R.S. Vern's Blog, page 3
January 1, 2013
Wit, subtle humor and even cynicism towards the absurdities found in the human world.
A 5 star book review by Readers Favorite for Book #2
What would it feel like to see the world through the green eyes of a cat? No need to guess, just read “The Unconventional Life of Haee” by R.S. Vern. The story made me keep turning the pages till the very end, as the writing generates beauty through its simplicity. The protagonist is Haee, a cat who prefers the eventful life in the back alley to the monotony of the role of a domestic ‘pet’. Rejecting the safety of a routine life, Haee takes the hard path and encounters several other cat-characters who display a wide and a very interesting diversity of attitudes and behavior. The story is all about how Haee reconciles with this society.
The plot bears features of an allegory, as it contains several levels of understanding. “The Unconventional Life of Haee” can be read and enjoyed as a simple tale woven around an alley-cat, although it has a deeper layer of ideas inter-twined in it. The themes are not made lessons. They are presented just as parts of the world it describes. The cats who appear through the pages of the book epitomize certain stereo-typical characters in human society. They have deep-rooted norms or conventions. Some differ from the majority and live silently. Then there are trouble-makers, like Haee, who change, and who wish to change their immediate world as well. What happens when unconventional attitudes meet standard conventions? R.S. Vern tries to analyse it through her fiction. It being the second book of a series, the writing denotes wit, subtle humor and even cynicism towards the absurdities found in the human world. The story is strewn with illustrations which contribute considerably to the artistic value of this piece of writing. Read “The Unconventional Life of Haee” and enter into the bizarre world of Green Alley, where cats are vegetarians.
Reviewed by Gayani Hathurusingha for Readers Favorite
Buy book at Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, iBookstore, Kobo and ilovebooks.
Filed under: Middling book review Tagged: 5 star book review, black cat, cat, cat book, coming of age book series, ebook. trilogy, haee, middling, middling society, middling world, r.s.vern, readers favorite, tweens, vegetarian, young adult book series
December 18, 2012
A five stars book review by Readers Favorite
Haee The cat with a crooked tail, “Haee and the other middlings”, #1, received a five – stars book review by Readers Favorite. Jessica Porter, book reviewer at Readers Favorite says:
“Are we not as happy as those who are much better off in this world?” After this statement I was hooked! Then seeing that first cat just blew me away! I love all the artwork! Haee gets restless with his life and decides to go looking for adventure and through his adventure he gets lost in a black hole but he meets a new family. He stays with the new family for years observing what they do and how they live their lives. He then again gets restless and decides to go on a new adventure with a street cat. This is where book two starts.
This book was very cute. I loved the wonderful drawings. The only drawing I had an issue with was the one on smoking. The drawings are really what make this book so cute. I can’t wait to get a hold of the rest of them and I think I am a middling as well!”
To continue reading the entire review, please go to http://readersfavorite.com/review/7689 .
Filed under: Middling book review Tagged: 5 stars, book review, cat haee, coming of age, five stars book review, haee the cat, illustrated, middling cat, readers favorite, young adults
December 4, 2012
Middling Industries launches enhanced animated ebook “The Unconventional Life of Haee”, (Haee and the other middlings, #2) by R.S. Vern
The Unconventional Life of Haee (EPUB3 version)
Middling enhanced ebooks are animated with a high level of multi-touch interactivity. Created with the latest publishing technology standard, EPUB3, this ebook challenges the conventional story telling to engage readers in a delightful and thoughtful way. Listen to our protagonist’s dark and pensive thoughts in this version and get to know the characters better.
Set in today’s congested, middling urban city, this bittersweet and seemingly plain story is about Haee, a middling cat who has a huge thirst to break out of the ordinary to seek an extraordinary life. Told with plain, simple text and grim illustrations, this series of books shake us out of our daily routine and forces us to re-examine why we are living as we are today.
Both children and adults will find delight in this wonderful series.
Watch book trailer at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvh5_4Fwr8c
Buy enhanced animated book (USD5.99) on iBookstore at https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/unco...
