Sundari Venkatraman's Blog, page 28

Blog Tour: THE REENGINEERS by Indu Muralidharan

The Reengineersby Indu Muralidharan
A HarperCollins Publication (Harper Element)

My Review

Disclaimer: I received a free paperback copy of this book from the publisher via The Book Club in return for my honest review. I haven’t received any monetary compensation for the same.
I was curious to know more when I read the blurb. I think spirituality is an integral part of our lives, at all stages, not necessarily when we grow old. I liked the idea that the author has incorporated spirituality in transforming the lives of teenagers.
First of all, I am absolutely impressed by the flawless language and perfect proofing of the book. I rarely come across English books by Indian authors that have impeccable language. For this, I congratulate Indu Muralidharan. The book was a joy to read, without me wincing even once.
Set in 1990s Madras, the story is about Chinmay and his friends Anu (this is a guy) and Sabi (a girl). They are having study holidays before their tenth board exams. They are children from typical Indian families where the parents are under tremendous pressure to have their children succeed in every aspect of their lives. The three of them are sad as they feel the burden of their parental pressures. Chinmay feels it all the more as his parents are on their way to being divorced. He’s planning to commit suicide soon after the exams.
The three teenagers are studying in Chinmay’s uncle’s library when the door handle breaks and they are stuck in the room. While trying to leave by the backdoor, they land up at Conchpore, an imaginary town in Tamil Nadu.
They find themselves in the campus of the Seekers’ School and have the strangest of experiences in the next 24 hours that transforms their lives.
Whether their experience is real or a figment of their imaginations, the author has left the reader to decide. But what I liked is that the experiences change the teens so much that they look forward to their lives as against their depressed stands earlier.
The author has captured the behind-the-scenes story of spiritual cults to perfection. It’s nothing short of scary but the horrors are obviously real. Very well narrated!
Siddharth’s transformation from a depressed man to a confident one with the help of the “Professor” is inspiring. It’s influence on Chinmay is monumental. Though the “Professor” appears in but a few scenes, he truly leaves a mark.
This book is a must read for youngsters. It will help them see the world in a different light altogether.
All that said, somewhere the story that’s a fiction, gets preachy. I wish it had been dealt with differently so as not to seem as if I was being read a lecture.
I am glad that I got to read this one, definitely. 



Blurb 

Chinmay Narayan is plotting to kill himself. He is a misfit at school, his parents are about to divorce and the love of his life doesn’t know he exists. It seems pointless to go on with such a dysfunctional life. But before he gets anywhere with that plan, Chinmay and his friends, Anu and Sabi, stumble into the eerie world of Conchpore through a portal in Uncle RK’s library.

They find themselves in The Seeker’s School, where you can buy spiritual courses that will bring you enlightenment. While the seekers seem unaware that there is anything amiss, Chinmay and his friends stumble upon a strange and sinister plot that the teachers and students are caught up in. The three youngsters suddenly find themselves in danger, and their only hope is the charismatic Siddharth, an old student of the school who has come to visit. Chinmay discovers that Siddharth is seeking catharsis from his dark past by writing a book—a book with Chinmay as the protagonist. He realizes that his own story is a mirror image of Siddharth’s, which leads to a moment of reckoning for him: can he become the author of his own life?

Set in Madras in the early nineties, The Reengineers dispels the boundaries between fiction and reality to tell a tale that is as much a coming-of-age story as it is an inspiring narrative of self-empowerment and spiritual growth. 



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ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

I am a writer from Chennai, India. To me, reading and writing are means by which I try to comprehend the meaning of life and reality. My first novel The Reengineers (HarperCollins, 2015) is a metafictional exploration of the meaning of the self, examined through the relationship between an author and the character of his novel. I am working on two other novels at the moment, both centred around the healing power of fiction and its significance in 'real' life.

I live in London, balancing a full time day job with writing and studying a part-time Master's Course in Creative Writing at The University of Oxford.
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Blog Tour: A THOUSAND UNSPOKEN WORDS by Paulami Duttagupta

A Thousand Unspoken Words by Paulami Duttagupta
A Readomania Publication


Blurb 

A hero, a person who displays great courage for the greater good, can also fall. But what happens to a fallen hero? A Thousand Unspoken Words is the unique journey of a hero who falls.

