September | 2013

‘It begins!’

Posted on September 28, 2013 by ahamin

Hello everyone,

I have been eagerly waiting for this day for almost a year. Today I get to announce the great news.

Iblīs (book 2 in the Psychs series) is now in the first process of publishing. There are basically four:-
1- Editing and proof reading ; which is being carried now by my new editor in Chicago.
2- Reviews: my publisher, AuthorHouse, will send my book to three major reviewer establishments for pre-release reviews.
3- Designing: already have the great idea for that.
And…
4- THE release.

I am feeling more generous today, so I will share two more items from my agenda…
First: Iblīs is more story driven than Psychs; we met the characters in the first book, now, in addition of introducing new ones, Iblīs will be a big step and the spark to what is to come.
Second: I will share the prologue from the book through this link: Iblīs … It will give you a big hint to why the book is entitled Iblīs (Which is Arabic for Devil)

I am glad I have shared this great news with you all, my fingers are too tingly and eager to share more.

have a lovely weekend.

~ A. H. Amin

Already did that… can’t keep calm anymore

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My irrational intervals…

Posted on September 24, 2013 by ahamin

Fear is an intelligent entity; it knows how to scar a person and keep them alert at all times. I have experienced fear in my life before, but for some reason, only one keeps hunting my dreams… it visited me in my sleep just now to check on me, to make sure I still remember… for some reason, he thinks I am forgetting.

Five years ago, in 2008, I was robbed… the funny part was that I saw the robber and I talked to him. I used to have a very bad eye sight, too bad that if my old glasses wasn’t the thin pressed type, I would have a bottle’s bottom for glasses and would have my eyes burned when I look at the sun. I thought at the time that the robber was my friend. I talked about what should we do tomorrow and where to have breakfast… he only kept nodding, he may even thought I was on some kind of a drug. I went to bed, woke up later, and found the place clean… no TV, no laptop, no wallet… pretty much anything that can be sold. The police were too incompetent; they could be in it, too.

What have gone was regained; I got new objects. No matter what we lose in our life, we can always find something new and maybe better along the line. But I gained something that is still with me and refuses to leave me be.

My irrational fear only shows itself in my dreams; every now and then, at least once a week, I dream that someone is trying to get inside and steal from me… today, hours ago, I heard someone trying to break through my window, I went to see what it was and I found some kind of a rod breaking what’s left from glass in the window’s margins. When I shouted my demons away, I woke up, my pumping heart played with my ribs like a Xylophone. Regulating my breaths, I welcomed my fear with a simple smile, for I became accustomed to his visits. I made green tea for myself, couldn’t prepare anything for fear, I was out of decaf coffee, his favorite… even fear needs rest from time to time.

Wide awake now, I asked Tobi (yes… I’ll call him Tobi) ‘for five years, why do you still see me?’

He replied ‘You would think that by knowing me for five years we should be friends by now’

‘But I still don’t know you…’

‘Have you taken the effort to do so? Have you ever tried to know me better?’

‘Well… I know you were born five years ago when I was robbed’

‘Do you think I was the result of a mere pathetic robbery? People know me as fear; I existed when emotions existed… I could be the first emotion to emerge from most, if not all, creation’

‘You did exist before that, I admit. But since five years you have become a regular visitor to me. I have no explanation of why would I open my doors to you when it comes to what had happened five years ago’

‘We tend to be blind to what is obvious… have you ever been robbed before?’

‘Not before that day… no’

‘The answer should be obvious, kid… I am really experience. You can let the world portrait me as it pleases, or you can use your own colors to draw what I should be… I am your friend, and I will always be with you.’

The only thing I can do is to live with it… with him; Tobi. Life can be grey if we didn’t know how to color. We should not let fear take over and shape our lives… it exists, but you also exist, too. Fear should be experience. If anything, it should inspire us.

I hope everyone learns to live with their fears. Next time, I’ll be sure to have decaf for when he visits again.

~ A. H. Amin

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I was working on a fixed bridge for my friend when a colleague of mine happened to be there with his smart phone.
This is how you look at us through your irrational fearful binoculars. But the truth is, we are more like this.

Enjoy the weekend. And if you don’t want to be a victim of mine, brush your teeth. 🙂

~ A. H. Amin

Classics are immortal

Posted on September 16, 2013 by ahamin

There is a list called 1000 movies you should see before you die, and yesterday I picked Doctor Strangelove (or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb) from that list. I have heard about it a while back, but for my surprise, I didn’t know that one of the main cast is a favorite actor of mine, Peter Sellers.

