Book review: Antique Forgery by Eileen Harris

About the book:

Title: Antique Forgery

Published by: WingsPress

Published on:  August 1st 2012 

Pages: 269

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 4/5

This second book in the series takes the reader further into the life of Alicia Trent and her friends. Magic, forgery, betrayal, and fabulous jewels surround Alicia as she struggles to find the reason for her friend's death.

About the author

From living off the grid in the Arizona desert, Eileen has moved to the woods of
upstate New York. She has authored a standalone adventure novel called Desert
Shadow. She is also the author of Alicia Trent Series. The Black Cane : Dowager
Diaries Book 1 is her latest release.Find the author here: 

Social media:

                   

My Review:

The second book in the Alicia  Trent series, Antique forgery continues where Antique Magic left off. Ali has a couple predictions as given by the magic objects in the first installment, and now that she has been called to the place of the prediction, she is sure it will come true.
Her childhood guardians, more of a family, consisting of Arthur and Janice, have called her because Olivia, one of the sisters has died and Ali is needed for appraisal of the jewellery that Olivia, who was a spinster, had hoarded.
All the detritus of her life might go to the strangers, because Janice doesn't even want to look at her sister tenderly, even though she has left for heavenly abode.
The plot is no less twisted-knotted, what with personal issues, and materialistic tendencies, playing the prime players. The love for art, which is a constant in magnitude, even though different in the presentation, is beyond comprehension,
When she arrives, and they manage to get though the jewelery room, it appears as if there was a robbery, yet it is obvious that it was disheveled in a fit of rage, a tantrum.
The time for the prediction to come true is near, and to her utter dismay, it does come true. Another inexplicable murder follows and Ali now becomes a prime suspect. Kendra, her friend has been gruesomely murdered and she was the one to find out. Grief and shock and trauma were overridden by rage at being suspected . Detective Barton arrives and they start off on the wrong note. The circumstantial evidence makes her a suspect, and of course does not elicit a friendly disposition. later on, Nick arrives, and it turns out he has a secret too. He asks Barton to go easy on Ali. Ali still thinks he is either a jerk or is coping up with the stress of the job.
She has made other discoveries but then with an unfriendly authority at work, she refrains from revealing the discoveries to the Detective.
Barry's character is as always the sweetest person who knows what to say to make her feel better.
However, I felt quite irritated with the remark that murder follows Ali around. The reason is simple: the very nature of her job requires her to stay at places which have riches and precious stuff, which has been inherited, death is inevitable and certainly a mystery, and although Ali has her curiosity going at full velocity, still this was a forced observation.

There are different characters: a woman inhabiting the guestroom. the helps, the chef etc.
Then comes a twist: Janice and Arthur, who have a knack for paintings weren't at the auction they were supposed to attend on the day of the murder.

The revelation in the end, was worth the reading. I think there hasn't been so tasteful an ending to a crime/mystery novel.
It wasn't an acrimonious or vengeful goal that had perpetrated the murders, but a helpless situation.
I enjoyed reading the mystery and it was gripping just like the previous book.

Links to the book:

                                         

Quotes from the book:

Currently stuck on this series. The protagonist seems to want to get embroiled in murder mysteries. Antique Forgery by Eileen Harris. #bookish #bookfeels #books #reading #quotes #qotd #booksarelove #blog #brunchbookchallenge #bookblog #booklover #bookstagram #mystery #novel #booktour #antique #magic #booksaremagic #reader

A photo posted by Kritika Narula (@kritika.narula) on May 26, 2015 at 12:30am PDT

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Source of the review copy: B00kR3vi3w Tours @ http://b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.in

I thank DDS for having me on tour.

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Book Review: Awaken the Leader in you

About the book:

Awaken the leader in You by Mitesh & Indu Khatri is a business related self-help book based on leadership skills for everyone. In this book the authors discuss the traits and skills required to be a successful leader. It offers a completely new perspective on leadership ,and breaks the myth that leaders are only people at the top management level. Both Mitesh & Indu Khatri have been successfully conducting leadership workshops which has had an impact on many organisations and produced great results. They have used tools and techniques which are simple to understand and implement. This book covers different approaches to leadership in the 21st century, exercises and techniques to make sure you can get something out of every chapter and multiple aspects of leadership which have been validated by some of the best leaders of our country.

