Niagara Newspaper Article
🔗 http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/communities/Grimsby/article/238308
Waheed Rabbani was born in India, close to Delhi, and was introduced to Victorian and other English novels, at a very young age, in his father’s library. Most of the large number of volumes, in the library, had been purchased by his father at ‘garage sales’ held, by departing British civil service officers and their families, in the last days of the Raj.
Waheed graduated from Loughborough University, Leicestershire, England, and received a Master’s degree from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. While an engineer by profession, Waheed’s other love is reading and writing English literature. He also obtained a Certificate in Creative Writing from the McMaster University.
Waheed’s historical fiction novel, The Azadi Trilogy, Book I: Doctor Margaret’s Sea Chest, published by Youwriteon-Legend Press UK, is available at all Amazon, McNally Robinson, B&N and other Bookstores.
Waheed and his wife, Alexandra, are now settled on the shores of Lake Ontario in the historic town of Grimsby. More information is available on his website:
<p><strong>KURDISH SCAVENGERS UNCOVER A CACHE OF NERVE GAS IN IRAQ AND OFFER THEM TO KURDISH FIGHTERS IN TURKEY. THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS BEDLAM ALPHA TEAM MUST SECURE THE WEAPONS BEFORE THEY CAN BE USED.</strong></p><p>"<strong>You must swear by Allah never to say a word of what I'm going to tell you. </strong><strong>This is the most important secret. Ever!"</strong></p><p><em>In their daily struggle for survival, Iraqi Kurdish scavengers uncover a cache of chemical weapons. They offer the weapons to fellow Kurdish rebels in Turkey and Syria to assist in their quest to free an imprisoned leader and create a unified homeland. After receiving a tip from an unlikely source, the newly formed Special Operations Bedlam team is called to arms! </em></p><p><em>Travel with Craig Cameron and his international team on their covert operation as they weave their way through war-torn regions seeking to locate and recover the weapons before they can be used to cause irreparable harm and instigate a world crisis. </em></p><p><em>The odds are stacked against them. Can they manage to keep their operation hidden and prevent further clashes before it's too late?</em></p><p>"The Kurdish Connection--a compelling read. A story of friendship, danger and intrigue."--<em>Ann Everett, Amazon Best Selling Author.</em></p><p>..". Randall's authentic voice adds a powerful push to keep a reader turning the pages." --<em>Janet Taylor-Perry, author of The</em><em> Raiford</em><em> Chronicles, The Legend of</em><em> Draconis</em><em> Saga, and April Chastain Intrigues.</em></p><p>"Topical - Engaging - Intriguing - Powerful ... A real page turner."--<em>Rikon Gaites</em><em>, author of Mummy's Little Soldier and Darius</em><em> Odenkirk</em><em>.</em></p><p>..". Randall Krzak brings his wealth of experience living in this troubled part of the world and his military knowledge to bear in this exciting story..."--<em>John L.</em><em> DeBoer</em><em>, author of When the Reaper Comes.</em></p><p>..". a journey full of history, suspense, intrigue, and action...a MUST READ for all!"--<em>Les Stahl, Retired</em> NSA Executive.</p><p>..". Readers need to fasten their seatbelts for a fast-paced tale made believable by a writer who knows what he's writing about."--<em>Preston</em><em> Holtry</em><em>, author of the Morgan</em><em> Westphal</em><em> mystery series and the</em><em> Arrius</em><em> trilogy (forthcoming).</em></p><p>"A behind the scenes story, ripped from today's headlines deepening the reader's understanding of an ancient strife ... filled with the sights and smells of the market place and secret meetings, the reader is admitted to the secret heart, the desperate longings of those that must fight and win, or see continued subjugation by their masters..."<em>--Oliver F. Chase, author of Camelot Games, </em>Levant Mirage, Blind Marsh, and Marsh Island.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">What the Beta Readers of <em>Dr. Margaret’s Sea Chest</em> have said …</font></span></span></strong></p><p></p> <p style="text-align:justify;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></p><p></p> <p style="text-align:justify;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"></font></span></span></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><em><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">"Very impressive intriguing novel, filled with mysterious circumstances and suspense. The story unfolds combining interesting historic facts to the present with descriptive vivid imagination. The characters surrounding Doctor Margaret's Sea Chest are alive and introduced to us in a gripping way, colourfully taking us back in time. I commend this book to be a very enjoyable read ... my interest was captivated to the very end ... "</span></span></em><em><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></em></font><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><br /><font size="3">—</font></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"><strong><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Micheline Beniusis</span></strong><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">, English Teacher</span></font></span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><br /><span style="background:#ffffff;"><br /><br /></span></span><em><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">"The story takes one on an adventurous trip with a compelling mission to discover a life lived through different continents, warfare, joys and sorrows. Portrays lives in 19th century, exposes the reader to understand our diverse societies and cultures considering history and changing times. The captivating story often kept me up way after the midnight hours till the end ..."