Author Interview with Almas Akhtar

ULM: You mentioned that Miseries, Illusions and Hope is your second book. What was your first book? 

My first book was A very Resilient Amreeki Dream...a short story.

 
ULM: What led you to writing short stories? 

I like reading and writing about real life characters. I have a huge collection of autobiographies. I believe everyone is unique everyone has a story.

Write about social issues and about an immigrant’s perspective.

 

 

ULM: How many blogs do you have and where can readers find them?

My blogs are on Facebook by the name Tuesday Talk, Tuesday talk by Almas A.

I have written in Express Tribune, Oakland Press, and Muslim Observer Newspapers.

  

 

ULM: Since, you mentioned blogs, how long have you been blogging? Any advice for those just starting?

9 years

Put your message out.

Write your story.

 

  

ULM: Your four grandparents were immigrants. What were they like? Where did the migrate from?

They migrated to Pakistan from India.

Started their lives from scratch in their new homes.

Worked extremely hard.

Raised well-educated, honest and hardworking children and grandchildren.

 

 

ULM: Did your grandparents and your own journey as an immigrant inspire Miseries, Illusions and Hope?

I migrated to USA from Karachi, Pakistan.

 

  

ULM: Using only three words, how would you describe your writing style? 

Compassionate

Perception

Philosophic
 

ULM: Do you have any other books coming out soon? 

Yes, in spring 2018.

16000 words Novella

“A bestest story”

 

Fiction set in the 1970s of Karachi

True love defies the odds.

 

 

ULM: Where can readers find you and your books?

Amazon

Facebook

Twitter

 

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Review: White Wine and Medical Marijuana

Synopsis:

White Wine & Medical Marijuana is a book of poetry that explores themes such as femininity, sexuality, weakness, strength, addiction, power, and profanity. It analyzes these themes, while keeping the language casual, simple, and accessible to all readers. Enjoy the power struggle between self criticism and self love, the raw life observations, and the relentless scrutinization of everyday life.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

White Wine and Medical Marijuana is a collection of poetry that is easy to read. I got lost within the poet’s words. Words that had me turning the pages quickly. Each poem had a different take. Themes varied as I progressed through the book. Beautifully written and fascinating to follow. Julia Cirignano is a talented poet. Anyone who read this book will clearly see that. Enjoyable, deep, and bold. I recommend White Wine and Medical Marijuana to readers everywhere. 

Review: Train to the Edges of the Moon

Synopsis:

Punk is no ordinary millennial who takes the life as it is. She has a nasty habit of getting in troubles, she shows the middle finger to prejudice and stupidity, she fights against her broken identity and darkness of her soul. She goes against the stream with her heavy, tight shoes, but she still tries to be a better person. Punk’s adventurous journey to become someone who matters starts in a Place Without a Name, continues in Italy and London. Her train is full of sad reflections, laughs, modern tales about our young lives, relationships and occasional heartbreaks. If you’re a misfit, depressed, lonely or tired of people telling you what to do join Punk’s wild side of the moon. It all may seem out of this world, but it is very real. 

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Train to the Edge of the Moon by Asper Blurry is an interesting contemporary tale. One that spins readers deep into a millennial’s journey. Deep, dark, and emotional. Mental illness and the fight to survive is a common theme seems inside this book. Asper Blurry created a refreshing story. Many readers like myself can relate to the main character’s battle. To be understood, accepted, and happy. Life isn’t that easy nor neat. Humans are greatly flawed. Punk is a troubled teen whose life is anything but nice. Punk has many flaws which were expected. Believable and realistic. Train to the Edge of the Moon is a thrilling and raw. Readers will see the openness of the writer as they flip through every page. The writing by Asper Blurry is very bold. I enjoyed reading this novel. 

Review: More than a Slave

Synopsis:

Alexander Anderson has a reputation that would strike fear into the heart of the devil himself. And now, Aria Starbird is his property.

Aria has spent only a few months as a lowly slave, but already her happy childhood memories were starting to fade under the weight of her brutal existence.

