Urban Book Reviews reviews The Prophecy …
April 09, 2017
The Prophecy by Petra Landon is an urban fantasy readers don’t want to miss. I found myself deeply engaged page after page. The plot is intriguing. It has action, adventure, and romance …
Petra Landon has phenomenal skills. Her characters dragged me out of this world and straight into theirs. I loved it. The Prophecy is the first novel to this new series. I can’t wait to read the next book …
Deadly secrets and a fantasy that will keep readers entertained. I couldn’t stop reading it … Overall, I recommend TheProphecy to readers worldwide.
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A sprinkling of NEW reviews
A very clear world with interesting characters that I would be very happy to see more of in the fleshing out of this ongoing tale … Love the characters, and the differences between the group’s. This world rocks. Looking forward to more from these folks and soon please!
Really enjoyed this book . Things moved at a fast pace and was full of twists and turns, with lots of interesting Characters. It kept my interest all the way through and I read a lot of books …
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New 5 star review on Amazon UK
Really enjoyed this book . Things moved at a fast pace and was full of twists and turns, with lots of interesting Characters. It kept my interest all the way through and I read a lot of books …
Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.
– Ludwig van Beethoven
This weeks’s inspiration is music from around the world. I have very eclectic taste in music and I always find music to be a fantastic way to relax and to inspire the creative mind.
Welcome to the fourth edition of Books Feed My Soul, where we celebrate our imagination and everything that feeds it. This week, I had my first editorial review from one of the few book bloggers that agreed to review The Prophecy. Esther Dauvillier of BitIntoBooks was kind enough to fit me into her tight schedule and was a pleasure to work with. You can read her review of The Prophecy here.
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.
– Lao Tzu
The above quote aptly describes Yunupingu’s voice to me. It is powerful and haunting. I could listen to his Bapa every day. That most of us cannot understand the lyrics of his songs seems irrelevant. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is an indigenous Australian musician who sings mostly in the Yolŋu languages and occasionally in English. Born blind in a small island off the coast of northern Australia, his music took Australia by storm with his album Gurrumul. I discovered him while listening to another fantastic indigenous Australian band, Yothu Yindi, which means mother and child. Two songs from his debut solo album Gurrumul are featured below.
Bapa : I don’t know how to describe this song. I have no words. I believe when you hear it, you’ll know what I mean.
Wiyathul : This is the song that brought Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu mainstream attention.
In the Mood for Love
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.
– Victor Hugo
In the Mood for Love is a a Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai. It premiered on 20 May 2000 at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme dd’Or with Tony Leung being awarded Best Actor. The film’s original Chinese title, meaning “the age of blossoms” or “the flowery years” is a Chinese metaphor for the fleeting time of youth, beauty and love. The soundtrack features absolutely haunting music and if you see it with the stunning visuals, it will evoke feelings hard to articulate.
Yumeji’s Theme by Shigeru Umebayashi is spectacular. There are multiple variations of it in the film. This particular theme is also called the Angkor Theme which seems particularly fortuitous since Books Feed My Soul just featured the majestic temple.
Director Wong Kar-wai convinced Nat King Cole to sing for the film since his mother was a huge fan. Here’s Nat King Cole singing in Spanish for In the Mood for Love.
Pink mArtini
If music be the food of love, play on.
– William Shakespeare
Portland, Oregon based Pink Martini is one of my favorite bands in the world. I have been a fan since I first heard them in college at a local music festival and was blown away by their music. They call themselves the ‘little orchestra’ that sings songs from around the world.
Amado Mio : The first song I heard from Pink Martini from their album Sympathique. Then, it was lead singer China singing it. This version has Storm Large who is equally fantastic.
Pink Martini singing a traditional Romanian folk song.
I love so much of their music that it is hard to choose but here’s Pink Martini with Donde Estas Yolanda, sung by original lead singer, China Forbes.
Souad Massi
Music is the universal language of mankind.
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This fantastic French-Algerian singer of Berber descent has an amazing voice and sings in six languages. Her debut album Deb (Heartbroken) has some fantastic songs.
Ghir Enta (I love you) : My favorite song from her album Deb.
Paris : Singing in French with Marc Lavoine
Ya Qalbi from her album Deb.
Loreena Mckenitt
Where words fail, music speaks.
– Hans Christian Anderson
She’s a Canadian singer who sings Celtic music. My favorite by far is her version of the haunting Tang to Evora.
Netflix has a recording of a live concert by Loreena McKenitt at the majestic Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It is worth it just to see the visuals of Alhambra at night. The images evoked memories of my own visit to Andalusia and the breath-taking Alhambra.
