mhashmibooks

[mhashmibooks]

What happens when I interview for the role of a YA fantasy female protagonist?

This video features:

✨ A basic bitch

✨some crappy editing

✨Some harsh truths

✨ Me poking fun at some T R O P E S

✨ An ending you gotta stay for

[mhashmibooks]

Book Review of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is up! I have a non-spoiler section, a spoiler discussion and a Writing Lessons section for writers, where I talk about the stuff I've learnt, writing-wise, from the book. Be sure to check it out!

[mhashmibooks]

I joined YouTube! Join me as I talk about books, writing, and lessons learnt from popular pieces of entertainment. This week, I reviewed Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief to celebrate Rick Riordan's announcement of the upcoming Percy Jackson series on Disney Plus. Lemme know what you think of it 😊

[mhashmibooks]

Preach.

Quick Tips for Writing Romance

Consider what your characters like about each other

Compliment their personalities. How can character A help with character B’s weaknesses?

Create boundaries

Make the characters notice each other’s quirks

Have your characters get annoyed by some of their quirks

Go slow on getting them together

Build trust between characters

Give them a life outside of their relationship

Let your characters be vulnerable in front of each other

Have scenes where they’re helping each other

What makes your characters want to stay together?

If your romance is a sub-plot, how much attention to they give the other character?

What does character A notice about character B?

I post writing tips and advice. Follow me for more posts like this.

[mhashmibooks]

Calling YA Fantasy Beta Readers!!

Looking for betas for my book baby!

If you're interested in reading and providing feedback for a YA fantasy novel with a lot of magic, action, adventure, world building, war setting, backdrop of a murder mystery, strong female and male protagonists, female friendships, and a diverse cast, do hit me up!

Note: I'm looking for beta readers, NOT any kind of professional editor just yet. So no paid services right now, only reading enthusiasts.

Here's a blurb of the book:

Haunted by the death of her grandmother & the disappearance of her father, Sam lives with her paranoid mother who keeps her under near house arrest. But when she is attacked by other-wordly creatures & is whisked away, tearing through dimensions, to a land ravaged by a near-100-year war she finds out the truth about her family and herself. Sam must now prove her worth in this brutally cut-throat and divided world. But things take a turn for the worse when an old murder resurfaces & her best friend, Leah, is thrust into a different battle she isn't ready to fight. Together with the son of the Sorceress, Jake, Sam is on the brink of solving a mystery that was not meant to be tampered with.

A war is brimming, magic thrives, and Reality as Sam knew it no longer exists, and the three of them are caught in the middle of it all.

[mhashmibooks]

Beta readers wanted

I'm not super active here but thought it's worth a shot. Anyone here interested in beta reading a YA Fantasy novel?

Themes: family, politics, war, duty, love, sacrifice, friendship, finding identity. Diverse cast. Strong female characters. Strong male characters. Strong female friendships. I'd describe it as Percy Jackson in terms of characters and general feel meets Red Queen in terms of politics. If you're interested, send me a DM for a synopsis and let's get talking!

[mhashmibooks]

Hello insta fam! This is gonna be a bit of a personal post rather than a bookish one, so there will be a cookie at the end for those who actually stick around. It's been a while since I've been active. Came back & noticed a few things have changed & a few things haven't. 1. I've lost plenty of followers in my period of absence. No surprises there. 2. I still haven't won any giveaways. 3. I'm suddenly in a blackhole when it comes to motivation. There was a time when I started blogging on various platforms with truckloads of motivation, but over the last five months it's just worn out. Stuff I usually loved doing no longer, well, gave me pleasure. Some introspection revealed that it was probably because I tried doing too much too fast, expecting even more in return. I worked robotically rather than passionately. That meant it became a burden to post pictures & reviews regularly, & I was working on this intense schedule which was nothing but an invitation of stress to me, from me. So I took a long break from all platforms, even my writing. Why? To find my motivation again. And now, I'm in no rush to get back, especially not under some packed schedule. So yeah, fewer posts, lesser, but far more organic activity from me, at least up until I WANT to do it frequently. Guess this happens to everyone at some point when they try to push themselves too hard. Am I worried? Not really. I'll find my way steadily, no matter if it's slow. My point is, I'm sure not many of us met our 2018 goals. I know I didn't. But I guess that's precisely why 2019 is here. So we can keep at it, at our own pace, one step at a time. So whether it's an unfinished TBR pile, unmet word count target or partially ticked to-do list, don't sweat it. There's another year ahead full of opportunities waiting to be seized. I know I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully, not only will I find my motivation, but will also be several steps closer to all my goals. 🍪🍪🍪 Happy New Year folks! (Belated lol) The picture has nothing to do with the caption (duh) but it was the first book review I ever did, way back in highschool! Thoughts on the book? #amwriting #amreading #bookblogger #bookstagram #bookstgramer https://www.instagram.com/p/BsMCBgeHwZa/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rmojx2nyxber

[mhashmibooks]

So instead of reading or working on my manuscript, I spent the last week watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. Do I regret it? NAH. As always, I'm super late to join the club, but MAN I am severely in love with it. Sure, productivity-wise this week wasn't the best, but hey, managed to get this picture, and Avatar is one of the bet hings to ever happen to me, so all in all, a pretty great week! Also, this is what my tbr currently looks like in addition to a few digital review copies! ✨ What's your favorite TV series? ✨ #catwoman #catwomansoulstealer #sarahjmaas #sarahjmaasbooks #selenakyle #gothamcity #dclegends #dc #bookstgramer #bookstagramfeature #bookstgram #tbr #tbrpile #bookstack #bookstacks #bookaesthetics #redqueenseries #redqueen #victoriaaveyard #wonderwoman #wonderwomanwarbringer #Inkredia #igbooks #igreads #avatarthelastairbender #writersofig https://www.instagram.com/p/BrlLE6LHO2Q/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y5bkm09dqdmh

[mhashmibooks]

Some old favorites coming your way! I actually read more books as a kid than I do now, mostly because of my packed schedule. Now it's more like a couple of books per month. Back then, it was at least 10 books a month XD ✨ How many books do you read per month, then vs. now ? ✨ #roalddahl #thebfg #book #coffee #coffeeandabook #hotchocolateandabook☕ #readingwithcoffee #reading #readersofinstagram #reader #monthlyreads #bookdragon #bookaddict #booknerdlife #bookworm https://www.instagram.com/p/BrNgvInH9_U/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1n65ja6xkbbv4

[mhashmibooks]

Okay so I’ve been putting up the same kind of content for a while now, so I thought I’d shake things up a bit. I know this particular post is not very book blog-y, but hey, I was never gonna keep things conventional anyway. I’m a huge lover of music, and I don’t really have a particular type or favorite genre. The music I listen to depends completely on my mood, but one thing is for sure: when I like a set of songs, I listen to the SAME set of songs for weeks until I just cannot listen to them anymore. I’m sure I’m not the only person who does this, right? Right? :3 Music is also one of the catalysts that gets my creative juices flowing. Now, I cannot work with music. I have tried and failed, but it just doesn’t happen for me. I cannot write while listening to music, and I definitely cannot read books while listening to music. Too distracting. But it does help me brainstorm. Some of my favorite ideas for my books have hit me while I was listening to songs. It could be heart-touching lyrics or an inspiring instrumental: the number of times this has happened is not even funny. In fact, my way of capturing the essence of my characters and even character relationships is by assigning songs to them. I have a set of songs for each of my protags, and even for a few scenes. Sometimes, it’s the lyrics that makes sense, sometimes it’s the music. Full post, and my list of top ten current favorite songs in the link in my bio! ✨ Which is your favorite song? It can be in any language, do let me know! ✨ Do you play any instruments? I'd started to learn the guitar after playing the synth all my life, but then college happened, and now, balancing so many things at once, it's impossible to focus on music. But I'll return to it soon! ✨ Also, this picture has been inspired by a post by @baawrabookster Check his feed out!! .#music #musiclover #songs #musicians #musicandbooks #wonderwoman #wonderwomanwarbringer #dc #dclegends #leighbardugo #leighbardugobooks #guitar #musiclover #writer #amwriting #writers #writerscommunity #writersofig #writersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #writerslife #writingwithmusic #bookstgramer #bookstagram #bookaesthetics #bookblogger #bookblog https://www.instagram.com/p/BrIqBR6nAtE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lqy9pl9bylnk

[mhashmibooks]

So I decided to out this up when Disney dropped it's new Artemis Fowl teaser trailer yesterday. It got a fee hits and misses, but mostly, it just got me hella excited. I was huge fan as a kid, and also had a little crush on Artemis 🤔 I can't wait to see what the film brings to the table, and while I have my reservations about my favorite MG books turning into movies after the Percy Jackson franchise (check link in bio for a rant), my hopes are high for this one, mostly because they found a kid with the right swagger, at least that's what it seems right now ✨ The Time Paradox was easily my favorite book in the series. That ending ❤️ I shipped Holly and Artemis pretty hard so this book really served that side of the fangirl in me. ✨ Are you an Artemis Fowl fan? What did you think of the teaser trailer? ✨ #books #bookstagram #book #bookshelf #bookworm #booklover #booknerd #bookaddict #bookholic #booklove #booklover #bookblog #bookobsessed #bookblogger #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookstagramer #igreads #igbooks #bookreccomendations #bookstagramfeature #bookstagramindia #bookaesthetics #bookdragon #indianbookstagrammer #artemisfowl #disneyfilm #disney #artemisfowlmovie https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqu2xOKnY1Q/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rk71cfltukv1

[mhashmibooks]

Something I've wanted to upload for a while. My first proper attempt at real-life portraits. It was a gift for a friend. Oh and that's me on the right. (My face is a little longer than in the sketch tbh. And I know I've messed up in places, but I'm also proud of this work. Hopefully many more, many better to come) 🙈 #art #artbooks #artist #artsy #artistsoninstagram #artportrait #artwork #artlovers #artists #artistsofinstagram #artofinstagram #artpost #sketchbook #sketches #sketch #pencilsketches https://www.instagram.com/p/BqkV5a7Hc_h/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=s8kh5at93jgf

[mhashmibooks]

I haven't pulled any punches

[mhashmibooks]

My favorite kind of feed is the vibrant kind. Colorful and warm is the way I like my pictures, so I crank up the saturation and vibrancy in almost all of them. ✨ What kind of bookstagram pictures do you like? ✨ Also, finished reading Lightforce, can't wait to write a review soon ✨✨ ✨ #books #bookstagram #book #bookshelf #bookworm #bookish #booklover #bookworms #booknerd #bookaddict #bookaddicts #bookholic #booknerd #booklove #booklover #bookishlove #bookblog #bookobsessed #bookblogger #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookstagramer #indianbookstagrammer #igreads #igbooks #bookreccomendations #bookstagramfeature #bookstagramindia #bookaesthetics #bookdragon https://www.instagram.com/p/BqhuzL_HDwo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15zdrstxx0qwn

[mhashmibooks]

Newest addition to my TBR! can't wait to get to it❤️ ✨ Have you read this series? What are your thoughts? ✨ What is your current read? ✨ #books #bookstagram #book #bookshelf #bookworm #bookish #booklover #bookworms #booknerd #bookaddict #bookaddicts #bookholic #booknerd #booklove #booklover #bookishlove #bookblog #bookobsessed #bookblogger #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookstagramer #indianbookstagrammer #igreads #igbooks #bookreccomendations #bookstagramfeature #bookstagramindia #bookaesthetics #bookdragon #redqueen #redqueenseries #victoriaaveyard https://www.instagram.com/p/BqaB7F6HTqz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1prqpphdxxhti

[mhashmibooks]

Newest addition to the Lightforce collection! 🎨 ✨ Growing up, I was a HUGE (HUGEEEE) superhero fan. Fun fact, I started working on a superhero graphic novel of my own like four years ago, but I eventually stopped because writer's block. Plus, I wasn't confident about how original my idea was. Anyway, from being a superhero fan all my life to actually designing one, life has surprised me in ways I didn't expect. When Jason Handleman approached me to draw his superhero based on written description, I was over the moon. And now, here we are with the third character sketch of the superhero from his novel, Lightforce. ✨ Currently in the middle of reading Lightforce and MAN I'm enjoying it. If you are an ardent superhero fan, you're gonna love it. And if you're not, it's still a pretty entertaining read. Full review will be coming up, and on that note, we are still looking for reviewers, so if you want a copy, DM me. Physical copy not guaranteed, but it will be easier to accommodate you if you are based in the US. ✨ DM if you want your characters sketched based on written description! Check out my feed to get a glimpse of my art style ❤️ #review #reviewer #reviewerwanted #bookreviewerswanted #bookreviewer #bookreviewerwanted #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #art #artbooks #artist #artsy #artistsoninstagram #artwork #artists #artistsofinstagram #artlovers #characterillustration #characterillustrator #bookillustrator #bookillustration #illustration #illustrator #characterdesign #charactersketch #superheronovel #superhero #superherosketch #artpost #artpost #artportrait https://www.instagram.com/p/BqU9_8bHUgH/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=137ni59avo6md

[mhashmibooks]

Helllllooooo people of the internet. ✨ Here's something magical to brighten up your day! Call me crazy, but I've read the entire series around 15 times. Oh well. I was a weird kid. But then, you're just as sane as I am. ✨ How many times have you read The Harry Potter series? Which is your favorite fantasy series of all time? ✨ #books #bookstagram #book #bookshelf #bookworm #bookish #booklover #bookworms #booknerd #bookaddict #bookaddicts #bookholic #booknerd #booklove #booklover #bookishlove #bookblog #bookobsessed #bookblogger #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookstagramer #indianbookstagrammer #igreads #igbooks #bookreccomendations #bookstagramfeature #bookstagramindia #harrypotterfan #harrypotter #harrypotterbooks #jkrowling https://www.instagram.com/p/BqPsmbkHoUE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15pftrp025yjp