When she is sold to Lord Anderson at an auction, she cannot help but be afraid. Lord Anderson is known for his cruelty. He is fiendish and handsome and as wicked as he is wealthy.

However, as she gets to know her new master, she realizes there is more to him than meets the eye. Over time, she is able to penetrate his tough exterior, and begins to understand the struggle of a man who believes love is a weakness, but whose heart is now yearning for something unknown.

As the two let down their walls and discover each other’s truths, will Aria be able to tame Alexander’s inner-beast?

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

More than a Slave by Anaelle Gadeyne is the darkest yet most intensifying read ever. The Hunger Games has nothing compared to this book. This was dark, horrifying, and emotional. So many issues brought up in a clever way. I was intrigued and chilled at the same time. Aria is a young woman who sacrificed herself as a slave to help her parents. They were barely living and no food, no money, and their home would be lost forever. But the moment Aria is a slave her life changes forever. Aria won’t experience happiness for a long time. Seven months of torture by a cruel man. Then she suffers cruel punishment from in public. But her bravery and strength surprises a lord watching it all. Alexander has been know to be feared by all. He kills without mercy. However, seeing Aria…he admires and likes what he sees in her. Fiery, bold, and strong. Not to mention beautiful. Aria sees Alexander Anderson and likes him too. But knowing he’s a monster has her slightly off…soon, fate will bring them both together and each one will change the other’s life around completely. More than a Slave brings up the cruelty shown to human beings. How those who are rich treat those who are below them as well as how and what slaves endured. I was amazed by the emotional force that hit me while reading this novel. I felt sad, angry, and happy. Eventually good does win…Anaelle Gadeyne has a talent for showing readers the ugliness of what occurs in life as well as the beauty of it. Overall, I highly recommend More than a Slave to readers worldwide. 

Review: Reaper’s Claim

Synopsis:

In my motorcycle club I’ve earned the name ‘Reaper’ and now I have my claim on Abby Harrison. 

Reaper:

I didn’t know what love was, but I knew what want was, and I wanted Abby. When I walked out of the club and saw her I was stone cold sober. She was quietly beautiful and unlike any other woman I’d had before. But she was the daughter of the president of Satan’s Sons MC and completely out of my reach.

Abby:

Everyone knew The Reaper and how he got his name, so I never expected him to be my salvation when my sisters drunk boyfriend wanted to lay hands on me. I thought my innocence would be lost in that alley, until he showed up and saved me. I know being with Reaper will lead to trouble, but I don’t know if I have the strength to stay away. 
Being together might be dangerous, but outlaws are meant to break the rules. 

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Reaper’s Claim by Simone Elise is outstanding. It has everything one needs a hot action packed novel. Heat, sexy characters, and an emotional rollercoaster. The family situation is not normal but it works out for Abby and her sister as well as their dad. Being a single parent to raise his kids, he brought them to live in his biker bar. All the bikers know to respect the girls. Abby and her sister are 16-years-old and compete opposites. Abby is the studious good girl type while her sister is outgoing, moving from man to man and sucks at school. All it takes is for one moment outside and Abby meets Reaper, aka Kade. Everyone calls him Reaper. But Abby calls him by his real name. He is the biker son of another biker gang. Yet for some unknown reason fate has spiraled out of control and brought him face-to-face with a blue-eyed angle. Abby. But her age keeps him at bay. However the pull towards her is one he can’t resist. Their attraction and relationship goes up and down…definitely a realistic telling. I felt that the characters were real rather than just fictional. Simone Elise has susprised me with this romantic tale. Hot, raw, and bold. Reaper and Abby are entwined forever. But then something happens and their world falls apart…

Reaper’s Claim is a must read for all. Simone Elise kept me hooked. Every page was engaging. Drama, trouble, and danger…all hanging in the air. Plus, the raw attraction happening with two new couples and the novel takes on an explosive side. I enjoyed reading this book. I can’t wait to read the next book featuring what happens next…the ending was amazing. Overall, I highly recommend this to readers everywhere. 

