31 May, 2016

#BookSpotlight :: Absence of You by Sarah Elle Emm

Absence of You
by Sarah Elle Emm
Released on 17th May, 2016


About the Book:







Absence of You, a collection of poems, takes you through stages of love, from the first moments of falling, to heartache, to healing and growing. With Sarah Elle Emm’s simple, yet powerful, words and rhythm, venture through the ups and downs on this heartfelt journey.






Book Links:







About the Author:




Sarah Elle Emm is the author of ABSENCE OF YOU, LAST VACATION, the HARMONY RUN SERIES, and MARRYING MISSY. She has lived in Germany, England, Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and traveled extensively beyond. Her writing cave is currently located in the Outer Banks. When she’s not leading kitchen dance parties with her daughters, she writes poetry and fiction.








Stalk the Author:


This Feature is a part of the Blogger Outreach Program by b00k r3vi3w Tours



30 May, 2016

#GuestPost :: Making the world better, one small act at a time by Anna Erishkigal

Image Credit: Mari1Photo

Making the world better, one small act at a time 


Once upon a time, a child went to Arambol Beach after a typhoon had passed, leaving the beach littered with debris. Scattered upon the sand lay millions of tiny starfish. As the sun beat down, warming up the sand, the seagulls gorged themselves on the unexpected feast. The child picked up one of the starfish and studied its five equal arms. She touched its tentacles. Yes. It was still alive. She ran to the water and threw it into the waves.
She ran, laughing, from starfish to starfish, picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean. She whirled with joy, careful where she stepped.
"Asharika?" Papa frowned. "What are you doing?"
"I am saving them."
Papa was a tall man, sensible and reliable. He gestured to the beach, the millions of starfish, and the debris left by the storm.
"Look at how many there are?" He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Even if we were to stay here all day, it would not make a difference."
Asharika picked up the next starfish and examined it in the deadly sun. Every minute, the tide receded, leaving the starfish further and further from the water. She touched its tentacles. The starfish curled one of its tiny arms around her finger.
"It makes a difference to this one."
She threw it into the water.
"Help me, Papa! Let's see how many we can save?"


*****

People often ask me 'where do you get your stories?' Like Ashakira, I am drawn to people and creatures who, through no fault of their own, have suffered a misfortune. Many of my characters are orphans or abused, reared in environments which were toxic and difficult to escape.

           Image credit: phb.cz
Sometimes it's a person who helps them, other times its divine intervention. At some point, however, the tide always comes back in. The starfish must learn how to swim and not get cast back up onto the rocks a second time.
When you are an artist, it doesn't matter if you are a writer, a blogger, a visual artist, or a painter, or perhaps just a socially conscious person who speaks to others, you have the power to pick up those unfortunate starfish and draw attention to their fate. You have the ability to inspire others to help them find their way back into the water.
It was like that when I wrote my book 'The Auction.' When an Australian friend rescued a horse destined for a slaughterhouse, she brought my attention to the plight of horses. Oh! How terribly we treat them. The people who benefit most from equine labor think nothing of thanking their loyal friend by sending them to the knacker!  I wanted to do something to raise awareness of their plight. But what could -I- do? A single person against a multi-billion rupee global horsemeat industry that slaughters 500,000 horses each year?

                                                                                                                          Image Credit: php.cz



I like to write stories, but nobody wants to read a book about horse slaughter! Ick! So I asked myself, 'What if this was a person who was cast off and didn't have a home?' Hence Rosamond Xalbadora was born (her name means horse rescuer), a homeless half-gypsy / half-Australian girl who takes a job as a governess in the Australian outback after her fiancé dumps her at the altar. Thanks to some helpful neighbors, two ghost riders who visit her each night in her dreams, and a wee bit of Australian Aboriginal myth, Rosie ends up rescuing, not just a small white pony named Luna, but also a traumatized little girl who's been caught in the middle of her parent's bitter divorce.
Will Rosie, Pippa, and Luna-the-pony have a happy ending? Or will all three of them get left on the sand to slowly wither and die?



