Wednesday 26 August 2015

#BookTour ; Nacreous (Harmony Run #4 )


~ Release Day Blitz ~

About the Book:
After two members of The Freedom Front are arrested and interrogated by the UZTA’s tyrannical President Nicks, Rain Hawkins and her friends face the alarming reality that their plans to liberate the mixed zones across the United Zones of The Authority might not come to fruition. While the resistance movement is growing outside the walls of the zones, the president’s forces are strengthening and putting citizens everywhere in more peril than ever. When Rain receives warnings that her cousin, Calista, has agreed to support plans to kill the mixed zones, and that her life could be on the line at the upcoming pure zone initiation ceremony, she must decide where her loyalties lie and if all of her allies can be trusted. As The Freedom Front use their abilities to unravel the mystery of the ceremony, The Authority captures some of their friends, forcing TFF to either go into hiding, or plan a rescue mission that could jeopardize everything they’ve been fighting for.




Buy NOW from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle


Hooray, it is finally release day for Nacreous! Thanks for stopping by the fabulous Release Day Blitz, organized by b00k r3vi3w Tours. To kick off the blitz, here are a couple of “Fun Facts” about my writing process… I hope you enjoy!

Writing Playlist:

So…Music. Some authors swear by it. They have their playlist set in the background while they pen their latest manuscript. Me? Not exactly. Music is very important to me. I believe in dance parties, and by dance parties I mean cranking up my I-pod to the music fitting my mood, be this salsa, classic rock, blues, country, classical, whatever, and dancing alone in my room or kitchen. (Yes, I said classical and country in the same list). My kids may or may not be in attendance. They like to watch and laugh. Sometimes, they join in. But as far as my writing process goes, the music is sort of my warm up. So I might turn on some music that fits my mood for parts of the story and listen to it in my car or at my desk before I write, but not while I am actually writing. I need it to be quiet in the room, so I can tell the story…(Ahem, hear what my characters are trying to tell me). ;) While I wrote Nacreous, and the other books in the Harmony Run Series, my favorite music warm-up to set the mood was Lorde. Specifically, the songs Team and A World Alone. In fact, if any of the books from my series could be made for film, I would beg producers to include one of those songs in the movies.

My Writing Process:

I can’t sit down and force myself to write everyday because it begins to feel too mechanical, but I am definitely one of those people who thinks about writing, story ideas, characters, scenarios all of the time, awake or asleep. I love using my dreams in my writing and have written a few of them into scenes in the Harmony Run Series. Back in college, the good ol’ stone ages, I had one of the most terrifying dreams of my life about a man with a triangular-shaped eye chasing me down a corridor, one door after the other, with this woman’s voice echoing all around us, telling him to kill me. When I got to the end of the corridor, I opened the last door, and he was standing there facing me. I woke up sobbing…About a year later, a psychology professor at my university asked some of us to share dreams with him so he could demonstrate dream analysis. I bravely raised my hand, (this was huge for me, since I am very shy in person), and shared my dream in vivid detail. After I finished talking, the entire class got eerily quiet and the professor told me I was dealing with issues beyond his realm of help, and went on to the next student’s dream. That student shared a dream about not being able to make a goal in a soccer match, and the professor dissected his dream in depth for fifteen minutes. Years later, I incorporated that dream, adding on some twists and turns of course, into book one from the Harmony Run Series, Prismatic. 

I also come up with ideas when I’m looking out of the kitchen window, when I’m walking, driving, cooking, gardening, taking my kids to martial arts, helping with their homework, basically, every waking moment. I take heaps of notes. I jot notes down for days. And when I’m ready, I sit down and type everything I can. I woke up the other night, and grabbed the notebook and pen beside my bed and wrote down an idea for another story. So my writing process is sort of a twenty-four hour thing. Oh, and probably the most important part of the process…How could I forget? My dog, Shorty, has to harass me to sit in my lap throughout the day. She eventually gives up and sleeps at my feet or nearby. She spares me the occasional glance or sighs every so often when I talk too much. Yes, I like to talk aloud to myself more often than not. If that dog could talk…Well, thankfully that’s not an issue. Here’s a photo of my writing pal…




Isn’t she cute? I hope you stick around to read about Nacreous. I’m going to look up that old psychology professor to see if he wants to read my latest book… ;)

Previous Books in the Series:

  
(Click on the Cover to know more)

About the Author:

Sarah Elle Emm is the author of the HARMONY RUN SERIES, a young-adult fantasy and dystopian series, released in May 2012 by Winter Goose Publishing. (PRISMATIC, May 2012, OPALESCENT, February 2013, CHATOYANT, September 2014, NACREOUS, August 2015) Her debut fiction novel, MARRYING MISSY, was published by Bird Brain Publishing in October 2011. Sarah is a graduate of The University of Evansville, she has lived and worked in Mexico, Germany, England, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and has traveled extensively beyond. Sarah lives in Naples, Florida with her family. When she’s not walking the plank of her daughters’ imaginary pirate ship or snapping photos of Southwest Florida scenery, she is writing.




