Only Wheat not white by Varsha Dixit - [Book Review]

Book Details:
Title: Only Wheat not white
Author: Varsha Dixit
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Publisher: Penning Publishing
Source: A free kindle copy that I won from Giveaway by thebookclub

Blurb:
What if following your heart means failing your family? Eila Sood leaves India for the U.S., hoping to unite her family and mend fences with her estranged older sister. She soon learns that her sister's intercultural marriage, which outraged their parents, has hit rock bottom. To help pay the bills, Eila accepts an accounting job at a strip club, working for the fascinating yet infuriating Brett Wright. As their friendship and mutual desire builds, Eila chooses keeping family peace over following her heart. After Brett misinterprets her fears and accuses Eila of prejudice, his ex-girlfriend steps in to offer solace. Eila realizes that whichever choice she makes will rip her life apart. What will Eila choose? Love of her life or a life ruled by tradition? Fall in love with love, in this steamy saga from a best selling romance author.

My Review:

Plot:
This is the story of Eila, who visits the US for her first job. Though Job was just a reason, she wants to mend fences between her parents and her sister, who married a foreigner and thus rejected by her parents. While Eila starts living with her sister and takes up 2 jobs, she falls in love with handsome Brett. What should she do now? She is in a dilemma. Will her parents accept another inter-cultural marriage? Can she reunite her sister with family if she chooses her love over family preferences? What will happen to her mother who survived a heart stroke due to her sister's decision? With these thoughts in her mind, Did Eila choose her love? 

My Thoughts:
Eila is very realistic. Sweet, stubborn, deep in love, concerned about family and matured. Brett is a fabulous personality. I remembered Mills and Boon's novels :-) Eila's maturity to listen to the problems and help improving others' relationship problems is good. Megan is an epitome of a best friend and Sheela is a perfect protective elder sister who doesn't want her sister to take any wrong decision in her life.  

Since this generation is going beyond borders to study and work, this kind of story is contemporary. The dilemma faced by Eila is also very common for an Indian woman. I liked the narration and characterization. The pace of the novel is medium and I couldn't stop reading the book until I finish it, though it's not a thriller :-) I felt, book cover with a woman in the wedding dress is not very relevant, as the cover seems like a story about marriage or after that. But, the story is about love. The title is very attractive and apt. I enjoyed the romance, of course, it is from one of the best-selling romance authors, so not a surprise :-)

I liked
Characterization and Romance

A few lines from the book that I loved..

I always assumed a place affected people, but that’s not true. People affect people! Di, Steve, Megan and now Brett. So it is not a place but who lives in that place that makes the place what it is, right? Americans make America, Indians make India and not the other way round. Profound! China being the only exception, for it makes everything

 The color of our skin and the language we speak only tells which continent our forefathers belonged to or what kind of ingredients the pantries might be packed with. That’s got nothing to do with the person we are or we might become.

I didn't like much
Didn't like the starting of the book as I felt bored with too much description/ details about the flight and people. I got a feeling that Eila is attracted to Brett and it might not be true love. It might be because Eila is too shy and there is not much conversation between her and Brett.

My Rating: 4/5
I would recommend this to someone who love romance and fiction. 

Purchase Links:




Flipkart

About the Author:

Varsha Dixit is a best selling author of three previously published books. She thinks of herself as a borderline obsessive-compulsive dreamer who thinks deep but writes light. A true ‘feel good’ junkie seeking quick fixes, Varsha loves a good laugh, good book and a good movie, in that order. Currently, she lives in the USA with her husband and daughter. Varsha actively interacts with her readers through her website, Facebook pages of her books and Twitter. She also loves to help as many aspiring writers as she can with tips and insights through her blog (on her website) and social media interactions. Varsha does not read any unpublished work. To know more about Varsha Dixit, please visit her website, www.varshadixit.com.



Until next time,

PS: I have received this book from the author as a gift and this is my honest opinion.
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Killer Pursuit by Jeff Gunhus - Book Spot Light

Here is a thriller in today's book spot light!

Thriller

Date Published: January 18, 2016

When a secret webcam is found in the Georgetown bedroom of a murdered high-society call girl, everyone in Washington, DC wants the recording...especially the killer. 