About the author:

Mitesh Khatri is one of the most trusted Leadership Trainer, Firewalk Expert, Motivational Speaker & Transformation Coach. With over a decade’s experience he has trained more than 80,000 executives in more than 100 organizations worldwide.
Indu Khatri, the Co-founder of Guiding Light Consultants (GLC) has a rich experience of over 15 years in the IT Industry. She is the principle content designer for all the corporate training programs and coaching sessions of GLC and a co-facilitator of High Impact Programs like Firewalk.
Mitesh & Indu are partners in life and business, which gives them a great advantage in creating extraordinary results in their training programs.
Author website: http://www.miteshkhatri.com/

My Review:

Awaken the leader in you is a book that brings the obvious facts to fore in a way that leaves you thinking about using it in your life. It is essentially a handbook, a guide more than a self-help in its essence. It doesn't preach. only but instead gives out practical tips on surviving as a leader. For those of us who have been/are at a leadership position, it becomes even more relevant and pragmatic.



I started reading it as yet another self help and I couldn't be more wrong. I couldn't read it that way past two pages. This is one book you need to take notes from, use the tips and apply them to practical real-life situations. Hence, I sat down again with the book and post-its and pen to mark important points and do the exercises as given.
The book reads as if you are just attending one of these workshops, and effectively helps you hone your leadership skills.
Even as leaders, we have some glaring flaws, it helps to eliminate or atleast minimize those.

After Reading, this book was marked by me at so many places. 

The author goes on to explain how anyone of us can uncap and unleash our potential and take up a role of responsibility. From a position of power, it is very easy to become vain or smug or self-satisfied. This book is more beneficial to readers who already have a leadership position, is what I think. I could relate to so many instances/feelings/events because I have been working as a leader for a while. I am not sure I can say the same about the others, who are yet to become a leader.

Some of the anecdotes are truly amazing, what with examples of famous people ranging from Richard Branson toNarayan Murthy.

Then of course, the practicality of the book is evinced in the various exercises it tells us to do. That is precisely where the book becomes beyond engaging. Littered with scientific, verifiable facts to support the leadership lessons, this book was worth the time.
I believe that if self book is effective, we must be able to seek help in times of crisis. Considering this parameter, this book is an overall success.

Best lines: People have vague fancies with. no specifications. Because people are afraid to create a clear vision for fear of failure.

I received this book as a part of BecomeShakespeare.com reviewers program.

Watch the author's workshops:

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Book Review: The six +1 wish by Anubhav Jyotirmoy

About the book: Book Blurb

We are often so caught up in our daily life and routines that we don't have time to fulfill our own wishes. Sometimes the fear of society's disapproval stops us from doing what we desire. We hesitate in sharing our secrets and truths with our friends, relatives, loved ones and others. We want to express our love for the people around us but always leave it for another day. For most of us though, that day never comes and we carry our hidden desires and wishes to the grave. 

Except for the lucky six!

The Six + 1 wish is the story of how these six do get a second chance to fulfill the biggest wishes of their lives.

My Review:

So, The blurb of the book did not give away even a single detail about the plot. So here we go: the story is a story within a story. Shashank meets Anubhav the narrator and tells him his story. 
Shashank was working in a call centre to support his journalism studies and was paying a visit to his hometown, Gorakhpur. 

This wasn't one of those regular visits though. His childhood friends are with him, chilling over beer when things turn sour and one of them gets killed. His childhood crush, whom he had not even talked to before, meets him with passion. His grandfather is back. And the society, as always is flawed. 

He is trying to make sense of all this, which is when he learns new things about souls. and all philosophies related to them. 

The author has toyed well with the element of suspense and mystery. 
The title of the novella is so ominous and apt, it creeps you out. At some specific twists and turns, it just gets way creepy beyond words. Gripping, it surely is. I read through it till the very end in less than three hours. Unputdownable. Also, simple language and no distractions from the plot.
Too many coincidences were woven together in this fictional account to make them emanate some sense. The author surely has an imagination with potential stories. Even here it seems as if the plot was very clear to the author. Hence he was able to write such a complex theory into fiction and leave the reader flabbergasted. The end is the icing on the cake. The narration however needs a little finishing touches and the plot would benefit a lot from some spice and more horror. It would be justified.

