Sundari Venkatraman's Blog, page 30

Book Blitz: VENGEANCE - A STING IN EVERY TALE edited by Sonia Rao

Designed by Neil D'Silva 
Vengeance - A Sting in Every Tale A WRIMO INDIA anthologyedited bySonia Rao 
Disclaimer: All proceeds from the sale of this anthology will be donated to NaNoWriMo
Designed by Sujata Patnaik 
Blurb A reply to a perceived injustice can take many forms one of which is vengeance. An eye for an eye can only end up making the whole world blind, is what Mahatma Gandhi once said. And it seems to be coming quite true, if latest events world-wide are an indication.
Is there any hope or are we hurtling towards extinction?
Hopefully, the stories will explore some of these questions. But that is on the macro level. It might be easy to look at things objectively, in black and white, when it is other nations involved. Or even other people. We are able to be more forgiving of transgressions when they don’t involve us personally.
But how would one react if they found themselves in the maelstrom of situations that do fall somewhere in the grey area of life? With no definite black and white answers?
How would a jilted lover react in face of infidelity? Or how would a friend avenge the murder of her best friend? Or, is it fair to be punished for a crime that you were not brave enough to prevent?
These and many more questions connected to vengeance have been grappled with in this anthology.
created by Archana Sarat EXCERPT OF FIRST CHAPTER
Bus number 131 whirred away, pulling its own weight unwillingly. It was one of the many buses to pass through the Relief road, a busy road in the old part of Ahmedabad. Shazia had an option, the crowed 88 or the overcrowded 131. She preferred to be 30 minutes before time to board 131. Her choice was motivated by her love for the palindromic 1-3-1. Her undying infatuation with prime numbers was inexplicable. Nineteen year old Shazia loved numbers, and to be more precise, she adored Mathematics in all its form. She also loved the rules, the principles, the working theorems, the equations which tried to make sense of the majestic menagerie of numbers. She was fascinated even by the mere shape of numbers. She did not remember when or even how her romance with Maths began. But in her earliest memories, she preferred practicing her numbers over the alphabet, she remembered that she recited tables better than her nursery rhymes. She was short and a bit stocky. Also, a couple of shades darker than was acceptable in the marriage market. However, her looks never bothered her, nor did she ever yearn for fairer skin, or thinner body. What she craved was a disheveled mass of hair, for some uncanny resemblance to Einstein, the only pop icon modern science managed to have produced. But her mother plaited her hair, dashing her hopes to ground. She also longed for a pair of spectacles with glasses so thick that it blurred her eyeballs, indicating the wearer’s brilliance. But she, despite getting checked for vision from her mother’s ophthalmologist, was denied the hallowed implement. Thrice. Shazia valued her bus ride a lot. She had to convince Papa to allow her to commute to her college on her own. She had concealed her indignation about needing her father's permission for every little trifle, even after being categorised as an adult by the Government of India. Papa consented only after he was told that Noor too would start using the bus if Shazia were to give her company.

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ABOUT THE EDITOR SONIA RAO



The editor of the Anthology, Sonia Rao (writer-editor-awardwinningblogger) is the NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison for All-India region. The stories which are part of the anthology are written by Wrimos homed in to Asia::India region. Most of them are also published writers of short fiction and novels.She blogs @ https://soniaraowrites.wordpress.com/ 
Find out more about Wrimo India @Wrimo India on FB:  https://www.facebook.com/NaNoWriMo.India/Wrimo India on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/wrimosindia Wrimo India blog: https://wrimoindiawrites.wordpress.com/ NaNoWriMo:  http://nanowrimo.org/
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Blog Tour: THE BROWN SAHEBS by Anupam Srivastava

