Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Blog Tour: Where There's Faith by LA Remenicky

╔════ •´¯`•.•✿ • ✿ •.•´¯`••════╗
✿ ҉ ✿ NEW RELEASE ✿ ҉ ✿
╚════ •´¯`•.•✿ • ✿ •.•´¯`••════╝


•´¯`•.•✿ • WHERE THERE’S FAITH • ✿ •.•´¯`•
•✿ ҉ ✿ BY L.A. REMENICKY ✿ ҉ ✿•

wtfcover.jpg

Where There's Faith (Fairfield Corners Book 3)

A past she can't remember. A love he can't forget.


After hitting rock bottom, Robert Newlin embraced sobriety and tried to live his life quietly and alone at his family’s lake cottage. Blaming himself for the accident that claimed his wife and unborn baby, he spent most of his time alone and grieving until Faith moved into the cottage next door.


Faith McMillan had no memory of her life before that day three years ago. The physical scars had faded but the emotional ones were still fresh and raw. Living rent-free seemed like a great way to finish her second book and would give her the time to figure out her next move. But then she met the reclusive guy next door.


Robbie and Faith – can two broken people who vowed to live their lives alone find happiness together?


#WTFaith #Romance



•´¯`•.•Also Available•.•´¯`•

coverbook1.jpg

#AvailableOnKU



Saving Cassie Audible:
iTunes audiobook:


cover.jpe

#AvailableOnKU



Ragan`s Song Audible:
iTunes Audiobook:


✿ ҉ ✿Rafflecopter✿ ҉ ✿


•´¯`•.•✿ •About the Author• ✿ •.•´¯`•


laremenicky.jpg

L.A. Remenicky ~ Love Stories With A Twist
L.A. Remenicky is a forty-something wife and mother of three fur kids. A payroll professional by day, she writes out the stories in her head by night.
An avid reader all her life, she finally put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) during NaNoWriMo in 2012 and has never looked back. When she’s not typing away on her latest story with music playing in the background, she can usually be found spending time with her family and friends.


Email: LARemenicky@LavishPublishing.com


wTMO hostedby.jpg




Monday, March 13, 2017

Book Review: The Princess of a Whore House by Mayank Sharma

Title: The Princess of a Whore House
Author: Mayank Sharma
Publisher: Notion Press


Review

This slender but nimble fiction is a well-meaning story of a girl trying to make it in the mainstream society. Though chased by the shadows of her melancholy life, Aparajita is destined to rise above her hardscrabble life to pursue the dream that her dead father cherished for her.
The story starts with Aparajita trying to get into one of the most reputed schools in Delhi. This tiny event brings forth Ramya’s past. We get to know how, after Ramya’s husband died in an unfortunate incident, she had nobody in the whole wide world to turn to. The only person, on whom she had pinned all her hopes, cheated her of her trust and dignity. Eventually, she ended up in a brothel along with her daughter. Even though reduced to the worst possible fate, Ramya had only one dream — to give her daughter a quality life. Her ardent prayers were answered when she met Raj, a man who is at the opposite spectrum of Anjum. As such, two men define the fate of a woman and the destiny of a girl. 
Sharma sets the stage for a collision of events and characters that are already connected. Just what this collision will bring forth makes up the heart of the book, which also explores the choices that people make in life and their opportunities to overcome circumstances. The story also mildly touches upon the stigma and the conditions that exist for sex workers in our country.
Written in the first person, the narrative swings between the perspectives of Ramya and Aparajita. This switch in point of view is a bone of contention for it leaves the readers flailing for a sense of time and place. The story’s grammar is less assured though, and the dialogue can sometimes feel forced. Nevertheless, once readers get caught up in the tale itself, they’ll likely enjoy the ride. 
The story gets its lasting power from the qualities of its main characters’ personalities — people who may find themselves caught up in dire conditions but who ultimately find ways to look for light at the end of the tunnel.

