Saturday 30 January 2016

#BookReview ; Second Spring by Sandhya Jane





This is Avantika’s heartfelt journey through love and life…
As a smart, successful, thirty-eight-year-old single mother, Avantika seemingly has it all: a great career as a seasoned banking professional, respect and admiration from her peers as an able leader, fulfillment as a mother, and so many other things.
What is it, then, that drives her towards Rohan, a man six years her junior? He’s a man who ideally would not occupy much room in Avantika’s otherwise sorted mind space.
She has told herself she has no time for love. Then, why does she make the choices she makes? Is it the sameness and banality of everyday existence? Is it the emotional vacuum? A need to relive life? A feeling that life as she has truly lived and felt is passing her by?
However, as she struggles with her feelings, Avantika and Rohan part ways… only to meet again. To what end? Why does Rohan want her back… and why now?
So many questions! Very few answers!
Avantika’s journey is as spiritual as it is emotional. Can love give second chances? Join Avantika in the twists and turns of her story, through her ponderings over the mysteries and vagaries of the word “love,” the complexities of human relationships, and the reassessment of all the values she has held dear… 


Second Spring is the debut work of an experienced entrepreneur Sandhya Jane. Apart from writing fictions the author also writes on the subjects of technology, management, Vedic science & technology, and other motivational topics for leading websites & an Indian newspaper.

The story has two protagonists, Avantika & Rohan. Avantika is a middle-aged woman who has achieved everything she ever aspired for. Her hard work has paid her well but that’s not it, she is also a single mother raising her boy single-handedly because the person she loved & thought that he was the one turns out to be a no-good person at all. Because of her serious no BS attitude towards work everyone feared her. Then comes our next main character Rohan, a charming man with good looks with an easy going attitude which wasn’t just restricted to his personal life but covered his attitude in his professional life too which  is the reason he switches jobs sooner than his friends. He is six years junior than Avantika & is intrigued by her, even she was having the same feeling for him but will this luck by chance love have a future even after they part ways?

The book is written with respect to Avantika’s as well as Rohan’s point of view which itself is a difficult job done well by the author. The writing style is quite confident & seems matured. It might seem like a regular romantic story but it isn’t which is truly necessary in the present times. The cover compliments the title very well. In all it shouldn’t be a miss.




Wednesday 27 January 2016

#Spotlight ; The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oohmerbhoy

★.•**•.★★.•**•.★ The Avalonia Chronicles Book Tour ★.•**•.★ ★.•**•.★
About the Book:
16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad.

Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way. Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear.

With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever. 

Book Links:
Goodreads I Amazon I Flipkart


World of Avalonia




Read an Excerpt:


Chapter 3
Kidnapped

For a second that felt like a lifetime, everything stopped; I felt like I was floating in nothingness. Then I blinked, and, when I finally opened my eyes and focused again through the tears, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
I found myself standing at the mouth of a small cave situated on a hill and overlooking a quiet, moonlit valley. On my left, a dark forest stretched out as far as the eye could see, treetops glistening silver in the light of the full moon. The hills around us undulated into wildflower-filled meadows that lay sleeping in the dewy night.
Far down in the valley, I could see a little village, its lights twinkling in the distance. To my right, a waterfall splashed playfully into a small river that ran down into a lake, next to which the little village was built. The moon here was fuller and larger than I had ever seen it, and the night sky was awash with a fantastic array of glittering stars.
Had I passed through the tapestry? Where was I?
I looked around, disbelief clouding my judgment. I was still trying to get my bearings after that strange moment when I had been inside the tapestry and nowhere at the same time. It gave me a funny feeling, as though I had been lifted out of my own consciousness and then put back into my body.
A warm breeze brushed past my face and played with my hair. Gone were the cloudy grey mist and the cold, nipping wind of the English countryside. I drew in a sharp breath—the air was crisp and clear, sweet smelling, and fresh. The moonlit valley was filled with fruit trees, wildflowers, and rolling meadows.
“How did we come here? Where are we?” I asked, still confused.
“You really are ignorant,” said Oblek, glancing at me. “I take it your uncle didn’t tell you anything?”
I shook my head and looked down. Oblek had tied my hands with a rope he had with him while I was still dazed and looking around. It was humiliating, and the rough ropes cut into my wrists, rubbing them raw every time he pulled me forward.
I had to find some way out of this. And, at the moment, the only thing I could do was discover more about where I was. Then, when I got an opportunity, I could escape and find my way back up to the cave on the hill, where we had arrived out of the tapestry.
But then what?
Christopher was probably dead, and Aunt Arianna would doubtless blame me for everything since I had disappeared at the same time. I had no idea what to do. I didn’t really want to go back, and, now that my adoptive parents were dead, I had nothing to return to.
I was starting to panic. I had nowhere to go, and my mind was imagining an array of horrible outcomes of my kidnapping. My palms had become sweaty, and my racing heart was thundering in my chest as I half-walked and half-ran, desperately trying to keep up with Oblek’s giant strides.
“Why are you doing this?” I pleaded with my kidnapper.
But Lord Oblek said nothing. He didn’t even look at me. He just kept walking ahead and dragging me along behind him, with no more explanations as to what he was planning to do with me.
I was terrified, and I had no idea if I was going to survive this. But I tried to be brave. Maybe I could talk my way out of this?
“You do know that this is called kidnapping?” I said, trying to reason with Oblek.
He didn’t bother to answer.
“What will happen to me now?” I squeaked, my voice breaking, as I tried not to cry.
“Queen Morgana will decide what is to be done with you,” said Oblek, finally.
Queen Morgana! The woman from my dream? It was not possible that this, too, was a coincidence. It must be the same Morgana, the one who had tried to kill my real mother.
Who the hell was she?
Suddenly all of this seemed extremely scary. I hoped that I was still dreaming and that there was no way I had actually traveled through a magical tapestry into some strange land. It all seemed very exciting in books. But actually being kidnapped and then hauled around like an animal, traveling deep into a land I knew nothing about, was not my idea of fun.
I had to get away from this horrible man, and fast.


About the Author:
 
For Farah Oomerbhoy, writing is a passion and reading her solace. She is a firm believer in the fantastic and magical, and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest.
When she was pregnant with her first child ten years ago, a story popped into her head she could not ignore. “I was at my grandmother’s house, and as I looked at the image of a beautiful forest with a castle in the distance on a tapestry hanging on the wall, I imagined myself being whisked away into another world,” she said. It was at that moment the world of Avalonia, with its powerful mages and fae and the evil Queen Morgana, was born. Farah Oomerbhoy’s debut novel, The Last of the Firedrakes, was released in the summer of 2015.

Farah lives with her husband and three children in their family home in Mumbai, India. She has a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Mumbai. Her first novel is The Last of the Firedrakes, Book 1 of the Avalonia Chronicles.
  
Contact Farah:




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Monday 18 January 2016

#BookReview ; The Brown Sahebs by Anupam Srivastava


THE BROWN SAHEBS 
BY 
ANUPAM SRIVASTAVA
Blurb 
The Raja of Teekra, a dusty and forgotten kingdom near Lucknow, gets lucky when the British Resident visits him but also brings with him a leading revolutionary. The Raja enters India's struggle for freedom and is rewarded with a berth in the cabinet of free India. He is shocked to see the ministers and officers living and operating like their imperial masters but is suitably rewarded for his silence. As he begins to enjoy the good life of Lutyens' Delhi, the British capital which India's freedom fighters abhorred, he faces only one adversary in his plans—his journalist son Pratap. A novel that will blow you away with its depiction of love, passion, intrigue and betrayal.


The Brown Sahebs is a historical fiction written by Anupam Srivastava & published by Vitasta publishing house. It is the debut work of the author who used to work as a journalist for The Times of India hence his connection with one of the character was obvious who too is a journalist.