The champion of the underdogs, the writer who uses the nom de plume Musafir is famous in Kolkata. His incisive criticism of the injustices around him earn him many enemies but he holds his ideals above all else. Scathing attacks at his books and a night of hide and seek from political goons leads Musafir unto a path he never liked, faraway from his ideals. He runs away and chooses the comforts of money over the travails of following one’s ideals. The hero falls.

But Tilottama, passionate fan’s hopes don’t. When he comes back after many years, emotions, love and lust take charge and an affair brews. Will she bring back her hero? Will he rise again? Or will the thousand untold words, the many stories of the ideal writer be lost forever?



Grab your Copy @amazon.com | amazon.in 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Paulami DuttaGupta is a novelist and screen writer. She shuttles between Kolkata and Shillong. She has worked as a radio artist, copy writer, journalist and a television analyst at various stages of her life, having been associated with AIR Shillong, The Times of India—Guwahati Shillong Plus, ETV Bangla, The Shillong Times, Akash Bangla and Sony Aath.As an author, her short stories have appeared in various anthologies and literary magazines. A Thousand Unspoken Words is her fourth book. Paulami also writes on politics, social issues and cinema. Her articles have appeared in Swarajya, The Forthright and NElive.

Paulami is associated with cinema and her first film, Ri-Homeland of Uncertainty received the National Award for the Best Khasi Film. Her second film Onaatah—Of the Earth is at post production stage and will release in 2016. She is currently working on her third screenplay. A short film tentatively titled ‘Patjhar’ is also in the pipeline.

Paulami is a complete foodie and is almost obsessed with watching one film every day. She also loves reading—political and social commentaries are her favourite genre. Literature classics and books on cricket are also a part of her library, apart from a huge collection of romances. Jane Austen’s fictional character Mr. Darcy is her lifelong companion. She is an ardent fan of Rahul Dravid and has been following all news about him for almost twenty years now.

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Book Blitz: SEDUCED IN SPAIN by Devika Fernando

Book Blitz

Seduced in Spain 
by Devika Fernando



Goodreads
Blurb

Sometimes all that two people need to make things right is a second chance…
Nine years ago, Alejandro broke Emily's heart, but a business trip to Spain forces her to be in his company again. Old wounds are reopened and new temptations complicate things even more. When life leaves her no choice, she realizes that sometimes the heart doesn’t listen to the brain. Will Emily win the battle against her forbidden desire and Alejandro’s charm, or will history repeat itself?

Excerpt 
“Gracias, Alejandro. Buenas noches.”
Emily kept it short and simple, although a hundred words and sentences were waiting to burst forth and possibly ruin it all. She kept her gaze fixed on his chin because looking into his eyes would surely trigger something she shouldn’t be saying or doing. His scent was all around her, intoxicating her alongside the cava in her bloodstream. The corridor was silent, and she thought she could hear her heart pound hard and fast. Could he hear it too?
“Buenas noches,” he said, his tone so clipped it was almost rude.
He turned on his heel and strode towards the lift, and she had to grip the door handle to steady herself.
Why was she disappointed? What had she been expecting?
Just when she straightened up to walk into her room and put a lid on the Pandora’s Box that should have been kept tightly shut, Alejandro stopped. He clenched his fists, and she thought she heard a muttered curse. In a few long strides, he stood right in front of her again, and this time there was no escaping his gaze.
“Feel free to slap me,” he said, and before she could make any sense of it, his lips came crashing down on hers.
There was nothing timid or soft or tender about the kiss, as it might have been after all these years. Instead, it was as if all the pent-up need flowed into this one touch of mouth against mouth. His lips were firm and insistent against hers, his tongue demanding entrance, and with a half-moan, Emily gave in and kissed him back.

His taste flooded her, nut and syrup and wine. One of his strong hands clasped her neck, the other hand gripped her hip to draw her closer. Their tongues met, and Alejandro angled his head to deepen the kiss. She felt it deep inside her, soothing an ache, stirring a fire, breaking the cracks wide open. She wanted more. She knew she shouldn’t.
Grab your copy on  Amazon.in  | Amazon.com

About the author

Almost as soon as Devika Fernando could write, she imagined stories and poems. After finishing her education in Germany and returning to her roots in Sri Lanka, she got a chance to turn her passion into her profession. Having lived in Germany and in Sri Lanka with her husband has made her experience the best (and the worst) of two totally different worlds - something that influences her writing. Her trademark is writing sweet and sensual, deeply emotional romance stories where the characters actually fall in love instead of merely falling in lust.