I hope other people will raise their voices and speak up for animal welfare. Therefore, if you ride the Rafflecopter in the Giveaway and sign up for my monthly email NEWSLETTER, every person who confirms their subscription will receive a *FREE* electronic edition of 'The Auction' in the format of their choice (.epub, Kindle-.mobi or .pdf). 
I will also, when this promotion ends, select one (1) winner to receive a paperback edition of the book.

Please join me to pick up a starfish and throw it back.

Be epic!

Anna Erishkigal

Note: All images licensed to Anna Erishkigal from DepositPhotos


*


About the Auction
Dumped at the altar and left without a home, Rosie Xalbadora takes a job as a governess at the edge of the Australian outback. There she meets Pippa Bristow, a sensitive child who copes with her parent's bitter divorce by escaping into a magical world of fairy queens and unicorns. Pippa's enigmatic father, Adam Bristow, is willing to endure whatever he must to keep his daughter safe from his oil heiress ex-wife.
Struggling to shield Pippa from her mother's games, Rosie must face the ghosts of her own painful past while fighting a growing attraction to her handsome, emotionally unavailable employer. But help comes in the form of a helpful town and two ghost-riders who visit Rosie each night in her dreams. When Rosie and Pippa save a small, white pony from slaughter, their ill-timed compassion puts Adam's custody dispute, Pippa's fantasies, and Rosie's worst fears all up for bid in an epic showdown.
The Auction is a sweet, contemporary romance styled with the heart-wrenching, Gothic undertones of Jane Eyre and just a hint of the supernatural.

*

If you would like to support my writing, you can purchase The Auction for only 49 rupees at Amazon India and GooglePlay India, $3.99 USD everywhere else (Kobo, iTunes, Smashwords, Amazon USA, Overdrive and e-Sentral), or 1395 rupees for the paperback edition at Amazon India or Book Depositry.


For your chance to win ebooks or a Paperback of The Auction - Participate in the Giveaway HERE. It is open worldwide.

29 May, 2016

#SpecialFeature :: Is #FlashFiction here to stay?


*** Special Feature - May 2016 ***
Quick Recap



I was interested to see you write novels and flash fiction, can you say a bit about why you write flash fiction?
When I was writing my first novel I was aware that I needed to find a way to let readers know I existed. The conventional wisdom of the time seemed to be that you should write a blog that potential fans would be interested in. For some this was a personal blog about their writing life and for others it was factual and connected to their book. I thought about it long and hard, aware that whatever I chose I would have to stick to for a long time. Eventually, I decided that what was most likely to connect with potential fans was actual fiction. That way they could read some of my work without having to commit to a full novel, so I started to write and blog a flash fiction series called Living in Your Dystopia.

And what made you continue after publishing your first novel?
I met a very experienced writer for coffee and she told me how much she liked my flash fiction and that I should think about entering competitions. Later, after my second novel Fluence was published, I was invited to join the Clockhouse London Writers who meet once a month and focus almost entirely on writing flash fiction, poetry and short stories.
I find the short stuff a real challenge and great fun. To capture an idea, usually a piece of near-future technology, and work on it intensely for a couple of weeks is a great feeling. It also helps to do something constructive with all the fresh ideas that seem to form every day inside my head.

There’s quite a lot of flash fiction on your website that’s free for your readers. Is that everything you’ve written?
No, I’ve had others accepted in anthologies – Little Modern Miracles will appear in the Wordland: 7 anthology from theEXAGGERATEDpress and Disjointed in the Kind of a Hurricane Press anthology “Shattered.” I’m not sure when they’ll be out, but if you sign up to my Mailing List I’ll let you know as soon as they’re available.

What’s the shortest piece you’ve written?
It’s not quite the shortest piece but it’s certainly the most popular of the really short stuff. It’s the one I mentioned in a previous interview that was used by a school’s philosophy class.

The Driverless Car’s Dilemma

‘Mummy!’ screamed her five-year old daughter.
She looked up from her iPad. ‘What now?’
‘Look!’
Through the windscreen she saw a group of children crossing the road slowly, sliding around on the ice.
The driverless car wasn’t braking.
She’d forgotten to ask the hire company if this model was programmed to prioritise pedestrians or passengers. It would make a choice – her daughter or the kids playing in the road – but she didn’t know which one.
She could override it by taking control of the steering. But, her driving ability was far inferior to the car’s algorithm. She glanced at the rock face on one side and the cliff edge on the other.
He daughter screamed again, ‘Mummy!’
She grabbed the wheel.

