Sindhu Vinod Narayan

January 22, 2019

Review of Kaalkoot

BLURB:

January 1944 Holed up in a Himalayan hideout, freedom fighter Manohar Rai has to take a chilling decision – one that could mean life or death for millions of people. His only hope is a mysterious young man, who goes into hiding hours before Manohar is shot dead in cold blood. June 2018 A forgotten legend from the upper reaches of the Himalayas is rearing its ominous head. The world will be brought to its knees. KaalKoot will strike again. Only three people have a clue about the horrors that are about the unfold. The only hope for survival lies buried deep in the remotest corner of Himalayas. But a terrible fate awaits those who seek it. Is it already too late Is KaalKoot – the primordial plague – unstoppable.

MY REVIEW:

This is one book that made me regret my decision. No I did not mean it in a way that I regretted choosing the book. The book’s initial part did not make me glue to it. I read the book taking frequent breaks, but once the plot began racy, the breaks were gone far off and you wouldn’t believe starting I completed the book from part II till the end in one stretch. Such gripping and intriguing was the narration. It made me think what was next or who is next?

The story starts with an introduction to Manohar Rai who keeps a certain information a secret from the government. The story dates back to in the 1940s. But when he suspects that the secret would be sneaked out, he decides to confide it within a youngster. And then there was no information about what was confided and who the youngster was.

Professor Bani and few others are into research about this, gather so much information and a lot of background studies, come to know that the secret that was confided or a weapon that could have possibly been used in the past is to be put in use in the current future. HE along with Professor Hudson, Bavedkar and Steve are aware of it. There is an opponent group headed by Maestro or Doc as he is called; who rediscovered the weapon and is planning an attack with it, to make these professors come out with the secret.

The story starts with a series of disappearances, murders. Sameer is on the verge of losing his relationship with Ananya. This is when she is kidnapped, because she helped out Professor Bavedkar. Sameer tracks the clues left behind and has unknowingly put himself into the quest of solving the mystery of the weapon or “Kaalkoot’ as it’s been known widely.

Damini an agent with ACG, an investigative agency heads this operation guided by her chief. She along with Sameer set out on a journey of mysterious findings from a flashback being told by Professor Bani. Professor Bani, saddened by the sudden disappearance of Bavedkar and demise of Steve, is forced to talk about the ancient history of Kaalkoot.

Together when they plan to set out to rediscover the secrets that the youngster left, Damini is demoted and is cleared from handling the case. But she offers all help to Sameer to accomplish the task.

The British on knowing that the Japanese coming into power might also take over India, plan to destroy the evergreen lands to rubble. And to do this, they used a weapon. People are killed, leaving no evidence of existence. In order to save the richest of literature and artifacts of our nation, the youngster travelled the length and breadth of country and gathered them and secretly hid them in a place that nobody knows. The place also holds another secret, which I am not about to give out and will leave it for you to find out when you read the book.

After much struggles, does Sameer find out the secret hideout, does he discover the treasures of the nation? Does he reunite with Ananya? What happens to Damini and the opponent maestro is the rest of the story.

Though the book starts in slow pace, it gains momentum at the right place. The editing was perfect. I really appreciate the narration style of the author, not giving up the entire secret at one go and making your eagerness drop. Chapter by chapter, the need to find out increases which makes it an interesting need.

The book is divided into parts and in turn into chapters. The chapters also include simultaneous narrations from various scenes, which gives you a complete picture on what is happening is a reaction to the action in one scene.

A well thought out plot, executed perfectly.

I got the book as part of the review program in outset .

BOOK DETAILS:

Reading level:12+ years
Paperback:343 pages
Publisher:TreeShade Books (7 December 2018)
Language:English
ISBN-10:8193642457
ISBN-13:978-8193642450

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Venkatesh wears many hats. In his roles as private equity investor, executive coach, business leader, entrepreneur and Board member, he has helped businesses thrive and grow. He has spent a significant part of his professional life in the stock markets with Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan and continues to be an avid investor. Venkatesh has been keenly interested in Eastern philosophy and mysticism right from his college days at IIT Delhi and IIM Calcutta. He has found his inspiration to write in rather curious settings – while crawling through war tunnels in Vietnam, coming face-to-face with a bear in the Nilgiris, chancing upon an Indus Valley ruin while on a road trip, listening to “Madhushala,” or just drinking cutting chai by the roadside. He is passionate about self-discovery and the power of stories to inspire and transform.

