Book Review-Jyoti Arora's #JustRomance

#JUSTROMANCE
by

Jyoti Arora

Blurb

7 heart-warming love stories to make you smile

You raised a song in my heart
That I never knew before.
Now kiss me, Love,
For I yearn to know
What a dream must taste like.

Luxury adds glamour to romances, danger adds thrill. But it is real emotions that turn love magical. And when love casts its magic, even ordinary people can have extraordinary love stories.

It is seven such delicious and relatable Indian romances that this book brings to you.

With realistic characters that will live in your heart. With romance spanning across mountains, forests, glowing beaches, or coming alive in roadside dhabas and buzzing city streets. With myriad gripping emotions of friendship and love, these feel-good love stories are sure to touch your heart with delight.

If you are in love with love,

then these beautiful romances are a must-read for you!

Seven couples, seven clean contemporary romances, one delicious book.

#JustRomance

Because nothing matters more than love.

     

Read an excerpt

My Review:

#Just Romance is a collection of seven stories that can neither be called a short story or a novella. But each story has twist and turns which keeps you keep hooked till the end. There is romance no doubt but suspense and mystery too in each story around the protagonist that sometimes you feel there is more to it.

Each story is unique; some will shake your core while some bring a smile on your face. The author Jyoti Arora has used simple, lucid language, which makes an easy connection with the reader. The cover image is apt and the title though different yet apt. 

          The short poems at start of each story are really something which sets the mood of the story. The description of the settings of the scene is so detailed that one can actually visualize it while reading.

So, if you like to read romances, then #JustRomance is a must-read. 

Grab your copy @

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About the author

Jyoti Arora is an Indian novelist and blogger. Besides her books, her writing achievements include several wins in blogging competitions, over five years of freelance writing experience, developing books for kids and abridging 30 English novels like Jane Eyre, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, etc. 

Jyoti’s first novel ‘Dream’s Sake’ was published by V&S Publishers in 2011. It tells a beautiful love story revolving around the troubles of physically challenged people. Her second novel ‘Lemon Girl’ is based on the theme of gender crime against women and victim-blaming. It is featured in Ezvid’s wiki list of 9 Well-Written Novels That Put Women Front & Center. It also received appreciation from Ms. Maneka Gandhi. Her third novel ‘You Came Like Hope’ talks about the opposite side of the issue discussed in Lemon Girl. That is, it talks about the fake cases filed by women. This too is a case of gender crime and victim-blaming. But in this case, it is the man who suffers. The book received much appreciation for its unique theme and heart-warming love story. All three books are intense and based on serious social issues. For her fourth book, Jyoti decided to write something lighter and happier. That’s what has resulted in #JustRomance, a collection of happy love stories. 

Books have always been Jyoti’s best friends. In fact, books so fascinated her from early childhood that she learnt to read by herself even before she started going to school. And she considers herself fortunate that she is able to pursue her dream of being a novelist and work at what she loves best.

However, if books are her first love, the thrilling and steadily advancing world of technology also fascinates her. As a result, one of her blogs is a technological blog called TechnoTreats. One of her posts in this blog even won her the title of Samsung Mobiler in 2011. After that, she has won several other blogging competitions too.

She is a patient of Thalassemia which forced her to drop out of school too soon. But she did not let that defeat her. She studied on her own and completed her schooling through correspondence courses. Then she went on to Jyoti study BA English (Honours) from Delhi University and then achieved postgraduation degrees in English Literature and Applied Psychology from Annamalai University.

For her determination and achievements, she has received appreciation from several eminent dignitaries and her life story has been covered in various TV shows, radio programs, newspapers, magazines, and websites. In the year 2016, she was one of the 100 special women achievers of India that were invited as special guests to attend the Republic Day parade in Delhi. 

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Book Review-Sonia Rao's The Magician

THE MAGICIAN 
(The Tarot Trilogy Book 1)
by 
Sonia Rao

Blurb

Fashion designer Sasha Kapoor always felt she'd missed out on love as she had an arranged marriage. And when her husband turns up at their 15th-anniversary party with a strange woman, she knows that her marriage is dying. With constant surprises and disasters to contend with, will Sasha ever get a chance at true love?