Buy Link

About the Author


Mayank Sharma is a ‘left-brained’ professional with over twenty years of global experience in leading multinational companies. His interest in writing intensified when one of his articles was featured in the May 2014 edition of Better Software magazine published in Florida, USA.
As Mayank travelled across continents and associated with people with diverse beliefs and values, he became more curious about the social riddles that curtailed liberties across civilizations. 

He is transforming into a 'right-brained' writer with his debut book, The Princess of a Whorehouse. Besides writing, he is passionate about painting and making sculptures. 

Mayank lives in the National Capital Region of Delhi with his wife, Sonali, daughter, Myra, and son, Aarav. 

Social Media



I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 




* I received a review copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest review.
** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in 


Monday, May 2, 2016

Blog Tour: The Strength of Love by G.L.Ross

Mother's Day is just around the corner. Why not order mom a Kindle copy of The Strength of Love by G.L. Ross to show the strength of your love? For this week only, you can get a Kindle copy for only $0.99! 

  SOL - sale.png


synopsis 

Thankfully, some love stories are so strong they never die. "The Strength of Love" is a tale of love, loss, and second chances. This inspiring love story shares how several men influenced one woman's life and showered her with love in different ways. Experience love, friendship, faith, suspense, tragedy, humor, and a super-natural element...always and forever.   Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride, Rachel Thompson is ready to give up on love, before rodeo cowboy Brooks Reynolds rides into the arena and lassos her heart. His smoldering looks and strong yet tender nature sweep her off her feet. Life is pinch-worthy and picture-book perfect, except on the eve of her wedding Rachel's love story is ripped from the pages. After two months of grieving, she discovers her nightmare is never-ending. In order to escape her heartbreaking past, the middle-school counselor relocates to a new city for a fresh start and a second chance at happiness and perhaps even love. Through her faith and the support of her family and friends she discovers sought after answers during an unexpected journey

. cover

*** WINNER OF THE READERS' FAVORITE FIVE STAR AWARD!! ***

Readers Favorite 5star-flat-web.png

"Bring out the tissues, ladies, because you are going to need them."

excerpt 

 The rain slows. Rachel presses her hands against his chest and distances herself. Her eyes devour the answered prayer standing in front of her. In a deep, sultry voice, she explains, “I think I knew the moment I saw you sitting high in your saddle. When you tipped your hat I truly lost my breath. Then when you stared into my eyes I melted. The first time you physically touched me I lost a part of my heart and prayed you captured it.” Tears fill Brooks’ eyes. “But when you kissed me at the Cowboys game I gave you my heart. I think I knew then I was in love with you, but mentally it seemed too soon, too fast, it had to be lust I told myself. And the more time we spent together I knew it was lust—” Brooks’ forehead wrinkles. Rachel’s hands slip underneath the front of his shirt wrapping securely around his waist. Her eyes worship his as she continues, “But more importantly I knew I was in love with you, too. Madly, passionately, crazily in love with you, Brooks Reynolds.” Brooks’ fingers thread through the hair on each side of her head. Tightly he holds her. She continues, “I. Love. You. Brooks.” His lips crush hers. Their tongues attack every area inside their heated mouths. His tongue flickers across her neck. Her teeth nibble his earlobe. Brooks sweeps her lithe frame into his strong arms. Carrying her into the house and to her bathroom, Rachel trembles as the chill and the excitement overwhelm her senses.

  SOL - 99c.png

Get it on Amazon today!

author bio 

 G.L. Ross is a proud, sixth generation, native Texan. As a true Southern Belle, G.L. has always dreamt of the “happily ever after,” the prince riding in on the white horse sweeping her off her feet. She hasn’t found “Prince Charming” – yet (always an optimist) – but finds him every time she writes about her characters’ “happily ever after” endings. Her motto in life is to “always find the good” in every person and situation. Whether through laughter, prayer, music, or a glass of wine or vodka, G.L. finds the good in life and shares her sense of humor, love, faith, and adventure in her stories. Experience family, faith, and love in The Strength of Love. Take a steamy flight with Lance & Lisa in Turbulent Passion, and continue their sexy journey in Burning Desire. Crosswind, book three, in the Flyboy Trilogy will release in 2016. Plus, you must meet hunky rancher, Graham Gaskin, in A Rose Has Thorns…He’s smokin’ hot!

