Devika Fernando's Blog, page 52

Book Club Blog Tour - ONLY WHEAT, NOT WHITE by Varsha Dixit

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Only Wheat Not White  by  Varsha Dixit  [image error]


The Blurb


What if the one you completely love is the one you simply can't! Twenty-six-year-old Eila Sood moves to America to mend fences with her estranged older sister, Sheela. Eila and the rest of the family in India had cut off ties with Sheela after she married Steve Jacobs, 'out of caste, and out of color'. Elia soon realizes that Sheela's marriage is on the rocks. To help pay Sheela's household bills, Eila takes a second job at an afternoon strip club. When she crosses paths with the owner, the handsome Brett Wright or 'blue-eyed ogre' as Elia calls him, he both infuriates and fascinates her. Brett turns out to be her reluctant and unquestionably sarcastic knight in shining armor. As Eila and Brett spend more time together their desire for each other builds. However, when Brett discovers the true reason for Eila's refusal he storms out of her life, accusing her of being a prejudiced coward. Will Eila find the courage to break stereotypes and embrace her love? Will Brett find solace in the arms of his ex-girlfriend Cate? Will Sheela and Steve divorce? All of these questions and more are answered in Varsha Dixit's latest and humorous and steamy love story.
Buy @
Amazon.in | Amazon.com| Amazon.co.uk|Barnes and Noble | Smashwords

Meet the Author
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I'm the author of four books and the genre that I write is contemporary romance. Penning stories defines and completes me.I thinks of myself as a borderline obsessive-compulsive dreamer who thinks deep but writes light. A true ‘feel good’ junkie seeking quick fixes, I love a good laugh and a good book. A voracious reader of who dunit mysteries and legal dramas, I did sit down to pen a book on serial killers but finding it impossible to maim or kill anyone, even on paper, I penned a romantic story instead. Thus, I found my true calling – at least for the time being.Even though creativity is gender free, I feel blessed and enriched to be a woman.
Currently, with my family, I'm settled in the US.

You can her @

                              
         

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Review of "Dear Philomena" by M. S. Spencer

My Review of "Dear Philomena" by M. S. Spencer I’m a fan of M. S. Spencer’s books. I’ve read “The Mason's Mark” and “The Penhallow Train Incident” so far and I’m planning to read many more. This book – initially the author’s debut and now republished – reconfirmed what I like about Spencer’s novels.
 
“Dear Philomena” is full of snark and hidden (and sometimes not so hidden) humour, of drama and the author’s uncanny understanding of human emotions. Sometimes the characters and the writing style seemed sarcastic and cynical, at other times I felt I had opened the character’s head and chest and was looking right into their brain and heart. This mix of raw feelings and wisdom, of situations and protagonists picked right out of real life and mixed with mystery and twists kept me entertained for the whole Sunday. Yes, I devoured the book in one go. Yes, it made me think. And yes, I liked it a lot.
 
The first chapter was unusual and hooked me straight away, and the continuity of its
‘special something’ right throughout the novel spiced the story up wonderfully. No spoilers, you’ll have to read the book to find out what detail I mean. I loved the spunky yet hurt, misunderstood and uncertain yet strong Dagne (the heroine) just as much as almost too good to be true Aidan (the hero). And I loved to hate Jack.
 
As with the other books by the author, the strengths lie in the dialogue, the integration of the setting, and the interesting minor characters. And of course there’s the murder to add mayhem.
 
Rating: 4/5
​

Featured - "Deep Blue Eyes on the Greek Isles" by Dimitri Sarantis

A new author friend of mine, Dimitri Sarantis, is here today to share excerpts from his debut romantic suspense novel "Deep Blue Eyes on the Greek Isles" and to tempt you to travel the the magically beautiful Greek island Santorini. Deep Blue Eyes on the Greek Isles - Dimitri Sarantis Blurb

​​Paul meets Sophie as he helps her out in her Harvard application. They’re attracted to one another as they’re both as good-looking as Greek Gods and as they share exceptional intellectual qualities. But there are many clouds. Many questions arise. Will they ever date; will they ever have a chance to fall in love? That is the question as enemies from their own past haunt them. Relatives, “friends” and strangers fight to keep them far apart.
This book is for lovers! It is for sensitive, romantic souls. It is for people who wipe a tear as they watch a vivid sunset or who, under the August full moon, understand that life is always about love. But love isn’t always a field of roses. In this book, those roses are full of thorns. Love is a long, adventurous journey. But no matter the thorns in the roses, love never ceases to be the miracle of life.


