Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 67
March 17, 2017
Kissing the Demon by Amrita Kumar-Review
Book Name - Kissing the DemonAuthor - Amrita KumarPublisher - HarperCollinsNumber of Pages - 268Publishing Year -2016Edition - Paperback Price - 350
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Rating : 4.0
My Review
The first thought that came to my mind after reading the book was 'I wish if I had this book before I published my debut novel. Because if had, I wouldn't have made the mistakes. If you are planning to write a book you should grab this one to channelize your literary prowess.
The exercises to overcome writers block is the best take home message in the book. The magic of thoughtless writing is introduced to the readers. The book cannot be analysed single dimensionally. The points cited benefits the readers who are to become writers.
I would recommend the book to 1. all writers who want to publish their first book.
2. Writers who had published book (s) which they think coild have been better
3. Readers and reviewers to understand the painful emotional trauma during th process of writing.
The tag line, a creative writer's handbook, itself tells about the book. Carry this book around to remind you about the mistakes you might commit.
This review is in return of a free book from Writers Melon
About the author
Amrita Kumar is an anthologist, novelist, writing-mentor and creative writing teacher. She began her career in the godowns of Daryaganj to select books for a chain of bookshops, moving on as research writer for the Department of Culture, Government of India, then on to publishing as associate editor, Penguin India; editor-in-chief, Roli Books; managing editor, Encyclopedia Britannica; editor, Indian Design and Interiors magazine and vice-president, Osian’s Literary Agency. In addition, she has freelanced for Rupa and Co., HarperCollins India and Oxford University Press. She lives in New Delhi.
March 14, 2017
Voting at Fosterganj by Ruskin Bond -Review
Book Name - Voting at FosterganjAuthor - Ruskin BondPublisher - Rupa Publications Number of Pages - 123Publishing Year -2016Edition - PaperbackPrice - 195
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Rating : 4.5
My Review
Voting at Fosterganj is an anthology comprising of 17 stories. Most of the stories, as author mentions, had characters which appear in his book 'Tales of Fosterganj'. Ruskin bond had proved his talent in portraying the lives of small towns on large platforms. This book is also an out and out witty Ruskin Bond work.
The book is a light read on one hand and a thought provoker on the other. The title could have been 'India I carried with me' because this tells everything about the author and the book more than the real title. Nevertheless there can be apples of discord regarding the usage of some terms like retard.
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher
About the author
Ruskin Bond has been writing for over sixty years and now has over 120 titles in print—novels, collections of short stories, poetry, essays, anthologies and books for children. His first novel, The Room on the Roof, received the prestigious John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. He has also received the Padma Shri (1999), the Padma Bhushan (2014) and two awards from Sahitya Akademi—one for his short stories and another for his writings for children. In 2012, the Delhi government gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award. Born in 1934, Ruskin Bond grew up in Jamnagar, Shimla, New Delhi and Dehradun. Apart from three years in the UK, he has spent all his life in India and now lives in Mussoorie with his adopted family.
Book Spotlight- A Way Back Into Love by Veronica Thatcher
Title: A Way Back into LoveAuthor: Veronica ThatcherGenre: Contemporary RomancePublisher: Notion Press
Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes, uncertain. People, irrational. But love…well, that makes everything complicated. And when you are caught in a tangled web of secrets, lies, and complex affairs, someone is bound to get burned.
Emily Stevens is a spunky, spirited college girl whose life gets turned upside-down when she realizes she's in love with her best friend of fifteen years, Derek Thorpe. As Emily prepares to confess her feelings to Derek, something happens one night which changes her life forever. Five years later, Emily finds herself in Boston, alone and heartbroken. Will she ever be able to forget the past? And what will she find when she returns home...to the man she left behind?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32998245-a-way-back-into-love
Buy links:
Paperback - http://www.amazon.in/Way-Back-Into-Love/dp/1946641170/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946641170/
eBooks- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WRR5FN3/
Author Bio:
Veronica Thatcher is an exciting new contemporary romance author. Ever since she was very young, she’s dreamed of becoming a doctor when she grew up. While still forging ahead with that, majoring in pre-med in college, she unwittingly stumbled upon a new dream—becoming a published author. Some may call her an introvert or a wallflower, but she has always found she could express herself better in written, rather than spoken, words. However, never in her wildest dreams had she envisioned she would pursue writing as a prospective career, not just a hobby. Her love for writing goes hand-in-hand with her love for a good romance novel—whether it be a feel-good, sweet romance or a dark, suspenseful one. When she’s not studying, reading, or writing, she is usually found blasting her favourite songs, sometimes singing and dancing along to them. She dabbles in a number of activities, including painting, karate, singing and dancing. She is a huge chocoholic – probably the biggest – and she is an ice-cream junkie too. She considers herself technologically handicapped forever and has no shame in admitting that. She also deems chocolates her boyfriend, Patrick Dempsey the love of her life, and Friends her life!
Her first book, A Way Back Into Love, is slated for release in February 2017, and she hopes readers will enjoy it as much as she enjoyed writing it. You can reach Veronica through Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad and Gmail.
Author Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorthatcher/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/merderlover1
Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/merder32
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16087807.Veronica_Thatcher
Excerpt:
Emily stepped back from him and shook her head. “Oh, you know damn well what I mean. You know what, Derek? I’m done having this conversation with you. I’m so done with this conversation and I’m so done with you,” Emily spat out angrily before brushing past him.
“Emily, wait,” Derek said, catching her by her arm. “Where are you going?”
Emily spun around and gave him a bitter look before looking down at his hand gripping her arm. “Leave my arm,” she said in a low yet threatening voice, “And why do you care where I’m going? It’s none of your business.”