Shantha is much sought after for her tarot card readings on love, but can’t seem to help her own love life with a string of broken relationships behind her. Now, sparks are flying between her and a sexy bartender but will this relationship fizzle out too?

Young professionals Nilima and her husband are so besotted with each other, they give the word ‘soulmate’ a complex. Theirs is a match made in heaven…till tragedy strikes.

The Magician is a heart-warming story of these three dynamic women as they discover the meaning of true love through loss and longing.

Thoughts from the Author, Sonia Rao

Who is a Magician? If it is a Tarot Card, then it the Major Arcana card in the deck and symbolizes life-changing issues.

 But if it is a person, then it is Sasha, the main protagonist of my novel, The Magician. In this urban, contemporary romance, fashion designer Sasha, who caught within a loveless marriage, now seeks true love. It is also Shantha and Nilima who face their own challenges in love and try to rise above them.

 It is also every woman. This is because, as Shantha says to Sasha in the book, “Imagination is your strength. You have the power to visualize and then manifest what you want. You are the Magician.” Each one of us is The Magician because we hold within ourselves the power to create the life of our dreams.

But how did this cover happen? There is a lovely story behind it. While researching the many tarot decks online, I saw this card on the Attic Shoppe website and I knew at once that this was my “Sasha.”

Go back and have a look at the cover again. Doesn’t it just grip you too? Part practical, part whimsical, part traditional, part digital, this card, like the book, is a labour of love.

The designer, Bethalynne Bajema, created this card for her Black Ibis Tarot card deck.  The love she put in is very evident in the vibe one gets from it. Every time I see it, I am inspired to bring a touch of magic to the everyday routines of mundane life.

Carrying on the serendipity, Bethalynne immediately and graciously agreed to my request to make this card my book cover. Such generosity is hard to come by and I believe it is the Universe’s way of saying “you’re right on track.”  


(Bethalynne can be contacted here: Instagram)


My Review:

Narrating a story is an art. Interweaving emotions in the narrations and conveying it to the readers is a talent which only some authors possess.

The Magician – The Tarot Trilogy Book 1 is an intense, fast-paced story filled with mystery, betrayal, relationships and of course romance. 

This is the first time I read Sonia’s work and I loved it. The characters are well-described; the plot is engrossing and fast-paced. I loved the mystery part and how the suspense is revealed is commendable. 

While reading one can feel the turmoil of Sasha, the sadness and hurt of Nilima’s loss and love of Shantha and Danny. The Magician is roller-coaster ride on emotions and relationships. The cover image is apt to the title and story, use of simple and error-free writing, well-explained characters all make this book an interesting and enjoyable read. 

The Magician – The Tarot Trilogy Book 1 is a must-read. 

Read an excerpt

  
Grab your copy @

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About the author

"Sonia Rao is a writer, editor, and award-winning blogger. Her fiction has appeared in many prestigious anthologies such as Voices Old & New and Jest Like That (edited by renowned editor-writer Shinie Anthony).

 As NaNoWriMo’s Municipal Liaison for all-India and founder of the Wrimo India group on Facebook, Sonia has motivated thousands of people in India to write a novel every November since 2011. She has also curated and edited the first Wrimo India Anthology, Vengeance—A Sting In Every Tale.

Sonia likes to believe she is ‘high-minded’ but strangely, her fave hobby is thinking up torture devices for those autorickshawallahs who consider the roads to be their personal spittoon. Who knew?"

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Book Review-T F Carthick's More Unfairy Tales

MORE UNFAIRY TALES
(Carthick's Unfairy Tales Book 2)

by

T.F. Carthick

Blurb

A knight rescues a damsel in distress. They marry, the whole kingdom rejoices, and everyone lives happily ever after. The end.

Or at least that's what Official sources say. But what tales do insiders tell? What secrets lie buried deep inside Davey Jones' Locker?