You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.
– John Mason
As John Mason reminds us so eloquently, follow your dreams. That is what we are all meant to do. So remember, try and make the time to do the things that fire your imagination and make you happy. Go out there and read, write, create, draw, listen, sing, dance, talk, do and be.
MINDFULNESS TIP
A few easy ways to incorporate mindfulness into your day. All it needs is five minutes.
When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.
– Lao Tzu
Slow down and smell the Roses
In our hectic daily lives, we are always on the move. When we catch our breath, it is between finishing up something and heading somewhere. Make a conscious decision to stop for just five minutes in your day – slow down and look around you. Is a flower blooming somewhere, do you feel good about something, can you hear someone’s laughter around you? Just a reminder to stop and savor the moment. My yoga teacher calls it ‘being present on the mat‘ but it applies to every day life too.
Take a few slow breaths
Find a quiet corner somewhere, close your eyes, and breath in and out slowly. It will calm your body and mind. Breathing deeply helps your physical well-being and helps center you. Do not worry if at first it seems like you have to work at it. If you practice this regularly, eventually this will come naturally and help calm your mind. This is especially useful on particularly stressful days.
Take a few minutes for yourself
Find the time to savor something in your life, to think about something you enjoyed (a book or music or a funny article you read that morning), or just to enjoy some chocolate or a cup of coffee. Make the time to do something that brings you joy. And slow down while you do it to savor the moment.
Stretch your body
Take a short break to stretch your body. If your job involves a desk, take a break to stretch your legs, go for a short walk or just find a quiet corner to stretch whatever parts of your body feel stiff that day. For me, I find it helpful to close my eyes for a few seconds to simply check in. Usually, that is a great opportunity for your body to let you know if something feels tight. Make sure to gently stretch your legs, neck, shoulders or whatever feels tight.
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Until the next installment of Books Feed My Soul, happy reading!
#BooksFeedMySoul #Travel
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Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.
– Unknown
What a very lovely quote that calls to me. How better to celebrate your imagination than to pursue fearlessly what sets your soul on fire. Feed your imagination and it will reward you.
Welcome to the third edition of Books Feed My Soul, my weekly rambles on everything that inspires me and encourages me to be creative. The week has been a mixed bag as it relates to my book, The Prophecy. I had two new reviews show up on Amazon; by readers taking the time to leave a candid and thoughtful opinion of the book. I have to admit that it left me floating on air. But even more importantly, it felt like a little jolt right when I needed a sign from the universe that I wasn’t merely meandering slowly but ever so steadily down a rabbit hole. As I’m learning, getting a book, especially a self-published one, in front of readers likely to give it a chance, can be a Herculean task. On the flip side, I have been privileged to meet many kind and thoughtful people who take the time to freely offer their hard-earned wisdom as well as words of encouragement to first-time authors like me.
The opportunities of people are limited only by their imagination. But so few have imagination that there are ten thousand fiddlers to one composer. – Charles F. Kettering
I had read this a while ago and it seemed like the right time to remind myself to reach for the sky (i.e, my own composition). After all, fiddling will always come naturally without expending much effort.
Since this week has been so much of a roller-coaster for me, I picked this week’s inspiration to be a magical place that I shall forever count as one of my favorite places in the world – Santorini. Santorini – the island of romance, volcanoes, dreams, cities perched dangerously on the caldera’s edge, windmills, white-washed buildings topped with blue domes and ubiquitous Greek island poster cards. Oh, and Vin Santo, a fantastic dessert wine made only on Santorini. During my week long stay on Santorini, I will admit that many glasses of Vin Santo were sampled.
