Ahmad Ardalan's Blog: There is a story inside us all!

Nfts, Novels, and Me

"What is an NFT?"



A non-fungible token is a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a blockchain, a form of digital ledger. NFTs can be associated with reproducible digital files such as photos, videos, and audio.

What do I as an author have to do with NFT?

Like all fans of artists, sportsmen, brands, cooks, or about anyone you can think of, readers are also entitled to get more from an author other than physical or digital books. Imagine getting exclusive Nfts, news, airdrops related to the author you follow, or from a book you love and cherish. That's why I have started to venture in this new and exciting world.

I will be giving away a free nft of my original books' catalogue to all those follow the guidelines on my website. There are only 85 left!

I have also launched the first drop of my 50 1/1 NFT collection of The Loop of Misery

Interested to learn more?

Visit my website http://www.ahmadardalan.net/nft.html

Audiobook for The Gardener Of Baghdad

"Two people, one city, different times; connected by a memoir. Can love exist in a city destined for decades of misery?"

Adnan leads a weary existence as a bookshop owner in modern-day, war-torn Baghdad, where bombings, corruption and assault are everyday occurrences and the struggle to survive has suffocated the joy out of life for most. But when he begins to clean out his bookshop of forty years to leave his city in search of somewhere safer, he comes across the story of Ali, the Gardener of Baghdad, Adnan rediscovers through a memoir handwritten by the gardener decades ago that beauty, love and hope can still exist, even in the darkest corners of the world.



With over 2500 audiobook downloads, The Gardener of Baghdad is now available at all websites below:


https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/...
https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/...
https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks...
https://play.google.com/store/audiobo...
https://www.hibooks.com/discover/audi...
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/1...
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/...
https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiob...
https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/3641...
https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Garden...
https://www.storytel.com/se/sv/books/...
https://bingebooks.com/book/the-garde...
https://libro.fm/audiobooks/978150945...

Audiobook deal For The Gardener of Baghdad

Chirpbooks is offering a limited time deal on The Gardener of Baghdad Audiobook for $3.99.

To grab your copy click on:

https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks...



"Two people, one city, different times; connected by a memoir. Can love exist in a city destined for decades of misery?"

Adnan leads a weary existence as a bookshop owner in modern-day, war-torn Baghdad, where bombings, corruption and assault are everyday occurrences and the struggle to survive has suffocated the joy out of life for most. But when he begins to clean out his bookshop of forty years to leave his city in search of somewhere safer, he comes across the story of Ali, the Gardener of Baghdad, Adnan rediscovers through a memoir handwritten by the gardener decades ago that beauty, love and hope can still exist, even in the darkest corners of the world.



For all other versions and availability you can click below:

ebook Format:

Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M91LJGW
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M91LJGW/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Gardener-Baghda...
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Gardener-Ba...
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-...
Googleplay https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/the-...
Other Retailers https://www.books2read.com/u/m0xyPJ

Audiobook:

Audible USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0784MWY47/
Audible UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077S3Q2RF/
Audible Canada https://www.audible.ca/pd/The-Gardene...
Audible Australia https://www.audible.com.au/pd/The-Gar...
Nook Audio https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiob...
Scribid https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/3641...
Googleplay https://play.google.com/store/audiobo...
Apple iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook...
Audiobooks https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/...
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/audiobook/...
Overdrive https://www.overdrive.com/media/36959...
Libro FM https://libro.fm/audiobooks/978150945...
stories https://www.estories.com/audiobook/18...
Downpour https://www.downpour.com/the-gardener...

Paperback:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1515118878
Barnes & Noble: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ga...
Chapters Indigo Canada: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/...


____________________________________________________

Author Page: http://www.ahmadardalan.net/

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ahmad...

Join my mailing list for all the latest
http://mad.ly/signups/130001/join

Ahmad Ardalan

A hopeful dream....