What, dear reader, about The Unfairy tales?

The stories the Knight-in-Shining-Armour and the Damsel-in-Distress have never wanted you to know. Tales which Fairyland had kept locked up in secret and thrown away the key. Until our rogue bard went back in time and ferreted out skeletons hidden within secret cupboards of desolate mansions.

Our fearless crusader of truth and justice brings to you the second volume of revelations from fairyland.

You will find five more unfairy tales hidden within the pages of this tiny tome, the sequel to Carthick's Unfairy Tales. Stories of elves out to decipher the ways of men and dwarves seeking to reclaim their own histories. Of spurned witches and lost wolves. These stories are going to change everything you have ever believed about fairyland and give you a peek underneath the gossamer threads of glamour and magic peddled by the Fae.

     

Read an excerpt

My Review : 

         Most of the times a story is written and read from the protagonist’s point of view. The story portrays the good as good and bad as bad. But as every coin has two sides, similarly every story, too, has two sides.

If one has read Unfairy Tales (the first book of the series) by the author, one will have a fairly good idea of what to expect. But the author has crossed my expectations. If the first book was mind-blowing, the second book, More Unfairy Tales just left me speechless.

Five more fairy tales, five more unusually usual stories, which we have been hearing since we can remember but this time through the antagonist’s point of view.

Most of the times the villains are portrayed as evil, cunning and mean to make the protagonists look good, but we always forget that they are made to look bad so that others can look good. But no one notices their side of the story.

The author has created new versions of five classics

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• The Beauty and the Beast
• Red Riding Hood
• Rapunzel
• The Shoemaker and the elves.

And I am truly amazed by the new version. The language used is lucid. I loved the creative and innovative cover image. The book is so addictive that you end up finishing it at one go and is also a light read which lifts your mood.

More Unfairy Tales is definitely a must-read by one and all.

Grab your copy @

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About the author

T F Carthick is a Bangalore-based writer and blogger who has been blogging since 2008. He is an avid reader of Children’s Fiction, Science-fiction and Fantasy. Enid Blyton, J K Rowling, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Neil Gaiman and Douglas Adams are some of his favorite authors. His paranormal thriller ‘Bellary’ was one of the three stories in the book Sirens Spell Danger, published in 2013. Six of his stories have featured in multi-author anthologies and literary magazines. He has written over 50 short stories, many of which can be read for free on www.karthikl.com.

He is an Engineer and MBA from India’s premier institutes IIT, Madras and IIM, Ahmedabad and currently works as an Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Consultant at one of the world’s leading Consulting Firms.

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Review-Ajinkya Bhoite's Shiva Stone

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Shiva Stone: Hampi's Hidden Treasure
by 
AJINKYA BHOITE

BLURB

Mithila is a senior archeologist on the Hampi site along with two other UNESCO scientists. They decide to open some secret vaults in the underground Shiva temple. Treasures and artifacts from the 18th century make the headlines but the Shiva Stone was kept a closely guarded secret. 

When a RAW officer hires Mithila on a secret mission to safely transport an ISRO professor and the Shiva Stone to Bangalore, she knows something is up.

Why is the stone called the Shiva Stone? Why are archeologists, UNESCO, ISRO, and RAW interested in a discovery at Hampi? Why is Mithila working for RAW? Is she the only agent on the mission? 

Shiva Stone will take you on a thrilling adventure through the historical site of Hampi. Buy it now!

My Review:

Shiva's Stone is a suspense mystery story which leaves the reader in mystery too. The book cover and the interesting blurb made me pick up the book but after reading it I was left disappointed. Though the language used is lucid same can't be said about the plot.

Initially, the story creates the pace and interests of the reader, but as you proceed somewhere you feel like, 'what's the story about?' It feels like a wild goose chase. It feels like while writing, in between the author has somewhere got distracted from the plot and ended the story in a hurry. There is very little mention of the importance of the Shiva's Stone on which the story is written. 

I have always liked reading mythology and mystery but not this one.

