Mark Rocha's Blog

Every day I walk through a candy gate, 
that guards this big sugar building;
and as the purple sun illuminates my footprints in the blue sand,
I look forward to throwing square balls in baskets,
and running with my friends on the red grass among the many flowers.
Inside the building, this nice girl helps me play.
She helps me use paints to make beautiful pictures.
Dogs that swim, and people that fly.
I also want to fly.
She doesn’t talk like the other helpers.
She talks like the birds.
I don’t understand when people talk.
Her voice is like the green chok-lit I like,
and it makes it easier to understand why I must keep my helmet on, 
and why I must wear my shirt.
She plays ‘put the basket around the ball’ with me,
and because I can’t do it very well, she pretends she can’t either.
I wish she could come home with me, but she can’t.
But that’s okay; I’ll see her when I come tomorrow,
In the long box with the square circles on it.

Many years ago, while I was in Dubai, I had the opportunity to volunteer with Al Noor, a school for children with autism and learning disabilities. At the time I didn't really know anything about autism, or how to work with these kids. It was just something I signed up to do because I was talked into it by a friend of mine. Little did I know that it would change my life forever.

No, I didn't become a special educator, nor did I vow that day to make helping children with special needs my vocation. What changed in my life was the realisation that I wasn't as emotionally strong as I thought I was. I realised that to help these children took more than just patience and understanding. It took emotions that could not be learned, and skills that could not be taught - it took something that could only be described as divine. A gift that is so precious that only a few people in this world are blessed to possess it. Needless to say, I didn't last very long because my heart just could not handle it - and I'm not ashamed to admit it. It wasn't long after, that I wrote this poem as a way to channel those emotions. I've held on to this poem for many years since then, and only recently had the courage to share it as part of my book Resurrection.

April 2nd was World Autism day, and though I'm a little late, I wanted to share this poem with all the amazing teachers and volunteers that have dedicated their lives and their vocation to teaching and helping those with autism and special needs. People like my dear friend Andre Velho and the amazing people at Sethu Goa who are the real heroes. If you have made it this far, thank you, and Happy World Autism Day. I hope you have been inspired to make a difference.

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So a couple of months ago, in February, my publisher Notion Press hosted a Valentine's Day competition. They invited writers from across India and the world to send their short stories and poems, with the promise that 100 poems and 100 stories would be selected to be published in an anthology (respectively) titled, '#Versesoflove". Just a few weeks before that, a friend of mine had passed away in a tragic road accident. Still reeling from his sudden demise, I penned a poem titled 'One Last Photograph' to help purge the feeling of loss. When the contest was announced, though, something inside made me share that poem. I'm not one to enter contests - let alone writing contests (self esteem issues? Maybe), but I did it anyway just so I could get more people to read it. As luck would have, of the thousands upon thousands of entries that came in, 'One Last Photograph' was selected to be one of the 100 poems in the book. I was stunned, but at the same time humbled that the forces that be found the love in that poem, and deemed it worthy to be a part of that esteemed collection. 

If you'd like to pick up a copy of the book '#Versesoflove', you can use the links below. And if you're reading this, thank you for your support. It means a lot. Copies are available on Notion Press and Amazon.

Notionpress: https://notionpress.com/read/versesoflove-1345799-1345799

Amazon.in: https://www.amazon.in/dp/1638507171

Flipkart: https://www.flipkart.com/versesoflove/p/itmf731db90105d8?pid=9781638507178&affid=editornoti

What an awesome Christmas gift! The lovely folks at the Navhind Times took the time out to talk to me about Resurrection and featured it on the front page of their weekend magazine, Zest. Huge thank you to Christine Machado for noticing the buzz around the book and giving me a spot on such a popular publication. If you haven't read the interview yet, you can head over to the media section, or click the link below to read it on the Navhind Times website.

https://www.navhindtimes.in/2020/12/26/magazines/bnc/notes-on-love/

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Two weeks after the worldwide release of Resurrection, the paperback is finally available for purchase in India. I cannot tell you just how happy and blessed I feel to finally be able to make this available here. Thanks to the super-smooth publishing over at Notion Press, Resurrection is now available online in print at their online bookstore and Amazon India.

To celebrate the print publishing of Resurrection in India, and because Christmas is around the corner, I'm offering you a special 20% off with the code 'XMAS20' as we round out 2020. The coupons are limited, and valid only at the Notion Press store till the end of the month, so click below to BUY YOUR COPY NOW! If you'd rather buy it on Amazon, that option is also available, with free shipping for Prime members.

Once again, thank you all so much for supporting me and my journey as a writer. I cannot wait for you to read Resurrection. Please share your feedback online on Amazon, Facebook, Instagram - but mainly Amazon ;)

Loves always!

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I am super excited to announce that Resurrection is finally available in paperback in select markets, exclusively on Amazon.

Thanks to Amazon publishing, Resurrection is now available in all formats in the US, UK, Canada, and Europe. Unfortunately, however, it will still be a while before the paperback version is available in India - but I'm working on it.