Links:

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Book Review: I'd Kill for you by Alan Plessinger

About the book:

This is a private eye novel set in modern-day New York City featuring murderers, missing persons, double-crossers and a colorful cast of supporting characters. When an ex-con's homecoming goes sour and results in a murder, the effective but eccentric De Remer Brothers Detective Agency is called in to sort out the mess. Charlie, Clyde, Gabe, Adam and Riley De Remer - not to be confused with Dreamer - make for an odd group of siblings, much less a cohesive investigative team. Alternately obese, cantankerous, smelly, cheerful and hypersensitive, the group is soon embroiled in a case that reaches far beyond its original scope. Matters are complicated when they discover Lisa, a 16-year-old runaway from Hoboken, has come to New York City to live with her mother. The only problem is that Lisa's mother can't be found and an assassin is hot on the runaway's trail. The De Remers learn that Lisa is connected to their murder case, an investigation that has become a threat to themselves and the girl they have come to care for. Now they must unravel the mystery before the threat of violence catches up with them. 

About the author:

Alan Plessinger is a retired computer programmer living in Northern California. This is his first novel.

My Review:

I'd kill for you is a racy read, at the most suitable pace.
There are two stories being woven into one as intersecting each other. On one hand we have the De Remer brothers who are running a detective agency and have been hired to find Sam Dooley whose wife was killed, making him number one suspect. The story is twisted beyond words, for Sam's son was also killed in the same way years back for which he served sentence earlier. Now, he is mute because of throat cancer.
Lisa is a runaway who has flown to find her mother. She takes her father to be a bad person ho always made life hell for her. was she right in her thoughts of him? Only time will tell.
Our characters: the De Remer brothers have been very carefully etched. The author has taken every meticulous detail of each brother throughout the novel. Although he all had a tinge of criminal attached to them, yet they all endeared themselves.
The dialogues were everything one could wish for. At times hilarious, at times sarcastic at times rhetoric: the dialogues were paradise.
With all their defining peculiar traits, their dialogues were laced with and thoughts were laden with amusement.
Even Lisa's plot and character adds a very good angle to the story plot. A vulnerable runaway in search of mother who turns out to be associated with the Sam Dooley Case

Another very amusing part of the book was the introductory lines before each chapter. It added intense alacrity to know what is ahead.
It has been a very realistic and raw portrayal of the lives of Lisa and the De Remer family.
It was like an episode out of a crime investigation TV show (Read The mentalist or Castle) : amusing hilarious and brain-itching in equal parts
If anything, the novel's narration was a bit simple, with no remarkable ups and down, and a handful of extraneous scenes, although the plot was enough to keep our blood pumping and to compel me to turn pages one after the other.

Over all, I enjoyed reading the book.

I received a copy from the author in return of an honest review. 

Find the book here:

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Book Review: Myriad Hues by Rachna Gupta

About the Book/Book blurb:

To me writing is a companion, a shadow that has always been there for me. In good days and bad, nothing has cheered me up as much as putting my thoughts on paper. I have cried while writing some poems and I have also smiled, thinking about the happy thoughts that bring out the words of euphoria in my writing. "Myriad Hues" is as much about me and my life as yours; the feelings that I have spoken about are universal. We all feel because our emotions are the same, despite the fact that the situation occurs at different times. My work is also about nature; this wonderful creation that we have been bestowed with! It's about nurturing our environment and caring about it. And yes, my poems are about the omnipresent God and my conversations and encounters with Him.

About the Author:

In an interview on the blog of Patridge India (the publisher), she describes herself as under, "I am Rachna Gupta, a small-town girl who moved to Pune 12 years ago. An educationist by profession, writing is something that has always interested me. While teaching English, I always encouraged the children to be creative and express their feelings through different mediums like writing, art and drama. There is nothing more magical than using words to create something new!"

My Review:

What are we looking at? Myriad Hues is a collection of sweet and simple poems by a single poet. The themes chosen are such that they delve deeper into the otherwise superficial aspects of life and living.
Poetry reading (and writing) is for those who have a way with words, and those who relish the experience of so many emotions in a few lines. Not to mention, how poetry is often open, sometimes wholly to interpretation while at others open for the reader to devour it and relate the lines to his/her own life and experiences.

Now this book, a compilation of 28 poems, is meaningful. Meaningful and intense describes it best.

Some poetry books for review in my mail. #poetry #books #bookish #bookstagram #bibliophile #instapic #shoutout #myriad...
Posted by So many books, So little time. on Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Here's a meticulous dissection:
Yay: There are some pieces I really liked for different reasons.
There is a piece called 'Innocence'. It is a sweet, succinct poetry to denote the actions of kids who are not maligned yet by the ways of the world. But again, open to interpretation, it is so many more things. It shows a girl seeking attention, so maybe the adults are not attentive enough. Maybe it is even more and deep as I make it out to be.

