Friday, September 29, 2017

Book Blast- Lean In To Relationships by Rishabh Jhol



About the Book:

Doubt has pivoted many a relationship across the centuries. Whether it is Othello suspicious of Desdemona or through the rise of paranoia as a trope in twentieth century writings. While paranoia naturally suggests the vulnerability of individual mind to social rhetoric, it is also the space for deep interrogation of the individual that renders him/her to paranoia. This novel presents that doubt has the potential to be a space of liberation.

Madeeha works in Jordan to rehabilitate Syrian refugees. Zehen, a political analyst from India, meets her in the US during their social impact program. He is intrigued and charmed by her, and falls deeply in love. But the world political climate, with its accompanying cultural narratives about terror and pain, infects Zehen’s mind. Zehen begins to suspect Madeeha as a possible mujahid. Will he find his truth?

Fear doesn’t devastate; it stirs the inner pot. It is a tender love story that triumphs heartbreaks and sets the foundation of deep lasting future relationships - a delightful emancipation from social intrigues and cultural constraints.


Read an Excerpt:

Zehen was experiencing sweet joy in his heart. Memories bustled in the head.

When did he first see her? Zehen searched his head madly. Orientation session? Corridor to the classroom? However, he tried, he couldn’t pinpoint the moment. A whirr of images, of moments, yet-to-be collaged. And a heart that already had a narrative, waiting to be inset.

We imagine that all romantic stories will have a sigh-worthy romantic beginning. But beginnings are when the heart awakens, when the soul remembers. A presence stills and emerges from the shadows of time.

His first memory was when she introduced herself in the class. They had gathered at Presidium University for a one-year course on Social Impact Leadership. Outside, the white fringe tree was laden with its grape-like fruits. The pine, oak and spruce waited for winter to tell the world how unchangeable they were. And the old Redwood stood proud like the institution itself. Inside, in the warm classroom, students from various cultures across the world had gathered. Icebreaker session was on and the usual round of introductions.

Introduction is a ritual. A cumbersome ritual. How does one reduce the tapestry of one’s entire existence, the colors, and the many weaves into a single palatable thread?


The Book is Free on Amazon on 29th & 30th September. Grab it here: Amazon

Anecdote

I published my first book in 2015 and my second book in early 2016. I was single at the time and using dating apps to meet other single people. I met a girl in mid-2016 who took fancy to my dating profile, especially that I am an author. After a couple of meetings, She demanded that I write about her. I jokingly told her that I am a Phoenix writer, i.e., I fall in love, get dumped, and write about my failed relationship. She broke-up with me, and still invariably pings whether I am including ‘her and our relationship’ in my upcoming book(s).

———————
The genesis of this book came about while I was on a cross-country train ride in the US. I met Mark who had been a successful marketing professional with considerable international marketing experience. He had travelled to all of Asia and understood the regional peculiarities.
He was later diagnosed with lung cancer. By the time, it was detected, it was stage 3. He was put under radiation and intensive chemotherapy. He went in for three other opinions. All of them agreed that the cancer was aggressive and spreading fast. He searched for the latest treatments and sought to enter clinical trials. The process lasted for two years.

In the meantime, the cancer advanced. The doctors said the cancer was incurable and he didn’t have long to live. It took him weeks of denial to come around to the truth – he didn’t have long to live.

He returned home from a long walk one evening and asked himself a crucial question: “If I am going to die, then I might as well die straight away. What is point of waiting for death to show up?”

That evening he ate well, watched a movie with his girlfriend, poured himself a rare scotch and sat at his study. It was time. He wrote out his letter – love and wishes to his family, loved ones and friends, his last wishes about funeral, information on his will, and a general note thanking all. He placed it in an envelope. He planned to kill himself early morning. He finished his scotch, brushed and went to bed.

In the middle of night, he woke up to a noise. The light was on in the study and he could hear sniffles. He walked cautiously up and there in the study, his girlfriend was holding his suicide letter and crying. He watched her as her body crumpled and sink into chair. Her face contorted in agony. In her face, he saw what was the consequence of his action. The penny dropped.

