Aisha Urooj's Blog, page 8
November 23, 2021
My Newsletter
Hi everyone,
This is an update on my writing life. I started a newsletter and it has been a learning curve. There was a mild panic moment when I deleted 16 subscribers by mistake 😆
Luckily, I recovered them by contacting support. Thank goodness!
If you like to join me and hear more about deals, giveaways, and upcoming writing projects, you can join me at http://www.subscribepage.com/AishaUrooj
I hope to see you there 😊
This is an update on my writing life. I started a newsletter and it has been a learning curve. There was a mild panic moment when I deleted 16 subscribers by mistake 😆
Luckily, I recovered them by contacting support. Thank goodness!
If you like to join me and hear more about deals, giveaways, and upcoming writing projects, you can join me at http://www.subscribepage.com/AishaUrooj
I hope to see you there 😊
November 15, 2021
Release day: The Nine Muses
It is here!
Today’s the release date for The Nine Muses! 🎊
I told you about the nine muses in my previous email. (If you missed it: https://preview.mailerlite.com…)
But what’s a story without a villian?
Or is it, what’s a villain without a story?
Boredom and monotony can sap the creative energies of our muses, but what if there was a real external threat?
Their father, Zeus, god of thunder, has many enemies including sibling rivals, Hades and Poseidon. Their mother, Mnemosyne, is titan goddess of memory herself!
The muses themselves, however, also have rivals.
So, who is the villian of the story?
(And who would want to mess with such a powerful family? And why?)
I can’t wait for you to find out!
I promise the reveal will be epic 😎
The Nine Muses is a myth retelling of the Greek goddesses of arts, inspiration, and poetry.
Ebook is only $0.99 for a limited time. The Nine Muses is available on paperback.
In other exciting book news: I received an update my book, The Stone Mermaid, is now available on audible and iTunes. The narrator, Dante E. Chandler, did a phenomenal job capturing Victor’s alluring voice.
I have a newsletter! If you like to join me at http://www.subscribepage.com/AishaUrooj
Hope to see you there 😊
Today’s the release date for The Nine Muses! 🎊
I told you about the nine muses in my previous email. (If you missed it: https://preview.mailerlite.com…)
But what’s a story without a villian?
Or is it, what’s a villain without a story?
Boredom and monotony can sap the creative energies of our muses, but what if there was a real external threat?
Their father, Zeus, god of thunder, has many enemies including sibling rivals, Hades and Poseidon. Their mother, Mnemosyne, is titan goddess of memory herself!
The muses themselves, however, also have rivals.
So, who is the villian of the story?
(And who would want to mess with such a powerful family? And why?)
I can’t wait for you to find out!
I promise the reveal will be epic 😎
The Nine Muses is a myth retelling of the Greek goddesses of arts, inspiration, and poetry.
Ebook is only $0.99 for a limited time. The Nine Muses is available on paperback.
In other exciting book news: I received an update my book, The Stone Mermaid, is now available on audible and iTunes. The narrator, Dante E. Chandler, did a phenomenal job capturing Victor’s alluring voice.
I have a newsletter! If you like to join me at http://www.subscribepage.com/AishaUrooj
Hope to see you there 😊
November 12, 2021
The Nine Muses- Coming soon!
My newest book is about the nine muses. The nine muses, goddesses in Greek mythology, each inspire a special talent.
According to Greek myth, these nine sisters rule over the arts and sciences. They are the deities of song, dance, and memory, who give the gift of creativity, wisdom, and insight to a fortunate few.
Polymnia is the goddess of hymns, who is often seen wearing a veil in her depictions. I imagined her to cast a spell over the mortals with her beauty. In my story, she has many admirers.
Erato is the goddess of love poetry. Based on her talent, I made her a hopeless romantic and popular with suitors as well.
Clio is the goddess of history, who carries with her a scroll. Based on that, I saw her as a meticulous note-taker, practical, and an analytical thinker. In my story, she becomes obsessed with board games and puzzles.
Melpomene is the goddess of tragedy, who wears a tragic mask. I imagined her as introspective and quiet.
Terpsichore is the goddess of dance. I imagined her dancing everywhere she went, and having fun learning new dance moves from the mortals.