Stalk the Author:
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Tuesday 25 August 2015

#BookReview ; The Curse Of Surya by Dev Prasad



Sangeeta Rao, a beautiful, feisty reporter at Channel 7 TV in Singapore, rushes to Agra on a special assignment after an early-morning phone call. At the Taj Mahal, she meets Alan Davies, a charming Welshman. But a terrorist attack on Mathura’s renowned Krishna temple turns them into fugitives from justice and the duo must decipher a series of complex cryptographs and unearth the illustrious Shyamantaka that belonged to Surya, the Sun God, to prove their innocence. Joined in their quest by an elderly Frenchman, Anton Blanchard, the duo race against time in helicopters, motor boats and yachts. In hot pursuit are the brilliant and daring SP Nisha Sharma and the most ruthless terrorist organizations. Before she realizes it, Sangeeta is trapped in a world of betrayal, deceit and horror. Fast-paced and gripping, The Curse of Surya will keep you hooked and on the edge of your seat while you unravel one of the biggest mysteries in 5000 years.

The blurb itself portrayed the book to be fast paced & full of action & suspense. The book started with the murder of a person named Tenzing at the prison cell of Krishna Janmasthan Temples who turns out to be a reporter in a news channel as well as a member of a banned group. The thrilling start itself was a sign how exciting this read is gonna be.
The whole plot is about a treasure hunt of a ruby named Shyamantaka which has religious importance & is also believed to have magical powers. Unfortunately Sangeeta Rao who is our protagonist & also a reporter from the same news channel as Tenzing gets entangled in this treasure hunt with Anton Blanchard who poses to be the curator of Smithsonian Museum & Alan Davies an Oxford professor. 
The plot is strategically written so that the suspense & the interest of the reader remains intact. Also the way the characters are described is commendable. The story is full of informative dialogue about Krishna, his family & Brij Bhumi. It just shows that the author didn't just toured around the Brij Bhumi but enlightened himself with all the info about the places mentioned & also used very well in this book.
First the protagonist gets wrongfully accused to be a terrorist with Alan Davies & then meets Anton who insists them to accompany him in the search of the jewel as it will clean their names since he said he was hired by the Indian Government to do so & from then their hunt started. From solving clues in Sanskrit to fooling cops, they do it all because of Sangeeta. But did they got freed from the accusation of being terrorists, did they cracked the clues & most importantly did they find the gem, these are the key questions which gets answered in this book.



Thursday 20 August 2015

#BookReview ; The Amazing Racist by Chhimi Tenduf-La


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23658337-the-amazing-racist


Eddie Trusted, an English school teacher in Colombo, wants to spend his life with Menaka Rupasinghe, a vibrant Sri Lankan beauty, but as with all matters of the heart, there’s an obstacle. If Eddie wants to wed Menaka, it is Thilak Rupasinghe, her orthodox terror of a father, whom he must woo and whose farts he must kiss – Thilak wants his daughter to marry someone of the same race, religion and caste, and if possible from the same locality.
In a desperate bid to make his dream a reality, Eddie tries to connect with Thilak in other ways – eating curries that make him bleed spice and breathe fire, driving drunk through red lights, threatening co-workers with violence, and sleeping with snakes. But will Eddie ever be good enough for a man who hates the colour of his skin?
Sparkling with wit and featuring an endearing cast of characters, The Amazing Racist is the story of a man who finds a home among strangers, of a father-in-law whose bark is worse than his bite, and of bonds that grow to be stronger than family ties.

The Amazing Racist is the debut novel of Chhimi Tenduf-La & I am always excited for debut works of authors. The blurb itself gives a peek of it's humorous plot with some problems which our protagonist is gonna face in this story.
The story is about Eddie Trusted, a teacher in Colombo. His life in Sri Lanka is totally different from his home where he has to cope up with the locals, the language barrier, roads & especially the food. The story gets interesting when he meets Menaka Rupasinghe, an ambitious woman with a past of being fickle minded.
For me the main character is that of Menaka's father Thilak Rupasinghe, the amazing racist indeed! The author portrayed him like an orthodox, arrogant but powerful person who can get anyone in trouble in no time. He is also a cancer survivor but doesn't pay heed to doctor's advise & keeps on drinking & smoking. So we all know what's gonna happen next, right?
There are many characters in the story as well which helps to build the plot very well. As the story proceeds we can see how cunning Thilak is but does he change? What the future holds for the relationship of Eddie & Menaka? What difficulties does Eddie has to face to be accepted by Thilak Rupasinghe?
I loved the story & I seriously believe that it has high potential to be used as movie script with the humor & such brilliant characters it would be a hit for sure!!



Wednesday 5 August 2015

#BookReview ; Surrogate Author by Santosh Avvannavar, Shilpa Patil


journey of an aspiring author having a penchant for writings through various Bollywood characters to inspire various other authors through this inspiring filmy story based on Devdas. It also consists of writing tool to practice. Get-set-to read a filmy remake of writing!
Come fall in love with writings !