The story starts around the time when India was struggling to get freedom from British rule with one of the main character the Raja of Teekra, a kingdom near Lucknow. The story describes how he befriends freedom fighter Vidhya Babu & how this sudden friendship happens to be the game changer for his future. While the Raja gets a berth in the cabinet of free India he can’t help but had to compromise for his morals. The Raja’s son Pratap is a journalist & wants the people to know the political-social reality of free India but will he be able to do that?  Will people realize the truth?

This book is a mirror of the political situation of not just the time of post freedom but also stands true for the present scenario. It has been written with immense hard work & the way the author has described each character is commendable. It deserves to be in everyone’s shelves that’s for sure.





Buy @
|amazon. com | amazon.in | amazon.co.uk | Flipkart |

About the Author 

Anupam Srivastava was born in Lucknow, India, where his novel, The Brown Saheb's first part is set. However, he never lived there as his father and mother, Ashok and Veena Srivastava, lived in different parts of India. However, Anupam spent some of his childhood and most of his vacations in Lucknow where he flew kites and learnt about the craft of pigeon-flying. He went to a boarding school near Delhi, the Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai, where he played cricket but earned his college colours at St Stephen's College, Delhi, in cross-country running. He studied English literature (BA Hons and MA), won the college annual poetry prize while pursuing his MA, and being sure his vocation was writing and journalism, became a journalist with The Times of India in 1993. In 1999, he was awarded the British Chevening scholarship by the British government.

In 1999, he left journalism to work with the United Nations Population Fund in India in communications. Subsequently, Anupam worked with Oxfam India Society, Unicef and other development agencies. The Brown Sahebs is his first novel and tells the story of India not taking off its colonial clothing even as it became a democracy.

Anupam is married to Radhika Srivastava, and they have two children who figure in his children's novel, A Family Secret.

Stalk Him @

                           

         
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We Promote So That You Can Write 





Thursday 14 January 2016

#BookReview ; No Parking No Halt Success Non-Stop by Abhishek Ratna




A self-help book for success at work! No Parking. No Halt. Success Nonstop! has 50 career lessons for today's 20teen generation. 
Practical and comprehensive, the book often stretches to the point of 'cunning without harming'. Interspersed with quotes, stories and humour, it also breaks a few myths. The author treads the fine line between ethical and non-ethical. The author is able to convince the reader about the necessity for professional success.

No Parking No Halt Success Non-Stop is a self help book written by Abhishek Ratna & published by Supernova publishers. It is the debut book of the author where he tries to help tweens to survive the corporate world. The author is a member of Mensa International *in short crazy intelligent* with a degree from IIT Madras & also an MBA in finance & marketing and have also worked his fair share in the corporate world hence he knows what he wrote about & its importance.

The book is divided according to the 12 months of a year & each month has 4 career lessons which can prove to themselves to be extremely useful if followed religiously while also using your brain, at the last there are 2 additional lessons which in total makes it 50. Each lesson covers important corporate tactics which would help its readers to survive in the industry, from managing your colleagues/ subordinates to keeping your boss satisfied & most importantly keeping yourself happy.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book after looking at its cover & the title wasn’t helping either but when I read about the author it gave me hope that maybe it’s worth a read & let me assure you it is. Its is especially written for young generation of 20s who have just joined their work or even are working for quite some time & need some guidance. There are some typos which can surely be neglected but it is quite a good read.





Monday 11 January 2016

#BlogTour ; Tweenache in the Time of Hashtags by Judy Balan


Book Blurb:



#Tweenache101: First, there's PMS (it's real and it's painful and can someone please make it stop?). Second, there's #The Boy. Yes, that's right. The BOY. And third, there's a #New Dad in the picture. Actually, he's an old dad, but if Nina's never met him before, he totally counts as new, right? And worst of all, there's the #Nerd Wars. There's a new nerd in the classroom - and she might be even nerdier than Nina. 
                           THIS. CAN'T. BE. GOOD. 

From the author of How To Stop Your Grownup From Making Bad Decisions, here's another hilarious season in the life of #NinaThePhilosopher. 