Do you think there’s a future in flash fiction or is just a passing phase?
Research shows that more and more people are reading on their smart phones and by implication on short journeys which should mean there’s an increasing desire for flash fiction. I think it’s here to stay.
Flash Fiction under various guises has been around for as long as story-telling, think Aesop’s Fables, Panchatantra and Jataka (thanks Wikipedia). I’m always amazed and inspired by how much a short song lyric can convey and although this crosses over with poetry and has the benefit of being sung, it’s proof of how much you can say with a few well-chosen words.

Finally, what can we expect from you in the future? Flash Fiction? Short Stories? Novels?
Yes, yes and yes. I’m working on a third novel at the moment and I’m really excited. I can’t say much about it except that it’s about a multi-generation family living in a utopian society that has ways of keeping any backwards drift in check. Although don’t forget, one person’s utopia is often another’s dystopia. I’m also planning a couple of anthologies of the short stuff, so look out for those.

And finally, a big thank-you from me for the opportunity to feature on your lovely blog for a whole month. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.


About the Book:

It’s the week before the annual Pay Day when strata positions are decided by the controlling corporations. The social media feed is frenetic with people trying to boost their influence rating while those above the strata and those who’ve opted out pursue their own manipulative goals.


Amber is ambitious. Martin is burnt out by years of struggling. She cheats to get what she wants while he barely clings on to what he has.


Set in a speculative near-future London, Fluence is a satirical story of aspiration and desperation and of power seen and unseen. It’s a story of control and consequence. It’s the story of the extremes to which Amber and Martin are prepared to go in these last ten thousand minutes before Pay Day. 





Book Links:
Goodreads I Amazon

About the Author:
Hippie-punk, religious-squatter, bureaucrat-anarchist; I thrive on contradictions. The tension they create fuels my slightly skewed fictional worlds and the complex characters that inhabit them. It’s hard to describe the sheer delight I get from taking reality, nudging it out of kilter and seeing what happens.

I was a teenager in a small market town in the UK when punk hit the scene and its ethos and energy rushed through me and my generation. It felt as if we could stick two fingers up to the establishment and do whatever we wanted, however we wanted to do it. I’m sure that’s a familiar feeling for every generation of teenagers, but there’s no denying that punk provoked a reaction. It was also the era of free festivals and the peace convoy; to a teenager at a time when nuclear war threatened to end the world at any moment the free festivals like Stonehenge seemed truly post-apocalyptic. I loved them. The mix of hippies, hells angels and punks all co-existing (fairly) peacefully without the police was an incredibly formative experience. I’ve been to festivals every year since and still find them a great way to re-calibrate normal.


Being a squatter and being in a cult were both out there experiences but not as dissimilar as they might seem at first glance; they both had a strong ideological desire for non-conformity and strong, albeit different, moral codes. That’s the sort of realisation that makes me want to wobble the world to see what falls out.


I’ve had some fun on the journey from that punk inspired teenager to this anarchy inspired bureaucrat and more often than not I’ve had a foot in more than one camp at a time: as an unwelcome hippie at punk gigs; a religious cult member in the hedonistic squatter scene; or a would-be anarchist working as a bureaucrat. Even where I live in Fitzrovia we see ourselves as a village in the heart of London, as an enclave of difference standing out against the corporate onslaught of blandness (but close enough in case we need it).


That’s only a small insight into the inspirations and experiences that helped form me, Stephen Oram the author. And, if I’m asked why I write I have more than one answer; it’s a mixture of wanting to create something entertaining, thinking I’ve got something to say and needing something to keep me out of mischief. One thing is for sure though, I’d love to set off some small firecrackers of thought to light the world slightly differently inside your head!