A brilliantly portrayed vision of a nuclear threat during the Cold War where mister Sellers plays three characters; Captain Lionel Mandrake, The President of the United States and Dr. Strangelove. An intense story told by the golden age of cinema.

The reason why classics are immortal is because, unlike today, they didn’t have CGI and big editing softwares, so making a good movie required extra efforts on the story, dialogue and acting. Today, most directors and producers get cocky with special effects.

This movie is great, and it surely deserves to be in the list of the movies to watch before we die. A sure A+.

~ A. H. Amin

Friday 13th 2013

Posted on September 14, 2013 by ahamin

I intended to post this yesterday, but my energy bar was drained enough and my eyes were too strained to look at any screen. So I will say it today.

On Friday 13^th, 2013, I finished my rewriting and my final read of my next thriller, Iblis… which, incidentally, means devil. I know, the omen was too eerie, I thought once I close the screen I would be slashed by Jason or Freddy.

I have once written that writers should always be flexible and resilient when it comes to writing their novels, they should leave their pride out of it. When you, the writer, or anyone else finds a flaw in your words or ideas you must do what’s necessary for the sake of the story, which is why I rewrote the book. The first draft was good, I got acknowledgement from two readers… but not from me. I went back through and decided to make the changes. I can finally say, that the story is now much better presented.

Iblis, the second book of the series, differs from the first book, Psychs, by being more story driven and taking place at a broader range. A sneak peak inside the upcoming book can be attained through a simple click here; it will carry you to the prologue where you will get to have a first read of Iblis.

Once the book is in the processing phase, I will announce more and more… I’ll even through a video or two. Until then, enjoy your weekends.

~ A. H. Amin

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Casting your characters

Posted on September 12, 2013 by ahamin

Every subject starts with a spark and some fellas with tanks of gasoline. True, sometimes the subject gets over heated, but it’s not necessarily the case when the topic is that interesting.

I had a fun chat with a college friend of mine who had finished reading my novel, who was also one of the people who led me to become a writer. One fact about him is that 70% of his body is made of movies. So he threw this topic on the table, we began spinning the sticks and a fiery subject started…. We began casting for my novel. And here are the results for three of the main characters; Hassan, Adam goldfish and Elizabeth.

Hassan

I got to say, I had a difficult time with the main character, Hassan. I couldn’t place an actor’s face on him because I based him on my old brother, who is also named Hassan. Since my friend didn’t have the same bond attached with Hassan, he came up with the proper actor for that roll.

Joe Manganiell got the looks alright, but I like mostly how he appears when he is older; Hassan will get old at some point in the story, and Manganiello Fits my image of old Hassan.

Adam Goldfish (Shark)

Adam Goldfish is a man who was imprisoned for 13 years and was in his quest to get back even with the one who caused him to lose those years… and much more. He is what a shark would look like if you placed a drop of blood in his tank.

Speaking of blood, actor Alexander SkarsgardIs is an actor in True Blood, he plays a vampire, and I’d like to mention for reasons that will some day make sense in the future, that vampires… Well, they bite :).

Elizabeth

Everyone emits vibes, and I am picking from Marsha Thompson an artistic aura that fits perfectly with Elizabeth, the first love affair for Hassan during his college life. She has the smile and the eyes, place a white spotted red scarf and hand her the paint brush and she’s good to go.

We started casting the eight ghosts but then the conversation became more humorous and it swerved off course. If you want to add to the list of cast, you can give your opinion after learning a little about them through here.

(Meet Sara and Emma, Jack and Reed, Chow and Joseph, Rod and Mason)

I would like to say that casting your characters is a really energizing and beautiful process to get yourself involved in. I would recommend all the authors to get into it, especially with a reader who can help second your opinion.

~ A. H. Amin

40 Tips for a Happy Healthy Life

Posted on September 7, 2013 by ahamin

I came across this article that has some health and spiritual tips. If I want to have a better life then I must share those tips with everyone.

Have a wonderful day everyday my dear readers

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time for prayer and reflection
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2012.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.

Personality:
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day —- and while you walk, smile.
11. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t over do; keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously; no one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right things.
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. Forgiveness heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, don’t take it for granted – embrace life.
39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not least:
40. Enjoy LIFE!

ahamin

A writer, a dentist, a pianist, the sole survivor of Hiroshima, the true architecture of the Trojan horse and the academic adviser for Harry Potter :)

Month: September 2013

‘It begins!’

Hello everyone,

I have been eagerly waiting for this day for almost a year. Today I get to announce the great news.