THE BROWN SAHEBS BY ANUPAM SRIVASTAVA


Blurb The Raja of Teekra, a dusty and forgotten kingdom near Lucknow, gets lucky when the British Resident visits him but also brings with him a leading revolutionary. The Raja enters India's struggle for freedom and is rewarded with a berth in the cabinet of free India. He is shocked to see the ministers and officers living and operating like their imperial masters but is suitably rewarded for his silence. As he begins to enjoy the good life of Lutyens' Delhi, the British capital which India's freedom fighters abhorred, he faces only one adversary in his plans—his journalist son Pratap. A novel that will blow you away with its depiction of love, passion, intrigue and betrayal.
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About the Author 
Anupam Srivastava was born in Lucknow, India, where his novel, The Brown Saheb's first part is set. However, he never lived there as his father and mother, Ashok and Veena Srivastava, lived in different parts of India. However, Anupam spent some of his childhood and most of his vacations in Lucknow where he flew kites and learnt about the craft of pigeon-flying. He went to a boarding school near Delhi, the Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai, where he played cricket but earned his college colours at St Stephen's College, Delhi, in cross-country running. He studied English literature (BA Hons and MA), won the college annual poetry prize while pursuing his MA, and being sure his vocation was writing and journalism, became a journalist with The Times of India in 1993. In 1999, he was awarded the British Chevening scholarship by the British government.
In 1999, he left journalism to work with the United Nations Population Fund in India in communications. Subsequently, Anupam worked with Oxfam India Society, Unicef and other development agencies. The Brown Sahebs is his first novel and tells the story of India not taking off its colonial clothing even as it became a democracy.
Anupam is married to Radhika Srivastava, and they have two children who figure in his children's novel, A Family Secret.
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Book Blitz: SECOND SPRING by Sandhya Jane

SECOND SPRING BY SANDHYA JANE 



Blurb 
This is Avantika’s heartfelt journey through love and life…
As a smart, successful, thirty-eight-year-old single mother, Avantika seemingly has it all: a great career as a seasoned banking professional, respect and admiration from her peers as an able leader, fulfillment as a mother, and so many other things.
What is it, then, that drives her towards Rohan, a man six years her junior? He’s a man who ideally would not occupy much room in Avantika’s otherwise sorted mind space.
She has told herself she has no time for love. Then, why does she make the choices she makes? Is it the sameness and banality of everyday existence? Is it the emotional vacuum? A need to relive life? A feeling that life as she has truly lived and felt is passing her by?
However, as she struggles with her feelings, Avantika and Rohan part ways… only to meet again. To what end? Why does Rohan want her back… and why now?
So many questions! Very few answers!
Avantika’s journey is as spiritual as it is emotional. Can love give second chances? Join Avantika in the twists and turns of her story, through her ponderings over the mysteries and vagaries of the word “love,” the complexities of human relationships, and the reassessment of all the values she has held dear… 
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About the Author 
With a Master degree in Information Technologies from the University of Central Missouri, Sandhya Jane has been working for over two decades in the global corporate environment in USA, India and Hong Kong that includes some of the leading investment banks in Manhattan.She has travelled widely across the globe, giving her a unique insight to different cultures and regions. Currently, she lives in Hong Kong with her husband and six-year-old son. In addition to writing fiction, Sandhya also regularly writes on the subjects of technology, management, and other motivational topics for leading websites and an Indian newspaper.
Know more about her @Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandhya_JaneWebsite:     http://sandhyajane.com/Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/SandhyaJaneTwitter:       https://twitter.com/Sandhya_Jane


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Blog Tour: THE OTHER END OF THE CORRIDOR by Sujata Rajpal

