Blog Archives
The Power of Stories
Our Song, Our Voice follows a young golden crow as he embarks on a journey to save his grandmother and preserve his flock’s fading traditions, proving that courage, wisdom, and song can bridge generations. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The main inspiration for this Our Song, Our Voice can be found in the UNESCO Indigenous Languages Decade (2022-2032). When I learned more about the topic on their website, the idea of approaching the issue through nature developed in my mind. After all, human cultures are directly connected to nature and the changes that occur within it. Just as indigenous peoples are affected by the changes caused by the modern world, the ecosystem, with its animals and plants, also undergoes a similar experience.
In my story, golden crows that once inhabited vast areas have become increasingly rare as wilderness areas shrink and diminish. Their customs and songs, which correspond to the cultures and languages of smaller groups of people, are also threatened.
I feel great sympathy for the languages of the people. Small language areas, in particular, are in danger when larger languages encroach upon them. The new unilateral development is gaining momentum from global communication, where a few languages dominate. It is inherently good that the people of the world understand each other as widely as possible and without linguistic barriers. Alongside such development, we should also strive to preserve the languages of smaller regions, peoples, and cultures. This is essential for individuals’ identity.
What role do you believe storytelling plays in preserving cultural traditions in the real world?
The power of stories is eternal. It has undoubtedly been utilized for as long as humans have been able to speak. Even in its simplest and most original form, it has been, after primitive basic skills, the most crucial tool for the survival of the human species and the development of culture. In addition to transmitting knowledge and skills, stories have conveyed all the human experiences and emotions that have fueled the progress of the human species, enabling complex forms of cooperation to arise.
The power and need for stories have not diminished as societies have evolved. They are used everywhere: in education, politics, and marketing; the list is endless. The immense power of storytelling can serve both good and bad purposes. At best, it continues to convey valuable information and emotion, forming the basis for human action. At worst, its messages are deliberately distorted, aimed at manipulating people to serve questionable goals and selfish interests.
In my children’s books, I explore and utilize the possibilities of storytelling for various essential purposes. I aim to convey information about today’s world, including history and traditions, to children in an appropriate manner. I believe this approach helps them gain a better understanding of society and function within it.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
A central underlying theme in this storybook is the changes occurring in nature. The consequences of drastic economic projects for all living beings are often alarming and, at worst, irreversible. Increasing numbers of animal and plant species, as well as entire ecosystems and life forms, are under threat.
However, I believe that changes in nature should not be presented to children in an overly frightening or threatening way. My goal is to instill in them a respect for nature and a sense of responsibility for preserving it, rather than blaming them or projecting overwhelmingly disturbing images of danger.
I want to highlight the significance of cooperation and care between different generations as a vital foundation of humanity. By being deeply connected with people of various ages, we can pass down traditions and transfer knowledge to future generations as part of human interaction. The experiences of our predecessors pave the way for subsequent travelers on the paths of life.
My little protagonist’s name is “SISU,” a Finnish word that reflects an important theme in the story. It means determination, not giving up, and trying hard despite difficulties. It represents a stubborn strength that doesn’t make a big fuss about itself but acts regardless of obstacles. I thought it was a funny name for a little character, but it holds significant meaning and plays a crucial role in the national identity of people from my home country.
How did you develop the deep, heartfelt bond between Sisu and his grandmother, Una?
Relationships between members of different generations have always been meaningful to me. Important individuals older than me have greatly influenced my life.
To describe the special bond between Sisu and her grandmother in the story, I have drawn from moments and conversations I shared with my grandparents, who were part of my life for the longest time. Now, they are just a dear memory.
My grandfather, who lived in northern Finland, was an honest, old-fashioned man. He was skeptical of reforms that changed his world too much or too quickly. One detail in the story particularly relates to him: using tree resin for healing.
I have heard that my grandfather collected resin while walking in the forest and rolled it into a ball to take home. He would cut off pieces as needed and treat wounds or skin lesions with that gift from nature. Today, the disinfectant properties of resin are also recognized in medicine.