Book Links:


Goodreads | Amazon | Website |


About the Author:


Judy Balan is the overthinking parent of an overthinking child. Reality overwhelms her at times, which is why she enjoys making stuff up. She loves reading, watching and writing comedy. How to Stop Your Grownup from Making Bad Decisions was her first attempt at writing for non-grownups. She enjoyed it so much she decided to make it a series and call it Nina the Philosopher because over-thinking tweens deserve their own series. For more on Judy and her writing, hop over to judybalan.com or check out Nina's blog ninathephilosopher.com.

10 Random Facts About The Author:
1.Judy Balan is the over-thinking parent of an over-thinking child.

2.Reality overwhelms her at times, which is why she enjoys making stuff up.

3. When she's not writing novels, she's fighting and making up with her daughter, heading the creative team at Raising iBrows (formerly), an audience engagement agency, and eating too much Nutella.

4. One of Judy's favourite pastimes is reading too many articles on alternative parenting styles and confusing her even more.

5. Another favourite pastime is observing and analysing everything and everyone, including herself.

6. This is her second book for children, but she hopes to write many more (hopefully, stories with orcs, dragons and such. This book can be read as a Stand-Alone, but reading the first one in the series is highly recommended!

7. Her previous books were the bestselling Two Fates: The Story of My Divorce and Sophie Says: Memories of a Breakup Coach and How to Stop Your Grownup from Making Bad Decisions. Both these books were for grownups.

8. This book is NOT about her life although she's a single parent too and Nina was inspired by her daughter, Kiara.

9.As a child, Judy was in a big hurry to grow up, but now she wants to tell all children to slow down because adulthood isn't going anywhere. Apparently.

10. Judy loves hearing from her readers, so you can email her at balan.judy@gmail.com. If you're over eighteen, you can check out her website too at www.judybalan.com .

Stalk Links:

Facebook  | Twitter  | Website | Goodreads




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Saturday 9 January 2016

#Spotlight ; The Other End Of The Corridor by Sujata Rajpal


Check out the contest and win cash prizes
The Other End of the Corridor 
by 
Sujata Rajpal 

Blurb 
When your dreams are tainted with lies and deceit, you have no other choice but to walk to the other end of the corridor.
Leela has nothing extraordinary about her except the dream to become famous. Her desires take wings when she gets married to a handsome boy from a respectable family in Delhi. But her dreams are shattered even before they have a chance to take flight. 
She happens to meet two friends from a long forgotten past, which infuses hope and opens new avenues to realize her dormant aspirations.

Leela delves into previously unexplored paths of deception and forbidden passions that only make her stronger. 

In an attempt to rediscover herself, she falls in love with life and with herself but her life takes a sudden turn again…
No matter what, Leela will continue to chase her dreams.

Where does this journey take her?

Grab your copy @

Excerpt
"The corridor, I was walking down didn't have a trace of illumination. I couldn't see the other end. But I kept moving and now, I realize that more than the light, you need the determination to keep moving, keep struggling for your dreams, for your existence, for your survival."

I had lived in a dream world all my life, always blaming the circumstances for my own weaknesses. I could never gather courage to stand up to circumstances. For how long would I keep blaming others for my own shortcomings. And for how long would I keep dreaming- my dreams never aligned with the real world; my dreams and real life never converged at any point. ‘I definitely had experience but only in building castles in the air.’

About the Author 
Author’s profile :Sujata Rajpal is a Corporate Communication & PR professional turned a full-time author. She holds an MPhil degree in Economics and has studied Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She also writes articles and short stories for publications and journals. Sujata is a yoga enthusiast and enjoys being a Toastmaster. She currently lives in Mysore.

The Other End of the Corridor is her first novel.