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My Review

Disclaimer: I received a MOBI version of this book from the author via The Book Club in return for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for the same.
I wanted to read this book from the moment my eyes fell on the cover. It’s simply gorgeous. Yeah, I am like that. I so fall for an eye-catching cover. I filled the form with alacrity when the book came up for blog tour via The Book Club, without even checking out the blurb or genre.
When I started reading the book, I couldn’t understand the first page at all. After finishing the book, I feel it’s been placed wrongly, not giving the right impression of the book. It’s important that the book begins in an interesting way.
The moment I started reading the second page I was hooked. But...
Spoilers galore from here on... STOP READING if you haven’t read the book yet
I could so relate to the beginning, the people from the guy’s side coming to view the girl, she being a manglik, the astrologer insisting on being a know-all, the parents desperate to get rid of the girl, a duty to be performed for the sake of society and more.
As I read more and more, I started feeling depressed actually. Wasn’t there an end to Leela’s woes? What’s a story that can’t make her a heroine? were the questions that came to my mind. I trudged on and am I glad I did!
The language is flawless and the proofing perfect. This is a major plus for me when I read a book. So a special kudos to the author and publishing house on this!
Here is this girl – yeah, Leela is a girl who’s not even out of her teens when she gets married to Vishal – struggling to lead a life, smothering all her dreams. She treated so badly by her husband and also by her highly educated, educationist mother-in-law. Vishal is a spoilt brat who doesn’t have a job to go to. He’s a chain smoker and a wife-beater. Leela is shocked with the turn her life has taken and doesn’t know how to get out of it. Her parents wouldn’t hear of her woes. They are not interested. Her elder brother is too selfish and doesn’t want to listen to his sister’s problems.
Vishal getting a job based in Bangalore appears to be a relief. But away from Delhi and her mother-in-law, it’s not funny for this housewife of barely twenty to manage the household, especially on such a tight budget that her husband gives her.
Leela happens to meet two other women who used to live in Patiala during her school days. Priya is an airline pilot who’s confident and doesn’t need men in her life. She’s got a career and has adopted a girl-child, bringing her up all by herself.
Harleen is married to a super-rich guy and has a posh life. She and her friends are ready to befriend the middle-class Leela.
It brought tears to my eyes as I watched Leela finding some fun in life when she gets to have a makeover at Harleen’s home; gets to wear some of her classy clothes. This is a kid who doesn’t have a life. Why wasn’t I surprised when she tries her hand at smoking and drinking and a bit of flirting? Facebook comes to her rescue at one point. I couldn’t blame her for creating a fake account. Come on, who doesn’t want appreciation? She has no life with her son-on-a-bitch husband.
Even as I felt depressed reading the book, I couldn’t help being fascinated reading the way Leela’s life unfolded in front of my eyes; how she bounces back again and yet again, never giving up on her life. She scored a major point in my eyes as not once did she think of committing suicide.
I waited and waited for someone to rescue her. Nobody did. For a few pages, I thought it was Jai who’s going to be her knight in shining armour. But no!
In the end (okay, I won’t go into the details; please read the book to find out what happens), it’s Leela for herself. Okay, she has her girlfriends who help her out.
What for me was a moment of triumph as a woman was when Leela comes up aces, landing on her feet after all the abuse she undergoes.
My hats off to the author for penning such a touching book! Yeah, I shed a lot of tears on this one.
Congratulations Sujata Rajpal! This one is a must read for all those who believe in women empowerment.

The title is perfect too!

The Other End of the Corridor by Sujata Rajpal 



Blurb 
When your dreams are tainted with lies and deceit, you have no other choice but to walk to the other end of the corridor.

Leela has nothing extraordinary about her except the dream to become famous. Her desires take wings when she gets married to a handsome boy from a respectable family in Delhi. But her dreams are shattered even before they have a chance to take flight.

She happens to meet two friends from a long forgotten past, which infuses hope and opens new avenues to realize her dormant aspirations.
Leela delves into previously unexplored paths of deception and forbidden passions that only make her stronger. 
In an attempt to rediscover herself, she falls in love with life and with herself but her life takes a sudden turn again…

No matter what, Leela will continue to chase her dreams.
Where does this journey take her?
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Excerpt"The corridor, I was walking down didn't have a trace of illumination. I couldn't see the other end. But I kept moving and now, I realize that more than the light, you need the determination to keep moving, keep struggling for your dreams, for your existence, for your survival."
I had lived in a dream world all my life, always blaming the circumstances for my own weaknesses. I could never gather courage to stand up to circumstances. For how long would I keep blaming others for my own shortcomings. And for how long would I keep dreaming- my dreams never aligned with the real world; my dreams and real life never converged at any point. ‘I definitely had experience but only in building castles in the air.’
About the Author  Author’s profile :Sujata Rajpal is a Corporate Communication & PR professional turned a full-time author. She holds an MPhil degree in Economics and has studied Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She also writes articles and short stories for publications and journals. Sujata is a yoga enthusiast and enjoys being a Toastmaster. She currently lives in Mysore.
The Other End of the Corridor is her first novel.