After staring at the ceiling for more than an hour, I was finally asleep, but I wasn’t in my dream.
I was walking and walking beside a small stream, and only stopped as I saw a big rounded tree. What made me stop was that the tree had leaves the size of a palm. Bigger then any size I had seen in my life.
I stepped under its shade looking closer at the magical tree and found that my name was carved at its big trunk.
I was still surprised and bewildered at my finding when I felt the tree shake and a leaf fell in front of me. I was about to pick it up when more and more leaves started to fall, Leaving
the tree with only half of the leaves. I tried my best to stop my tree from shaking when I woke up from my dream. I was breathing heavily. My heart was beating fast. I was soaked.

“My life, The leaves are falling one by one from my life.”
I said to myself, as I closed my eyes hoping for my life to find spring again.

Ahmad Ardalan

Interview with Rita Chapman

 
I would like to thank Rita Chapman for the interesting interview we did a few weeks back.

Below is the full interview:

“This week it is my pleasure to interview Ahmad Ardalan. Would you please introduce yourself to my readers and share something about your life.
 
First, I would like to thank you for interviewing me.
I am an Iraqi, born in Baghdad in 1979. A continuous cancer-fighting warrior. I spent most of my childhood in Vienna, Austria after my parents relocated there following my father’s appointing at the United Nations. After his diplomatic mission finished at the end of 1989, I returned to Iraq, where I continued my studies and graduated from the University of Dentistry. As a result of the unstable political, military, social, and economic conditions in my home country, I decided to leave Iraq and move to the United Arab Emirates, which has been my home since then. After facing difficulties to pursue my career in dentistry at the start, I opted to pursue employment in the business world. Since then, I have has held several senior roles within the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries, throughout much of the Middle East.
I began writing less than a decade ago, I hope throughout this interview you will get to know more about my journey.
 
When did you write your first book and how did it come about?
I wrote my first book The Clout Of Gen in 2012. The book borders between Sci-fi and suspense with its main theme related to time-travel.
Ever since I was a child, I became fascinated with time travel after watching an American series about two scientists traveling through time called The Time Tunnel. This whole adventure about the quest to change the past or altering the future played in my head since then, and nearly two decades later, I penned my first book about that intriguing subject.
 
Do you always write in the same genre or do you mix it up?
I write only when something really formulates inside, and after six novels, and seven years of writing, the result is novels in different genre.
 
When you write, do you start with an idea and sit down and let it evolve, or do you make notes and collect ideas on paper beforehand?
I would have to say both, it starts with an idea, then throughout the imagination, the studies, taking notes start to blend in, and thus a novel at the end.
 
Would you like to give us a short excerpt from one of your books?
“As we talked and got to know each other, I noticed that Akram often drifted away from our conversations, as if he was somewhere else. Since he was an artist, I was compelled to ask him about how he got his start, about his vision as a creator of art. So, after my third glass of excellent white wine, I sat beside him and found the courage. “Why do you paint, Akram?” I asked. “What—”
“Close your eyes, Sebastian,” he said, stopping me. “Just for a minute, close them and tell me what you see.”
I did as he asked and answered, “Nothing, just black.”
He tilted my head a bit to the west. “Open them now and find the blessing of vision. This abundance, the explosion, the mixture of colors, the movement, life passing by… See the sun setting? What colors can you find in the sea? Surely there are blue and gray, but don’t you also see that darker gray, light green, even black? Look at the hues of the sun drowning in the sea, melting in oranges, reds, purples. Look at those trees over there. Look at the waves, at me, at your hands, the eyes[…]”
Excerpt From
The Art Collector of Le Marais
 
Who is your favourite character and why?
One year ago I would have easily answered that with saying Ali, The Gardener of Baghdad because of his genuine emotional soul, his optimistic look on life, a true man of love and hope, but after finishing my latest novel The Art Collector of Le Marais, it is obvious it is Sebastian, the art collector himself. His undying passion for arts, the fuming eager of challenge, and his love for the continuous learning of cultures all over the world has made him the closest to my heart.
 
Which of your books gave you the most pleasure to write?
The Art Collector of Le Marais, was a blast. I enjoy art a lot, and visiting museums and galleries around the world, as well as reading about artists, especially those that made Paris their home was a beautiful ride. I usually finish writing my novels within six months, with The Art Collector, the ideas were flowing so fast, I finished it in less than two months.
 
