A MESSAGE FOR WRITERS AND READERS ON THE REASONS BEHIND BOOK REVIEWING

 

I have done an in-depth research on reviewers and have come up with this. I wrote it in poetic form for brevity and clarity.

Someone once said there are no perfect writers and perfect readers.

I agree strongly with those words of wisdom from a great leader.

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There’s another saying, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.”

We’re all made up differently and will see things from a different angle.

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Research has shown there are various types of readers in Literature.

Tacit Readers, Aware Readers, Strategic Readers, and Reflective Readers.

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When reviewing a writer’s book, tacit readers lack understanding.

They stop reading, give a one-star review, their way of absconding.

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Aware Readers are good at understanding but not good assessors.

Strategic readers are better, but reflective readers are best reviewers.

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Reflective readers give the best reviews as they are strategic thinkers.

This poem will help writers understand review ratings from readers.

Copyright@BrendaMohammed

Follow Author Brenda Mohammed on Amazon. CLICK HERE

 

BARRY HOLMES MYSTERIES by AUTHOR BRENDA MOHAMMED

These three Barry Holmes Mysteries are set in the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad.


1. THE GIFT OF LOVE

Love, Betrayal, Deception, Kidnapping, Conspiracy.

Set on a lovely Caribbean island, The Gift of Love is filled with suspense and mystery,

Crystal is torn between fulfilling her dying father’s wish for her to marry Peter, and her undying love for her boyfriend Barry.

Why was her daughter Lauren kidnapped, and by whom?

Only one man is willing to investigate her daughter's disappearance.
Who is he?

What was The Gift of Love and who was the recipient?

The Book is the exciting prequel to a new mystery/detective series Barry Holmes Investigates.
You would not want to miss this.

The Gift of Love once made it to Best Seller No 1 in all three categories - one-hour mystery thriller, private investigations, and kidnapping fiction.



2.THE AXE MURDERER

Set on the beautiful island of Trinidad, The Axe Murderer, a Barry Holmes Mystery, is a quick, easy to read, enjoyable short story about kidnap and murder.

This mystery has a relaxed writing style and a pleasant tone that demonstrates the fragile state of the human mind and is written in the author’s humorous style.

The author takes the reader on a thrilling journey to solve a string of murders plaguing a small community.

Barry Holmes is meticulous in his investigation and leaves nothing to chance, but he was shaken when it appears he could be dealing with not one but two murderers.

Holmes remained undaunted and vowed not to rest until he found his man or men.

Readers are treated to a bonus read of the prequel to the book, The Gift of Love, which made it to Best Seller No 1 in all three categories - one-hour mystery thriller, private investigations, and kidnapping fiction.


3.#NEWRELEASE - WHAT HAPPENED TO MARY LOO?

"What Happened to Mary Loo" is the third book in the Barry Holmes Mystery Series written by Brenda Mohammed author of 25 books.

Jacob’s wife Mary Loo disappears in a bizarre incident in front of their very home in the Caribbean Island of Trinidad.

Detectives Rudolph Sergeant and Joseph French fail to find a suspect and tries to pin Mary’s disappearance on her husband Jacob and the helper Josie.

WPC Jean Bryant disagrees with the detectives.
Barry Holmes steps in and does his own investigations.

He dismisses both detectives and chooses WPC Jean Bryant on his team.
You will be taken on a roller coaster ride thereafter to discover what happened to Mary Loo.

Is she alive?

Cover Design by Mary L Schmidt.

#NEWRELEASE Barry Holmes Mysteries: Tales of Mysterious Disappearances

BARRY HOLMES MYSTERIES is a book of three thrilling and exciting tales of kidnapping, murder, and mysterious disappearances, interspersed with romantic scenes.
In the first story, A GIFT OF LOVE, you will read about how Barry became involved in detective work.
In the other two stories, THE AXE MURDERER and WHAT HAPPENED TO MARY LOO he shines out as a brilliant detective who uncovered secrets that no other investigating officer could.
Award-winning Author Brenda Mohammed displays her writing talents in these well-written mystery stories.


BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON. CLICK HERE

Author Dr. Vandita Dharni reviewed A Road Travelled by Author Brenda Mohammed

I am very pleased to advise that Amazon has published A ROAD TRAVELLED in both Kindle and Paperback.
Here are all the links:
Amazon Paperback CLICK HERE
Amazon Kindle CLICK HERE
Kobo CLICK HERE
Barnes and Noble CLICK HERE
Books2Read CLICK HERE
Apple CLICK HERE
YouTube CLICK HERE
I also want to share with you the Book Review by Dr. Vandita Dharni.
THANK YOU, Dr.Vandita Dharni
The book, ‘A Road Travelled’ has been written by the prolific author Brenda Mohammed who has earlier authored 24 books.
It portrays a mélange of emotions keeping various themes in focus: primarily love, love’s woes, travel, and effects on life due to lockdown during the pandemic.
She is an avid reader herself and a true wordsmith with a penchant for words.
She has etched her poems very soulfully with a distinctive style and panache.
Her poem, ‘A Lover’s Dream is an endearing account of a lover envisioning the ideal woman of his dreams who is intelligent and is “forever a spark under his skin”.
She’s a perfect blend of beauty with brains.
The next poem, ’Evil Stalks the Land’ is a poignantly woven narrative that revolves around Joe, the perfect husband and father, ardent churchgoer, and a sincere man.
Yet when evil stalked the land,
“He fell prey to that life and sank very deep.
To climb out of it, the walls seem too steep.”
It reveals the uncertainty of life.
People fall prey to evil so easily especially if they are vulnerable.
A poem from her collection that really touches my heart is ‘Grass Is Not Greener’.
It is a realistic poem, a stark reminder to the readers not to harbour grudges against their loved ones but to forgive and forget the past.
Her advice is lucid and she is tenacious about adhering to her principles of burying the hatchet and letting bygones be bygones.
Her sound words of advice echo clearly when she says:
“Apologise quickly to your loved ones and make amends
Before illness or a disaster strikes and your life ends.”
Her poem ‘Lost in London’ is a reverie about her visit to London where she imagines seeing all the sights and sounds of the city only to find herself lost in the maze of the crowd.
The man who had promised to show her around never turns up.
She later realizes it’s only a dream and she feels relieved.
Another poem that recounts her experiences in London is the poem, ‘Walton Mariner’ where the poet mentions her memorable visit to that park, with picturesque views of swans, sunny treks, and the River Thames.
It ends on a note of nostalgia where she expresses her desire to revisit this land so close to her heart.
Another poem that revolves around a country is ‘Switzerland’ which she calls a country with panoramic landscapes, scenic beauty, and towering mountains with Alpine lakes and grassy valleys.
She particularly talks about her visit to the fountains, churches, and the iconic flower clock.
Two poems that stand out strikingly are the ones based on the lockdown,
‘Changing Times’ and ‘Life Was Beautiful’.
They showcase the author’s innate compassion and concern for people who are undergoing the trauma of being in lockdown mode.
She generates awareness among people about the impending dangers and how to combat this terrible pandemic. Her ultimate advice to her readers is to pray and ask God to intervene.
On the whole, this book is a reader’s delight and I wish Brenda all the very best for it!
Dr. Vandita Dharni

Author Mala Naidoo reviewed A Road Travelled written by Author Brenda Mohammed

A ROAD TRAVELLED obtained another five-star review within a week of it being published on Goodreads and Kobo.

"The poet’s compositions are engaging as they are intriguing.
Like the title of the collection implies, the reader travels along life’s journeys with the composer.
Poems capture everyday life experiences rather than the abstract with accessible connections through characters, places, and situations in a flowing narrative style.
Embedded in each poem is a moral message for the enhancement of life’s journey. ‘
A Road Travelled’ is wise in tone and knowing in subject matter framing lessons that will stand the test of time.
An entertaining read on a range of topics that invite the reader to return to the physical and spiritual realm of the poet for clarity on life’s challenges and shared joy."

Thank you Mala Naidoo for this wonderful review.

