Ekta R. Garg's Blog, page 41

Warmer weather on the way!

Good evening, Write Edge readers! We’ve just survived a week of frigid temperatures here in Central Illinois, but the kind meteorologists locally and nationally promise warmer weather is on the way — yay! That means spring is practically here, right?

Well, maybe not quite. But we do have here, now, is great content coming your way this week. First, this week’s short story. A reminder to anyone who might have missed my new year’s post last week: this year I’m dedicating The Write Edge Writing Workshop to micro fiction, which many sites/experts say comes in at around 300 words or less. Because I tend to write long, I know I need this challenge to help me tighten my prose and really pick my words with care.

Micro fiction is really short, so I won’t be offering the paragraph-long excerpts as teasers. Instead, I’ll give you a single line from each week’s short short fiction. Hopefully those single lines will entice you to want to read more.

Here’s the excerpt from this week’s story:

There it was in black and white: a balance of zero.

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

On Wednesday I’ll share a new book review with you. Tomorrow sees the release of Diane Chamberlain’s newest novel, The Last House on the Street. Find out what I thought of this book in the middle of the week on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

Then, on Friday, we go back to Instagram where I share bits and pieces of my writing and non-writing life. Check out older posts by finding me on the app with my handle, @EktaRGarg, or go to my Facebook author page. You can also see quick previews here on the home page of The Write Edge.

Also, I know the holidays are done, but if you’re still in the mood for a quick holiday read, please do check out my debut novella, The Truth About Elves. Readers are falling in love with Curtis and the entire gang at the Arctic Circle; join them!

Your assignment this week, readers: take care of each other and then yourselves.

Have a great night!

E.R.G.

Newest Instagram posts now up!

Happy Friday, Write Edge readers! It’s a chilly, chilly week in Central Illinois this week. Fortunately I think temps are going up next week just a little, so there is a reasonable chance of thawing out soon.

In the meantime, I’ve posted my latest pictures for you on Instagram. They include what I’m reading next and a cool virtual book party happening tomorrow. For more, find me on Instagram with my handle, @EktaRGarg.

Stay warm, readers, and take of one another and yourselves!

E.R.G.

First book review of 2022 now up!

Good morning, Write Edge readers! I’ve posted my first book review of the year for you. Here’s the opening to my thoughts on The Maid by Nita Prose:

A hotel maid with minimal social skills finds herself at the center of a murder mystery. As she tries to balance the havoc caused by the murder in her professional life and the challenges of her personal life, she learns who she can trust and who is better off left alone. Author Nita Prose writes with wit and an astute lens on social interactions in her funny debut The Maid.

Read the whole review now on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

Take care of one another first, yourselves second, readers!

E.R.G.

Happy new year!

Happy new year, readers! It’s a brand new year full of all sorts of adventures, challenges, and joys. My wish for all of you, above and beyond everything else, is for you to have a safe and healthy 2022.

Because it is a new year, I’d love to change things up just a little bit around here. When I began blogging in 2010, I knew I would need to continue challenging myself in my writing to make it better and to keep all of you engaged and coming back for more. You’ve all seen me go through a variety of changes here on the blog, everything from the way it looks to writing dreams achieved.

As I continue to hone my work, I decided that for me here on The Write Edge this would be the year of writing short: that is, focusing on micro fiction. For those of you who are unsure, micro fiction is the label affixed to stories that are generally a maximum of 300 words (although I have seen some sites give writers up to 500 words for micro.) In an effort to dig deeper into my skills and make them better, I thought what better way to do that than make every word count?

Starting today, on The Write Edge Writing Workshop, it’s going to be a year of micro fiction. The exception will be the last Monday of the month, of course, which is devoted to showcasing other writers and the #writingcommunity. It’s given me a lot of love, and I absolutely want to and have to give it back.

With that in mind, I give you the excerpt for this week’s short story. In the spirit of micro fiction, the excerpts are going to be short too: just a single sentence. That in and of itself, I know, will force me to weigh every word and make it count:

He could have blamed the crutches, but he didn’t.

