The Sky Realm: Production Stage.

Hello dear reader! How have you guys been? Are you as excited about the release of my debut novel as I am?

You know what I recently learned the other day about publishing? I learned that one should refrain from announcing themselves as a debut author. Why? Because it makes the agents and the publishing company reluctant to take you and your work seriously.

Simply put: They won't give you shot because you're not a sure thing.

Can you believe that?

I don't know about you, but I was infuriated. Wait, let me say that again, INFURIATED.

That's better, now I can go back to ranting.

When the idea was first suggested to me by fellow authors (that's right I know authors now, which I can say things like 'fellow' and 'author' and sometimes 'fellow author') and publishers I outright refused.

Was I being egotistical? Was I being arrogant? No, of course not. For me, this is a matter or faith and belief.

The truth is that I am excited to be a debut author. I am excited that "The Sky Realm" will be my first published novel. It is my biggest personal accomplishment thus far. How can I simply leave my debut novel on the back burner and let it simmer.

J.K. Rowling had a debut novel, Veronica Roth had a debut novel, Rainbow Rowell had a debut novel and so will Sheeza Iqbal.

I bet you that if a publisher magically knew that J.K.Rowling was going to be huge, her debut novel would be HUGE. I mean, launch party with a million celebrities huge and everyone would be riding around in go-karts!

And every news channel, every tweet, every instagram photo and every newspaper would be raving about her and her debut novel. Stories about her being a single mom on welfare would be used to define her passion, her struggle and her utmost faith in the words that she used to form her book.

Am I right?

The point here, dear reader, is that it is easy to rave about someone, to have faith someone, and to sympathize with someone based on their success.

It is however, equally difficult to do so when they are down in the dumps. How do these fellow authors and publishers know that I won't be a success if I'm not given a fair chance?

And that, dear reader, is what I'm fighting for. That is what I want to prove wrong.

It is not fair for us to say who can and who cannot be successful. I feel like we should support dreams and help whoever we can however we can to help them make their dream a reality.

What's the thing that's keeping you from helping others? As yourself that question and take the step forward.

And you can start by supporting me. I am here to ask you to help me get "The Sky Realm" out to the public. We're now putting the finishing touches on the book cover and my baby will soon be ready to go. I want every book store, every internet reading site and every person to know about it and to own a copy.

Here is where I need your help, dear reader, I need you to pledge and help me reach my goal of $5000 so that I can get the FIRST INSTALLMENT of the book out. A lot of you have helped me with my goal and I'm excited to say that I've raised $1700!!

You money would help me create a marketing strategy, get my book out there, and help with the production and printing costs.

I still have a long way to go and  I need your help in supporting me! So, what d'you say, dear reader, are you ready to make history with me?


Check out the link and pledge any amount that you can.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1646862381/the-sky-realm


until next time,

smiles up and doubt down.

isheeza

The Sky Realm: Summary

Hello dear reader and welcome to your Monday. I am your host isheeza and tonight we will be uncovering a hint of magic with a dash of impossible. 

Are you ready? Are. You. Ready?

So, dear reader, guess what you have the privilege of having access to today? GUESS!

If you read the title then your guess should be spot on and if not, well then I label as a lost cause. Anyhoo, I have gotten my hand on the exclusive summary of the Sky Realm for you. How is it exclusive you ask? 

Well. 

This summary reveals much more about the book than the summary I have chosen as the blurb on the back of my book. 

That's right. I have TWO summaries. If I haven't impressed you now then I am a lost cause. 

So, here it it. The exclusive summary for the loyal and loving reader of isheeza. I do hope that you enjoy it and get your impossible on for the book launch (you'll know why I said impossible once you read the book. It'll be our inside joke). 