Contact
Website I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads



Giveaway
2 digital Copies of Fluence by Stephen Oram

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#ReleaseDayBlitz :: All of Me by Jonali Karmakar

*~* Release Day Blitz *~*

Title: All of Me
Author: Jonali Karmakar
Length: 69 pages
Publication Date: May 29, 2016
ASIN: B01G0P8JGK


Book Blurb:
All of Me is a collection of thirteen little stories that have been gleaned from real life as well as imagination. Exploring a range of genres, these throb with everything primal to human nature: fear, angst, joy, love, and longing. Some stories are designed to elicit smiles, chuckles, and maybe even a belly laugh or two whereas some are meant as a reality check. Universal in nature, each story provides a glimpse of what women empowerment or a lack thereof can mean in a person’s life.
From a small hamlet in India to the roads of Australia; from a mother’s betrayal to a daughter’s confession; from an extra marital affair to a same sex relationship learn for yourself the what, how and whys.

Originally written for anthologies and ezines, these stories have been revisited and updated for this new collection.  




Excerpts from stories in All of Me:


1

She felt a small tumble in her heart. They were huge men with enormous moustache and bushy eyebrows. The flared nostrils and the bulging eyes made them look formidable. Add the huge well-oiled canes and they were renditions of modern day Ravana. She gulped and took her leave promising to do her bit when Daman returned.

Janaki was having second thoughts by the time the day dawned. She went about doing her chores trying to act normal only to be pursued by a gnawing guilt. Daman arrived by late afternoon and so did Sarita’s goons. They took position right outside her window. All of a sudden all her instincts nudged her to take a pause. What was she thinking? She couldn’t forsake her loyalty to her husband irrespective of what he had done. All she ever wanted was to lead a tranquil life, not some political sham.


2

She liked her job. It was good. Brought in quick money. Left her enough hours for cramming her boring science papers. What else can one expect? There were quite a few perks too. Posh parties where cocktails, five star food and good contacts flowed uninterruptedly not necessarily in the same order. Whatever. It was fun.
Okay it wasn’t a job to be proud of she agreed. But she wasn’t ashamed of what she did. Still it was a put-outer when people shriveled their nose after learning about her profession. As if she reeked! So she didn’t advertise her work much. Clients came in on their own. She had a reputation. Word of mouth was her advertisement. 
Namita was one of the best. A little pricey but satisfaction guaranteed. Naturally her clientele list included only a handful. She liked to stick to her regulars. Knowing each other intimately created a comfort zone which she thought was essential. Mutual enjoyment was her mantra. She diligently noted their likes and specially their dislikes. Their preferences for toys. The usual. 
It was a little tricky with the fly-by-night customers. It usually meant a day call. She preferred evenings. If the money was good she accepted. But she didn’t compromise with her three-days-a-night policy. In such situations Namita ditched one of her regulars by calling in sick. A little ditching was healthy especially since her work was so damn physically tiring. She only accepted them after seeing their medical certificates. It irked some but she never budged. She didn’t want to pickup something nasty from them. If they wanted her it was on her terms.


About the Author:
Jonali Karmakar is a fiction writer with a Masters in English. Writing is not just her passion but her way of dealing with life. She loves being able to escape into the worlds she creates. Everything that she writes becomes a part of her and she wants her readers to know the woman behind those words. In addition to being an educator, she works as a content editor for a local news portal. She has been providing editing, proofreading and translation services for the past few years.

Jonali’s work has been published in several journals, anthologies and poetry collections both national and international. An avid reader, she loves flipping pages of anything and everything on the table and reviewing the same on her blog Eclectic Moods. She feels that reading and writing are the flip sides of the same coin. Writing is her way of communicating with the world. When she’s not writing or teaching she loves to experiment with her paintings.

She has quite a few accolades to her name.

Contact the Author:
This Feature is a part of the Blogger Outreach Program by b00k r3vi3w Tours


28 May, 2016

#Interview with Pervin Saket, #Author of Urmila

About the Author:


Pervin Saket was shortlisted for the Random House India Writers Bloc Award 2013 and is the author of a novel ‘Urmila’ (Jaico, India) and a collection of poems 'A Tinge of Turmeric', (Writers Workshop, India). Her short fiction has appeared in 'Journeys' (Sampad, UK)  'Breaking the Bow - Speculative Fiction Inspired by the Ramayana', (Zubaan, India) 'The Asian Writer Collection' (Dahlia, UK), 'Aliens' (Prime Books, USA), 'Earthen Lamp Journal', 'Khabar', 'Love Across Borders - An Anthology by Indian and Pakistani Writers', 'Page Forty Seven' and others. Her poetry has been featured in ‘Kritya’, ‘Platform’, 'The Binnacle' (University of Maine, USA) and elsewhere. 