Urania is the goddess of astronomy, who carries a globe. I wrote her as someone whose eyes are always searching the stars, and one who quickly joins the astronomy club in the mortal high school.
Thalia is the goddess of comedy, and keeps a shepherd’s staff. To me, she is the queen of funny (and punny) jokes.
Euterpe is the goddess of music. You won’t find her anywhere without her flute… which becomes a problem when Headmistress Ehtel confiscates it.
That leaves Calliope. Goddess of epic poetry. The ringleader. The chief of the muses. Zeus’s most troublesome child. In my story, she is feisty and outspoken. A rebel who refuses to do as she is told, but does as she feels.
I hope that you grab a copy of The Nine Muses 😊
The Nine Muses is a mythology retelling of the greek goddesses of arts, inspiration, and poetry: Books2read.com/TNM
I have a brand new newsletter! You can join me at http://www.subscribepage.com/AishaUrooj
According to Greek myth, these nine sisters rule over the arts and sciences. They are the deities of song, dance, and memory, who give the gift of creativity, wisdom, and insight to a fortunate few.
Polymnia is the goddess of hymns, who is often seen wearing a veil in her depictions. I imagined her to cast a spell over the mortals with her beauty. In my story, she has many admirers.
Erato is the goddess of love poetry. Based on her talent, I made her a hopeless romantic and popular with suitors as well.
Clio is the goddess of history, who carries with her a scroll. Based on that, I saw her as a meticulous note-taker, practical, and an analytical thinker. In my story, she becomes obsessed with board games and puzzles.
Melpomene is the goddess of tragedy, who wears a tragic mask. I imagined her as introspective and quiet.
Terpsichore is the goddess of dance. I imagined her dancing everywhere she went, and having fun learning new dance moves from the mortals.
Urania is the goddess of astronomy, who carries a globe. I wrote her as someone whose eyes are always searching the stars, and one who quickly joins the astronomy club in the mortal high school.
Thalia is the goddess of comedy, and keeps a shepherd’s staff. To me, she is the queen of funny (and punny) jokes.
Euterpe is the goddess of music. You won’t find her anywhere without her flute… which becomes a problem when Headmistress Ehtel confiscates it.
That leaves Calliope. Goddess of epic poetry. The ringleader. The chief of the muses. Zeus’s most troublesome child. In my story, she is feisty and outspoken. A rebel who refuses to do as she is told, but does as she feels.
I hope that you grab a copy of The Nine Muses 😊
The Nine Muses is a mythology retelling of the greek goddesses of arts, inspiration, and poetry: Books2read.com/TNM
I have a brand new newsletter! You can join me at http://www.subscribepage.com/AishaUrooj
October 31, 2021
Happy Halloween!
Halloween is here! I hope you get lots of sweet treats and no tricks 😊
If you are looking for a spooky read, my book Midnight Prince is free to download: Books2read.com/MNP
If you are looking for a twisted fairytale, Sleeping Beauty no more is available now on audible and iTunes: mybook.to/SBNM
If you favor a dark comedy about Angels, Demons, and a hapless human having an existentialist crisis, Divine Error is the one for you: Books2read.com/DE
Whatever you have planned for today, have fun and stay safe! ❤
If you are looking for a spooky read, my book Midnight Prince is free to download: Books2read.com/MNP
If you are looking for a twisted fairytale, Sleeping Beauty no more is available now on audible and iTunes: mybook.to/SBNM
If you favor a dark comedy about Angels, Demons, and a hapless human having an existentialist crisis, Divine Error is the one for you: Books2read.com/DE
Whatever you have planned for today, have fun and stay safe! ❤
October 22, 2021
TYMNHS: animated movie, The Butterfly Lovers (Liang Shan Po Yu Zhu Ying Tai) (2004)
I was listening to 100 ways by Jackson Wang (which has a great music video), and it reminded me of an animation I had seen a few years ago. I will feature it in today’s Things You Might Not Have Seen blog post.
I had to search through my 100+ posts to make sure I hadn’t talked about it before… I haven’t! I guess it was one of those animations I had noted down in my notebook that got lost 💔 (I hope to find that list someday. Sigh.)
The animation I saw was based on a Chinese legend about a pair of lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. The title of the animation was The Butterfly Lovers (2004).