One very special mention goes to the poem titled 'Mood Swings'. It is a short piece, and yet it captures the theme so, so well. The abruptness, the lyrical quality and the scene created- all add up to make the poem give us emotional shivers.
Other pieces I liked were: My birthplace, Revenge, Mistake, Trepidation. My Birthplace has a reminiscent essence at its core, & Mistake is a commentary on the gender situation at the most basic level: in families. Trepidation has a charm of its own which made me like it instantly. The endearing, chirpy and enthusiastic tone also helped in the case of Trepidation.

Nay: I did find the style repetitive. It does not end the stanzas with rhyming pairs. At least not for a major part of the poem. However, I personally relish the use of rhyme as long as it isn't kiddish. Safe to say, I would have loved the poetry if I it had this element as dominantly as it had emotions interwoven.

Links:

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I thank the author for providing me with a copy in exchange of an honest review. 

Book Review: 18 Thoughts by Jamie Ayres

About the book:

Olga Gay Worontzoff left the Underworld for her final year of high school anxious for things to return to normal, but fate has other plans.

The new hottie at school reads her thoughts but nobody else’s. Her best friend wakes up from his coma acting like a completely different person. Caught in a world that’s a mix of familiar and supernatural, she must confront what she will—or won’t—do to bring him back and stare down her own perceived inadequacies to face a couple of tenacious demons, figurative and literal.

Everything she thought she knew about reality will change as she walks the line between past and present, fear and faith, love and loyalty.

And by the end of a heartbreaking year, she might be forced to realize “normal” in the conventional sense of the word is the one thing she may never achieve.

About the author:

Jamie Ayres writes young adult paranormal love stories by night and teaches young adults as a Language Arts middle school teacher by day. When not at home on her laptop or at school, she can often be found at a local book store grabbing random children and reading to them. So far, she has not been arrested for this. Although she spent her youthful summers around Lake Michigan, she now lives in Florida with her prince charming, two children (sometimes three based on how Mr. Ayres is acting), and a basset hound. She really does have grandmothers named Olga and Gay but unlike her heroine, she's thankfully not named after either one of them. She loves lazy pajama days, the first page of a good book, stupid funny movies, and sharing stories with fantastic people like you. Her books include the first two installments of her trilogy, 18 Things and 18 Truths. Visit her online via Twitter: jamiemayres , Facebook, or at www.jamieayres.com.

My Review:

This is the third installment of the trilogy, and in a matter of full disclosure I haven't read the previous of the series, but since the plot intrigues me, I thought it would work well as a standalone book.

I couldn't have been more correct. This book has a breathtaking suspense and mystery of its own, uncertainty looming large over the characters till the very end.
Beginning with the prologue, that was truly what set me alight on the reading adventure. The prologue is itself a fine piece of work, intriguing and catchy at so many levels, that the prologue compelled me to flip through the rest of the pages. It was intriguing, sentimental, thought-provoking in equal measure.
So, the story begins:  Olga has come to see Conner, her childhood friend who has been comatose for a while now.  Conner has a new roommate Nate, who by the way is totally hot. HOT. And to top it off, he can read Olga's thoughts. This is creepy. The initial exchanges between Olga and Nate therefore was well, amusing beyond words, there was a friendly banter, heated exchange of harmless sarcasm and pointed words, it gave me all the thrill of reading a YA novel.

(Not to forget, the protagonist works at a bookstore, which is for me a brownie point scored by the nook *wink*)
Nate and Olga eventually work it out, their friendship blossoms into more, and then Conner wakes up.
Here's a twist.And a twist in every scene thereafter. So, Conner is not himself when he wakes up. Olga's childhood friend is replaced by a sadistic moron. For a major part of the book, I was kept guessing by the author to figure out what had gone wrong.
Demon possession was, however the last guess. I liked the way the story progressed hereafter, and I especially liked the end.
A love triangle getting complicated with every passing day, the narration being alternated, everything works out to the advantage of the book.
The writer has a talent, a gift certainly.
As I said, I haven't read the other books in the series, but I didn't need to. even as a standalone, the book never ceases to amaze me as a reader with all its numerous twists and turns. The mystery never seems to end, and it is amusingly stretched. All the characters are confused because of the constant suspense, and they are endearingly etched. The author has done a fabulous job of fiction, keeping me hooked for days.