Visit G.L. Ross's pages:



giveaway

Enter to win a 3-bar set of Ellen Tracy Blossom Rose Bouquet Fragrance Bath Soap and a Body Benefits exfoliating bath sponge

bouquet.jpg


Event organized by:
Logo_Name

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Book Review: Monkeys, Motorcycles and Misadventures by Harsha

Title: Monkeys, Motorcycles and Misadventures
Author: Harsha
Pages: 230
Price: 225.00 INR
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

Blurb

After having recurring dreams, a man considers retracing Lord Hanuman's epic journey from India to Sri Lanka. While rationality argues against the pursuit, the dream appeals to something deeper, and he sets out with two friends on a 1200 kilometer trek across South India. The journey however, doesn’t turn out to be quite what they expected. Along the way, through encounters with evil cans of pepper spray, wise men, pimps, hell hounds, and manic elephants, they are forced to confront their personal demons. At one of their lowest moments, plagued by doubt, they lose all hope. That's when they experience a sign, the first of many, which renews their spirits and helps them push forward.
Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures, provides a candid account of the trio’s incredible journey - their misgivings, sufferings, and triumphs, all in search of faith.

Review


A round trip and a search for lost faith, Harsha Vardhan’s ‘Monkeys, Motorcycles and Misadventures’ is a breezy yet insightful read. As you’ve already guessed, this book is a travelogue charting the course that Hanuman had taken in order to rescue the kidnapped Sita from Ashok Vatika in Lanka. The writer, after having recurring dreams, considers retracing the epic journey from India to Sri Lanka. He ventures out with two friends on a 1200 kilometer trek across South India. This book is a well written and balanced journal highlighting the journey of the trio and their many experiences gathered on the way.
I being an armchair traveler enjoyed every bit the author had to offer. Of course it was a gentler, more pleasurable journey for me than it had been for the writer simply because while I enjoyed his trek sitting in the comfort of my room, he had to brave the scorching sun and adverse terrains. Harsha, not one for crowds, doesn’t feel at home with the traditional way of rushing around tourist spots. In most places he visits, there’s a sense of man and nature being in harmony – Mahendragiri being a notable exception. But it was there that his faith was restored in god.
This book is a travelogue cum memoir in which the writer, unmoored by the loss of his beloved grandmother and consequently that of his faith, seeks a resolution of some kind on a journey. It’s a joy to read. There’s right amount of humour, wit and insight. In addition, I really enjoyed the verbal exchange among the three friends. I’d recommend it to all those you enjoy reading non-fiction.

About the author

Harsha is a freelance writer and the author of ‘Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures’. After graduating with a Master’s in Business Administration, he worked with a large IT company for a few years, before taking a sabbatical to trek the Hanuman route. In 2013, he moved to a beach town, where he spent a year beach bumming, mooching off family, and writing ‘Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures.’

Website:


Facebook Page:


Buy links:

Amazon:

Flipkart:

Landmark:




Giveaway:

Goodreads


I'd like to thank author Harsha for letting me review his book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 



  

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Book Review - When I Fell In Love With Life by Geetha Paniker


Title: When I Fell In Love With Life
Author: Geetha Paniker
Pages: 234
Publisher: Partridge Publishers

About the book

An anthology of writings from a cancer survivor whose therapeutic writing will guide, inspire, and heal your soul. She lays bare all the aspects of private suffering yet points out how she overcame each challenge with grit, determination, and a healthy dose of childish delight and wonder. Profound thoughts narrated in a simple language. Her words and wonderful ability to blend with her surroundings yet stand out by absorbing the essence of it all; will challenge you to look at life through a rebel's twinkling eye. Journey with this nature-loving, soul-searching, deep-thinking powerhouse. See what it feels like to touch rock bottom and build a solid foundation for a life made on her terms. A truthful story that continues to redefine the norm and gives you a glimpse into the life of a true survivor.