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Friday 8 January 2016

#BookReview ; King Of Hearts by Prassant Kevin



Sometimes you have to fight the greatest battles to discover who you really are. 
At the age of 21, Ayan left his home and ran to Delhi in search of his dream and identity. In everybody's eyes, he was nothing but a loser except for his best friend, Misha, with whom he fallen in love. And after two years of hardship, when he finally got his long awaited chance, he stunned the whole nation and became one of greatest artist and heartthrob of this generation. But destiny had some other plans for him and one day, something happened which turned his whole life upside down. He was on the verge of losing everything he ever had and to save them all, he had to fight the greatest battle of his life. 
To know more, read this astonishing tale of a young man's extraordinary journey to find his lost dreams, love and friendship.

King Of Hearts is the second book of independent filmmaker & novelist Prassant Kevin. The story is about dreaming big & working for it at the same time but it is also about the uncertainty of life while the core of the plot is that true love always unites & stick together till the end no matter what.

The story contains few characters, the protagonist is Ayan Kapoor a struggling author who is smoking hot, Misha a girl who wants a boy to be her best friend forever an idea fuelled by movies hence she befriends Ayan with a strict rule that they won’t fell in love with each other & then there is Hitesh who is Ayan’s close buddy.  While Ayan is a talented writer & the book which he has written ‘God vs You’ is a sure shot hit but still he doesn’t get selected by any publishing house despite his friend Hitesh’s constant efforts but then someone did pay attention to his pleas & ultimately God vs You gets published & proved itself to be a bestseller. But is this what Ayan REALLY cares for, to be successful? Or maybe there is something more important which he seeks? What will happen if he breaks his promise of not falling in love with Misha? Will she forgive him? Even if she does so is there going to be a happily ever after?

The story is a roller coaster ride between love & life. I liked the base of the story but I would’ve loved it if it didn’t had some grammatical glitches & printing problems. In short it’s a nice read but still there’s scope for improvement.




Tuesday 5 January 2016

#BookBlitz ; Rukhsat : The Departure by Sujit Banerjee


RUKHSAT THE DEPARTURE 
BY 
SUJIT BANERJEE
Blurb 
Where a story stops, another one begins. The thing with them is, they never walk alone. They always walk with a group of friends. Each reaches its own climax. Then with a final gasp of mortality and despair, fade away. No, they never die, they multiply. To the extent that the original gets lost and new ones are born. Over and over again. Yes, they get lost. No, they never die. They live on, permanently etched in the book of time. And from there, we borrow them and bring them alive. Again. And again. Here are twenty six of them, some standing alone and some chatting up with their long lost friends. When they depart, they leave a lingering fragrance of nostalgia and curiosity. What happened then?

Twenty-six alphabets, twenty-six names, and twenty-six short stories. Each exploring one unique emotion, taking you into the dark recess of the mind. Some frothy and most of them dark. Most standing alone and some facing a mirror, where the same story comes alive in two different ways, through two different protagonist . Meet myriad characters - from the single-minded prostitute to the man on the railways station bereft of any memory; a woman desperate for a biological child to a dead man's trial. Meet a jealous lover with a twisted brain and a gay man's memory of a one-night encounter. Meet twenty-six such characters arrested and sentenced for life inside the pages of a book. Each one leaving an indelible mark on your soul.

Buy @

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Born to Bengali parents in Lucknow, I grew up in Patna where I finished my post-graduation in Psychology and ended up becoming a tour operator instead of a Psychologist! Which was 
good since a Bengali born in UP and reared in Bihar does not make a great Psychologist! Am I now glad to be in tourism? It has taken me all over the world including places you would have never heard of. Eh? How about Tlacotalpan? It’s in Mexico.

Destiny had other plans as well so I became a reluctant healer. A crazy Shaman in Mexico set the ball rolling and it has rolled all the way to Delhi. Today I both heal as well as read Tarot cards. My wife thinks I am mad. My friends think I am weird. I guess I am both. 

My first story was published in a magazine when I was seventeen. The Editor made such a hash of it that I stopped sending out my stories but I continued writing. Then I broke my heart and started writing poems; first in Hindi and then in English. All personal collection. They still remain personal. I do shudder when I read some of them! Then the short stories came back and written over two years - now is a collection.