I am glad I have shared this great news with you all, my fingers are too tingly and eager to share more.

have a lovely weekend.

~ A. H. Amin

My irrational intervals…

What have gone was regained; I got new objects. No matter what we lose in our life, we can always find something new and maybe better along the line. But I gained something that is still with me and refuses to leave me be.

Wide awake now, I asked Tobi (yes… I’ll call him Tobi) ‘for five years, why do you still see me?’

He replied ‘You would think that by knowing me for five years we should be friends by now’

‘But I still don’t know you…’

‘Have you taken the effort to do so? Have you ever tried to know me better?’

‘Well… I know you were born five years ago when I was robbed’

‘Do you think I was the result of a mere pathetic robbery? People know me as fear; I existed when emotions existed… I could be the first emotion to emerge from most, if not all, creation’

‘You did exist before that, I admit. But since five years you have become a regular visitor to me. I have no explanation of why would I open my doors to you when it comes to what had happened five years ago’

‘We tend to be blind to what is obvious… have you ever been robbed before?’

‘Not before that day… no’

‘The answer should be obvious, kid… I am really experience. You can let the world portrait me as it pleases, or you can use your own colors to draw what I should be… I am your friend, and I will always be with you.’

The only thing I can do is to live with it… with him; Tobi. Life can be grey if we didn’t know how to color. We should not let fear take over and shape our lives… it exists, but you also exist, too. Fear should be experience. If anything, it should inspire us.

I hope everyone learns to live with their fears. Next time, I’ll be sure to have decaf for when he visits again.

~ A. H. Amin

Serial killer me…

Classics are immortal

Friday 13th 2013

I intended to post this yesterday, but my energy bar was drained enough and my eyes were too strained to look at any screen. So I will say it today.

On Friday 13^th, 2013, I finished my rewriting and my final read of my next thriller, Iblis… which, incidentally, means devil. I know, the omen was too eerie, I thought once I close the screen I would be slashed by Jason or Freddy.

Once the book is in the processing phase, I will announce more and more… I’ll even through a video or two. Until then, enjoy your weekends.

~ A. H. Amin

Casting your characters

40 Tips for a Happy Healthy Life

Hello everyone,

I have been eagerly waiting for this day for almost a year. Today I get to announce the great news.

I am glad I have shared this great news with you all, my fingers are too tingly and eager to share more.

have a lovely weekend.

~ A. H. Amin

What have gone was regained; I got new objects. No matter what we lose in our life, we can always find something new and maybe better along the line. But I gained something that is still with me and refuses to leave me be.

Wide awake now, I asked Tobi (yes… I’ll call him Tobi) ‘for five years, why do you still see me?’

He replied ‘You would think that by knowing me for five years we should be friends by now’

‘But I still don’t know you…’

‘Have you taken the effort to do so? Have you ever tried to know me better?’

‘Well… I know you were born five years ago when I was robbed’

‘Do you think I was the result of a mere pathetic robbery? People know me as fear; I existed when emotions existed… I could be the first emotion to emerge from most, if not all, creation’

‘You did exist before that, I admit. But since five years you have become a regular visitor to me. I have no explanation of why would I open my doors to you when it comes to what had happened five years ago’

‘We tend to be blind to what is obvious… have you ever been robbed before?’

‘Not before that day… no’

‘The answer should be obvious, kid… I am really experience. You can let the world portrait me as it pleases, or you can use your own colors to draw what I should be… I am your friend, and I will always be with you.’

The only thing I can do is to live with it… with him; Tobi. Life can be grey if we didn’t know how to color. We should not let fear take over and shape our lives… it exists, but you also exist, too. Fear should be experience. If anything, it should inspire us.

I hope everyone learns to live with their fears. Next time, I’ll be sure to have decaf for when he visits again.

~ A. H. Amin

I intended to post this yesterday, but my energy bar was drained enough and my eyes were too strained to look at any screen. So I will say it today.

On Friday 13th, 2013, I finished my rewriting and my final read of my next thriller, Iblis… which, incidentally, means devil. I know, the omen was too eerie, I thought once I close the screen I would be slashed by Jason or Freddy.

Once the book is in the processing phase, I will announce more and more… I’ll even through a video or two. Until then, enjoy your weekends.

~ A. H. Amin

On Friday 13^th, 2013, I finished my rewriting and my final read of my next thriller, Iblis… which, incidentally, means devil. I know, the omen was too eerie, I thought once I close the screen I would be slashed by Jason or Freddy.