Review

What does it mean to survive a life-threatening illness? Well, I’d like to quote one of my favourite singers, Kelly Clarkson, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” It is what Geetha Paniker, the author of ‘When I Fell in Love with Life’ feels too. At least that is what I gathered after reading her inspiring novel. Cancer is nothing one can get through without learning a valuable life lesson. Her story eloquently demonstrates how seemingly insurmountable adversity can bring forth surprising courage and strength to those who have faced the most difficult situation in their life. This book also tells that when things go wrong courage, grit and determination matter a lot since success does not come from quitting but from the simple belief that you can get through anything if your mind is set.
Geetha Paniker has a very candid style about her writing that urges one to read on. The way she has written her experience is superbly complementary for she hasn’t just given the ugly side of her illness; rather she has romanticized the disease itself so much so that it doesn’t terrify to turn the pages. She calls her illness an "Emperor of Maladies" and at certain times mentions it as a creeping crab. There is no false sentimentality, there's no Pollyanna, no posing. Through her narration one gets to see beyond the emotional fall-out of confronting cancer. The book contains several inspiring quotes and optimism blended with a lot of positivity. Her poems also need special mention for they are profound. There is a powerful cumulative impact on the reader that lingers.
This is a fine book. I'm sure it will have special meaning for both cancer survivors and cancer victims alike. But just as importantly, for many of us who are neither of these, it also helps us better understand ourselves.

About the author

Geetha Paniker is a retired primary school teacher. She has a unique ability to find beauty around when pain rains on her and it is this pain that keeps her grounded and humane. She is a teacher at heart, but God and nature are her teachers, and she draws lessons from everything around—from the mist on the mountaintop to the dewdrop on a blade of grass. She hails from Anthikad, a village in Trichur, and lives in Chennai.

Buy Links


I'd like to thank author Geetha Paniker for letting me review her book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 



 

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Author Interview - Avantika Debnath, Author of The Bridal Pyre: Nainam Dahati Pawakah

                                    About the Author


Avantika Debnath is a writer at heart and dancer at soul but to earn a living she works as an HR professional in a multinational company. She hails from the City of Joy: Kolkata, West Bengal and stays in the City of Nizams: Hyderabad, Telengana. She has done her Bachelor’s from Calcutta University with Major in English and has an MBA degree from The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI).
Having written widely in various websites, and print media, and being a regular contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series, she is final ready with her debut novel – The Bridal Pyre: NainamDahatiPawakah for you to read this September. Meanwhile please enjoy her dig on social norms.
nalysts of India (ICFAI).

                                Author Interview

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?
I guess, I was in class 2 at that time. I had just written a poem and I was sure I want to explore more into writing.

What motivates you to write and where does your inspiration come from?
Life… Life inspires everyone to do something. It inspired me to write.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?
I always wanted to write a novel. It is just that I wasn’t getting the subject that would keep me glued for as long as it takes to finish a book. And then I witnessed a few incidents in life, no not my life though. But I did see a couple of things happening around my regular life, and so I knitted them together added a little bit of my own imagination and here we are with The Bridal Pyre – NainamDahatiPawakah.

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?
This is not a job for me, I cannot keep a process for it. At times I can spend an entire night hitting the keys of my laptop, and then for days at stretch I won’t be able to write a single word. I am very impulsive. And so writing happens to me in a momentary way.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
I haven’t written so much as yet that I would suffer from writer’s block. I still have many thoughts pilled up in my head waiting to find words into my books.

What are your current/future projects?
I do intend to write a collection of 4-5 love stories sometime. In fact that is what I had started my book writing with, but there was this dying need to pen down The Bridal Pyre – NainamDahatiPawakah first. But I will go back and complete my compilation of love stories.


Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?
The Bridal Pyre – Nainam Dahati Pawakah is a feminist social drama, and I chose to write on this topic because the situation I have come across and witnessed, some in my life some in others, I couldn’t help but write it. It is a story that needs to be heard and told. I had to write it, because someone had to address the elephant in the room. For how long could we turn a deaf ear and blind eye to it? The protagonist of the book Meera is a character that is basically a compound of various real life woman I have come across in life. They choose to stay anonymous, so let them be. But their struggles are real. Meera is a woman who is from an upper middle class Bengali family where marriage is given some amplified importance. And like all mothers, Meera’s mother also advised her to adjust and be patience. But mothers need to tell their daughters when exactly they should put their foot down, because a one-sided adjustment soon takes the form of subjugation. We don’t want that to happen to our woman anymore. Again, there are so many bodies that fight for woman rights, every other day some new law is passed. But when a genuine case requires attention, no one is there to help. And these laws, lawyers, courts, police, they only add to the plight of the victim. How? You will know through the story.
I do not have another feminist story line running in my head anymore. I don’t see that happening anytime sooner.

What is the intended audience for you book?
I target mature audience. And for the record I am not saying I target ‘old’ audience when I say mature. Maturity has nothing to do with age I believe. You can be a teenager and you if have that understanding of the unforeseen challenges that life can throw at you, you are my audience. You can be some 70+ gentlemen, but if you have not learned anything from the life that you have lived so far, The Bridal Pyre – NainamDahatiPawakah is not for you.

If you had the chance to get one message out there to reach readers all over the world, what would that message be?
People, learn to love. Love with all your heart. Be possessive about your lover, it is okay. Don’t be jealous of your lover’s success or achievement or don’t be insecure. That is not okay. And yes, please pave the way for the modern Indian woman. She will make your life amazing.

What is the easiest/hardest scene for you to write, why? (Love, action, fight, death, racy, controversial, etc…)
There are a couple of them. But the most difficult scene that I wrote was Meera’s miscarriage in The Bridal Pyre – NainamDahatiPawah. More, so because the amount of emotional turmoil this character goes through along with the physical pain. This was my first work as a novelist, I am not sure if I could do justice to the situation. But I was writing this scene, and I had to stop for a while, cry, get myself a cup of coffee, and go back to completing the scene.

Were your characters based off real life people/events or did you make it all up?
The protagonist of the book Meera is a character that is basically a compound of various real life woman I have come across in life. They choose to stay anonymous, so let them be. But their struggles are real. Again, a number of negative characters are also ‘inspired’ by real life people. Then I have tried to draw the characters a lil bit here and there. I would certainly give some credit to my imagination as well.


Sneak Peak

It was indeed a beautiful twilight that Meera had lived in a long time. The sky appeared like someone scattered a box of vermillion on it. But this vermillion had nothing as scary, as haunting, as suffocating as the vermillion she has just washed off her head, the vermillion that washed down her face like a jet of blood, similar to the blood that flushed out, in between of her legs just a couple of months ago.

‘Don’t touch me anymore, Abhi. I will be sullied, I will be stained, I will be dirty…” No, she didn’t say this to a rapist. She shivered as her husband extended his arms towards her to offer help. Her fatigued body had no strength to clean itself again. She had just washed his child out of her body.

****

“How on Earth did I conceive? How did I conceive staying with an impotent bastard like you?”

She stood up. One against all. She wanted justice for the child she never saw, and the humiliation her parents faced throughout the course of the eleven months of her matrimony. But she was ambushed by all those who were supposed to rescue the ones in despair. All those in whom the women of this nation rest their trusts. The police department, the lawyers, the judges, politicians, big businessmen, media houses either waylaid her or proved utterly futile in serving justice.

“I have seen such strong men cry like babies while getting a broken bone fixed. How are you bearing with this pain so tranquilly?” asked the doctor.

“May be I am not a man, but what made you think that I am not strong?” she thought.

