Book Blitz: When Our Worlds Meet Again by Aniesha Brahma

~ Book Blitz ~
When Our Worlds Meet Again by Aniesha Brahma
16th November 2018

About the Book:

Two years after the events of 'When Our Worlds Collide', Zayn and Akriti are now leading extremely different lives. Akriti has come back from her stint at the business school and running her mother's café. Zayn has run into trouble in his PhD program and has come home for a break. While he thinks that things are just as he’d left them two years ago, that is far from the truth. In a last ditch attempt to make Akriti remember the connection they had once shared, Zayn tries to recreate all their memories. But things are never the same when collided worlds meet again. 

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon

Read an Excerpt:

Prologue

2015.

Akriti was sitting at the cash counter of her mother’s little café going over the expenses for the day. Her headphones were plugged into her ears as she listened to songs on her phone. Her laptop was propelled open in front of her as she made notes on what else needed to be done the next day.

In the two years that she had been gone, the café had not changed at all. Her mother had kept all the renovations that Akriti and her colleagues had done two years ago. The only difference was that now there was a bulletin board next to the chalkboard menu that had been installed just a few weeks ago. On the bulletin board hung a poster that announced that next week’s Poetry Slam would start at 6PM sharp, and Suzanna needed to be contacted for early registration.

Akriti finished her work and shut down her laptop. She looked around the café in grim satisfaction and let out a happy little sigh. The music from her phone suddenly stopped playing. Glancing down she saw that her phone had started buzzing, flashing a number she had not seen on her phone in quite a while.

Debating for a minute, she received the call.

“Hi, Zayn.”

Airports have seen more sincere kisses than weddings it is said. As Zayn Banerjee waited to catch his flight back home, he witnessed one too many couples bidding each other teary eyed goodbyes. It was watching these strangers that he remembered how it had felt two years ago when he had left his home behind in pursuit of higher studies. How he had come to this alien land which had eventually led him to a lot of heartache and misery!

But there had been something good about those two years. There had been someone who had seen past all his imperfections and focused only on the good that was in him. Who had been his friend against all odds and yet, they had fallen out of touch with each other over the course of two years. He wondered if she was still using the same number. He wondered if she still had his number saved.

On an impulse, he pulled out his phone and dialed her number. She answered it on the third ring.

“Hi, Zayn.”

“Akriti.”

He was pleased as punch that she remembered him.

“Did you want something?”

“I am just calling to let you know that I’d be home soon.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? Honestly, I was hoping for a reaction better than oh.”

“Zayn, it’s really late here. Let’s talk when you’re in town?”

“I’ll do you one better. I’ll come see you.”

“Great. Safe flight.”

Then the line went dead. Zayn stared at the phone, wondering if their friendship was lost over the course of time. This wasn’t like the Akriti he remembered.

This wasn’t his Akriti at all.

Akriti hung up the phone feeling utterly drained. Once upon a time this was a source of her happiness but tonight he was a cause of her stress. The last thing she needed was for Zayn to come barging into her life once more.

She remembered all the memories that they had made together two years ago. The time when she’d finally felt okay to let her guard down and just be herself. It seemed to her like it was a lifetime ago. But he’d left. Like everyone else in her life and she had found herself consumed by her loneliness. Going off to business school had only made Akriti revert back to her old self.

That’s a lie they tell you, Akriti thought bitterly to herself, as she put her headphones back on and started listening to music again, time doesn’t heal a damn thing. It just burns the memories into your mind.

About the Author:

Aniesha Brahma knew she wanted to be a writer since she was six years old. She was schooled in Dolna Day School and went on to pursue B.A., M.A., and M.Phil in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur Univeristy. She currently lives in Kolkata, with her family and five pet cats. She is the author of All Signs Lead Back to You, When Our Worlds Collide, The Guitar Girl and The Secret Proposal. She compiled and edited the 10 volumes series, 'Children's Classic Stories' with love and great efforts.

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Author Interview: Shilpa Suraj, Author of Driven by Desire

Shilpa Suraj was a year and a half when she was first introduced to the world of books. Her mother would park her with a picture book on the floor of the kitchen while she finished her cooking for the day. While it’s no longer the kitchen floor, you can still find her tucked away in a cosy nook somewhere with her nose buried in a book. While books in all genres interest her, it was romance that captured her heart. While racing through every romantic fiction book she could beg, borrow or buy, her over active imagination started to work overtime and weave its own stories. Years in the corporate world followed by a stint of entrepreneurship crystallised her belief that all she really wanted to do was give life to the stories bubbling inside of her. She briefly managed to tear herself away from the world of fiction to find her own personal happily ever after and now spends her time happily focusing on the two loves of her life – family and writing romances.

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?