Excerpts

​​After a Harvard cooperation meeting; they’re just friends:
At the end of one of their meetings, Paul invited Sophie out to his balcony to enjoy the view of the Acropolis. Sophie put her hands on the railing and stood in silence, totally awed by the miracle she was witnessing. Paul approached from the right and put his own hand right next to Sophie’s. He could feel the contact with her hand. He moved his arm closer to hers. She instantly moved her own arm closer to his and the contact was now even tighter. Paul felt her warmth. It lasted for a minute or so, but to him it felt like ages. Paul turned to Sophie and looked straight into her eyes. She turned in a split second, looked straight into his eyes and gave him her beaming smile, her white teeth shining and her deep blue eyes glowing with happiness. Through her eyes, their warm contact and that smile Paul could feel that she, too, loved sharing their warmth. Not a word was spoken. That evening they kissed each other goodbye on the cheeks very tenderly. It lasted much longer than previous times. ​Oia, Santorini as they arrive:
They walked briskly towards their hotel; the Greek summer sun was piercing hot. Sophie stopped and put down her luggage; she wrapped herself around Paul, “I’m absolutely stunned by the beauty. The gently sloping village is full of small houses; their roofs are flat. I’m overwhelmed by the palette of the colors of the houses; pale blue, pink, beige. Furthermore, the plethora of churches that dot the village are all white but have bright blue domes on top. All in contrast with the deep blue sea of the volcano crater below. This is so harmonious. It’s the blue domes that make the difference for me. It’s like the perfect birthday cake. A combination of pretty colors combined with birthday candles in just the picture-perfect hue. The domes are the candles in my imagination, Paul. Forget Mykonos; this is the perfect place for me.” 
​Mykonos as they arrive at the famous Matogiania alley:
Then, Paul felt Sophie leading him with determination along the famous Matogiania narrow lane.
The bright red color of the geraniums in the pots in the front of all the white-washed stores contrasted vividly with the grey pavement which was freshly decorated with white linings around every single stone. Awesome bougainvillea hung from every second store balcony bringing an air of magic; purple, pink, violet and red all danced in rhythm. Paul felt a romantic tingle as he held Sophie tightly in his arms. Sophie turned, her eyes shining bright like the rising sun in a pristine lake in the Rockies. She smiled tenderly and gave Paul a kiss with all the warmth of her soul.
Every famous brand in the world had a store along the narrow road. Paul had no idea of the ordeal that awaited him. Sophie would pop in to every single boutique for half an hour, occasionally buying a thing or two. This is not a vacation; it’s a torture. Women; they never stop shopping. This is incredible, what shall I do? I want to go to the beach! Maybe I’ve got an idea, I’ll try it out, Paul thought as he observed a pair of Fendi shoes and calculated. Certainly double the price of New York’s Fifth Avenue. As they walked into a store Paul thought he would try out his idea. He would “bribe her” by buying her a small gift; it was a thin leather pendant with a turquoise stone. Mykonos as they’re siting at the famous Caprice bar and enjoying drinks and the view
Sometime later, the show was over and they decided to move to the sea balcony of the bar. This balcony was about four feet wide; it could fit just one row of tiny tables. Again, they were lucky enough to find a table for two. The balcony was barely a foot above sea level and when a stronger wave would come in it would splash them with seawater.
“Do you mind the splashing, Sophie?”
“No, Paul, I don’t mind anything!” Paul waived to the waiter for a second round of drinks. As Paul gazed to his right, the splendid view awed him. To his right was a long row of three story houses, all white washed, naturally. All stories had wooden covered balconies, some in a solid red and some in the warmest hue of blue Paul had witnessed so far. All houses were right on the water’s edge. Just spectacular! Paul was ecstatic; like a child struck by absorbing Disneyland for the first time. Paul turned to Sophie. He held her hand. “Now I see why you called it little Venice. Sophie, this is a miracle; I love it.”
Sophie looked away and fixed her hair nervously. There was clear worry in her voice as she said, “I love little Venice, too; but I want to go to the real Venice. I don’t think we’ll ever go, we have so many problems…”

INTERVIEW 1: KIRTIDA GAUTAM INTERVIEWS DR. DEBRA HOLLAND

​ READ OUT LOUD  presents 
SIP N READ  co-presents  


NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR INTERVIEW SERIES
KIRTIDA GAUTAM  TAKES THE INTERVIEW OF 
DR. DEBRA HOLLAND
 
Other Authors who will host interviews for the series
Rasana Atreya ,  Neil D'Silva ,  Devika Fernando ,  Aindrila Roy ,  Debashish Irengbam
 
Self-publishing means freedom!   
~ Debra Holland
The New York Times Bestselling author of the award-winning Montana Sky Series
 
Dr. Debra Holland is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the award-winning  Montana Sky  series (sweet, historical Western romance) and  TheGods' Dream Trilogy  (fantasy romance). 
 