****


Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Book Review - A Bipolar's Journey by Vijay Nallawala

Title: A Bipolar's Journey
Author: Vijay Nallawala
Pages: 234
Price: INR 450.00
Publisher: Partridge India

Review

I’m not much of a nonfiction reader, but when Mr. Nallawala approached me for reviewing his book, ‘A Bipolar’s Journey: From Torment to Fulfillment,’ I accepted without any second thoughts simply because I wanted to know more about bipolar disorder straight from the horse’s mouth.
Vijay Nallawala has bipolar disorder, a mental condition marked by alternating periods of elation and depression, which makes normal living strenuous. His book is a Bildungsroman, a coming of age story that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood in which character change is extremely important.
‘A Bipolar’s Journey’ is the autobiography of a man who has defied all odds to emerge victorious in spite of his affliction and still continues to do so. There’s a frank openness in the writer’s voice. He confides in the reader all about his private life—every emotion, success, frustration, and humiliation— very honestly and authentically. He tells us the story of his heroic battle against adversity, prejudice, stigmas, stereotypes, of his will to succeed and his search for an identity in a country that lacks greatly in understanding the workings of the human brain. In the process of self-realization, I’d say he has become a beacon of hope for those who ride the same boat as his.

What is absolutely worth reading in this book is how the writer has explained such a complex and varied disease as bipolar in simple yet effective language. There are no medical jargon that may confuse the reader. Even someone with no prior knowledge regarding the ailment can understand fully what the writer intends to share. The language is simple and there is no attempt to resort to euphemisms. There is never a dull moment and I couldn’t wait to complete the book. I’d recommend everyone to read the book and learn something from it. 

Cons 

None

Verdict

A must read for all those combating depression and even those who are not.

About the author

Vijay Nallawala is a personal branding coach, writer and blogger based in Mumbai. A deeply spiritual, vibrant, and creative person, he is happily married to Khyati and has a daughter, Diti. He is committed to the mental health awareness cause and compassionately engages with people living with bipolar disorder across the world through his website www.bipolarindia.com.

Book links

Amazon
Flipkart

Contact the author









Sunday, September 13, 2015

Book Review - Bliss of Dark Solitude by Amitava Chaudhuri

Title: Bliss Of Dark Solitude
Author: Amitava Chaudhuri
Pages: 63
Price: INR 195.00

Publisher: Authorspress

Review

Amitava Chaudhuri’s ‘Bliss of dark Solitude’ is a well-structured collection that celebrates such emotions as joyousness, heartbreak, rebellion, remorse and loneliness through ruminative verse. The everyday and the eternal mix here. The insights into humanity that are contained in each and every poem remind the reader of the wonder tucked in every corner of life. The words and format are gentle and full of utility. It is conversational, arresting and makes you want to respond. The poems are more of a narrative style and herein rest the poet’s capacity to engage. There’s nothing extraordinary being said, yet what is said suffices. For instance, ‘In this painful lifetime it seems, / We shall meet, but only in dreams’ (Adieu); ‘I grief, I find reason / To go on living’ (I Love My Pain); ‘A thousand pious souls / Worked as my footholds’ (The Lonely Path).
The poet deals with the concept that we are scared of the dark and the darkness that solitude brings. According to him, a potent combination of these two conditions can indeed be a bliss for it gives us the opportunity to discover the most alien thing we have within us – our own heart. As we delve deep within ourselves, we find surges of emotions, sometimes dark, sometimes euphoric. He has chosen poetry to portray such emotions.
   

Cons

The poems do not stay with the reader after the book's closed. Some of the poems are self repeating.

Verdict 

Without a reader, a poem is nothing. Poetry lovers will find something to enjoy in this book though not be inspired necessarily.

About the author 


Amitava Chaudhuri is Mechanical Engineer by profession, and works for the Indian Railways. His first novel was published in 2009, and his second book – a collection of short stories was published in 2013.

Book links


http://www.flipkart.com/search?q=bliss+of+dark+solitude&as=off&as-show=off&otracker=start



http://www.amazon.in/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=bliss+of+dark+solitude


Contact the author

amitava.chaudhuri@rediffmail.com