?) he manages to be a strong central character.

A sense of freedom and inquiry underlie the book. The illustrations were bold, vivid and appropriate for the target audience. I give them a 5/5. Considering the age group, the book was well written. The production (of video and the book) is professional. I liked the whole package.

Overall, this book is a very good addition to the children's bookshelf. I enjoyed it immensely as an adult and I'm sure children will love the bright, colourful illustrations and simple storyline too. Looking forward to more books from Seth.

I am a big fan of Guy Kawasaki's works. I must confess that I've read all of this books. I still remember reading Art of the Start seven years ago. His books are full of self deprecating humour, practical advice and the essential reality check. I read this one almost three weeks ago. The art of social media is a very short book compared to most of his other works. It is also heavy on images and easy on the text. However, don't let that fool you. This book is packed with information. I finished reading the book within an hour and was stunned at the amount of learning I did within that hour. Guy packs a punch with this little book. Because the book has so many images, links and headings, it is easy to read and digest. There chapters are very well structured and full of headings and sub-headings. The only complaint I have is that he throws in a lot of self promotion.  I have been visiting Alltop almost everyday since finishing this book. I guess the promotion worked. 

Guy breaks down the art of social media for the newbie. Since I am new to social media, the book helped me immensely. I bought the hard copy but I think the ebook would've been more beneficial since the book is packed with links. The book is organised into sections. The second last chapter detailing specific strategies for each social media platform (Facebook, G+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest etc.) was very useful. The last chapter contains a basic plan to promote your upcoming book on social media. As a writer, I found that really helpful. I enjoyed the fact that the book was very action oriented. You appreciate the book more once you begin putting the tips into practice. 

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to make the most of social media. I am glad I read this book. It is the best introduction to social media marketing. I urge you to give this book a try. 

I am back with another anecdote this week. I am discussing the inspiration behind 'Undo' the second chapter of Into the Light today. 
​

UNDO

I don’t know what to say about this one. The tag line gives it all away. Undo is a modern science fiction short story about a website that can ‘undo’ your mistakes. I have always been fascinated by horror/ science fiction stories set in the an urban location. I contrived the premise and wrote the first part of the story almost five years ago. Ever since, it has been lying around on my hard drive, waiting to be revived. 


When I started ‘Short Story Wednesdays’, I needed a new idea every week. While searching through my old hard drive, I came across this. I always liked the idea but was too lazy to write it. I wanted it to be a novel originally but converted it into a short story instead. Undo explores the themes of technology, loneliness, agoraphobia, rejection and fear. 


I have always had great empathy for the topic of loneliness. At some point in life, I too was agoraphobic. Of all the characters in the book, Dan is the one I can relate to the most. This story isn’t as dark as it sounds. It contains a minor theme of unrequited love. That part of the story is inspired by the famous Radiohead song ‘Creep’. I love that song. I fell in love with it the first time I heard it. If you haven’t heard it yet, give it a listen. 


Undo is perhaps one of the best examples of the book's theme. This story fits extremely well with the ongoing developments in ‘internet of things’. It almost makes you wish you had a website like that. 

You can find the link for the short story trailer of Undo on my youtube channel. I hope this post helps you appreciate the short story better. 

I will see you again soon with another anecdote.  Follow ‘The Story behind stories’ series on my blog or through my social media. If you want to support me, click on the link below to purchase ‘Into the Light’, my debut short story collection that contains ‘Undo’ and eight other stories. I am currently running a giveaway for Into the Light on Goodreads and Booklikes so you can register to win a copy of the book. 

- P. Wish 


Amazon Kindle: 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015QEPPBS 

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/580805 
Lulu Store (Paperback): http://www.lulu.com/shop/p-wish/into-the-light/paperback/product-22390299.html 


iBooks:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-the-light/id1044913497?mt=11

Createspace Store:
https://www.createspace.com/5789670 

Veronica: Official Trailer 

Amazon Kindle Store (US): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015QEPPBS 

Smashwords store link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/580805 

Lulu Store (Paperback): http://www.lulu.com/shop/p-wish/into-the-light/paperback/product-22377956.html#productDetails 

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-the-light/id1044913497?mt=11

I am doing a new series detailing the themes, sources of inspiration and reasons behind each story in my new book 'Into the Light'. The first one in the series is Veronica.



