Ekta R. Garg's Blog, page 33

New book review now up!

Hello, Write Edge readers! I’ve posted my latest book review for you. Today I share my thoughts on the final book in the Beartown trilogy by Fredrik Backman. This book is called The Winners. Here’s the opening to my post:

Two years after the event that tore apart a small Swedish town, residents must contend with prejudices once again. A storm reveals inequities between the town and its fiercest rival, but it also brings home some of the young adults who help it heal again. Author Fredrik Backman takes readers back to Beartown and Hed in the wrenching finale to the Beartown trilogy with a worthy ending in The Winners.

Read the whole review now on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

Also, as I’ve been working through my deadlines this week, it’s looking less likely that I’ll have the latest episode of Biblio Breakdown up for you on Friday. Working on a new novel can do that to a girl! As soon as I have it rescheduled, however, I’ll let you know.

Take care of each other, and perform an act of kindness for a stranger this week, readers. Have a good day!

E.R.G.

Getting ready to say goodbye to September…

Hello, Write Edge readers! We’re officially into fall, and some chilly temps have started creeping up at the start and end of our days here in Central Illinois. All that as we get ready to say goodbye to September and jump into the last quarter of the year. Can you believe it?

It’s also the last Monday of the month, which means our monthly Writers Showcase. Today I’m only sharing two stories — one fiction, one nonfiction — because they’re both long. However, they’re both so good that I thought it made sense to let you concentrate on those instead of our usual four. Find them now on The Write Edge Writing Workshop.

Fredrik Backman has a new book release this week, and on Wednesday I’ll share my thoughts on the last book in his Beartown trilogy. Find out in the middle of the week what I thought of The Winners. You can read my review on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

Finally, for Friday, my goal is to have a new episode of Biblio Breakdown posted for you, but I also have a couple of other big deadlines looming this week. Let’s see how the week goes. I’m also aiming to post my latest Growth Chart with my parenting adventures for you. Fingers crossed I get one (or both!) done this week. We’ll find out together!

In the meantime, take care of each other and perform an act of kindness for a stranger this week.

Have a good one, readers!

E.R.G.

Instagram posts now up!

Hello, Write Edge readers! I’ve posted my latest Instagram pictures for you. Go check out what I’m reading for next week’s book review (hint: it’s a big one!), what I got in the mail today, and more. Check out all of my posts with my handle, @EktaRGarg, or on my Facebook author page.

Take care of each other, and perform an act of kindness for a stranger this weekend!

E.R.G.

Book review now up!

Hello, Write Edge readers! I’ve posted my latest book review for you. Today I share my thoughts on Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. Here’s the opening to my post:

Four retired women from an elite force discover they’re being targeted. As they work to find out why, they relive memories of their glory days and what getting older means. Author Deanna Raybourn gives readers unusual protagonists in senior citizen women but allows the plot to progress too easily in her newest book Killers of a Certain Age.

Read the whole review now on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

Take care of each other, and perform an act of kindness for a stranger this week.

Have a good night, readers!

E.R.G.

Just another manic Monday…

Good evening, Write Edge readers! Whew, what a long day. A pop-up thunderstorm caused us to lose power for part of the night, and, of course, I spent most of those hours in a semi-awake state trying to figure out how our family would do all the things for a Monday that we needed to do. Fortunately, the electricity came back on in the morning, but it’s still been a long day.

In any case, I’m happy to report that there won’t be any hiccups in this week’s schedule. First up is my latest short story to hit cyberspace. The writing prompt for this one captured my interest as soon as I read it, and I had a lot of fun playing with the idea. Here’s an excerpt:

My mouth went dry. I didn’t want to answer the question. I also knew I had no choice. Today was Truth Day, after all, and no one escaped. Not the poorest beggar who lived on a park bench and not the richest CEO who had multiple homes, cars, and spouses.

Read the whole story now on The Write Edge Writing Workshop!

On Wednesday, I’ll share my latest book review for you. I recently finished Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, and in the middle of the week you’ll find out what I thought of the novel. Check it out on The Write Edge Bookshelf this week!

Finally, Instagram. At the end of the week, I’ll give you new posts to share what I’m doing in my writing and non-writing worlds. Check out previous posts on Insta with my handle, @EktaRGarg, or by going to my Facebook author page.