The story also reflects the peaceful togetherness I’ve experienced with my grandparents. They made time for me and shared many lessons that I still carry with me on my life journey.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Sisu’s grandmother Una wants to teach him important lessons about life, including the crows’ traditional songs and language. The flock is among the last of their species, and Grandma worries their unique songs and customs will disappear forever.
Then little Sisu takes on a big task, a journey that is not only important to his grandmother but also to the future of all golden crows.”
Strength in Motion : The Next Chapter of Stroke
Strength in Motion, the final installment in Mr. Ang’s enlightening trilogy, delves into the nexus of exercise, physical therapy, and stroke recovery. This insightful book, enriched by contributions from several experts, extends its relevance beyond stroke survivors, advocating for a universally active lifestyle.
Mr. Ang’s narrative is rooted in his personal journey of recuperating from a stroke. He presents himself as a fortunate individual blessed with access to medical facilities, a caring support network, and a community earnestly invested in his recovery. His humility, kindness, and unwavering determination resonate deeply throughout the book, offering inspiration and hope.
A particularly poignant aspect of Strength in Motion is its contrast with the experiences of those who lack such support. This disparity is skillfully highlighted, underscoring the significance of a nurturing environment in the recovery process. Dr. Shamala Thialrajah, among others who have been part of Ang’s journey, provides valuable insights and expertise on the challenges and requirements faced by stroke survivors. The book also serves as a personal reflection for the reviewer, evoking memories of a grandfather who suffered a stroke and the painful realization of the limitations faced without a supportive network. This personal connection adds a layer of emotional depth to the review, bridging the gap between Ang’s experience and the universal challenges of stroke recovery.
Strength in Motion emerges as a significant contribution to our understanding of stroke recovery, symbolizing hope and the potential for renewal even in the face of adversity.
Pages: 159 | ASIN : B0CVVV22MK
Explore Courage and Bravery
The Adventures of Danny the Discus follows a spirited discus fish named Danny, who seeks to understand his new world while navigating the challenges of acceptance and survival in a diverse aquatic community. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My inspiration came from my childhood experiences of being bullied and learning to stand up for what I believe in. At a young age, I went from being bullied at school to growing taller than most children at a young age and protecting those children around me from being bullied themselves. In addition, I am a Discus Fish hobbyist, and I thought it would be great to put my knowledge of the hobby into a children’s book that would also teach kids about the discus fish but also incorporate my country’s culture and moral values.
The artwork in the book was charming. What was the collaboration process like with illustrator Wazim Mohammed?
Well, the collaboration with Johnny Hossain, who was the illustrator was fantastic; he was able to capture what I had in my mind in terms of the storyboards to tell this wonderful story. The communication was excellent with little rework, so it was a joy to work with him.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The main themes in my book look at the spirit of adventure, explore courage and bravery, and have a moral lesson at the end, which I believe is important for children to learn.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book is The Adventures of Danny the Discus Volume 2 – Love of a Mother. It’s available now on Amazon and was published in October 2023. This book was meant as a tribute to all mothers and was inspired by my mother, who I lost in April 2023. Currently working on my third book in the series, which will be available in 2024.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Strong Is…
![Strong Is . . . by [Pulliam, April B.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5103VC10bBL.jpg)
What is strong? According to Merriam-Webster, strong is not mild or weak. But what exactly does that mean? To determine if someone or something is strong you need to look at it in context and compare it to other things that are similar. Strong Is… by April Pulliam and illustrated by Amy Grantham looks at the situation through the eyes of a child. The child is relaying all the ways they have heard the word strong used to describe people and things. Each situation gives a new view on what makes something strong or not. As you go through the book you encounter funny images like a stinky dog or a hungry lion, but then it starts to focus more on people and the images become more serious; a hospital, a distraught mother. It all leads up to the end with a picture of a small child. While the book never says cancer in the story line, it is implied with the imagery and by reading up on the author’s page at the end.