January 19, 2019January 18, 2019

Review of return to Hiroshima

EXCERPT

Return to Hiroshima
1995, Japan struggles with a severe economic crisis. Fate brings a number of people together in Hiroshima in a confrontation with dramatic consequences. Xavier Douterloigne, the son of a Belgian diplomat, returns to the city, where he spent his youth, to come to terms with the death of his sister. Inspector Takeda finds a deformed baby lying dead at the foot of the Peace Monument, a reminder of Hiroshima’s war history. A Yakuza-lord, rumored to be the incarnation of the Japanese demon Rokurobei, mercilessly defends his criminal empire against his daughter Mitsuko, whom he considers insane. And the punk author Reizo, obsessed by the ultra-nationalistic ideals of his literary idol Mishima, recoils at nothing to write the novel that will “overturn Japan’s foundations”….
Hiroshima’s indelible war-past simmers in the background of this ultra-noir novel. Clandestine experiments conducted by Japanese Secret Service Unit 731 during WWII become unveiled and leave a sinister stain on the reputation of the imperial family and the Japanese society as a whole.

MY REVIEW

Centered in Hiroshima, the plot paints a vivid portrait of Japan during and post the attack.

The events are told by a series of characters as Japan is slated for the biggest crisis. The story begins with Mitsuko, daughter of dominant Rokurobei who live on the abandoned high rises in Hashima island near Nagasaki.

Mitsuko escapes and meets Yori whose boyfriend works on a novel at his warehouse.She then meets different characters who then shed spotlight on to Hiroshima, which is crucial to the plot. How does Mitsuko escape from the dangers coming up is the rest of the story.
The narration is in such way that it sends chills through the spines. The worst curse on mankind is technology being used in destruction.

Some of the descriptions presented is not for the faint hearted. The writing style and the way the plot is narrated is very mature.

Purchase Links

e-book Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven-ebook/dp/B079NL7FNN

paperback Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

e-book amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B079NL7FNN/ref=nosim/authordatabase

paperback: amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

e-book amazon.ca

paperback amazon.ca https://www.amazon.ca/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
e-book amazon.fr: https://www.amazon.fr/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889
paperback amazon.fr https://www.amazon.fr/Return-Hiroshima-English-Bob-Laerhoven-ebook/dp/B079NL7FNN/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
e-book amazon.es: https://www.amazon.es/Return-Hiroshima-English-Bob-Laerhoven-ebook/dp/B079NL7FNN/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
paperback amazon.es: https://www.amazon.es/Return-Hiroshima-Bob-Van-Laerhoven/dp/9881493889/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Author Bio –

A fulltime Belgian/Flemish author, Laerhoven published more than 35 books in Holland and Belgium. Some of his literary work is published in French, English, German, Slovenian, Italian, Polish, and Russian. Three time finalist of the Hercule Poirot Prize for Best Mystery Novel of the Year with the novels “Djinn”, “The Finger of God,” and “Return to Hiroshima”; Winner of the Hercule Poirot Prize for “Baudelaire’s Revenge,” which also won the USA Best Book Award 2014 in the category “mystery/suspense”.
His collection of short stories “Dangerous Obsessions,” first published by The Anaphora Literary Press in the USA in 2015, was hailed as “best short story collection of 2015” by the San Diego Book Review. The collection is translated in Italian, (Brazilian) Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. “Retour à Hiroshima”, the French translation of “Return to Hiroshima,” is recently finished. In 2018, The Anaphora Literary Press published “Heart Fever”, a second collection of short stories. Heart Fever, written in English by the author, is a finalist in the Silver Falchion 2018 Award in the category “short stories collections”. Laerhoven is the only non-American finalist of the Awards.
Social Media Links –
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G89ns-UgCzk
Author social media links:
https://www.facebook.com/bob.vanlaerhoven
https://twitter.com/bobvanlaerhoven/with_replies
Pinterest: https://nl.pinterest.com/laerken/
Author websites
http://www.bobvanlaerhoven.be (NL/FR/EN)
http://www.bobvanlaerhoven.com (Russian website for Месть Бодлера, the Russian edition of Baudelaire’s Revenge)
Giveaway to Win 2 x Return to Hiroshima Paperbacks (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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This book review is part of Rachel’s random resources (@rararesources )

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019

Review of The ring of Gilly wood

EXCERPT:

‘There he is,’ whispered Vixen. ‘It’s true then,’ said Buck Rabbit. ‘He’s just a small mole,’ said Doe Rabbit. ‘He’s not just a mole,’ said Vixen. A great queen loses a ring. Hundreds of years later a ring slips onto the paw of a young mole. The mole grows to be a wise and trusted leader of Gilly Wood and all the animals that live there. But a great threat is coming. Can one small mole save a whole valley? Mole sets out to do just that with friends he makes along the way and the strange thing on his paw…

Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Gilly-Wood-Ruth-Banister/dp/178132817X
US – https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Gilly-Wood-Ruth-Banister/dp/178132817X
Author Bio – Ruth was born on a hot August day on a farm in Sussex. Her English teacher once made her write a story about wasps after one landed on her during a lesson. She still hates wasps but she loves writing. Ruth now lives in Kent with her family and their strange dog.
Website – http://www.ruthbanister.com

Author : Ruth Banister

Ruth was born on a hot August day on a farm in Sussex.
Her English teacher once made her write a story about
wasps after one landed on her during a lesson. She still
hates wasps but she loves writing. Ruth now lives in
Kent with her family and their strange dog.
This story was inspired by true events.

MY REVIEW:

The initial chapters have me a feel that the book could be a historic fiction. The story starts of with the queen getting ready to visit the village.

Though she has many shoes that match her attire, the queen is determined to wear her green damask shoes. She gets into the carriage along with Mistress Blanche.

They both ride on the carriage with the queen waving her hands out to the folks who gathered to get a glimpse of the queen. While the queen keeps waving she feels that her ring makes her feel uncomfortable. She immediately gives it to the mistress who puts it into her pouch and secures it tight with a golden cord.

A loose golden thread from the queen’s dress was also cut off and thrown away with a scissors from the same pouch. The queen suddenly startles everyone by stopping her carriage. Rumours spread that the queen is unwell and so on. But it was the beauty of the river that was flowing that made her stop. She wants to drench her feet and enjoy the flow.

After the river episode the queen settles for a meal at the inn in Tilling. She’s tremendously happy and satisfied with the meal that she decides to reward them. The mistress forgets her pouch which caught the eyes of young William James. He takes it as soon as they leave the place. The curiosity of what the purse would contain made him clear the dishes at lightening speed. He examines the content to notice a handful of coins, a gold ring and a pair scissors.The gold ring has a black stone beneath which is a star symbol. He suddenly hears a whisper ‘as above , so below’. Indeed a fortune for him.Not to be noticed by anyone he wraps the purse and places it under an oak tree. Later he falls I’ll, taken care by inn keeper’s daughter, he succumbed to small pox. And the queen’s purse remains a treasure underneath the great oak.

Here comes the entry of mole. Having lost his mom, mole one of the three offsprings of the mother. The mole has the ring from the queen’s purse on his foot. There is also an owl above on the oak tree. They grow up to be good friends. The mole helps other animals on the land when in danger with his ring and the whisper. The land comes to the hands of a real estate millionaire.

That is when the owl makes an appearance in front of Elizabeth, a little girl who helps them win this. The girl gives the owl her lunch bag which has an owl image, a gratitude to which the owl and mole give her a coin from the queen’s purse. That becomes the talk of the town that a school girl discovered an age old coin from the queen’s era.

She understands that mole and owl could talk and they are under serious trouble since their land would soon be a golf court. Meanwhile mole and min ( another female mole from a different field meet, become friends and gibe birth to offsprings).On one of the attempts to save the land ,mole sacrifices his life. She along with Timmy, her classmate make a historic discovery. Do they help min and owl to regain their land. What happens then is the remaining part of the story.

I really loved the cute illustration at the beginning of the chapters. Made me wonder how would the coloured illustration look. Though the book started in a historic notion, I enjoyed reading once mole and owl came into action.

The pace of the plot is apt for the age and I am sure kids are going to love this.

This book review is part of Rachel’s random resources (@rararesources )

January 17, 2019

Parenting – Are you doing it the right way ?

Parenting:

The process of nurturing and supporting the overall development of a child which includes social, emotional, physical and intellectual. Most importantly, it does not stop with the biological relationship. In fact, it extends much more into the intricacies of each phase of human development.

Styles of parenting:

Instinctive parenting.
Attachment parenting.
Helicopter parenting.
Authoritative parenting.
Permissive parenting.

Instinctive Parenting:

This is the old school method that is being followed for ages. In most families, this is the type of parenting that can be witnessed. You trust your instincts and guide the child. Most probably, you bring up the child in a way that you were brought up by your parents or grandparents.