What she loves most about being an author is the chance to create new worlds and send her protagonists on a journey full of ups and downs that will leave them changed. She draws inspiration from everyone and everything in life. Besides being a romance novel author, Devika is a faithful servant to all the cats and dogs she has adopted. When she's not writing, she's reading or thinking about writing.Stalk her @Website | Twitter | Facebook
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Book Blitz: HIS CHRISTMAS DELIGHT by Summerita Rhayne

Book Blitz

His Christmas Delight by Summerita Rhayne





Blurb
Caught by Santa!
For Myra, Christmas means supporting her friends. They rallied round getting her back on her feet after she lost Pete, her husband, so she's always ready to help any of them. No matter to what lengths the challenge makes her go. Only she didn't expect to find Santa almost catching her in her wrongdoings. Then she finds that the handsome Santa is Jay, her old high school friend. Now he's changed from a gangly geek to an attractive stranger. After missing out on the dating scene for a long time after losing Pete, she feels the first stirring of desire. But Jay is playing hot and cold, refusing to admit the attraction sizzling between them.

He’s back in Goa just for Christmas
Jay knew Myra as his best friend's girl. Now Pete is gone, but Jay is finding difficult to let go of the scars he picked up in Coast Guard service. He’s home only to help revive his brother’s toy shop. When he finds himself making excuses to stay, he knows he’s crossing the limits he’d set himself. What’s the purpose in taking this further when he knows he cannot be the one to give her the happiness she deserves? But no matter how hard he tries, the scorching flames of wanting only seem to get stronger. How can he keep on denying the attraction between them when she insists on coming close?
Grab your copy on  Amazon.in  | Amazon.com

About the author

Summerita Rhayne writes sensual romance which is sheer escapism with lots of emotional conflict. She first got published in 2013 and has won contests with prestigious publishers such as Harlequin and Harper Collins India. Writing, she finds, is the only way to deal with the numerous story ideas bubbling in her brain which pop up more rapidly than her keyboard can do justice to. Her pet belief is that even when writing time is in short supply, if the inspiration is strong enough, the story characters get a life of their own and will find a way to make the writer pen them down. When cerebrally confronted with the sizzling interaction of two Alpha characters, the only way to get peace is write their book!

At heart, she's a family person and even though she loves her medical teaching profession, she happily becomes a homemaker when not at work. She loves winding down with music, movies, cricket (strictly watching only) and social networking.

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Book Blitz: TWISTS OF FATE by Priyanka Naik

Book Blitz
TWISTS OF FATE by Priyanka Naik



Blurb

As kids, we thought grown-ups had so much fun. How we wished we could grow up fast. If only we knew what we were wishing for.

Three pieces of a soul, they'd call themselves soul sisters and this is their journey, a journey through the lives of three best friends who accidentally reunite after a decade long disconnection. A round of startling revelations later, the three realize that life is indeed unpredictable. However, in this world of uncertainty, there is just one thing they can still be sure of their friendship!

With secrets confessed, pain shared, tears shed and troubles discussed, they help find answers to each other's problems, just like old times.

Each has a lesson to learn from the other, a story to tell, a reason to say 'I'm sorry' and a reason to say 'Thank you'. Has destiny brought them together to complete the picture?Will they succeed in finding the missing pieces?

Can every twist of fate be interpreted in just one way?

Join Sharvari Joshi, Parizaad Sethna and Nandini Mazumdar in a nostalgic journey from girlhood to womanhood. 'Twists of Fate' promises to be a roller coaster ride of emotions that will captivate the reader's heart and leave him pondering on life, fate and all its conspiracies.


Grab your copy on  Amazon.in | Flipkart | Infibeam

About the author


Priyanka hails from the beautiful land of Goa. She is a doctor by profession and a writer at heart. She runs a private clinic where she consults as General Physician and Diabetologist.

She is a perfectionist by nature and a gypsy by habit…a realist by design and a dreamer by default. Sometimes jaded and sometimes overtly optimistic, she is quite a paradox trying to figure out her role in the grand scheme of things. She has won several elocution competitions during her school days, and has had her poems and articles published in newspapers and magazines.

Being a blogger for the last twelve odd years, it is the love of her readers and friends that has inspired her to come out with a book. She believes everybody who has a story to tell deserves a chance to be heard. She has faith in the power of words. She celebrates the magic of bonds (like the one already formed between you and her) that exist despite time, space and lack of physical proximity.