You know the stories where the two lovers face many hurdles and challenges, and against all odds, finally get together, giving us a happily ever after?
The Butterfly Lovers is not that story 😭💔
I didn’t know about the famous Chinese legend, so I was blindsided by the cute, feel-good beginning. I was fooled by the lovely, bright colors of the animation. So, be warned: This is a tragic love story. The likes of Romeo and Juliet, Titanic, and other heart-breaking tales.
The setting of the animation is during the Jin Dynasty. It was when girls weren’t traditionally given the same opportunities for education as boys. We see our fiesty, smart, beautiful heroine Zhu dress up as a boy, and with her father’s permission, she goes to school.
During her journey, she meets our clueless hero, Liang Shanbo, a scholar from Kuaiji. They become fast friends, even taking an oath of fraternity in the pavilion of a wooden bridge. They are both competitive learners, and play to each other’s strengths. Over the next few years in school, Zhu falls in love with Liang. He remains clueless to who she is.
When Zhu receives a letter from her father to return home, she has no choice but to go back. She is madly in love with Liang, and already vows to be with him forever, even if she doesn’t reveal her secret. She tries to give him hints, but Liang still doesn’t know.
Before leaving, she reveals her true identity to the headmaster’s wife and asks her to pass a jade pendant to Liang as a betrothal gift. This conversation is overheard by the villian of the story, who started out as a silly entitled rich bully, but later turns to be a greater threat to the young lovers 😢
Liang accompanies Zhu for miles to see her off. During the journey, Zhu hints to Liang but he does not even have the slightest suspicion that his ‘brother’ is a woman in disguise. Zhu finally comes up with an idea and tells Liang that she will act as a matchmaker for him and Zhu’s “sister”. Liang and Zhu reluctantly part ways at the Changting pavilion.
Months later, when Liang visits Zhu, he discovers her true identity. They profess their love and make a vow to be together forever. Tragedy ensues as Zhu’s parents arranged for her to marry a wealthy merchant, Ma Wencai (the entitled bully). Liang is heartbroken. He tries to see Zhu before her wedding night, but is beaten up by Ma Wencai’s goons. He dies of both his injuries, and to a greater extent, his broken heart 💔
On the day of Zhu’s marriage, strong winds stops the wedding procession from moving beyond Liang’s grave, which lies along the journey. Zhu leaves the procession to pay her respects at Liang’s grave. She descends in bitter despair and begs for the grave to open up. Suddenly, the grave opens with a clap of thunder. Without further hesitation, Zhu throws herself into the grave to join Liang. Their spirits emerge in the form of a pair of butterflies and fly away together, never to be separated again.
The light-hearted, pretty palettes of the animation switched to sombre grays and blues hues in the middle of the story. That should have clued me to the upcoming turn of events, but no, I didn’t expect that ending. 😭
The trailer captures the shift perfectly. You can watch it to see yourself.
I really want to write a tragic love story too. Many of my books have tragic elements, but I don’t know if I have the heart or courage for a completely sad ending. I will have to think about this.
I hope that you enjoyed today’s blog. Thank you for reading!
Take care 😊
Originally published at http://aishauroojbooks.wordpress.com
I had to search through my 100+ posts to make sure I hadn’t talked about it before… I haven’t! I guess it was one of those animations I had noted down in my notebook that got lost 💔 (I hope to find that list someday. Sigh.)
The animation I saw was based on a Chinese legend about a pair of lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. The title of the animation was The Butterfly Lovers (2004).
You know the stories where the two lovers face many hurdles and challenges, and against all odds, finally get together, giving us a happily ever after?
The Butterfly Lovers is not that story 😭💔
I didn’t know about the famous Chinese legend, so I was blindsided by the cute, feel-good beginning. I was fooled by the lovely, bright colors of the animation. So, be warned: This is a tragic love story. The likes of Romeo and Juliet, Titanic, and other heart-breaking tales.
The setting of the animation is during the Jin Dynasty. It was when girls weren’t traditionally given the same opportunities for education as boys. We see our fiesty, smart, beautiful heroine Zhu dress up as a boy, and with her father’s permission, she goes to school.