Ancient Thera
Volcanic island with the spectacular views of the caldera
The Island
Santorini has a lot to offer even if you’re not enthused about spending all your time gazing at the caldera – it looks different from the same view point every minute of the day as the sun shifts its way from east to west. I remember the beautiful windmill structures on the northern end of the island. There has been a revival of ancient grape strains on the island and many wineries now offer very unique wines from ancient Greek grapes grown on Santorini. Since the island is incredibly dry with little in the way of rain, the grapes grow in little basket-looking vines where the leaves protect them from the worst of the heat and sustain them with moisture they draw from the ground. You can find these grape vines all over the island – every little bit of space has a couple of vines growing on it. Sigalas, the only winery in Oia, offers some fantastic wines. You can sample their wines at amazing prices amidst a spectacular vista of pomegranate trees, vineyard and riots of bright flowers climbing on a shaded pergola. Boutari is another winery whose wines we loved. Their Vin Santo is hands down the best I had on Santorini. Santo Wines has the distinction of having a large terrace that has some of the most spectacular views of the caldera from the south end. My other memories of the island in summer are the riots of bougainvillea everywhere and the sight of a traditionally dressed man on a brightly decorated donkey crossing the road amidst the chaotic traffic. Donkeys are ubiquitous on the island, especially on Oia, where they work hard to take goods up and down into the ports at the base of the caldera, colorfully clothed and tinkling with bells as they follow their leader amiably. One, seemingly curious donkey, stopped to give a terrified me the gimlet eye and had to be coaxed away to look for other prey. 🙂
OIA
Once an artist’s colony, it is one of the most visited parts of beautiful Santorini with accommodations for every range of traveller. It tends to get crazy crowded during high season in the afternoon, when tourists come pouring in to check out the spectacular caldera views by clambering over the roof tops of the cave houses that cling to the edge of the caldera in an unbelievable medley. The food is fantastic, although I will admit that I’m biased when it comes to Greek food in general. One of my favorite restaurants in Oia, recommended by our host, serves Cyprian food and I still remember the food, the spectacular view from the terrace and one memorable evening when island music was sung live by a trio of locals.
Red Beach
A little strip of beach hewn into rocky cliffs of red rock that can only be approached after a short hike through a path strewn with loose stones and marked by signs that warn the hiker of frequent rock slides. The water of the crystal clear Aegean sea is warm and clean, unlike anything I have ever felt before. A boat comes straight into the beach to take all comers to the White Beach, a white sand beach that can only be accessed by boat from Red Beach. This beach is at the tip of the island called Akrotiri which a lot of people believe once held a settlement we call ‘The Lost World of Atlantis’. The beaches on the Aegean Sea and the ones on the Atlantic Ocean are different but each very nice in their own way.
Akrotiri – The Lost World of Atlantis
Many believe that the Minoan settlement of Akrotiri to be the Lost World of Atlantis.
Sunset over the Caldera
We lived in Oia in a cave house with spectacular views of the caldera from the open air terrace, the living room and even the tiny window of our kitchenette. I have very fond memories of having coffee while watching the sun rise, lazing on the couch with a book in my hand while I waited for the glare of the sun to die down, cooking in the tiny kitchenette with fresh vegetables from the local market, enjoying a glass of wine on our private terrace during siesta while the crowds surged into the main square of tiny Oia ( with the cruise ship passengers being ferried in from the ferry terminal of Fira) and wandering the streets of Oia late at night to shop for souvenirs after a late dinner at one of many excellent restaurants on Oia. I also remember early morning walks to gorge on the sumptuous semolina cakes form the local bakery. We did venture to catch the sunset over the western most tip of Oia one evening but that was a sad crush with everyone (mostly tourists like us) squeezed rather uncomfortably into a tiny square attempting to catch the last rays of spectacular sunsets over Santorini.
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.
– Albert Einstein
As Einstein aptly reminds us, imagination can sometimes be more of an asset than knowledge. Remember, try and find the time to do the things that fire your imagination. And always celebrate it. Your imagination makes you unique. So, go out there and read, write, create, draw, listen, sing, dance, talk, do and be.
MINDFULNESS TIP
If you’re having a tough week, try these five restorative yoga poses from TheJournalJunkie to reduce stress and relieve tension.
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Until the next installment of Books Feed My Soul, happy reading!
#BooksFeedMySoul #Travel
If you would like to know when I add a new post for #BooksFeedMySoul
The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless
– Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Celebrate your imagination – it is an ingredient crucial to creating anything. More importantly, it is an essential part of a human being – the essence of you.
Welcome to the second edition of Books Feed My Soul, my rambles about anything and everything that inspires me to create and be. The last month has been busy as I attempt to learn the ropes about promoting my first book, The Prophecy. Since book promotion, a Kindle Countdown Deal and spreading the word on social media has taken up most of my attention, both reading and writing have unfortunately taken a back seat. It is now time to get back to what fires my imagination.
Traveling – it leaves you speechless and then turns you into a story teller.
–Ibn Battuta
As I would like to go back to being a story teller again, this edition will focus on a trip I took a few years ago. This week’s inspiration for Books Feed My Soul comes from the majestic Angkor Wat and surrounding temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I spent a fabulous five days in Siem Reap a few years ago, wandering through the temples by day and feasting on sumptuous Khmer cuisine by evening. Siem Reap also has some fantastic and authentic Thai restaurants. Having visited Thailand before, I can certainly attest to the authenticity of the Thai food on offer in the city. At night, we wandered the night markets, to check out the lovely art being sold on the streets and occasionally, to partake of the massages offered to wandering tourists on chairs in the open air market. The occasion was always festive and the people hospitable. I remember the crisp clean air of the city as we took the half-motorcyle-half-rickshaw style transport so ubiquitous there. While Cambodia is still recovering from the war and genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge, there also seems to be a fledgeling sense of optimism in its people.