Derek didn’t leave her arm in spite of her warning and said, “Em, you’ve had too many drinks. You can’t drive in this condition. I’ll drop you home.”
Emily jerked her arm free from his grasp and replied in a bitter voice, “Thank you, but no. I’m perfectly capable of getting myself home on my own. I don’t need you to drop me home. Do you get it, Derek Thorpe? I DON’T NEED YOU!” Emily yelled the last words, causing a few people to look their way.
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March 11, 2017
Cooking for happiness by Kornelia Santoro- Review
Book Name - Cooking for happiness Author - Kornelia SantoroPublisher - HarperCollinsNumber of Pages -336Publishing Year -2016Edition - Paperback Price -399
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Rating : 5.0
My Review
It's a fast era. Everything is fast. Fast cars, fast bikes, fast phones, fast WiFi,fast channels, FAST FOOD. While running around to make a living, we forget to live, end end up being unhappy and even depressed. Cornelia Santoro, with her book tells us how to defeat depression through food.
What I liked the most is that unlike several diet books, this one says that you can indulge in whatever food you like. The book as such is an information blast. Beyond the dietary content, the book tells us about the effect of Each recipe in our mental development.
Each recipe is unique and I would recommend everyone to read this wonderful book.
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher
About the author
Born in Ansbach, a small town in Bavaria, Kornelia Santoro worked as a journalist for a decade in Regensburg. She met her Italian husband while riding an Enfield Bullet through India. They settled in Goa. After the birth of her son, Kornelia started writing cookbooks. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and explore the human relationship with food in a profound way. Her first two cookbooks, Kornelia’s Kitchen: Mediterranean Cooking for India and Kornelia’s Kitchen 2: Cooking for Allergies, have both won the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She also writes for media in India and Europe. She believes we are what we eat and happiness is a moment of bliss.
March 9, 2017
How to find your dream dog by Dixie Tenny review and Giveaway
Book Name - How to find your dream dogAuthor - Dixie TennyPublisher - Self publishedNumber of Pages -140Publishing Year -2016Edition - KindlePrice -$3.98
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Rating : 4.5
We spend hours searching for the right furniture. We spend a fortune hiring experts before selecting every single thing in our life. But why do we just walk into a pet shop and buy any puppy that we find cute. Do we buy puppies for the right reason? Do we need puppies or adults? Do we need active dogs or lazy ones?Dixie Tenny tells us to find the answers to these questions before taking a dog /puppy home. Citing the examples of two families with different experiences from the same puppies authoress tells that we should chose dogs depending on how we plan to raise them.
The book is divided to three parts. 1. Getting ready for your dream dog. 2. Choosing your dream type of dog 3. Finding your dream puppy 4. Adult dog option. Each part is a text book. With an introduction, main body and conclusion. The systematic approach of the author is commendable.
Being a person from a family which owned at least 4 dogs at a time, I could relate with the book completely. We had a bull mastif which always ends up with injured paws and we used to wonder why. But when I read the book I could comprehend the foolish decision we took. A lot of facts that we overlook while selecting a dog are explainined systematically. Apparently a lot of effort has been invested in the book.
A section with the details of specific breeds could have been an icing on the cake but I must tell you finding the right dog is not a cakewalk.
This review is in return of a free book from i Read Book Tours
Giveaway:
Prizes: Win one of 5 Dream Dog prize packages! Each package includes a copy of How to Find Your Dream Dog, a $15 Amazon Gift Card and Outward Hound Slow Feeder Dog Bowl) Open to USA & CanadaEnds April 8
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the authorI have written two very different types of book so far in my life. As a teenager, I wrote a young adult suspense novel; now, after working with people and their dogs for over 30 years, I have written my first book about how prospective owners can find their dream dogs.
The first version of Call the Darkness Down was written because I ran out of books to read about King Arthur when I was a young teenager. Originally, it was a story about descendants of Arthurian characters in present day who have to battle ancient forces of evil. The manuscript of the book helped me win the National Council of Teachers of English award when I was a high school senior. After I sent the book to a local publisher the following year, I received a wonderful rejection letter; so encouraging and positive, but pointing out that the book shouldn't take place in the UK if I hadn't actually spent enough time there to create a real feeling of that location in my story. So I applied to Trinity College in Carmarthen, Wales, and spent an amazing semester there learning all about Wales, working on my novel, and unfortunately, contracting mono and hepatitis. After I came home I spent six months convalescing and completely rewriting my book. I submitted it to Simon & Schuster, and it was accepted! I can't begin to describe the shock and thrill of that experience.
About How to Find Your Dream Dog: I have been helping people and their dogs find each other and form successful partnerships since the early 1980s. I founded Purebred Dog Rescue of Saint Louis in 1984, which as far as I know was the country’s first organization that combined the efforts of people who worked in rescue for many breeds under the umbrella of one organization. After moving to Seattle, Washington, I co-founded Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue, Inc. (SPDR) in 1987. I was involved in running this organization for the better part of thirteen years. SPDR was featured in the American Kennel Club Gazette, where I was referred to as the “Matriarch” of purebred rescue. SPDR, still operating successfully as of this writing, utilizes hundreds of wonderful volunteers to work with several thousands of dogs each year, with great success due to their rigorous evaluation and placement policies and their use of specialized breed representatives. The organization received an award from the Humane Society in Bellevue, Washington, due to the fact that SPDR’s help in placing the shelter’s purebreds allowed many more mixed breeds to be placed successfully as well. I also received the Seattle Kennel Club’s “Honor Our Own” award in 2001 for my work with SPDR. Twice, I have been the recipient of the Gaines Good Sportsmanship medal.