Attachment parenting:

Attachment parenting primarily is based on developing a strong emotional bond between parent-child. It is believed that strong attachment brings up a good emotional well-being and the child feels secure being brought up by that way. Parents who adopt this style usually are more responsive, I mean quicker to respond to the child’s needs, feelings so that the child is secure. These parents believe in natural birthing, family bed, no punishments and homeschooling.

Helicopter parenting:

This is when there is constant interaction more precisely interference with the child. Parents tend to hover like a helicopter. This type of parenting supposedly makes the child too very dependent on the parent even after they cross certain age.

Authoritative parenting:

This typically is, ‘I gave birth to you, you live on my property, so you follow my rules’ kind. Rules and guidelines are established for children to be followed. This parent is more nurturing and supportive if incase the child fails to meet expectations. Discipline according to then is being confident but not restrain, to nurture rather than reprove.

Permissive parenting

It’s a child’s choice is what the parenting is about. These parents have very few demands and rarely indulge in disciplining the child. More precise being lenient is the most important trait of the parent here. They try to be more a friend than being a parent to the child.

Good and Bad parenting:

Teaching your child, the moral of choosing what is right and wrong is the foundation of good parenting. You can refer more about this is my older article- Teaching your child good and bad choice. The key to good parenting is setting limits and being consistent. We must be firm and also be kind at the same time to make the child follow.

Anything that is negative to the above statements is termed bad parenting.

A series of action, not just one single act which can harm the child’s behavior and psychology is termed bad parenting. This is not always intentional, but this does not console you that the negative effects would lessen. This usually happens when people do not know enough or lack of the need to do it the right way. The hard thing to digest is some people are not aware of what is actually happening and some do not even care.

How do you identify bad parenting?

Scolding the child frequently.
Disciplining in front of other people. This includes grandparents as well.
Constant comparison to other kids.
No attachment or affection
No rules
Lack of support
Advice always and no encouragement
Not giving them choice
Too much pampering
Talking to them in a criticizing tone
NO respect for child’s feeling
Being overprotective of them
Being too busy and not spending time
Setting a bad example

Being a good parent

No parent is perfect. It’s just that we are all trying our best to become one and are still on the way and have a long way up.

Below cues can help you add more skills if you are already one or just the starting point for you to build up to become one.

Be the model. – Don’t keep telling them what to do; Show them how.

Loving them- Show them love, you can be unconditional; there are no limits. Give them a lot of hugs, spend time, listen to them. Too much love doesn’t spoil them.
Positive parenting – Give them a lot of positive vibes and bring them up in such environment. Do not talk about negative stuff.
You’re the rescuer- Let them know you are always there for them and they can always walk up to you to feel safe.
Communicating – This is the key. Talk to them freely, offer solutions, suggest options, give them choices. Listen to what they say to you. DO not out rightly reject immediately when they start.
Reflecting- Most of us try to bring in the way we were brought up with minor changes. This is much like reflecting our childhood.
No spanking- DO not spank your child at any cost. Especially not in front of others. This would make them lower their confidence.

We are unique in our own ways of bringing the child up. It’s just the above categories are grouping o similar behavior that is observed across the world.

January 17, 2019

Book blitz – The devil’s pact

The Devil’s Pact
V. S. McGrath
(The Devil’s Revolver #3)
Publication date: December 18th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Hold on to your hats — the Devil’s Revolver series is back with an evil twin, deep magic, zombies, menacing grand balls, a train heist, hand-to-hand high-stakes battles, and two sisters who have grown in their power to face and fight the end of the Weird West.

If Hettie Alabama could do what she was told and stand down . . . she might not anyway. Especially when the letters her sister sends from her place of hiding don’t seem quite right, and Hettie’s posse is tying her hands tighter by the day. She’s itching to take the safety off her cursed mage gun, the Devil’s Revolver, and walk through the fire to end the reign of evil that’s choking the magic out of the West—not to mention save her sister once and for all.

The only problem? Hettie’s name is in the headlines and on every wanted poster in the nation—but she’s not the one robbing banks and killing innocents, even if the pictures look just like her. She’s up to her chin in high-necked gowns and beauty glamors, charged with fulfilling her word to the influential Favreau family of New Orleans, even as it becomes increasingly clear that they want only to consolidate the world’s waning magic in the hands of the rich and powerful. The politics get more personal as the most loyal of Hettie’s gang uncover the threat of an immoderate technology that steals magic from the unwitting innocent and transfers it to the nefarious elite.