Book was received as an ARC from Netgalley.

Links:

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Book Review: Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy by Dinty W. Moore

About the book:

The personal essay has never been more popular, with the likes of Lena Dunham and Mindy Kaling breathing new life into the genre. This innovative guide to crafting modern personal essays and creative nonfiction came about when acclaimed author and professor Dinty W. Moore solicited playful writing questions from today's top writers. He then penned witty responses in the format of a "Dear Sugar"-style advice column, illustrating each response with an original, humorous sample essay. In chapter 1, Phillip Lopate asks, "I am curious how you deal honestly with male-female relations in general and specifically your past girlfriends on the page without coming off as a male chauvinist pig," and Mister Essay Writer Guy pens a sage response and example essay dishing--respectfully--on all his exes. Cheryl Strayed asks for advice about her em-dash addiction, Julianna Baggott worries that to be a great writer you must become an alcoholic, Judith Kitchen looks for an excuse to exaggerate the truth to make it more interesting, and so on. Filled with modern examples of the creative forms nonfiction can take--including scribbled cocktail napkins, Facebook posts, and Google Map pins--this gifty little book is a hilarious relief for all essayists, memoirists, and creative nonfiction writers in distress.

About the author:

Dinty W. Moore is the author of numerous books, and has published essays and stories in The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Harpers, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Gettysburg Review, Utne Reader, and Crazyhorse. He edits BREVITY, the journal of concise creative nonfiction (www.brevitymag.com) and teaches at Ohio University.

Author website: 

http://www.dintywmoore.com

My Review:

Disclaimer: The tone and candour of my review is inspired from the writer's in the book. No offence meant. 

How can you read non-fiction like this and not fall in love with the genre? The whole genre owes you, sir. Or to your humor. I am not sure if we can separate the two, would you answer that for me.
Well, for starters you know you will fall into this book as soon as it opens because of well, this:

Hilarity ensues from page one. To say that the book has wit and sarcasm at its best seems an understatement. Our essay writer guy here answers to one of the letters, "I believe the best way to avoid coming off as a male chauvinist pig might be to not be a male chauvinist pig? Is that a stretch?"
And this is just the first answer, well, part of it. To think I was on a rollercoaster of laughter these entire 8 hours that I was reading the book. Okay, not entire though. There was this instance where the writer launched into some story about Zebras. I felt dozing off would be insulting so I just skimmed through it. But don't tell this to anyone- I've read the whole book otherwise.

From questions about em dash, and writing on napkins, to graphics that simply make you want to double up- what is not to devour in the book? The author has given and taken insults alike.
One thing is certain: the author will not write about his daughter. Why, you ask? "Whatever I wrote about my daughter, I had to live with it, and so did she, and I didn't want to screw the relationship up more than my ineptitude and the vicissitudes of her becoming a teenager already had."

The humor does not mean there's no wisdom. The author has cloaked the knowledge and insights about writing in wit. After all, what better way to teach than through humor- the universally attractive element?
For all people ho love words, who love to write, read or just devour essays, this book is a mus-read.
Will I buy this book? Most definitely I will! Do I recommend this book? In case you haven't read the entire review, most definitely I do!

Links:

An ARC was received from NetGalley

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Book Review: Better than Perfect by Simone Elkeles

About the book:

Ashtyn's life just got complicated. Her boyfriend is being distant and her sister's back at home after ten years - with a stepson in tow!

Derek has a perfect body, THE sexiest smile and a car - Ashtyn's only way to escape from her crazy life. But Derek likes to play by his own rules and is keen to take Ashtyn on a ride she'll never forget. As they spend more and more time alone together, will Derek's flirty games drive Ashtyn wild?

A sweet and steamy romance from New York Times bestselling author Simone Elkeles

About the author

Simone Elkeles is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of novels for teens. Simone’s books have won many awards including being YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, being named to the YALSA Popular Paperbacks and Teens Top Ten lists, and added to the Illinois “Read for a Lifetime” Reading List. Simone also won the coveted RITA award from the Romance Writers of America for her book Perfect Chemistry. Simone is especially proud of the fact that the Illinois Association of Teachers of English named her Author of the Year.

Simone was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, where she still lives today. Simone went to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and received her Bachelor’s of Science there in Psychology in 1992. She continued her education at Loyola University-Chicago where she received her Master’s of Science degree in Industrial Relations while working for a manufacturing company creating diversity programs for their employees.