Debra is a three-time Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist and one-time winner. In 2013, Amazon selected  Starry Montana Sky  as one of the Top 50 Greatest Love Stories. 
When she's not writing, Dr. Holland works as a psychotherapist and corporate crisis/grief counselor and is the author of  The Essential Guide to Grief and Grieving , as well as  Cultivating an Attitude ofGratitude , a Ten Minute eBook. She's also a contributing author to The Naked Truth about Self-Publishing.  Debra holds a Masters’ Degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy, and holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern California, and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
Debra is a popular psychotherapist, consultant, and speaker on the topics of communication difficulties, relationships, stress, and dealing with difficult people.  She is a featured expert for the media, and does entertainment consulting. 
 
Did your years of experience as a psychotherapist help you in writing your novels or creating characters with greater depth? Please tell the readers more about it.
 
I use my experience to delve into my characters’ wounds, as well as help them confront their fears and have emotional and mental growth.
 
What inspired you to write the  Montana Sky  series?
​ I didn’t start out intending to write a series.
On New Year’s Eve in 1998, I was celebrating with friends at a cowboy dance bar in Orange County, California. As the old year drew to a close, I started dancing with a handsome young cowboy—a real one. Those are hard to find in the Orange Country.
We shared a midnight kiss. He asked me out, and still reeling from that kiss, I agreed.
The two of us began to date. We had nothing in common, but he was sexy and fun, and we had a good time. After a few weeks, I started thinking: What if we met in the Old West? Who would he be? How would I be different, and would we have worked? And so the idea came to me for the story that I titled, Wild Montana Sky.
I physically modeled the hero, Nick Sanders, after my cowboy, and I made the heroine, Elizabeth, a little like me.
I started to write some of the scenes that popped into my mind, beginning with the one where Nick and Elizabeth ride their horses by a stream—a beautiful Montana setting. After that, I had to figure out who these two characters were and what their story was. And I had to learn to write fiction.
After a few months, my cowboy and I drifted apart. His work at the racetrack came to an end, and he moved north. I never saw him again.
​
You are a three-time Romance Writers of America  Golden Heart  finalist and one-time winner. Tell the readers about your experience of winning this prestigious award.
​ ​In 2001, I attended my first RWA national conference in New Orleans. The awards ceremony is the culmination of a week of workshops, meetings, and parties. I was a finalist for my first book, Wild Montana Sky.
Before the ceremony, as I was ironing my gown, I told myself that I should practice an acceptance speech just in case I won. As soon as I said that, I had an intuitive feeling: I really need to memorize this speech because I’ll be giving it! I stopped ironing, went to the desk, and jotted down my speech on a notepad, including everyone I needed to thank. I didn’t want to forget anyone in the excitement of the moment.
Sure enough, I won. I climbed the stairs to the stage, accepted the Golden Heart necklace, and gave my speech. Afterwards, I had so many people tell me how poised I seemed. I didn’t tell them I knew in advance.
 
What was your early experience as an Authorpreneur? Kindly give the readers a little advice that proved most useful in boosting the sales of your books.
 
The early days of Indie publishing were very different than now, for the field wasn’t as crowded. However, one thing has stayed the same—authors helping authors.
 
I was successful because of my friends, who’d self-published a few months ahead of me. They generously shared what to do and not to do. That sharing hasn’t change—it’s just that my friends now number in the hundreds. Indie authors are very supportive, and we have success because of pooling our knowledge.
 
I read about your Favorite Indie moment when you said to a traditional publisher who approached you for the publishing rights of Montana Sky series — “Well… you had your chance. My agent submitted these books to your house several years ago, and she rejected them.” You choose to stay an indie author because you love the creative control an indie author experiences. Kindly elaborate on this point for the readers.
 