After a high-society call girl is brutally murdered in her Georgetown home, investigators find two cameras hidden in the walls of her bedroom. One has its memory erased, presumably by the murderer. The second is a webcam with an encrypted connection...and no-one knows who's on the other end. Whoever has the recordings has embarrassing leverage against some of the most powerful men in DC, not to mention a video of the murder showing the identity of the killer.

FBI Special Agent Allison McNeil is asked by beleaguered FBI Director Clarence Mason to run an off-the-record investigation of the murder because of the murder's similarity to a case she worked a year earlier. Allison knows the most direct path to apprehending the killer is to find the videos, but rumors that the victim's client list may include some of Washington's most powerful men makes her doubt the director's motives. As she starts her investigation, she quickly discovers that she's not the only one pursuing the recording...but that the most aggressive person racing against her might be the murderer himself.

About the Author

Jeff Gunhus is the author thriller and horror novels for adults and the middle grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His books for adults have reached the Top 100 on Amazon and have been Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalists.

After his experience with his son, he is passionate about helping parents reach young reluctant readers and is active in child literacy issues. As a father of five, he leads an active lifestyle in Maryland with his wife Nicole by trying to constantly keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel.

Contact Links

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Until next time,

Grannie, Grandpa, and Me! by Julia - [Book Review]

Book Details:

Title: Grannie, Grandpa, and Me!
Author: Julia A Royston
Illustrations by : Derrick Thomas
Publisher: BK Royston Publishing (October 28, 2015)
Genre: Children's fiction
No of pages : 48

ISBN-10: 0692548882
ISBN-13: 978-0692548882

Source: A free review copy from the author through bookcrash

Blurb:

Many grandparents, aunts, distant relatives, foster parents and other guardians issued by the state, raising today’s children. Some of these people are long past the retirement age and should be taking cruises, vacations in the summer or moved to warmer climates enjoying their latter years until they are unable to take care of themselves. Instead, they are coming to parent teacher conferences, buying school clothes and shoes, finding tutors for homework that they stopped doing long ago. Walks in the park, visits to the zoo and circus tickets were once a thing of the past, but have resurfaced so that this generation can somehow enjoy being a kid and have a better life. These are the true heroes of our generation. People who are willing to sacrifice their wants, needs and desires to be able to see the next generation survive and hopefully, thrive.

My Review:

This children book is intended to the kids of age 3 to 6 years. The plot is about loving grand parents who raise their grand daughter as a responsible adult. The story covers the different phases of the grand daughter from cradle to her own job and marriage. The moral at the end is simple and beautiful. 


I have kids around 1 and 5 years of age and My 5 year old enjoyed reading the story to him, though it's not easy to understand for a 1 year old. My kid had an opportunity to spend some time with their grand parents and hence he could relate to each and every sentence written in the book. The illustrations by Derrick are very good. My Son enjoyed watching the illustrations to understand the sentences. It made him curious to ask questions on job, school bus, taking care of grand parents etc., He took the moral clearly that we should take care of elderly and shouldn't ignore them. Isn't it cute?

The narration is easy to follow and characters are portrayed in a realistic way to make kids understand. It  is a quick read and took around 10 mins to read out loud and finish, which is good, as kids won't give long attention span. The font is good to eyes. I saw one glitch though. Illustrations for shifting to new job and graduation ceremony are jumbled.

Overall, a very good read. I would recommend this to kids aged 3 to 6 years.

My Rating: 4/5

Purchase Link:
Amazon

About the Author:

Julia A. Royston is an author, publisher speaker, teacher and songwriter residing in Southern Indiana with her husband, Brian K. Royston. To her credit, Julia has written original music for 5 Music CDs, 2 DVDs, authored 20 Books, a contributing author in 3 books. Julia and her husband oversee the operation of BK Royston Publishing, LLC to provide quality, informative, inspirational and entertaining materials in the global market place in all media formats. The non-profit, For the Kingdom Ministries is established to encourage, enlighten and empower people to live the abundant life God promised. By profession, Julia is a certified, technology teacher with the local public school system. For more information visit www.bkroystonpublishing.com, www.juliaroystonenterprises.com or www.juliaroyston.net.

Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Until next time,

Guy on the sidewalk by Bharath Krishna - [Book Review]

Book Details: 

Title: Guy on the sidewalk
Author: Bharath Krishna
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Cinnamon Teal Publishing
No of pages: 315
Source : A free review copy from the author

Blurb:

Who am I, where do I belong and what am I meant for in this short life in this big world?

For Jay, life was a series of defensive detours until he gathered the strength to listen to his inner voice with honesty and decided to take life head on with fearlessness. Making the move from India to America was momentous. He sought to make something of himself, however, his yearning to live in his country and among his people never ceased to bother him. Over six years, despite the luxury of opportunities in the United States, he wondered, is this all there is? He left home to create a better life, but he could have never imagined that though his better life might be found in America, his best life might just be at home, in India.

My Review:

Guy on the sidewalk is a debut novel by Bharath Krishna. The plot is about the protagonist Jay, who leaves to US for higher studies in management, gets stuck there for a few years struggling to settle and get a stable source of income and returns back to India as his soul craves for his home, family, friends and his country India.

The book cover is appealing and made me start reading this book. It might be a coincidence that I got to read the book when I am travelling to US. This book humorously depicts the differences between India and US, the perspective of NRIs, why most Indians choose to stay permanently in US etc., Many points discussed are valid. I feel, this book is more helpful to students who fly to US with big dreams. Basically, it is kind of a journal of Jay who leaves his stable job in India, joins a college for a specialization in management stream in Texas. As he couldn't get a job while studying, he goes on debts and is forced to move to IT (which was/is a trending market to earn) and enroll in different fake colleges just to keep his immigration status legal. And then his problems continue till he gets a job as a Business Analyst and clears all his debts. Though many of his close friends don't approve his decision to move back to India after settling down in US for a few years, the remaining story is about his calling for India and his reasoning behind this move.

Characterization is simple and good. Especially, Jay, Siri and Venkat remain in our hearts. The strong personality of Siri and her wonderful relationship with Jay easily impresses us. 

Now, about something which I am not really convinced about - Jay's decision on leaving back to India. Taking care of elderly parents, not missing fun with family and friends and being there at a comfortable place are good, but  it would have been great if author has revealed some more info about Jay's future plans. Pace of the novel is fine, but I felt bored at some point and wanted to flip pages in the middle. Since we know initially itself that Jay will return to India, there is no suspense.

Overall it's a good read with strong characterization. I would recommend this light read to students who plan to fly to US for higher studies or anyone who want to work in US.

My Rating: 3/5

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Guy on the Sidewalk - A Novel

DogearsETC

About the Author:

Bharath Krishna’s debut novel, Guy on the Sidewalk, is a reflection of his passion for writing woven through his life like the golden thread of a rare tapestry. As a child, his flair for writing was ever present, but it wasn’t until he started blogging on topics close to his heart that his talent was fully realized and appreciated, which ultimately led to his novel.

Bharath’s resume reads like a kaleidoscope of sorts—a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, double master’s degree in management, and years of professional experience in marketing, teaching and IT in India and the United States. To know more about and connect with Bharath Krishna, visit www.BharathKrishna.org.

Until next time,

Ps: I have received a review copy form the author for an honest review and this is my unbiased opinion.

Surpanakha by Hariharan Iyer - Character deep dive

This is the first time that I am publishing a deep dive on the character Sesha from the novel Surpanakha by Hariharan Iyer. Read more to know about Sesha.

About the Book:

Educated, young, no-nonsense bearing, able administrator—these are the qualities that won Sesha the loyalties of the people after three years of rule as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. An allegation that he was the mastermind behind the murder of 73 Kannadigas threatens to bring him down but he is miraculously saved in the 11th hour.
Even before he can relish his victory, Sesha is slapped with the charge of sexually offending a young nurse. This time round, the case is strong and his supporters are uncertain. Worse, his teenage daughter calls him 'vile' and walks out of the house. While Mythili, his wife promises her full support, her secretive activities—undertaken with the help of a retired cop—is a cause of concern for Sesha.
Will Zarina, the human-rights activist, succeed in bringing him down? What about the insinuations of a celebrity lawyer that he is casteist and antiminorities? When the young nurse is found dead, the case becomes even more complex. Who is innocent? Who is guilty? And who is the mastermind?