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Book Blitz: RUKHSAT THE DEPARTURE by Sujit Banerjee

RUKHSAT THE DEPARTURE  BY  SUJIT BANERJEE


Blurb  Where a story stops, another one begins. The thing with them is, they never walk alone. They always walk with a group of friends. Each reaches its own climax. Then with a final gasp of mortality and despair, fade away. No, they never die, they multiply. To the extent that the original gets lost and new ones are born. Over and over again. Yes, they get lost. No, they never die. They live on, permanently etched in the book of time. And from there, we borrow them and bring them alive. Again. And again. Here are twenty six of them, some standing alone and some chatting up with their long lost friends. When they depart, they leave a lingering fragrance of nostalgia and curiosity. What happened then?
Twenty-six alphabets, twenty-six names, and twenty-six short stories. Each exploring one unique emotion, taking you into the dark recess of the mind. Some frothy and most of them dark. Most standing alone and some facing a mirror, where the same story comes alive in two different ways, through two different protagonist . Meet myriad characters - from the single-minded prostitute to the man on the railways station bereft of any memory; a woman desperate for a biological child to a dead man's trial. Meet a jealous lover with a twisted brain and a gay man's memory of a one-night encounter. Meet twenty-six such characters arrested and sentenced for life inside the pages of a book. Each one leaving an indelible mark on your soul.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Born to Bengali parents in Lucknow, I grew up in Patna where I finished my post-graduation in Psychology and ended up becoming a tour operator instead of a Psychologist! Which was good since a Bengali born in UP and reared in Bihar does not make a great Psychologist! Am I now glad to be in tourism? It has taken me all over the world including places you would have never heard of. Eh? How about Tlacotalpan? It’s in Mexico.
Destiny had other plans as well so I became a reluctant healer. A crazy Shaman in Mexico set the ball rolling and it has rolled all the way to Delhi. Today I both heal as well as read Tarot cards. My wife thinks I am mad. My friends think I am weird. I guess I am both. 
My first story was published in a magazine when I was seventeen. The Editor made such a hash of it that I stopped sending out my stories but I continued writing. Then I broke my heart and started writing poems; first in Hindi and then in English. All personal collection. They still remain personal. I do shudder when I read some of them! Then the short stories came back and written over two years - now is a collection.
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Book Blitz: THE FIRE TRILOGY by Devika Fernando

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BOOK ONE : PLAYING WITH FIRE 
If you’re playing with fire, prepare to get burned – or to fall in love.
Sparks fly when Felicia and Joshua meet. Discovering her inner fire and unleashing unimaginable powers makes her realize that all her life, she has been hiding her true self. When buildings burn and people are in danger, the tempting game of playing with fire becomes serious. Will their love and desperate struggle for control save her life, or will the fire magic turn itself against its mistress?
Available Free at Amazon.com 




BOOK TWO : DANCING WITH FIRE
When a fire witch and an ice wizard flee to Iceland to build a new life, they never expect the one thing that could tear them apart – Kyle, adding his own magic into the mix. Felicia starts questioning everything they have. She is torn between the man who loves her but is her polar opposite, and the man who attracts her but means nothing but trouble. As if her confusing emotions weren’t enough, Felicia finds her life turned upside down when a terrifying natural disaster threatens the end of the country and the entire world. Will she be able to control her gift and play the part that is expected of her? Will she give in to temptation or will she save the world? 
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BOOK THREE : LIVING WITH FIRE
When a fire witch and an ice wizard flee to Iceland to build a new life, they never expect the one thing that could tear them apart – Kyle, adding his own magic into the mix. Felicia starts questioning everything they have. She is torn between the man who loves her but is her polar opposite, and the man who attracts her but means nothing but trouble. As if her confusing emotions weren’t enough, Felicia finds her life turned upside down when a terrifying natural disaster threatens the end of the country and the entire world. Will she be able to control her gift and play the part that is expected of her? Will she give in to temptation or will she save the world? 
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AN EXCERPT - FROM LIVING WITH FIRE

Joshua was gaping at her, his mouth opening and closing silently like a fish out of water. There was a sudden increase in icy coldness, and he froze into a statue, his face now expressionless and his eyes drawn and unfathomable as always when he was deeply distressed or too emotional for his own good. “Can you hear yourself? You sound like some fatalistic, maniacal sect member or the leader of a dangerously foolish occult movement,” he said with that unnerving, neutral calm of his. To cover up the disappointment and hurt and anger at his reaction, Felicia threw her head back and laughed coldly, mirthlessly. She tossed her hair over one shoulder, stood up straight and stared into his eyes. “Thanks for the suggestion. I think I’d rather like that. An occult movement revolving around the power of fire. I’ll be the terrifying fire goddess ruling mercilessly, with everyone falling at their feet and offering me their heart on a platter. I’ll make the world burn until it puts the sun to shame. Want to stick around and watch, snowman?” As soon as the words had left her mouth, she wanted to take them back. What had she just said? This wasn’t her, this wasn’t normal, this wasn’t right! This was her Joshua she was wounding and repelling…and yet, she would not take the words back. Didn’t she have every right to behave like this? The choice is yours. Rise and shine. Go out and rule! The voice inside her mind was so powerful she half thought she had spoken the words out loud. Beside her, Kyle was cackling and clapping his hands, and her fire dragon was turning cartwheels a little ahead. There was so much heat around her, inside her. It needed out.


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. 

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Blog Tour: THE MADRAS AFFAIR by Sundari Venkatraman

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The Madras Affair  by  Sundari Venkatraman 




Blurb 
Sangita Sinclair was not always this successful & passionate lady, heading the NGO “Penn Urimai” for downtrodden, abused and homeless women….
When Sangita catches the eye of Gautam Sinclair she is a simple, homely girl; utterly unaware of her charms & capabilities. She has the devil’s own time in overcoming her inhibitions, hesitation, and her family’s orthodox and outdated rules before recognising her love for Gautam.
Will Gautam be able to solve Sangita’s Dilemma or will she be forever trapped in her past?
Meet Gautam 



Gautam has an Indian mother and American father. Built like a giant, he has brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. 
Gautam lives with his maternal grandparents in Besant Nagar, Madras. He used to run a business with his father in Washington DC. Giving up his high-flying career, he chooses to teach at Loyola College in Madras. Yeah, Gautam had fallen in love with the city in Tamil Nadu during his visits to his grandparents. 
Despite his American upbringing, he’s comfortable living in the same house as his grandparents. And does he love teaching! 
He’s attracted to Sangita at first sight and pursues her relentlessly. 
Read The Madras Affair to find out if he’s able to get together with the love of his life. 
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What Reviewers Say 

Meet Sundari Venkatraman


Growing up on a heavy dose of fairy tales and comic books, Sundari fell in love with the ‘lived happily ever after’ syndrome. It was always about good triumphing over evil and a happy end.      Soon, into her teens, Sundari graduated to Mills & Boon romances. And that got her thinking – how about such breezy romances in Indian settings? Her imagination took flight and she always lived in a rosy cocoon of romance over the years.      Then came the writing – a true bolt out of the blue! Sundari had just quit her job as a school admin and was taking a break. She was saturated with reading books. That’s when she returned home one evening after her walk, took some sheets of paper and began writing. It was like watching a movie that was running in her head – all those years of visualising a perfect Indian romance had to be put into words. The dormant romantic storyteller in her finally found its calling and The Malhotra Bride was born. While she felt disheartened when publishing didn’t happen, it was her husband who encouraged her to keep writing.     In the meanwhile, she landed a job as copy editor with Mumbai Mirror. After working there for two years, she moved to the Network 18 Group and worked with two of their websites over the next six years, as content editor.      Despite her work schedule, she continued writing novels and short stories and had them published in her blogs. She also started blogging voraciously, writing on many different topics – travel, book reviews, film reviews, restaurant reviews, spirituality, alternative health and more.     Her first eBook Double Jeopardy – a romance novella – was published by Indireads and has been very well received by readers of romance.      In 2014, Sundari published The Malhotra Bride (2nd Edition); Meghna; The Runaway Bridegroom; Flaming Sun Collection 1: Happily Ever Afters From India (Box Set) and Matches Made In Heaven (a collection of romantic short stories) in form of ebooks.