You can contact him @ Facebook 


Saturday 2 January 2016

#BookReview ; You Are The Best Wife by Ajay K. Pandey



Ajay believes in living for himself; Bhavna teaches him to live for others. Ajay is a planner for life; Bhavna makes him live in every moment. 
You are the Best Wife is a story of two people with contradictory ideologies who fall in love. It changes them for good. It changes the way they look at the world and the way the world looks at them. Until destiny reveals its plans. 
This is a true inspiring story of the author and his struggle with life, after his beloved wife left him halfway through their journey. But her last words, ‘you are the best husband’ gave him the strength to live on, and fulfil his promise of love. 
Told with frankness and doses of humor, this heart-warming tale of a boy and a girl who never gave up on their love in face of adversities, ends on a bittersweet and poignant note as Ajay comes to terms with the biggest lesson life has to offer.

Whenever I pick up a debut novel by an author I am always excited since I will read a new writer’s work which are mostly refreshing. I was excited about Ajay K. Pandey’s You Are The Best Wife for 2 reasons, first of course he is new in this & second because he is an alumni from an engineering college at my hometown!!

The story is a true account of the author & his wife Bhavna’s love story. It is a tribute to his deceased wife who made him a better man & also gave him hope to deal with his emotions after her demise. Readers can actually feel the love which the author wanted to convey through his words for his wife & that’s what makes it realistic as well as relatable.  One thing which this book will also make you realise is the unpredictability of human life. The need to cherish each emotion & human till the time we have them because we never know when the life would take a turn.

The simplicity with which it has been written makes it an easy read for everyone & the combination of overwhelming emotions surely would touch every reader. Recommended for everyone who loves realistic love stories. 






Friday 1 January 2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! WELCOME 2016



I wish everyone a very HAPPY NEW YEAR !! May each day of the New Year bring you all pleasant surprises & plethora of opportunities that allow you to weave success stories. Let's pledge to make this world better as the days go by..


In the year 2015 I participated in the Brunch Book Challenge & exceeded the target by 2 books!!! It was a good year indeed.. 


All the 32 books are,

1. Confessions Of A Private Tutor by Vikram Mathur
2. Impressions Of Egypt by Douglas Misquita
3. Beyond School by Chitra Anand
4. Delhi Is Not Far by Ruskin Bond
5. 2 States by Chetan Bhagat
6. Ordered Cheese Delivered Chalk by Shobhit Agarwal
7. The Snows Of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
8. Now That You're Rich Lets Fall In Love by Durjoy Datta
9. The India I Dream Of.. And The Facebook Revolution Begins by Vikrant Khanna
10. Mistress of Honour by Bhaavna Arora
11. She Broke Up I Didn't, I Just Kissed Someone Else by Durjoy Datta
12. The Departing Point by Santosh Avvannavar, Jyothi Byahatti & Raghunath Babu Are
13. I Forgot To Take My Pill! by Sharyn Hayden
14. Shikhandi & Other Tales They Don't Tell You by Devdutt Pattanaik
15. Surrogate Author by Santosh Avvannavar & Shilpa Patil
16. The Amazing Racist by Chhimi Tenduf-La
17. The Curse Of Surya by Dev Prasad
18. Stars In Your Eyes by Sunil Gera
19. Soldier & Spice by Aditi Mathur Kumar
20. Panther by Chhimi Tenduf-La
21. Made In India by Biddu
22. 1st Job & 10 Mistakes by Uttam Kumar
23. Life Is What You Make It by Preeti Shenoy
24. It Doesn't Hurt To Be Nice by Amisha Sethi
25.Anything To Look Hot by Jas Kohli
26. ‪#‎IAm16ICanRape‬ by Kirtida Gautam
27. Umbilical Cord by Meena R. Chandawarkar & Santosh Avvannavar
28. Voices Of The Silent Creek by Vikkas Arun Pareek
29. First Love Matters..So Does The Second by Vishal Sah
30. She Ekla Cholo Re by Dr. Shayan Haq & Santosh Avvannavar
31. Eighteen The End Of Innocence by Sudhām
32. The Bestseller She Wrote by Ravi Subramanian