</span></span></em><font size="3"><em><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"> <br /></span></em><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">—</span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><strong><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Al Beniusis, Accountant</span></strong><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></span></font></p><p></p> <p style="text-align:justify;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></p><p></p> <p style="text-align:justify;margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">“I can see this story as a ‘Masterpiece Theatre’ movie—just thinking of the costumes and the dramas is exciting. You set each side of the border in such picturesque settings, in Grimsby, Niagara-on-the-Lake and New Jersey. We all see some of the Persian and Indian settings on a regular basis on the news today. Most of the costumes are available already…”</font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><font size="3"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">—</span><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Diana Stevens-Guille<em>, </em></span></span></strong><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">School Principal<em></em></span></span></font></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">“The basic story I did enjoy. The plot was developed in such a way that I did want to find out more about Margaret and how her life is linked to the contemporary story…”</font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><font size="3"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">—</span><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Dr. Janette MacDonald<em>, </em></span></span></strong><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto</span></span></font></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><font size="3"><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">“<em>Story was very intriguing and enjoyable and kept me wanting to read and know more—it grabbed me right from the beginning … enjoyed the jumping from past to present and the history/period descriptions it provides …”</em> </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">—</span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><strong><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Dr. Josie Marciello<em>, </em></span></strong><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Toronto<em></em></span></span></font></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><strong><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></em></strong></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">“I like the idea of the dream at the beginning of the novel … The plot is not only captivating, there is an aura of mystery—and the conflict between Margaret and her family fuels the fire as there is tension on all fronts. The setting that you have chosen is the beautiful 1960s, in stark contrast with the 1850s. You have described them beautifully … the first person narration is very effective…”</font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><font size="3"><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">—</span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><strong><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Sheila Abedin<em>, </em></span></strong><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Human Resources Professional<em></em></span></span></font></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span style="color:#000000;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">“The first person, first Doctor Wallidad, then the grandfather and Margaret, is an effective approach … the story is good, weaving the past and present dramas. You have included so much detail on Margaret’s life that is really interesting. It held my interest throughout … I believe that the historical element of this story enhances its interest. The details of the underground railroad and the Crimean War are great. Adding Florence Nightingale also adds interest. The promised detail about the rebellion also sustained my interest. You have included much rich detail …” </font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><font size="3"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">—</span><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Margaret Smith<em>,</em></span></span></strong><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"> Senior Advisor, Socio-Economic Assessment<strong><em></em></strong></span></span></font></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><strong><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></em></strong></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><strong><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></span></em></strong></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">“The frame story? Yes, it works ... Although I must admit I prefer Margaret's story. Partly because it's historical and partly because of her personality … I like your descriptions of settings. They're evocative. Well done. I also like how Dr. Walli notices gardens wherever he goes. This is one memorable aspect of his personality …”</font></span></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><font size="3"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">—</span><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Guylaine Spencer<em>, </em></span></span></strong><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Hamilton, Ontario<em></em></span></span></font></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><font size="3"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"> </span></font></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><font size="3"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"> </span></font></span></em></p><p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoBodyText"><em><span lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"><font size="3"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">“Two plot frames? I like it. Adds richness and depth to the story … It was a very effective opening. It definitely gives incentive to wade into the introductory section of the story. Also really enjoyed how we kept coming back to that dream, the woman on horseback, hair streaming. It helped tie Walli’s story together and tie him to Margaret as well. Was it an enjoyable read? It usually takes me a month to read a novella. I read your novel in 2½ weeks. You decide.”<strong></strong></span></font></span></em></p><p></p><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:12pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">—</span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Stephanie Hill</span></strong><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">, Dress Designer<em>.</em></span>