Take care of each other and yourselves, readers, and please perform an act of kindness for a stranger this week!

E.R.G.

Instagram posts now up!

Hello, Write Edge readers! I’ve posted my latest pictures on Instagram for you. They include what I’m reading for next week’s book review, a little piece of summer, and more. Check out the posts now with my handle, @EktaRGarg, or on my Facebook author page.

Take care of each other, and perform an act of kindness for a stranger this weekend, readers!

E.R.G.

Book review now up!

Hello, Write Edge readers! As promised, I’ve posted my latest book review for you. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on Lindsay Currie’s newest middle grade novel The Girl in White. Here’s the opening to my post:

A trio of skeptical middle schoolers encounters a series of strange events in their spooky town, which leave them wondering if ghosts are real. As the friends start investigating the incidents, they realize they may be up against something even more challenging: the unwavering belief of adults that kids don’t know anything. Author Lindsay Currie gives readers a delightfully spooky novel with protagonists that, at times, feel older than their stated ages in her newest release The Girl in White.

Read the whole review now on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

Take care of each other, readers, and perform an act of kindness for a stranger this week!

E.R.G.

A brush of fall weather

Hello, Write Edge readers! Today in Central Illinois we’ve had a brush of fall weather; not cool enough for a jacket, but certainly cool enough for a long sweater. The temperatures are popping right back up tomorrow, though, so this feels like just a teaser of the coming season.

It’s the start of another week, which means my weekly fiction. Today I wrote a piece of micro fiction, so I won’t preview it here. I can say, though, that it was partially inspired by an actual (minor) incident over the weekend. You can read the story now on The Write Edge Writing Workshop!

In the middle of the week, I’ll share a brand new book review with you. This week I’ll tell you what I thought of middle grade author Lindsay Currie’s new book The Girl in White. Check out that post on Wednesday on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

At the end of the week, I hope to post my latest Instagram pictures for you. Find out what I’m reading for next week, what book will be the focus of this month’s Biblio Breakdown, and get a few peeks of summer memories that now live in my writing studio. That’s all coming up on Friday on Instagram!

Take care of each other, readers, and perform an act of kindness for a stranger this week!

E.R.G.

Latest book review now up!

Good morning, Write Edge readers! Today I have a book review for the #writingcommunity. If you consider yourself a writer — doesn’t matter whether you dabble from time to time or are a seasoned career author — then pay attention to today’s book review. I’m taking a look at The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles, Volume 2 by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. Here’s the opening to my post:

Less than a year after the release of their ambitious guide The Conflict Thesaurus: Volume 1, writing experts Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have returned with the sequel in the silver-toned The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles, Volume 2. For writers wanting to deepen their understanding of how conflict operates within storytelling, this second book is just as essential as the first.

Read the whole review now on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

Take care of each other, readers, and perform an act of kindness for a stranger this week!

E.R.G.

Hello, September!

Happy Labor Day, readers! For those of you in the U.S., I hope you all have had a lovely long weekend and have gotten the opportunity to relax and enjoy what is unofficially the last weekend of summer.

We’re into a new month and a new school year. Lots of fun stuff going on around our house, but it’s definitely busy. Who knew being the mother of two high schoolers would keep me hopping so much?

In the meantime, I have all of you and the blog as my quiet space, and we’ve got all of our regular content coming up for this week.

First is my flash fiction for this week’s workshop. I started out with the prompt with something completely different in mind but came up with this. Be sure to let me know what you thought. Here’s an excerpt of this week’s original short fiction:

I’d had enough. I’ve lived here for nearly 80 years, and I’d had enough. So I did what any self-respecting citizen would do.

I gave our community the opportunity to reset itself.

Read the whole story now on The Write Edge Writing Workshop!

Next is what I’m reviewing this week. Tomorrow sees the release of The Conflict Thesaurus: Volume 2 by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. This dynamite team has turned out so many amazing resources for authors so far in their thesaurus series. Does the latest one meet the standards of the others? Find out on Wednesday on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

Finally, on Friday, it’s back to Instagram and bits and pieces from my writing and non-writing lives. Check out previous posts with my handle, @EktaRGarg, or on my Facebook author page.

Take care of each other, readers, and perform an act of kindness for a stranger this week.

Have a great night!

E.R.G.