Do you wonder, find it strange
How this world loathes
When we could love more
As hatred spills everywhere
We stand still, stare in despair
None intervene, all stay aloof
“It’s not my battle, not my war”
Until it is knocking at our door!
For the thing with hatred is this
When ignored, it only spreads
Its claws are sharp, hunger wild
We may be silent but can’t hide.
It is a grand wrap for 2021, with 6 of my poems part of this beautiful anthology of poetry and flash fiction – FromOneLine (Vol.2).
Writing in a few words and within limited characters is a great mental challenge. When you have to create using only the provided first-line prompt, it becomes all the more interesting for the writer.
This anthology brings together myriad perspectives and creativity to these first-line prompts. A perfect Christmas gift with a colorful cover and an accompanying bookmark, with talent overflowing through its pages. The second FromOneLine Anthology has been published as an A5 paperback book. It features 41 prompt lines, 113 authors and 457 poems, and flash fiction.
Available to buy from for worldwide delivery: https://t.co/LTSjX7MIhk via @Etsy (or direct at https://t.co/2cjkVbHtfp for UK orders and PDF version)
Blogger of the month, November 2021, selected by the Writefluence Editorial Team. Grateful for all the writing opportunities. The creative journey has never been better as I returned to creative writing after a long gap. All the encouragement helps to keep the momentum.
In the year of the pandemic, reading has helped me stay focused, and most importantly stay home. Reading and creative writing as hobbies have given me much succor and the required mental boost. I have provided guidance to a few new authors, who reached out to me and at each step, it has been a learning experience and a cherished fellowship.
One of the best things that happened to me as a reader was when I started writing book reviews for Reedsy Discovery. I have read so many amazing new authors and indie writers in different genres, learned so much, and contributed in my way to spread the word about some brilliant self-publications. I have been on a reading spree in 2021 and am often featured as the Reedsy Discovery top reviewer. Read this blog post on how my Reedsy journey began in April 2021.
In the year of the pandemic, reading has helped me stay focused, and most importantly, stay home. Reading and creative writing as hobbies have given me much succor, and the required mental boost. I have provided guidance to a few new authors, who reached out to me and at each step, it has been a learning experience and a cherished fellowship.
By the end of the year, I will have read 30 books on the UK-based Reedsy Discovery platform. Apart from this I have also read and reviewed complimentary copies from the Himalayan Book Club for Indian writers. These badges from Reedsy Discovery Leaderboard inspire me. You can read the book reviews here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/user/aneeshashewani/reviews
Book: The Fabric Over The Moon
Author: Ferran Plana
Genre: Fiction, Short Stories
Review Copy: Reedsy Discovery
Available at: Amazon.in
Recommended: Must Read
Does a mysterious place with strange customs lift the weight of life and its worries off your shoulders? Do questions of the past become heavier with time? Do dreams spill over into the waking world? Are imaginary creatures more than real? Read a delightful collection by writer Ferran Plana that covers mystical and magical happenings in the lives of common people and uncommon creatures.
Simple stories, written with flair, offer some fodder for thought. The stories are brief. Not all of them are open-ended, but carry messages that will make you ponder. Stories like Lone or Hero will pull you back as you try to derive the background. Winter will keep you guessing and give you the shivers. The eclectic, the elusive, the unexplained, and even the apocalyptic fill pages of an exciting book. Suspense, humor, fear, sadness, loneliness – a gamut of emotions rush through the pages.
Plana has developed the characters with care and finesse. The stories play out in varied locations, from fantasy lands to a Brazilian parade. On this brilliant canvas, the writer’s imagination sketches wondrous tales. A couple of stories are a spin-off on popular fairytales. I liked the one about flying pigs, but the one with hunters did not appease me much.
The writing is rhythmic and even lyrical at places, akin to poetry. Sample this: “How deep do the teeth of human lust and greed bite that they can lose everything they have in the blink of an eye?” This book is a perfect collection for a quick weekend read or to have scary stories in your quiver to entertain around a bonfire. I always recommend quaint and quirky books like The Fabric Over the Moon. This one is a delight.
Blue Pen Strokes 