Hettie has no choice but to go rogue, and when she drops a black hat over her brow, the Devil’s Revolver’s trigger glows hot. The Devil’s Pact stampedes from San Francisco’s Chinatown tongs through the glittering high society of Chicago to the hidden swamps of the Deep South in its search for truth, genuine justice, and an end to a world that refuses to recognize the power and change wrought by girls.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

She clambered over the rooftops, jumping the gaps between buildings with relative ease, since they were so close together. She spotted a large canvas-covered cart in the street pulled by four ragged horses. It was one of those old covered wagons like they used back when settlers were still making their way across the country, and it looked out of place in the city. Hettie climbed down a fire escape, but as she wove through traffic, the time bubble popped—

Suddenly, she was smack-dab in the middle of oncoming traffic. A man shouted and hauled on his reins. His hansom cab buckled violently, and the horse reared. Hettie scampered out of the way of its hooves and directly into the path of another cart. The man’s horses faltered and tried to skirt around her, but then the cart they were pulling plowed into them, and they whinnied in panic, veering to the side and crashing into another rider.

Hettie ran toward the covered wagon, summoning Diablo and trying to re-establish the time bubble. No good. The same thing had happened during the train robbery.

A man peeked out of the covered wagon. He shouted and drew his sidearm. Hettie zigzagged to avoid the gunshots and pulled Diablo’s trigger, unleashing a blast of green power that incinerated the man’s arm up to his shoulder.

Two more men appeared with rifles. Hettie ducked left and rolled behind a cart as the bullets bit into the cab, showering her with splinters. The passengers within screamed.

Traffic ground to a halt and people dove out of their vehicles while the drivers tried to get their horses under control. The covered wagon surged forward and plowed through the street while the men in the back continued an assault on the cab Hettie hid behind.

She had to stop that wagon.

She whipped around the corner and fired. Diablo let out a wide beam of power that took out the right two wheels. The wagon collapsed with a loud crash, sending up a wake of splinters. The whole right side of the wagon tore off, and the canopy ripped away from the U-shaped frame as it snapped up like angry fish spines.

People screamed as carts, drivers and pedestrians tried to escape the gunfire and chaos. Horses thrashed and reared, whinnying as the vehicles piled up. Hettie ran toward the wagon.

It was empty. Unless Dr. Fielding had somehow escaped…

One of the men with the rifles who’d tumbled from the wagon pushed up off the ground. He spotted Hettie and, in a panic, reached for his pistol.

Hettie pointed Diablo at him. “Don’t.”

He blinked at her. “I-I-I’m sorry, Mizzay, I didn’t realize—” He stuttered to a stop. “Wait, you’re not—”

Hettie cocked Diablo for show. “Where’s Dr. Fielding?”

He gaped. “I—I don’t know—”

Hettie blew a molten hole in the ground next to his feet, and he stumbled back. “Where is he?”

“I was just supposed to stay in the cart! I don’t know anything!” His eyes canted left. Hettie reacted a second too late.

Someone cinched an arm around her neck and dragged her backward. Hettie struggled, dropping Diablo as she tried to pry her fingers under the man’s elbow to get a breath.

She sank her teeth into the man’s thick muscle, then slammed her heel into his shin, twisting to throw him off balance. He yelped and let go. She dove for Diablo and before she could stop herself, fired.

The man’s shriek was cut off almost instantly as he evaporated, flaring like a hellish green grease fire.

The agony of the revolver’s blood price was instant, shredding through skin, flesh and bone as it extracted one year of Hettie’s life for the life she’d taken. The pain went on and on, as if she were the one being consumed by flame. It’d been months since she’d killed a man; months since she’d slaked Diablo’s bloodthirst. And the mage gun’s appetite was insatiable. For a flash, she thought she was back in hell, being swallowed and forced down into Satan’s gullet—and then it was over.

Through the haze of relief, Hettie barely registered the person standing over her, pistol drawn, its blank, black eye winking at her.

Author Bio:

Vicki So, writing as V. S. McGrath, is a published romance author (as Vicki Essex) and has six books with Harlequin Superromance: Her Son’s Hero (July 2011); Back to the Good Fortune Diner (January 2013), which was picked for the Smart Bitches Trashy Books Sizzling Book Club; In Her Corner (March 2014); A Recipe for Reunion (March 2015); Red Carpet Arrangement (January 2016); and Matinees with Miriam (November 2016). She lives in Toronto, Canada.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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January 16, 2019

Book blitz – girl with all the pain

Girl with all the Pain
Michael Herman
(Aliens, Tequila & Us #4)
Publication date: February 23rd 2018
Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Sometimes an ugly duckling becomes more than just a swan.

In the streets of Santiago, Chile, a young homeless girl named Isabel screams a scream of rage that is the last sound the gang tormenting her ever hears.