Contact the Author:
Facebook * Twitter


An Interview with the Author:

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?
I’ve always known that I wanted to write and I’ve been writing ever since I remember. However, I began writing seriously after attending a 3-week residential creative writing workshop at IIT-Kanpur, which helped me put writing out of the ‘hobby’ arena and into the ‘profession’ space.

What inspires you to write?
Other writers and their work inspire me to write. I read everything at every chance I get; I always have a novel on me or an essay in my phone or an article in my bag, always waiting for the time I’ll get stuck in a line just so I can go back to reading. In fact, sometimes I suspect that I became a writer so that I can legitimately read all the time and call it ‘work’! The more I read, the more I itch to write, to give shape to the stories inside me.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?
‘Urmila’ was inspired by a forgotten wife from a familiar story. I’ve always been interested in narratives that look at grand themes and plots through the perspective of marginalized characters. I find my heroes in ordinary people who are caught in extraordinary circumstances. I wanted to explore some important questions about relationships and beliefs through Urmila. Does devotion towards a brother justify the desertion of a wife? At what point does love for a family member turn unhealthy and dysfunctional? Are the values of our epics applicable in our lives as we live them today?
Much of this is of course, an extension of the kind of person I am – I am drawn to silence. Very often, in social gatherings, I find myself tuning out the talk and listening to the silent person in the room. And I’m quite convinced that speech, discussion, music, noise – these are actually background; the foreground, the little bursts that actually mean anything, is silence. This perspective finds its way into my reading as well, and probably explains why I find my themes and concerns reflecting in the silent or silenced stories of Urmila or Mandodari or Ahalya. 

Are there some stories tucked away in some drawer that was written before and never saw the light of the day?
Yes, there are, and I’m so glad about it! I realize in retrospect that some stories are best left unpublished – they were written at a time when I was still finding my voice as a writer and they’ve played an important part in forming who I am today. Some stories probably just have this role, to serve as exercises, as explorations, as experiments.

Tell us about your writing process.
The process varies depending on the stage of the book I am at. Currently, I am looking into research for my next novel, so the writing mainly consists of notes, character sketches and plot outlines. Since I also have a day job (I am an editor of school textbooks), writing every day does not work for me. However, I ensure that I get some writing done on a weekly basis and this flexibility works well for me. 

What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
I don’t think I have a favourite but I often find myself thinking of the scene where Urmila sees her relationship with her father in a new light. She has just got engaged and is on a date with her fiancé, when something reminds her of her father, and she suddenly understands the man she has always misjudged as being aloof and miserly. It’s like a veil has been lifted and she sees for the first time, the love her father has for her. The irony is that the date is supposed to bring her closer to her fiancé; instead, she finds a new love in an old relationship. There’s a very delicate air to the scene and I also like the way it foreshadows her complicated relationship with her husband later.  

Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks?
I think it’s worked the other way – some of Urmila’s character traits have probably rubbed off on me! I was very clear right at the start that Urmila would be her own person and not serve as a mouthpiece to convey my own ideology. I find that the sections that work best are the ones where I have just followed her, staying out of the way, giving her the time and the space she needs to find her own answers. I believe she taught me patience and that resolutions come from within characters not from twists of plot or cleverness of the pen. 

What is your most interesting writing quirk?
When I’m writing the first draft of a story, I open a new MS Word document, turn the font colour to white and then start typing away. This way I cannot see the words I have typed and it allows me to just continue and pour out the story without self-criticism, or judgment. Earlier, I was my own worst enemy because as an editor and a former teacher of Literature, I had very exact standards of writing – and no tentative first draft can measure up to those standards! Now with this trick, the story flows naturally. Later, I turn the font back to black and begin editing.

Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?
I’m indebted to more writers and their works than any list can hold. With this particular novel, probably the books that have been an influence are Jean Rhy’s ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’, Kiran Nagarkar’s ‘Cuckold’ and A. K. Ramanujan’s essay ‘300 Ramayanas and Counting’. 
‘Cuckold’ in particular, combines history and mythology to tell the story of a Rajput prince, the husband of Mirabai, whose wife is in love with someone else. Except his rival isn’t a man but the Hindu god Krishna. Nagarkar superbly weaves together strands of love, longing and valour, through the perspective of the prince who is usually portrayed as the antagonist in Mirabai’s divine love for Krishna. 
Jean Rhys’ post-colonial novel ‘Wide Sargasso Sea’ works as a prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’ 139 years after Bronte first described the ‘mad woman in the attic’. I was particularly drawn towards the acts of naming, renaming and unnaming that weave through this narrative. A name is probably the shortest story one can tell, and ‘Urmila’ too plays with the implications of names. Not only does the modern Urmila’s life reflect that of her namesake in the Ramayana, but her fate seems bound to the echoes of her name. Further, her husband remains unnamed in the novel (Urmila calls him ‘Shree’, which is just a generic word for Mr in Hindi) since he is the one character who cannot be grasped or contained. In some ways, it is also an act of defiance; in Laxman’s story, he does not refer to Urmila, in Urmila’s story, she will not name him. 

What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?
The most useful piece of advice came to me from the fabulous writer Anil Menon, who was one of the facilitators of the 3-week writing workshop at IIT Kanpur. He said that sometimes to write well, one just has to write more. Most people simply don't write enough. Everyone has a certain number of words to go before they reach the treasure of their talent and the trick is to persevere and just write more, to finish the story, to start a new novel, to type out those poems – keep writing as an act of chiseling and carving out the best writer you can be.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
I’d suggest two things: first, read. Particularly read the kind of books you want to write. And second, I believe that writers are not those who just write; writers are those who rewrite. Don’t get attached to your words. Take feedback and suggestions from a mentor or from other writer friends. Revise your draft, play with different perspectives and styles and rewrite till the story indicates that it is ready.

How do you spend your free time? Do you have a favorite place to go and unwind?
This is a difficult question for me because I spend every free minute reading – but reading is part of my work too. So it is a wonderful confusion! My favourite place is a large, comfy swing in our garden, where I curl up with a book and a cup of chai. 

Tell us three fun facts about yourself.
- I’m a karate black belt. Seriously.
- It’s terribly unfashionable to say this but my dream vacation is to stay home and just cook, read and sleep.
- As you can see, I’m not much fun! :)

What do you have in store next for your readers?
I’m working on a new poetry collection and on the second novel, which is a historical love triangle set in the time of the Indian independence movement. I’m excited about both, and I alternate between them depending on the time and the material I have with me each week.

Blurb of the novel Urmila

Inspired by a forgotten wife from the Ramayana, Urmila traces a woman’s rejection and her passionate search for love, rekindling questions of devotion and desire in 21st century India.

The talented and passionate Urmila Karmarkar has recently married into a wealthy, politically connected family in suburban Mumbai. When Urmila’s brother-in-law is compelled to move to Dubai, her husband leaves her behind and chooses to follow him instead. Fuelled by this rejection, Urmila seeks solace in her art as she battles to keep her dreams of love and motherhood alive, waiting for her husband to return.

Not since Tagore implored poets to ‘wipe the tears of Urmila’ has there been such a compelling and elegant narrative to undo a woman’s exile from the annals of literature.




More details:

With the recent resurrection of fiction based on mythology, Urmila stands out precisely because it is not a mere retelling of the Ramayana. A novel that is truly inspired and not simply derivative, it places the action in modern-day India and invests its characters with contemporary sensibilities. In its pages you will encounter a refreshing relevance – from mobs of right-wing protestors to the environmentally-conscious miser, from Urmila’s curiously adopted and ill-fated sister to the unwitting dhobhi, from the aging politician who stuns everyone with his last wish to his scheming former flame who plots an intricate vengeance.

Powerful, poignant, profound, Urmila seamlessly blends the past and the present, the mythical and the mundane, the artist and the activist, marking an exciting new voice in Indian fiction. 