Filed under: Middling book launch, Uncategorized, Where to buy a middling book Tagged: animated, audio, cathaee, ebook, enhanced book, epub3, graphic, grim, haee, ibookstore, illustrated, interactive, ipad, middling, multi-touch, r.s.vern, young adults
November 11, 2012
“Haee’s excursions will not only capture the imagination of children, but will also get a laugh out of adults.”
“Like all cats, Haee is a curious cat. One day, he decides to venture out of his comfortable home.”
When Haee, the cat with the crooked tail, comes across the black hole, he is overcome by curiosity. As he conjures the infinite roads the black hole can lead to, he decides to enter. After hours of exploring, one turn after another, Haee’s hunger sparks a desire to return home. There’s just one problem: He’s lost and terribly frightened by the darkness. Vern appears to use Haee’s adventures to show his audience, mainly children, the consequences of curiosity.
The second part of Haee’s adventures begin when Tom and Jane free him from the black hole and provide him with a worry-free, comfortable life. Rather than playing with other cats, Haee spends the majority of his time sun bathing. After several years of living in Tom and Jane’s home, he notices that his human friends engage in the same activities at nearly the same time everyday. Though both are happy, each has his or her own insecurities, aspirations, and desire for freedom from the routine activities of everyday life. Surprisingly, Haee is required to follow a daily plan like Tom and Jane, and is rewarded when he is successful.
Perhaps this second part of the book resonates strongly with adults. As children, they are allowed to roam free and explore the world. As grown-ups, they must abide to stringent schedules and deadlines, while constantly running the risk of feeling mechanical. When Haee’s restlessness grows, he leaves Tom and Jane’s home, and builds a new world with a bullied, red-nosed cat named Whie.
Throughout the story, Haee’s display of curiosity and courage are remarkable. When he wants to break free from routine, he simply does. Haee’s excursions will not only capture the imagination of children, but will also get a laugh out of adults as they anticipate the release of the next book in the Haee series.
- The US Review of Books
Filed under: Middling book review Tagged: amazon, animated, audio files, barnes & Noble Nook, black cat, book review, cat, cat haee, ebook reviews, enhanced, epub3, graphic, ibookstore, illustrated, kobo, trilogy
November 5, 2012
“Is that it? Is that what life is all about? Being perfect? Doing all the politically correct things and having it all?”
I like author R.S. Vern’s take on life through the eyes of a cat. It makes it easier for readers to accept the messages she is attempting to get across. What are these messages? You have to read it to find out and I can guarantee that you will be changed, though in a big or small way, it’s up to you.
The author provokes us into thinking outside the box. She wants us to ask: “Is that it? Is that what life is all about? Being perfect? Doing all the politically correct things and having it all?” Sure looks good on the surface … but the illustrations show otherwise.
I like how she combines illustrations and words. I would say the illustrations tell an equally, if not more, compelling story of the ironic messages she is trying to convey. A picture means more than a thousand words, people say. How clever of her!
I would recommend this book to everyone: young adults who are about to embark on their journey of life and adults who outwardly think they have got it all but are unhappy inside. The presentation and approach in this remarkable book is simple and clear enough for children and teens to benefit from it, too! Even better, this is the first book of a trilogy, so if you like this book, you can get the other two when they come out!
There is so much truth in so few words and drawings. The author states: “Looking can make you want. Wanting can get you thinking. If you want them to stop thinking, just give them what they want.” This makes me think, “Will I stop thinking about it once I get what I want; will I start to want something else again and start the process all over, just like Haee The Cat?”
I love this book because it makes me want to question and think. That is not a bad thing at all, I think.
- Cecilia Lee, Reviewer Allbooks Review International
Filed under: Middling book review Tagged: book review, cat haee review, ebook reviews, haee review, middling book review, r.s.vern
October 23, 2012
Official book trailer for “The Unconventional Life of Haee” by R.S. Vern
Just how unconventional is Haee’s life? Watch this dark and funny book trailer and get mystified with cat Haee’s life.
Following Book 1, as Haee gets restless with the material comforts at home, he ventures out and meets a middling cat, Whie, in the back alley. He finds his new friend so fascinating; he decides to stay in the alley.