I’ve always had a story to tell…the only difference is earlier I got punished for it and now I get paid. Jokes aside, I remember being the one narrating rather than listening to the bedtime story even as a child. I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller but it’s only later in life that I got around to doing this on a larger platform and with a wider audience.

What motivates you to write and where does your inspiration come from?

My motivation and my inspiration come from the same place…life and my vivid imagination. I’ll write as long as I have a story to tell and at the moment, I don’t see that ever ending. This is my happily ever after.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?

Max was a character who strolled right into my head. A vintage car restorer with a joie de vivre that’s enviable, Max is someone I’d love to be. Unfortunately, I’m more a Krish in real life. Harried, overburdened and stressed out. Bringing the two of them together was fun, interesting and irresistible.

What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine or do you have any weird, funny, or unusual habits while writing and what are they?

I wish I had a process. I truly wish I did but my process consists of writing whenever I find the time. With an active toddler, a full time job and a home to run, my writing time is usually in the middle of the night; the only time peace and quiet reign in my home. I don’t have an unusual habit per se but I do have a funny story. I set up a fully functional study in my home so I could sit at a tidy, professional looking table and write. It’s tidy and professional alright but I haven’t written a word at it. I usually end up tapping away in bed next to my sleeping daughter so I can multitask…babysit and write to my heart’s content.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I do. I often find myself struggling, especially in the middle of a book. What usually works for me is to take a break from the story. Refresh, recharge and remove yourself from the rut you’re stuck in…the writer’s block usually will sort itself out. If you’re still stuck, then maybe you need to revisit your story. The protagonists are probably trying to tell you something! 😊

What are your current/future projects?

My next book releases with Rupa Publications next year. It is the story of three people caught in a tangled web of love, family, marriage and each other and their dark, desperate journey of redemption. Adultery, bankruptcy and perfidy bring the three of them to a crossroads in life where there is no right choice. Only the wrong one.But mostly, it’s a story of their quest to gain acceptance through love. The only choice left to us all.

Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

I never chose my genre or field. I only ever wrote the stories I wanted to tell. My focus has always been on telling the most compelling story I could. The rest, as far as I’m concerned, are just labels.

Are you traditional or self-published, and what process did you go through to get your book published?

I’m traditionally published. When I wrote my debut novel ‘The Girl He Left Behind,’ I didn’t have any idea how the publishing industry worked. I went online and looked up submission guidelines of a few publishers and sent off my sample chapters and synopsis assuming I would be flooded with offers. I was lucky in that I did get several requests for the full manuscript followed by polite and encouragingly worded rejections until Harlequin reached out expressing interest. They offered me a two book contract and I haven’t looked back since.

Do you believe there is value in a review? Do you believe they are under rated, over rated, or don’t matter at all?

Yes, of course, there is value in a review. Good, bad or ugly, there is always something to learn and take away from it.

What is the intended audience for you book?

My books are intended for any adult reader who would like to read them. Taste or preferences are subjective, whether it’s books or fashion or anything else in life and I wouldn’t dream of judging who should or shouldn’t read my books. I’m happiest if everyone does.

What would you like to write about that you have never written about before?

Motherhood...A new mother myself, I realise just how much pressure there is on moms to be supermoms. I’d love to write a story about the real, heartwarming, confusing and oftentimes exhausting journey that it truly is.

Do you view writing as a career, labor of love, hobby, creative outlet, therapy, or something else?

Writing is my passion and a pocket of my life that’s only for me. It’s the part where I’m not someone’s mother, wife, daughter, employee…I’m just Shilpa Suraj. The successes, failures, bouquets and brickbats are all mine and for that alone, the value it brings to my life is immeasurable.

Tell us three fun facts about yourself/your book.

I’m a terrible cook. The first time I cooked for my husband post marriage he ended up with a mild bout of food poisoning.

I’m as much of a klutz as Max from Driven by Desire. I can literally trip over nothing.

I have to finish every book I start. No matter how tedious or hard to get into I find it, I can’t seem to stop reading until I reach the end. If I don’t complete it, it will plague me until I do.

An ace vintage car restorer and a pharmaceutical tycoon, Maxine and Krish have nothing in common. 

A chance encounter puts their lives on a collision course and a stubborn and steady attraction begins to bloom. 

Wanting each other is easy, it's happy ever after that's the problem...

Juggernaut

Thank you, Shilpa for this amazing interview! I wish you success for all your future works. Keep writing!

Book Blitz: The Woman Behind the Waterfall by Leonara Meriel

About the Book:

Heartbreak and transformation in the beauty of a Ukrainian village.

For seven-year old Angela, happiness is exploring the lush countryside around her home in western Ukraine. Her wild imagination takes her into birds and flowers, and into the waters of the river.