Back in St. Louis in 2001, I turned my attention to dog behavior and training. I was the Director of Training for the Greater St. Louis Training Club, Inc., for five years, creating classes and overseeing the work of 40 head and assistant trainers. In 2003 my colleague and friend Lucy Bailey and I created Dogs Unleashed, LLC. We traveled to clients’ homes and worked with a wide range of behavior and training issues for four years. During this time I attended many continuing education conferences featuring trainers such as Dr. Ian Dunbar, Kathy Sdao, Karen Pryor, and Suzanne Clothier. As Director of Training for GSLTC, Inc., I arranged and hosted seminars in St. Louis featuring Dr. Patricia McConnell, Sue Ailsby, Dr. Roger Abrantes, Nicole Wilde, and Leslie Nelson of Tails-U-Win. During this period, I also served for several years as a Judge for the Dog Writers’ Association of America annual awards.
In 2010, I took the six-month course offered by the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior, and qualified to become a Certified Training Partner for that organization. I formed my own business, Human-Animal Learning Opportunities, LLC (HALO) in 2013. HALO hosted continuing education seminars for dog trainers, featuring Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz (three times), Mary Hunter (twice), Celeste Walsen of Courthouse Dogs, and Steve White. I am a Professional level member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed, a founding member of Saint Louis Pet Experts, and a Silver member of SPARCS (Society for the Promotion of Applied Research in Canine Science). My own continuing education has included attending the annual conference put on by the Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals (ORCA), which features some of my most respected animal trainers/researchers, including Kay Laurence, Ken Ramirez, Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Steve White, Alexandra Kurland, and others. I took Kay Laurence’s challenging two-year online course, the Intelligent Dog Trainer Course (IDTC) in 2012-2013, and am proud to have received Certification with Recommendation on my Unit 1 work. This book and those that I hope will follow came out of my Master Trainer project for the Kay Laurence course.
I have lived with many dogs over the years, several mixed breeds as well as Australian, German, and English Shepherds, Welsh, Cairn, and Airedale terriers, a Bernese Mountain Dog, a Golden Retriever, and an Irish Wolfhound. Other pets have included cats, birds, reptiles, hedgehogs, a beloved opossum, and more. I have shown some of my dogs in conformation and obedience trials, created and taught Tricks classes, and dabbled in agility, K9 nose work, earthdog, and rally obedience. While in Seattle, I raised a labrador puppy for Canine Companions for Independence, Inc. (CCI). Currently I live with a Beauceron and an elderly Papillon, and a Somali, a Chantilly, and two Abyssinian cats. When not doing things related to animals, I read widely, enjoy the company of my three grown children, follow baseball and English Premier League football, and travel the world.
In conversation with Dixie Tenny
Today I have with me the author who introduced the different types of dogs to the dog loving readers. In conversation with Dixie Tenny , author of How to find your dream dog.
Welcome to my virtual tete a tete Dixie.
There are lots of books about dogs out there. What makes “How to Find Your Dream Dog” different?
Most books written for pet dog owners talk about how to raise and train the puppy, or dog, that they already have. But there is very little available to help people choose the dog that will be the best fit for their household in the first place. There are many different types of dogs and each type fits best into a different home. Each individual dog is unique, too. One puppy might grow into a dog that suits you well while its littermate wouldn’t.
In your book, you state that there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Can you talk a little more about that?
Yes. Allergies to dogs are reactions to their skin dander, not their hair; even a completely hairless dog can cause an allergic reaction. Dog allergy sufferers might react to all dogs, some types of dogs, or even some individuals of a breed and not others. Some people have been breeding poodles to other types of dogs and marketing those puppies as “hypo-allergenic.” That is completely misleading, since even poodles themselves can cause an allergic reaction. My dog-allergic niece reacts more strongly to poodles than to most other types of dogs. Fostering or borrowing a dog is the best way to experiment with whether a possible allergy sufferer can live with a dog or not. But it’s important to remember that the reaction to another dog might be different.
Did you have a dog as a child?
When I was about five, my family adopted a puppy from a local litter. Lulu was white with brown and black splotches, medium-sized, such a thoroughly mixed-breed girl that, looking at pictures of her today, I can’t even begin to guess what she was a mix of. She was the best companion a child could ever have, sweet-natured and fun. Her best friend besides me was our family cat, teaching me early that the myth about dogs and cats not getting along wasn’t true.
Do you write on a computer or do you use pen and paper?
Both! I always carry a notebook with me, and I have them scattered all over the house. I have a small desk in my bedroom and a larger one in my study where I sit and write notes on paper. Eventually everything gets transferred over to my laptop. I’m usually sitting in the most wonderfully comfortable reclining chair at that point; a most thoughtful gift from a very good friend.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I love science fiction, and non-fiction science as well. I enjoy reading classic novels by authors like the Brontës and Jane Austen. I like stories of travel, history, and adventure. And I love books that make me laugh out loud.
Welcome to my virtual tete a tete Dixie.
There are lots of books about dogs out there. What makes “How to Find Your Dream Dog” different?
Most books written for pet dog owners talk about how to raise and train the puppy, or dog, that they already have. But there is very little available to help people choose the dog that will be the best fit for their household in the first place. There are many different types of dogs and each type fits best into a different home. Each individual dog is unique, too. One puppy might grow into a dog that suits you well while its littermate wouldn’t.
In your book, you state that there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Can you talk a little more about that?