Fascinated by Whie’s way of life and driven by a need to establish some form of discipline, Haee creates a new set of rules for all the middling cats living in the alley. The alley becomes known as “Green Alley”.
At Green Alley, every cat abides by the new rules. Over time, some begin to break the rules. While “playing police”, Haee starts to question the soundness of his rules and the need for these rules. With the beginnings of monotony and banality setting in, Haee leaves Green Alley without an answer.
Middling ebooks are available in 2 versions: a basic version which reads like a pdf book and an enhanced animated version which comes with interactivity and additional content. We highly recommend the enhanced animated version where you get to listen to Haee’s and Whie’s inner thoughts.
Great for children, highly recommended for young adults and adults. Free Middling app (iPhone, iPad, Android) also available for download on Google Play and itunes.
Book will be launched in the international bookstores this November 2012!
Filed under: About Haee, Middling book launch, Middling book videos, News from the Publisher Tagged: animated, book trailer, cat haee, cat's life, comic, dark city, dark humour, download, ebook, enhanced, epub, epub3, graphic, haee, haee the cat, illustrated, kf8, middlings, mobi, novels, r.s.vern, series, trilogy, unconventional life
October 18, 2012
An interview with Haee by R.S. Vern
17 October 2012
This is an interview with Haee by R.S. Vern. Haee is a middling cat from book series “Haee and the other middlings” created by R.S. Vern. Silent and pensive most of the time, this is the first time he has granted an interview with a human being. After the interview, R.S. Vern revealed she thought she knew Haee, but actually, she does not now. The interview ended abruptly with Haee walking away.
Minuted by Middling Industries
R.S. Vern: So how do you feel now that people are reading about you?
Haee: *blink *blink *purr…. Life goes on. I still eat, sleep, poo, daydream, wait for death.
R.S. Vern: What’s your favourite drink?
Haee: Root – beer. Preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
R.S. Vern: What’s your favourite food?
Haee: Chicken chopped liver is my all time favourite. Occasionally, I like nibbling on prickly plants… just to tickle my throat.
R.S. Vern: Favourite song?
Haee: Currently, it’s “As long as you love me” by Justin Bieber.
R.S. Vern: What’s your favourite TV channel?
Haee: MTV.
R.S. Vern: Do you have an all time favourite book?
Haee: “The Outsider” by Albert Camus. I am intrigued by the character of Meursault. I respect anyone who would die for truth, even if the truth is hard to bear or accept.
When Meursault was sentenced to death at the end, he told the chaplain he had naturally wished for another life sometime. But it meant nothing more than wishing he was rich or could swim faster. It was the same thing and he said finally, “One which would remind me of this life.”
That’s an intriguing statement.
R.S. Vern: Any literary hero?
Haee: Quasimodo, the tragic hero from Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo. He’s romantically humane beneath that totally deformed outer body.
R.S. Vern: Is there a particular book you enjoy reading during rainy days?
Haee: “One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Reading it always reminds me the importance of simple things like a piece of bread, a book, a match, a string and most importantly, what freedom means.
R.S. Vern: What do you plan to read next?
Haee: I was just picking up “Down and out in Paris and London” by George Orwell.
R.S. Vern: Ok. Getting back to favourites. Do you have a favourite colour?
Haee: Are you trying to be funny? I’m colour blind.
R.S. Vern: Em… ok. Sorry… (Embarrassed)
Haee: Don’t be sorry. There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m still alive.
R.S. Vern: Oh… ok. Yes. So you have any favourite food?
Haee: You asked me that earlier.
R.S. Vern: Oh… sorry…
Haee: Stop saying sorry.
R.S. Vern: (Clears throat) If there’s one thing you can change about the world, what would it be?
Haee: To have better and cleaner air in the city.
R.S. Vern: Have you ever wished you could be something else other than a cat?
Haee: I don’t mind being a cat. But sometimes I wish I could walk on 2 legs and not 4. Like you.
R.S. Vern: Why is that?
Haee: Then I can be a bit more normal and perhaps taller.