All that changes when, one morning, she sees her mother crying. As she tries to find out why, she is drawn on an extraordinary journey into the secrets of her family, and her mother's fateful choices.

Can Angela lead her mother back to happiness before her innocence is destroyed by the shadows of a dark past?

Beautiful, poetic and richly sensory, this is a tale that will haunt and lift its readers.

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Meet the Characters:

The Setting

Ukraine, a village deep in the countryside. A picturesque, verdant landscape. The houses are beautiful but have few amenities: water is gathered from the well, clothes are washed by hand, and the “outhouse” toilet is in the garden. Life is hard work here, and close to nature.

The Language

There are many Ukrainian words in the novel, especially emphasizing the names of endearment Ukrainian people give to each other. Lastivka is “little swallow”; zaika is ‘little rabbit”; harnenka is “my beautiful one.”

Meet Lyudmilla

Lyuda is a beautiful woman in her early twenties who has suffered some hard knocks early on. Pregnant at just sixteen, she left school and the child’s father moved into their house in the village. Her father died, and her mother soon after, and Lyuda found herself a teenager loaded down with the pressures of a baby, looking after a house, and a man who expected her to cook for him and be the light-hearted girl he fell in love with. Eventually, the situation grows intolerable for him and he abandons her. At seventeen, she is entirely alone with a small baby. She falls into a deep cycle of depression and self-blame, feeling that her life is over and that she is at fault. She doesn’t let anyone close to her.

It is only when her daughter Angela is a little older – aged seven – that she starts to notice how sad her mother is.  She decides to do something about it.

Meet Angela

Seven-year-old girl Angela has been left alone to do as she likes for most of her life. Her mother makes sure her dresses are clean and her hair is untangled, but she is free to play as she wishes. She has a wild imagination and she sees no boundaries between her thoughts and the world around her: she flies in the body of a bird, she becomes the wind, she enters a storm – she is pure spirit and possibility.

When she starts to notice her mother crying every time she is alone, Angela is determined to find out why, and to help her mother regain the happiness she herself feels. At the heart of her investigation are questions that now begin to haunt her: Where is her father? Why does no one come to the house? Why does her mother cry when she thinks no one can see her?

When Angela meets the spirit of her grandmother, they come up with a plan to help Lyuda.

Meet Zoryana

The name Zoryana, which comes from the Ukrainian root zorya, means star, dawn, youth, day or spring. Zoryana has returned to the Earth in spirit form after seeing the unhappiness of her daughter and her failure to move past her teenage mistakes.

Zoryana feels that she did not prepare her daughter enough for the real world before she died, and she sees her struggling and unhappy. She wants to show her that life has highs and lows and that she must choose a new path for herself. She connects with her granddaughter Angela, who is not daunted by meeting the spirit of a relative, and together they help Lyuda to understand and see the joy in her life.

Meet Kolya

Nicolai, or Kolya, lives next door to Lyuda and brews home-made vodka in his shed. He sells it to her and catches rabbits for her to eat. He was a childhood friend of her mother, Zoryana, and he hates to see her so unhappy. He’d love to help her, but she pushes him away. When he finally makes a terrible mistake, there is a high price to pay.

Reviews for The Woman Behind the Waterfall

“Readers looking for a classic tale of love and loss will be rewarded with an intoxicating world” ~~ Kirkus Reviews

“The language is lyrical and poetic and, in places, begs to be read repeatedly for the sheer joy of it… A literary work of art.” ~~ Fiona Adams, The Richmond Magazine

“Rich and poetic in detail, it is an often dreamy, oneiric narrative rooted in an exaltation of nature… A lovely novel.” ~~ IndieReader

About the Author:

Leonora Meriel grew up in London and studied literature at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and Queen’s University in Canada. She worked at the United Nations in New York, and then for a multinational law firm.

In 2003 she moved from New York to Kyiv, where she founded and managed Ukraine’s largest Internet company. She studied at Kyiv Mohyla Business School and earned an MBA, which included a study trip around China and Taiwan, and climbing to the top of Hoverla, Ukraine’s highest peak and part of the Carpathian Mountains. She also served as President of the International Women’s Club of Kyiv, a major local charity.

During her years in Ukraine, she learned to speak Ukrainian and Russian, witnessed two revolutions and got to know an extraordinary country at a key period of its development.

In 2008, she decided to return to her dream of being a writer, and to dedicate her career to literature. In 2011, she completed The Woman Behind the Waterfall, set in a village in western Ukraine. While her first novel was with a London agent, Leonora completed her second novel The Unity Game, set in New York City and on a distant planet.

Leonora currently lives in Barcelona and London and has two children. She is working on her third novel.

