Wonderful new 5 star review for Essential Jo

We've received an absolutely wonderful New Year's Eve gift from Dr Arnold Rosenstock in the form of a 5 star review of Essential Jo.

Thank you Arnold!

Essential Jo - an official Amazon bestseller!

After making an entry several times this year into the "top new release" list (but languishing in the top 200 generally), last night Pikkeljig Press' "Essential Jo" finally cracked Amazon's Martial Arts Bestseller list overall, reaching at least 46. [Edit: as of 31/12/2015 it is at 33!]

Given that the sales have steadily been increasing from month to month - and the fact that we are about to release the companion DVD in the next week or two, we have no reason to suspect the situation will change except for the better.  Every single month brings increased awareness and sales.

Either way, our author Dan Djurdjevic is officially a bestselling writer!

So much for the publishers who rejected this text as "not commercially viable"...  Their loss is our gain.

Keep a lookout for the companion DVD - out soon!

Mirror Image of Sound: 2nd anniversary 5 day promotion

To celebrate the 2 year anniversary of the beginning of The Mirror Image of Sound, and as a Christmas present, Pikkeljig Press is offering 5 day FREE download promotion, starting 26/12/2015!

Don't miss your chance to read the "novel about second chances"! Go to the Kindle page and download the novel FREE for 5 days from 26 to 30/12/2015!

Dan Djurdjevic's DVD launch

Today Dan Djurdjevic launched three of his Pikkeljig published DVDs, Internalising Karate, Bridging Hard and Soft: Vol 1 Fundamentals and Chang Dao: Chinese long Sabre at the Ray Hana's Superstore in Perth WA.

New videos now available for direct download

And just like that...

All of my 3 new videos have been approved for download and are available from Amazon.  Just click on the links or pictures below! [Note: Amazon have confirmed that the download option is available only in the US and its territories.]

Internalising Karate

Bridging Hard and Soft Vol. 1: Fundamentals

The Chinese Long Sabre: Chang Dao

Ivana Kuzmanović’s "From Pain to Love" now published

A great deal of careful effort and consideration has gone into producing the first English translation of Ivana Kuzmanović’s biggest Serbian language best-seller: "From Pain to Love" and at long last it is now available for purchase through Pikkeljig Press's store here.

Something to consider for under the Christmas tree?  For a mere US$24.95, we think so!

The Kindle version is available here.

Three DVDs published today

Just in time for the Christmas season, Pikkeljig Press is proud to announce the publication of 3 of Dan Djurdjevic's instructional martial arts DVDs today (one is a re-issue to facilitate a download version which is coming soon).

These are:

• Internalising Karate
• Bridging Hard and Soft Vol. 1: Fundamentals
• The Chinese Long Sabre: Chang Dao

For a description of these DVDs go here!

Unfortunately the download versions of these instructional videos have yet to be finalised.  If you're after them, please check this space in the next few weeks.

She said He said authors co-authors finally meet - in person!

An historic event finally occurred yesterday: the co-authors of Pikkeljig Press' landmark work "She said He said" - Kari Enes and Guy McGowan - finally got to meet in person!

It's hard to believe, but these two authors worked together while separated on different continents and hemispheres: Guy in South Africa and Kari in Norway.

Now Kari has finally traveled down to South Africa to meet Guy.  It's an absolute gift to see them together in this photo and Pikkeljig Press is proud to be able to publish it.

If you haven't yet read their consciousness-expanding treatise, you really should!  You can buy the PP paperback here for only $16.95, while the Kindle version is available here for only $3.66.

Bravo Kari and Guy!

Pikkeljig's second video to be released soon

Pikkeljig Press is pleased to announce the pending release of another Dan Djurdjevic video, this time on the Chang Dao (2-handed sabre) of China.

The promotional blurb reads as follows:

This video contains a distillation of techniques of the long sabre known as the "Chang Dao".  It does not attempt to present one single style, but rather a synthesis of practical fencing techniques of the two-handed sabre in China, using forms primarily intended for 2-person practise.

More modern martial arts forms, particularly ones created after the Cultural Revolution, might be very acrobatic and crowd-pleasing in their performance value, but they give practical application a back seat.  In this video, researcher Dan Djurdjevic (author of the award-winning blog "The Way of Least Resistance") attempts to present the techniques relating to the chang dao in the form they were originally intended: as training for war.  So rather than serve an aesthetic function, the two forms in this video are in fact a codification of various 2-person drills, inculcating situation-specific responses to various cuts and thrusts.

The video is intended to provide a conscise, self-contained course for inclusion in an existing syllabus.

For convenience, Japanese bokken (wooden katana) have been used as practise weapons in the video since these are more easily sourced than any Chinese variant.

Dan's  teaser for the video is appended below:



The video should be available for purchase in about 2 weeks.