During her journey, she meets our clueless hero, Liang Shanbo, a scholar from Kuaiji. They become fast friends, even taking an oath of fraternity in the pavilion of a wooden bridge. They are both competitive learners, and play to each other’s strengths. Over the next few years in school, Zhu falls in love with Liang. He remains clueless to who she is.
When Zhu receives a letter from her father to return home, she has no choice but to go back. She is madly in love with Liang, and already vows to be with him forever, even if she doesn’t reveal her secret. She tries to give him hints, but Liang still doesn’t know.
Before leaving, she reveals her true identity to the headmaster’s wife and asks her to pass a jade pendant to Liang as a betrothal gift. This conversation is overheard by the villian of the story, who started out as a silly entitled rich bully, but later turns to be a greater threat to the young lovers 😢
Liang accompanies Zhu for miles to see her off. During the journey, Zhu hints to Liang but he does not even have the slightest suspicion that his ‘brother’ is a woman in disguise. Zhu finally comes up with an idea and tells Liang that she will act as a matchmaker for him and Zhu’s “sister”. Liang and Zhu reluctantly part ways at the Changting pavilion.
Months later, when Liang visits Zhu, he discovers her true identity. They profess their love and make a vow to be together forever. Tragedy ensues as Zhu’s parents arranged for her to marry a wealthy merchant, Ma Wencai (the entitled bully). Liang is heartbroken. He tries to see Zhu before her wedding night, but is beaten up by Ma Wencai’s goons. He dies of both his injuries, and to a greater extent, his broken heart 💔
On the day of Zhu’s marriage, strong winds stops the wedding procession from moving beyond Liang’s grave, which lies along the journey. Zhu leaves the procession to pay her respects at Liang’s grave. She descends in bitter despair and begs for the grave to open up. Suddenly, the grave opens with a clap of thunder. Without further hesitation, Zhu throws herself into the grave to join Liang. Their spirits emerge in the form of a pair of butterflies and fly away together, never to be separated again.
The light-hearted, pretty palettes of the animation switched to sombre grays and blues hues in the middle of the story. That should have clued me to the upcoming turn of events, but no, I didn’t expect that ending. 😭
The trailer captures the shift perfectly. You can watch it to see yourself.
I really want to write a tragic love story too. Many of my books have tragic elements, but I don’t know if I have the heart or courage for a completely sad ending. I will have to think about this.
I hope that you enjoyed today’s blog. Thank you for reading!
Take care 😊
Originally published at http://aishauroojbooks.wordpress.com
October 14, 2021
Learning...
I know I haven’t been posting as much but I have a good reason: I am taking part in writing seminars and courses (both paid and free). Being a writer means taking the craft seriously, and learning from others.
My mind goes all or nothing (I wish I could compartmentalize!) so I have been procrastinating on my writing 😭 I should be working on my four projects (Note to self: Next time, keep it under two lol).
I am making my way through Book Two of Dune. The great thing about the audiobook is that I am fully immersed (and can’t skim the descriptive passages, even if it is about sand). I am devastated by the tragic deaths in the book. I hope it gets less bleaker. What a phenomenal story. I will write the review… eventually… because like I said four projects!
Speaking of reviews, I would love to get more reviews for Eleanor’s Travels. It is a sweet contemporary romance novel about traveling the world and finding love. If you like a review copy, you can grab it here:
Eleanor’s Travels
https://booksprout.co/arc/77922/elean...
Thank you for reading! As always, I hope you have a great day 🥰
My mind goes all or nothing (I wish I could compartmentalize!) so I have been procrastinating on my writing 😭 I should be working on my four projects (Note to self: Next time, keep it under two lol).
I am making my way through Book Two of Dune. The great thing about the audiobook is that I am fully immersed (and can’t skim the descriptive passages, even if it is about sand). I am devastated by the tragic deaths in the book. I hope it gets less bleaker. What a phenomenal story. I will write the review… eventually… because like I said four projects!
Speaking of reviews, I would love to get more reviews for Eleanor’s Travels. It is a sweet contemporary romance novel about traveling the world and finding love. If you like a review copy, you can grab it here:
Eleanor’s Travels
https://booksprout.co/arc/77922/elean...
Thank you for reading! As always, I hope you have a great day 🥰
September 28, 2021
A little update
Hi everyone,
I hope you are doing well. I thought I would give you all an update on what I am up to. I am making progress in limiting time spent on social media, and trying to focus more on writing.