I paled and listened in horror. Mark continued, “I realized that our life is never ours. We are nothing but a bundle of emotions for the people who love us and the people we love. The meaning of life is to optimize for the happiness of such people. There’s nothing more to living.
That day on, I have been living for maximizing the happiness of my loved ones”

That’s how I stumbled on lean in to relationships; it has become my life philosophy.

About the Author 


I was born into poverty. At the time of my birth, my parents shared a one -room hut with six other family members in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Delhi.

It was a hot day in the month of March 1995. I was in standard 4th and had an examination the following day. As was regular in that locality, we didn't have electricity that day. I couldn't study or sleep properly. One of the watershed moments happened when I came back from school the next day. We had an inverter installed at home. I knew we couldn't afford an inverter. But my dad was always convinced that the way out of poverty for our family is through education. 

Despite an interest in creative writing, I chose to study a subject that society values more – Finance.  Later, I got into one of the top colleges for finance in the country. My first salary out of college (in 2007, when I was 20 years old) was higher than that of my dad's salary at the time.

When I was 24 years old, I had everything that makes one happy – loving parents, great partner, close-knit group of friends, and career path that exceeded every goal. Yet, I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t sad either; but it never felt like my life. I had carefully and meticulously built that life though. Contextually, it was the safe thing to do.

Following year though, I had to deal with the loss of my 7 year old relationship and of my 5 year old job. My identity was crushed. My biggest lesson was that you can fail at what you don't want, and what you consider safe; you might as well take a chance at what you truly want.
Next year, I got my ‘ideal’ job but walked away from it. Failure had taught me to be more ambitious and audacious. I had reached a point in my life where I wanted my work to have more meaning; and to stand for something more important than myself.

I started a political consulting company to maneuver social ascendance of marginalized communities by equalizing access to political capital.  I primarily did topical research for MPs for their debates in the parliament and on TV shows.  Partial project list includes:

1.   Providing 108 rape survivors with medical, legal, financial, and social support over six months through one of my client's NGO
2.   Getting amendments passed in the communal violence bill that tackle systemic bias towards Muslims
3.   Helping three social entrepreneurs raise a combined total of INR 43 lakhs from their MP for community initiatives

Along with running my own company, I focused on my passion for writing and traveling as well.  I solo travelled to all seven wonders of the world, and did two-cross country trips by train in India and in the US.  I have also written and published three fiction novels.




Thursday, September 28, 2017

Review- Too Beautiful to Break by Tessa Bailey

Summary-

A love of a lifetime . . .

Leaving Belmont Clarkson is the hardest thing Sage Alexander has ever done. From the moment they met, she knew Belmont was the one, and getting up close and personal with him on his family's epic road trip has taken her desire to a new, even hotter level. But there's no way she can go there---not without revealing secrets that could devastate them both.

Losing Sage is not an option. Belmont's heart is hers, has alwaysbeen hers. He knows she's hiding something from him, but nothing will stand in his way of telling her just how much she means to him. Finding her is easy---saving her from her past could cost him everything.


Release date: September 26th, 2017
Published by: Forever
Page numbers: 320

Review-

Too Beautiful to Break was one of my most anticipated reads of 2017. This is the fourth and final book in the Romancing the Clarksons series by Tessa Bailey and the build up of Belmont and Sage's book was happening right since book number one. I really did enjoy myself while reading Too Beautiful to Break. I have been following this series right through the beginning and it was  bittersweet to see it end. But I'm quite satisfied with the ending we got.

So let's start with Sage. Sage has been Peggy's best friend and wedding planner so she has been through thick and thin with the Clarkson siblings during the course of the road trip. Sage may come off as shy and sweet and classy but underneath she is hiding a background which she ran away from. But Sage knows she can't keep running and to get back to reality she has to leave Belmonte behind. I really liked Sage. She was a sweet girl and her heart was always in the right place.

Belmonte is the quiet brother. An incident in his childhood left him scarred and he is still struggling to deal with it. The only person who is steady in Bel's life in Sage. He feels right with her and only she can calm the demons inside of him. When Sage decides to leave him Bel will do anything to get rid of her problems for her. I love Bel. He was the sibling who probably needed love and affection the most. 