Dan Djurdjevic's "Bridging Hard and Soft" DVD now available!

Pikkeljig Press is pleased to announce that Dan Djurdjevic's video "Bridging Hard and Soft Vol. 1: Fundamentals" is now available for purchase from my online shop which can be found here.

More details can be found in Dan's recent press release and article.  Otherwise, here's a teaser for the video:

Copyright © 2015 Dejan Djurdjevic

Pikkeljig branches into DVD publication!

Pikkeljig Press is poised to launch its first DVD release on Amazon - a very special martial arts instruction video by well-known martial artist and Pikkeljig author, Dan Djurdjevic.  This will be the first in a 2 volume series comprising a course for students wishing to add practical "softness" (of arts like tai chi) to hard martial arts (like karate).



The first hour-long DVD - Volume 1 - is to be released for sale within the next fortnight... so check back periodically for announcements!  It will be available for purchase from the shop page on this site, Dan's martial arts blog, Dan's site and martial arts school page and, of course, Amazon (at a reasonable cost).

For those in Perth, copies will also be available at Ray Hanas Martial Arts Superstore.

A preview/teaser will come out at the same time as the DVD release.

Final cover settled for "From Pain to Love"!

The final tweaks are being applied to Pikkeljig's English translation Ivana Kuzmanović's landmark Serbian bestseller "From Pain to Love".

Here is a sneak preview!

Keep checking for updates as to the publication date which should be in the next two weeks!

Free Kindle download promotion of A Hazy Shade of Twilight!

Before "The Martian" there was Dan Djurdjevic's meticulously researched, tightly written, psychological sci-fi thriller "A Hazy Shade of Twilight"...

Set in a small base on Saturn's moon Titan, the novella deals with the effects of extreme isolation and confinement on a small group of scientists - and the logistical realities of mere survival when something goes awry.

To celebrate the release of the new cover of this novella (and its associated stories), Pikkelig Press is offering as a free Kindle download from 7 to 11 October 2015.  So make sure you get your free copy while you can!

And don't forget to leave a review on Amazon!

The Mirror Image of Sound scores another 5 star review!

We have another 5 star review of The Mirror Image of Sound, this time by Bailey Mantukit of the UK.  Thanks Bailey!

If only we had the chance to try another life .... This is the first book I've read by Dan Djurdjevic, and it won't be the last. I empathised with the main character, Dan, being "stuck" in a marriage, providing for his selfish wife's spending habits.Upon his Uncle's death, Dan inherits something seemingly mundane as cowboy boots, but that's only the beginning. The reader is taken on a journey in real time in Australia. My imagination was working overtime as to what could possibly happen next. I found myself neglecting household chores in favour of reading this book!

"From Pain to Love" nears publication!

After many months of detailed consideration and careful translation, the English version of Ivana Kuzmanović's best-selling Serbian book "From Pain to Love" is finally nearing its publication with Pikkeljig Press!

Here's a sneak preview of its cover.

The back cover reads as follows:

After living with emotional suffering for many years, Ivana Kuzmanović discovered the key to overcoming it: a process of personal transformation towards the light of “Love with a capital L”. This Love, which brings life, joy and freedom to all our relationships and everyday activities, starts with Love for ourselves.

With step-by-step instructions, insightful anecdotes and an empathetic connection with her readers, Ivana deftly guides us through our typical misunderstandings about the nature of Love: what it is, why it is so hard to find, and what are its main obstacles and helpers.

Loving ourselves removes the barriers that separate us from Love: feelings of guilt and inferiority, the sense that we need to “deserve” love and, most insidiously, that we are not “good enough” - just the way we are!

New cover for Hazy Shade completed!

The new cover is now finalised and we think it is perfect: it suits the dark, mysterious interior perfectly!

A new cover for "A Hazy Shade of Twilight"

Following feedback received over the last few months, Pikkelig Press has decided to revamp the cover of A Hazy Shade of Twilight entirely as follows.

The new look should be available for purchase/download in the next few days!

The Mirror Image of Sound: a proven page turner!

The free download promotion is now over and I find myself happy that so many took advantage of the offer (last count is well into 3 figures) over the 5 days.

But more than anything, I find it heartening that the book really does live up to its name of being a page turner!  Kindle has this amazing feature that allows you to see whether it is being read.  The first night figure was 507.  Since then I've had a steady flow of 60-70 per day.  Given that it was serialised online (where it built up an average readership of 17,000 per day at the very end) I'm not surprised.

I can't help but notice that my only critics so far have been people who (by their own admission) have read only a couple of pages free online.  If you're one of these, why not give the book a proper go?  You might be surprised.  The Mirror Image of Sound is nothing if not full of surprises!