I might have made some headway in my marketing efforts, but it is a long, slow climb to where I want/hope to be. It’s good that I have your company, so I can share both my successes and upsets.
I am working on a few projects at the moment. I write depending on which ones I get inspiration for. I am listening to the Dune audiobook (which I received from a very kind person), and I keep getting random ideas for Queen of Frost and Ice. It makes sense, since that will be a dystopian novel, but still a bit random since it is not science fiction.
I am glad for the audiobook, as I would never be able to pronounce the names otherwise. I am a few chapters in, and it is a compelling story. I think I know how science fiction books make the readers aware of the newly created words and worlds… mainly through repetition 😆
I have the narrator’s voice stuck in my head:
Arraikas. Dune. Sand people.
I will tell you more about Dune as I go through it (It is 50 hours). I might write a proper review (depending on how much time I have between projects 😅)
The audiobook giveaway for Sleeping Beauty no more is going on until Oct 1st. Be sure to enter at this Twitter link: https://twitter.com/Aisha__Urooj/stat...
Thank you for reading! I hope you have a great day! 😊
I hope you are doing well. I thought I would give you all an update on what I am up to. I am making progress in limiting time spent on social media, and trying to focus more on writing.
I might have made some headway in my marketing efforts, but it is a long, slow climb to where I want/hope to be. It’s good that I have your company, so I can share both my successes and upsets.
I am working on a few projects at the moment. I write depending on which ones I get inspiration for. I am listening to the Dune audiobook (which I received from a very kind person), and I keep getting random ideas for Queen of Frost and Ice. It makes sense, since that will be a dystopian novel, but still a bit random since it is not science fiction.
I am glad for the audiobook, as I would never be able to pronounce the names otherwise. I am a few chapters in, and it is a compelling story. I think I know how science fiction books make the readers aware of the newly created words and worlds… mainly through repetition 😆
I have the narrator’s voice stuck in my head:
Arraikas. Dune. Sand people.
I will tell you more about Dune as I go through it (It is 50 hours). I might write a proper review (depending on how much time I have between projects 😅)
The audiobook giveaway for Sleeping Beauty no more is going on until Oct 1st. Be sure to enter at this Twitter link: https://twitter.com/Aisha__Urooj/stat...
Thank you for reading! I hope you have a great day! 😊
September 23, 2021
Audiobook giveaway: Sleeping Beauty no more
Hi everyone,
I have exciting news! 🥳 The audiobook for Sleeping Beauty no more just released on audible and iTunes. To celebrate, I will be giving away one promo code (open to UK and USA residents).
To find out more about the giveaway, click here: https://twitter.com/Aisha__Urooj/stat...
Good luck to everyone who enters!
I have exciting news! 🥳 The audiobook for Sleeping Beauty no more just released on audible and iTunes. To celebrate, I will be giving away one promo code (open to UK and USA residents).
To find out more about the giveaway, click here: https://twitter.com/Aisha__Urooj/stat...
Good luck to everyone who enters!
September 18, 2021
Swipe Right for Murder by Polly Harris
I think I realized something… these past few weeks I was suffering from marketing/writing/everything else burnout. I was just in denial of how much it was affecting me. I delayed the release of The Nine Muses until November, and now I am just doing things to get my creativity back (mainly, staring into space lol 🙃)
Another (perhaps) more productive method is reading, especially outside of my usual genre. I came across a facebook post by the author herself, marketing (like I do!) her book, Swipe Right for Murder. The book has one of those enticing premises that you want to start reading right away, and I did… finishing the book in a day and a half 😆
Here is what the book is about:
DATING IS TOUGH. ESPECIALLY IF THE GUY YOU LIKE MIGHT BE A SERIAL KILLER.
After a devastating heartbreak and a string of short-lived, failed relationships, college student Georgie Itoyama has now decided to approach dating in the same way that she approaches everything else: methodically, logically, and efficiently.
Georgie downloads countless dating apps, determined to find the love of her life as easily as she orders jeans online. And while her love-at-first-sight aspirations don’t exactly come true, she does find someone she likes. Quite a lot.