Buy links for the novel
Amazon * Flipkart



"Just Because..." Mega Giveaway Part 4 - International

As a continuation to my "Just Because..." Giveaway this week I have another International Giveaway...


The Fourth Giveaway is here. The Prizes are:

- 1 Amazon Gift Card worth $10
- 1 Paperback Copy of The Auction by Anna Erishkigal
- 2 Kindle Copies of Chasing Clarity by Sylvia Stein
- 3 Kindle Copies of Sleep then my Princess by O. N. Stefan
- 3 Kindle Copies of The Deadly Caress by O. N. Stefan
- 1 Digital Copy of Abhaya by Saiswaroopa Iyer


I am SORRY to have to make this NOTE here but some participants have been faking their entries in the Rafflecopter in previous Giveaway. It is not fair to the either the Sponsors or the other participants. So, I will be checking each entry individually before selecting the winners so as to keep the odds fair. 
PLEASE do not fake your entries. Enter the Giveaway honestly!


Enter Here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's the First Giveaway - India Only 
Here's the Second Giveaway - International
Here's the Third Giveaway - India Only

27 May, 2016

#BlogTour :: The Lady’s Protector (Highland Bodyguards #1) By Emma Prince

The Lady’s Protector
(Highland Bodyguards, Book 1)
By Emma Prince
Blog Tour
May 19 – 29



The Battle of Bannockburn may be over, but the war is far from won.
Her Protector…
Ansel Sutherland is charged with a mission from King Robert the Bruce to protect the illegitimate son of a powerful English Earl. Though Ansel bristles at aiding an Englishman, the nature of the war for Scottish independence is changing, and he is honor-bound to serve as a bodyguard. He arrives in England to fulfill his assignment, only to meet the beautiful but secretive Lady Isolda, who refuses to tell him where his ward is.  When a mysterious attacker threatens Isolda’s life, Ansel realizes he is the only thing standing between her and deadly peril.
His Lady…
Lady Isolda harbors dark secrets—secrets she refuses to reveal to the rugged Highland rogue who arrives at her castle demanding answers. But Ansel’s dark eyes cut through all her defenses, threatening to undo her resolve. To protect her past, she cannot submit to the white-hot desire that burns between them. As the threat to her life spirals out of control, she has no choice but to trust Ansel to whisk her to safety deep in the heart of the Highlands…

 Get Your Copy Today!



Emma Prince is the Amazon All-Star and Bestselling author of steamy historical romances jam-packed with adventure, conflict, and of course love!
Emma grew up in drizzly Seattle, but traded her rain boots for sunglasses when she and her husband moved to the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Emma spent several years in academia, both as a graduate student and an instructor of college-level English and Humanities courses. She always savored her "fun books"—normally historical romances—on breaks or vacations. But as she began looking for the next chapter in her life, she wondered if perhaps her passion could turn into a career. Ever since then, she's been reading and writing books that celebrate happily ever afters!
Visit Emma's website, www.EmmaPrinceBooks.com, for updates on books, future projects, inspirations, newsletter sign-up, and more!


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#Interview with J.F. Penn, #Author of Destroyer of Worlds

About the Author:

J.F.Penn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the ARKANE supernatural thrillers and London Psychic crime series. Her books weave together ancient artifacts, relics of power, international locations and adventure at the edges of faith. Joanna lives in Bath, England





Interview with the Author:

What inspires you to write?
I'm primarily inspired by my travels to new places and the culture, history, art and architecture that I experience there. I'm a research junkie! Most of my books are based on places I've been and things I've done. (Not the murders, of course!) My thrillers are usually 95% truth and real life, based on my research and then I twist it into fiction, which hopefully makes it more believable. For example, Gates of Hell is based on Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, and the story starts in Spain and then moves to Israel and then into Eastern Europe. So once I start researching a topic, I find that the story emerges from what I discover. 