Angkor WAT
The most majestic of all the temples in the complex.
BAYON
The faces of Bayon – mysterious and haunting!
I went back twice, just to ponder the faces again and again, from all the angles.
BAPHUON
The temple, dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, is breath-taking.
I could spend a lifetime here, just gazing at the beauty around me.
BANTEAY SREI
Banteay Srei shines brightly with its temples made of pink sandstone.
The temples have some of the most well-preserved and intricately-carved depictions from mythology.
TA PROHM
Ta Prohm endures through the encroaching jungle and despite the gigantic roots that clasp it in loving embrace.
This lovely quote by Arthur C. Clarke is not only inspiration for dreamers and Fantasy & Science Fiction writers everywhere but also a motto to live by in our everyday lives. If you do not dare to dream and reach for it, you will never know if it is possible.
A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.
— John F. Kennedy
I leave you with another inspiring quote. Remember, try and find the time to do the things that feed your soul. And always celebrate your imagination, do not starve it. So, go out there and read, write, create, draw, listen, sing, dance, talk, do and be.
Until the next installment of Books Feed My Soul, happy reading!
#BooksFeedMySoul #Travel
If you would like to know when I add a new post for #BooksFeedMySoul
A tale of fantasy, adventure, mystery and romance set in San Francisco and seen through the eyes of Tasia Armstrong, a very special Chosen. A fateful decision forces Tasia to graduate from a nondescript life on the fringes of Chosen society to a crucial role in an investigation to decode a mysterious plot from the past that threatens the Chosen. Along the way, she makes new friends while struggling to maintain a tumultuous alliance with the local Shape-shifter Pack. Caught up in a world alien to her, Tasia must figure out the rules quickly even as danger seems to stalk ever closer to her.
This lovely and very apt quote by Henry David Thoreau sums up how high I rank a sense of imagination in the larger kitty of qualities and abilities to carry with you. In my opinion, there is no equivalent substitute for a vivid imagination.
Not only is it a huge factor in helping your creative juices flow, it can also provide an escape, almost a refuge, in times of distress, difficulty or anxiety. I know I tend to disappear into my fantasy world when the real one becomes a tad difficult for me or when I simply need a respite from it. The world my imagination creates for me allows me to recharge, shed my cynicism and come back to the real world rejuvenated, optimistic, hopeful and ready to face new challenges.
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
— Edward de Bono
As I embark on a new journey as a first time indie author, I would like to highlight this beast we call imagination. We, as writers, readers, artists and regular people, should celebrate our imagination. It is, after all, what helps us create, conjure, innovate, grow and just be. It is what makes each of us unique. One of our greatest assets is imagination and sometimes, the only thing holding us back is the inability to act freely on it.
You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
— Maya Angelou
As individuals, just as our sense of imagination is unique, we all have different means of fueling our imagination. Some are obvious and others, more subtle, working their wily way through our mind until it fires the imagination.
What fires your imagination? For me, my earliest inspirations came from reading. Books feed my soul. A good book that allows me to escape into its magical world will always spark my imagination. Over the years, I have come to realize that there are other things that fire my imagination and inspire me to create. Travel inspires me, brings me joy and fires my imagination. To see other places, revel in their uniqueness, appreciate the differences in culture, people, environs and food inspires me and makes me happy. In an ironic twist, it was a book, actually a series of books, by an author I discovered quite by accident in the high school library that first awakened a desire in me to travel the world. I traveled as a child with my parents but those were a child’s observations with a child’s perspective. Now, when I travel, I go as an adult and, in some ways, am able to appreciate the uniqueness of each place in a different way than I could as a child.
The books and the author who inspired the travel bug in me will be left for another edition of Books Feed my Soul. For this week, I would like to highlight one of my favorite places in the world – Oregon. Every time I visit Oregon, I experience something new. Here are some pictures from a road trip we took to Eastern Oregon in late spring.
While flowers were in bloom elsewhere, Eastern Oregon was still covered in snow. I have seen Oregon in all its different moods and must admit that late spring and fall are some of the prettiest.
An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.
— Victor Hugo
I leave you with another beautiful quote by Victor Hugo. Remember, try and find the time to do the things that feed your soul and always celebrate your imagination. So, go out there and read, write, create, draw, listen, dance, talk, do and be.
Until the next installment of Books Feed My Soul, happy reading!
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