Category: Author

Author · Author Zone

Just Thinking: By Colin Chappell – Author Zone

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Introducing “Just Thinking”

A little book, for when you have a little time, with some little writings, which may produce some little thoughts.
 
It was published last month and is available from any online book retailer in eBook, Paperback and Hard Cover format.
Just Thinking, Collin Chappell, Poetry Book, Author Zone
It’s a collection of verses written over a number of years, and it is my sincere hope that readers will be able to relate to the manner in which I wrote them. If a piece was emotional to me, I would hope that it could also be emotional to them.
If I have incorporated situations or circumstances which I found thought-provoking, it is hoped that they will also be encouraged to pause and ponder.
I have had no formal education in verse but I do, however, know how I feel and what motivates me to write. I write honestly. My writings are, quite simply, me!

The link below takes you a reading of “Just A Rose”, which is included in this book.

 

All the proceeds from book sales will be directed to my daughter, Melanie-Anne, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2007.
She is still fighting, but the treatment programs have taken their toll and she is unable to hold down a paying job for a variety of reasons. She is therefore dependent on benefits from her disability provider.
Melanie has no cable TV and no Internet but does survive in this electronic age with her phone, which is also her reminder of meetings, her complex medication times, and of anything else that she is otherwise likely to overlook.
She uses her time to volunteer for non-profit organizations and has been involved in giving some dignity the women who are living on the streets in Vancouver’s downtown Eastside when she is up to it, Melanie is also performing a befriending/preliminary assessment function (on a volunteer basis for a counseling service)
of individuals who are fighting poverty.
Two of her poems are also included in “Just Thinking”!
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Author · Book

SOS! I NEED YOUR HELP!!

jacquelineobyikocha64 Comments

I would like to crave your indulgence and support. You know the greatest hurdle that lies before any indie-writer is not about getting the book written and published; it’s selling the book. Marketing is a humungous task.

Help, Assistance, Support, Community

Most of us would be enthralled to simply focus on spewing out the words and hoping the books will somehow sell themselves, unfortunately in the self-publishing business, it simply doesn’t work that way and all the best wishes from others don’t sell any books. What works is a pragmatic approach.

As most of you know, I just published my second poetry book ‘Unbridled,’ and going by experience gained from the first book Out of The Silent Breath – which was supported by several friends in this space and helped to instil my confidence to forge ahead – I have to buckle down, dig in my heels and jump into doing the needful.

As we speak, I am still learning the ropes, this is why I turn to all my friends in Bloglandia since I don’t have funds to run big marketing campaigns.

I am trying to create a buzz around ‘Unbridled,’ and would appreciate any support and leg up that I can get from all of you.

Would you be willing to grant me and my book an audience in your blog space, in any form that you deem suitable, such as book feature, blogger interview, book tour, book review etc? Also, if you’ve got pointers in any direction – authors/bloggers who support fellow authors, I would be glad to go begging cap in hand 😉

I understand that asking for support might be a bit imposing, but I also know that this journey is not one that I can embark on alone.

No matter how much I pride myself with the capability of pushing forward by myself, we also have an African proverb that says “if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”

I choose to go far alongside others, even if our walk may be slower. Please help. I look forward to hearing from you.

My regards,

Jacqueline

 

Available in paperback on Amazon

I Am Judging You

‘Why do you write like this,

don’t you worry that people will sit and judge?’

she asked me.

‘I’ve grown too old to worry about being judged;

for judgement has been my portion for as long as I know,’

I replied.

I don’t shield my words in niceties,

afraid to cause you to blush.

I don’t say my words to cause shame,

but yes, I’m judging you.

I can’t pretend that we are friends enough

to write things only relatable

and swallow my words to please you

‘cos that would be dishonest,

I’ll be lying to myself.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha is a gifted word weaver whose poems are snapshot vignettes of life to which readers can relate. Her story poems transverse a range of emotions that provokes profound thoughts and evokes dreams and deep desires of the heart.  Deborah Palmer

 

Author · Author Zone

Bring Your Books 3 – Author Zone

jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

This week in Author Zone

The Love Labyrinth, Novel, Author Zone

A bit about the book

Noelle Harrison is a hard-working wife and loving mother to two young sons. Although supportive of her husband Wayne’s professional pursuits, she rails at his constant out-of-town travel to conferences and seminars. What about her needs and wants? Then one day on her way home from church… There are two sides to every story. Or maybe three.

Available on Amazon Kindle and Paperback

Pamela D. Beverly’s author bio simply makes me smile – I guess it’s her calling herself ‘The Jacqueline of all trades.’ 

I am a Jacqueline-of-all-Trades but a master of none. Mostly I’m a student of human nature that enjoys writing and studying mankind. I have traveled all over the United States as well as to several foreign countries and enjoy meeting people of all races, religions and creeds. My main wish for mankind is that we learn to get along and enjoy one another’s differences.

You can also get to know her better on her blog

Untangled, Alexis Rose, Author Zone, Book

Untangled, A Story of Resilience, Courage, and Triumph:

Recalling her life, the author takes us on a journey of unimaginable abuse with continued explicit threats that eventually led to her being sent overseas on an impossible mission.  She repressed the memories of her past until a family tragedy forced her to face what her life had been. A history of abuse, torture, and threats to maintain her silence or be killed could no longer be denied.