Yes. Allergies to dogs are reactions to their skin dander, not their hair; even a completely hairless dog can cause an allergic reaction. Dog allergy sufferers might react to all dogs, some types of dogs, or even some individuals of a breed and not others. Some people have been breeding poodles to other types of dogs and marketing those puppies as “hypo-allergenic.” That is completely misleading, since even poodles themselves can cause an allergic reaction. My dog-allergic niece reacts more strongly to poodles than to most other types of dogs. Fostering or borrowing a dog is the best way to experiment with whether a possible allergy sufferer can live with a dog or not. But it’s important to remember that the reaction to another dog might be different.
Did you have a dog as a child?
When I was about five, my family adopted a puppy from a local litter. Lulu was white with brown and black splotches, medium-sized, such a thoroughly mixed-breed girl that, looking at pictures of her today, I can’t even begin to guess what she was a mix of. She was the best companion a child could ever have, sweet-natured and fun. Her best friend besides me was our family cat, teaching me early that the myth about dogs and cats not getting along wasn’t true.
Do you write on a computer or do you use pen and paper?
Both! I always carry a notebook with me, and I have them scattered all over the house. I have a small desk in my bedroom and a larger one in my study where I sit and write notes on paper. Eventually everything gets transferred over to my laptop. I’m usually sitting in the most wonderfully comfortable reclining chair at that point; a most thoughtful gift from a very good friend.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I love science fiction, and non-fiction science as well. I enjoy reading classic novels by authors like the Brontës and Jane Austen. I like stories of travel, history, and adventure. And I love books that make me laugh out loud.
An Empty Coast by Tony Park- Review
Book Name - An empty coastAuthor - Tony park Publisher - Pan Macmillan Number of Pages - 480Publishing Year - 201Edition - PaperbackPrice -
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Rating : 4.5
My Review
It's always refreshing to have a pump of adrenaline while watching action packed movies. To deliver same efficacy in words is not everyone's cup of tea. Tony Park is one writer who is blessed with the capability. The empty coast is an action packed thriller edge-of-the-seat thriller.
The story is fast paced with several action packed scenes. The action sequences are depicted in such a way that the readers get the feel of watching a movie. Detailed effort invested in portraying every action and minor idiosyncrasies of the characters is visible. The character of Sonja is unconventional yet convincing. Every character holds own identity. The back up of history reinforced the mettle of the otherwise fictitious story.
The book is an out and out boys' book with a female protagonist. Nevertheless some of the preset formulas for the thrillers like squeezing in an erotic angle could have been avoided. The relation between Sebastian and Emma stood out like a sore thumb. The unreasonably long climax too served as a drawback. But these are all minor flaws that I would like to overlook since this is one of the few thrillers that excited me recently
This review is in Return of a free book from the publisher
About the author
Tony Park has worked as a newspaper reporter, a government press secretary, a PR consultant and a freelance writer. He is also a Major in the Australian Army Reserve and served in Afghanistan in 2002. Tony and his wife divide their time between Sydney and southern Africa where they own a home on the border of the Kruger National Park
March 8, 2017
~ Cover Reveal~DANGEROUS GAMES BY DANIELLE STEEL9th March...
~ Cover Reveal~DANGEROUS GAMES BY DANIELLE STEEL9th March, 2017
Danielle Steel is the biggest selling living fiction author in the worldGlobal sales approaching 1 billion copies80 titles across 69 countries in 45 languagesNo. 1 International bestseller in all formats
About the Book:
Dangerous Games
Danielle Steel Danielle Steel tears down the walls of power at the heart of the White House in the thrilling Dangerous Games.Television correspondent Alix Phillips dodges bullets and breaks rules to bring the most important news to the world. With her daughter in college, and working alongside cameraman Ben Chapman, an ex-Navy Seal, Alix exhilarates in the risks and whirlwind pace of her work. But her latest assignment puts her at the center of an explosive story that will reshape many lives, including her own: investigating damning allegations involving the vice president of the United States, Tony Clark.Alix starts with a nationally revered woman who may be the key to exposing frightening secrets. Olympia Foster is the fragile, reclusive widow of America's most admired senator, who had been destined for the presidency before an assassin's bullet felled him. Since then, Olympia has found emotional support in Clark, who once wanted her as his wife and now stands as her protector and confidant. When Alix begins to dig deeper, federal agents pick up the trail. Then the threats begin.As the stakes rise in this dangerous game, Alix needs Ben's help as never before. Soon they realize they are grappling with an adversary far more sinister than they had imagined . . . she returns home... to the man she left behind?
About the Author:
[image error] Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers includeProperty of a Noblewoman, Blue, Precious Gifts,Undercover, Country, Prodigal Son,Pegasus, A Perfect Life, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless;and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris andPretty Minnie in Hollywood.
Contact the Author:
FB Page * Website
Danielle Steel is the biggest selling living fiction author in the worldGlobal sales approaching 1 billion copies80 titles across 69 countries in 45 languagesNo. 1 International bestseller in all formats
About the Book:
Dangerous Games
Danielle Steel Danielle Steel tears down the walls of power at the heart of the White House in the thrilling Dangerous Games.Television correspondent Alix Phillips dodges bullets and breaks rules to bring the most important news to the world. With her daughter in college, and working alongside cameraman Ben Chapman, an ex-Navy Seal, Alix exhilarates in the risks and whirlwind pace of her work. But her latest assignment puts her at the center of an explosive story that will reshape many lives, including her own: investigating damning allegations involving the vice president of the United States, Tony Clark.Alix starts with a nationally revered woman who may be the key to exposing frightening secrets. Olympia Foster is the fragile, reclusive widow of America's most admired senator, who had been destined for the presidency before an assassin's bullet felled him. Since then, Olympia has found emotional support in Clark, who once wanted her as his wife and now stands as her protector and confidant. When Alix begins to dig deeper, federal agents pick up the trail. Then the threats begin.As the stakes rise in this dangerous game, Alix needs Ben's help as never before. Soon they realize they are grappling with an adversary far more sinister than they had imagined . . . she returns home... to the man she left behind?