A Road Travelled is available at the following links:
Book Available at:
Amazon Paperback CLICK HERE
Amazon Kindle CLICK HERE
Books2Read CLICK HERE
Apple CLICK HERE
Watch the Video trailer on YOUTUBE CLICK HERE

Author Shanita Vichare reviewed A Road Travelled by Author Brenda Mohammed

A Road Travelled: Poetry to delight. is a Medley of Author Brenda Mohammed’s thoughts and impressions from her lightbulb moments as she says, rightly.

The varied poems are picked from her amazing life’s journey, poets sensibilities, and historic moments of ‘World History: Corona Virus’s murky moments of life.
There seems to be a feeling of doom and disaster as one reads about the millions of death due to this pandemic.
She has written on sundry topics, of love’s woes and jilt, broken marriages and infidelity.
But she has a strong faith that the act of kindness and humanity will be more profane and sacred, under these dark clouds, hovering over humanity.

Brenda’s poems are framed in a ‘Global Space’ as she has been a ‘Globe-Trotter’, more of wanderlust, and her light- bulb moments have always urged her to pen poems.
Her persona in poems – has been to flashy destinations from London’s Eye, Buckingham Palace, Switzerland, Austria, Hollywood in the USA, or on beautiful Caribbean cruises.
So there is a wild chase of emotions.

Her voice is crisp and clear, her tone is very discerning, keeping in the retrospective about her poetic arena.
Her poems showcase varied styles from the heightened romance and passions- of Romeo and Juliet types: “ Strange Love, ” yet there is a rebuke and one-sided love, which questions and flatters, the ego of the lover.

In ‘Love Is Not A Theory’ she brings out the colours of life very emotionally and describes how shades of love change with the passage of time. The roller coaster ride of love and fame is forever changing.
Brenda has fashioned this poem in a ‘Monologue ’ style. Love is contagious, universal, and innocent. She gives befitting examples and takes the reader along with her on her journey.

If it frets, the lover’s reaction will also be fretful, sulk, and sullen.

For her, love is enriching, a bond of trust, that doesn’t rust or change with, the seasons, nor is it skin deep.
There are beautiful analogies made by her and she sure knows the secret of love!

There are voices that speak – love is so fragile, faint, and quiet and yet it gets under your skin! Sometimes her lovers are ‘Prudent’.

The chemistry of the love birds and their mental agony is so well expounded in her love poems.
I must say, she is so realistic and yet emotive. Her lovers are the people who crave for attention.
The twinning of the lovers – is like “ the summer to his winter lips ” and “ demeanour under his skin” in his wakeful state.
Or must I say, I remember ‘Mid-Summer Night’s Tale! William Shakespeare’s Romantic Plays. Archaic but not deluded.

“Grass Is Not Greener” Is a perfect poesy where all is fair when cupid strikes at the lover’s bosom.
But when it withers it fades, creates ego issues, and a rift is felt in your relationships.
Apologies are hard to come and the bottled feelings lead to disaster and illness.
Her lucid language helps to atone love and acts balmy on the ruse or fragmented moments.
The prolific poetess certainly conveys to act fast and connotes to having dopamine, rather than resort to anger and guilt.
On the rebound, you may find a better lover, but it may not be any more different than the old lover.

“Dinner Time” – Here the lover is living in a make-belief glasshouse.
The lady love waits for her lover, or husband to return.
As she lays the dinner table for two, she soon realizes she is ‘solo’.
The forlorn and feign feelings in the husband & wife relationship is weaved very diligently, I felt that I was able to understand the rift b
between the two.

Her lady in love is not deluded she just packs her bags and leaves the home for good. Brenda Mohammed as a poetess talks through her characters in poems and she confronts the problem.
There is no cacophony of the ego and guilt in her women’s persona.
Her women come out to be brave in the end, more mature and discerning.
I really loved these poems on love. Isn’t ‘Love’ the ‘most misconstrued’ word?

The Cover Page is very catchy which makes one ponder at that ‘Bulb’ which ignites the fire.

The Cover was made by Mary L Schmidt a famous artist from Motivational Strips’.

A Road Travelled is available at the following links:
Book Available at:
Amazon Paperback CLICK HERE
Amazon Kindle CLICK HERE
Books2Read CLICK HERE
Apple CLICK HERE
Watch the Video trailer on YOUTUBE CLICK HERE

By – Poet & Author
Aneeta Chitale – author of –Sojourn To Maldives

BLESSINGS FROM THE LOCKDOWN

The lockdown certainly has its benefits. My book ZEEKA CHRONICLES has gathered 132 reviews from across the world - United States. The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and India.

This is one of my award-winning books.

Today I discovered this Five-star review on Goodreads. CLICK HERE

Thank you Florabelle Lutchman for this five-star review:

"BOOK REVIEW –ZEEKA CHRONICLES written by BRENDA MOHAMMED

Do you like futuristic views of life? Well, this book “Zeeka Chronicles” written by Mrs. Brenda Mohammed, a multi-genre author, is just the book to read. It has five connected stories and will take you into the future- 2036 to be exact, where you will read about Zeeka and the Zombies, Zeeka’s Child, Zeeka Returns, Zeeka’s Ghost and Resurrection.
This multi-layered tale is set on a small island called Gosh, a little scenic island off the coast of South America, and it became the brainchild of the author when the disease Zika was ravaging the Caribbean Islands.
Brenda Mohammed uses her everyday experiences and ideas to formulate plots for each story. She skillfully interweaves the characters of each story, bringing to the narratives interest, amazement, and excitement.
If you are scared of reading about zombies, there is no need to be. The zombies are just short people with small heads who created some havoc on the island of Gosh during the Carnival festival.
The protagonist is a doctor, Dr. Stephen Sharpe, a scientist, who had an obsession over finding a cure for the debilitating disease caused by the Anopheles Mosquito.
Circumstances in this book are somewhat similar to what is happening today with Covid19. In the book, babies were born with small heads, and if they died their bodies were not given to the parents for burial. Funerals could not be held. Maybe Mrs. Brenda Mohammed had a glimpse into the future!!!!
A cure for this disease was being sought by over twenty doctors in the hospital but read on.
In the second story, “Zeeka’s Child”, we read about the child that Zeeka, the antagonist had. You will be stunned to know who it was.
“Zeeka Returns” is the third story that tells of Zeeka’s return from exile and the thrilling events that follow.
“Zeeka’s Ghost” is the fourth episode, but that I cannot give away. You must read the book to find out.
“Resurrection” is the fifth story, and you will be amazed at Brenda’s imagination for a future world. Over twenty doctors in the hospital were seeking a cure for the disease. Dr. Stephen Sharpe led the team and discovered that cure. I wish a scientist will invent a cure for Covid 19, like the one Brenda invented for the persons who grew up deformed because of the Zika virus.
The author has written twenty-five books to date and I am sure each of them is worth reading as Zeeka Chronicles.
If you want to fill your world with excitement at this time of lockdown, please pick up this book. You will not regret it. You may not want to put it down.
Zeeka Chronicles is available at Amazon stores worldwide. Get it at this Universal link.

A ROAD TRAVELLED by Author Brenda Mohammed has received many accolades

The New release A ROAD TRAVELLED is the author’s 25th published book and her third book on Poetry featuring a wide range of inspirational poems on Love, Love’s woes, Travel, Happiness, and effects on life during lockdown at the time of CoVid 19.
The Book Cover was designed by Mary L Schmidt and depicts the author’s inclination to write poetry during light-bulb moments.
Available at:

Amazon in Paperback CLICK HERE
Amazon Kindle CLICK HERE
KOBO
BARNES AND NOBLE
BOOKS2READ
APPLE
Besides Poetry to delight by the author, you will find amazing tributes for Author Brenda Mohammed from fellow authors:
Shiju H. Pallithazheth - Tribute to a Banker turned Writer
Mala Naidoo A Woman that Inspires
Debabrata Mohanty A Song from My Heart
Christabel Sylvester My Classic Lady
Dr. Emmanuel Tende A Woman of letters
Mohammad Erfun Amin My Heroine in Poetry.
Shanita Vichare A Review
Vandita Dharni A Review
The brilliant Foreword was written by Florabelle Lutchman who states, “It is the hope that when you read this author’s poems that the messages contained therein will help you as you face the challenges of day to day living.”