This is the story of facing the truth and risking the consequences of breaking the silence. The author learns to accept the effects of the trauma that echo through her daily life as PTSD.

Available on Amazon Paperback 

A Word from Others

  • I discovered Alexis’s blog randomly and after reading some of her blog posts I knew I wanted to read her memoir too. I didn’t put down the book for three days and for that time I felt I was re-living what the author has lived through herself. It is so well written and the story is grasping. Although it isn’t a light read and sometimes I wondered how such atrocities are possible. But Alexis is here to show us that no matter the trauma, even the deepest and most damaging, we can still summon courage and faith and overcome it. Thank you Alexis for sharing yourself with the world!

 

  • Wow! Hard to read because of the subject matter but I could not put it down! This is truly a story of resilience and courage!!!
    I have never experienced trauma or abuse but after reading this book, I have a much better understanding of the struggles of those that have.
    This is an amazing book.

Author Zone, Ritu Bhathal, Poetic Rituals, Writer

 

Delve into a book of verse exploring different topics and different genres, all with a RITUal twist.
A collection of poetry drawing on the experiences of the writer, ranging from matters of the heart, love for the family, situations in life and some verses written with a humorous twist.

Available on Amazon Kindle

A Bit About Ritu

From childhood, I always enjoyed reading. This love of books is mostly credited to my mother. The joy of reading spurred me on to become creative in my own writing, from fiction to poetry. As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, I have drawn on inspiration from many avenues to create the poems that I write. A qualified teacher, having studied at Kingston University, I now deal with classes of children as a sideline to my writing! Happily married, I live in Kent, with my Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the furbaby Sonu Singh. I am currently working on some short stories, and a novel, to be published in the near future.

A Word From Others

  • I enjoy reading funny or clever verse, mostly on the internet, in blog posts etc, when I come across them, but books of poetry are rarely my thing.I ‘picked up’ an ecopy of Poetic Rituals when it was discounted because it’s something different and an easier read in between fat novels and autobiographies.It is really great to open a book and be surprised in every good way by the contents. I read through the poems at one sitting, delighted with each one to the next. They reminded me in some ways of Pam Ayres work; witty, funny, poignant, some slightly tongue-in-cheek. What impressed me most was their unfailing observations of family life, relationships and the frustrations of daily life. One is about not being able to get a printer to link to a computer – I could wholly identify with that one!

    Read this book, raise a smile and even a little tear. This is a lovely read!

 

  • Bhathal’s Poetic Rituals is a collection of poems that explores life’s rituals, those of a mother, wife, lover, and teacher. There are real gems in here with lovely imagery, humor, passion, and ambivalence. My favorite poems were the lighthearted rhymes about being a mother of young children. A great read to visit and browse throughout the day.

Why I started Author zone.

reading

A writers’ journey can be a lonely and arduous trip and the success of a writer is the collective effort of all those who surround him/her.

I know that I am a small time blogger out there but I believe so much in the strength that lies in unity.

It’s been in my heart for quite a while to find ways of contributing, encouraging and promoting my fellow authors around.

Many are struggling to get their works out there and the challenge of breaking into the limelight of traditional publishing is humongous.

We are the only one’s who can attract and drive our own growth in here. Buying and reading bestsellers is brilliant, all well and good, but contributing to lift up a fellow writer in our midst from one level to the next should be our collective care because it matters.

Support your fellow author/artist/writer/blogger. Collaborate with each other to help them grow.

The truth is that purchasing a book from a little-known author barely costs much. If you are buying 3 books a month, pick up one from an author in our midst, the cost is not even up to a cup of coffee at Starbucks, Tim Hortons, London Dairy or where ever it is that you love to get your sweetness.

The idea behind ‘Author Zone,’ is to highlight a number of authors and their books bi-monthly.

If you would like your book highlighted, please feel free to contact me. I would also try to do a review of a book once a month.

Please share this as much as possible to reach as many authors/writers as we can. BYB

Thank you for your support.

Jacqueline

Author · Book · Poetry/Poems · Writing

Finally!! Here it is! My First Published Book and I am bawling out my eyes and smiling at the same time.

jacquelineobyikocha228 Comments

Out of the silent breath

I feel a deep sense of release. I don’t know how to express my thoughts. It’s been a climb and sometimes a dip, but I knew that one day, I will arrive at this juncture.

Except I sit with you over a cup of tea, maybe only then will you really understand my journey – one day, I shall speak of these things.

To all those who have supported me to this point, I remain ever grateful. You have no idea what your friendship means to me and how far it’s taken me.

I present to you – even though some of you had a sneak cover peek, it was tweaked a bit – my poetry book. I laughed writing some, I bled writing some, I sighed writing some and I cried writing some.

It’s all Glory to Him. He made it possible.

It’s available on Amazon-Kindle and Smashwords and it will be an utmost delight if even only one person buys it.

I have also set it up at both ends of my sidebar as a source of motivation.

Now let me go and finish working on a compilation of the short stories that I hope to publish in June.

My thanks and utmost regards.

Remain blessed.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha