Thursday 23 July 2009

Latest Reviews and Updates

Coffee Time Romance (known for their honest, unbiased reviews) has recently reviewed my novel; I got a wonderful review and a rating of four cups (out of five) which -- according to their rating system -- means my book is an OUTSTANDING GREAT READ and should be at the top of your reading list (if not already!) *grin*.

You can read the whole review here:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/theyearsofsilence.html

***

I also got another amazing review from Amr Shehata (an Egyptian author whose debut novel G.O.D.'s Delusion is scheduled soon for release):

“The Years of Silence was not a novel I read; it was more of an experience I felt. Every last bit of it touched every last bit of me. Marwa Ayad let me live Maya’s life. Bizarre as it might seem, I suffered when Maya did. I was happy when she was. I felt excited when she was. The reason is obvious: Maya is a fictional character but the experience she suffered is a reality thousands of Egyptian females suffer today. In some parts of the book, it felt as if Ayad was writing about a real life experience which she underwent. It is virtually impossible to believe that Ayad could have written a novel, so mighty, so touching, so authentic, and so romantic, unless she had experienced similar events in her life, or unless her writing talent is ‘that’ vast.

Besides the actual storyline, Ayad depicted the strong bond of the Egyptian family, especially during a crisis. She illustrated the bond between the parents and children, and between the grandparents and grandchildren. In many parts of the book, the five senses Maya felt were demonstrated, which conveys the reader’s mind right into Maya’s, and that is one brilliant touch Ayad has shown. In many points of the novel, I had to leave the book and take a break from the intensity of the events. It felt as if every word was talking about me personally, and I would be certain that every person who read the book felt (suffered) the same sentiment. This is writing at its very best.

This is definitely a romance book every male or female should pick up and read. It would be quite reasonable to say that Marwa Ayad is Egypt’s Danielle Steele."

Amr, your review made me speechless and made my day; I can't thank you enough for your words.

I've also just been informed that my novel THE YEARS OF SILENCE is this month's NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER at Art Book Center Bookstore in Alexandria. WHOA!!!

I'm HAPPY!

Update

I can't believe it's been this long since I last posted here. Life and everything. In the words of Lana Del Rey, 'But if you wer...