Buy Links:

Links for downloading e-books: Amazon India | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Links for ordering paperbacks: Amazon India | Flipkart

About the Author:

HariharanIyer is a finance professional based in Dar es Salaam. Not content with just a rewarding corporate job, he took to writing a couple of years back. He blogged on media and current affairs for a year at valadyviews.blogspot.com before hitting on the idea for this novel.An idea so powerful that it convinced the accountant in him that he could put together not just a balance sheet but an intriguing political thriller as well. He has definite views on politics, NGOs and media ethics and has tried to package them in the form of an interesting novel.

Hariharan lives with his wife in Dar es Salaam while his two sons are pursuing their ambitions in India.

Contact Hariharan:

Facebook | Twitter | Blog

SESHA

Mergers, acquisitions, valuation, EBIDTA-multiple—these were the words in his vocabulary till he met Ramanamurthy, the ailing Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu atSloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York in 2007. A meeting that would change the course of his life from that of a successful investment banker to the most controversial Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

When Ramanamurthy offered him the job of an advisor, no one took offence. When he inducted Sesha in his cabinet, there were a few murmurs. But when he chose Sesha as his successor, all hell broke loose.

There was a silent revolt against him in the party. He was not in the race at all. He had all the disqualifications: Brahmin; no political experience; no support from the party; too young.

Media too did not take his entry lightly.For them, he was an outsider.To make matters worse, he did not even make an attempt to befriend them. He did not throw lavish late night parties nor did he shower state courtesies on them. He was very different from the Dravidian politicians the media had been used to. He was too young compared to all his predecessors; he wore smart casuals instead of the typical white full-sleeved shirt and dhoti that were the trademark of Tamil Nadu politicians; he was not an atheist with a particular dislike only for Hindu Gods as had become fashionable among Dravidian politicians. As a result, the more charitable among the journalists felt he was indifferent while others concluded that he was downright arrogant.

But then the people of Tamil Nadu did not have any preconceptions. They judged him by his achievements. And he had no dearth of achievements—better roads, 24x7 power, water for every village, improved health facilities…

Soon he becomesthe darling of the masses.And continues to be so. Till the Cauvery water dispute blows up.

Karnataka defies a court verdict and stops releasing water. His wife Mythili meets with a serious accident and undergoes a major surgery when mindless retaliatory violence in Chennai leaves 73 Kannadigas working in a chain of Udupi restaurants dead.

Zarina, who was a witness to the killing of a group of Kannadigas, charges him with complicity in the massacre. After a protracted legal battle, the court declares him innocent. But before he could heave a sigh of relief…

A sexual harassment charge surfaces.

A nurse who took care of Mythili two years ago alleges molestation by Sesha. Zarina fights her case. Media teams up with her. His own supporters desert him. The chorus for his resignation gets louder. Evidence against him piles up.

He is isolated.

Will he ever be able to prove his innocence? Who is with him this time?

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 Until next time,

My Gratitude List - March 2016

I am back again after around 10 days gap to real blogging :-) Here is the foremost reason to show gratitude, what say?

1. A big shift
An important life decision and moving to a new place in another country. This decision has been pending from around 6 months and God has given courage to take a right step. I hope, everything goes well. So, it's time to thank God for this major change. 

2. A not so intimidating 25 hrs travel with kids
I have been planning, thinking, re-planning for this travel from 2 weeks so that everything goes right. Checking about the baby food that I can carry on long flights, taking care of baggage which should be light but include all basic necessities for kids, various options to get help in transits, jet lag, setting up new home with basic amenities etc., The list is long. I am very grateful that this transit happened with less discomforts.

3. Weather change
I am grateful to the nice weather that welcomed us in the new place. It drizzled for the first few days and we enjoyed it. I know, weather will not be this friendly in future, but at least it didn't show its' dark side on the first week itself :-)

4. My new phone Samsung Galaxy S6
Ok, it's not secret anymore. I love a phone with good camera and more battery life. Very basic needs, right? Got my new phone 2 weeks back, I was busy and couldnt check all the features yet. But, I loved the camera. See this pic taken from flight :-)

#ArcticZero

5. More family time
I have experienced the joyous moments in my life this month. Though feeding my 1 year old is a very difficult task, I enjoyed everything else :p

So, that's a quick list for this month. Linking this to #GratitudeCircle hosted by Vidya Sury.  
Showing gratitude brings more happiness to our lives. Join the circle and spread positivity :-)

Until next time,

Image courtesy: From google images marked for non commercial reuse.

Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker by D E Haggerty - Pre-Release Blitz

Cozy Mystery

Date Published: April 11, 2016

A cozy mystery with a heap of laughs, a generous portion of romance, and just a smidgeon of suspense.

Callie’s life is rather awesome. She owns a successful bakery and teaches German literature at the local university. There’s just one tiny problem. She has no self-confidence when it comes to her body. And then there’s the little matter of her being accused of murdering her pole dancing instructor. There’s no way Callie’s going to risk losing her teaching position and thus she embarks, with her best baker bud Anna, on a journey to discover the real killer. Between stripper auditions and a detective who insists Callie is the woman of his dreams, it’s a roller coast adventure. Cupcakes not included.

EXCERPT

I take a deep breath and walk into the club. It’s dark and smoky. No surprise there. The floors are covered in shag carpeting, the walls are painted a red so deep it looks black, and the chairs are red velour. Is strip club a euphemism for whore house? To the right is a shiny, black bar. Straight ahead is a stage in an M-shape with three stripper poles. Of course there are stripper poles. Dolly worked here after all.

“You next?” A man shouts, and I nearly jump out of my shoes. I look to my left to see two men in shiny suits sitting at a table in the middle of the room. “Come on, doll, are you the next dancer?”

“Dancer?”

The man rolls his eyes and talks to the man next to him. “Not the brightest one of the bunch is she?” He turns back to me. “Come on, sweetheart.” He looks me up and down, and I feel the sudden need to shower with bleach. “You’ve got the body for it. Show us what you can do.”

I’ve got the body for it? Have we landed on planet opposite? I’m still trying to figure out how to respond when Anna grabs my hand. “Where are the dressing rooms? She needs to change.”

The man points to a door on the right side of the stage behind the bar. “Hurry up. We ain’t got all day!”

Anna pulls me to the door. I stumble behind her unsure if I should follow her or get the heck out of Dodge. She pushes through the door and looks around before spotting a room filled with racks of clothing. She lets my hand go and starts pawing through the outfits.

“Anna, stop!” I say when my brain finally catches up. “I can’t go up there and dance. Let’s just get out of here and come back another time.”

I don’t even get a chance to stand up from the chair before Anna’s on me. Her tiny body boxes me in the chair. “I don’t want to hear it! You heard the man. You’ve got the perfect body for this because you’re… let’s say it together… sexy!” She turns back to the rack of clothes. “Besides, while you’re up there doing your thing, I can snoop around.” She pulls out an outfit and hands it to me.

I don’t have a choice but to take the hanger as she shoves it in my hand. There’s not enough fabric here. She’s got to be kidding me. “I can’t wear this,” I protest.

Anna’s having none of it. “You will wear it, and you will go up on that stage and totally rock! In the meantime, I’ll be doing some investigating so we can save your job. You know the one that you spent the last 10 years studying and preparing for?”

I want to scream and shout and fight her, but I don’t really see what other option we have. I suppose we can sneak out the back door, but then we’d have to come back at some point as this is our only lead. Mr. Creepy #1 and Mr. Creepy #2 might not recognize me – a chubby girl with boring brown hair. But a tiny pixie with bright pink hair? I shake my head and put on the darn outfit.

About the Author

I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on from my mom's Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn't flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although I did manage every once in a while to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. Another job change, this time from lawyer to B&B owner and I was again fed up and ready to scream I quit, which is incredibly difficult when you own the business. Thus, I shut the B&B during the week and in the off-season and started writing. Several books later I find myself in Istanbul writing full-time.

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Wealth and Privilege by Jeanette Watts - Guest Post

Hello all..

Let me introduce you to Jeanette, the author of Wealth and Privilege today. Jeanette is a dance instructor, a costumer and a writer. Here is her guest post on dos and dont's of writing.

Historic Fiction

2013 / 2015

Blurb

Boy meets girl, falls in love at first sight. Oops, she's already married. Bad planning. She becomes a friend and a muse, helps him find his voice. He knows that no one gets to capture their own muse, but he can dream, can't he...?

About the Author

Jeanette Watts is a dance instructor and performer of many different kinds of dance, a costumer, a former television producer, and a big softie who can't learn to say no when people need help with their festivals. It makes it really difficult for her to get time to write.

Website: www.JeanetteWatts.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.watts.94

Twitter: @JeanetteAWatts    

Purchase Links

Amazon: Wealth and Privilege: https://www.createspace.com/4352661

Brains and Beauty: https://www.createspace.com/5865403

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wealth-and-privilege-jeanette-watts/1115581019?ean=9781490934518

Guest Post:

Do's and Don'ts of Writing

1.) Do make writing a priority. It is so easy to let other distractions get the better of you. The phone. The laundry. The dishes. Email. Facebook. There is absolutely no end to the number of things which can take up our time. Problem is, the laundry gets done, but the writing doesn't. You can get your kids or husband to load the dishwasher or throw the laundry in the dryer. But only you can write your book.

2.) Don't forget your friends and family want to help you. I had been working on my novel for years and years (and years...) off and on. I loved my characters, I knew where I was going... but I could never seem to keep any momentum. A dear friend who is not a writer, didn't give any sage advice, or know any publishers ended up being the single most important factor in getting my book done. She faithfully called me every day, and asked me, "Have you worked on your book yet?" Having a "book conscience" made all the difference in the world. I think three days was my maximum tolerance of saying no...because then I had to answer her when she asked, "Why not?"

3.) Don't assume you can proofread and edit your own work. You can't. You've been living with this manuscript intimately for a long time. (Hopefully looking at it every day!) You simply aren't going to see every typo, every missed set of punctuation marks, every "teh" that was supposed to be "the." Get help. There are professional editors out there who will work freelance. If you don't have the money but you know other writers, offer to trade proofreading/editing services.  I personally prefer to have at least six other pairs of eyes going over my manuscript. No one sees everything. Even the professionals! These days, I can't help but notice how many otherwise high-quality magazines will still have a typo sneak through.

4.) Don't let your ego make bad decisions for you. I had a friend, we'll call him Tom, who heard that I'd published a book, and he asked me to proofread his novel for him. I started to... but every page was covered in missing punctuation, grammar mismatches, incomplete sentences. It was obviously a former screenplay he wanted to turn into a novel. "Cut to director and producer. Pan across audience" are not the words of a best selling author. But when I told him that his manuscript wasn't even ready to be proofread, much less ready for print, he got offended - and went to print with it. Good writing is about more than having a big ego.

5.) Don't lose patience.  Writing is a craft. It is an art form. Beautiful things take time. Michelangelo's sculptures were not created in an afternoon. Neither were DaVinci's paintings. It took 182 years to build Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. You are going to put one word after another, then scribble them out, then write different words. Your characters are going to defy your wishes and expectations and outlines.

6.) Don't censor yourself.  I got the most surprising advice from a college English professor. When someone in class told him I was having trouble saying what they wanted, he told us, "when your brain keeps stopping you, and you start second guessing yourself and you can't seem to get anywhere, that's your internal censor. Give him a shot and a beer and tell him to go to sleep for awhile." I couldn't believe our professor was telling his students to drink!  Only in Wisconsin... But his real point was that, if you edit while you're writing, you'll never get anything written down. Spill all the words out onto the page, and then organize and delete and replace and supplement later.

5.) Do keep calm and carry on. Expect a lot of rejection. Believe in yourself, and believe in your work, and the people who helped you craft your book into the best shape you could make it. In today's publishing environment, Dr. Seuss wouldn't be able to get a publisher, and would be striking out on his own.

6.) Don't expect everyone to love your book. You are going to get good reviews, you are going to get bad reviews, you are going to get middling reviews. Listen and learn from all of them. That is, unless you never plan on writing again.

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Until next time,