Review: Tea Planter’s Wife

Synopsis:

#1 International bestselling novel set in 1920s Ceylon, about a young English woman who marries a charming tea plantation owner and widower, only to discover he’s keeping terrible secrets about his past, including what happened to his first wife, that lead to devastating consequences.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies is a captivating read. A historical that sucks readers straight into its world. I was mesmerized by the tale. From the beginning, I liked the main character. A young woman who marries a man and leaves everything behind her. The story weaves an emotional journey that dragged me deeply into it. Frustrating, sad, and mysterious. Dinah Jefferies has woven a book that will hook readers into the life of her novel. A time in history when things were so much simplier yet harder. Marriage life is portrayed as something that is like a rough sea. Both terrifying and rocky. Giving birth to a baby, usually makes a marriage more cemented. Yet, this marriage felt like it was spiraling deeper and further apart. Every page kept me lured. I was so intrigued and wondered what would happen next. A mystery surrounding Lawerence’s first wife creates a hostile and intense environment throughout the tale. Gwen is a female character that all could sympathize with and love. She brings a softness to the tale’s rough edges. Darkness creeps around the couple and holds fast onto the, squeezing out the happiness and only leaving painful memories behind. The Tea Planter’s Wife is bold, engaging, and rich. I loved reading it. This was a historical novel, I won’t be forgetting…the memory of it shall linger in my mind forever. Overall, I recommend this stunning well-written story to all. 

Review: Barren Waters

 

Synopsis:

It happened once before…
It was called the Permian Extinction…
All life in the oceans died…
And now it’s happening again…

Sometimes life ends with a bang. Other times it ends with a slow strangulation. The oceans are extinct. Empty. Stagnant. Only the slow passage of millennia can reverse the effects. But what does that mean for the rest of the planet? What does that mean for those who remain?

Enter the world as it exists in the twenty-second century. Follow Jeremy Colt and his family as they race across the continent to survive. What waits for them in San Diego and why do they need to get there? The clock is ticking. Can they get there fast enough? And if they do, will it even save her?

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Barren Waters by Julia Shupe is an extraordinary dystopian tale. One that contains an acolpyse that will send chills down a reader’s spine. It was absolutely terrorifying to think that one day the world could be like the one pictured in this tale. I realized the importance of survival not just for us humans for the other life living on our planet. Water ecosystems being destroyed is saddening. It is to some scientists belief that all organisms once lived in water before starting out as land creatures. From there creatures and us humans were created.. If life can’t survive in the water what does that mean for all of humanity? Following the characters’ journey to survival was harsh, critical and believable. Julia Shupe created a masterpiece that brings out major issues we need to deal with as well as brining out an entertaining story. Readers will instantly be captivated by this novel. I definitely was hooked. Barren Waters is a deep, thought provoking yet stunning piece of fiction. Overall, I highly recommend to readers worldwide.

Review: One Step Behind

 

 

Synopsis:

London, 1812. When the unconventional Gemma Lancaster embarked on a mission to infiltrate high society and avenge her beloved cousin’s murder she never, would have guessed she’d end up in the arms of a thief. At least, that’s what she assumes when she discovers Lucas Stone breaking into a private safe.

Lucas Stone, the Earl of Winchester, has a reputation for arrogance and a soft-spot for his sister, which is how he ends up in the predicament of hiding behind a curtain at midnight with the dreadfully dull Miss Gemma Lancaster. But he soon discovers appearances can be deceiving when the country mouse turns into a spitfire in front of his eyes and she makes it clear she wants nothing to do with him.

Though one is chasing a blackmailer and the other a murderer, they quickly realize they are on the hunt for the same villain. Now they must work together, which would be fine, if they could decide if they’d rather fall in love or kill one another.