In the meantime, to all my friends, family, enemies and acquaintances across the world, it would make me the happiest writer if you would consider buying a copy for yourself or someone you love.

Resurrection has been a labour of love that was started somewhere in 2015, and features 50 poems about love and loss that I have written over the last 15 years. Thank you to everyone who has been with me and supported me through this incredible journey - especially my beautiful wife and my forever love, Sheraline. Thank you for inspiring me every day. I love you.

Ever since I went exclusive with Amazon for Resurrection, I've been receiving messages asking me what Amazon Kindle Unlimited is, how it works, and most importantly, if Resurrection really is free to read. So instead of answering each of those messages individually, I decided to put together this little FAQ to answer them. Here goes.

What is Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Simply put, Amazon Kindle Unlimted is a digital lending library that allows you to check out and read over a million books for a small monthly fee. What makes it unique though is that there is no return date. Users can keep up to 10 titles on their bookshelves at any point in time, for as long as they want, and return those before downloading new titles.

How much does Amazon Kindle Unlimited cost?

Rates vary by market, though for the most part, it costs about the same as an Amazon Prime membership, or the literally the price of one book. Here in India, it costs ₹169 per month (at the time of writing).

Am I still able to buy a book if I like it and want to keep it forever?

Yes of course! Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscriptions integrate with your existing Kindle to allow for borrowed and bought books to reside together on your shelf. Once you're done reading a Kindle Unlimited book, you can choose to buy it and keep it in your collection forever.

Where can I find Kindle Unlimited ebooks?

You can find Kindle Unlimited books everywhere you shop for Kindle books today. Look for the 'Kindle Unlimited' icon throughout the Kindle Store and click on the "Read for Free" button on Kindle book pages to start reading. You can find popular titles and recommendations on the Kindle Unlimited page. 

I don't own an Amazon Kindle or Fire Tab. Can I still read Kindle ebooks?

Sure you can! With the Kindle app for Android and iOS, you can download and read Kindle ebooks on your smartphone, iPad, or tablet anytime, anywhere. You can also participate in programs such as Kindle Unlimited through the app.

Do I have to be an Amazon Prime member to get Kindle Unlimited?

No, you don't. These are both different programs from Amazon.

I already have an Amazon Prime account. Does that entitle me to read Resurrection for free?

As an Amazon exclusive, Resurrection is open to any and all Amazon Kindle programs. This includes Amazon Prime's free selection of monthly titles, however, there is no guarantee as to if and when Resurrection will be available to Prime members, and in which markets.

Where can I find more information on Amazon Kindle Unlimited, and sign up?

For more information on Amazon Kindle Unlimited, and to sign up for a free 30-day trial, click here.

After the freebie promo right here on markrocha.net, Resurrection is now exclusively available on Amazon worldwide. "But Mark, didn't you say that you were going to sorta keep Resurrection as a free download forever?" Well, that's the great part about being an Amazon exclusive. If you love reading and are part of the Kindle Unlimited program, then Resurrection is absolutely free to download. Additionally, if you're an Amazon Prime member, you can borrow Resurrection from the lending library for free as well. Availability, however, is limited though, so get it while you can. 

As you can see, this is clearly a very exciting phase in online digital publishing, and it's all still new to me. The book is and always will be available to buy if you're not a part of any of these programs though, so life does not have to be so complicated. Plus, early next year I will be releasing the paperback version through Amazon as well. So if you're the hands-on kind of person, then you can wait for that. Thank you for all the love and support.

I honestly didn't think I'd get this done in time for Christmas, but thanks to the awesome folks at Amazon, I guess wishes do come true! It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Resurrection is now available on Amazon (worldwide) as a Kindle ebook, and will be available as a paperback early next year. However, before I make it an Amazon exclusive, I'd like to give back. For all of you who have supported me, encouraged me, and been a part of my journey in writing, I want you to have a copy of Resurrection. This book was 5 years in the making, and now that it's finally out at Christmas, I see no better gift. So, for the next three days, Resurrection will be available as a free downloadable PDF right here. On the evening of December 26th, the link will be deactivated, and from then on, the book will be exclusively available on Amazon - so get it while you can! ;)

Once again, thank you to everyone who has loved and supported me. This one is for you. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas!

Download Resurrection PDF

UPDATE: Resurrection is now exclusively available on Amazon worldwide. Click here to download your copy.

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I'm so excited about this! I've been working on compiling my second book for a few months now, but that's not the exciting part. What I'm really looking forward to is embracing the digital word. After Fallen and trying to push it as a physical copy, I realised that for all the nostalgia in the world, very rarely do people pick up a book on poetry. So this time around, I decided that I would publish my second book, Resurrection, as an ebook in multiple formats. But most importantly, it's going to be a free download.

The whole idea and theme behind Resurrection is that of positivity, happiness - and I want that happiness to be as accessible as possible. Since you can't buy happiness, well, you get the point. Ressurection will be available in the first week of January.

Great news! Fallen is back on your favourite online retailers. Follow the links below to pick up your copy today.