About the Author:
[image error] Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers includeProperty of a Noblewoman, Blue, Precious Gifts,Undercover, Country, Prodigal Son,Pegasus, A Perfect Life, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless;and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris andPretty Minnie in Hollywood.
Contact the Author:
FB Page * Website
March 1, 2017
The monsoon murders by Karan Paramanandka - Review
Book Name - The Monsoon MurdersAuthor - Karan ParamanandkaPublisher - Srishti Publications Number of Pages - 200Publishing Year - 2016Edition - Paperback Price - 195Buy books from Amazon
Rating : 4.0
My Review
Roy is a forensic expert who gets sacked from service by Shantanu, his superior. Unwilling to accept defeat, Roy starts his private investigation agency. While trying to fortify his career with petty assignments, Roy is assigned murder case which seems like a pipedream due to the obvious evidences which the police had already collected and deliberate attempts by Shantanu to deprive Roy of the case details. Despite the impediments, Roy manages to get the autopsy reports. Roy finds that the purported culprit Alina, the deceased's Sister, is apparently innocent. Further emerges a romantic angle in the mystery thriller.
I have lost count as to how many times I repeated the formula of a thriller. The protagonist who is in charge if investigation confronts a complicated yet misleading scenario. In the mean while he/she meets someone who is to become a part of the investigation; needless to say, as a soulmate. This formula has been used and used again and overused and overworked. Why is it necessary to use a romantic angle in a thriller. Isn't a James bond enough !! Am I being sarcastic? Okay, so let's get straight to the point.
It is interesting to see how Roy gets a line on the discrepancy between the bullet marks and the police report. The theory of rigid mortis is also a novel idea. The Apple of discord between Roy and Shantanu is also an unexpected twist in the otherwise unilinear plot. The personal and professional life of Roy is intertwined such that readers get to see a lot of drama.
Overall the book is an interesting thriller barring some clichès.
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher
About the author
Having graduated from one of the most prestigious B Schools of India, Karan Parmanandka is currently an investment banker by day and author by night. He loves Kafka, Gaiman, Bergman and Zepplin. He hates tying his shoe laces.
February 28, 2017
All that glitters by Lisa Trevino
~ All That Glitters by Liza Treviño ~Book Tour - 1st to 10th March
Book Details:
Title: All That Glitters - A Tale of Sex, Drugs and Hollywood Dreams
Author: Liza Treviño
Genre: Women’s Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Koehler Books
Published Date: March 1, 2017
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1633933083
ISBN-13: 978-1633933088
Book Links: Goodreads * Amazon
Synopsis:
Alexandria Moreno—clever, sexy, ambitious and, at times, self-destructive. She blazes a path from Texas to Los Angeles at the dawn of the 1980s to make her dreams of becoming an A-list Hollywood film director come true. She and her best friend arrive in Los Angeles with little more than hope and the determination to make it big. Alex, a beauty as dark and mysterious as her scarred heart, stands at the bottom of the Hollywood mountain looking up, fighting for her chance to climb to the top. Will her quest to live fast and take no prisoners on her way to success destroy her in the end?
All That Glitters is a women’s fiction Jackie Collins-type saga that introduces a strong, driven Latina heroine at the center of a rags-to-riches story spanning a decade of action. Along the way, Alexandria walks the fine line separating ambition and self-destruction, and discovers that some sacrifices will cost her everything.
What early readers are saying:
"Treviño tells her story with wit, intelligence, and an undercurrent of sadness at the plight women face to make a name for themselves as human beings instead of strictly as women. Treviño may have cloaked her ideas in entertaining vignettes and snappy dialogue, but underneath is a bite that stays with you."
— Jonathan Marcantoni, author and publisher of La Casita Grande Press.
"Liza has a way of taking you with her as she tells this very compelling story. She draws readers in with her as she describes scenes and characters with colorful detail and vivid imagination. This story is a testament to it's title: it really glitters!"
—Reesha Goral, author, The Servant Boy
"With distant echoes of Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls in the background, Alexandria Moreno, the protagonist of All that Glitters, chases after the allure of Hollywood, all the time substituting pills, booze and sex for genuine happiness. It is only after she reaches success that she has an awakening leading her to realize the emptiness of her aspiration, and finally accepting true love. Kudos to Liza Treviño for giving us this unique image of the New Latina! I urge reading All that Glitters. You won’t regret it."
—Graciela Limón, author
Read an Excerpt:
Los Angeles
Oscar Night, 1990
When did things start going wrong?
Alexandria Moreno gulped another swig of champagne from the bottle. She picked at its broken gold foil. It was the same stuff she used to buy back in the days when spending more than ten dollars on bubbly was an extravagance. Now she sat in the best limo money could buy, inching along the craggy hillside road waiting for her turn to put in an appearance at the first of many scheduled post-Oscar parties. She was obligated to dole out heartfelt hugs and kisses to any of the beautiful people who might want one. Tonight, everyone was going to want a piece of her. She was the girl of the hour.
Until recently, Moreno had been an unknown writer-producer. She rocked Hollywood, winning Academy Awards for Best Director and Original Screenplay for the lushly violent, low-budget film, Win or Lose. Moreno, widely considered a dark horse contestant in the Oscar race, was the first Hispanic woman to be nominated, and win.
Two golden statues for writing and directing lay on the limo’s floor and the vehicle glided to the top of Hollywood’s heights. Beyond the winding canyon road, the Los Angeles electrified grid shimmered like Moreno’s own personal cauldron of gold. She understood that more than just a movie had won tonight.