Winner of the 'Literary Diva 2015' Award, she owes her success to the love of her readers and an undying passion to express her thoughts. Besides reading and writing, her other interests include traveling and music.


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Blog Tour: COLOR ME RICH by Mohan Deep

Color Me Rich by Mohan Deep 
My Review
Disclaimer: I received a paperback of this book from the author via The Book Club in return for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for the same.
I found the cover very attractive (with bundles of cash) along with the title and immediately signed up for the review.
The story is set in Mumbai and is about struggling artist Akash. Despite strong opposition from his parents (they insist that he become a doctor or an engineer), he shifts to Mumbai to study art at JJ School of Arts. He has a difficult life, living in a poor area with barely a couple of shirts to wear. Along with him lives Pran, a struggling actor. Then there is Bollywood aunty who runs a mess, feeding all the struggling wannabes in the area.
Suma lives in the same area and aspires to be a singer. She also writes songs. Suma is in love with Akash while he considers her his best friend.
Akash is lucky to be discovered by socialite/artist Zenobia. Overnight, he turns into a star. More than that, he falls in love with Zen at first sight. His career soars meteorically, even as he gets married to Zen. Suma is heartbroken.
A couple of years down the lane, and a few crores into his bank account, Akash finds himself in deep trouble. Zenobia falls down to her death from their 60thfloor penthouse apartment. The police are unable to find out if it was an accident, if she committed suicide or if she was pushed to her death. If it was murder, Akash would be the murderer. Read the book to find out what must have happened. 
The author takes us on the journey of Akash Saigal’s life in a series of flashbacks. The story has been well edited and proofed though peppered with 25% of Hindi and a bit of Marathi. This is the first book I am reading by Mohan Deep and I think it’s good, and worth a read if you enjoy thrillers. 
Blurb A sensitive love story of a handsome and talented struggling painter Akash Saigal. What happens when he marries an extremely rich and beautiful artist and art investor Zenobia Taraporevala?


