Devika Fernando's Blog, page 12

Featured - Book Club Spotlight & Review for "Guardian Angel" by Ruchi Singh

My ReviewArgh, how to write a review without spoiling anything?!
​Let’s just say that the book had me hook, line and sinker from Page 1 on and kept me enthralled and entertained till the end. It was fast-paced but never hurried, suspenseful and emotionally loaded. I loved the ‘angel’ and Nikhil equally and rooted for their seemingly doomed future while biting my nails. This is just the right novel if you’re looking for something to devour in one go.

(I had the honour and pleasure to beta-read the book. Also, I did not read the first book in the series but that didn't keep me from enjoying this novel as it works well as a stand-alone too.)

Rating: 5/5

Spotlight
Guardian Angel by Ruchi Singh 


File Size: 709 KBPrint Length: 168 pagesPublication Date: December 26, 2018Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLCLanguage: EnglishASIN: B07MDHHP27Genre: Romance/ Short Read 
Ranking on amazon.in 
#2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Romantic Suspense#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Indian Writing#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Crime, Thriller & Mystery
A thrilling tale of unconditional love amidst danger and certain death.

The ManSecurity expert Nikhil Mahajan is in mortal danger. Gravely injured and unable to see, he is in the midst of hostile strangers in an unknown place. Any hope of survival is fast fading away. 
The AngelShould an innocent man be left to die just because he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Someone has to intervene. 

It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR





Author of the bestselling romantic thriller ‘The Bodyguard’, Ruchi Singh is an IT professional turned novelist. Her other published novels are ‘Take 2’ and ‘Jugnu (Firefly)’. Winner of TOI Write India Season 1, Ruchi has also published a short story collection, ‘Hearts and Hots', besides being a contributing author to many anthologies.
Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @                
Grab Your Copy From



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Book Club Spotlight for "A Couple of Choices" by Ajesh Sharma

A Couple of Choices by Ajesh Sharma



Format: Kindle EditionFile Size: 405 KBPrint Length: 133 pagesSimultaneous Device Usage: UnlimitedLanguage: EnglishASIN: B07836YLTW
Current Ranking on Amazon.in
#21907 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction#49279 in Books > Literature & Fiction
Alex and Phyllis have seen life overtake them. With their dreams, aspirations, and love for each other crushed by the choices they made, their mental discord has led to physical separation. Ten years have gone by when she calls to say she’s coming over to see him. Their meeting opens up old wounds, old memories and forces them to think about their lives, as people, as a couple, as lovers. The story comes together as a reflection of their individual lives, their relationship and the choices that lie ahead of them.
It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR





"Ajesh Sharma, is a Canadian author and playwright. His short stories have appeared in The Telegram Magazine and Unbound eMagazine. A Couple of Choices is his first play. He uses his blog, sloword.com, to showcase his love for wordplay and humor, his intense dislike for cats and his fanatical adoration of okra.
When not wearing colorful socks or attempting to play guitar, he tries to read, write, learn photography and spend time with one wife, two grown-up sons, one daughter-in-law and her dog on the outskirts of Toronto, Canada.
Links to his work may be found at http://www.sloword.com/published-work/"
Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk him @                
Grab Your Copy From



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We Promote So That You Can Write 

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Featured - Book Club Spotlight for "Bound by Forever" by MV Kasi

check out the schedule here
Bound By Forever by MV Kasi 



Format: Kindle EditionFile Size: 3175 KBPrint Length: 47 pagesSimultaneous Device Usage: UnlimitedLanguage: EnglishASIN: B07KDZ9X3G
Current Ranking on Amazon.in
#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Historical#5 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Plays#5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Plays
Brutal, powerful and demanding are the words used to describe him. He is a man who is used to throwing orders and having people follow them without questions.
Beautiful, bold and feisty are the ones used to describe her. She is a woman who is used to bending rules and conventions.
They haven't met before, but they have always known there are to marry each other because of an age-old tradition.
Sparks fly when they finally meet. But will they HATE each other? Or fall in LOVE?
It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR





A very reclusive author who is always on the bestselling list. Her stories hold passion of a woman and the raw nature of romance. But always (ok mostly) with a twist :) - Rubina Ramesh. 
Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @                
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We Promote So That You Can Write 

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Featured - Book Club Spotlight for "Walking on the Path of Indie Publishing" by Rubina Ramesh

Walking on the Path of Indie Publishing
by 
Rubina Ramesh


 This booklet is temporarily pulled down and will be available soon. In the meantime, if you want to get a copy of the booklet, you can write to the author and ask for a copy at rubinaramesh1973@gmail.com

Now that you have decided to become an Indie author, here are a few tools you will need. 