Deep within the city, a family feels her cry and sets out to find her for their sake as well as hers.

Never straying far from Isabel, Skunk Mountain, a homeless pile of walking filth, visible to only the neighborhood kids, maintains a guardian presence that is key to her survival in a world where, beneath the very ground they walk, a dark ancient intelligent entity prepares to unleash forces that will devastate Chile.

Sometimes that swan has claws and teeth.

_______________________________________

Girl with all the Pain is the first of the Global Invasion Chronicles.

The Aliens, Tequila & Us series is prologue to Girl with all the Pain

_______________________________________

If you are interested in mass extinction events, Chinchorro mummies, alien creatures, tequila, Pisco Sours, Very Large Telescopes, foreign tongues, evolution theories, witchcraft beliefs, Santiago Chile, underground caves, vineyards, million dollar concept bikes, interstellar space travel, abandoned mines, the Atacama Desert, Russian ATVs, Himmler’s Nazis Lebensborn, predictions of future times, earthquakes, orchids, avatars, and people with mutant powers, then this is the book for you.

Kind reviews go far and help keep up the spirit while I work to bring the second Global Invasion Chronicle to life.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

When the woman strokes Isabel’s black fur, Isabel purrs loudly and makes clicking sounds. She knows she rests between friends who will not allow the ones below the base of the statue to harm her. The woman looks down at Isabel and says, “At long last, I have found you. You have not been forgotten. You and your people will return. We will end your long-suffering. You will no longer be alone.”

Isabel looks up at her with her black cat yellow eyes, and purrs. But below her feet, the ground trembles with the might of her enemy. The woman acknowledges the terrible presence beneath them and stoops to Isabel and says, “Only you can restore order. Only you can save them. Only you can end this. When your knowledge of yourself matures and you flower to your destiny, you will fulfill yourself and your time will be complete. We will join you and make it happen. Do you understand?”

Isabel snarls in response and lets out a mighty roar.

Then she is back on the daylight street holding hands with the mirror version of herself. She looks into the mirror self’s eyes and a shudder ripples through her body. The mirror version releases her hands, smiles, looks to Ángel and says, “All is well.”

Author Bio:

When he isn’t doing construction or creating 3D simulations for the AEC industry, Michael Herman writes from his small urban hillside farm in California where he types away to the sounds of chickens, coyotes, the occasional fox and his household pets.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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January 10, 2019January 13, 2019

Book blitz- Secret lady

Secret Lady
Beth Trissel
(Ladies in Time, #3)
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: January 9th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Time-Travel

At Lavender House, Evie McIntyre is haunted by the whispers from her bedroom closet. Before she can make sense of their murmurs, the house “warbles” between times and transports her to the Civil War. Past and present have blended, and Evie wishes she’d paid more attention to history. Especially since former Confederate officer, Jack Ramsey, could use a heads up.

Torn between opposing forces, Jack struggles to defend the valley and people he loves. Meeting Evie turns his already tumultuous world upside down. Will solving the mystery of the whispers return her home, and will the handsome scout be by her side?

Against the background of Sheridan’s Burning of the Shenandoah Valley, Jack and Evie fight to save their friends and themselves – or is history carved in stone?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“They brought the draft back?” This was it. She had officially lost her mind.

“It never went away. Where have you been, miss? More to the point, who are you?” His gruff demand

stirred the hair at her cheek.

She tilted her face at him. Only the barest outline of his strong features was visible, and yet… Man, was he hot. Focus Evie. “I told you. I’m Evie McIntyre. I live here with my grandmother. Didn’t you realize?”

“That so? I don’t suppose you would be a spy in a Mennonite house. Still. Never know. I best get a good look at you.”

“Who would I be spying for?”

“Rebs. Neither side wishes me well. I’m in no man’s land.”

Her heart drummed wildly. “Where does that leave me?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” He steadied Evie on her feet.

Was it? She had no idea what was going on and watched dazedly as he took something from the leather

pouch hanging over his shoulder. “What’s that?”

“Lucifers.”

He’d lost her again. There must be a powerful resistance movement at work. She didn’t fol-low

politics. Maybe she should. Had matters come to an explosive head tonight? Why hadn’t her grandmother said something?

He drew what resembled matches from a small metal container and struck one. Sulphurous sparks

added pungency to the room. He lit the stubby candle in a tin lantern on an end table. Shad-ows danced from the pale taper glowing through the punches in the metal. Pretty, how the light made patterns on the ceiling.