Self-publishing can be addicting. Once you start, you may not want to pursue traditional publishing. You may find you like having the control over your content, cover, blurb, and prices. You may enjoy receiving a check or direct deposit every month (and watching it grow bigger) instead of waiting to be paid quarterly or twice a year. You may find yourself moved to tears by a 5 star review or a fan email. And you may find you have more excitement and creativity about your writing career.
​Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude is your ten-minute micro-content non-fiction self-help eBook. It’s a brilliant idea for the writers to share their knowledge with readers. What is your next book in that series?
 
Surmounting Shame
 
India is an upcoming market for indie publishing. What advice will you give to Indian writers about indie writing? 
 
The same as I’d give to an American author--earn the craft of writing a good story. Study the publishing market. Write a great book and have it professionally edited. Then, figure out if you want to approach traditional publishers or self-publish.

Fire Friday - Update on my "Playing with Fire" Trilogy

High time to pick up my FIRE Friday posts again, because Books 2 and 3 of my FIRE Trilogy (paranormal romance) will be released next month.

Today, I want to share excerpts from the sequels to "Playing with Fire", plus artwork by the fabulously talented Shadrach Del'Monte that brings the books to life. These imaginary movie posters are part of his series 'The Films That Never Were'. You can check out his works here on Facebook.
​ This excerpt is from Book 2, titled "Dancing with Fire".

For a moment the three of them remained in place, like actors frozen while carrying out some innocuous stage play.
Then everyone moved at the same time. Joshua pushed himself into a sitting position, pulling Felicia with him and frantically making sure she was alright. Kyle, on the other hand, dropped to his knees and inched closer to the sink hole that refused to close and blend into the black sand, still emitting an eerie fiery glow from deep down.
“God, Felicia, are you okay?” Joshua asked, his voice raspy and rough with a dozen emotions.
She blinked and greedily sucked in air before focusing on him. “I have no idea,” she answered, and the ironic truth of it made her grin and then giggle and finally laugh manically. Joshua stared at her, probably realizing that it was the shock setting in. Kyle, on the other hand, looked up from whatever he was inspecting to shoot her a glance and frown.
“You’ll be fine,” he said dismissively. “This is only a taste of the dangers that lie ahead.”
Joshua tensed, ready to shoot up and probably connect his fist to the other man’s face, but Felicia’s insistent grip on his arm held him back.
“He’s right,” she whispered, feeling guilty that she had caused such a spectacle.


This excerpt is from Book 3, titled "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?
Beside her, Kyle was cackling and clapping his hands, and her fire dragon was turning cartwheels. There was so much heat around her, inside her. It needed out.
​ Book 1 is available for free on some sites like Kobo, GooglePlay and iTunes and will soon be free on Amazon too. Download it and get to know Felicia (fire) and Joshua (ice)!
​

Review - "The Penhallow Train Incident" by M. S. Spencer

My Review Having previously read and loved “The Mason’s Mark” by M. S. Spencer, I was keen to try another of the author’s books. Her latest release “The Penhallow Train Incident”, didn’t disappoint me. It’s another great novel that will have me thinking for quite a while.
 
The story starts so idyllically that you just know that something big is going to happen. Happen it does, in the form of murder. That single dead body leaves more chaos in its wake than I’d have thought it possible, leading the protagonists and leaders all over the world including Europe and the Arabian countries. I seriously didn’t see the resolution to this case coming at all!
 
As for the protagonists, they make a splendid pair. Rachel is just the right mix of confident, emancipated, in-search-for-love, intelligent and stubborn to be the perfect sparring partner for Griffin, who made me swoon despite being quite a lot older than me (and the usual hero). I loved his wit, cleverness, tragic past, hard outer shell, humour and stubbornness, and I could picture him in my head vividly.
 
Also worth mentioning are the great setting, which comes alive on almost every page, the million side characters that are all fascinating parts of the puzzle and sometimes left me dizzy (without ruining the fun), and the effortlessly flowing language. As a German, I also enjoyed the authentic description of Vienna in Austria, and as a closet history fan, all the archeological and historical details connected to the mystery pulled me in deeper and deeper.
 
Rating: 5/5
​
You can read a guest post by the author M. S. Spencer and find out more about the book in this blog post.