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

Not everything is changing around here, though! On Wednesday I’ll share a brand new book review. Tomorrow sees the official release of The Maid by Nita Prose. Find out what I thought of it in the middle of the week on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

On Friday it’s back to Instagram and my posts from my writing/nonwriting life. Are you on Insta? Come find me with my handle, @EktaRGarg. You can also check out my Facebook author page for the posts or catch the quick look of them here on the home page.

This weekend I’ll also be doing a guest post on the Blue Sky Book Chat over on Facebook. Haven’t gotten your copy of The Truth About Elves yet? Enter for a chance to win one this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central time. Also, be sure to stick around all day for info from other amazing authors and their books!

Take care of one another, readers!

E.R.G.

The Binge-Worthy Books of 2021 (according to me :>)

Hello, Write Edge readers! It’s the last Wednesday of the year, which means I’m posting my “Best of” list: the 2021 books I deemed binge worthy. These are the books that earned 5 stars from me, which is a designation I don’t assign lightly. When I consider a book “binge worthy,” I purchase a copy of it for my own personal library.

Here then, on my bookshelf in order of their releases this year, are the Binge-Worthy Books of 2021:

Savage Road by Chris Hauty; The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner; Trust Me by T.M. Logan; Where It All Lands by Jennie Wexler; Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer; Other People’s Things by Kerry Anne King; and Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Go now to The Write Edge Bookshelf for more about these books!

In the meantime…

Get the vaccine/booster.

Wear a mask.

Wash your hands.

Show a stranger some kindness today.

Have a fantastic day, readers!

E.R.G.

The last week of the year!

Hello, Write Edge readers! We are officially in the last week of 2021. In some ways, it feels like this year has zipped by. In others…well, at least we can say we’ve come to the end of it. I know I speak for many of you when I say my fingers are crossed that 2022 is better.

We do have one more week to get through, however, and that’s what we’re celebrating this week. Around this time of year, the web begins drowning in lists of all kinds. The Write Edge is no exception. :> Today I’m sharing a list of some great writing that I’ve read in our monthly Writers’ Showcase. Check out those pieces now on The Write Edge Writing Workshop!

I’m bowled over by how much love Elves has gotten. If you haven’t checked it out yet, go now to my author website for reviews and purchasing options. If you have read it and liked it, let me know!

In the middle of the week, in lieu of a regular review, I’ll share a recap of my binge-worthy books of 2021. These were the novels that all got five stars from me, a designation I don’t hand out lightly. Come back to The Write Edge Bookshelf to find out what my favorite books of this year were.

And, on Friday, we go back to our last Growth Chart of the year as well as my last Biblio Breakdown for 2021. If you’ve missed previous Charts, find them here. Writers, go here to find previous episodes of Biblio Breakdown for writing exercises based on some of the books I enjoyed in the past two years. Fingers crossed I’ll also be able to share some Instagram posts at the end of the week. We’ll have to find out together!

In the meantime…

Get the vaccine/booster.

Wear a mask.

Wash your hands.

Show a stranger some kindness today.

Have a wonderful week, readers!

E.R.G.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Happy Friday, readers, and a very merry Christmas Eve to all of you who celebrate! To all of my other readers, a very happy holiday season. Wishing you the best and the brightest it has to give.

It’s Friday, which means Instagram posts abound! I posted my last quote from Elves. People are showering the book with a lot of love. Check out their reviews and see how you can order your own signed copy directly from me by visiting my author website now.

I’ve also posted some other fun pictures. You can see all of them here on the home page; for more info, go to Instagram and follow me there by using my handle, @EktaRGarg. I hope to meet you there!

In the meantime…

Get the vaccine/booster.

Wear a mask.

Wash your hands.

Show a stranger some kindness today.

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve, readers!

E.R.G.

Midweek to Christmas!

Happy Wednesday and week of Christmas, readers! My apologies for not posting on Monday. I was, in part, exhausted from the holiday market that I participated in all day Sunday. This wonderful event included all local businesses, and people were selling homemade jewelry, art, pies, you name it. I was the only author there, and even though the day started off a little slow, I sold every copy I had (but one) of The Truth About Elves.