Introducing the most awaited novel of the year: The Sky Realm 

The place between Earth and space is where her rightful home is.  Aaliyah, an everyday 

teenager led to believe that she is nothing more than an ordinary village healer, discovers that 

she has the potential to control all four elements: air, water, fire and earth. She is an Ultimate.  But Aaliyah soon realizes that finding her true identity isn’t as easy as she was expecting it to be. Now, with the help of the chief’s daughter, an unexpected mentor and the boy next door, Aaliyah must do everything in her yet-to-emerge powers to defeat Lord Aerious and salvage her home. Her journey of a thousand miles will start with a spark and consume her as she strives for justice, love and power. 

***

I hope that gave you a glimpse into the world that I have been pouring over for the last 9 months. The launch date will be announced soon. And for those of you who want pre ordered, exclusive copies I have the link for you below! 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1646862381/the-sky-realm

until next time. Smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza

Heartaches

Hello dear reader, welcome to Monday. The day where you get to read the wise words that flow from my brain and into this blog. You lucky thing, you. 

So, now that I have finished with my travel blogs it is time for me to move the focus back on the book and other issues that emerge from it. 

On the book front, my line editing process is FINISHED! Woot, woot! Which means we can FINALLY move on to the cover of the book and I can get a definite date to you guys. Eek! I am stoked! Can you tell I'm stoked? I am so, so, so stoked! Who wouldn't be stoked if their dream was actualizing in front of them?

Everybody. 

Everybody who has ever had a dream. It's kind of insane how precious dreams are. I mean, on the surface they are this pretty shiny thing, giving us hope, wonder, and stars, but deep down, they are something more. 

I've been getting messages from people, everyday people, telling me that they are so happy that I am actually doing something about my dream. They are so excited that I am making it come alive for me and I could not be more touched by their selflessness. 

But you know what I have noticed? Every story that I receive and every story that is shared with me has a little bit of heartache. A little bit of pain and a little bit of regret. Because everyone has their own life, with their own problems, their own heartaches and their own dreams. There is one thing or the other that is stopping them, delaying them or even pushing them away from actualizing their dreams. 

When someone shares a piece of their heart with you, it is really easy to give them advice and to tell them to overcome their obstacles. But, its another thing to help them out of it. 

That is a whole new level. 

When you are advising someone on their situation you are doing the bare minimum. When you are giving them suggestions you are doing nothing more than scratching the surface. What we need to do, dear reader, is invest in that person. To spend time with the individual, to actively become involved in solving their issues and to step away from judgmental image you have of them. 

Now when you read this you will ask me why? Why should I do any of that? What's in it for me? What about me?

Look carefully into those questions, dear reader, and you will find the answer.  

It is because you are so involved with the self that you have no concept left of giving selflessly, of investing in someone else or caring for someone other than you. Some people are happy and excited about my dreams becoming a reality while others sit there and wonder, "What has she done to deserve it?"

And that becomes dangerous, dear reader. Not because you're hurting my heart, but because you are hurting your own. In fact, you are losing your heart. You are losing compassion. And you are losing humanity.

When these individuals message me to congratulate me, express their excitement for my dreams and promise a bright future for me, it makes me happy. It makes me want to dream bigger and do more. It encourages me to take bigger risks and to climb higher than I had ever dreamed of. 

And this is just by the support of anonymous messages that I receive.  Imagine if you connected with someone on a personal level, doing something for them without expecting anything in return. Imaging what you would be doing for them.

Crazy isn't it? But it works and it shows the beauty in how humans can be as constructive as we are destructive and hazardous to one another. 

Be constructive. Get out there and help someone with something for their sake. Try to understand their heartaches, their dreams, and their perspective and put yourself on the back burner. 

The results of your selflessness, your compassion and your love will be nothing short of amazing. The media and the world today does nothing more than feed our soul with the promise of "you, you, you," and you cannot help but indulge in that theory. 

That is not the way to go. Trust me, dear reader, that is NOT the way to go. Try my way. Invest in a family member, in your wife, in your neighbour, in your friend, in a stranger, in a homeless person and so on and so on. Invest selflessly and then watch the good it does for you. 