Prologue

J J School of Art, Mumbai.
Taking a charcoal pencil, Akash Saigal started drawing the wood-and-stone structure, popularly known as ‘Kipling Bungalow’. He was sketching sitting on a bench on which, in another era, K K Hebbar, M F Husain, Syed Haider Raza, Sadanand Bakre, V S Gaitonde, even Dadasaheb Phalke had sat with their sketchbooks, sketching the house where the author of The Jungle Book was born.
Ganpat Gupte appeared along with two of his gang. Gupte was the nephew of a minister, or so he claimed, and had the arrogance that comes with power.
“Ae Akash, kae karto?”
Akash looked up at the trio and said, “Nothing much. Just a drawing.”
“Okay. What is the day today?”
“Monday.”
“I should have known.Tere ko blue shirt hai na?”
Akash didn’t get the connection, but Gupte’s chamchas laughed knowingly.
“Didn’t you get it?”
“What?”
The three boys sang in unison, “Monday, blue shirt. Tuesday, black shirt. Wednesday, blue shirt. Thursday black shirt. Friday, blue shirt. Saturday, black shirt. Sunday…laundry!”
If Akash was hurt, he didn’t show it. He laughed sheepishly and continued sketching the bungalow.
But he would never forget this.
Today 
The elevator zoomed up, taking Akash directly to the penthouse on the 60th floor of Apollo Towers, and stopped with stomach-curdling smoothness. The door slid open to reveal his luxuriously done-up lounge.
He came out of the lift, turned down the passage, and walked over the deep-pile rug to the lounge.
He had returned from the salon.
He felt cleaner and fresher after his bimonthly facial – only Tanveer could give him a satisfactory shave - and pedicure. He liked to have his moustaches- like John Lennon's - done like in the Sixties, and he liked sideburns.
His head was still heavy from drinking until the late hours, but he looked much better than he felt. His studio was to the right, almost hidden behind the lavish bar facing him as he entered.
Perched 550 feet above the city of Mumbai, he could see the Queen’s Necklace and the World Trade Centre. From Zenobia’s bedroom, the Gateway of India and the high dome of the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Pran smiled at him.
Akash returned the smile, picked up the bottle of Blue Label and poured himself a stiff drink.
“Isn't it a little early for a drink?”
Without saying anything, Akash smiled, and switched on the TV.
The TV screen flashed a story over a video shot of Zenobia with him in happier times, followed by a shot of the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s heritage Gothic-style building and a subtitle: 'Mumbai Police give clean chit to Akash Saigal.'
The newsreader said:
“Based on the findings of the forensic department and investigation, the Mumbai Police has declared the death of noted artist and socialite Zenobia Taraporevala suicide. It may be recalled that a year ago, Zenobia died from a fall from her 60th-floor penthouse. There were questions about her death. Was it a suicide, or an accident, or was she pushed to her death? Her husband, the famous artist Akash Saigal, was under a cloud all these months. It has now been established that tired of being confined to a wheel chair after a car accident, a depressed Zenobia committed suicide.”
Pran jumped out of his seat, still listening to the newsreader with open-mouthed amazement. He shouted: “Wow!”
Both the men hugged.
A shot of Prime Minister Narendra Modi now flashed on the screen, as the newsreader continued, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Singapore….”
Akash smiled tiredly at Pran.
“You already knew about it?”
Akash nodded and absent-mindedly picked up an envelope. He took out the card, glanced at it, and pushed it back. It was an invitation to his own function.
“Boss, when do we leave?” Pran asked.“We have lots of time. The inauguration is after three hours, and the ministers never come on time. Agar aa bhi gaya toh hamari woh Fareeda baithi hai. Sambhal legi. Dad will take care of it. Chal baith, tu bhi le.”
“No, not me. I’m driving,” Pran said solemnly.
Akash knew that this was not the time to drink. He shouldn’t appear sloshed in front of the entire world and the prying media. He took another sip, and changed the news channel. 
And found himself staring at a picture of Zenobia on the screen. The still picture changed to a video shot of Zenobia and he at a party.
The newsreader was ranting:
“In India, the law mandates that the husband be questioned for cases involving the death of a woman within seven years of marriage. Akash and Zenobia had been married for barely two-and-a-half years. And Zenobia had died under mysterious circumstances, falling from the French window of her penthouse! The police always look for ‘the other woman’ in a case like this.”
The TV showed a shot of Suma, followed by a video shot of Suma and Akash emerging from the JW Marriott in Juhu. The newsreader went on: “And they found her in Suma. Suma Malkani, the beautiful ghazal singer.”
The State Minister for Cultural Affairs, Nanasaheb Palekar, was to launch the art school, named after Zenobia Taraporevala-Saigal, that evening at Powai. There had been several protests because of the controversy over her death, but the minister ignored them all.
A protest was planned for the same day by Kapila Khandelval's NGO. It was unclear whether the NGO would go ahead with the protest or cancel it in view of the clean chit given to Akash by the police.
This project had been his baby and Zenobia's dream. The government had given the land and the Taraporevalas had put in the money. Fareeda had inserted a business angle even in this dream project of Zenobia's. The Zenobia-Akash Saigal School of Art had become the Zenobia-Akash Saigal School of Art and Business Management. She also had plans for a Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in an annex. The minister had given the nod for that, too.
Akash’s mobile rang.
He looked at the screen and let it ring.
Taking a sip of his drink, he moved towards his den. He stepped into his room, and before he could shut the door, the phone near the bar table rang.
“Boss?” Pran said. “Fareeda is on the line.”
Fareeda would be having kittens without him. Akash’s association with the project had given it respectability and even a cultural cause, and got the plot at one-eighth its market value, and all the permissions.
"Fuck her!" Akash said, but he answered the phone anyway. 
Fareeda seemed frantic.
"The media will be here in three hours. And the minister, too."
Akash said, “Fuck the media!" and hung up.
The TV newsreader went on:

“Before Akash Saigal hit the big time, he lived in a small apartment in Adarsh Nagar, in the western suburbs. His paintings didn't earn him enough to buy a decent vehicle. He travelled by buses and cabs. While Zenobia almost took a sabbatical, Akash shot to fame with his mixed media and three-dimensional installations after marrying her.”
Leaning against the soft, cool leather of a luxurious sofa, Akash said, "Cigarettes?"
Pran was already sliding open the glass door of a cabinet. A carton of Marlboros had just one packet left. He gave the packet to Akash, grinned, and threw the carton in the trash box.
They might have been sharing the same flashback, the same past.