Sage and Belmonte made for a great pair. Sage fears that their dependence and neediness for each other may end up ruining them both but Bel is always there to prove her wrong. The chemistry between Belmonte and Sage was amazing and as always Tessa Bailey delivers and steamy and angst filled romance. Bel and Sage both have vulnerabilities and they both overcome them with each other's help.

We also finally get to see all the Clarkson siblings together along with their better halves. All the siblings have come a long way and it was great seeing them finally be a family who loved and protected each other. The climax of the book was definitely dramatic but Sage and Bel deserved their happy ending. I would definitely recommend this series to all romance and Tessa Bailey fans out there.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.



Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Blog Tour- The Divine Heart by Danielle R. Mani


The Divine Heart
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: September 27th 2017


Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Elle Collins spent most her life waiting for someone else to die…

When a heart donor is found, Elle awakes from surgery gifted with more than just a new heart—clairaudient messages and spiritual apparitions haunt her until she is convinced that she must be insane. Either that, or her donor is sending a message.

Desperate for answers the medical community can’t provide, Elle’s divination leads her to the family of her donor—a young girl named, Cas. With the help of her best friend, Rob—the guy who’s a testament that her new heart is capable of love, Elle must make sense of the clues Cas is sending. As pieces of Cas’s life and death emerge, Elle will discover that she and Cas share more than just a heart. 


About the Author:
Danielle R. Mani is a fan of the paranormal in both print and film. In her first book, The Divine One, Ms. Mani combines supernatural fiction with the everyday dramas of young adulthood. Her newest YA paranormal novel, The Divine Heart, is scheduled to be released later this year. Ms. Mani holds a Bachelor of Arts in education and a Master of Science in communications. She is currently a doctoral student studying parapsychology. She resides in Westchester, New York, with her husband, four children, two dogs, and two rescue cats.

Author Links:

Blog Tour Organized by:





Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Release Week Blitz- Too Beautiful to Break by Tessa Bailey


Summary-

A love of a lifetime . . .

Leaving Belmont Clarkson is the hardest thing Sage Alexander has ever done. From the moment they met, she knew Belmont was the one, and getting up close and personal with him on his family's epic road trip has taken her desire to a new, even hotter level. But there's no way she can go there---not without revealing secrets that could devastate them both.

Losing Sage is not an option. Belmont's heart is hers, has alwaysbeen hers. He knows she's hiding something from him, but nothing will stand in his way of telling her just how much she means to him. Finding her is easy---saving her from her past could cost him everything.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK
Author: Tessa Bailey
Series: Romancing TheClarksons, #4
On Sale:September 26, 2017
Publisher: Forever
Mass Market: $7.99 USD
eBook: $5.99 USD

Review-

Too Beautiful to Break was one of my most anticipated reads of 2017. This is the fourth and final book in the Romancing the Clarksons series by Tessa Bailey and the build up of Belmont and Sage's book was happening right since book number one. I really did enjoy myself while reading Too Beautiful to Break. I have been following this series right through the beginning and it was  bittersweet to see it end. But I'm quite satisfied with the ending we got.

So let's start with Sage. Sage has been Peggy's best friend and wedding planner so she has been through thick and thin with the Clarkson siblings during the course of the road trip. Sage may come off as shy and sweet and classy but underneath she is hiding a background which she ran away from. But Sage knows she can't keep running and to get back to reality she has to leave Belmonte behind. I really liked Sage. She was a sweet girl and her heart was always in the right place.

Belmonte is the quiet brother. An incident in his childhood left him scarred and he is still struggling to deal with it. The only person who is steady in Bel's life in Sage. He feels right with her and only she can calm the demons inside of him. When Sage decides to leave him Bel will do anything to get rid of her problems for her. I love Bel. He was the sibling who probably needed love and affection the most. 

Sage and Belmonte made for a great pair. Sage fears that their dependence and neediness for each other may end up ruining them both but Bel is always there to prove her wrong. The chemistry between Belmonte and Sage was amazing and as always Tessa Bailey delivers and steamy and angst filled romance. Bel and Sage both have vulnerabilities and they both overcome them with each other's help.