Try it, dear reader, and then let me know what your heart feels like. 

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza

Turkey and it's smooth moves!

Hello dear reader and welcome to the MOST awaited country of my Europe trip. I’ve been getting Facebook messages, tweets, and Instagram comments all of which outline your impatience because you are all SO excited for this country.

The Blue Mosque and all of its 6 pillars! 

Now before I get into this wonderful city I have to admit something to you guys. You know how we all have a list of place that outline where we want to travel in the world? Well, guess which city didn't make it on mine. 

Guess.

If you gasped and made a “you-did-not” face, you guessed it. Istanbul was NEVER on my list. The city didn’t even occur to me. I know most of you are horrified right now, a few of my friends even threatened to disown me, so, I don’t blame you. But, for some odd reason the city didn’t ever cross my mind. 

Is that weird? 

Anyways, because Istanbul wasn’t on my list I wasn’t very enthusiastic about it. It was the last stop in my trip and Switzerland had already given me everything I wanted so Istanbul was just a city where I would enjoy my few days in the sun before returning to the confused Canadian weather.

I managed to land in Istanbul around 6:00 pm, which meant that I could sneak some of the city in the evening, but, unfortunately for me, Istanbul had other plans. 

It was raining really hard and the traffic was absolutely horrible! My flight to Istanbul was shorter than my drive to the hotel. (I think Istanbul saw my travel list and decided that it wanted revenge).

It was crazy.

Nonetheless, after FINALLY getting to my hotel, I decided to be a good sport and went out to lift my dampened spirits with some hot Turkish food. And, oh my god, dear reader. The food.

THE FOOD.

So good. So very, very, very good!

I ate like I had been on a diet my entire life and my 10 pounds magically transformed into 30. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but you should be used to this by now. It’s me.

Anyways, after the amazing food was a day jam-packed (that’s right, I said jam-packed!) with history, culture, and religion.

I was blown away, dear reader, by the abundance of historical entities and by the measures that were taken to preserve them.

As a Muslim living in Canada I had never really had a chance to look at Islamic history from such proximity. Turkey changed it all for me. 

I got to see canonical buildings, artifacts, and institutions that were a strong part of the Turkish history. I want to bore you with facts, dear reader, fact and dates and stories that belong to Turkey.

I want to teach you Turkish History 101: The awesomeness that is the history of Turkey.

I am still that excited. But you’re going to have to check my Facebook page for pictures and facts about the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, The Ottoman Empire, and Basilica Cistern. They are indeed as epic as they sound.

What I’m going to focus on instead, dear reader, is what experiencing the history of Turkey meant for me. 

As I mentioned earlier that this was the first time I ever felt such a connection to my religion and to the history of my religion. This connection sparked something inside of me. It made me conscious about my life decisions and my priorities.

The Turks developed their city by focusing their attention on religion and education. They used their times wisely and purposefully, always thinking about the future of their people. For example, the Basilica Cistern was built in the 6^th century during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor. 

Why?

 Because the Emperor didn’t want his people to die from a drought. So, he built a huge underground water source covering 9800 square meters and filled it with barrels of water.

The Ottoman Empire, on the other hand, made sure that every single person under their rule was educated in every subject, thus resulting in multiple ground breaking inventions. For example, the Hagia Sophia was destroyed and rebuilt three times because of the constant earth quakes in the country. The architect in charge of the building understood the land’s nature and decided to add additional columns in such a way that the building survived every earth quake after that.

What I mean to point out with all of these examples is the ideals, the principles and the goals that a nation like that had. Turkey was a highly successful country under their reign. Why? Because I believe that they had the right formula. Their use of education allowed them to compete, and even beat, the leading nations of their time. Individuals understood the significance of time, purpose and knowledge and were able to use these factor in ways that were revolutionary.

I think, dear reader, that we need to take a good hard look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves, “Do I embody the morals, the principles, and the qualities of an individual who is capable of revolutionary accomplishments? Am I passing this information on to the next generation? Do I do right by others by keeping justice and integrity in mind or do I wrong individuals based on my own short comings?”

We cannot hope to be a successful generation, dear reader, if we don’t understand the factors that matter. We give too much importance to things that are temporary and, to a certain extent, useless. We have to move past selfies, whiter teeth, abs, and competing for the most likes on our latest Instagram photos. Do we want to be more than a plastic collage of selfies? Is that the history we want our nation to have OR do we want to inspire, educate, encourage and motivate individuals to think openly, act righteous, practice justice and embrace diversity ?

The choice is yours, dear reader, and for further dramatic effect in the infamous words of V.Roth I say to you: “choose wisely.”

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza

Switzerland: My Fairy Tale

Hello dear reader. I hope you had yourself a great week. If not, then I hope that my post will paint a small smile on your face and that this week turns out a whole lot better than last week.

Also, before I go any further, I just want to say thank you to those readers who message me and express their gratitude, excitement, and love for my blog posts. You guys have NO idea what your support means to me. Especially, at this point when my career is fairly new and exciting.

Don't worry, updates regarding the book will be coming your way very soon! *cue starry eyes and hysterical giggling*

Now onto Switzerland! First of all, dear reader, it is very important for you to know that this place snuck itself into my heart and settled into the deepest corner it could possibly find.

I am head over heels in love with this place and there are multiple reasons as to why I feel this way about the country of Switzerland.

This country is SO beautiful and not just some areas of it, all of it is consistently and constantly beautiful. Everywhere you look there is a majestic scene waiting for you too gush over. I am not exaggerating and if you don't believe me please avert your eyes towards Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

I could go on and on and present you with numerous exhibits because let's face it I literally spent all of my pictures on Switzerland, but I won't (check my Facebook page for updates all week) instead I am going to tell you all about it and let you make your own decision. 

Now, apart from its staggering beauty there are other reasons why I fell for Switzerland (I'm not that shallow, guys. Personality matters too). 

Another reason why I love the country is because of its picturesque, fairy tale charm. This kind of setting and natural beauty makes my imagination run wild. Random characters start appearing in front of me telling me their story. I can see the actions scenes taking place in front of me and maybe a few happily ever afters?

To me, Switzerland looked like a place that had jumped out of some fairy tale and I couldn't help but indulge myself in it. Everything about it was perfect. The sun was shining warmly, the sky was the perfect blue and the hills seems to sing with beauty. I guess I lost myself in every author's fantasy and found a place where stories gave birth to themselves without any reserve. 

And also the famous novel Heidi and Peter was written in those hills by Johanna Spyri. 

Another reason why I absolutely fell in love with Switzerland was because of the peace and nature that surrounded it. Swiss people pride themselves on the natural beauty that encompasses their country. They work towards preserving the beauty and caring for the creatures that are a part of it. The Swiss do not cut themselves off from nature, instead they embrace it and do their part for caring for it. They understand its importance and its value, something that I feel that I had forgotten living in a city environment. 

Seeing the beauty and perfection of nature has motivated me to do a little bit of my part for nature. I want this beauty to last and for our future generations to experience it and I would like to ask you, dear reader, to come and help me in my tiny effort of doing my bit so that every single person can experience Switzerland in their own country. 

My reasons about loving Switzerland could go on and on, but I think I'm going to end my fairy tale on a high note and end this episode titled, "Future International Best-Selling Author in Switzerland!" Don't forget to check out my Facebook page: Sheeza Iqbal (Author) and my Instagram: @isheeza for pictures of this majestic place. You don't wanna miss it! 

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza

Paris: The City of Love?

Hello, dear reader! I am back! Have I missed you guys? Yes. Have I missed home? Yes. Was travelling all that? YES!

Travelling really is an eye opener in so many ways once you get past the glamour of being a tourist. I highly recommend for all you to get yourself out there and travel! Once you are physically and financially stable of course. 