Book Club Blog Tour - METRO DIARIES by Namrata

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Metro Diaries  by  Namrata  [image error]


The Blurb


Love is one of the most amazing feelings on this earth, one that makes you the most powerful person or the most helpless person in a split second. These stories capture those feelings of despair, longing, love, lust, desire, want, dejection and admiration to create deja vu. Hold onto your hearts as you flip through these pages and take a walk down the memory lane, as "metro diaries" will revive your innermost feelings and imbibe in you the magic of love. Touching, amusing and deeply moving, metro diaries - love classics are tales that will hold you from start till end. Buy @
Amazon.in 

Meet the Author
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Namrata is a prolific blogger known by the name Privy Trifles in the blogosphere who romances life through her writings and aspires to make love the universal language. She dons various hats between that of a contributing author to 8 anthologies a reviewer for leading publishing houses an editor to various books and a columnist. Apart from that she is also the editor for an online magazine called Writer's Ezine. Having mastered the nuances of finance till recently she also held the title of an investment banker closely to let it go to embrace her love for writing fully.

You can her @

                              
         

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Featured - SECOND CHANCE HEART by Marie Lavender

Ladies and gents, please give it up for a new release by my dear author friend Marie Lavender, who's already visited my blog a few times! She let me bug her with a Q&A and she's sharing a bit about her latest romance novel "Second Chance Heart". Author Interview with Marie Lavender ​1) Tell us a little about yourself and any hidden talents that are totally worth mentioning.
 
I have written and published in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, fantasy, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. I currently have three book series going, but many others planned for the future. Hidden talents? I guess I have a DIY mindset when it comes to being an author. If there’s something I don’t know how to do, I’ll try it at least once and see if it works for me. Case in point, I have designed my own book covers and book trailers before. I also enjoy being creative, and that sort of spills into my life in the form of decorating projects at home or creating new recipes on the fly. And it helps to surround oneself with creative people. I’m not only referring to my author friends, but my fiancé is also an artist/inventor.
 
2) If you weren’t a writer, what job would you choose?
 
I would own a bookstore. I think I’d want to be close to books in some way. And I love those little alcoves with comfy chairs where you can park it and read to your heart’s content!
 
3) Do you have any writing rituals?
 
Sometimes I am casual. At other times, I can get incredibly focused on a project and push myself to finish. I like to use pretty journals and colored gel pens, but I’m just as comfortable using cheap, one subject notebooks to compose my work in. I compose on the computer as well. I randomly write as many scenes of a story that I can, and then I crack the whip. I guess one ritual is that when I am ready to focus on something, I do a detailed outline and use notes I’ve gathered as a jumping off point. If I need to stop and do research, then so be it. I also leave myself open to go in a different direction if, say, a character has a mind of his own. If I am writing a specific genre, I try to set the mood by reading books from that genre or even watching films or television shows that remind me of the genre. It gets the creative juices flowing, and if I get stuck, well, it isn’t such a bad distraction, is it? LOL.
 
4) You have written about vampires in your paranormal romance novel “Second Nature”. What makes them so fascinating to you?
 
Besides the ones that are total hotties? LOL. I guess I’ve always had a sort of strange fascination with the idea of vampires. I have a pretty open mind when it comes to magic and fantastic worlds. In my imagination, vampires are real and with Second Nature, I had a lot of fun bringing them to life. The idea of drinking blood is sexy on some level, though I’d probably never try it myself. And the notion that there may be a whole subspecies out there that sustains itself by consuming blood in certain amounts? Is that really so farfetched? I think there could be worse things we may not know about in the world than vampires so why not write about them?
 
5) Is there any sub-genre in romance that you wish would get more attention?
 
I think time travel romance is starting to get popular. It should be very popular by now, though. I’ve always loved historical romances, and the idea of being a modern girl and just popping in some place randomly just to see how things were then is pretty appealing. I mean, sure, there would be some culture shock and probably a little danger, but it would still be interesting. And I’ve been following the series Dr. Who for several years now. The contrast of history with science fiction is quite appealing. Who knows? Maybe someone will invent time travel someday.
 
6) Your latest release is titled “Second Chance Heart”. Do you believe in second chances?
 
I do for certain cases. I think it just totally depends on the circumstances and the people involved. I think there are some things we probably can’t come back from. But, I’d like to believe that forgiveness is possible, that we have it within ourselves as human beings to refrain from holding grudges, or at least to stop doing it when we notice we have. We err as humans, but those mistakes define us and help us grow into better people.
 
7) Who would you like to play the lead roles in your new release “Second Chance Heart” if it were ever turned into a movie?
 
For Dana, I would choose Deborah Ann Woll. And for Vince, maybe Taylor Kinney.
 
8) You are a multi-genre author. Which genre is the easiest for you to write?
 
My fallback genre is romance. Sometimes I stumble into it without even meaning to. However, I think that no book is easy to write really. Each one takes a lot of work. With every project, you encounter new hurdles and it can be challenging to surmount those obstacles.
 
9) What inspired you to write your latest book?
 
Second Chance Heart was born out of those awkward moments in life, such as running into your ex (I have so been there before), and the idea that we deal with certain regrets all the time. I wanted to see if forgiveness was possible for both sides.
 
10) What can we expect from you next?
 
Well, I am finishing up final round edits for Upon Your Love, book three of the Heiresses in Love Series. That is a historical romance saga, and the last book of the trilogy. It should be ready to send to beta readers soon. Beyond that, I am also working on a sci-fi romance, titled Blue Vision, in my spare time. I am eager to focus fully on that project and get it ready for betas as well. I hope to have UYL out sometime before the end of the year, and Blue Vision should be released around Valentine’s Day if all goes as planned.

About the Author Author Bio

​Bestselling multi-genre author of UPON YOUR RETURN and 20 other books. Nominated in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015 PnPAuthors Contest. Honorable Mention in the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014 MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013 and 2014. Top 10 Authors on AuthorsDB.com. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.

Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for over twenty years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 22 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, fantasy, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. Her current series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Magick Series and The Blood at First Sight Series. 

A list of her books and pen names are as follows:

Marie Lavender: Upon Your Return; Magick & Moonlight; Upon Your Honor; Second Nature; "Lovers Like Us" (from the book anthology, Poets & Writers in Action); A Little Magick; Second Chance Heart

Erica Sutherhome: Hard to Get; Memories; A Hint of Scandal; Without You; Strange Heat; Terror in the Night; Haunted;Pursuit; Perfect Game; A Touch of Dawn; Ransom; Leather and Lace

Kathryn Layne: A Misplaced Life

Heather Crouse: Express Café and Other Ramblings; Ramblings, Musings and Other Things; Soulful Ramblings and Other Worldly Things​


​Author Links

http://marielavender.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MarieLavender/posts
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
http://amazon.com/author/marielavender
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos About the Book Blurb for Second Chance Heart

After a wild storm forces her to take shelter in a small town inn, Dana Nelson thinks that all she has to worry about is a brief stay before she heads back to the city. She gets far more than she bargained for… 

The last thing she expects is to run into an old flame, and even worse, the man who broke her heart twelve years ago. She’s sure that the only thing remaining between them is a strong attraction for another. 

She can’t be more wrong… 

The more time she spends with Vince Reynolds, the more she begins to believe she can trust him again. But, can she put her faith in the one man who captivates her, body and soul, or are some wounds too deep to heal? 


Purchase Links

Amazon Universal link:  http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01593TDO6
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/576453
Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/second-chance-heart-marie-lavender/1122651302
Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/second-chance-heart
​

Book Club Cover Reveal - A DOG EAT DOG-FOOD WORLD by Suresh Chandrasekhar

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Cover Reveal:NEW RELEASE:  A DOG EAT DOGFOOD WORLD 
BY  
SURESH CHANDRASEKARAN




Blurb 

A hilarious pseudo-history of marketing management, which explicitly denies resemblance to any actual history, and which will be horrified if some semblance be found. The story of a man who discovered that the path of life is strewn with treadmills and, if you get on one by mistake, you could keep running all your life to stay in the same place. The story of how a businessman may just be minding his…err…business and the ‘Invisible Hand’ can cause unexpected consequences to arise out of his innocent actions. There is no point blaming the tale for being exaggerated because that is precisely what it seeks to be – an ‘exaggeratio ad absurdum’ of some facets of the world. Anything you learn from the book – be it the basics of marketing management or a satirical view of Society – you do at your own risk.

The tale only dogs the doings of:

Spike Fortune who only sought to feed dogs and, later, sought more dogs to feed.

Jerry Fortune who, being fortuneless, gets dragged helter-skelter behind his uncle Spike in the latter’s careening pursuit of commercial success and gets sandwiched between Spike and..

Tyke who was Spike’s resident genius on enticing dogs with their wares. He also has to help Spike in his rivalry with..

Tom Rich, who is unwillingly dragged into upstaging Spike and tries to do it by teasing the palates of cats, helped by the bumbling efforts of..

Jasper Rich who would rather be partying than chasing cats with cat-foods.


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Meet The Characters

Spike Fortune, who, being unable to justify his existence by making money, is obsessed with justifying his existence by spending all his inherited wealth. Lead into the paths of commerce, he discovers that, while it may seem attractive to set out to lose money, the natural consequence of having people consider him a loser was indigestible. Having set out to feed dogs, Spike becomes obsessed with feeding more dogs and, later, having more dogs to feed.
Jerry Fortune, who discovers that there are perils to having your livelihood depend on a benevolent uncle. Tied to his uncle’s coat-tails by a need for sustenance, he is dragged helter-skelter behind Spike in the latter’s careening progress in pursuit of commercial success. Having first been a mere interpreter between his uncle, Spike, and the resident marketing guru, Tyke, he later finds that being in the middle can get very uncomfortable, indeed.Tom Rich, who had never realized that the easy contempt he had for his schoolboy acquaintance could prove so dangerous. Spike’s meteoric rise in the world of Commerce puts him in a position of either having to prove himself better or have all that contempt come back with usurious interest. He drags his nephew, Jasper, along in pursuit of teasing the palates of cats.
AND MORE....
All that Spike and Tom had wanted was to be a winner in their respective businesses and, more importantly, in their own private game of one-upmanship. They had no idea that their humble quest would redraw the contours of Society and set in place principles that both businessmen and Society would live by.
Meet the Author
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Fiction has been an addiction but the need to make a living took Suresh through Chemical Engineering and a PGDM at IIM-Bangalore and, from thence, to a long 16 year stint in the area of finance with specific expertise in fertilizer subsidies and a further two years as consulting expert in the same area. That, in his words, about sums up the boring part of his life, except for the people he was privileged to meet.
Otherwise, he can be described as a mess of contradictions – a bookworm but avid trekker; alone but never lonely; enjoys solitude but loves company; lazy but a perfectionist, the litany is endless. Trekking, which side-tracked him from the writing for which he quit his job, is a major passion and he does, at least, one trek in the Himalayas every year in addition to numerous local treks.
He reignited his passion for writing with a fairly popular blog www.jambudweepam.blogspot.in. The blog has been rated among the Top 5 humour blogs in India, twice in succession - in 2014 and 2015 - by BlogAdda, and has also been listed third among the Top Humour Blogs by Baggout.He also has a short story published in a collection “Uff Ye Emotions” and has edited and written a novelette in an ebook anthology “Sirens spell danger”
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Review of "Gift-Wrapped in Her Wedding Dress" by Kandy Shepherd

My Review For me, Christmas has come early this year because this book was a wonderful gift ushering in the season. I have to admit I am a bit skeptical when it comes to Christmas romance novels because after all there is only so much you can spin out of that yearly, albeit indeed special, occasion. But I’m more than glad that I have read this novel – my third by Kandy Shepherd, and certainly not my last – because it was utterly charming and disarming.
 
The story starts off straight and predictable enough: A rich-to-boot control freak, business tycoon and scrooge hires a sassy and sweet, spunky and intelligent party planner to organize a (Christmas) party and polish his public image. But hold it right there, this book isn’t all that typical. Because the scrooge isn’t a scrooge at all, because there are many things out of his control – not least his own heart – and because I put the word Christmas in brackets for a reason. As the story moves on, I learned why Dominic is so against admitting to charity and celebrating Christmas. I loved the backstory the author has provided for him, full of pain and lessons learned, of hurdles taken and a life shaped, of betrayals and tragedies. It seemed the perfect reason for why Dominic is the way he is – and the perfect chance to set many things straight. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Dominic, for he showed more and more depth, is incredibly attractive, and seems like the ideal partner once you discover his true personality.

​Andie as the heroine is holding her own against the hero. She knows what she wants, she’s great at her job, and she has her own tragic past to battle. Andie is truly the perfect match for Dominic, and I applaud it that she doesn’t give up easily.
 
The story itself isn’t the only thing I enjoyed about “Gift-Wrapped in Her Wedding Dress”. As usual, the author’s language flowed effortlessly, modern and clear but with a certain sophisticated edge that separates the great Harlequin romances from the rest. The characterization tiptoed the fine line between typical, authentic and imaginative, and the happy ending was so perfect I may just have sniffled a little while smiling from ear to ear. And let me tell you something: I’d love to read the stories of Andie’s friends from Party Queens!
 
Rating: 5/5
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