#643 : Ate! - An Incomplete Short Story

Maya stood next to the picket fence gasping for air. After all, she managed to escape being caught by Nirmal. That was no ordinary feat. She looked around,expecting him to surprise her by pouncing from behind and getting her out of the game. She scanned the yard for places to hide. They always played in Nirmal’s backyard, but today they decided to move to Ami’s house. Nirmal’s mom wasn’t keeping well. This backyard was trim and clean unlike that of Nirmal’s. Mr. Ashok,Nirmal’s dad, loved bikes and cars, hence his yard was bare with various vehicle parts littered all over the place. Since she was the smallest of her friends, physically, she could hide behind one of those mammoth engines or door frames that were there on the yard. If Nirmal was chasing, he would always catch her by surprise in spite of her not making any sound. 

Today, she had no such thing to hide behind. Ami’s yard was filled with potted plants all arranged neatly. She had managed to reach the far end of the yard without tripping over the pots. She turned back and looked at all the plants. They were in varying stages of growth. There were flowers of all colors and sizes. A strong scent of wild Jasmine hung in the air. A slow smile crept to her eyes. There was rectangular patch towards her left. Four long wooden poles stood rooted in rectangular form, covered with vines and leaves. A small wooden horse lay rocking gently inside. She tiptoed towards it and sat on the horse. If felt a size smaller for her frame. That didn’t really prevent her from gripping the handle and rocking the horse gently. For a moment she forgot all about Nirmal and their game. It felt so nice to be in the garden and enjoying a rocking horse. She lived in one of those tall buildings with glass lifts. Her house was on the 7th floor. She hated that she couldn’t go out and stand on the balcony like her brother Rajesh did. He was taller than her and older too, though by just two years. This whole place felt dreamy to her. May be, she could persuade the gang to play in Ami’s house often. Ram came running out screaming and kicking down many pots in the process. Nirmal followed him laughing. At least he was careful enough not to step over the fallen plants. 

Maya sulked and stood up. It was time to end the game.She would walk straight to Nirmal and ask him to get her out. She wanted to stay in the garden taking in the scents and sights. She was bored of the hide and seek game. Her gang of 9 kids from her school almost always played this game for a year now. They had all joined the Sunny brook school in their kindergarten. Now they were all in the third grade. As she walked to towards Nirmal who was now in the floor tackling, a small figure appeared suddenly in front of her. It shot out of nowhere with a low swishing sound. It looked like it was some kind of a creature cut out from a tree. Two tiny black eyes blinked at her as she looked at it with curiosity. It reminded her of that woody thing from the movie her dad had watched on the TV few days back. She scratched her nose to try remember it’s name. It slowly stepped forward towards her. She looked at with curiosity. Were such things even real, she wondered? She stepped forward. It stood still and blinked at her.

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Writer's Note - I had begun writing this short story on 8th Feb 2018, it's May 2019 and I have lost both the story and the drive to complete writing it. Wondered what I'd do with an incomplete story. Thus the decision to throw it out in the open and "crowd-source" ideas to complete it or invite co-authors to complete it. Just so you know, the above piece is un-edited.

If you are interested in writing this along with me, please shoot me a mail - shreejanani@shreewrites.com or if you wish to give me an idea to complete it, please write to the same ID. 

What do you stand to gain? - I cannot afford anything monetary, however, visibility and good credits will certainly be given. 

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#642: Legacy (Andalucian Nights, #3) by Hannah Fielding - Review

The protagonist, Luna, a medical researcher/journalist goes undercover to investigate the head of a Spanish alternative medicine clinic, Rodrigo de Rueda Calderon (Ruy) who has tall claims about his "natural" methods to cure life threatening diseases such as cancer. Ruy is a complete charmer, the typical Spanish hot blooded passionate male and has a reputation of being a womanizer. With his dark irresistible looks and fascinating gypsy ways, he pursues Luna with unrelenting enthusiasm. Luna discover the murky bond between her Spanish side of parentage with that of Ruy's family which ends up throwing her already complicated life into a full blown spin. 

In spite of being the third book in a series, the book can be read as a standalone as it isn't a logical continuation of the other books. 

The book was an absolute delight to read. The rich narration and vivid descriptions is every prose lover's dream. The writer has brought to life the charm and sensuality, the region of Andalusia inherently possess. Reading the book made me want to visit Cadiz. Thanks to her previous books, I managed to visit Cordoba. It is evident that the setting deserves a special mention. Spain is truly a magical country (for that matter I'd say most of Europe is magical!)a nd the writer has very smartly used that to construct the series. Andalusia, Cordoba particularly can overwhelm people with it's old world charm. I'm sure the writer has not written the series based on a "internet research". The tone,the writing, all of it sounds as if it was born purely out of the creatively inspiring setting from a physical visit. 

The story, the setting, the narration all if it were simply perfect. It wouldn't be surprising if the entire series is given the same treatment, few years down the line, as that of Jane Austen's works today - Classic romance with a cult following!

Do buy this book @ Amazon

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#641 : Eco Friendly Products by Dopolgy - Review

With the recent plastic ban in the state, all of us have been pushed to look for Eco-friendly alternatives for bags. I successfully managed to switch to cloth or jute bags for everything including grocery shopping and vegetable shopping. It was that forced switch which made me realize that we were all literally drowning in mounds of plastic which cannot be recycled. I decided to slowly switch one product at a time and do my bit for a sustainable environment. 

In spite of the plastic ban in full swing, tender coconut vendors are still providing plastic straws. They tell me it's very much available in the market. To do my bit, I got myself stainless steel straws and have begun to carry them around in my bag. Just as I was looking to throw out a couple of other items - toothbrush and my plastic loofah, I chanced upon a tweet by a person running this Eco-friendly store - Dopolgy. They were offering Charcoal infused bamboo toothbrush, News paper color pencils, news paper seed pencils and news paper pencils. My employers - Schneider Electric - a company known for it's green initiatives - had earlier provided us all with paper seed pens which turned out to be quite good. These pencils by Dopolgy are the latest addition to my conscious stationery kit. 

Having used them for a little more than a week now, these pencils are no different from the regular wood pencils. I found no difference at all whatsoever. They are study and as perfect as the ones made out of wood. 

Having used a natural loofah made out of Vettiver roots ages ago, I had very less expectations of these loofahs. They aren't exactly durable. The fibers tend to come loose and irritate the skin in a very short span of time. This loofah are comparatively thin and do look sturdy. It's been more than a week, so far it is quite good and do not show any signs of tear or wear. 

The charcoal infused toothbrush was the perfect product of all. The brush felt weightless and the bristles are super soft.  It feels refreshing to use a product which is easy on the nature and our health as well.

All the above mentioned products are quite reasonably priced as well. 

More than the overall quality of the products, which of course is good enough, it feels good and satisfying to have made the switch! 

Please do make the switch, it's just the little bit that we can do. 

Do buy these fantastic brushes and loofahs from Dopolgy from their store here. 

Note: Dopolgy sent these products for a review, however, the opinions stated are my own.

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#640 : Women In Business - Wands by Megha : Interview

It is every Potterhead's dream to own a wand. For unlucky people like me, who are yet to visit the UK and buy the actual merchandise from Warner Brothers (which might end up burning a hole in your pocket), Megha's wands are a dream come true! Albeit at a lesser cost. 

Here is my interaction with this beautiful young woman with a quirky business!

Hello Megha,

First of all, congratulations! Your wands look so perfect.

Me: Warner Bros have their own official wand merchandise. What made you to take up this idea of wand-making?

Megha : Wand making wasn’t an idea as such , being a Potter head I wanted to own a few wands and that’s how it all started J One instagram post later people had me asking if I was selling them , and here we are J

Me : How do you really make a Wand? What’s the process and effort that go into it? Give us an inside sneak peek. 

Megha:  Magic! ;)

Well , the wands are hand made and hand painted and go through several drying processes to finally look like the end result and That’s all the Tea I can spill!

Me : Investing time and money into a business is not an easy decision, especially if you are a woman, the society tends to treat us with kid gloves. Though that is a changing one step at a time, there is a long way to go. Enlighten us on the trials and tribulations you faced when you decided to get into this business.

Megha : Wand making wasn’t something I thought I would get into you know , but when I first started I invested  my own money on it . Self doubt was one aspect that kept bothering me .Will people like my work was the one thought I had 24*7 but then I let go of that and everything was easier after that , also , not to forget ,the shipping! But … it got better with time so we’re all good now J

Me :Your business is online predominantly. Do you have some offline sales as well?

Megha : Yes , people who know me in real life are my offline customers J

Me : The small business scenario in India – How would you describe it from your experience, what are the procedures you had to follow to bring your product out.

Megha :  I think there is a lot of scope for small businesses if you base your store on something that isn’t already available and with the emerging use of social media it seems even easier , but you cannot just depend on what’s in front of you , you need to work equally hard and give them the best so your business flourishes ! Hard work gets you places is all I can say for now.

Me : Pillars of support! Immaterial of gender, we all need support to embark on a venture, who were yours?

Megha : I have always had weird dreams but nevertheless I have gotten endless support from my family and my Boyfriend J

Me : Words of wisdom for women aspiring to start their own business.

Megha : Work hard and give your all without calculating the outcome ! You’ll be shocked to see how much you achieve!

Please do visit Megha's Instagram Page for her beautiful wands!

                                           

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#639 : The Heart of You by Aarti V Raman : Cover Reveal

~ 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

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#638 : Maha Vishnu Trilogy: Part 1: The Code of Manavas by Arpit Bakshi : Review

Set in the future,2 million past the year 2050 to be precise, the story talks about a mysterious element called Bhoomodium. While the element makes people immortal and improves their cognitive abilities, on the long run, it is does have other consequences. Kali yuga has ended and the Swarnim yuga has begun. The people of the day are much evolved and are know as the Manavas. Lord Krishna, the actual protagonist of the book, is a scientist and the sole reason for the people,ie. the Manavas to have survived Kali yuga. Would Krishna be able to work his magic again to save the Manavas from the negative force which threatens to usurp the clan. 

When it comes to a science fiction set in the future, I'm apprehensive about reading such a story. While the genre by itself gives that freedom to let one's imagination run wild, it really doesn't warrant that the writer gets too carried away with the technicalities of it. This writer didn't do that and I a managed to read through till the end. The premise - Lord Krishna as a scientist in far future - seemed very interesting. However, I wished the writer explore the connection between the Krishna from Dwapar Yuga and the Swarnim Yuga a bit more. 

While the first quarter of the story was very interesting to read, the rest of story felt forced and quite unsure. I felt the writer could have done away with the female characters and the love triangle. They really didn't have any major role to play which seemed a bit chauvinistic to me. 

The editing felt a bit choppy in a sense that the flow felt quite inconsistent. The characterisation was basic. Since this is a trilogy, it could be that the writer intends to develop the characters in the forthcoming books. 

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