Review:

 

One Step Behind is an enticing read. It lures readers back in time to the regency period. Brianna Labuskes’ historical romance is intense, sexy, and highly entertaining. The quarrel between a red-headed woman and a man highly regarded by the ton, is fun to watch. Their sparring keeps readers on their toes…constantly.  A female heroine strong and not to be distracted until a handsome man captures her attention. Especially, on a night of her clandestine mission. But then he too is on a mission. It’s not until that moment that both find out they share the same need. Plus, a more physical one that develops between them both. Causing both to think of nothing else. It’s quite dangerous to let an attraction disturb one from gaining the truth. There’s a murderer walking around free and both main characters are set to catch him. One Step Behind is an amazing novel. It has everything that baited, lured, and hooked me right into its plot. Fast-paced and bold, Brianna Labuskes’ writing is phenomenal. Overall, I highly recommend this romance to all.

Review: A Tragic Kind of Wonderful

 

Synopsis:

For sixteen-year-old Mel Hannigan, bipolar disorder makes life unpredictable. Her latest struggle is balancing her growing feelings in a new relationship with her instinct to keep everyone at arm’s length. And when a former friend confronts Mel with the truth about the way their relationship ended, deeply buried secrets threaten to come out and upend her shaky equilibrium.

As the walls of Mel’s compartmentalized world crumble, she fears the worst–that her friends will abandon her if they learn the truth about what she’s been hiding. Can Mel bring herself to risk everything to find out?

In A Tragic Kind of Wonderful, Eric Lindstrom, author of the critically acclaimed Not If I See You First, examines the fear that keeps us from exposing our true selves, and the courage it takes to be loved for who we really are.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

A Tragic Kind of Wonderful is one of the best YA tales that I have read. Here, readers will meet a deeply flawed character who has one heck of a journey to find herself. Courage, love, and friendships are easier said than done. When one has a mental disorder such as being bipolar, that brings a lot of insecurity to a teenage girl. Teens go through enough stress and inner turmoil without adding to it. But this, new flaw, will be the disaster or the realization she doesn’t have to be alone anymore. It’s tough keeping people out of one’s circle. Especially, when that said character wants to be around them. Friends can come and go. Who’s to say they will stay if they find out Mel’s deep secret? Then there’s that good guy that every teenage girl wants in her life…David. David is another great character. He struggles with the fact his grandma is being taken care of by others. It puts him in an awkward situation. But his grandma is okay and the girl helping his grandma fascinates him more than anything. But as with all good things, there’s always the deep dark side to that must come with it. Eric Lindstrom takes readers deep into his character’s mind and heart. Feeling and hearing everything through Mel’s eyes. I loved getting to know her and to watch her grow. Facing her struggles is tough but I kept my hopes up…Overall, A Tragic Kind of Wonderful is exactly that. Tragic but wonderful too. I highly recommend this YA story to all.

Review: Eo

 

Synopsis:

“Eo” latin for “go, walk, ride, sail, pass, travel” is N.J native Jennifer Renson’s second book of published poetry. Leave your world behind and go on a journey through time and place.

In “Eo”, we return to post-apocalyptic Georgia where we follow a father and his thoughts about his son while an odd radio transmission is broadcasted. Friends follow a circus, as another returns home to the ideal cottage, and a spectator watches a world of creatures from a window in the clouds. Readers enter the minds of several characters in their own worlds while exploring others. Smell the ocean air, absorb the sun and spend some quality time with the moon.

As a special surprise, the readers get to add their personal touch to the book. Stuck in traffic? Play a little tic-tac-toe. Traveling to somewhere new? Write it down and paste the pictures. Draw the constellations you feel from the plane window. Turn your daydreams into a poem of your own or two.