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Book Blitz: MORE THAN JUST DESIRE by Summerita Rhayne

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More Than Just Desire  by Summerita Rhayne


Blurb 

The Bollywood diva who regrets nothing...Piya walked out of an explosive situation three years ago. Now she's back in Bollywood and wants to regain the crown that she left behind when she ran away from Arfaaz. It seems everyone who used to idolize her has forgotten her. In the competitive world of starry glamour, the only way she can restart her career is trash the past and make some waves.
The man who wants her atonement..Arfaaz is determined to get his revenge on Piya for making a farce of their marriage and then leaving him to face the mudslinging. He forces her to keep up the appearances and stay with him so she can play the loving wife and repent on her sins. But he finds Piya isn't so easy to handle. She drives him crazy with her antics. On the top of that the attraction between them sizzles and threatens to make him forget reason.
Conflict clashes with desire..No matter how intense the passion between them gets, their ways are bound to diverge. Piya knows she cannot let this man find a way into her heart. There is too much to risk and she cannot afford to forget the real reason she has come back. Success is the only mantra she knows and really, all Arfaaz wants is revenge…
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EXCERPT 
‘You’ll divorce me?’ The sense of anticlimax she felt annoyed her. Why wouldn’t he, for God’s sake? She’d been far from an ideal partner. No man wanted a three year estranged wife surely? Or why would he allow her to remain away for so long? For no logical reason, the knowledge had a sharp edge, stabbing her insides deeply. Arfaaz’s gaze was fixed on the flush deepening on her cheeks. The colour of anger...or joy at getting her freedom? It had been a mistake to pick her up in his arms, to give in to the urge to subdue that stubborn defiance. Three years since he’d touched her, yet her bones felt as delicate under his hands as the night he’d gripped her shoulders in anger. Evoking the same remorse one might feel for handling a bird badly. She had worn a metal colored dress that night. He could still feel the slithery fabric beneath his fingers. Another of her risqué dresses, with deceptively demure full sleeves while the shocker was the back. Which was missing. He had never objected to what she wore, though primitive instincts protested. She had a media image to maintain. He hadn’t wanted to act the possessive husband. A mistake, he thought again. Even the brief brush of her body against his had lit a spark that reminded him of how possessive he’d wanted to be. She had taken enough advantage of him. The grim thought rose from a host of emotions. He’d suffered, he’d been fooled, he’d been dumped. Was he going to take it all and let her go as easy as pie? ‘If you want a divorce, you’ll have to do a small favour for me first,’ he told her. ‘Favour?’ ‘Something which is important to me. Then you’ll be free to go.’ ‘I will?’ He shrugged, letting her make what she could out of it. ‘Anyway, we can’t stand here and talk it out. Come inside. We’ll discuss it over dinner.’ ‘Yes, divorce must be one of the prime discussable topics for dinnertime conversation,’ she said waspishly. ‘For everything spectacular Piya the topnotch actress has done, this must be the downslide indeed. To tamely sit across her husband and rationally chat over the break-up of her marriage,’ he jibed harshly. ‘However, I think it’s time for you to take a step down from the pedestal.’

Meet Summerita Rhayne 

Summerita Rhayne loves to write sensual and emotional romance. There's no knowing when some quirky - or sometimes even not so quirky - happening in daily life might trigger her right brain and then she's off craving a new story. She loves writing characters who learn and grow and find their way out of their troubles and emotional hang-ups. Hot, sensual heroes and sassy but sweet heroines mostly fit the bill in her stories. She also believes that a touch of humor never goes amiss in a book.

She divides her time between family, job and writing - and loves winding down with music, movies and the internet!

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Blog Tour: SWEET REVENGE by Olivier Lafont

   
Sweet Revenge 
by 
Olivier Lafont 

FROM THE AUTHOR OF WARRIOR,  ANOTHER BOOK, ANOTHER GENRE - A ROMANCE. 



MY REVIEW
Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of Sweet Revenge by Olivier Lafont via The Book Club in return for my honest review. I have NOT received any monetary compensation for the same.
Many male authors have recently begun writing for the romance genre in India; though this is the first time I am reading a book by one. Okay, that’s not counting the books of Sandilyan , a Tamil Historical Romance author who’s simply amazing. I adore his works and have read many of his 45+ novels.
I opened Sweet Revenge and was hooked from Page One. As a story goes, it’s simple and uncomplicated. The language is good and the book portrays the delicious romance between Guy and Eve. There are a few French words and phrases thrown in considering that the author originates from France. But the meanings have been interwoven without taking away from the story.
Spoiler warning from here on…
I loved the journey of the hero from poverty to super-rich. I truly believe that’s how a hero should be. And is he handsome!!!! Completely drool-worthy!
The descriptions of Eve’s artwork were really good. I liked her character that goes on with her life despite her heart break.
The reason the two of them break up seven years before is well presented and neatly portrayed. And am I glad that Guy’s Sweet Revenge fell apart!
The love scenes sizzle and make for a delicious read.
One thing that bothered me though: there were at least two points where I got confused with the flash back as I couldn’t understand where it was taking me. I had to go back and read it again to understand. This could have been improved upon.
Except for this, the book is a lovely romance that is a must read for romance lovers.



Blurb 


If revenge was a dish best served cold, then French Adonis Guy Leguerec knew exactly what to serve treacherous and desirable Eve Watson… 
Seven years after Louisiana, where Eve devastated his heart and ruthlessly wiped out his future, Guy finds her in Boston opening her first art showing. Now a wealthy and powerful shipping magnate, Guy lures Eve into his trap of seduction and opulence, intent on one thing only: getting revenge for her crimes. 
When American artist Eve Watson sees the only man she ever loved enter the art gallery, and re-enter her life, she feels helpless terror and frenzied desire. Seven years ago Guy Leguerec had seduced her heart, exploited her body, and then discarded her. Against her better judgment she accepts his invitation, and once again they spiral into a maelstrom of irresistible passion, divinely rampant sex, and the brutal politics of unknown intentions… 
Violently sundered by their volatile misconceptions, Eve flees Boston in emotional tatters, and Guy grudgingly lets her vanish, his revenge thwarted. 
But destiny has planned otherwise: Eve has taken an art job in Paris, ignorant of the fact that the company is one of many subsidiary businesses belonging to Guy. Flung together again in an even more precarious position, Eve and Guy must war with each other and themselves, and confront seven years of misapprehension and malign manipulation. Greed, family vendetta, and deception have eaten away at the intimacy they once shared — 
But is the truth enough to save their desperate, shipwrecked love? 
Grab Your Copy @Amazon.com | Amazon.in | Amazon.uk
About The Author 


Olivier Lafont is a French author, screenplay writer, and actor. His novel 'Warrior' was published by Penguin Random House, and was shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize. He has just released his new contemporary romance novel 'Sweet Revenge' exclusively on Kindle. 'Purgatory: The Gun of God' is a fantasy novelette published in South Africa. 
Lafont has written a number of feature film scripts before. The first film he wrote opened at the Toronto Film Festival and went on to win seven awards at film festivals worldwide. 
As an actor Lafont has acted in Hollywood and Indian films, in TV serials, and in over 80 television commercials. He acted in '3 Idiots', one of India's all-time blockbuster hits, the critically-acclaimed 'Guzaarish', and the Lifetime film 'Baby Sellers', amongst other films. 
Lafont graduated with two degrees in acting and writing from Colgate University, USA, with academic distinction.

