Bookish Indulgences

15 February, 2019

Debdatta Dasgupta February 15, 2019 0

7th Anniversary of Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws ~ #Giveaway 2

Hello!

I am back with the second Giveaway!

A Signed Copy of The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

A reimagining of the world-famous Indian epic, the Mahabharat—told from the point of view of an amazing woman.

Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half history, half myth, and wholly magical. Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, the novel gives us a new interpretation of this ancient tale.

The novel traces the princess Panchaali's life, beginning with her birth in fire and following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war involving all the important kings of India. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her strategic duels with her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female redefining for us a world of warriors, gods, and the ever-manipulating hands of fate.

Goodreads * Amazon

Remember to check out the first giveaway in this series... A signed copy of I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

One Lucky Indian Resident will win this signed copy and a tiny surprise! So, go ahead and enter yourself in the rafflecopter by doing small tasks. There are enough options and you can choose to do one or all. But please do NOT cheat. I will be checking the winning entries and if I find some not so sincere entries, the person will be disqualified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

14 February, 2019

Debdatta Dasgupta February 14, 2019 9

#GuestPost & #Giveaway - My Favourite Author by Summerita Rhayne

About the Author:
Summerita Rhayne writes contemporary and historical romance with lots of emotional conflict. She first got published in 2013 and has won contests with prestigious publishers such as Harlequin and Harper Collins India. She loves to write compelling emotional conflict in her stories.
Twitter * Follow her on Amazon

Thank you, Debdatta, for inviting me to share my thoughts on my favourite author for Valentine's day post.

How can we define romance? In today's world of increasingly busy and demanding lives, romance has achieved newer meanings. There is an ever present cynicism and skepticism related to romance. Sometimes, it feels as though romance is reduced to red and white balloons and the expectation of expensive gifts. But then you find instances of long, enduring relationships despite giant odds stacked against them. In romance fiction too, we see different expectations from the readers. As an author and reader of the genre, I often say, 'Boy meets girl does not make a romance.' This is truer than ever now. Mind exploration and self awareness are evident even in young people. As I direct my writing towards this demanding market, I find myself also looking up to fiction which is less escapist and more exploratory in nature. In this, I find Danielle Steel continues to fulfill the promise.

I like to read layered and relationship oriented stories and this author comes through on both counts. She has been criticised for her narrative style of story telling and for her omniscient pov while in romance fiction, close third person or even first person is all the rage. Also for penning the lives of the rich. But she writes character oriented stories and it is for the characters and their trials that her books are so fascinating. What sets her protagonists on edge and what challenges they confront forms a effective book and compelling reading which keeps you turning the pages. Recently she has grown from a romance to romantic fiction author and that is still amazing. Excuse me while I wax effusive about this lovely author. My big moment was indeed when I read in a review of my first book, Against All Rules: If you like Danielle Steel type of love and romance genre, you must read Against All Rules - ezinearticles.

To be paralleled, even in a slight way with the fourth best selling author of all time, is not a compliment but a blessing. Right now I am reading Steel's Mixed Blessing in which the lives of three different couples are explored. I'm looking forward to picking up her latest Turning Point next.

If you read Danielle Steel, do share your favourite book from her. Or share which is your favourite romance novel. Leave a comment to enter the giveaway of Against The Tide, historical romance set in ancient India which features a concubine falling in love.

Against The Tide

Can a concubine fall in love?
Lohana knows she cannot even dream of everlasting love. Trained to captivate men for their wealth and proficient in the required arts, a concubine like her is not meant to be a partner for life for anyone and most certainly not for the king. But King Jayatshatru has managed to steal her heart. In the politics of aristocracy, germs of intrigue flourish hidden behind the ornate doors. As love grows stronger, the plotting against her deepens. Will she be able to fight the forces against her? Does she even want to, when dreaming about happiness can lead both the king and her to ultimate ruin?

Find the book on Amazon

Book Review Tours February 14, 2019 0

#CoverReveal :: The Heart of You by Aarti V Raman

~ Cover Reveal ~

The Heart of You

(A Geeks of Caltech Novel)

by Aarti V Raman

Mixed martial arts studio owner Kit Barranos has always been a fighter. He will fight for his family. For his friends. For anyone in need.

What he doesn't know how to do is fight for himself...

... Or the inconvenient and consuming desire he has for single mom Lily Fallahil.

Office manager, Lily has spent the last decade raising her son and proving her independence to her protective and overbearing brother, Drake.

She has no time for romance. Especially with Kit Barranos, who has a body to die for and eyes that rip at her soul.

When Kit reveals his heartbreaking secret to Lily - he has a brother he never knew about, one he considered his closest friend - it brings them closer, creates a bond neither can deny.

And paves the way for a steamy attraction that explodes between them.

But it isn't just Lily that Kit is slowly but surely falling for. It's her adorable son, Bret.

Navigating the holidays, their families and their feelings is no easy task.

Flawed and fiercely loyal, Kit and Lily have fought the odds and survived.

But, survival no longer seems enough.

Can they take a chance on each other, on their hearts... On a love that braves The Heart of You?

The Heart of You is Book Three of The Geeks of Caltech, a unique band of friends bonded by loyalty, brotherhood, and pain. The Geeks of Caltech are to die for and their women all they wish to live for!

COMING SOON!

About the Author:

Aarti V Raman lives in Mumbai, India and has been a commercial editor and business journalist for the better part of a decade.
She is an incurable romantic who has taken up the task of bringing Happily Ever After to life for the characters in her head. She has three traditionally published novels out, all contemporary romances from 2014-2016, with the next one slated for release in 2019.
She currently writes and self-publishes steamy contemporary romance for urban millennials with a global twist. Sometimes, there are guns and car chases too.
Her new contemporary romance series include GEEKS OF CALTECH and ROYALS OF STELLANGARD as well as standalone romances - all of which have become Amazon India and US bestsellers.
She has also appeared as speaker at lit festivals and events around India and also dabbles in poetry, while conducting creative writing workshops.

Contact the Author:
Website * Facebook Page * Twitter * Instagram

This Cover Reveal is powered by b00k r3vi3w Tours

Debdatta Dasgupta February 14, 2019 6

7th Anniversary of Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws ~ #Giveaway 1

It will sound cliched, but I can not believe that it has been 7 years since I started this blog! 😍

When I started this blog, I just wanted an outlet for the love of books that I have. But this blog has given me so much more. Experiences of a lifetime, friends that I can count on and a lot more exposure to books that I could have ever imagined.

And no blog is successful without it's audience. So, here's the first of a few Giveaways that I have planned for this occasion...

A signed copy of I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

protect the diamonds
survive the clubs
dig deep through the spades
feel the hearts

Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

That's when the first ace arrives in the mail.

That's when Ed becomes the messenger.

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?

Goodreads * Amazon

One Lucky Indian Resident will win this signed copy! Truth be told, I am having a tough time letting go of this one myself 😏 But yes, I will happily send this along with a tiny surprise! So well, go ahead and enter yourself in the rafflecopter by doing small tasks. There are enough options and you can choose to do one or all. But please do NOT cheat. I will be checking the winning entries and if I find some not so sincere entries, the person will be disqualified.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 February, 2019

Debdatta Dasgupta February 12, 2019 0

#BookReview :: Second Go by Radhika Sachdev

Check out the Book

This is a non-fiction book that chronicles the experience of the author as a liver transplant recipient in India.

The book starts from the time when the author started looking for possible liver donors and then goes back and forth a bit. The author has documented her journey quite thoroughly and as such anyone who is curious about what it takes to get a transplant surgery in India may find this book to be informative. There are chapters in the end that deal with the required diet for a liver transplant recipient and the cost of the whole process. There’s even a separate chapter outlining the organ transplantation rules and regulations in India and a list of Trusts that provide financial help for the medical costs. I think these annexure of the book is most informative.

The author has also given the book a personal touch with details about her family and her work. I especially enjoyed reading the chapter about Aarzoo and the connection the mother and daughter duo has built over the years. The photos included in the book helped me make a connection with the author’s journey and the people involved in her life. The fact that the author continued to work and furthered her professional life through the tumultuous period was really inspiring. It would have been so easy (and some would even say prudent) to have put her professional life on hold to focus on her health. Instead, she is a real life proof of how strong women can be. She delegated where she could, but attended to her responsibilities like a pro. Her ability to multi-task and balance her personal relationship, professional life and her health is something everyone will admire.

However, even for non-fiction, the narrative and the flow of the book felt fragmented. As a result, the book did not have as much of an impact as it could have.

Review Copy received from Fingerprint Publishing

11 February, 2019

Debdatta Dasgupta February 11, 2019 1

#BookReview :: Fatal Fallout by Sharmishtha Shenoy

Check out the Book

When a new and upcoming actress is found murdered on a highway, people start to speculate. Was it a highway robbery gone badly or was it a murder. With a recent breakup with an abusive boyfriend, most fingers seem to be pointing at the ex. But there is something fishy about the director and the producer of the movie that Gauri was working on. With the media sniffing about and a corrupt cop on the scene, Vikram Rana has to work his magic fast.

Fatal Fallout is the fourth book in the Vikram Rana Mystery series and my first encounter with Vikram Rana, the detective. The book can be read as a standalone. With a short introduction to Vikram Rana being presented by the author at the very beginning, I felt that I knew a bit about Vikram already when I started reading this story. I liked the character of Vikram. He is in no way a flawless character and it is indeed his flaws that make him more human and affable to the readers. He has his own methods for working out a case which requires both brain and brawn. His previous experience as a police officer has given him much insight into not only the profession but also into the people in the profession. It is also a plus for him now that he runs his own agency.

The cast for the story is quite limited but everyone involved seems to have a motive. Each character had a distinct personality and played important role in progressing the plot. The police investigator handling this case, Phani, felt like total scum at times. But his attitude was more than compensated by ACP Gopi’s character. There’s an angle in the story that gives you a look into the dynamics in the industry and also where the readers can see how quick certain judgment calls are made without any base. The author’s language and the narrative style are simple and fluid. There’s a certain tone of friendliness in the tone of narration that makes you feel comfortable with it. Add to it the twists that the author has put in for the readers, the book turns out to be an engaging read.

Review Copy received from the Author

Debdatta Dasgupta February 11, 2019 0

#BookBlitz :: The Retreat by Mari.Reiza

~ Book Blitz ~

The Retreat by Mari.Reiza

Coming of Age / Psychological Thriller

About the Book:

An uncomfortable but fascinating ripening journey.
Ahmed has abandoned her. Nadia is gone the way Isabelle did before, her two fallen warriors. But Marie can still hear His voice clearly.
A deep call for justice takes hold in an impressionable teenage girl from a recently broken family during a religious retreat; what happens next will mark her life for years to come.
the Retreat is a story of men playing God, of hurt that doesn’t find its way out.

Find it on Amazon

About the Setting
The story moves back and forth in time and place. From Brussel's during Marie's early teenage years with her mother and siblings, to Zermatt where she's sent with the nuns on a fated ski trip. Years later in London, Marie is attempting to find a job and build a life with Ahmed who she met on a plane, when she's lured to a Victorian bathhouse and meets troubled Nadia. But the book begins and ends after Marie's London years, back in her natal Bordeaux. There Marie strikes the final blow in her prodigal daughter's return of sorts.

Meet Marie
Marie is cute with a sexy gap like a secret passage between her upper incisors. She was once a diligent student, before her estranged dad left them or was driven away, or they left and he failed to follow the family to Brussels. But soon after her ski trip trouble, she's labelled a rebel by her conservative single mother whose only hobby is work and only God is sacrifice, accused that her kind of righteousness gets them into trouble. Is God where Marie's fight started? She thinks when people have faith in nothing they're less dangerous. Why can't she marry well like her older sister or build a successful career like her brother? She tries shortly with Ahmed in London, until Nadia lures her back into her old destructive ways, eventually prompting Marie's return to her natal town where nothing has changed. There Marie feels blamed for her younger sister Lucie's depression, her marriage to old peasant Raoul and her recently found fervour to breed donkeys. Marie knows Lucie is angry against her and she's angry back. How many things have happened in Marie's short life! Has Marie inherited them in a way? Who has forced them upon her?

Meet Marie's Teacher and School Friends
Hélène is endowed with breasts big enough that she would still be liked even if she was ever forced iron on her smile. Hélène has been there for ages and is confident in and out of school premises, talking to the school’s staff, with colleagues of every race, sex, colour and nationality. She’s even fun. She is every classmate’s dream and every teacher’s pet, and the section’s headteacher is her father, her surname forever capable of favouring her. She's definitely trouble.

Martine emulates Hélène in every way she can, even if she falls desperately short of her goal: other than for her derrière extraordinaire, she seems a good for nothing girl, hardly a genius.

Monsieur Berger, the religion teacher, wears large Italian spectacles he claims to have bought in Rome whilst on a visit to the Pope and uses a few long strands of white hair to pretend he isn’t bold. His skin, especially around his hands and eyes, is wrinkly, pale and freckly, and his fingers tremble during his impassioned oratories, making him look like a Mayan idol whose touch unleashes visions from dubious gods. Monsieur Berger exclusively wears brown corduroys, paired with pale cashmere turtlenecks and shirts which look far too expensive for anyone vowing poverty like he insists he does. And he often delivers the full lesson with his zip undone. The rumour is Monsieur Berger was not always the religious type but has a florid past. Are clumsy Sister Perline and sour Sister Prudence covering for him?

Isabelle’s a very quiet girl, not as sexy-pretty as Hélène, but still deliciously put together down to every centimetre allocated to her face and body, except for her dark, luscious half-eyebrow. Where’s the other half gone?

Meet Ahmed
Ahmed is on his early twenties with captivating eyelashes, working in a bank in London. The day Marie met him she thought he was it; understood
that much of what she had been missing and actually required was in his love. She temporarily felt locked outside of her misery. But it turns out the man was tormented by the curse of ambition, like a prospector in the Wild West, ready to suppress every good bit of himself for no trouble to come his way. Ahmed had been put there to fill a void. Yet after a year they had been together he had not managed to modify a thing in Marie, nor to impress in her body one lasting imprint: nothing of him had endured.

Meet Nadia
The same thin, long neck as Isabelle. The same straight black mane of hair. The same thick, dark eyebrows; both eyebrows. Her hands, one slightly deformed. In the haze of the baths Marie thinks Nadia's stomach looks so tiny, her belly button so pretty. Her voice is gentle almost that of a ghost. 'Do you believe in God?' Nadia has lost a sister to a fire and her brother is angry. When she extends her sponge, Marie's ready to let the young woman invade her like a peacekeeping force.

If the book interests you, you can request for a REVIEW COPY in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:
Mari.Reiza was born in Madrid in 1973. She has worked as an investment research writer and management consultant for twenty years in London. She studied at Oxford University and lives off Portobello Road with her husband and child.

Find Mari at:
Twitter * Instagram

10 February, 2019

Debdatta Dasgupta February 10, 2019 1

#BookReview :: Shades of Silence by Mamta Anand

Check out the Book

Shades of Silence begins with a hospital scene where Rohini, our protagonist, gives birth to a girl through c-section. What ensues next is probably the story of millions of women in our country and around the world.

The author has expertly handled various issues that women still face in the 21st century; from female feticide to dowry to mental torture to rape and violence. It is a sad fact of our patriarchal society that fails to understand till date that suppressing half of the population is not the way of progress. Through Rohini’s story and her journey, the author has not only brought up the various issues but has portrayed them in a manner that everyone would relate to in certain capacities. And I must give credit to the author for writing a book that at the least should help people start a conversation about these matters. Rohini as a protagonist is a strong woman. Her grit and ideals may not make her very popular in the society that she has to fight against, but it is what makes her shine through. There are a few supporting characters in the book without whom the book wouldn’t have the shape that it does whether you like them or hate them. And, before you jump to conclusions about this being a man-hating book (must be when it talks about the struggles of women :/) – no it is not like that. There are women in the book that you will hate and there are men in the book that will like. The author maintains a balance in showing that end of the day even though it is about the struggles of women, the problem lie with both men and women while some people work hard to redeem human kind.

However, I have to point out that the language and the narrative of the book felt bit rough and dry for a fiction novel. The dialogues were a bit jarring at times. It would probably suit a non-fiction novel much more. As a result I found it a bit difficult to find a rhythm and truly immerse myself while reading the book.

Review copy received from the Author

09 February, 2019

Book Review Tours February 09, 2019 0

#BookBlitz :: Prisoner of Yakutsk by Shreyas Bhave

~ Book Blitz ~

Prisoner of Yakutsk by Shreyas Bhave

The Subhash Chandra Bose Mystery

Final Chapter

8th to 10th February

About the Author:

What exactly happened to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose?

• In 1945, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Leader of the INA leaves Singapore to take a series of flights, and dies in Taiwan after his plane crashes near Formosa. Or so it seems.

• In 1947, Mr Mrs Singh, an illustrious army couple, both veterans of the Indian National Army, are last seen in Delhi, and then never again.

• In 1949, the plane carrying the first deputy Prime Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, mysteriously disappears for seven hours.

• In 2012, following the fall of WikiLeaks, a female hacker of the notorious X group is on the run as most wanted by everyone from Interpol to the KGB

• In 2015, the millionaire CEO of a Fortune 500 company suddenly resigns and vanishes from the public eye.

A set of seemingly unconnected disappearances emerge to be woven into a single fabric as the answer to one leads to another… In this riveting narrative, bestselling author Shreyas Bhave, takes the reader on a thrilling adventure to solve the greatest mystery the Indian nation has known.

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon

Read an Excerpt:

At minus 5 degrees celsius, the cold is refreshing and a light hat and scarf are all that are required to keep you warm. At minus 20, the moisture in your nostrils freezes and it is difficult not to cough. At minus 35, the air is cold enough to numb exposed skin, making frostbite a constant hazard. And at minus 45 degrees, metal sticks to your cheeks and tears off chunks of flesh when you take off your sun goggles. Jay Rasbihari was not wearing any metal, just his fur coat, but the cold was such that even the plastic earphones in his ears felt painful as he tugged at them to listen to his contact from HQ. He waited for the connection to be established. The thermometer attached to his clothes showed minus 40. His ears had begun to sting. Next would be his legs. Nevertheless he stood still and waited.

“HQ to Jay.” His contact’s voice filled Jay’s ears. He opened his mouth to acknowledge the call but realized the cold had caused his throat to freeze. “Jay here.” He willed the words to escape his mouth.

“Start the GPS on your phone so I can track you,” the voice from HQ instructed. For a moment Jay felt envious, thinking about his contact sitting somewhere in warm comfort. Such thoughts were dangerous, he knew. They sapped one’s will. He struggled to find his phone and struggled to enter the codes with his numb fingers. “I see you,” the voice from HQ confirmed. “Move forward.” Jay cursed as he lifted his leg and brought it forward. His foot sunk into the snow but he pulled it out and continued. Walking up the slope was a breathless challenge as he climbing at snail’s pace. “Okay, stop!” The voice from the HQ said once he was on the top of the small hill. Jay halted, struggling to catch his breath.

“Should be at your feet,” the voice said. The mist made it hard to see anything. Jay sank to his knees and groped. He could feel nothing but snow, all around him. “I don’t see it.”

“Of course you don’t.” Jay thought he heard amusement in the voice. “Mr. Jay, you’re going to have to dig.”

Book Trailer:

About the Author:

Shreyas Bhave's love for history since his childhood prompted him to write his take on the story of Asoka who was one of the towering figures in the history of India, which has been taken up as ‘The Asoka Trilogy’ by Leadstart Publishing. The first part of the trilogy called ‘The Prince of Patliputra’ has been published in January 2016 and the second part called 'Storm From Taxila' was published in 2018.

Connect with the Author:
Website * Facebook * Twitter

08 February, 2019

Debdatta Dasgupta February 08, 2019 0

#SpecialFeature :: Read an #Excerpt from Second Go by Radhika Sachdev

*** Special Feature - February 2019 ***

About the Book:

Penned in real time, from the hospital bed while battling for life, on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone’s 4x2 inch keypad, the only device allowed to the patient in her supersanitized recuperating room, this book follows a hybrid format of medico-psycho thriller, interspersed with SMS chats, transcripts of medical records, and other workings of an addled mind overcome by sickness, yet determined to pull through.

It is a first-hand account of a liver transplant recipient’s journey in India, chronicled from the patient’s perspective in vivid detail as a series of dramatic events unfold in her life, completing the cycle from sickness to health, despair to hope.

It also tells the story of a single mom and breadwinner of the family, her strong bonding with her adoptive daughter, and her family and friends’ support. The author hopes that this book will give courage and direction to other patients whose lives are hanging by a thread, patients awaiting a life-saving cadaveric organ donation.

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon

Read an Excerpt:
I am woken up at 5.30 a.m. I brush my teeth, take a bath with the antiseptic gel and change into my new set of buttonless cotton tunic and pyjamas, hair tightly braided, as instructed.
At 6.00 a.m. I am served my cold breakfast of two brown bread vegetable sandwiches and a weak milky tea. I have also been given my regular blood pressure and diabetes tabs. After this, I will consume no food or liquids until the next morning.
The two invasive procedures are tentatively scheduled for 3.00 p.m. but I will be wheeled into the Operation Theatre at 11.00 a.m., so will be able to post my next dispatch tomorrow when I wake up from the impact of general anaesthesia.
The two procedures, breast conservation and D&C will be done almost simultaneously by two different surgeons, Mandar Nadkarni and Maya Gade respectively, both members of my liver transplant surgeon Dr Vinay Kumaran’s multi-speciality team.
When a junior doctor from the oncology team arrives to explain the procedure to me and catches my shocked expression, he rushes in to reassure me with “Don’t worry. We will fight to preserve your breasts.”
The doctor from the gynaecology team also takes pains to explain that if worse comes to worse, they will remove the uterus, but “look at the positive side, the polyp may be benign. We will know from the biopsy.”
I try not to wince.
The actual course of action, I am given to understand, would be decided in the OT based on what the biopsy reveals and my consent for further procedures before giving me the general anaesthesia, or later, my family’s consent. Till then, fingers crossed.
The two biopsy results would be available to the waiting surgeons in half an hour, at the earliest.
Ideally a patient with a decompensated liver is not able to tolerate general anaesthesia. “That’s my worry but we don’t have an option,” my concerned pathologist Dr Gaurav Mehta tells me. Whatever be the outcome I am picking very good vibes from my doctors here, and that’s a big plus.
Everything has been timed and tied to perfection. Nothing can go wrong, so chin up, my family tells me.
While I write this, I am waiting for the call from the OT.
But before that I must make one phone call to a new client who wants to negotiate prices before signing the contract. I must have the deal in my bag before my procedures.
Business as usual.

About the Author:

Radhika Sachdev is an independent journalist who has held senior editorial positions with leading news banners – the Times of India, Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Financial World, and The Pioneer. Presently, she runs her own advertising outfit, Write Solutions.

Connect with the Author:
Website * Facebook * LinkedIn

Giveaway:

Two lucky Indian Residents can win a paperback copy each of Second Go

a Rafflecopter giveaway

04 February, 2019

Book Review Tours February 04, 2019 0

#BookBlitz :: Opera by Mari.Reiza

~ Book Blitz ~

Opera by Mari.Reiza

Literary / Romance

About the Book:

A wealthy arts patron receives a wrongly delivered letter at her secret address in Kensington. Her therapist recognises the intended recipient immediately, leading her into the hands of a defeated composer she will, together with her sweetest accomplice, help back into music. A passionate rendition of human resilience.

Find it on Amazon

About the Setting
There are three main settings. First, Ivanka's secret Kensington flat where she weekly receives her massage therapist Fer. She has instructed her doctor to send any correspondence to this address, helping her channel misery away from her everyday life. Second, a ruinous local mansion where Maria has caged himself, confined to the largest of its rooms, a boundless nest with a floor of sand and a central shiny black grand piano. Finally, a sophisticated high-class London Mexican restaurant resembling a theatre set where guests can pick a character and live only the fun parts. Here Ivanka regularly meets and plots with playfellow and long-life confidant Igor.

Meet Ivanka
Ivanka is a beautiful young woman born in Saint Petersburg, wedded to rich banker Alexey. But their marriage has only given birth to a story of misuse of wealth and human limitation. He doesn’t like losers. Neither does she. She couldn’t stomach grievers orbiting around them if her sorry news became public. It’s impossible to be naturally kind or forgiving with her pain, but in Maria she has seen something precious. She wants to bring it out in him though not the way Alexey did in her... After all, was she not once the most wonderful music promoter, a genius in seeking talent?

Meet Fer
Fer is slim as a river reed, looks so innocent-pretty despite his cut-rate-dental teeth and wobbly eyes always alert to never miss anything, so gay in his hideous rainbow shirt. He has been hired by Ivanka for his osteopathy services alone, yet has from day one committed himself to deliver much more, channeling a constant flow of psychic vigour to every corner of her system in peril. He's drawn to her talk of Igor even if he doesn't understand who he is. He's full of childish excitement about Maria he recognizes as a musician in a popular band when he was growing up in Italy. Very few people seem to afford Fer a chance other than for what they want for themselves, but he knows Ivanka is his chance, that something in her will make things happen for him.

Meet Maria
A blue-eyed Viking. He looks like a haunted criminal under a witness protection program, a man who would slaughter, skin and bake your family dog, a man you don’t want to be telling you what he has down on his life tally... and what’s with all his leather neck chains and charms unable to hide his prominent Adam’s apple? The sight of him almost immediately wins Ivanka over. His mind has remained full of an old flame, of the grief of living with someone who’s not there, who had once sworn she didn’t mind him not being like other people and had him dream of fathering mermaids, of living under a waterfall. How could he ever get over that?

Meet Igor
Ivanka's prince. She finds him irresistible in a motherly way. She always did, since she was fourteen and he was a little boy and they were constantly bonding over one activity or another she set out for him in Moscow, when she first arrived from Saint Petersburg. Igor's a son of a famous actress and director, has tried and failed to follow in his father's steps. And he's wanted back in Moscow by his hysterically resentful, erotically hyper-charged Cuban ex-lover (married to an old Russian princess he has duped) who has offered Igor his last opportunity to rehabilitate their shared history or else...Igor can’t go back to Moscow. He can't ‘holiday’ around sad corners of the continent indefinitely either, like a fugitive. He’s stuck in a bad situation, one that would easily call for him to open a bottle of port every night and weep over his life, which he indeed does, repeatedly. He needs to secure work in London just to be safe. He needs Ivanka. And he would do anything to have her happy; he owes her for old times’ sake...

If the book interests you, you can request for a REVIEW COPY in exchange for an honest review.

01 February, 2019

Debdatta Dasgupta February 01, 2019 3

#SpecialFeature :: Introducing Radhika Sachdev, #Author of Second Go

Under "Special Feature" every month I feature a Special Author.

During this month I put up 5 posts about the Author/Book, including Interview / Review / Excerpt / Guest Post / Author Bio / Fun Facts or whatever else we can come up with. Also on the first day of the month we will launch the Giveaway contest along with the first post and will announce the winner on the last day of the month.
So be sure to check out my blog every 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th of every month for something new :)

*** Special Feature - February 2019 ***

About the Author:

Radhika Sachdev is an independent journalist, who has held senior, editorial positions with leading news banners -Times of India, Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Financial World, The Pioneer etc.

During this interim, she has in her profession covered — advertising, marketing, media, education, HR, real estate and environment beats. She also a partner and chief content strategist at Write Solutions, a boutique content house she founded eight years ago, marking her diversification from journalism to copy writing to media consultancy.

Her family comprises of 2 Ds - dad and daughter – positioned at the two ends of the age spectrum, she can’t say, which one of the two is more demanding and impossible.

Aarzoo is her adopted daughter. The best gift she gave herself. Like all pre-teens Aarzoo is stubborn and rebellious, and dubs her an ‘average’ mom, but, Radhika knows that she is the centre of Aarzoo’s universe.

Coming from a woman-dominated family, Radhika share an uncommon close bond with her two sisters, Poonam and Mona, and by extension, their families. They simply dote on her. Radhika is pretty sure, her two-brothers-in-law consider a wee bit loony. Yet they both stood by her, rock-solid through all her trials and tribulations.

Connect with the Author:

Website * Facebook * LinkedIn

About the Book:

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon

Giveaway:

Two lucky Indian Residents can win a paperback copy each of Second Go

a Rafflecopter giveaway

29 January, 2019

Debdatta Dasgupta January 29, 2019 1

#SpecialFeature :: #Interview with Salil Desai, #Author of The Sane Psychopath

*** Special Feature - January 2019 ***

Quick Recap:

1st January - Introducing Salil Desai, Author of Inspector Saralkar Mystery Series

8th January - Read an Excerpt from The Sane Psychopath

15th January - Book Review of The Sane Psychopath by Salil Desai

22nd January - Read an Excerpt from The Sane Psychopath

About the Book:

Are some crimes unpardonable?

A young lawyer is about to find out.

It was just another day in Pune. Just another morning.

Until a man decided otherwise.

And left an entire city horrified . . . scared . . . angry . . . baying for blood.

This is the story of Shanker Lande, driver of a state transport bus, who goes on a bone-chilling hour-long rampage on the streets of Pune—killing 10, maiming 70, and damaging over 100 vehicles, before he is captured.

In this case of Shanker Lande vs the city of Pune, the difference between the criminal and the victims is clear as night and day. But a young idealistic lawyer, Varun Gupte, a Punekar, still decides to defend Lande. And in the process seeks help from a psychiatrist, a man who lost his son to the same incident.

Caught in the pincer grip of their dilemmas, do the two men crumble? Do they unearth the truth? And does the truth absolve Lande?

Inspired by a real incident, The Sane Psychopath is a fictional exploration of a frightening murderous phenomenon of our times.

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon

An Interview:

Murder on a Side street was your debut novel. What do you remember the most from your first publishing experience?

Murder on a Side Street was my second novel. My debut novel was ‘The Body in the Back Seat’ (2011), which was later republished by Fingerprint as Killing Ashish Karve (2014), the first Inspector Saralkar Mystery Series novel.

What have you done differently since then?

Well, when I wrote my first novel, I was just eager to be published and read. I hadn’t even thought that the book would be successful enough to lead on to a series. I had already started work on my second novel, which was a light-hearted murder mystery aimed at the young crowd. It was completely different from my first novel which was very dark and intense. Also I was working on a book of short stories ‘Lost Libido and Other Gulp Fiction’. So I was experimenting a lot. Then encouraged by the response to the first Saralkar mystery, Killing Ashish Karve, I embarked on two back to back Inspector Saralkar novels – The Murder of Sonia Raikkonen (2015) and 3 and a Half Murders (2017). It involved a lot of hard work, but I was in my element, because I loved my characters and knew exactly what to do with them and with my plot. It was like being a batsman in form. However, it also exhausted me and I then decided to write a different kind of thriller, ‘The Sane Psychopath’, based on a true incident that happened in Pune in 2012. Again, given my urge to always experiment, I am happy that my sixth novel ‘The Sane Psychopath’ (2018) breaks the mould in terms of narration, story-telling, subject and tone. I think the only way a writer can hope to surprise readers is by experimenting.

Lost Libido and other Gulp Fiction is a collection of short stories that is vastly different from your famed mystery series. What was your aim with it?

My aim was to simply test myself by writing stories from different genres. I like to read short stories myself and realized it’s the best vehicle to capture the chaotic, cultural flux of urban India today and people’s reactions to the myriad problems, temptations and tricky choices that life throws at them.

What is your writing process like? Do you out every detail first or just go with the flow after the outline?

Generally speaking, I etch out the plot and story outline and then begin writing. But it’s not as simple as that, because writing is both a creative and tedious process at the same time – you have to work to a broad plan, yet leave a lot of room for spontaneity and change.

What is the trickiest part of your artistic process? And which aspects do you enjoy the most?

Actually the trickiest part is to convert a story idea into a narrative that has something meaningful to say in a way that is exciting, interesting and insightful. An author and his writing share a love-hate relationship. Sometimes I enjoy every bit of it, sometimes I hate it, especially when I am unable to make headway.

How many drafts do you usually write?

It would be great to say several drafts, but I must confess, I generally am able to crack it in one draft, with a lot of re-writing along the way. That’s because I have this habit of writing, reading the next morning, scratching out the parts I don’t like and re-writing. And then of course, there are always some changes and re-writing when my editor starts editing the manuscript.

What are your personal reading preferences? Does what you read influence how you write?

I love reading a lot of non-fiction on varied topics, plenty of history and all fiction that can take me beyond the first 20 pages. Yes, what I read certainly influences what I write, but not in terms of my style or content, but in terms of deepening my understanding of human beings, human life and the world.

What does literary success look like to you?

Literary success to me is either popular or critical acclaim or if possible both. It means writing books that won’t be forgotten. It means leaving readers with at least one thought or even one sentence that lingers on in their minds long after they have finished reading my book. Literary success also means being able to earn a living by writing fiction.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Good question. Yes, I read each and every review of my books whether in newspapers, blogs or even those on Amazon and Goodreads and so on. I also read feedback sent directly to me by readers. Mercifully most reviews of all my books have been good, even great. It would be dishonest to say I don’t wince when I read a bad review, but it does not bother me unduly.

One advice for every aspiring author out there.

All I can say is that being an author is a heart-breaking ordeal and only if you can weather multiple rejections and disappointments, should you attempt to be a writer.

About the Author:

Salil Desai is an author, columnist, and film-maker based in Pune. He is best known for his much-acclaimed Inspector Saralkar Mystery Series which includes 3 and a Half Murders (2017), The Murder of Sonia Raikkonen (2015), and Killing Ashish Karve (2014). His other popular books are Murder on a Side Street (2011) as well as a collection of short stories, Lost Libido and
Other Gulp Fiction (2012). The Sane Psychopath (2018) is his sixth book.
An alumnus of Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Salil’s dramatized management training videos (www.relivingindia.
com) are much appreciated in the corporate world. He also conducts intensive workshops in creative fiction writing, story
and scenario design, screenplay writing and film-making.
Salil was also one of the four international authors worldwide selected for the HALD International Writers’ Residency in
Denmark, hosted by the Danish Centre for Writers & Translators in June 2016.

Stalk the Author:
Website * Inspector Saralkar Mystery Series * Goodreads