Grab your Copy @amazon.com | amazon.in | flipkartor grab this book free at #KindleUnlimited 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR  Mohan Deep, is an Indian author, painter and Feng Shui Master. Mohan Deep is the author of ‘The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala’ (1996), ‘It’s My Life’ (Novel) (1997), ‘Simply Scandalous: Meena Kumari’ (1998), ‘Eurekha!’ – an unauthorized biography of Rekha. (1999), ‘Four Options’ (2000), ‘Feng Shui for the Bold & Beautiful, the Rich and Famous’ (2001) and ‘Nehru and the Tantrik Woman’ (2002). After a sabbatical of a decade, during which he touched upon the lives of people as a Feng Shui Master, he was back with The Five Foolish Virgins( 2013). Mohan Deep is arguably the only Indian author to write what is often described as controversial, unauthorized star biographies in India. Columnist-journalist and former editor of 'Illustrated Weekly of India', Khushwant Singh called him 'a truly gifted gossip writer'. “The maverick writer”, like columnist-reviewer-poetess.
Tara Patel described him has also been called William Goldman of Bollywood’s stars (By Behram Contractor, the Editor of Afternoon Despatch & Courier) (Source) Kitty Kelly of India (By R K Bajaj, the Editor of ‘The Daily’). Interestingly, almost every book he has wrote/penned has invited controversies for its bold content.
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Sharing: DON’T PLACE ME IN A GOLDEN CAGE

Okay, this one has been working on my mind since a couple of months and had to be said, come what may.
Writing set me free after I turned 40. Till that time, my imagination used to always work. But I couldn’t write. Why?
Looking back, I realised that it was the shame of wearing my heart on my sleeve; sharing my inner most thoughts with strangers; fear of criticism.
God has his own way of working, moving us towards the goals we are born for. No, I don’t believe that He’s a puppeteer who’s pulling the strings. That’s the dumbest theory brought about by Mr. Failure.
I worked in a school office (no, I am not rambling, please bear with me till the end of this blog) for a few years. I was secretary-cum-admin-cum-typist-cum-general dogsbody. It was up to me to type out the hand-written articles submitted by kids for the school magazine.
The guru comes to you when you are ready to learn. My guru(s) came to me in the form of tiny kids from Std. I, II & III along with the school Principal. The kids were given free reign – to write any damn thing that came to their minds. My mind boggled at their imagination; even more so with their freedom of expression. I was under the impression that most of the articles/stories would have to be re-written. I was astonished when Princy told me to just check for spelling and grammar and leave the content alone.
Voilà, the writer in me was born at that point – or so I believe – even if it took me a few more months to pen my first bestseller.
My jaw was hanging throughout the time I typed out the articles. Yeah, there were many from the older children too. But the ones from these small kids were the ones that were truly fascinating. I think that they unlocked something in me. All these years, I had been imagining the stories that I wanted to tell. But I never had the guts to bare my thoughts to others. When I saw the way these tiny tots told their tales fearlessly, it struck me that I could do it too.
And the writer in me was born a few months after I quit my job.
Today, I am known as a romance author who writes about women’s issues. Yes, some kind of an issue does seem to spring up in my books – except for Meghna and MatchesMade in Heaven (an anthology of 13 short stories).
These two books are for pure entertainment. People who read these books first and my others later, are convinced that these books are excellent. But, if they read them in the reverse order, they think that these two are not up to my standard.
Do I have a standard? Please don’t place me in a Golden Cage!
A request to my readers:
I have acquired my freedom after 40, to express myself through writing. Let me be! Don’t put my writing on a pedestal. It doesn’t belong there. I write for fun, for entertainment. I write pure fiction. I write for the joy of it. I hope to bring a few hours of fun and joy to my reader. I don’t plan to preach. I don’t want to preach.
Now, my sixth book, An Autograph for Anjali , is a romantic suspense. No, I don’t claim it’s a murder thriller or a whodunit. It still is a romance. I have written this book very differently from my usual way of writing. Read it for what it is. I sincerely hope you don’t compare it to my other books and “hoist me with my own petard”.
Life in this world of illusion is both positive and negative. A hero cannot be identified without the villain. So, I thank both of them for being what they are.
In the words of William Shakespeare:
“All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players;They have their exits and their entrances...”