I still can’t believe it!

I’m immensely grateful to the organizers of the Mistletoe Market for letting me participate and meet so many people that day. Elves went home with many excited readers, and I hope they find the investment well worth it. I realized how much I missed in-person events of any kind and also how much I want to keep doing this for the rest of my life.

Given that I was recovering from the market and also that this is the week of Christmas — and that the magazine I manage is still on deadlines, no matter what holiday we have coming up — I spent Monday catching up and planning ahead for a variety of things. That’s why I couldn’t post that day, but I’m here now!

First, the last short writing for 2021. It’s a micro piece, so I won’t post an excerpt here, but you can find it now on The Write Edge Writing Workshop.

Next, the last book review for 2021. I received a copy of D (A Tale of Two Worlds) by Michel Faber on Christmas of 2020 as a gift. It might seem odd that I waited a whole year to read and review it, but given the fact that Michel Faber took 35 years to write the book, I think I fall right in line with it. :> Here’s the opening to my review:

A young teen notices that the letter D starts to go missing from everything. As she digs into the mystery, she embarks on an adventure. With his first book aimed at children but suitable for all readers, author Michel Faber offers a plethora of unfulfilled possibilities in D (A Tale of Two Worlds.)

Read the whole review now on The Write Edge Bookshelf!

And, of course, on Friday I take you back to Instagram! Find out what’s going on in my writing/nonwriting world. Check out older posts by using my handle, @EktaRGarg. You can see smaller versions of the posts right here on the home page too.

In the meantime…

Get the vaccine/booster.

Wear a mask.

Wash your hands.

Show a stranger some kindness today.

E.R.G.

Instagram (late) on Saturday

Hello, Write Edge readers. It’s been a long week. A dear uncle of mine died earlier this week, suddenly, and the news still shocks me. This, in part, delayed my Instagram posts for yesterday.

My uncle was always, unabashedly, himself. He lived the adage “be true to who you are.” Part of who I am is an author, and even though it’s hard to get up every day and do normal things with my family and friends, I know that’s important too. I think he’d understand.

I’ve posted my latest Instagram posts for you, including the newest quote from The Truth About Elves and my latest author event. Check out, too, some other fun things. You’ll be able to see the thumbnails of the pictures here on the home page, or you can find me with my handle, @EktaRGarg, on Instagram itself.

If you still haven’t gotten your copy of the book, go to my author website now to find out how to get your own autographed copy (if you’re in the U.S.) or other options for purchasing it. Readers are calling it a great stocking stuffer. Find out why.

Hold your loved ones tight, dear readers, and let them know how much they mean to you. You never know when you’ll have to say goodbye.

In the meantime…

Get the vaccine/booster.

Wear a mask.

Wash your hands.

Show a stranger some kindness.

Stay warm this weekend.

E.R.G.

Book review now up!

Hello, Write Edge readers, on this blustery day in Central Illinois. The wind speeds today make me think, yet again, of those in Kentucky and others who lost their lives over the weekend due to the tornadoes. Wishing their families and loved ones togetherness during this terrible time.

*****

I’ve posted my latest book review for you. Today I share my thoughts on Dead Ahead, the latest book in the newest series by British thriller author Paul Pilkington. Here’s the opening to my post:

A detective handles a new case that confounds the whole department. As he digs into the clues, an older crime he investigated finds its way back into his routine with dangerous implications. Author Paul Pilkington returns with the third book in his Paul Cullen Mysteries series in the fast-paced satisfying book Dead Ahead.

Read the whole review now on The Write Edge Bookshelf.

Speaking of books, I’m doing a virtual author talk for The Truth About Elves tonight for the Champaign Public Library. Attendance is free; you just have to sign up for the Zoom link. Get that info right here.

Also, if you live in the U.S. and would like your own autographed copy of the book, find out how you can do so by visiting my author website.

In the meantime…

Get the vaccine/booster.

Wear a mask.

Wash your hands.

Show a stranger some kindness today.

Have a good day, readers. Stay warm and safe.

E.R.G.