This is a challenging subject and this book is a great way to introduce a young child to what might be going on. Learning that it’s okay and even when you’re little you can be strong in your own way. I think this is a great book for siblings or even a child that may be going through this to read and gain some confidence. It’s an emotional topic that is handled with dignity and simplified for young readers. I recommend this book to anyone that knows someone going through an illness and trying to explain it to a young child.
Pages: 15 | ASIN: B07NKH1FNC
Books are Pure Magic
AJ Wootton Author Interview
Gardening with Guns: A Memoir details the road you traveled from childhood to adulthood. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I have wanted to be a writer since reading my first novel as a child. To me books are pure magic. As my life unfolded it became more and more clear to me that my path was quite different from the norm. I felt that others would find my story interesting and that some who had experienced similar obstacles would draw inspiration from knowing they are not alone.
I appreciated how you didn’t shy away from the dark times in your life and shared them along with the good. What were some important memories you wanted to capture?
My childhood home. I have only fond memories of that house, our yard, and our garden – in spite of the negative things that happened there. I also wanted to capture my beloved grandparents. I often attribute my perseverance to them and their unguarded love for my brothers and me. It was also very important for me to capture the trauma I experienced surrounding my father’s death. In a way it is a tribute to him.
Looking back on you life after you’ve written a memoir, is there anything that you see differently?
If I could sum it up, I would say that all of the fearful and awful memories that loomed large in the back of my mind were greatly diminished and their effect on me neutralized.
I found this book to be ultimately uplifting. What do you hope readers take away from your book?
Just that! I wanted very much to tell the good and bad and to show that you can overcome. The keys are self-reflection, honesty, forgiveness and love. Oh, and one more important one – courage! It takes courage to face your fears, but the rewards are immense!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
![Gardening with Guns: A Memoir by [Wootton, AJ]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hFoxRV7WL.jpg)
In the prime of her life, AJ seemingly has it all – a successful career, three thriving children and a marriage that spans two decades. Her hard-fought, adult life beams bright and in sharp contrast to the dark, gun-wielding, serial-parent changing, and starkly silent world she grew up in.
On the heels of her father’s sudden and tragic death, AJ finds herself questioning the life she has so carefully architected. Estranged from her mother, she seeks comfort in the revival of her relationship with her two brothers, all that remain of her childhood nucleus. The three siblings find themselves in a sad, yet familiar place as they bond in the midst of their loss, and relive together similar times from the turbulent and siloed childhood they shared.
In the months following her father’s funeral, AJ’s reminiscences compel her to see her current circumstances through a fresh lens. Concerns that her husband is leading a secret life turn from suspicion to fact as the void in their relationship widens, creating a troubling likeness between her marriage and the dysfunctional relationships she witnessed as a child. She struggles with the decision to honor her intuition and end her failing marriage, but the consequences of divorce still loom ominously in her memory. She realizes that she can no longer deny her buried past, nor its implications on her current situation.
This is a fascinating true story of one woman’s journey to overcome childhood trauma, and to listen to the inner voice that she has been ignoring for years. Written as a novel, her memoir traverses past and present, all the while painting vivid pictures of both her childhood and adult worlds, the similarities of which have become too numerous to ignore.
Their Ultimate Degree
D. Hart St. Martin Author Interview
Pushing Madness brings your Lisen of Solsta series to a close. The series took many years to write. Was this an emotional book for you to write?