Wait. Where had that lantern come from?

The stained-glass lamp Grandma G. treasured was just there before she went to bed. Dear God in heaven. What had happened to the room?

Author Bio:

Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with my people and furbabies. An avid gardener, I grow herbs and heirloom flowers and use them in my stories. The rich history of Virginia, the Native Americans, and the Scots-Irish are at the heart of my inspiration. My English/Scots-Irish ancestors were among the earliest settlers in America and the valley. I write historical romance set in the colonial frontier (The Native American Warrior Series), and the American Revolution (The Traitor’s Legacy Series). Some of my historicals include ghosts and other paranormal elements. I also write Young Adult shapeshifter/ fantasy romance (The Secret Warrior Series), and New Adult time travel/time slip romance, Somewhere in Time, and my latest ongoing series, Ladies in Time. I also write single titles and nonfiction.

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January 9, 2019

Review of together forever to never

BLURB:

No one can love like you… if I lose you, I will be left with nothing’ So says Sariyanka, a girl from a small town, madly in love with Samar. Having lost true love once before, Samar too believes that Sariyanka is his other half whom Zeus, the Greek God had separated from him.. In a chance conversation with his friend Mayank, Samar discovers some shocking truths. As the story unravels, a series of events follow that forever change the meaning of love for Samar. Is Sariyanka the one Samar calls his ‘other half’? Will Samar get the love that he always longed for? This highly anticipated novel by Satish Goyal is an emotional roller coaster that bravely explores the highs and lows of love. It’s a story of love – unshaken and unquestioned; yet unfulfilled and unrequited. A saga of deceit served on a platter of lies. About the author: Satish Goyal is a finance professional and works at a US multinational company. Since his days at the university, he had dreamed of writing on subjects close to his heart, but had put those dreams on hold to focus on his family and career. He finally plucked up the courage to put pen to paper with his first novel ‘Together Forever To Never”. Satish believes that success cannot be measured in terms of wealth or titles. The true measure of success is happiness that one is able to achieve in life. Satish is now writing his second book, “The Coaster Series”.

MY REVIEW:

Samar and Monali, sweethearts at young age, married happily for ten years. Samar, the protagonist has everything in life-great career, a loving wife and an adorable son. If life is described as a fairytale, their story should definitely be one of the chapters.

While the story goes on happily, a tragedy struck. Monali exits their world and leaves Samar in deep sorrow. Human spirituality, psychiatrist’s advice, he embraced life again. There we have another entry. Sariyanka came into his life. That is when he realizes he has found his better half. They fell in love madly with each other.

One fine day, when he was conversing with his friend Mayank. He comes to know a shocking truth. The truth gets proved by a couple of evidences which raises a doubt of loyalty on Sariyanka. After deep thinking, he confronts her and gets shattered. He moves on after a long struggle. A very engaging tale that makes you enjoy the feeling of love.

I loved the way it was printed the quality of paper used. Being a debut novel, it was written well and sequences placed at the right points. The narration was good and the character portrayal was really good.

Love makes you blindly trust people, that makes you forget everything. But falling in love with the right person makes the difference.

I just loved the way the cover is designed, that makes you want to pick it up and read it right away.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 188 pages
Publisher: Paper Towns Publishers; 1 edition (15 December 2018)
Language: English
ASIN: B07LDVQL3J

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4.5/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

January 3, 2019December 22, 2018

Book blitz – Shrouded kingdom

Shrouded Kingdom
Rachel Medhurst
Publication date: December 28th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Once a human. Now a fae princess, destined to be queen.

Layanna Fairling has never belonged to her village, and yet, when it’s threatened by a tyrant who wants her dead, she knows she has to protect it.

Three mysterious strangers who claim Layanna is a changeling and future ruler of the Seelie Court arrive to aid her. They also claim that the only way of saving her village is by overthrowing the Unseelie tyrant who inherited the throne from his evil father when he slayed her real parents, the Fae King and Queen of Althea.

The tyrant’s greed and violence threaten to tear apart the kingdom she never knew existed, leaving Layanna with a simple choice. Overthrow the handsome and powerful tyrant, or lose everyone and everything she loves.

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Only 99¢ for a limited time!

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EXCERPT:

The hiss of an arrow barely missing my head made my stomach plummet to my feet. The thud of the sharp tip ploughing into the ground next to the tree nearby forced my body into action. I didn’t even pause to look behind me.

“Wait!” someone shouted.

As if I would wait for the same person to shoot me with an arrow.

