Tag: A special announcement

Review – The Warped Web

Posted on by PUIYIN W.L.

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I am proud to announce that The Warped Web has achieved a five-star review by Readers’ Favorite. A huge congrats to the amazing Vivian Head.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite.

“The Warped Web is a private investigator murder mystery written by Vivian Head. Rex Salomon had been a natural at crime solving, and he easily progressed up the ranks of the Metropolitan Police. He was following in his father’s own footsteps and was successfully commanding a murder squad when his growing struggles with necrophobia made it impossible for him to function on the job. While he had long been successful in suppressing his reaction to death and the dead bodies that were an inevitable part of his day-to-day work, a last particularly gruesome cadaver proved to be his breaking point. Were it not for the lucky chance that his partner had found him poised on the roof of the headquarters and ready to jump, Rex would have ended it all, there and then. Working with the police psychiatrist gave him some tools to combat the worst attacks, but they were insufficient to address the underlying phobia. 

After several months, Rex left his job and family and went to Malta, hoping the change of venue, relaxation and warmth would help him heal. His return, some months later, was met with his wife’s refusal to let him in the door of his former home and a rueful realization of his dwindling personal resources. Then he overheard a conversation between two women, one of whom was crying, and the other, on impulse, reached out to him for a referral to a private investigator. Rex had a momentary flash of brilliance as he realized that this was what he could do with his life — he’d set up an office and become a private eye.

Vivian Head’s private investigator murder mystery, The Warped Web, is a well-written and thought-provoking story about a strange cult-like society that seemed to have the power to render its victims passive and unable to resist the commands of the ominous-looking Babatune, who presided over the mysterious affairs at 52c Quarry Lane. I enjoyed seeing how Rex uses his innate abilities to grab the opportunity offered him and loved watching as he first finds himself an office and lodgings, and then proceeds to assemble a team to help him solve the case. The Warped Web is filled with intriguing twists, turns and inexplicable shadowy apparitions which serve quite well in heightening the suspense, tension and urgency of the tale, and I found this book quite difficult to put down until I had finished the last page. The Warped Web is most highly recommended.”

An Angry Mother of a Special Needs Child

Posted on by PUIYIN W.L.

Hello all,

As much as I want to talk about my books and publishing, I can’t. Not today. I didn’t want to make a big deal of this post, but I feel the need to, because I might not be able to make a difference, but at least I can voice my feelings about it.

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Yesterday, I went grocery shopping with my nine year old son, Nicholas, who is autistic. Nicholas is one of those child who has ‘invisible’ special needs/disability. Not everyone would know he is autistic. He loves grocery shopping, and is usually well-behaved and well-mannered (believe it or not). The only few times he would act up is when he gets too excited and he would like to walk quickly, talk fast and sing loudly. So yesterday, we were at the meat aisle where it was freezing cold. It was so cold that Nicholas thought it would be fun to see if he could exhale the cold air out of his mouth. He then turned to a lady next to him and exhaled the air in front of her. The lady turned her attention to him and immediately looked shocked. I told Nicholas to stop what he was doing. The lady turned her attention to me. She looked angry, and then she said, “Your son is rude.”

Every mother of a special needs child will know that we would protect our child no matter what the situation is. I began to feel angry.

“I do apologize,” I said as calmly as possible.

“What a rude child. He is so rude.”

OK, that was it. I didn’t hold back.

“Excuse me, my son did not mean what he did. And besides, he’s autistic, which is why he’s curious about his surroundings.”

“I don’t care what the hell he is. He is rude. Your son is rude.”

At this point, the lady was beyond angry like Nicholas had done something much worse. I wasn’t having it. I’d already apologized, even though I didn’t feel like I should have in the first place.

“Alright, calm down lady,” I snapped back angrily.

I took my son’s hand and the both of us walked off with my head held up high. I knew there was no point in getting into an argument with the lady. As we walked away, she continued to shout back, “Your son is rude.”

Bloody hell, enough already.

Sadly, my son understood what the lady said, because he became sad and quiet after that. But I told him that it wasn’t his fault and that there will be people like the lady who he will come across in life. As for me, I promised him I will always be there to fight back for him.

So my point in writing this post? I understand not everyone will understand those with special needs/disability. But please bear in mind that they are also human, and we just have to try to understand them. It’s also unnecessary to be rude. If they do things that might upset us, just walk away. Harsh words would just hurt them as they might understand but wouldn’t know how to defend themselves. It is sad for me to see how many supporters there are for the special needs/disabled during the Paralympics. Then when the event is over, it’s back to ‘normal’ where the special needs/disabled are divided. Special needs/disability should be supported and understood as an every day life. And it’s important to remember that not all special needs/disability are visible.

Thank you for reading.

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Photo credit – Autism Awareness

11. THE POSITIVITY PROJECT – TAKE THE 21-DAY GRATITUDE CHALLENGE (DAY 4)

Posted on by PUIYIN W.L.

Record one thing you’re grateful for (flatmates with the same shoe size, a FaceTime chat with your mum, that free coffee in Pret – it’s all relative) each day for three weeks. Research says it can improve your mood, sleep and energy.

DAY 4 – Made in Thailand Sequel

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Once again, I would like to thank those who have purchased and supported Made in Thailand, and because of how well it is doing, I have decided to bring out a sequel, where the autobiography will have a broader focus on my life in 90’s Bangkok and much more. It is already in the works alongside the sequel to Who We Were. The sequel to Made in Thailand would not have come to plan if it wasn’t for the supportive bloggers, readers and fans. I thank you all, and hope that we can make the sequel an even better success.  

PY Lab into book???

Posted on by PUIYIN W.L.

Hi all,

I am here to ask for your (my fellow bloggers’) opinion. What do you think about the idea of me coming up with a book based on PY Lab blog? Don’t get me wrong, PY Lab will continue to be a blog. As many of you would know by now that I have recently launched my own publishing house. And unlike most publishers, I don’t want to have a wall up where readers, and the rest of the world, see me as another publisher. I want to bring down the wall and let the world in. I want others to see what kind of a publisher I am, and who is behind the publisher. I would also like to tell my journey from how I had come up with the idea of setting up my own publishing house, and how I also have PY Lab to thank for it.

Anyways, I would love to hear from you lot. You know how to get back to me  🙂

Much love always,

PY Lab

xoxo

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News update

Posted on by PUIYIN W.L.

Hello all,

Good news. The publishing company is well under way. I am trademarking the name and logo, and I have just passed the first HUGE step. Now, it’s the waiting game. Under UK law, every new company needs to have its name/logo in the Trademark Journal for two months for anyone/company to object. I have until mid December, before Christmas. Therefore, once again, I have to delay the launch. Meantime, work on the first soon-to-be published book under the company is also underway. There have been so many sleepless nights for the last couple of months. But it’s all going to be so bloody worth it. I haven’t forgotten you all. Aside from the company, I also have news regarding my two previous books.

There will be a new re-write of ‘A Chinese Christmas Carol’. Don’t get me wrong. The book will still be available to buy. Considering many of you bought the book, I would not want to make any changes to the original. Instead, a similar, but slightly different story will be told. I am grateful for those who have bought it. It will always be the original background story. However, I want to made a saga or a series out of it. For those who have read it will know that there are questions to be answered. And those questions will be answered in the saga/series.

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Unfortunately, ‘Family Sorrow’ will be taken down once the company is launched. Instead, it will also be re-written and be part of ‘A Chinese Christmas Carol’ saga/series. For those who have bought it, thank you, and always remember it will always be the original background story.

All these changes are due to the fact that as a will-be-soon company, I want to start fresh with the books. But there are still stories regarding characters from both books to tell that I cannot just not write about. Which is why I want to start fresh, and yet, hold on to parts of the old.

I hope many of you will support me on this new exciting journey. Because without readers, writers, bloggers, and supporters like you out there, there will be no means for books to be written. Meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have questions regarding the changes. I will do my best to answer them.

Love you all,

PY Lab