Record download rate for The Mirror Image of Sound

Our most successful fiction title, Dan Djurdjevic's "The Mirror Image of Sound" has had record downloads following the start of PP's 5 day free Kindle version promotion.  In just a matter of hours the free downloads soared to 121 and continue in the second day at much the same rate.

The novel has also been recommended by influential sites iereaderreview.com and efreebooks.org adding to the download rate!

With only four more days to go, make sure you snap up your copy!

The synopsis is as follows:

Dan is a young lawyer living in a bullying work environment and tolerating a cheating, air-headed wife.  When he loses his beloved uncle, and possibly only real friend, Uncle Frank, his life is set to implode.

In what seems like a final, cruel, twist of fate, Uncle Frank has inexplicably left virtually his entire estate to a stranger named "Fenyops Pikkeljig".

But while winding up his uncle's estate, Dan uncovers a hidden cellar - and slowly begins to uncover a world of intrigue, mystery and suspense.  He meets the exotic and mysterious Justine and, in a fashion reminiscent of Joseph Conrad's "Victory", ultimately gets involved in the lives of "real people" - discovering that sometimes the chance to help others affords your only chance for redemption, love and a life that is actually worth living.

But will Dan take that chance - or will he succumb to the same inertia that has kept him locked in his "first world nightmare" for as long as he can remember?

How will he respond to the fact that his involvement in the lives of others brings with it the very real risk of his own ruin - and possibly demise?

Part mystery, part romance, part sci-fi/fantasy, fully Aussie satire in the mould of "The Castle", this quirky, punchy page-turner will keep you guessing to the very end.

So if you haven't yet done so, now is the time to read this novel, described by reviewers as "life-changing" and "deservedly 5 stars".

To download the Kindle version, click on the amazonkindle button to the right or on the above image of the cover of the novel.

Free download promotion of "The Mirror Image of Sound"

Pikkeljig Press have announced a special promotion of The Mirror Image of Sound during which you can download a Kindle version for free from 21 to 25 September 2015.  For those who don't know, this is a novel about second chances.  The synopsis is as follows:

Dan is a young lawyer living in a bullying work environment and tolerating a cheating, air-headed wife.  When he loses his beloved uncle, and possibly only real friend, Uncle Frank, his life is set to implode.

In what seems like a final, cruel, twist of fate, Uncle Frank has inexplicably left virtually his entire estate to a stranger named "Fenyops Pikkeljig".

But while winding up his uncle's estate, Dan uncovers a hidden cellar - and slowly begins to uncover a world of intrigue, mystery and suspense.  He meets the exotic and mysterious Justine and, in a fashion reminiscent of Joseph Conrad's "Victory", ultimately gets involved in the lives of "real people" - discovering that sometimes the chance to help others affords your only chance for redemption, love and a life that is actually worth living.

But will Dan take that chance - or will he succumb to the same inertia that has kept him locked in his "first world nightmare" for as long as he can remember?

How will he respond to the fact that his involvement in the lives of others brings with it the very real risk of his own ruin - and possibly demise?

Part mystery, part romance, part sci-fi/fantasy, fully Aussie satire in the mould of "The Castle", this quirky, punchy page-turner will keep you guessing to the very end.

So if you haven't yet done so, now is the time to read this novel, described by reviewers as "life-changing" and "deservedly 5 stars".

To download the Kindle version, click on the amazonkindle button to the right or on the above image of the cover of the novel.  But remember - the promotion starts 21 September - that's tomorrow!  You have a day to think about it.  Don't let the chance slip away!

Books for Guy!

One of Pikkeljig's authors, Guy McGowan, was recently burgled and lost his treasured computer notebook (with all his work on it!).

While it's hard for any of us to help him with the lost work, we can at least help the talented artist and graphic designer replace his primary work tool.

Accordingly Pikkeljig Press pledges to give 100% of its profits for the month of August to Guy in order to enable him to replace his stolen hardware.

That's right: the proceeds of every PP book you buy this month will go towards helping Guy replace his computer.

Let's make this a reality folks!

PP's fiction catalogue can be found here and its nonfiction catalogue - including Guy's and Kari's groundbreaking "She said He said" - can be found here.

Come on - you can help a talented artist recover from a devastating loss - and get a good read to boot!  Join us now!

*Note: Due to Kindle's new policy of not paying its authors except by "pages read", this pledge relates only to physical books, not ebooks.

A Hazy Shade of Twilight now published

A Hazy Shade of Twilight is now available for purchase here.

For those who read it online, note that, after advice from our editors, the ending and structure have been slightly revised.  Think of it as a "Director's Cut".

A Hazy Shade of Twilight cover finalized!

The cover of Dan Djurdjevic's latest work of fiction "A Hazy Shade of Twilight" is now finalized!  Watch this space for the publication announcement!

A great review for The Mirror Image of Sound

We just saw this review on Amazon from respected novelist and academic Ian Reid for our title, Dan Djurdjevic's The Mirror Image of Sound!