The Topics covered are: 

1. What it takes to be an indie author 
2. Why have you chosen this path? 
3. Components of Indie Publishing 
4. Tools needed for writing. 
5. The Big Eight Brothers of Social Media 
6. Facebook Marketing: Promotional not Ad. 
7. Checklist for Facebook Marketing before your book is published: 
8. The Other Platforms for Marketing 
9. How to start a newsletter? 
10. Different forms of editing. 
11. The art of Cover Making 
12. Formatting of Manuscript 
13. Sample copyright page. 
14. Contacting reviewers 
15. Mind-Blowing Cover Designers' links 
16. Hashtags for Instagram Marketing and Twitter Marketing 
17.100 Facebook Groups to start off with your Book Marketing 

Hope this book is beneficial to the new authors out there. I, for one, learned a lot while writing and researching about it. 

Email to the author to get a copy of this book rubinaramesh1973@gmail.com

Rubina Ramesh is an avid reader, writer, blogger, book reviewer and marketer. She is the founder of The Book Club, an online book publicity group. Her first literary work was published in her school magazine. It gave her immense pride to see her own name at the bottom of the article. She was about 8 years old at that time. She then went to complete her MBA and after her marriage to her childhood friend, her travel saga started. From The Netherlands to the British Isles, she lived her life like an adventure. After a short stint in Malaysia, she finally settled down in the desert state of USA, Arizona.  Living with her DH and two human kids and one doggie kid, Rubina has finally started living the life she had always dreamed about – that of a writer.


Connect with the author:
Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads




Other books in this series
Why Go Indie? 6 Reasons for Self-Publishing  Vol 1by Devika Fernando
Walking on the Indie Path Vol 2Can be presently found in her blog www.rubinaramesh.comby Rubina Ramesh
The Art of Ghostwriting Vol 3by D. R. Downer
Publishing Your Book on Amazon KDP Vol 4by Sundari Venkatraman
Fears and Doubts of a Writer Vol 5By Reshma Ranjan
Boosting Book's Sales with a Riveting Blurb! Vol 6 By Ruchi Singh


This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Linkedin
We Promote So That You Can Write 

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Featured - Cover Reveal for "Guardian Angel" by Ruchi Singh

I just finished beta-reading this amazing romantic suspense novel by my author friend, so I'm excited to post her cover reveal on her blog. Drum roll please, this one's a real treat!
​ Message from the Author Dear Readers,​

Early this year when I had released ‘The Bodyguard’, you all showed immense interest in one of the characters from the novel. At that time I wondered whether that kind of move was possible, but as they say the power lies in the hands of creativity.
Giving in to the popular sentiments I am now releasing ‘Guardian Angel’, which is a spin-off from ‘The Bodyguard’.

I hope it manages to entertain the readers as the previous one has, and gets the same mind-blowing response from the readers.
 
And now... for the C.O.V. E. R.    R.E.V.E.A.L. 

Here comes Guardian ANGEL....


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​Would love to know what you think of the cover.

May the Christmas and the New Year bring all that you wish for and life be full of love and happiness!
​
Ruchi Singh

About the Author Winner of TOI WriteIndia Season 1, Ruchi Singh is a novelist, and writes in two genres; romance and romantic thriller. A voracious reader, she loves everything—from classics to memoirs to editorials to chick-lit, but her favourite genre is ‘romantic thriller’. Besides writing and reading, her other interests include dabbling with Indian classical dance forms.​

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ruchisinghauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuchiWriter
Amazon: www.amazon.in/Ruchi-Singh/e/B00TLPF4BU/

Featured - Book Club Spotlight for "The Secrets of Ghostwriting" by Deep R. Downer

The Secrets of Ghostwriting  by D. R Downer   A guide that will tell you everything there is to know about the big, bad, mysterious, and often misunderstood world of Ghostwriting.Grab your copy from Amazon Connect with the author:Facebook | Twitter | Website | Amazon Author page | Goodreads Other books in this seriesWhy Go Indie? 6 Reasons for Self-Publishing  Vol 1by Devika FernandoWalking on the Indie Path Vol 2Can be presently found in her blog www.rubinaramesh.comby Rubina RameshThe Art of Ghostwriting Vol 3by D. R. DownerPublishing Your Book on Amazon KDP Vol 4by Sundari VenkatramanFears and Doubts of a Writer Vol 5By Reshma RanjanBoosting Book's Sales with a Riveting Blurb! Vol 6 By Ruchi Singh');

Featured - Spotlight for "Saving Sentry" by Liza O'Connor

About the Book Saving Sentry
 
By
Liza O’Connor

Book 4 of the
Requires Rescue Series
∞
Contemporary Suspense
∞
Sometimes even the strong requires a helping hand.