There’s only one problem. Girls are going missing at Georgie’s university, and all the signs are pointing to . . . him?
But that’s ridiculous. What are the chances that she’s dating an actual serial killer?
Then she matches with Nate. Mysterious, intelligent, and oddly fixated on solving the local disappearances. As Georgie’s relationships deepen with each of her guys, she unwittingly finds herself caught up in the mess that is murder, intrigue, and the nightmare of online dating.
I want to thank Polly for getting me out of the miserable slump I was in, and make me think about something other than my burnout. Also, I totally missed the murderer. I only caught on moments before the reveal (I blame it on a certain bias/statistic regarding serial killers). So, bravo 😅 You got me!
The characters were very likable with believable and genuine relationships and interactions. The only thing that could have been clearer was the layout of the cabin (the image of the layout was a jumbled mess in my head and that took away from some of the suspense). All in all, a sweet, entertaining book that I highly recommend to you all.
I hope that you are well. Remember to take good care of yourselves… I am trying to follow my own advice too 😋
A reminder (if you haven’t already): The Stone Mermaid 🧜♀️ is only $0.99 until this Monday. It will go back to $3.99 after that, so grab a copy now. Books2read.com/SM
Thank you for reading!
Another (perhaps) more productive method is reading, especially outside of my usual genre. I came across a facebook post by the author herself, marketing (like I do!) her book, Swipe Right for Murder. The book has one of those enticing premises that you want to start reading right away, and I did… finishing the book in a day and a half 😆
Here is what the book is about:
DATING IS TOUGH. ESPECIALLY IF THE GUY YOU LIKE MIGHT BE A SERIAL KILLER.
After a devastating heartbreak and a string of short-lived, failed relationships, college student Georgie Itoyama has now decided to approach dating in the same way that she approaches everything else: methodically, logically, and efficiently.
Georgie downloads countless dating apps, determined to find the love of her life as easily as she orders jeans online. And while her love-at-first-sight aspirations don’t exactly come true, she does find someone she likes. Quite a lot.
There’s only one problem. Girls are going missing at Georgie’s university, and all the signs are pointing to . . . him?
But that’s ridiculous. What are the chances that she’s dating an actual serial killer?
Then she matches with Nate. Mysterious, intelligent, and oddly fixated on solving the local disappearances. As Georgie’s relationships deepen with each of her guys, she unwittingly finds herself caught up in the mess that is murder, intrigue, and the nightmare of online dating.
I want to thank Polly for getting me out of the miserable slump I was in, and make me think about something other than my burnout. Also, I totally missed the murderer. I only caught on moments before the reveal (I blame it on a certain bias/statistic regarding serial killers). So, bravo 😅 You got me!
The characters were very likable with believable and genuine relationships and interactions. The only thing that could have been clearer was the layout of the cabin (the image of the layout was a jumbled mess in my head and that took away from some of the suspense). All in all, a sweet, entertaining book that I highly recommend to you all.
I hope that you are well. Remember to take good care of yourselves… I am trying to follow my own advice too 😋
A reminder (if you haven’t already): The Stone Mermaid 🧜♀️ is only $0.99 until this Monday. It will go back to $3.99 after that, so grab a copy now. Books2read.com/SM
Thank you for reading!
September 13, 2021
Sales and Promos
Hi everyone,
Sorry I haven’t been posting as much as usual. I am giving myself a break before getting back to writing again. I wanted to let you know about a few promotions I have lined up. These will be the last promos in a while, so grab a copy while they are still there 😊
You can grab a free copy of my debut, My Dear Ellie, from September 12th to 20th here only: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-dea...
The Stone Mermaid is discounted from $3.99 to $0.99, from September 16th to September 20th only: https://www.books2read.com/SM
I hope that you are well. Thank you for reading!
Sorry I haven’t been posting as much as usual. I am giving myself a break before getting back to writing again. I wanted to let you know about a few promotions I have lined up. These will be the last promos in a while, so grab a copy while they are still there 😊
You can grab a free copy of my debut, My Dear Ellie, from September 12th to 20th here only: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-dea...
The Stone Mermaid is discounted from $3.99 to $0.99, from September 16th to September 20th only: https://www.books2read.com/SM
I hope that you are well. Thank you for reading!