The funniest book I've read for a long while. I love the playful way it takes the idea of self-reflexive storytelling and turns it into a zany fantasy of split characterisation - D1/D2, Fenyops Pikkeljig et al. Unflaggingly inventive. Hilarious characters, situations, dialogue. DD should consider writing scripts for comic movies.

John O'Dwyer's Memoirs now published!

Pikkeljig Press is very proud to announce the publication of its latest non-fiction book, John O'Dwyer's "Memoirs".  Spanning the period from just before the Great Depression, to WWII, to the mid 1950s, this is a very engaging, personal account of life in New Zealand during a period of great social, economic and technological upheaval and change.

John O'Dwyer's memoirs

Pikkelig is finalising its latest non-fiction title, the memoirs of the late John O'Dwyer.

"A Hazy Shade of Twilight" in proofing stage

Pikkeljig Press is proud to announce that its forthcoming fiction title, Dan Djurdjevic's science fiction novella "A Hazy Shade of Twilight" is now in the final proofing stage prior to release early next month.  The work has already proven a runaway online success, posting record readership in its serialised "real time writing" format (typical of the author!)

The blurb is as follows:

When Edin arrives at a base on Titan, Saturn's largest moon, he finds that very little is as it first appears.  His colleagues treat him with a detachment that is inconsistent with their extreme isolation.  Meanwhile, relations between the other crew members are rapidly revealed to be as dense, complex and toxic as the moon's atmosphere - and as overbearing as their cramped confines.  With the distant sun setting for more than a fortnight of frigid darkness, Edin reaches out to the brittle Leila for warmth and companionship.  What follows is nothing like what he might have expected.
A Hazy Shade of Twilight is the lead novella in a series of interconnected tales that explore themes of betrayal, guilt, breakdown and forgiveness against the backdrop of a shifting twilight dreamscape.

Look out for the release of this thought-provoking psychological thriller!

A SSHS snapshot!

Pikkeljig Press is always proud to see one of its titles being read out there.  Here's an excellent example of the snapshots we receive!

Essential Jo hits New Release Best-Seller list

Essential Jo has hit Amazon's New Release in Martial Arts Best-Seller list.  Check it out here!

Radio interview for author of Slab Huts!

The author of the Pikkeljig nonfiction title "Slab Huts to Commuter Country", Dr WL (Lilian) Macdonald, was interviewed yesterday on ABC radio in Hobart regarding her amazing treatise on early female settlers to the Huon and Channel region of Tasmania. We'll try to chase down the podcast, but in the meantime here are some photos!

Amazon lets you look inside "Essential Jo"

The good thing about Amazon is that it allows you to take a peek inside books.  This is useful for a book like "Essential Jo" because you get to see the precise, straightforward and understated layout, the clear and well-contrasted photography and also the kind of information you can expect.

So please - take a look inside (click on the photo to go to Amazon)!

Mirror Image of Sound special prices!

In preparation for the issue of the second edition, Pikkeljig Press has lowered the price of the first edition paperback of The Mirror Image of Sound to $16.95 and the Kindle price to $4.95!

Get your first edition copy now before it's gone!










Paperback - $16.95

Kindle - $4.95

She said He said on Kindle for only $3.95!

Pikkeljig Press has the consciousness-expanding "She said He said" available on Kindle at the special price of only US3.95!

If you haven't already got a copy, try the Kindle version here.

In the meantime, our "selfie" trend continues - here's one from Haseena in Durban, South Africa!

Mirror Image of Sound gets a Hugo Award nomination

Pikkejig Press has just discovered that its first title, Dan Djurdjevic's novel "The Mirror Image of Sound" has received a nomination in the prestigious Hugo Awards 2015 for best science fiction novel!

If you are eligible to vote, please give yours to this amazing work.

For more information on this "novel about second chances", you can visit the book's dedicated website.

Here's what reviewers had to say:

"Literally a life-changing book." - Xin Marshall

"Deservedly 5 stars." - Ryan Dickerman

"Philosophical layers to ponder deeper about our own place in time." - Tania Lawrence

"I found myself looking for excuses to read just one more entry." - Paul Baines (author)

"The sci-fi elements and the characters that would translate to any great HBO TV series". - Clinton Fonceca

"Funnier than the Serb classic 'Breaking Bad in Novi Sad' and as thoughtful as 'My Yugo hit the Wrong Relative'." - David Taylor

Paperback only $16.95: 

Kindle only $4.95:           

Essential Jo sales breaking Pikkeljig records

With 51 purchases in 18 hours, Essential Jo is proving to be the fastest selling title on Pikkeljig Press's embryonic catalogue of books.

Here are some photos of the author with a copy of the text!

Meanwhile the Kindle version is being finalised (for those who like electronic media).