My threadbare leather shoes attacked the dry earth like acorns when they thudded against the ground. A slight breeze caught my hair, making it fly behind me. The skirt of my ice blue dress almost got caught under my feet, so I grabbed it up into my hands and ran as fast as I could.

“Go away,” I whispered between laboured breaths.

The whistle of another arrow brought on a yelp as my heart leapt into my throat. It landed behind me, the echo of it piercing the earth far too close for comfort.

Trees were silently strong around me as I kept my focus on the village. It was only a short distance. I would be safe there.

Silence suddenly surrounded me, the whisper of wind gone, the patter of my feet slowed down, as if I was moving in slow motion. What was happening?

A split second later, I was running at full pelt through the gap in the trees. The woods disappeared behind me as I thrust into the village square, my panting harsh in my ears as Dorian, the butcher’s son, stared at me from where he rested his meat cart.

“Are you well, Layanna?” he called as I came to a stop.

His light brown eyes watched me as I straightened my skirts and cleared my throat. A quick glance over my shoulder confirmed that no one had followed me from the woods although, I still couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding that rushed over me.

Author Bio:

Rachel Medhurst grew up in Surrey, England. She writes to prove that no matter where you come from, you can be anything you want to be. Your past may shape you, but it doesn’t define you. When Rachel isn’t writing, she can be found reading and walking in nature.

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December 28, 2018

Review of Endurer – a rape story

BLURB:

Life was a fun fed roller coaster: New found love, drugs, cat-fights, patch ups, crushes, night hangouts, and unplanned trips. Like any girl, not in the wildest dream, Palak could imagine that after attending a Rave Party, she will wake up to the horror of finding herself raped. In traumatic conditions and struggle between sanity and hallucinations, she is compelled by the circumstances to leave her world. Already fighting a war within, her stances take a toll witnessing horrifying tales of women and girls. Little did she know that this catastrophe was not enough for one lifetime, and a storm – was just cooling its heels. Will she be able to carve her path while facing the rapists, her tyrant father, appearances of her passed away mother? Should Palak let her life to be decided by people, society, and taboos? Would justice return her life or revenge lend her peace? A heart-rending story of a girl, whose beliefs and honor has been battered, stands up to make choices, rediscovering the meaning of life.

MY REVIEW:

After Nirbaya, the word ‘rape’ brings in a chill whenever we hear. Though we have several acts, security for women, the crime is happening at some corner of this country.

This book brings out one such case. The book initially describes the high-fi lifestyle, rich kids, parties, drugs, alcohol. The protagonist Palak stays in the hostel with her friends. They enjoy life at the fullest. High-fi car rides, drinks and what not.

At one such instance the friends plan to attend a rave party which is considered illegal. Initially they had fun, but as time goes on they do not realize what is happening due to the amounts of intake. On Awakening, Palak realizes she’s been raped. Unaware of who did it, they all zero in on Rohin who seems to be missing post the party. A porn video of Palak being raped in on circulation which adds to her depression, as she starts getting panic attacks frequently.But the twist is Rohin later comes into picture and takes Palak to his hometown to heal her from depression. He proposes her when he goes to hometown. There Palak meets Sethani and Meethi, the women in Rohin’s family. These women were also subject to harassment and rape in younger age.

Palak is showered with love and affection by them both. Meanwhile, her friends also arrive there to see how she cope up. That is when Rohin makes a plan to find out the culprit. What happens then? Who is Sethani ? How is she related to Meethi and ROhin? Do they find out the culprit and male them pay for the cruel crime? is the rest of the story.

The pace of the narration is apt for the plot. The characterization is brilliant, especially that of Rohin and Palak. There are a lot of emotions conveyed, that make you feel since the book is being narrated in first person.

The front cover looks so intriguing, the design makes you go aww and conveys a lot of emotions. Rohin is not very outspoken but is a secret admirer of Palak. Jahan on the other hand openly expresses his liking.

I really appreciate the author for taking up a bold subject and handled it in a great manner.

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback:224 pages
Publisher:Write India Publishers; First edition (16 September 2018)
Language:English
ISBN-10:8193653572
ISBN-13:978-8193653579

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4.5/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kapil Raj is an author and a professional based at New Delhi, India. His writing reflects the understanding of the social functioning and human psychology.With the heart of a philosopher, mind of a realist, and a deep-rooted non-conformist, he lives many lives, yet stealing the time for the most precious thing which matters to him: crafting plots, playing with characters and weaving the stories with inscribed messages.He actively runs a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram/realistespresso reflecting the other interests like photography and poetry.