I was so focused on finishing the damn thing that I didn’t have a chance to get emotional. Writing it in concert with the previous book (Breaking Worlds) meant I wrote 200K words before I could call it done in first draft. So when I came back to Pushing Madness after publishing Breaking Worlds, it felt both new and old to me. On the other hand, there’s this which I wrote in the “About the Author” section for Blooded, book 3 in the series. “The other thing I’d accomplished [on completing the first trilogy], though I hadn’t set it as a goal, was to show a hero saying ‘let’s not fight; let’s find another way to work it out,’ thus ending a war before it got beyond its first day.” This time out with book 6, Lisen couldn’t end the war the easy way. The easy way had led to dire consequences, and those consequences played out to their ultimate degree in Pushing Madness. I saw only one way to end it–a sad and unfortunate way to end it–so I did it. But unlike the feelings ending Blooded brought out, I felt relief, relief that I could get up and walk away. It was long past time, and I was grateful.
Who were some important people in your life that helped you write this book and series?
Well, there was my canary in the mine, Daniella, who never failed to ask the precisely right, simple question when I would orally outline what was coming next to her. She was the only person I shared the raw thought process with, and she, in turn, gave me valuable feedback–questions like “how does Nalin feel about that?” when I was contemplating a story I never ended up telling. Simple question, story-devastating answer. I also turned to friends for encouragement when I fell into the abyss of I’ll-never-get-this-right. One friend constantly points out, “You’ll figure out,” and that has become a bit of a joke between us. Because it’s true; I always do figure it out. Also the writers in the workshop I attend weekly have done nothing but support me and question every possible misstep. I highly recommend a critique group to anyone who wants to write. You can never fool your peers, and if they’re gentle the way the writers in my group are, they are a true blessing. A friend I met on line and who lives on another continent offers her best to any of my endeavors. And finally my sister, who writes better than I do and offers critique and love for free.
We finally get to see what happens to Rinli and Lisen. Was this planned all along or did things change as you were writing the series?
Lisen’s journey always stretched out to at least the moment Rinli comes of age, but it was a very different story with a very different ending. As I’ve said before, Breaking Worlds and Pushing Madness were written together in response to the question “what does a world broken by Mantar’s Child look like?” 200K words later, I had the answer. But that answer did not come easily. There were many starts and stops along the way. In particular, Rinli’s motivation of the people of Thristas was tricky and required several retakes before it flew properly. I usually write with a beginning and an end in mind, and I thought I knew the ending when I started writing the first draft of the two books, but it changed several times. Lin-Manual Miranda’s words from Hamilton come to mind: “Who lives, Who dies, Who tells your story?” I may have been telling the story, but for a long time I didn’t know who lived and who died.
Will this be the end of the Lisen of Solsta world? Are you moving on to other works or do you think you will revisit this world again?
It’s the end. For now. I may go back to it one day if I live long enough. In the meantime, I’ve published a paranormal romance called Soul Doubt: A Rock-and-Roll Faust, set in the 60s, which pits a young musician and his lady against evil incarnate. And I’m working on a new YA fantasy series, working title Into the Forsaken Forest, with a young female hero who has issues with her mother. I’m enjoying building a brand new world although I’d forgotten how hard it is. Like childbirth, you forget the pain once the child is born, but the labor pains of totally new characters, totally new world and totally new plot and subplots can be excruciating. (I’m kidding/not kidding.)
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook
![Pushing Madness (Lisen of Solsta Book 6) by [St. Martin, D. Hart]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51M1XUavpvL.jpg)
Return for one last visit to Garla and Thristas where the Thristans follow an untried leader of sixteen into war. Where a spouse and a daughter must each withhold their plans from the man whose thoughts could betray them. Where a girl of twelve may rise up to meet the challenge of trying to save her mother. Where magic sometimes exacts a price that could prove to be deadly.
Pushing Madness brings Lisen of Solsta’s saga to a close with battles waged in both Garla and Thristas using weapons of war and the defenses of the mind. Lisen’s daughter Rinli has vowed to “break the world,” and the havoc that ensues as she endeavors to fulfill that promise could obliterate the peace Lisen instituted sixteen years earlier with the Treaty of the One-Day War. Only one opportunity remains to avoid destruction, and it all rests in the hands of a twelve-year-out girl.
