Saturday, January 1, 2022
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
#692 : Victorine by Drema Drudge - Review & Giveaway
Drēma Drudge
on Tour March 17-April 13 with
Victorine
(literary/historical fiction) Release date: March 17, 2020 at Fleur-de-Lis Press 362 pages Goodreads 📚📚📚Buy It Here
Amazon
***SYNOPSIS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
Tweeting about the giveaway everyday of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time! [just follow the directions on the entry-form] Global giveaway open to all 5 winners will receive an ecopy of this book***
CLICK ON THE BANNER TO READ MORE REVIEWS NAD AN EXCERPT

Monday, March 15, 2021
#691: In Conversation with - Hannah Fielding
Book trailer - You can read the review here
1. Your books always have strong female lead. What or who is your inspiration to write such strong characters?
All of the women
I have known and admired, most especially my daughter, my mother and my
grandmother. The latter, Esther Fanous, was a revolutionary feminist and writer
in Egypt; you can read more about her at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ester_Fanous
2. Your latest book, The Song of Nile, is set in Egypt – tell us more about your life in
Egypt.
My home town is the ancient and historic city of Alexandria, founded
in 331 BC by Alexander the Great. Stretching some 40 kilometres along
the north coast of Egypt, it is known as the Bride of the Mediterranean,
and certainly when I was growing there, in the 1950s and 1960s, the city was a beacon of
Mediterranean culture.
I have
such wonderful memories of growing up in Alexandria. It was a city known for its Europeanised freedom, an open place full of
hope and anticipation. Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together in
friendship and peace. Most shops and factories were family owned by not only
Egyptians but Greeks, Jews, Armenians, Syrians and Italians. Grand names come
to mind, like Shamla and Cicurel, Gategno,
Orosdi-Back, Benzion, Sidnawy and Hannaux department stores, where you
could find all the latest fashions from Paris and the most beautiful silk fabrics;
Delices, Athineos, Pastroudis, Bodreaux, Flukiger, patisseries and tea shops
that served the most mouth-watering cakes and ice creams; and Tomvaco, which
sold delicious chocolates and candied fruits. (I especially remember its
stuffed chocolate dates.)
On the beaches, like San Stefano, Miami and Montazah, and in the
cafes and restaurants, the radio blasted out a medley of Italian, French,
English and Greek songs to its international clientele. When I listen to songs
from this era now, I am transported back in time, to a life that seemed
light-hearted and full of mirth.
3. Tell us about the research that you normally do
before you embark on writing a book.
If I have not
already travelled to a location, then where possible I do so, drinking in the feel
of the place. Then, at home, I research everything from architecture to history
and mythology. When I’m researching a novel and writing it, I try to immerse
myself in the culture of the place; I listen to traditional music, for example,
and I try out recipes in the kitchen. For Song
of the Nile, this was easy, of course, for Egypt is my homeland.
4. Do you have a plan for your next book? Do tell us
more about your writing plans.
I am not quite
ready to share details of my next novel – but I can tell you that it is set in
Ireland, where I am living now. Such beautiful countryside!
#690 : Song of the Nile by Hannah Fielding - Review
Blurb :
Luxor, 1946. When young nurse Aida El Masri returns from war-torn London to her family’s estate in Egypt, she steels herself to face the challenges ahead. Eight years have passed since her father, Ayoub, was framed for a crime he did not commit and died as a tragic result. Yet Aida has not forgotten, and now she wants revenge against the man she believes betrayed her father – his best friend, Kamel Pharaony.
Then Aida is reunited with Kamel’s son, the captivating surgeon Phares, who offers her marriage. In spite of herself, the secret passion Aida harboured for him as a young girl reignites. Still, how can she marry the son of the man who destroyed her father and brought shame on her family? Will coming home bring her love, or only danger and heartache?
A compelling story of passion and intrigue – a novel that lays open the beating heart of Egypt.