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?
I travelled to India a few years back and went from Delhi to Varanasi and back through the national park area to Agra. While I was traveling, I learned a lot about Hindu religion and culture and in Delhi Museum, I saw a statue of Shiva Nataraja whose cosmic dance destroys the world, readying it for re-creation. That was the first seed of the idea that became Destroyer of Worlds. 
Then synchronicity took over because it turns out that there is a huge statue of Shiva Nataraja at CERN, and conspiracy theorists believe that the Large Hadron Collider could destroy the world. Oppenheimer also said of the first atom bomb, "I am become Death, Destroyer of Worlds," a quote from the Bhagavad Gita. 
So in the book, ARKANE agents Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber must travel to India to stop an ancient weapon being discharged at one of the world's biggest pilgrimages, the Kumbh Mela.

Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks?
Absolutely! Morgan Sierra is the main character for my ARKANE series and she's kind of my alter ego. I send her on the adventures that I will never have. Her thoughts are often mine and what she thinks about places is based on my experiences. Of course, she is an ex-Israeli military psychologist, which I never was! But she specializes in religion and I have a Masters in Theology from Oxford, so I bring that aspect of my life to the page. 

Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?
I love reading and usually get through 3 books per week on my Kindle.  I read widely but in the supernatural thriller genre, I like James Rollins, Stephen King, John Connolly, Jonathan Maberry, Mo Hayder, Preston & Child, and Daniel Silva.
I have a list HERE of books and authors I particularly love.
I definitely write what I love to read so hopefully my books resonate with the readers of the books I love. 

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
The most important thing is getting that first draft done and it will always be terrible – and that's OK! Because a first draft is not a finished book. It is just the beginning of the editing process. So let that encourage you and just write freely and without judgement until you have something to work with. After all, you can't edit a first draft! 

What would be the Dream Cast for you book if it was to be turned into a movie?
Morgan Sierra has always been Angelina Jolie for me, as she was in Mr & Mrs Smith, or SALT, or Tomb Raider. But I know she's not acting anymore, so I also like Krysten Ritter, recently in Jessica Jones on Netflix. 
Jake Timber has always been Hugh Jackman in my head :)
I'd love for Asha Kapoor to be played by Aishwarya Rai or maybe Priyanka Chopra. 

How do you spend your free time? Do you have a favorite place to go and unwind?
When at home and while writing during the day, I read a lot and also go for long walks along the canal path near where I live in Bath, England. I'm currently training for a 100km walk called Race to the Stones, which finishes at the standing stones of Avebury, an ancient part of England. I travel a lot for my research so between books I'll head off to see another part of the world. I'm just back from Spain and I'll be heading back to Israel later this year to research End of Days, ARKANE thriller #9.

Tell us three fun facts about yourself.
I went to junior school in Malawi, Africa and that early travel experience has shaped my life and passion for different countries. 
I'm a PADI Divemaster and love scuba diving, preferably in clear, warm sea, rather than the freezing, grey English waters! 
I'm a cat person, although my husband and I are currently between cats as we move around a lot. But I'm looking forward to getting a furry writing companion next year when we intend to stay still for a bit. 

What do you have in store next for your readers?
I'm starting to research ancient Babylon for End of Days, ARKANE #9 which is coming at the end of 2016. I'm also intending to do a couple of books set in Australia and the Pacific Islands, to follow up Risen Gods, a dark fantasy novel set in New Zealand. I love the mythology and the setting of the antipodean islands. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers?
I update my online journal (not really a blog!) every few weeks, and I share books I'm reading and photos from my travels: http://jfpenn.com/now/
I also share interesting things at https://www.facebook.com/JFPennAuthor
If you're interested in trying my books, you can also get a free ebook, Day of the Vikings, here: http://jfpenn.com/free-thriller/

About the Book:
A bomb explodes in the center of London and a fragment of an ancient Hindu sculpture is stolen from the ARKANE Headquarters by a secret organization bent on mass murder. If the sculpture is put together again, it will reveal the key to the Brahmastra, a weapon with the power of a nuclear explosion.

As those they love are threatened, ARKANE agents Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber must search for the pieces of the relic before it can be activated at the Kumbh Mela, the greatest pilgrimage on earth.

In a fast-paced adventure from the slums of Mumbai to the temples of Kolkata, the Taj Mahal in Agra to the killing fields of Rwanda, Morgan and Jake must find the pieces of the sculpture before it’s too late.

>>> Destroyer of Worlds is Book 8 in the ARKANE action adventure thriller series, but can be read as a stand-alone story.