What is the best marketing tip you have received?
Write more books, and keep promoting from time to time. A wheel always has to move, otherwise it will stop one day.
 
How would you describe yourself?
A traveler, a man that is thirsty to learn more and more about the beauty of life, and the differences of those that live on it.
 
What do you do when you are not writing or reading?
Either working as I manage my region for a big German company within the Food and Beverage industry, or traveling all over the world.
 
If you could holiday anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
I think this is a real tough one, very tough, as I have been thinking about this now for the past five minutes, eeem I think somewhere around Wolfgangsee, the beautiful lake in Austria, just watching life from a balcony from one of the flats nested above the lake is satisfying for the soul. Mountains, snow, boats, forests, the skies. What can I say more.
 
What is the biggest factor for you when selecting a book to read?
My mood at that moment, sometimes I need to calm down, thus I go for a literary read, sometimes I need something to flow with my adrenaline, so I would look for a thriller or a suspense book.
 
Do you have your own website?
Yes, I do, and thanks for asking me about that. It has all the details about my novels, and where you can find them.
http://www.ahmadardalan.net/
 
Are you working on a new book at the moment?
No I am not, as my latest novel came out only two months ago, and I am busy with promoting that as well as my other books.
 
Do you have any events or book promotions coming up that you would like to tell us about?
I have promotions every now and then, I usually announce that on my Instagram page. Another reason for those interested to follow me there by adding Ahmad_Ardalan









Follow me on Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ahmad...

Ahmad Ardalan
 

Ebook Release of “The Art Collector of Le Marais”

"The Art Collector of Le Marais " official release of the paperback and ebook versions!

My latest novel The Art Collector of Le Marais is now available in all formats.
Back in summer I traveled to Paris, and during my week strolling within the Le Marais area of the city, I was taken back by its rich artistic culture and long influence on art history.
Soon after my return, I started studying the influence of Paris on the impressionist era. I spent hours in the night learning about all the artists who left their homes and lives and settled in this beautiful city despite living in poverty, just to showcase their art to the world. Some even dying before achieving the success that followed. This is a story about them.


Synopsis


In the city of lights, Paris, the art capital of the world, how can one man stand above the rest?

Ever since young Sebastian heard of his grandfather’s chance meeting with the great Victor Hugo in 1877, he had been interested in literature, paintings, and poetry. Wandering around various libraries and museums at an early age only stirred that curiosity into an immense passion within him, a deep love and desire for art.
After realizing his dream of opening a gallery in the Le Marais district of Paris, Sebastian faces one hurdle after another. Bad luck, Betrayal, revenge, and fierce competition carry him to the verge of total collapse and failure, but through it all, one question remained: How much of his life would Sebastian sacrifice for art, his first true love?





Ebook

Amazon ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N6MDFBW
Apple Store ebook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id14...
Google play ebook: https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
Kobo ebook: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-...


Paperback

Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1792042213
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1792042213/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1792042213/
Barnes and noble: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ar...


Ahmad Ardalan Author Page: http://www.ahmadardalan.net/

Follow me on Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ahmad...

Ahmad Ardalan

Official release of The Art Collector of Le Marais

"The Art Collector of Le Marais " official release

My latest novel The Art Collector of Le Marais Paperback is now available. Back in summer I traveled to Paris, and during my week strolling within the Le Marais area of the city, I was taken back by its rich artistic culture and long influence on art history.
Soon after my return, I started studying the influence of Paris on the impressionist era. I spent hours in the night learning about all the artists who left their homes and lives and settled in this beautiful city despite living in poverty, just to showcase their art to the world. Some even dying before achieving the success that followed. This is a story about them.


Synopsis


In the city of lights, Paris, the art capital of the world, how can one man stand above the rest?

Ever since young Sebastian heard of his grandfather’s chance meeting with the great Victor Hugo in 1877, he had been interested in literature, paintings, and poetry. Wandering around various libraries and museums at an early age only stirred that curiosity into an immense passion within him, a deep love and desire for art.
After realizing his dream of opening a gallery in the Le Marais district of Paris, Sebastian faces one hurdle after another. Bad luck, Betrayal, revenge, and fierce competition carry him to the verge of total collapse and failure, but through it all, one question remained: How much of his life would Sebastian sacrifice for art, his first true love?