Blog Tour: LOVE, AGAIN by Sumeetha Manikandan & Shrruti Patole Clarence

LOVE, AGAIN BY Sumeetha Manikandan & 
Shrruti Patole Clarence
My Review
Disclaimer: I received the PDF version of this book via The Book Club in return for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for the same.
The book consists of two novellas by two authors. Let me deal with them separately.
THESE LINES OF MEHENDI by Sumeetha Manikandan
This is a story set in Chennai and is about Lalitha. The story opens with Lalitha rushing to Bangalore as Suresh, her husband of ten years had committed suicide. The wonder is that she had separated from him within a couple of months of marriage. Unfortunately for her, she had not bothered to divorce him. His death adorns her with the new title of “widow”. This brings her bridal services, at the beauty parlour she runs, to a standstill. How can a widow be employed to beautify brides-to-be?
Desperate to get her business back on its feet, Lalitha agrees to a strange marriage proposal of convenience, to the USA-based businessman Shrikanth. A sworn bachelor, he’s left with no choice but to get married when his mother puts him under pressure. She refuses to travel to the USA for her cancer treatment unless he gets married. And that is how Lalitha and Shrikanth tie the knot. You have to read the book to find out if their marriage works.
The story flows well and brings to the reader the flavours of Chennai as Sumeetha Manikandan takes you through the traditions and social norms unique to this area. The book has been written in crisp language and makes for an interesting read. I, for one, was keen to find out what happens to the protagonists and how they handle their marriage of convenience.
A couple of things that could have been better: Many instances and phrases have been repeated. This could have been avoided to make the book read better. A number of people with their names as Shrikala, Shrikant and Shrimati made it difficult to follow. If it was troublesome for the Tamil in me, it could be worse for people unfamiliar with the territory.  
I would definitely recommend this book for lovers of romance.


A TULIP IN THE DESERT by Shrruti Patole Clarence
Charmaine lives with her parents and studies history at Amsterdam University. Her best friend is Ira. Raj who used to live in India, chooses to study the same subject at the same university. Whenever Charmaine reads about Cleopatra’s suicide, she feels herself transported to a different realm. Something resonates deeply within her. Coincidentally, Raj also feels the same on the subject. So the author takes the reader on a journey of discovery even as romance blooms between the two.
I was excited when I started reading this book. I have always been fascinated with the paranormal; anything and everything to do with reincarnation.
The first few chapters have been edited well enough to keep the readers hooked. But after that, the story meanders in many different directions. It goes back and forth in flashbacks, making it rather confusing. There’s no delineation between present and past, especially when Anuj suddenly pops in the picture I couldn’t quite understand where he fitted in the story. Then there are the roles played by Charmaine and Raj in the Cleopatra play at university. Their past life characters and the roles they play don’t match and hence pretty confounding. When the story goes in flashback to Cleopatra’s era, what I would have liked to see is the scenes unfolding in the author’s words instead of the history lesson that I got.

The author is new and this is her first work. She definitely has a good story to tell. With the right editor and guidance, this could have been made into a bestseller. I wish her better luck with her future works. 


Blurb Life is tough, and it becomes tougher when you need to make life changing decisions. Would you dare to love again? Would you allow yourself to be loved and to be cherished again? Many of us turn away from life, thinking that it is not for them but some take a leap of faith rewrite their story for the sake of love? 
Love, Again is a double header book bringing you two stories about chancing love again -These Lines of Mehendi by Sumeetha Manikandan and A Tulip in the Desert by Shrruti Patole Clarence.
Buy @Amazon.com | Amazon.in
Meet the Authors 

Sumeetha Manikandan 
Sumeetha Manikandan is a freelance writer and an author who loves to write and base her plots on the tambrahm community of Mylapore, Chennai. She is the author of ‘The Perfect Groom’ that has been a bestselling ebook on the top 50 charts of Amazon India ever since publication.
An avid reader, she loves to read across different genres – romance, historical fiction, non-fiction, mystery, fantasy etc. A history buff to the core,she is currently translating Ponniyin Selvan – the evergreen tamil classic epic history by Kalki Krishnamurthy into English.
Married to film maker K.S. Manikandan, Sumeetha lives in Chennai, along with her six year old daughter.


                           
Shrruti Patole Clarence
Shrruti has been a voracious reader since early years and took to composing poems when she was very young.
An Aviation Manager and 10years with various airlines, she has been on a sabbatical for her two son's aged six years and 1 year respectively.
She enjoys this welcome break from career, to be able to pursue her passion, writing!
She has to her credit 6 short stories featuring in different Anthologies all published this year, one of which will soon be seen as a short movie.
And Love, Again a double header romance Novel publish date 25th May 2015, with her story A Tulip in the Desert will soon be seen on the stands!
Her lyrics feature in the theme song of group Young Indians – an off shoot of CII (Confederation of Indian Industries).
Her poems feature in Zest of Inklings and a Hindi poem in an e-book – Ehsaas, judged by eminent Urdu and Hindi screenwriter, dialogue writer and playwright - Javed Siddiqui.