Blurb

The largest, strongest dog in the pack was miserable. He was born to be a leader, yet he wasn’t. He was born to be special, yet he wasn’t. He was called “Grumpy” by the humans. And while he was grumpy and sad, he had every right to be. This was not the life he was meant to have!
When Sean, Molly, and Eliza returned to their home, the mass of twenty-five giant Shiloh Shepherds frightened Eliza. She wanted her puppies!  Still, she could see the great sadness in the massive dog’s eyes as he crawled submissively into her room. Her father explained that Grumpy expected to be pack leader, but none of the dogs will accept him.
She objected to his name at once, and once Sean discovered how smart and gentle the dog was with Molly, he suggested they rename him Sentry. When Eliza learned a sentry watches and protects, she agreed with the name change. Sean explained to Sentry that he was to protect Eliza at all times. The change in Sentry was remarkable. He now had the most important job in the world: protecting Eliza.
 
EXCERPT

“Wow!” Eliza exclaimed. “That’s a beautiful castle.”
Before Molly could correct her, a herd of dogs rushed out of the kennel and entered their fenced in lawn.
“They sure do have a lot of big dogs,” Eliza said. “Are they mean?”
Sean couldn’t believe how large they’d gotten. “They aren’t supposed to be, but let’s be cautious all the same.”
Eliza pulled her knees against her chest. “I don’t want to see the castle. Let’s go home now.”
Sean ignored her and drove in front of the house and parked.
“You do have a garage now,” Molly reminded him.
“I do?” he asked and smiled. “Where?”
She pointed to the building next to the kennel.
“No, Daddy, I don’t like the dogs. Let’s go home,” Eliza cried.
Sean turned to face her. “Baby, these are your puppies.”
With face puckered, she shook her head adamantly. “No!”
Sean turned to Molly for help.
“Stay here,” she suggested.
 
BUY IT NOW!
SAVING SENTRY
AMAZON
 
Spin off from:
SAVING MOLLY
AMAZON
 
NOTE: EACH BOOK STANDS ALONE.
You may read in any order.
​
About the Author Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
LIZA O'CONNOR
Investigate these sites:
Liza's Blog and Website   Facebook   Twitter
SAVING SENTRY
WILL BE MY 50TH BOOK PUBLISHED!
CHECK OUT THEM ALL!
​

Featured - TBC Blog Tour for "Why Go Indie"

Why Go Indie?: 6 Reasons for Self-Publishing (TBC Writer's Toolkit Book 1) by Devika Fernando  Have you ever thought of going indie? Are you a traditionally published author interested in switching to self-publishing? Or an aspiring author looking at various publishing options? This concise booklet will show you reasons to go indie and give you an overview of the advantages of self-publishing books. It also shines a light on the 6 F's of self-publishing. This eBook is part of the TBC Writer's Toolkit series in which experienced authors offer advice. Check out the other volumes for a step-by-step guide on how to become a successful indie author.Grab your copy from AmazonAbout 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 are sweet, yet deeply emotional romance stories where the characters actually fall in love instead of merely falling in lust. She draws inspiration from everyone and everything in life. Besides being a romance novel author, she works as a self-employed German web content writer, as a translator, and as a faithful servant to all the cats, dogs, fish and birds in her home. 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. When she’s not writing, she’s reading or thinking about writing. Website: http://www.devikafernando.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devikafernan...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Author_Devika');

Featured - Free Book & New Release by Gianna Gabriela

What's the best way to spend the weekend? Reading, of course! So I've got a freebie and a new release by an author friend of mine that I'd like to share with you. Happy reading!
​
★FREEBIE, NEW RELEASE ★
 
Better With You is FREE and Fighting For You is LIVE! #1click and meet Gianna Gabriela’s Sexy Football Players. 
 
BETTER WITH YOU- FREE!
 
Anyone can break. It’s a choice to stay broken. 
 
US: http://amzn.to/2ErtVOF
UK: http://amzn.to/2BYtoCg
CA: http://amzn.to/2EvAy2A
AU: http://amzn.to/2GdVur9
 
 
FIGHTING FOR YOU - NOW LIVE!
 