Paperback

Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1792042213
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1792042213/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1792042213/
Barnes and noble: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ar...


Ahmad Ardalan Author Page: http://www.ahmadardalan.net/

Follow me on Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ahmad...

Ahmad Ardalan

Another Milestone for "The Gardener of Baghdad"

Over 30,000 Copies sold!

A few years back I self-published The Gardener of Baghdad. At that time, I could not imagine that it would be read in more than forty countries.
Till date it has:
Ranked #9 at USA Amazon Store
Ranked #19 at UK Amazon Store.
Ranked #8 at Australia Amazon Store.
Ranked #7 at Canada Amazon Store.
Ranked #11 at Barnes & Noble.
Ranked #13 at Kobo.
Ranked #21 at itunes stores.

The response has been overwhelming, and now I am in the long process with publishers to translate it into Spanish, Arabic, Italian, and French.
The best is yet to come!

"Thank you all!"


You can find all the information needed about it below:

The Gardener of Baghdad

"Two people, one city, different times; connected by a memoir. Can love exist in a city destined for decades of misery?"

Adnan leads a weary existence as a bookshop owner in modern-day, war-torn Baghdad, where bombings, corruption and assault are everyday occurrences and the struggle to survive has suffocated the joy out of life for most. But when he begins to clean out his bookshop of forty years to leave his city in search of somewhere safer, he comes across the story of Ali, the Gardener of Baghdad, Adnan rediscovers through a memoir handwritten by the gardener decades ago that beauty, love and hope can still exist, even in the darkest corners of the world.



ebook Format:

Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M91LJGW
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M91LJGW/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Gardener-Baghda...
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Gardener-Ba...
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-...
Googleplay https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/the-...
Other Retailers https://www.books2read.com/u/m0xyPJ

Audiobook:

Audible USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0784MWY47/
Audible UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077S3Q2RF/
Audible Canada https://www.audible.ca/pd/The-Gardene...
Audible Australia https://www.audible.com.au/pd/The-Gar...
Nook Audio https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiob...
Scribid https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/3641...
Googleplay https://play.google.com/store/audiobo...
Apple iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook...
Audiobooks https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/...
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/audiobook/...
Overdrive https://www.overdrive.com/media/36959...
Libro FM https://libro.fm/audiobooks/978150945...
stories https://www.estories.com/audiobook/18...
Downpour https://www.downpour.com/the-gardener...

Paperback:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1515118878
Barnes & Noble: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ga...
Chapters Indigo Canada: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/...


____________________________________________________

Author Page: http://www.ahmadardalan.net/

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ahmad...

Join my mailing list for all the latest
http://mad.ly/signups/130001/join

Ahmad Ardalan

The Art Collector of Le Marais

Yesterday I received the first edited draft of my latest literary fiction novel The Art Collector of Le Marais. I expect to work on it for the next few weeks. I am targeting early next year for its release.


For now, you can have a peek at its synopsis:


In the city of lights, Paris, the art capital of the world, how can one man stand above the rest?

Ever since young Sebastian heard of his grandfather’s chance meeting with the great Victor Hugo in 1877, he had been interested in literature, paintings, and poetry. Wandering around various libraries and museums at an early age only stirred that curiosity into an immense passion within him, a deep love and desire for art.
After realizing his dream of opening a gallery in the Le Marais district of Paris, Sebastian faces one hurdle after another. Bad luck, Betrayal, revenge, and fierce competition carry him to the verge of total collapse and failure, but through it all, one question remained: How much of his life would Sebastian sacrifice for art, his first true love?

Until then....

Ahmad Ardalan

My journey in writing!

Hello,

I have always loved reading books ever since I could recall. One day in 2012, I began writing, and after six years, I have written three novels, a novella, and a thriller trilogy. I would like to share my work with you all.

Novels

The Gardener of Baghdad

"Two people, one city, different times; connected by a memoir. Can love exist in a city destined for decades of misery?"




Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M91LJGW
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00M91LJGW/


Baghdad: The Final Gathering

"Wars, an embargo, and forbidden love in this once peaceful city...."

With the drums of war just weeks away, Omar invites all those closest to his heart for lunch at his lavish villa overlooking the Tigris River of Baghdad. He can't help but smile at the faces that have graced his eventful life that spans from an interesting childhood, the two Gulf Wars, and the inhumane embargo that crippled the nation. Loved ones come together, probably for the last time, in the city their ancestors called Baghdad or Baghdadu, "God’s Gift."
Memories upon memories linger in Omar's head. He has survived times of struggle, holding on to hope and love along the way. As he reflects on his journey, as a man destined to live a hard life in tumultuous times, he ponders a clouded future, on the brink of unknown change.





"Wars, an embargo, and forbidden love in this once peaceful city...."


Baghdad: The Final Gathering: AmazonUSA :https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K4YX4V8/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01K4YX4V8/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01K4YX4V8/
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01K4YX4V8/
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/bagh...
Barnes and Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bagh...
GooglePlay:https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
ibook Store & Other Platforms:https://www.books2read.com/u/bzaZgj

The Clout Of Gen



This Time-Travel Suspense, is a mystery fiction that deals with conspiracy stretched for decades.


"What if major events in history have been planned decades ahead?"


Newspaper reporter John Teddy’s miserable life is turned upside down when he uncovers a voice from the past—a voice that suspiciously knows far too much about the would-be future. John’s natural curiosity to understand the hidden message takes him to places he never imagined seeing, and ongoing conspiracies he never thought existed. The more John gets involved, the more he is led towards mysteries that are beyond his understanding. The circle of people involved grows bigger stretching from west to east; each step forward is like a step backward.

https://www.books2read.com/u/bzaPZD


A novella

The Boy of the Mosque set in a fictional village in Iraq.

Synopsis


In the Year ‪1258, Baghdad‬, the capital of the great Abbasid Caliphate, fell to the Moguls. Within hours, the city of enlightenment was swallowed up by darkness, another society becoming a victim of hatred and greed. The mighty Tigris flowed with blue and red, the blood of its people and the ink from the age-old scrolls of knowledge, all heartlessly washed away. In spite of the turmoil and chaos, twelve families managed to flee. Far away they wandered, leaving behind their beautiful homeland that had been reduced to death and rubble. Together, that remnant from Baghdad established a new community, one that lived in peace and harmony for centuries. Centuries later, in 2017, mercenaries and militias took over that charming village, threatening to destroy the happy existence the people had worked so hard to rebuild. What will be the fate of those innocent people and their heritage? That hangs in the balance as all must rely on one man, The Boy of the Mosque.




Kindle

Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079TQCX49/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079TQCX49/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B079TQCX49/
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B079TQCX49/

Paperback

Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1984982680/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1984982680/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1984982680/
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1984982680/

A Thriller Trilogy

Matt: A Matt Godfrey Short thriller Trilogy


Matt" is a short novella thriller trilogy.

"They murdered my wife two years ago...
Tonight, you die.
I am Matt, your nightmare!"

On a quiet night like any other, Matt, a successful entrepreneur, returns home to his gorgeous villa, only to find his wife brutally murdered. A soft verdict against the culprits, a gang of violent teenagers, spins Matt's relatively calm and collected demeanor into something far more sinister. In a manic rage, he seeks vengeance for what has been stolen from him, and he lashes out against the weak system. Sleepless, lonely, tormented nights torture him, filling his head and his heart with frustration, hate, and anger, unleashing an entirely different side of the man--a monster even he did not know existed within him. From Berlin to Rome to Paris, the great cities of the world suffer in the wake of his wrath, as brutal, barbaric killings seem to be the only temporary antidote for his fuming, blood-boiling rage. His victims, so easily deprived of life, seem to be the only cure, the only way to soothe his yearning for revenge, or are they?



Matt Boxset:

https://www.books2read.com/u/mqpGvQ

Ahmad Ardalan Author Page: http://www.ahmadardalan.net/

Follow me on Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ahmad...

Ahmad Ardalan