Grab your copy @

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About the author

I am an Electronics and Telecommunication Engineer with an inclination towards reading and writing. Besides, being Engineer, I enjoy running. 

My first novel is Shiva Stone which is self-published on Kindle.

I was born in a small town called Wai, near Panchgani, Maharashtra. Moved to Satara for High School. 

Under-graduation from Pune University and Masters from California State University, Long Beach.

Currently, working as a Cloud Support Engineer for Amazon Web Services.

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Book Review-Tanushree Ghosh's From An-Other Land

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From An-Other Land
by 
Tanushree Ghosh

BLURB

Never has been the conversation on immigration more pertinent than now, post 2016 US elections. From cancellation of refugee protection and zero tolerance to undercurrent crackdown on H visas, the resurgence of nationalism is hitting the globalized population head-on. 

But what is immigration today? A question of life or death - fleeing of persecution? A compulsion? Or a mere pursuance of privilege? 

And what is the US today? A land of opportunities? Or a quagmire impossible to comprehend, inherently racist and selfish?

From An-Other Land dives deep into immigration today for the Indian diaspora and its many facets with characters who seek to define themselves in an intercultural setting that is less and less sure of itself. A reality check and a guide for anyone who wants to understand the modern-day US.

My Review:

First, when I picked up this book I just couldn't read beyond a few pages. Second time too same thing happened and I thought I won't be able to finish this book. Then I had to take a break from reading due to personal reasons. I have heard people say third time is lucky time. So with a clear mind and with no opinionated views in my mind, I started reading this book from start and I must say I absolutely loved it.

Though From An-Other Land is a hard read when compared to light-hearted romance or fast-paced thrillers, still I feel this book is definitely a must read.

Why? Well, for many reasons... The fluid language used to portray each and every protagonist life in the USA, their dreams, their struggles, their heartbreaks, their achievements and many more which actually touches you and makes an impact at right place and pace. The author has so wonderfully painted (written) struggles of NRI's who go to a foreign land with dreams in eyes, with those rose-tinted glasses and hopes of a better life than what they are leaving behind.

I appreciate Tanushree’s effort in writing such a wonderful book which gives all an insight into what NRI's go through in foreign land.

So if you want a light read please avoid this book. Only if you want to do some serious, thought-provoking read From An-Other Land is definitely a must read.

Grab your copy @

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About the author

Tanushree Ghosh works in the technology sector in the USA and is also a social activist and a writer. She has a Doctorate in Chemistry from Cornell University and has worked at the Brookhaven National Laboratories and is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and Presidency College Calcutta.

Her blog posts, op-eds, poems, and stories are efforts to provoke thoughts, especially towards issues concerning women, social justice, and immigration - which is the topic of her first solo-author work From An-Other Land published by Readomania publishing. 

As a contributor to the Huffington Post US, she has published several posts on topics that affect the under-represented and the lesser privileged, whether that's a population, a nation, or an individual. Her first article for the Huffington Post went viral and was picked up by the Yahoo news. She has since written on the Syria war and its children, open borders, the unfair coverage in the Western media of the Brazil Olympics, societal differences in outlook on issues like gun control in the US, and off-course - women. She has written on postpartum depression, acid attack and its state globally, #MeToo and a myriad of related topics and was interviewed for Reddit and the Indian Express. She is a regular contributor to several popular publications (incl. The Tribune (Sunday Diaspora segment), Thrive Global, The Logical Indian, Youth Ki Awaaz, Café Dissensus, and The Women's Web). Her literary resume also includes poems and stories featured in national and international magazines, including Words Pauses and Noises, UK; TUCK, Glimmer Train honorable mention, and inclusion in seven anthologies (through winning national and international contests), including Defiant Dreams (Oprah 2016 reading list placeholder) and The Best Asian Short Stories 2017 (published out of Singapore by Kitaab). She has served in coordinator and chapter head roles of ASHA and AID India and has affiliations with several women's organizations and non-profits. She is also the founder and director of Her Rights (www.herrights.website), a 501(3) c non-profit committed to furthering the cause of gender equality and supporting victims of gender violence.

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