We also finally get to see all the Clarkson siblings together along with their better halves. All the siblings have come a long way and it was great seeing them finally be a family who loved and protected each other. The climax of the book was definitely dramatic but Sage and Bel deserved their happy ending. I would definitely recommend this series to all romance and Tessa Bailey fans out there.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.



BUY THE BOOK HERE


THE ROMANCING THE CLARKSONS SERIES


TOO HOT TO HANDLE, #1
TOO WILD TO TAME, #2
TOO HARD TO FORGET, #3
TOO CLOSE TO CALL, #3.5
TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK, #4


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend, and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband and daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.


FOLLOW FOREVER ONLINE


Monday, September 25, 2017

Review- Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis

Summary-

Meet cute...

Run for the hills—temporarily. That's Colbie Albright's plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie's so over it that she's under it. She's also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she's pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won't be a stranger for long.

Make merry...

Spence's commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn't have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot chemistry—he's got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself... just because she's gorgeous and a great listener just because she gets Spence immediately doesn't mean he won't be able to let Colbie go. Does it?

and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock's ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime.
 


Release date: September 26th 2017
Published by: Avon
Page numbers: 384

Review-

Okay so by now I'm sure all of you must know that I'm a HUGE Jill Shalvis fan. All my reviews of her books clearly state that. Chasing Christmas Eve is the fourth book in Jill Shalvis' Heartbreaker Bay series which is set in San Francisco. I have read and liked all the books in the Heartbreaker Bay series but I have to say I was really looking forward to Chasing Christmas Eve because it was Spence's book and it is no surprise that I loved it!

So let's just start with Spence. Spence has been present right since the inception of this series. He's the sexy nerd who's a genius. He's a millionaire and the owner of the property where this series takes place. I loved Spence. He was a great guy even he was horrible in social situations. I loved how Spence was smitten with Colbie since the moment he met her. He was protective of her and though he knew he sucked at relationships he wanted to be with Colbie.

Colbie on the other hand was a sweet heart as well. Colbie wants a break from her crazy family and that is the reason she comes to San Francisco. Colbie is actually a best selling author writing under a pen name. She loves the anonymity of it which she is fast losing because of pressure from her agent. I loved Colbie. She was responsible and sweet and all she wanted to do was be creative and write. She knows her time with Spence is limited and she has to get back to reality but she can't help but fall for him.

Jill Shalvis writes amazing chemistry. Colbie and Spence made for an adorable couple. They both had horrible experiences from their past relationships which made them hesitant to start a new one. I also loved how they got each other because both of them could easily tune the world out while working. Spence and Colbie try hard to convince themselves that they'll be fine without each other but they soon realise they've fallen hard.

I also LOVE the entire Heartbreaker Bay crew. I especially love Elle and Archer- I actually feel like going back and rereading Accidentally on Purpose. One thing I'd like to point out though is that Jill Shalvis drops facts and characters out of nowhere. It took me a moment to catch up with all of it and try to figure out if I'd missed anything or anyone in my previous reads. None the less I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading Chasing Christmas Eve.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.



Friday, September 22, 2017

Blog Tour: Review + Excerpt- Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes the next sexy, standalone novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series... Don’t miss the amazing excerpt and giveaway below, and order your copy today!

   

About CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE:

Meet cute...

Run for the hills—temporarily. That’s Colbie Albright’s plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie’s so over it that she’s under it. She’s also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she’s pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won’t be a stranger for long.

Make merry...

Spence’s commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn’t have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot—chemistry he’s got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself... just because she’s gorgeous and a great listener…just because she “gets” Spencer immediately doesn’t mean he won’t be able to let Colbie go. Does it?

…and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock’s ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime

   

Order CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE in ebook or paperback, releasing 9/26/17!

 

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo| Barnes & Noble

       

Add to your Goodreads

Review-

Okay so by now I'm sure all of you must know that I'm a HUGE Jill Shalvis fan. All my reviews of her books clearly state that. Chasing Christmas Eve is the fourth book in Jill Shalvis' Heartbreaker Bay series which is set in San Francisco. I have read and liked all the books in the Heartbreaker Bay series but I have to say I was really looking forward to Chasing Christmas Eve because it was Spence's book and it is no surprise that I loved it!

So let's just start with Spence. Spence has been present right since the inception of this series. He's the sexy nerd who's a genius. He's a millionaire and the owner of the property where this series takes place. I loved Spence. He was a great guy even he was horrible in social situations. I loved how Spence was smitten with Colbie since the moment he met her. He was protective of her and though he knew he sucked at relationships he wanted to be with Colbie.

Colbie on the other hand was a sweet heart as well. Colbie wants a break from her crazy family and that is the reason she comes to San Francisco. Colbie is actually a best selling author writing under a pen name. She loves the anonymity of it which she is fast losing because of pressure from her agent. I loved Colbie. She was responsible and sweet and all she wanted to do was be creative and write. She knows her time with Spence is limited and she has to get back to reality but she can't help but fall for him.

Jill Shalvis writes amazing chemistry. Colbie and Spence made for an adorable couple. They both had horrible experiences from their past relationships which made them hesitant to start a new one. I also loved how they got each other because both of them could easily tune the world out while working. Spence and Colbie try hard to convince themselves that they'll be fine without each other but they soon realise they've fallen hard.

I also LOVE the entire Heartbreaker Bay crew. I especially love Elle and Archer- I actually feel like going back and rereading Accidentally on Purpose. One thing I'd like to point out though is that Jill Shalvis drops facts and characters out of nowhere. It took me a moment to catch up with all of it and try to figure out if I'd missed anything or anyone in my previous reads. None the less I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading Chasing Christmas Eve.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.


EXCERPT:

Colbie Albright stood in the crowded LaGuardia Airport staring up at the flight departure board. Her chest was tight and her throat felt like it was closing in.
Classic anxiety, she told herself. Just breathe right through it.
Not that her body listened to her brain. Her body rarely listened to good sense.
In any case, it was December 1 and people were rushing all around her like chickens without their heads, while she stood still trying to figure out her choice of destination. Her only requirements were warm and tropical. An exotic beach would fit the bill perfectly.
Aruba.
Jamaica.
Oooh, I wanna take you…
Great, and now that Beach Boys song was stuck in her head. Doing her best to shake it off, she eyed the board again. So many choices for a twenty-eight-year-old runaway with a packed bag and no regrets.
From inside her purse her phone vibrated and she grimaced. Okay, so there were regrets. Buckets of them that made her suitcase feel like a thousand pounds and sucked the air from her lungs, but she refused to let herself turn tail and go back.
She was doing this.
   



And don’t miss the previous books in Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay Series, SWEET LITTLE LIES, THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE and ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, now available! Grab your copies HERE!



About Jill Shalvis: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.      

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Thursday, September 21, 2017

Blog Tour- Elemental Lies by Elle Middaugh


Elemental Lies (Essential Elements #2)
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance

Release Date: July 24th 2017


Summary:


Valerie Moore is an Elemental, a person who commands one of the classical elements of wind, water, fire, or earth. She’s special, though. She controls two—fire and water—though sometimes it seems like they control her

After the accidental exposure of Elementals to humanity, Valerie finds herself—and all of her kind—struggling to attain equality. Three different groups fight to secure leadership, and with all of their hidden agendas, she doesn’t know which side to choose. The balance between peaceful cohabitation and all-out war is precarious, at best. 

When a chance meeting brings Val and earth Elemental Cade Landston back together, everything changes. She realizes what she knew in the beginning—that he’s the one she wants. Her desire to win him over draws her closer to him, and his vengeful mission to hunt down her murderous grandfather brings them both closer to trouble.

From mysterious doppelgangers to reckless rescue missions, scapegoat bombings, and evolving Elemental powers, Valerie strains to keep up. 

All she knows is she must stop her grandfather at all costs. To do so, she has to figure out the truth. But how can she, when almost everyone she knows has been telling lies? 


Buy Links:    

About the Author:


Elle Middaugh lives in the Allegheny Mountains outside of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, with her wonderful husband and three beautiful children. She spends most of her time raising kids, writing stories, playing video games, reading, and attempting to keep a clean house.

She’s a proud Navy wife, a frazzle-brained mother, a fan of health and fitness, a lover of hot tea and iced tea, and a believer in happily ever afters.


Author Links:

Blog Tour Organized by: