Author’s Page

My Writing Journey

I grew up in the 1960s when there were no screens. Even TV was in its initial stages and not very popular. Most families spent their spare time in family rooms, where lively discussions took place. Therefore, most families knew each other very well. In the 2010s, my grandchildren were growing up and were at impressionable ages. Everyone was extremely busy, and they still spent their spare time in the living room, but instead of discussions, the TV was blaring, and each family member had a blueish glow on their face from the reflection of their smartphone screens. I decided to change this. So, I wrote children’s stories with colorful photos and pictures. These stories were developed on my PC, printed on my home printer, and I had ‘story books’ in the form of loose white paper stapled together and kept in separate files.

When I presented these files to my grandchildren, they were fascinated not because the stories were good, but because they were written by their grandpa for them. My daughter-in-law, a remarkable lady, read these stories to them at bedtime. They started discussing the characters in the stories and even involved me in these discussions, as if they were real people.

My granddaughter grew up, stepped into her teens, and asked me to publish these stories. Later, my daughter-in -law and daughters joined in. So, in 2025, I uploaded a storybook to Amazon KDP, and it was accepted. Other books followed. My eldest daughter convinced me to create an online platform to showcase these books and inspire people all over the world. Storytelling connects people across generations, therefore, “Friends Corner” was born! This is a place to explore human emotions and live through experiences, while overcoming life’s challenges. It provides information on various themes and ideas along with human development and learning phases in life for kids, teens, adults, etc.

Meanwhile, I also wrote books for young adults about issues teenagers face today, like bullying at school or how much they should trust the Apps and social media. These are the issues of the modern world. All these books are available for purchase on this website in “Shop All” section. Also, available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Walmart.

Encouraged by these developments, I decided to write a novel. I decided to use the COVID-19 Pandemic period as the backdrop for my story. During that period, my wife and I took every conceivable precaution, but we both still contracted the virus and became very sick. Now, I have faced dangerous situations many times in my life, but I never felt as helpless as during that sickness. I was more worried about my wife. We had no taste or smell, and every breath was a struggle because of incessant coughing. My son and daughters joined us as soon as they heard about the ‘positive result.’ In those bleak days, our children and grandchildren became our primary source of strength. The grandchildren called us many times during the day to ask about us. My granddaughter told us, “I know you both are very strong, and you will beat the virus. Be sure to fight a little harder.” My grandson told us, "You will get well. You have to tell us stories you told Daddy when he was a kid." These remarks were more effective than the medicines we were taking. During this sickness, my conviction became an article of faith for me:when all is lost, family bonds and love gives you strength and keep you going.Therefore, the theme that I chose for my first novel was family bond and love, the strongest foundation of human relationships.

I am sure readers will find “When the World Held Its Breath" an interesting read. The book has been awarded the Literary Titan Book Award. I have shown how the world and the people behaved during the pandemic and what ordinary people went through. I am sure that readers will remember this book long after the last page. I look forward to their reviews so I can improve my subsequent writing.

I have already decided on the theme and general setting for my next project and finalized the outline. This is again based on human relationships during trying times, when people from different cultures interact and help each other survive. I am sure readers will find it interesting.

R.Suleman