R.S. Vern: Huh?
Haee: (Rolls eyes)
The interview ended abruptly here as Haee walked away.
Filed under: About Haee, Author's interview, News from the Publisher Tagged: cat book, cat haee, city life, city living, dark humour, ebook, graphic, haee the cat, ibookstore, ilovebooks, irony, kindle, kobo, literary, middling industries, middlingindustries.com, night, nook, r.s.vern, unconventional, urban life, urbanites, young adults
October 2, 2012
Sneak launch of Book 2 from trilogy series “Haee and the other middlings”
Middling Industries proudly launches the 2nd book from its trilogy series “Haee and the other middlings” by R.S. Vern. This ebook is the sequel to the 1st book title “Haee The cat with a crooked tail”. Currently, it is available only on ilovebooks.com. The ebook will be rolled out internationally to Apple iBookstore, Kobo, Barnes and Noble Nook and Amazon Kindle this November.
Similar to Book 1, this Middling ebook comes with 2 versions: 1 basic version and 1 enhanced animated version. The enhanced animated version will only be available on iBookstore, readable on iPad and iPhone.
Filed under: About Haee, Middling book launch, News from the Publisher, Where to buy a middling book Tagged: black, cat haee, comic, dark humour, ebook, epub, ePub 3, family, friends, haee, ilovebooks, irony, love, middle class, middle grade, middling, mobi, multiple reads, relationship, satire, young adults
September 25, 2012
A book review on The Unconventional Life of Haee, 2nd Book from trilogy series “Haee and the other middlings”
How does one leave a middling – that is, average – life behind? And what does an unconventional existence look like?
In the second installment of a three-part series, local author R.S. Vern explores these questions and continues the story of Haee, a cat which is pretty average in every way, save for his exceptionally long tail. The first book in this illustrated series, Haee: The Cat with a Crooked Tail, saw the titular feline leaving behind a comfortable and routine life with his owners, Tom and Jane, to experience life on the streets.
Like the first book, The Unconventional Life of Haee features appealing illustrations which are whimsical but tempered with a dash of quirky, Edward Gorey-style grimness. As the story opens, Haee’s explorations have taken him to the back alley behind the neighbourhood. Here, he befriends a motley crew of cats, including Whie, who is ostracised by the others because of her “unusually big red nose”.
Unlike the others, Haee is attracted to Whie, who he finds “really special and interesting”, and not just because of her oversize schnoz. For starters, the latter is vegetarian – her way of “saving the world and making it a better and more harmonious place to live in”.
Whie’s “queer eating habit” befuddles all the other cats, except Haee. (It’s easy to see the parallel to the human world here: As a once-vegetarian, I can honestly say that few things perplex omnivores more than someone who won’t eat anything which once had a pulse.) Fascinated, Haee learns to eat leftover pizza discarded in the alley instead of the usual roaches and rats. He even goes so far as to implement a set of rules forbidding the alley cats from eating any living creature.
As with many noble New Year’s resolutions and good intentions, things go according to plan for a while. However, it doesn’t take too long before the cats tire of their new lifestyles and revert to their old, roach-hunting ways. Disillusioned, Haee decides to move on without Whie, who is perfectly “comfortable with her life” in the alley.
Ending on an inconclusive note, this book sets the stage for book three, where we’ll (hopefully) find out the answers to questions such as: Will Haee return to a safe and comfortable life with Tom and Jane? Will he see Whie again? And will he ever find the different life he is looking for? Then again, as the author notes, perhaps life is not about achieving that perfect ending, but “having that extraordinary journey”, where dreaming and searching never stops.
The Unconventional Life of Haee, Tuesday, September 18, 2012
By Lynette Koh, Senior Writer, ilovebooks.com
To buy the book or download a sample chapter, please go to http://www.ilovebooks.com/ebooks/home... .
Filed under: About Haee, Middling book launch, Middling book review, Where to buy a middling book Tagged: download, ebook, Edward Gorey, graphic novel, haee, haee the cat, illustrated, life, middling, middling book series, middling ebook, series, trilogy, unconventional