But for now let's talk about my adventure through Europe! So, as you know from my previous blog post I was away for two week travelling the following cities: Paris, Zurich, Venice and Istanbul.

And I am so happy to say that all of these countries were their own with their own culture, own lifestyle, own religion and own food (yum!). I may or may not have gained 10 pounds…

Throughout my trip I was thinking about the best way to communicate my adventure through Europe with you guys. There is SO much to see and do in one city and there is no way I can fit it all in one blog post. So, I came up with a brilliant idea, naturally. (Did you guys miss me and my egotistical self-compliments?)

I am going to share with you one major aspect of each city. A large and common factor that constantly circles the city in question. 

Make sense? 

The first city that I visited was Paris and so the major outlining factor that surrounds that city is l'amour. The myth about Paris being the city of love. 

Oh la la. And with that I have used up all the French that I learned during my four day stay in this fabulous city. 

So, here we are. Paris. 

Imagine yourself standing in a crowd full of people. The night sky is black and everywhere you look lights are glittering, but one light stands out as the brightest. 

It is the Eiffel Tower.

It is glowing like a large candle in the middle of the city, covering every inch of it with its romantic ambiance. Everything can’t help but look beautiful under its light and you can’t help but be seduced by its magic. 

When I first saw the tower I felt its magic working on me too. I couldn't help but feel the romance blooming inside me and that’s when I thought to myself, “Am I feeling romantic because Paris is romantic or am I feeling the romance because you're supposed to?”

Yes, I know. I have profound thoughts, which I expressed out loud in public and effectively creeped out everyone around me. 

The next logical step was to observe the city and its people, looking for signs that shouted, “Be romantic or else!” or “It’s Paris! The law demands that you make googly eyes at each other!” or “If you don’t hold her hand then we’ll chop the useless thing off.”

Unfortunately, there were no such signs, which totally sucked, but there were other hints that proved to me the Paris was indeed the city of love!

Here’s the breakdown, dear reader. The reason why Paris is romantic and full of love is because Parisians take the time out of their lives to express this beautiful emotion to one another frequently and leisurely.

Instead of talking on the phone people talk to one another. Instead of taking pictures to post up on Instagram or Facebook people chose to live in the moment and give their undivided attention to the person they are with. And instead of rushing through moments people choose to slow down and enjoy the moment they are currently in. 

I've seen people stroll hand in hand, without their phones, stopping to observe the scenery and exchanging a hug or a kiss. I've seen Parisians sitting by the Seine river having a picnic with their family or feeding the ducks with their kids instead of being preoccupied by worries and technology. 

It's like they understand that love is meant to shared, cherished, enjoyed and felt. Parisians know that love is personal and they keep it that way. No one knows what they were doing or who they are with because they don't check in on Facebook or post pictures of themselves on Instagram and that is okay with them. 

And for me that is how love is supposed to be, dear reader. 

Love should be cherished on a personal level more than it should be flaunted on a public level.

Some moments are meant for you and your loved one. Sometimes a gesture is supposed to be a sweet, memorable secret between you and your loved one(s). A moment that can be created at any given time or place and a moment that is special because of its exclusivity. 

That, dear reader, is the secret of Paris. That is why it is considered the "City of Love." 

So seize the moment and make it personal. Give your undivided attention to your loved one without the phone, without the public and without the stress. Make it so that he/she feels cherished and exclusive. Give that special someone a hug, a thank you or whatever you think will make their day. 

Turn your ordinary two minutes into a Parisian memory and bring the magic of the Eiffel Tower to you. 

Honore d'Urfe said it best: "The price of love is only love...one must love if one desires to be loved."

And all of Parisians live by that rule. It couldn't hurt to try it for ourselves, right? So, give it your best shot, dear reader, and let l'amour fill your day instead of social media notifications. 

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza.

P.S: Keep checking my Facebook page for pictures of Paris this entire week!  

Submission of my First Manuscript.