US: https://amzn.to/2E7tuZv
UK: https://amzn.to/2RzTkbH
CA: https://amzn.to/2So6oAM
AU: https://amzn.to/2zCxoWe
 
Giving up isn’t a choice… but what if you’re tired of fighting?

* * *

Gianna Gabriela is a small-town girl living in the Big Ol' City of New York. She considers herself an avid reader and a hopeful writer. She's been reading for years and calls it her addiction. Her favorite genre is anything in the YA/NA Romance realm. She's a writer of the alphas you want and the strong heroines you need.

A to Z of Writing: First Person Narration

A few of my author friends and I have decided to join forces in a blogging challenge. Our A to Z of Writing posts will shine a light on various aspects of being an author. This week, we're focusing on the letters D and E. Please make sure to check out the other blogs. Click here for a list of all blog posts per letter.
Adite Banerjie | Paromita Goswami | Preethi Venugopala | Reet Singh | Ruchi Singh | Saiswaroopa Iyer | Sudesna Ghosh
​
F for First Person Narration Using first person narration instead of third person (he/she) is less common but has seen a recent increase. It could be argued that it’s on the rise because we now have more YA fiction, more romance sub-genres, and more amateur fiction converted into self-published stories or books. So, how do you use this mode of storytelling, and what are the pros and cons of 1st person narration?
 
An overview over first person narration
 
1st person narration refers to a way of storytelling that uses the point of view of the main character (MC). It’s easily identifiable by the personal pronoun “I”. Basically, the story is told from the MC’s point of view, often in real time as it happens as the so-called first person protagonist, sometimes as a retelling as if the reader were listening to an actual person’s tale. Rarer is the use of first person witness narration where the “I” isn’t the MC but someone who’s witnessed the story and is retelling it. Off and on, an author will use “we” as a collective first person of connected people (such as friends or siblings) who tell the story.
 
Nowadays, some authors use both 1st and 3rd person narration combined within one novel, especially in the romance genre. The 1st person is usually reserved for the heroine who tells things from her point of view; the 3rd person is used for whatever scenes involve only the hero and are seen from his POV. A popular example for this narration style that helps overcome some of the first person narration’s disadvantages is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Some famous books told in 1st person only are The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, and The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. These examples answer an important question: Why do authors use first person narration? This mode of storytelling makes it easier to identify with the MC, to “feel in their shoes” and live through the unfolding action. It provides an intimacy and affinity with the protagonist that is an advantage especially when a woman’s suffering or a young person’s changing life are the topic of the novel. The readers are inside the protagonist’s head or even sometimes feel as if they’re sharing a secret.
 
The pros of 1st person narration:The character and story feel more real and relatable, especially to younger readers.There’s one clearly identifiable hero/heroine with his/her motivations and actions driving the plot.It helps with character development as the author has to pay attention to details, find the right voice and even express the MC’s thoughts and feelings.Budding writers might find this easier to write or to get into their protagonist’s head to outline the plot. After all, everyone has at one point in their lives told someone else a ‘story’.  
The cons of 1st person narration:There’s a high risk of too much telling and not enough showing. It’s easy for authors to fall into the trap of simply going, “First X happened, then Y happened, and after that I spent my day like this, this, and this”, which quickly gets boring or reads woodenly. Let me write up an example: One could write, “I heard a loud boom and ran to investigate it. When I turned the corner, I realized that I had forgotten to take a weapon with me. I would be helpless if somebody attacked me.” Doesn’t really catch your attention, does it? This more natural and personal way to use 1st person narration is more gripping: “Boom! I flinched. What was that noise? I should probably go and check. My shaky legs hadn’t carried me far before they faltered. Oh no, I didn’t bring a weapon to defend myself!”First person narration is considered somewhat more ‘amateur’ and less sophisticated by some authors and readers who are less open-minded. It carries a connotation of fanfiction, of diary entries and first attempts at storytelling or of hastily self-published fiction. That, however, shouldn’t deter an author from trying out this style.Unlike 3rd person, 1st person limits the author to one thread of the story and one POV. That can make it difficult to present a bigger problem or create a complex world such as in fantasy or dystopian novels. Descriptions (especially of the narrator or of places) and providing background information can get tricky. 1st person narration may narrow the experience or sound biased.  
How about you? Readers, what do you think of books narrated in the first person? Writers, have you ever experimented with this storytelling mode? Comment below.