Ahmad Ardalan's Blog: There is a story inside us all!, page 2

Ahmad Ardalan's Interview at AlSharqiya Channel

January 5th, 2018 I was a guest on a weekly show at AlSharqiya Channel discussing everything related to my books, and the book publishing industry.

During the show, The Gardener of Baghdad was the main topic due to its success globally.



To watch my Arabic interview, click on the link below:

https://youtu.be/7eJMQXkYEGI

Ahmad Ardalan

"The Gardener of Baghdad" Audiobook Launch!

Driving a car? On a train? Bus? Up in the air? No worries.. The Gardener of Baghdad is now available as an Audiobook.

Synopsis

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



To enjoy listening to the golden era of Baghdad, visit:

Audible USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0784MWY47/
Audible UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077S3Q2RF/
Nook Audio https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiob...
Scribid https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/3641...

To learn more about any future releases, and promotions, subscribe to my mail list, visit: http://mad.ly/signups/130001/join

Ahmad Ardalan

Books about Baghdad

Hi All!

I have been reading a lot through the selections of most readers here. I have noticed that almost all books read about Iraq, were written by non Iraqis. Being an English writing Iraqi author, that has sold over 16,000 copies worldwide. I would love it if you could read one of my novels next time when it comes to Iraq.

A quick look at my 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?"

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.



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M91LJGW

Baghdad: The Final Gathering

This heartfelt novel spans through five decades in this once peaceful city.






"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.

Baghdad: The Final Gathering: Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/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



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


Enjoy the beauty of Baghdad!
Ahmad Ardalan

~Matt Vol I~ Free eBook Promotion!

Download your free Copies!

Matt Vol I is the beginning of a Short Story Thriller Series. It will be available for free starting 7/6 till 7/11.




"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 Vol I can be found :

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QKVWNLW
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00QKVWNLW/
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00QKVWNLW/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00QKVWNLW/


To subscribe to my mail list, visit: http://mad.ly/signups/130001/join

Thanks!
Ahmad Ardalan

When nothing is left but love!

Available now in Paperback and eBook!

"Two novels, one city, difficult times...

The Gardener of Baghdad

Baghdad: The Final Gathering





Baghdad: The Final Gathering: Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/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 Gardener of Baghdad:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1515118878

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

To subscribe to my mail list, visit: http://mad.ly/signups/130001/join

Enjoy the Drama!
Ahmad Ardalan

~Baghdad: The Final Gathering~ Available for Pre-order!

Grab your copy!

Baghdad: The Final Gathering is available now for Pre-order. It will be released October 8th, 2016.

This heartfelt fictional novel of hope and love spans through five decades of this once peaceful city.






"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.

Baghdad: The Final Gathering: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K4YX4V8/

To subscribe to my mail list, visit: http://mad.ly/signups/130001/join

Enjoy the Drama!
Ahmad Ardalan

Matt Boxset

Matt: A Matt Godfrey Short thriller Trilogy
is Available now!

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

To subscribe to my mail list, visit: http://mad.ly/signups/130001/join

Enjoy the Suspense!
Ahmad Ardalan

Belief!

"With belief, a dream becomes a reality"

Three years ago, I ventured into the land of self-publishing. I had a dream, a vision, that one day, I would hold a book that had my name on it. Two days ago, my dream became true.

July 2012, I self-published a mystery called "The Clout Of Gen" as an eBook.
July 2014, the same way, but this time it was a novel to a city I call home "The Gardener of Baghdad".

Within a few months, Matt Vol I: as well as Matt Vol II: & Matt Vol III: Hunterman were published. Day by day, the reviews were coming. Then the emails, most of them praising the books at the same time, asking the same question...

"When will there be a Paperback? Something we can hold?"

My answer is Now!


Twenty years, ago, there was an unjust embargo on Iraq. It was hard for me to get newly published books to read, even books that had been published three or five years ago. And now, with the support and help of many, I have published two of my own.

There is nothing, a person can not do, if he or she had the will. A dream is a dream, if you allow it to stay so!










The Gardener of Baghdad
~Amazon~ http://amzn.to/1KBmnFq
~CreateSpace~ https://www.createspace.com/5624171








The Clout of Gen
~Amazon~ http://amzn.to/1eDhJII
~Createspace~ https://www.createspace.com/5634076

My journey to BookBub

29th July, 2014, I finally hit the publish button on Amazon. My novel The Gardener of Baghdad became a reality.

Writing this novel had been an emotional experience. I left Iraq, as the drums of war were getting louder. I only returned back to my hometown eleven years later. Though the visit was short, its effect was intense.

Baghdad despite the wars and unrest was still beautiful in its nature and people. The trip inspired me to write a story of hope and love, a heartfelt tale that would paint another fair picture about this magical city that was otherwise portrayed badly be the media over the years.

***



As the days passed by, the reviews were coming from those who had read the novel. Most of them were encouraging, but the success, I had envisioned for this novel was still not what I had hoped for. There was something not clicking, a piece of the puzzle was missing.
This missing piece became more and more important, and reached its peak, when I was rejected by the biggest book promoter for eBooks, Bookbub for the third time.

I finally decided to put this problem on the table, and there was no better place than the friendly blog for authors Kboards. To be precise the Writers' Café thread.

I asked a simple question …..


“Why? Why would Bookbub reject a story that had so much heart into it?”


Many of my fellow authors replied. Some would say it was because it was still new. Give it time. Others mentioned, it needed more reviews. But the majority answered by

“You need to think of a new cover!”

And that was when the artistic Scarlett Rugers, who had done great covers for many, volunteered to take the challenge of designing a new cover for me, and all that, free of charge.
Of course I was more than happy, as her work was more than beautiful.

My Old Cover:




It took Scarlett just over a week to transfer my words into a lovely cover that showed beauty and passion. Something The Gardener of Baghdad showed throughout his journey in Baghdad, five decades ago.





Within a day, I uploaded the new cover on Amazon, and approached Bookbub, the result brought joy beyond any explanation.


“Hi Ahmad,


Thanks for your submission! We’d be happy to feature your title The Gardener of Baghdad.”

My Date with Bookbub is set... 11th of April

I read the email again and again, I was still in disbelief. I danced to some of my favorite music, then when I was back on Earth, I sent an email to the person, who made all this happen, Scarlett Rugers.


Scarlett, thank you. You are a true kind and humble talent.


To all the Iraqis at home, and scattered around the world. We will be back as a united nation.


To all the people around, there is always hope. I dedicate this novel to you.



To enjoy the beauty of Baghdad, visit:









USA http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M91LJGW
UK http://goo.gl/hlOVFS

To learn more about any future releases,and promotions, subscribe to my mail list, visit: http://mad.ly/signups/130001/join

Ahmad Ardalan

~New Cover~ The Gardener of Baghdad

“For those who believe in love at all costs, this one is for you..”

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?"



To enjoy the golden era of Baghdad, visit:

USA http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M91LJGW
UK http://goo.gl/hlOVFS

To learn more about any future releases,and promotions, subscribe to my mail list, visit: http://mad.ly/signups/130001/join

Ahmad Ardalan