Review :
Romance has always been a tricky genre for me - I prefer to read realistic, passionate and sensual romance. While there is a very thin line between a sensual and an erotic romance, majority of writers tend to jump that fence and end up writing truly erotic stuff while marketing them as sensual piece of fiction. When I first read this author's works a few years ago, I found the perfect mix of what I wanted from a romance fiction. This book is no different in terms of being the perfect romance read.
The book turned out to be an absolutely delightful read. The mysterious and charming desert of Egypt, the lush fields of Luxor and the fashionable streets of Cairo came alive through the writers artfully crafted narrative. Depicting the culture and blending it with modern ideas to deliver perfect characterization is a tricky task - this writer does that with a particular ease that one simply would not experience any flaws. Consider this, in post war period, the Middle Eastern culture was simply more restrictive when it came to things that women were allowed to do. However, the protagonist of this story - Aida, set about to do as she pleases as she managed her father's estate until she was convinced that she would not loose her identity and independence upon marriage. This might not really have been possible in that age, but then, there were always exceptions where women took up things in their hands to enjoy their freedom.
The luxury that the upper echelons of the Egyptian society experienced seemed mind blowing for me. It is one thing to write an artful narrative of the setting, it an entirely different thing to blend in the minor details which takes the experience of reading a whole different level - this writer seems to be a master at this.
No qualms at all. Just none. Turned out to be one super perfect romance. Browine points to amazing cover art.
Overall, this is a book I would highly recommend. Please do buy it here - Buy Link
Also, please do read the interview!
Book Trailer :
About the Author
Hannah Fielding was born and grew up in Alexandria, Egypt, the granddaughter of Esther Fanous, a revolutionary feminist and writer in Egypt during the early 1900s. Upon graduating with a BA in French literature from Alexandria University, she travelled extensively throughout Europe and lived in Switzerland, France and England. After marrying her English husband, she settled in Kent and subsequently had little time for writing while bringing up two children, looking after dogs and horses, and running her own business renovating rundown cottages.
Hannah now divides her time between her homes in Ireland and the South of France. She has written eight novels to date and these have won various awards, including: Best Romance for Aphrodite’s Tears at the International Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, American Fiction Awards, NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards and New York City Big Book Awards; Best Romance for Indiscretion at the USA Best Book Awards; Gold Medal for Romance for The Echoes of Love at the Independent Publisher Book Awards; and Gold and Silver Medals for Indiscretion and Masquerade at the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards.
Website: https://hannahfielding.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHannahFielding/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahfieldingauthor/
Monday, February 1, 2021
#689 : Bayan by Pramudith D. Rupasinghe
Monday, August 17, 2020
#688 : Aspen Leaves by Dhivya Balaji : Review
Aspen leaves is an anthology of stories on three different genres. Each story belongs to a particular genre with each story assigned a color reflecting the tone and mood of the story.
Having been privy to the Author's style of writing from a very young age, it didn't surprise me that the 'writing' and 'language' part of the book was nothing short of perfect. The actual plotting of the stories is a different ball game. Of the 10 stories, I felt 3 were a little predictable - Predator, The Lake, and Eternal. However, they were still thoroughly enjoyable to read.
As an avid reader, an ideal mix of a great book would be 60% good writing and 40% good plotting - This is just a personal preference and by no means a "standard of judge" a book. Undoubtedly, the writing scored full 60% given I love the writer's formal style of writing without the usual usage of local jargon. While local language words are needed to make the story relatable to the setting, I cannot understand the purpose of using them on every other line given the primary language of writing being English.
While almost everything is perfect - a couple of peeve points - The title doesn't resonate the story or the concept of colors though the writer has justified the title in her note. The cover could have been a little more stereotypical instead of looking like a collage of images, though it does relate well with the story.
My favorite story from the anthology would be "The Note" - the story has a close resemblance to life of the Ex-CM of TN, Late Ms.Jayalalitha - the writer cannot have penned a better story as a tribute of sorts (I know for a fact that she is inspired by Ms.Jayalalitha)
The book is worth spending time on if you prefer to read byte sized stories written in perfect English.
Do buy your copy on Amazon (or it's on KU)