The cover of this book is interesting, artistic & funny all at the same time. In the beginning the book talks about who a good author is, then it discusses some of the reality associated with this line of work. Like how sometimes critics turn into judges about who is talented or not, which isn't actually their work to do. It speaks about all the hardships which come together with being an author & that's how the intro of the book ends.

The real plot starts with a brilliant characterization of an aspiring author & his work with the story of Devdas. Authdas (Aspiring Author) takes the place of Devdas & his work takes the place of Paro. The story automatically falls into place as the difficulties faced by Devdas is equated with that of Authdas. The ending is also special as it potrays the phase of an author who is unwilling to leave his first work & hence can't concentrate on his future.

In the last part of the book the authors have tried to put down a plan for aspiring authors & which would help them in future.

This book shouldn't be a miss..


Tuesday 4 August 2015

#BookReview ; Delhi Is Not Far by Ruskin Bond


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1617191.Delhi_Is_Not_Far

Momentous things happen elsewhere, in the big cities of Nehru's India. In dull and dusty Pipalnagar, each day is like another, and -there is not exactly despair, but resignation'. Even the dreams here are small: if he ever makes it to Delhi, Deep Chand, the barber, will open a more up-to-date salon where he might, perhaps, give the Prime Minister a haircut; Pitamber will trade his cycle-rickshaw for the less demanding scooter-rickshaw; Aziz will be happy with a junk-shop in Chandni Chowk. None, of course, will make that journey to Delhi. 
Adrift among them, the narrator, Arun, a struggling writer of detective novels in Urdu, waits for inspiration to write a blockbuster. One day he will pack his meagre belongings and take the express train out of Pipalnagar. Meanwhile, he seeks reassurance in love, and finds it in unusual places: with the young prostitute Kamla, wise beyond her years; and the orphan Suraj, homeless and an epileptic, yet surprisingly optimistic about the future. 
Few authors write with greater sensitivity and skill about little India than Ruskin Bond. Delhi Is Not Far is a memorable story about small lives, with all the hallmarks of classic Ruskin Bond prose: nostalgia, charm, underplayed humour and quiet wisdom.

Let me first clear the air on why I was excited to read this one, this is RUSKIN BOND's book!! That itself is enough reason for me to finish it in one go.

The cover gives a hint how the story is gonna be, beautiful! Our narrator is Arun who writes Urdu novels & want to make it big someday but he is stuck in Pipalnagar, a small village not so far away from Delhi where he aspires to go. Pipalnagar is a dull village with not so many opportunities but still the way the author described it's tiny details would make you fall in love with it.

The other characters of the story are equally ambitious like our narrator, Deep Chand is a barber who dreams to open a bigger shop in the city, Pitamber who owns a rickshaw wants to replace it by a mechanical rickshaw which would save his energy & lastly Aziz whose ultimate aim is to own a junk-shop in Chandni Chowk but then then this story makes us realize that just dreaming isn't enough but working hard to achieve the dream is the main essence.

The most intriguing character is that of Kamla, a prostitute who speaks like a philosopher & proves to be a vital part of Arun's stay in Pipalnagar. The last character is that of Suraj who has nobody in this world but a friend Arun who is even closer, being homeless & epileptic increases his troubles but he does get help from our narrator.

This story is not that of some revolution or some blockbuster movie star or any such fancy things but of simple people & their lives. The simplicity with which the author wrote it is to die for. This story will surely leave it's print in you.


Monday 3 August 2015

#BookReview ; The Departing Point by Santosh Avvannavar, Jyothi Byahatti, Raghunath Babu Are


Physicist says ‘Biologically, love is a powerful neurological condition like hunger or thirst, only more permanent’. A psychotherapist says 'Love has many guises'. A philosopher says 'Love is a passionate commitment'. A romantic novelist says 'Love drives all great stories', A nun says 'Love is free yet binds us'. The authors try to find out what is love from the people who have experienced it. From common people like us. Based on true love experiences, The Departing Point brings seven exciting journeys of love showcasing different situations and circumstances where the travellers for some reason are unable to complete the journey to reach the “happily lived together ever after “ station.

This book is an outcome of 3 different authors working together to a write it which is not filled love stories in  fairy land but make us realize that love may not always result as we wanted. 

Love has different parts & is of different types. Each one different from another, similarly the definitions for love are ever changing too! Does the love changes or diminishes if we don't get the result we expected for? Does it changes the way we felt about those special moments after the whole scenario changed? 

The Departing Point has 7 short stories which depicts the journey of different lovers which didn't end up as they wished it should. All the stories quite make up to the title of the book, the language is pretty simple & the plots are realistic enough. But still it I wish the stories would've been more intriguing. It tried to potray the disconnection which creates misunderstandings & ultimately result in heartbreak but I wish I would've been more glued to the plots.
In all it's a one time read for sure..