Hello, dear reader and welcome to the (second) most awaited post of this blog.

Guess who just handed in her manuscript?

Go on,  guess!

That's right! This girl! The girl who has been leading you on for the past 6 months with tiny morsels of information regarding the book. After the multiple "almost done" and "just one more edit" I have finally submitted my manuscript for its initial submission!

I am SO happy and excited!

I'm not going to lie, dear reader, it's been tough fighting you guys off and keeping you at bay.

Here's why:

 There is a very strong romanticized conception of a writer (thank you to all of the chick flicks out there who have ruined it for the people who live in the real world). When I tell people that I am writing a book they usually imagine me sitting at my desk, looking out the window and typing gracefully with sufficient pauses, accentuated by a coy smile every now and then. These smiles are, of course, because of my characters when they say something witty or charming. Also, while I am writing, I have beside me a pipping cup of tea or coffee (butler's choice), an array of fruits and sandwiches and I am dressed in casual and comfortable attire.

Also, I start writing early in the day and continue to do so until dinner time, uninterrupted. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

Now, I want to rip that image into pieces and replace it with the following pie chart:

That is the factual description of what my days as a writer consist of. I would, however, increase the crying section of the pie chart, but the rest is pretty accurate.

Note: Thank you best-memes.com. You guys really get me.

This, dear reader, is the craziness that has been consuming me for the past seven months. I have been at this book, tooth and nail. I've written it in good hair days and bad hair days. I have worked on it in sickness and in health. I have developed several bad habits like insomnia, weight gain, lack of exercise, lack of socialization, depression, talking to my self and refusing to touch the laundry until I reach my word count for the week (sorry hubster).

Moreover, the editing part of the book has been exhausting. I have gone over sentences for so long that the English language started to sound like gibberish and words like 'initial' and 'counting' began to look absurd in sentences. Even now I have the urge to replace them with some other words.

I write at odd times of the night and sometimes feel ridiculously upset when I want to write a scene out, but the words won't let me. I skip meals because I am too engrossed in my scenes and feel annoyed when I have to delete whole chapters. I'm constantly thinking about ways to change up the plot and spend hours on the internet, distracted by Facebook and other social media sites, trying to find a character's name. What I am trying to say, dear reader, is that some days the writing works and the other days it doesn't. Nothing is conventional about it: not the hours, not the pay and not the method.

But I love it. I cannot explain to you the joy I feel when I realize that I have arranged words in a sequence that I am happy with. It's like every other job. Some parts of it are hard and others work out okay. I'm not telling you this because I want your sympathy. I am telling you this because I want you to understand what happens behind the scenes.

It's hard, dear reader, The behind-the-scenes in a creative field is a very hard world to live in, especially if you know that there is a very high chance of you staying behind the scenes forever and never getting the appreciation for your hard work.

So, I would like to take this moment and appreciate all the hard work that happens behind the scenes. Just because we don't see it, know about it or understand it doesn't mean that it's not there. I would like to applaud every single individual hidden behind the curtain and tell him/her that you are just as important, fabulous and hardworking as the people shining on the red carpet.

Now, with the submission of my manuscript, I hope that with your love and support, dear reader,
I will be able to achieve my spot on the stage and make my way out from behind the curtain. And if I stumble and fall, my resolve will not waver because of the people who surround me and empower me everyday to fight for my dream. You were with me when I didn't have a blog or a manuscript and you supported me nonetheless. And for that I want to thank you. It is because of you that I will continue to fight and work hard to accomplish my dream.

As for you, dear reader, you are close to my heart: the listener of my deepest secrets and the wind beneath my wings. Thank you for standing by me silently and strongly and please do believe me that I cherish your time and your loyalty. Because without you, my words would be nothing more than floating letters. Thank you for weighing them down with meaning and love.

Until next time. Smiles up and doubts down.

isheeza

P.S: I'm out for the next two weeks on Europe Tours so no blog posts! Will update when I get back! =D