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Book Blitz: ROOMIES/FOODIES by Lakshmi Ashwin and Meghana Chaudhary Joshi

Check out the Contest: Try the recipe in the excerpt and click pictures (with or without you). Share it on social media tagging us and win a free copy of the book!
Roomies / Foodies by Lakshmi Ashwin and Meghana Chaudhary JoshiPublisher 



Blurb The year is 2001. Two young Indian girls arrive in the U.S. for the first time, to attend graduate school and be room-mates. One’s a non-cook. The other’s kitchen skills are strictly basic. As luck would have it, both are consummate foodies. And it’s not just advanced Molecular Biology they’ll come to tackle—the daily challenge is to feed their stomachs…and souls…on a thinner-than-spaghetti budget! Part memoir, part cook-book, Roomies/Foodies compiles the experiments and culinary adventures of Lux and Meg as they stick to their resolve of eating only non-boring food! Written in a slick, hip, conversational style, this well-organized handbook bubbles with anecdotes, tips, tricks, cheater’s methods and over 60 lip-smacking recipes. Spanning an easy-to moderate spectrum of skills, Meg and Lux’s “Eureka moments” in their own kitchen will help spare YOU some painful trial and error in yours!

EXCERPT FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER 
One day, exhausted, I fell asleep on the couch in the graduate student lounge at Roswell Park, waiting for Lux. Since we were on the same research campus, we commuted and ran errands together. In those early days, we were joined at the hip.
It was a lot to deal with, this new life, with its sudden and crushing study load, having to walk or take public transport everywhere (I missed my Kinetic Safari) and we were glad of each other’s company. We started taking advantage of the subway and other modes of public transport to explore our town, checking out affordable food joints. One such journey introduced us to crépes. I tried making them at home and discovered a really simple breakfast item in the process.

Serves 4
Ingredients:
Rice flour or refined flour (maida)                   1½ cupsMilk                                                                        1 cupEgg                                                                          1Slab of chocolate                                                     1ButterSugar                                                                      3 tsp
Preparation time: 5 minutesCooking time: 5 minutes for each crepe               Mix the flour with milk and sugar and beat in the egg.Melt butter on a tava* or a flat non-stick pan on medium heat.Pour the flour mixture evenly in a thin layer across the bottom of the pan, coating it completely.Grate the bar of chocolate over the open side of the crepe, in a sufficient quantity to cover the top, while the other side is still cooking.Gently lift up a side of the crepe to see if it is done. It should appear slightly browned and lift easily without tearing.Fold the crepe in half over itself. The chocolate should melt and hold the 2 edges together. Remove and serve with a melting dot of butter on top.
Tip: For an interesting Cheese-n-Chocolate variation, sprinkle some grated cheese or small globs of cheese after you have sprinkled the grated chocolate. If you have no time for the grated chocolate step, make just the plain crepe and spread Nutella or jam, or cheese spread for an even quicker meal 
MEET MEGHANA CHAUDHARY JOSHI, LAKSHMI ASHWIN

Meghana Chaudhary Joshi (Meg) has worked in clinical research in the US, run her own socio-environmental venture and is currently Practice Manager with Mirai Health. She is a fitness freak who loves to travel and explore varied cuisines as much as the outdoors. Meg lives in Pune with her husband, daughter, and Golden Retriever. 
Lakshmi Ramachandran, a.k.a Lux, graduated from SUNY Buffalo with a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2006. She is presently a science writer at the National University of Singapore. Besides Science, she is passionate about food and loves to cook. She lives in Singapore with her husband and two children. 
MEET MEG AND LUX :)

Contacts them @ Facebook: www.facebook.com/roomiesfoodiesTwitter: @RoomiesFoodies
Email: roomiesfoodies@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bloodygoodbook
Twitter: @BloodyGoodBook
Website: www.bloodygoodbook.com

Contest 
Try the recipe in the excerpt and click pictures (with or without you). Share it on social media tagging us and win a free copy of the book!
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