Veronica is one of the most intriguing stories in ‘Into the Light’. It was also the first story I serialised on my blog. Veronica represents one of my early attempts at science fiction. The name Veronica is inspired by the Archie’s character (kinda obvious). I always thought that name had a mysterious vibe to it. This word accurately describes the story. 

I originally wrote Veronica as a short script. However, it contained too much dialogue so, I wrote a short story about it. Veronica, the central character of this story represents one of my favourite themes- individuality. This theme was prominent in my debut picture book, My Life in 3 Colours. Veronica’s existence draws attention to this theme. 

Veronica deals with memories and technology. Compared to the other stories in the book, Veronica has more philosophical depth (or that’s what I feel). Veronica was written from a philosophical point of view. I remember reading quite a few books about psychology around that time. 
Veronica was also one of those stories that made me fall in love with writing and reading science fiction. Initially, I thought that science fiction was filled with depressing worlds, last survivors, dystopias and technology that wreaked havoc. However, writing this story helped me appreciate the importance of technology in our lives. 

I hope you give Veronica a chance to change your mind too. The trailer for Veronica is available on my youtube channel. The story is Chapter 1 of my short story collection ‘Into the Light’ releasing 28th October, 2015. 

Thank you for reading through this post. I will see you again with another anecdote soon. Follow ‘The Story behind stories’ series on my blog or through my social media. If you want to support me, click on the link below to purchase ‘Into the Light’, my debut short story collection that contains ‘Veronica and eight other stories. 

Pre-order links 

Amazon Kindle Store (US):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015QEPPBS 

Smashwords store link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/580805 

Lulu Store (Paperback):
 http://www.lulu.com/shop/p-wish/into-the-light/paperback/product-22377956.html#productDetails 

iBooks:
 https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-the-light/id1044913497?mt=11

If you're a writer, you need this book. 

Save the cat! changed my life. Before this book, I never plotted any of my novels. Needless to say, the logic was a mess. 

Save the cat! is aimed at screenplay planning but it works just as well for novels and other stories. The website contains many examples of the 'Beat sheet' method popularised by this book. 

Read it, understand it, use it. You need this in your library. 

This book simplifies writing movie scripts and novels like nothing I've read before. 

Into the Light: Official Trailer

Releasing 28/10/2015

Pre-order links:

Amazon Kindle Store (US): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015QEPPBS 

Smashwords store link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/580805 

ISBN: 9781310171505

Lulu Store (Paperback): http://www.lulu.com/shop/p-wish/into-the-light/paperback/product-22377956.html#productDetails 

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-the-light/id1044913497?mt=11 

I was recommended this book by a friend who is a fan of Judith McNaught. I am so glad I picked it up. Paradise is a contemporary romance. It is the love story between Matt, a successful entrepreneur who has made it to the top from the bottom and Meredith, the daughter of a businessman who has a painful past with Matthew.

It's been almost five years since I read it but it remains one of my favourite contemporary romances. 

The book is quite long at 500+ pages. Don't let that keep you from trying it, though. It is a roller coaster. 

Passionate, Sensual. Thrilling. Contemporary romance at its best. 

If you're new to her works, try this one out. It requires some patience to get though the first half but one you do, the rest is a pleasure. 

Barbara Cartland is one of my favourite romance novelists. Although her books are short compared to modern romance writers, they are just as effective.

Tears of love is one of my favourites. The book is around 200 pages (in tiny print). It tells the story of a secretary who works for a man who she thinks betrayed her father. An unlikely romance develops between them. 

Barbara Cartland captures the politics, society and scenery of Argentina beautifully in this well written book. 

A must read. 

If you're new to her books, you can start with this one. She has written more than 700 books during her long career. 

Official book trailer: My Life in 3 Colours by P. Wish