Shrruti is a warm and friendly person who loves music and watching sports when she is not writing.

                   

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Book Blitz: HOPE WE NEVER MEET AGAIN by Srinath Krishnamoorthy

Book Blitz  Hope We Never Meet Again by Srinath Krishnamoorthy Blurb 
A girl gets divorced just before her wedding!
A widow seeks answers for the deaths of her husband and son.
A mysterious man follows a convicted rape victim.
A stranger scribbles a number in a train.
Two hearts part ways with a final wish: Hope we never meet again.
Then, there is a phone call...
Varun Diwakar is your average, happy-go-lucky young lad with many a dream that most middle class youth harbour. But, he has a peculiar predicament. An accident changes his life forever and he discovers that he can travel into the minds and dreams of people - and in that journey, he discovers many untold stories, painful narratives and surprising twists. What triggers it all, is the death of a dear friend that Varun decides to avenge. What happens in the end? How are all these stories connected? Does love outlast death and time, the two great levellers, and become the greatest leveller, of all? Find out, as bodies keep falling and many a lives are at stake!
Grab your copy @amazon.com | amazon.in
Excerpt 

“Dreams are to be lived, not chased.”
“Sometimes you need to walk alone to be together with yourself…”
“Timeless love stories just have beginnings…”
“If you make your every today as safe as your yesterdays… your dream of a better tomorrow will always remain a dream.”
“Well, history is more about heroes who rebelled and flourished than heroes who rebelled and perished. The ones that flourish became the songs and the ones that perished became the anthems. I strangely felt like a song that once craved to be an anthem.”

About the Author 
Srinath Krishnamoorthy was born in Palakkad, Kerala. He holds a B. Tech degree from Government Engineering College, Palakkad and an M. Tech from MA College of Engineering, Kothamangalam. He is an avid reader, blogger and traveler. This is his first novel and marks his transformation from a software engineer to a story engineer.
Facebook Link : https://www.facebook.com/hopewenevermeetagain
Author's blog : https://srinathkrishnamoorthy.wordpress.com/

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Sharing: REVIEWS OF THE BOOKS I READ IN FEBRUARY 2016

Okay, February is a short month is no excuse, as it had only two days less than January. But I got to read only four books this month. That’s not counting the three that I have read half each of. Well, their reviews will happen in March I am sure.
So here goes...
Book No. 1: RIGHT FIT WRONG SHOE by Varsha Dixit
This book is in the likes of a Bollywood story and is a totally fun read. I received a paperback in return for my honest review for the Blog Tour conducted by The Book Club.  Click here for my full review... 
Book No. 2: THE KISS OF A VISCOUNT by Linda Rae Sande
I downloaded this book from Amazon and it had been in my kindle for how long I don’t remember. I just started reading it and got hooked right from the beginning. It’s a historical romance and quite hot at that. It has a number of elements that have been put together to make a delicious story. A subtly handsome hero who’s totally in love with the heroine, a supremely confident heroine who’s a beauty with brains, a bit of mystery thrown in and lots of love scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.
Book No. 3: PASSIONATE LOVE by Shivangi Ramsay
I bought this book at Oxford Bookstore when I went there on February 29. Well, it’s a romance novella and cost me just 100 bucks. Yes, I did open a page in the middle to check for the language – just in case and found a perfectly written para. More fool me! Though it’s a cutesy story and not too bad for a novella, it’s been written terribly. There’s nothing been done in the name of editing and proofing. And why would Indians use phrases like “by jove” and similar ones in a conversation? The author is influenced by western books I can see. I wish it had reflected in her language instead of such fancy phrases that just cannot be incorporated in a dialogue between two Indians living in Pune. Wonder if Indians living abroad will use these either! Towards the end, I was amazed that the “intelligent” heroine turned out to be such an “idiot” in the name of conflict. Read at your own risk.
Book No. 4: SEDUCED IN SPAIN by Devika Fernando
Okay, this one is yet to be released. But I got a chance to beta read this book by Devika Fernando. This book promises to be a bestseller once it’s been polished up. Alejandro from Spain is a hero to die for and the German heroine Emily is perfect for him. The author has brought you many scenes from this lovely country and also a lot of background about the hotel and tourism industry. Well researched plot with a yummy romance in the foreground. Do watch out for this one. It’s set to release in March 2016.
Click here for updates...