Aisha Urooj's Blog - Posts Tagged "indie-april"

When I joined Twitter nearly a year ago, I learned about #IndieApril. During the month of April, many readers vow to read more books by Indie authors (writers who might be self-published, or work with smaller, independent publishers).

I remember how supported I felt then as a newly published author when other people gave my books a chance 🥰 I am also grateful for all the authors in the writing community who took interest in my books or shared my tweets.

This year (and hopefully from now onwards), I want to dedicate my April blog posts to reviewing Indie books. My first book is going to be The Long View by Mark Hurst.

I chose The Long View because I was captivated by the book description and I loved the mysterious cover. So what is the book about?

They say the Dead don’t tell tales, but it depends on who’s doing the listening. Ever since Sophie Lydon was a little girl she’s been able to speak with the dead, a gift she inherited from her late mother and grandmother. Now it’s just Sophie and her dad, looking after her uncle and the family funeral business.

She tries to carry on her mother’s work, the tradition of guiding lost souls into the afterlife, but it’s hard and sometimes scary without her mother’s guidance. And the latest crop of arrivals in the mortuary have something new to say, bringing her disturbing messages from the place between living and dying, the vast hinterland across which all souls must walk. A killer has been awoken in the town of High Towers, where Sophie lives. A killer with links to Sophie’s past, a killer known to the voice of The Long View… and it’s coming for Sophie..

I have a confession to make… I spook easily and I had no idea how grim this book will get. I hope I don’t get nightmares 😱

I had no preconceived ideas on where the story will head but The Long View surprised me at every turn… and the killer? You could guess who it was but still be surprised.

I liked that the characters in the books are all flawed, struggling, and ordinary, in the best sense, as they are relatable. There are no caped heroes… just ordinary folks with courageous hearts or lost souls trying to make sense of what is wrong or right.

The Long View (where the souls go after death) is a barren, dark place that will have you mesmerized. It is surreal and imaginative; a nightmare too real caught by the writer and stuffed into the pages of this book.

As always, I won’t give away the ending. I hope I have intrigued you enough to give this book a chance. Please consider supporting an Indie author especially during the month of April. There are many gems you will discover. 📚

Thank you for reading! 😊 I hope you have a great day!

My Twitter handle is @Aisha__Urooj (if you want to follow me there too).

This blog can be found as a podcast at anchor.fm/aisha-urooj

For today’s Indie April pick, I will talk about the dark fantasy short story, As Black Roses Bleed, by Morgan Wright.

If darkness be hidden,

And thorns persist,

Let peace live on…

But if thorns be slit,

And eyes reopen,

Let death befall.

It is tricky to review a short story without giving away the story or giving spoilers (I think this is my first one), so I will try my best 😁

As Black Roses Bleed is about a witch, a curse on a village, and a boy at the centre of it. Theirs is a grim world, where hope and happiness is but a fool’s dream.

Reading this story is like opening Pandora’s box and being caught in the chaos. It is like screaming without making a sound. It feels like a prelude to an epic dark fantasy novel, rather than just a short story.

There is enough intrigue and mystery to stay with you long after you read the final sentence. As Black Roses Bleed lingers on in your mind like a nightmare you can’t escape when you close your eyes.

I hope that you give this short story a read. It is great writing by a fantastic writer.

You can read the short story for yourself here: https://commontonguezitne.com/article...…

I have one more book remaining for Indie April. I hope that you choose an Indie book for your next read.

I hope that you have a great day 😊 Thank you for reading today’s blog post.

This blog can be found as a podcast at anchor.fm/aisha-urooj

Hi everyone,

For today’s blog post (and the last book featured for Indie April) is the alien invasion Sci Fi thriller, The Black Ships by A.G. Claymore.


I chose a genre that I don’t normally read (but definitely watch), so this was a new thing for me.

What was the story about?

First in the Black Ships Series. Our planet was just one small island in the midst of a vast, empty sea. For millennia, we thought we were alone – until we took our first tentative steps out of the cradle. As the nations of Earth struggle to establish a fragile colony on the surface of Mars, we suddenly lose all contact with our settlers. In the days that follow, it becomes abundantly clear that humans are not the only ones intent on exploiting the resources of the solar archipelago. In a desperate bid for freedom, Humanity must undergo social and economic changes on a scale previously unheard of. In the midst of growing turmoil, the struggle to build an effective defense leads the species to a turning point. The smallest of chances may determine the difference between freedom or eternal subjugation.

The book delivers on its promise and starts with an nail-biting alien invasion. The year is 2026 (not too far away), and aliens have attacked a human team sent to Mars. The US government (and others) on Earth must decide whether or not this is a threat, a mistake, or something else, while being limited to the fact that they are a planet away.

There is a rush to expedite a space-based combat fleet, despite not knowing the aliens’ intentions, because as Admiral Kelly states, “I would rather meet them with force and be wrong than meet them in peace and be wrong.” The enormity of the task dawns on everyone as does the financial implications of having such a fleet (The expected cost is a eye-watering $34 Trillion USD).

The book had smart exchanges between the characters. There are multiple players in the book, as there should be, but the author makes each of their personalities and voices distinct. There were a lot of technical terms (The researcher in me was itching to read up on them more), but it doesn’t feel gratuitous.

Black Ships is an engaging story and feels realistic. The story is unique as it is set only a few years from now and not a futuristic take on it.

I hope that you choose this book as your next read. Black Ships certainly gives us a lot to think about.

Thank you for reading today’s blog post. I was happy to review so many good Indie books for Indie April, and I hope to do it again next year. I will go back to my regular posts, including writing updates.

I wish you a great day, and hope that you discover something new today.

This blog post can also be found as a podcast at anchor.fm/aisha-urooj

The Narratess Indie Sale starts today!

Visit http://indiebook.sale to see which 300 books are on sale right now!

#NarratessIndieSale #IndieApril