Whether you travel by plane, train, bus, car, boat, horse, bicycle or foot, you can carry, inspirational and delightful poetry with you. Paperback and lightweight, this poetry book is ideal for all of your travels. Even if you are simply taking some time to yourself, be sure to take Jennifer with you.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Eo by Jennifer Renson is a brilliant collection of well-written poems that automatically lured me deep into her words. Stunning how tiny black words on a page pop off the pages and becomes scenes filled with action, adventure, and emotion. When reading this collection of poetry, I can sense the deep inspiration coming off the pages and being absorbed by me with every flick of a page. Endless beauty, inspiration, and raw talent shine within this book. As a reader, I felt, myself drawn into other places. Every word felt like it was my own…that openness and raw form of writing by a poet is one that can’t be ignored. It beckons and calls me deeper into its heart. Jennifer Renson can take me anywhere and make me feel anything all with the magic of her words.If readers look closely they will recognize Walking Dead themes within the wonderful book.  Eo is not just a book of poetry but packed with a lot of other surprises to keep readers like myself, busy reading. Overall, I highly recommend this title to readers everywhere.

 

Book Review: Deep Fried & Pickled by Paisley Ray

Deep Fried and Pickled is by far the most intriguing and hilarious read that anyone will get their hands on. Paisley Ray has the talent that shines through every page. Her main character, Rachael, is a young woman who strives to go to college away from her parents prying eyes. She hopes to earn her degree in art history, to have fun, and to maybe find a guy worthy for her. But that all of that is soon not her only worries, things are going on at her college, and her dad calls to inform her that her mother has left her dad to pursue a physic calling. Never did Rachel think that her mother would leave her dad to do something so ridiculous. Rachael’s first year away at college proves anything but boring. Besides what else can happen?

Paisley Ray’s debut novel, Deep Friend and Pickled is the best chic lit mystery and romance I have ever read. She keeps you in suspense as to who and what is going on next and then she surprises you. Little does Rachael know that she will get a romance after all and maybe solve a mystery using her art history skills.  I choose this novel, not just because the story sounded interesting but because the genres were something I liked to read. Instantly, I feel in love with Paisley Ray’s stunning yet moving plot and her characters. But most of all, Rachael. Rachael is my new favorite character. I can’t wait to read more by this talented writer and what her next masterpiece entails. A bright and highly entertaining way to start out a new series. Overall, I both recommend this novel to everyone and give it a five out of five stars.

Book Review: Written on her Heart by Paige Rion

Written on her Heart is indeed a fabulous read. The characters are stunning. Their emotions and different lives set them both apart and together. Their lives growing up couldn’t have been more opposite. But their adult life goals are the one and same.  Andi is a female college student living in a small town with her parents. Her dream ever since she was a little girl, was to become an author. Then there is Ford Delaney. A best selling author who comes to her small town to hide away from all the media that has exploded around him. He loves to write but not to be exposed of by everyone. He ends up meeting Andi through an interview process to become his assistant. But, Andi herself is up for more surprises. Upon entering the waiting room, she meets both of her two best friends. One wants to seduce Ford into marrying her because her life is falling apart. The other friend wants to marry Ford so that she can be taken away from her evil stepfather. Ever since she was nine years old he has been abusing her. But with him being a town hero, no one would believe her abuse story. Andi is beyond frustrated that her friends are trying to take away her only chance of becoming an author. She thinks her friends reasons for taking the job away from her are not good enough. And it isn’t until the very end when Andi realizes that her two best friends had major issues that caused them to want to take the job away from Andi.  Then there is the issue of Andi’s boyfriend. Will her job as Ford’s assistant break them apart? And what about her and Ford’s undeniable attraction towards one another? Who will Andi choose? And will Andi be able to keep her friends or will she only lose them all in the end?

This is a very raw emotional romance that takes one’s breath away. So many twist and turns that pop up leaving the reader wondering what Andi will do next. I loved reading this entire novel by Paige Rion. She has a well written plot that will capture her audiences all over the world. Her characters are enticing and addictive to read about. I love the up and downs that Andi experienced throughout the story. The story was realistic, believable, and heart melting. I enjoyed the way Paige Rion captured all the characters pain, sorrow, joy, and all of their quirks. It was refreshing and delightfully entertaining to read. I would definitely recommend this novel to every reader. Written on her Heart is a must read story that everyone will fall in love with over and over again. Overall, I rate this novel a 5 out of 5 stars.