Unstoppable: Challenge Accepted
![Unstoppable: Challenge Accepted by [Bogale, Tariku]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/416tMpX9yJL._SY346_.jpg)
Life is not meant to be a straight and smooth road. It is always inspiring to meet someone who has survived the obstacles from travelling a long and bumpy road. Tariku Bogale is one such person. He is not shy about letting the reader into his world, about letting the reader see the great, the bad, and the downright dirt. He is honest and transparent. His narration of his life is colored with moments that should be embarrassing but in retrospect are quite significant to the man he is today.
Unstoppable: Challenge Accepted chronicles the life of Tariku Bogale. He talks about his life as an abandoned child all the way to the glamorous city of New York. He talks about his journey from a self-reliant 8 year old with barely enough to get by to a global business mogul renting high end New York residences. He talks about his roots. They are quite weak to begin with but they become stronger as he grows up. His resolve is seen from an early age when he brings his mother to live with him regardless of his father’s wishes. He faces and survives heartbreak before the age of fifteen. It does set him back a little bit. A fact he is not afraid to disclose but he gets up and dusts himself off anyway. As he says, there were angels at every point of his life. The kindness of strangers has helped him a great deal. It is admirable that he has chosen to credit them where necessary.
This story is wonderfully told. The author is looking to show the struggles he has been through on his journey to the man he is today. It is well written. It is thrilling and interesting. Often, we look at successful people as super humans but this story confirms that they are mere mortals just like us. They make mistakes and bow to urges just like us. It renews the reader’s courage and motivation.
The author has a proper grasp of the English language. He understands the nuance of storytelling and applies it quite effectively in this book. This story is captivating and vivid. However, there seems to be large chunks of the story missing, chunks that would have contributed to the value of the story. The book could use a brush over from an editor. However, that does not quite take away from the inspiring quality of the story. It is still a great story.
Tariku Bogale is an inspiring man. He tells this book in a semi-casual way. One will probably be able to take more out of it than if it was told in a formal demeanor. The author’s life story would make a good movie. Very dramatic. But then, what is to be expected considering the meaning of his name.
Pages: 234 | ASIN: B074HGR6LD
Be Unstoppable: No Excuses
Life would not be as vibrant without the curve balls it likes to throw at us. You know you are definitely going to face challenges but there is no way of knowing the challenges you are going to face or even when those challenges will show up. The only thing to do is to charge forward. To be ready for whatever comes. To know that falling is inevitable but will be meaningless if you do not get up and keep going. To be unstoppable without using the said challenges as excuses to slack off.
The author of this book has lived a very eventful life. A life colored with challenges and triumphs in almost equal measure. The story of his life is told in his first book Unstoppable: Challenge Accepted. He has followed it up with the gem Be Unstoppable: No Excuses. The second book talks about success and hurdles on the path. He talks about time, courage, sacrifice, forgiveness, and hope. All factors that could make the difference between one who tries, fails then remains a failure and one who tries, fails then tries again.
Some of the most valuable tidbits is the part about being decisive and acting quickly. This balances quite well with the risk bit. The author also talks about confidence and mental strength. All these are aspects of the journey to success. A change in the perception in these factors could make all the difference. I found this book to be both enlightening and uplifting.
This book gives advice in a way that leaves the reader feeling energized to work harder as opposed to drained of all hope. The writing is clear and affirmative. It is well thought out and sober. The author has done a good job of outlining his points in a sensible manner. A way that seems chronological. It is engaging and captures your attention right from the beginning and delivers a profound yet sensible message without entangling you in a web of complicated thoughts.
I think this is a great book to read for people who are in business. They will learn how to stay ahead of the curve by enhancing the most valuable asset they have: themselves. For people looking to go into entrepreneurship. They will learn to be strong and unstoppable ahead of time instead of just gaining strength once they have hit the tides. It is a great book for people starting out in their careers. Tariku Bogale is a great believer in education and his passion shines through this book.
Pages: 104 | ASIN: B078866Y19
LITERARY TITAN 