Contact the Author:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Book Blitz: Stroke by Toni Kenyon

•🎹✶✫• NEW RELEASE•✫✶🎹•

Stroke: Book 4

A Style Strike Rockstar Romance

By Toni Kenyon

Hosted by Words Turn Me On

He thinks he deserves a second chance--but does she?

Ryan's never forgotten that first, sweet, innocent kiss.
The way his insides curled up.
The way his entire body came alive.

He thought they'd be together forever.
But then, the siren call of the band took him away.

Fame.
Fortune.
Women throwing themselves at him.

But he never forgot her.
She always held a place in his heart.
Even if she did tell him to leave.

Becky didn't want to love him.
Watching him walk away had been the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life.
She'd picked up the shattered pieces of her heart and forged ahead--making a new life for herself--without him.

Then he came home.
To bury his mother.
Seeing him, alone by the side of the grave threatened to unravel her.

If she could just keep her distance--until he left--then she'd be okay.

But his mother had other ideas.

Amazon US ♫ Amazon CA ♫ Amazon UK ♫ Amazon UK

Amazon AU ♫ Amazon AU

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/360aa4f96/?

Brit rockers hit the US for the Get Rocked! In Vegas Festival

Sam MacAvoy’s a British rocker who has charted consistently at number one all over Europe since following in his brother, Julian’s footsteps. Now Sam’s been invited to Vegas to debut at the Get Rocked! In Vegas Festival and he’s brought his red hot band, Style Strike with him.

Ashley Jacobs can’t stand musicians, or over-the-top egotistical men. Somehow she finds herself in amongst dozens of them when she agrees—against her better judgment—to take a three day summer job at the Festival.

Paul Gray, Style Strike’s bass player and the star of his own social media channel, has women falling at his feet. What he can’t quite understand is why his charm isn’t working on the attractive and curvaceous, Ashley. She’s not interested in his social media stardom, nor does she care that he could have any woman he wants at the rock festival.

Or does she?

Amazon US ♫ Amazon UK ♫ Amazon AU ♫ Amazon CA

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—unless it follows you home.

All Ashley Jacobs wants to do is forget about the Get Rocked! In Vegas Festival and get on with her life. Unfortunately, the one night she spent in the arms of

British band, Style Strike’s bad boy bass player, Paul Gray makes that simple wish impossible. She’s brought home more than memories. What should have been a fun fling before she settled into her orderly life has gone awry. To her horror, Ashley’s entire life is turned upside down when she discovers that she’s pregnant. She’s literally about to be left holding the baby.

Paul Gray’s never forgotten that night in Vegas with the woman who wanted nothing to do with a rock star. Style Strike’s US tour has gone from strength to strength and his social media star is on the rise. Paul finds himself surrounded by everything he's worked so hard to achieve. His life is awash with women, fame and fortune—but all he can think about is the sensual woman who walked away from him that night in Vegas.

Knowing the tour's about to hit her hometown, Ashley makes the sensible decision to contact Paul. He needs to be told about the baby, doesn’t he?

Amazon US ♫ Amazon UK ♫ Amazon AU ♫ Amazon CA

Finding yourself has never been so much fun!

Paul's best friend.
He's the drummer in the band.
You know him; he's the guy hanging round at the back.

The sensible one.
The caring one.

Todd's the one everyone can rely on.

But he hits things.
Hard!

He's got an inked body that speaks of sinful things in the night.

And he's 24 years old.

Rose James-Spencer crashes into his life.

She's 34 years old and trying to find herself in New York.

With Todd she's found a hell of a lot more than she ever went looking for and she's not sure that she can handle him.

Strike is book 2 of the Style Strike Rockstar Romance series. It’s a new adult steamy rockstar romance. It can be read as a standalone and it has a HEA.

Amazon US ♫  Amazon UK ♫  Amazon CA ♫ Amazon AU

Check out this video

https://youtu.be/Myn14DEf25c

Toni Kenyon lives in Auckland (New Zealand) with her husband (and their dog and cat) the goldfish is just squatting! She writes romance by day, sings in a band by night and in her spare (yeah, right) time she wrangles difficult heroes into line, so they can star in her next novel. Toni also loves the garden and has a special place in her heart for her fruit trees and her veggie patch. A keen amateur photographer, Toni posts “Mood of the Suburbs” shots across most of her social media profiles. She loves to hear from like-minded people, so pop on over and say 'Hi' any time.

Visit her website and sign up for her newsletter so you can stay informed about her new releases.

Toni can also be found at:

Website  ♫ Newsletter sign-up ♫ Facebook ♫ Twitter

Romance from the Red Couch ♫ Goodreads ♫ Instagram

http://wtmowordsturnmeon.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TurnedOnByWor