She had won.
So why doesn’t it feel better?
Why don’t I feel better?
Despite everything she’d done to reach this moment of glory, Alex understood that none of it mattered. Not one bit. No matter what happened to her, she was still alone and drinking the same convenience-store champagne.
“Want some of this blow, babe?” Nick sniffed and dropped his head back with a slight shake, giving the chemicals a little jumpstart in the brain he liked to say.
“No thanks,” she said, “I don’t want to mix tonight.” Alex turned her attention from the scrubby hillside to handsome Nick Sirianni sitting across from her, casually relaxed in his Armani tuxedo. Though he favored stiff Wall Street suits, Nick was always casually relaxed due to the fact that he was worth millions from a Hollywood Midas touch.
Alex heard Leonard Cohen’s gravel-rubbed, breathless voice floating faintly through the air, crooning his patented melancholy love proclamations, and she couldn’t help but let her eyes wander along Nick’s impeccably tailored suit. Her hands absently grazed the familiar bluish-purple marks on her wrists currently hidden under make-up.
Nick’s thin lips curled into a slow, understanding grin. “Fine, but I have some X for later, and I don’t care what you’ve taken already,” he said in a tone Alex had learned not to question. “I’ve got plans for you, babe.”
“I guess it’s gonna be a long night.”
“The longest ever.”
Alex could tell he had taken off. She absently twirled a lock of her black, shoulder-length hair.
“Hey,” Nick nudged her leg with his polished leather dress shoe, “let me see.”
“Not right now.”
“I’m not asking, Alley Cat. Let me see. And do it right.”
Alex locked eyes with him, but she relented.
She found the fold of her straight wraparound skirt of crepe and beading that draped to the floor. She peeled it back and uncrossed her legs beneath the gown, giving Nick a peek-a-boo of her
narrow ankle and high-heeled foot. She loosened her knees, proving to Nick she’d followed his instructions.
Nick looked her over and loosened his collar.
“Good girl,” Nick said and shifted toward her, the leather seat creaking beneath him. He knelt between her legs and softly traced the length of her pale grey stocking from her shoe, along her leg, up to the matching garter, and over her supple brown thigh exposed between the garter and its straps. Nick kissed her just above where the stockings ended. He breathed in deeply and peered up to her.
“I gotta have a taste, baby,” he said and dipped his handsome face between her thighs.
Alex sighed and sank back into her seat.
How did things get so out of control? Isn’t tonight supposed to be everything I’ve worked for? Everything I’ve sacrificed for? Or, what I’ve sacrificed everyone for?
Alex knew she had purposely cut off anyone who had the misfortune of ever giving a damn about her. And there were such people.
It certainly wasn’t Nick. She’d made her deal with this particular devil nearly a year ago. Things between them were comfortably tawdry. Nick owned her. She knew it. He knew it. They had an understanding.
A flicker nudged her: so many things that could have been. She took another swig of champagne, letting the alcohol’s fizz and burn push everything back into the darkness.
Alex registered Nick’s velvet tongue expertly stroking her crevices, and she couldn’t help but give him all the access he wanted. She felt him smile when she dropped her head back and settled deeper into the limo’s bench. The car halted forward and the lazy, swaying sax turned up the tension in Cohen’s sonic plea for love.
Alex peered beyond the cracked sunroof, searching the starless LA sky for some answers. A corner of the tinted sunroof caught her faint reflection and she saw a vacant-eyed, thirty two-year-old wasted stranger. She’d never known herself less than at this moment. Her passion for work was burned out and, even tonight, she couldn’t muster excitement. Now, everything was just a game requiring too much effort.
She shut her eyes tight and sucked in air sharply, breathing in the car’s mixture of broken-in leather and artificial lemon scents. She clasped at Nick’s broad shoulder, wringing the expensive jacket sleeve as if it were nothing more than a cheap cocktail napkin. After a moment, she relaxed.
Nick brushed a sweet kiss on her inner thigh before he returned the thin black crepe material of her skirt to its full length. He slid back to his seat across from her and smoothed his hair back.
“Damn, you taste good, honey.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“We’re next in line, ma’am,” the chauffeur’s voice crackled through the intercom. The limo moved into place with a definite stop.
Nick grinned. “It’s show time, Alley Cat.”
The cool night air took Alex by surprise as she waded into the sea of people and flashing cameras. She staggered, unsure she could move.
“One foot in front of the other,” Nick said in his soft voice through her hair. “I’ll get you a drink once we get inside.”
Alex smiled serenely and nodded. She focused on the live band somewhere in the distance belting out a Sinatra standard. Her eyes found the majestic Griffith Observatory looming in the distance, hovering above the white party tents.
Inside, the camera flashes kept coming.
“And here we are,” Nick offered as he swiped a couple of champagne flutes from a roving waiter’s tray. “This should get ya right, babe.”
Alex took the glass automatically. Another bulb flashed near her and she saw blue sprinkles. She regained focus quickly, but then her stomach dropped. Across the room was the last person she wanted to see.
◊◊◊
Jamie Douglas stood out in any crowd. Angular looks punctuated by oceanic blue eyes, a naturally lean athleticism, and down-to-earth boyishness had made him a reigning movie star around the world for almost twenty years. And right now, Alex saw Jamie’s eyes find hers through the crowd. When they caught each other, a flash sparked between them like one of those popping camera bulbs. Jamie’s surprised look gave way to a lopsided grin; it was a look so familiar to her.
Alex registered Nick snake his arm around her thin waist and she broke her gaze from Jamie.
“Okay, Alley Cat, time for our victory lap.”
“Perfect timing,” she said.
Timing—everything always came down to timing. It seemed to her that her timing had always been off. Not crazy off, just that extra millisecond that pushed everything either too early or too late. And now, she understood that it was too late.
Suddenly, she couldn’t bear to go through with the whole charade of tonight. Maybe, she couldn’t even bear to go through with the whole charade of her life any longer. Just leave, a soft voice whispered inside her head. There’s nothing written you have to stick around. It’s practically programmed into your DNA that you’ll be checking out of this world early.
All at once, Alex understood that simple fact. She, Alex Moreno, would leave Los Angeles tonight as anonymously as she had arrived nearly a decade earlier. She knew that wasn’t an entirely accurate account of how she’d started.
Now I’m alone, and that’s just how I knew things would always turn out.
Author Bio:
Liza Treviño hails from Texas, spending many of her formative years on the I-35 corridor of San Antonio, Austin and Dallas. In pursuit of adventure and a Ph.D., Liza moved to Los Angeles where she compiled a collection of short-term, low-level Hollywood jobs like script girl, producer assistant and production assistant. Her time as a Hollywood Jane-of-all-trades gave her an insider's view to a world most only see from the outside, providing the inspiration for creating a new breed of Latina heroine.
Catch Up with Liza Treviño on her Website
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Book Details:
Title: All That Glitters - A Tale of Sex, Drugs and Hollywood Dreams
Author: Liza Treviño
Genre: Women’s Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Koehler Books
Published Date: March 1, 2017
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1633933083
ISBN-13: 978-1633933088
Book Links: Goodreads * Amazon
Synopsis:
Alexandria Moreno—clever, sexy, ambitious and, at times, self-destructive. She blazes a path from Texas to Los Angeles at the dawn of the 1980s to make her dreams of becoming an A-list Hollywood film director come true. She and her best friend arrive in Los Angeles with little more than hope and the determination to make it big. Alex, a beauty as dark and mysterious as her scarred heart, stands at the bottom of the Hollywood mountain looking up, fighting for her chance to climb to the top. Will her quest to live fast and take no prisoners on her way to success destroy her in the end?
All That Glitters is a women’s fiction Jackie Collins-type saga that introduces a strong, driven Latina heroine at the center of a rags-to-riches story spanning a decade of action. Along the way, Alexandria walks the fine line separating ambition and self-destruction, and discovers that some sacrifices will cost her everything.
What early readers are saying:
"Treviño tells her story with wit, intelligence, and an undercurrent of sadness at the plight women face to make a name for themselves as human beings instead of strictly as women. Treviño may have cloaked her ideas in entertaining vignettes and snappy dialogue, but underneath is a bite that stays with you."
— Jonathan Marcantoni, author and publisher of La Casita Grande Press.
"Liza has a way of taking you with her as she tells this very compelling story. She draws readers in with her as she describes scenes and characters with colorful detail and vivid imagination. This story is a testament to it's title: it really glitters!"
—Reesha Goral, author, The Servant Boy
"With distant echoes of Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls in the background, Alexandria Moreno, the protagonist of All that Glitters, chases after the allure of Hollywood, all the time substituting pills, booze and sex for genuine happiness. It is only after she reaches success that she has an awakening leading her to realize the emptiness of her aspiration, and finally accepting true love. Kudos to Liza Treviño for giving us this unique image of the New Latina! I urge reading All that Glitters. You won’t regret it."
—Graciela Limón, author
Read an Excerpt:
Los Angeles
Oscar Night, 1990
When did things start going wrong?
Alexandria Moreno gulped another swig of champagne from the bottle. She picked at its broken gold foil. It was the same stuff she used to buy back in the days when spending more than ten dollars on bubbly was an extravagance. Now she sat in the best limo money could buy, inching along the craggy hillside road waiting for her turn to put in an appearance at the first of many scheduled post-Oscar parties. She was obligated to dole out heartfelt hugs and kisses to any of the beautiful people who might want one. Tonight, everyone was going to want a piece of her. She was the girl of the hour.
Until recently, Moreno had been an unknown writer-producer. She rocked Hollywood, winning Academy Awards for Best Director and Original Screenplay for the lushly violent, low-budget film, Win or Lose. Moreno, widely considered a dark horse contestant in the Oscar race, was the first Hispanic woman to be nominated, and win.
Two golden statues for writing and directing lay on the limo’s floor and the vehicle glided to the top of Hollywood’s heights. Beyond the winding canyon road, the Los Angeles electrified grid shimmered like Moreno’s own personal cauldron of gold. She understood that more than just a movie had won tonight.
She had won.
So why doesn’t it feel better?
Why don’t I feel better?
Despite everything she’d done to reach this moment of glory, Alex understood that none of it mattered. Not one bit. No matter what happened to her, she was still alone and drinking the same convenience-store champagne.
“Want some of this blow, babe?” Nick sniffed and dropped his head back with a slight shake, giving the chemicals a little jumpstart in the brain he liked to say.
“No thanks,” she said, “I don’t want to mix tonight.” Alex turned her attention from the scrubby hillside to handsome Nick Sirianni sitting across from her, casually relaxed in his Armani tuxedo. Though he favored stiff Wall Street suits, Nick was always casually relaxed due to the fact that he was worth millions from a Hollywood Midas touch.
Alex heard Leonard Cohen’s gravel-rubbed, breathless voice floating faintly through the air, crooning his patented melancholy love proclamations, and she couldn’t help but let her eyes wander along Nick’s impeccably tailored suit. Her hands absently grazed the familiar bluish-purple marks on her wrists currently hidden under make-up.
Nick’s thin lips curled into a slow, understanding grin. “Fine, but I have some X for later, and I don’t care what you’ve taken already,” he said in a tone Alex had learned not to question. “I’ve got plans for you, babe.”
“I guess it’s gonna be a long night.”
“The longest ever.”
Alex could tell he had taken off. She absently twirled a lock of her black, shoulder-length hair.
“Hey,” Nick nudged her leg with his polished leather dress shoe, “let me see.”
“Not right now.”
“I’m not asking, Alley Cat. Let me see. And do it right.”
Alex locked eyes with him, but she relented.
She found the fold of her straight wraparound skirt of crepe and beading that draped to the floor. She peeled it back and uncrossed her legs beneath the gown, giving Nick a peek-a-boo of her
narrow ankle and high-heeled foot. She loosened her knees, proving to Nick she’d followed his instructions.
Nick looked her over and loosened his collar.
“Good girl,” Nick said and shifted toward her, the leather seat creaking beneath him. He knelt between her legs and softly traced the length of her pale grey stocking from her shoe, along her leg, up to the matching garter, and over her supple brown thigh exposed between the garter and its straps. Nick kissed her just above where the stockings ended. He breathed in deeply and peered up to her.
“I gotta have a taste, baby,” he said and dipped his handsome face between her thighs.
Alex sighed and sank back into her seat.
How did things get so out of control? Isn’t tonight supposed to be everything I’ve worked for? Everything I’ve sacrificed for? Or, what I’ve sacrificed everyone for?
Alex knew she had purposely cut off anyone who had the misfortune of ever giving a damn about her. And there were such people.
It certainly wasn’t Nick. She’d made her deal with this particular devil nearly a year ago. Things between them were comfortably tawdry. Nick owned her. She knew it. He knew it. They had an understanding.
A flicker nudged her: so many things that could have been. She took another swig of champagne, letting the alcohol’s fizz and burn push everything back into the darkness.
Alex registered Nick’s velvet tongue expertly stroking her crevices, and she couldn’t help but give him all the access he wanted. She felt him smile when she dropped her head back and settled deeper into the limo’s bench. The car halted forward and the lazy, swaying sax turned up the tension in Cohen’s sonic plea for love.
Alex peered beyond the cracked sunroof, searching the starless LA sky for some answers. A corner of the tinted sunroof caught her faint reflection and she saw a vacant-eyed, thirty two-year-old wasted stranger. She’d never known herself less than at this moment. Her passion for work was burned out and, even tonight, she couldn’t muster excitement. Now, everything was just a game requiring too much effort.
She shut her eyes tight and sucked in air sharply, breathing in the car’s mixture of broken-in leather and artificial lemon scents. She clasped at Nick’s broad shoulder, wringing the expensive jacket sleeve as if it were nothing more than a cheap cocktail napkin. After a moment, she relaxed.
Nick brushed a sweet kiss on her inner thigh before he returned the thin black crepe material of her skirt to its full length. He slid back to his seat across from her and smoothed his hair back.
“Damn, you taste good, honey.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“We’re next in line, ma’am,” the chauffeur’s voice crackled through the intercom. The limo moved into place with a definite stop.
Nick grinned. “It’s show time, Alley Cat.”
The cool night air took Alex by surprise as she waded into the sea of people and flashing cameras. She staggered, unsure she could move.
“One foot in front of the other,” Nick said in his soft voice through her hair. “I’ll get you a drink once we get inside.”
Alex smiled serenely and nodded. She focused on the live band somewhere in the distance belting out a Sinatra standard. Her eyes found the majestic Griffith Observatory looming in the distance, hovering above the white party tents.
Inside, the camera flashes kept coming.
“And here we are,” Nick offered as he swiped a couple of champagne flutes from a roving waiter’s tray. “This should get ya right, babe.”
Alex took the glass automatically. Another bulb flashed near her and she saw blue sprinkles. She regained focus quickly, but then her stomach dropped. Across the room was the last person she wanted to see.
◊◊◊
Jamie Douglas stood out in any crowd. Angular looks punctuated by oceanic blue eyes, a naturally lean athleticism, and down-to-earth boyishness had made him a reigning movie star around the world for almost twenty years. And right now, Alex saw Jamie’s eyes find hers through the crowd. When they caught each other, a flash sparked between them like one of those popping camera bulbs. Jamie’s surprised look gave way to a lopsided grin; it was a look so familiar to her.
Alex registered Nick snake his arm around her thin waist and she broke her gaze from Jamie.
“Okay, Alley Cat, time for our victory lap.”
“Perfect timing,” she said.
Timing—everything always came down to timing. It seemed to her that her timing had always been off. Not crazy off, just that extra millisecond that pushed everything either too early or too late. And now, she understood that it was too late.
Suddenly, she couldn’t bear to go through with the whole charade of tonight. Maybe, she couldn’t even bear to go through with the whole charade of her life any longer. Just leave, a soft voice whispered inside her head. There’s nothing written you have to stick around. It’s practically programmed into your DNA that you’ll be checking out of this world early.
All at once, Alex understood that simple fact. She, Alex Moreno, would leave Los Angeles tonight as anonymously as she had arrived nearly a decade earlier. She knew that wasn’t an entirely accurate account of how she’d started.
Now I’m alone, and that’s just how I knew things would always turn out.
Author Bio:
Liza Treviño hails from Texas, spending many of her formative years on the I-35 corridor of San Antonio, Austin and Dallas. In pursuit of adventure and a Ph.D., Liza moved to Los Angeles where she compiled a collection of short-term, low-level Hollywood jobs like script girl, producer assistant and production assistant. Her time as a Hollywood Jane-of-all-trades gave her an insider's view to a world most only see from the outside, providing the inspiration for creating a new breed of Latina heroine.
Catch Up with Liza Treviño on her Website
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