She loves animals (she has two dogs – a labradoodle and a German Shepherd), kids (she also has two of those) and her family. In her spare time she’s the Hockey Mom for her kids hockey teams and is an active Girl Scout leader specially trained in outdoor education. She also spends time mentoring other teen and adult authors. (She also loves sushi, which you can probably tell by reading her books.) Simone writes about teens because she was a teen in the 80’s (when spiked hair and blue eye shadow were “rad”) and she loves writing about those exciting teen relationships and romances

My Review:

Trust Simone Elkeles to give you a delightful, fast-paced read. Her other series, Perfect Chemistry, was recommended to me by a friend. After reading this I am surely going to read that too. 
If this isn't recommendation enough for the book, consider this: I am going to read the rest of the series too. 
Here is the interesting part, apart from, of course the hormones and the passion: it was not predictable. I have been so put off by some books with cliched plots and predictable endings that this one came as a pleasant surprise. I could actually imagine the characters and visualize them as under. 
Ashtyn is a confident seeker, ambition writ large on her face. Derek is well Derek. Her father with a deadpan expression through all ups and downs and believe me there are quite a lot of them. Then there's Brandi who looks like she is clueless about everything- past present and future. But just doesn't feel like a bimbo quite yet.
 The story deals with dysfunctional families, and unusual characters with 

surprising roles. 
If you think you know what's coming up, you are in for a major major surprise. Read and see.
The narrative is good. The plot is epic. Football plays a major role. The female protagonist is not your usual damsel in distress. 

If you are a sucker for happy endings just like my friend (the one who recommended it) then you are in for a treat.

View all my reviews

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Book Review: Propositions by Tania Joyce

About the book:

No strings attached ... or so she thought.
Following years of sacrifice and struggle, Jessica Mason now co-owns a successful marketing
agency in Sydney. All Jessica wants to do is focus on growing her business and maintain the
lifestyle she's worked so hard to achieve. But everything changes when her agency wins a
major contract for the opening of the new Somers Hotel and she has to take on the account.
Nate Somers is a workaholic trying to please his retiring father. When he meets captivating,
go-getting Jessica, the prospect of a short-term love affair sounds like a proposition he'd be
crazy to decline.
But when Jessica spends a weekend away at her favorite vineyard retreat, she runs into Troy
Smith, the ex-boyfriend who left her broken and vulnerable years ago. Things don't go to
plan when the well-kept secrets from her past are revealed and Troy starts weaving his way
back into her life.
With her business at stake and hearts at risk, Jessica's future is destined to change. Who will
end up making Jessica a proposition she simply cannot refuse?


About the author:
Tania Joyce is an Australian author of Erotic, Contemporary and New Adult romance novels. Her
stories thread romance, drama and passion into beautiful locations ranging from the dazzling lights of
Sydney Harbour or the glitter of New York, to the rural countryside of the Hunter Valley or Darling
Downs.
She’s widely travelled, has a diverse background in the corporate world and has a love for shopping,
shoes and Shiraz. She’s rarely seen without glitter, sparkle and stilettos. Her quirk is she collects key
rings everywhere she goes and often has an intriguing tale about each one.

Picture credits:  www.BurtonPhotography.com.au

Tania draws on all her real-life experiences and combines them with her very vivid dreams to form the foundation of her novels. She likes to write about strong-minded, career-oriented heroes and heroines that go through drama-filled hell, have steamy encounters and risk everything as they endeavor to find their happy-ever-after.
She grew up loving books like Anne of Green Gables, reading the classics like Pride and Prejudice,
and getting lost in the world of fantasy, like The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan, before
finding her home in the romance genre.
Only unearthing the desire to write after having children, Tania now shuffles the hours in her day
between part-time work, full-time family life and never-finding-enough-time to write. One day she
hopes to find balance! She lives in Queensland with her husband and two boys. When she’s not
writing, she enjoys camping, hot yoga, and the company of friends and family – especially if it’s over a glass of wine!
Life motto: If in doubt – add more glitter! (Kylie Minogue, 2011)


My Review:

It’s just another client. Just another event. Clear the head. That’s it. Let’s go.
If only it was that easy. Welcome to the not-so-simple lives of our endearingly stubborn yet professionally ambitious, and emotionally damaged characters: Jessica and Nate. 

To have a female protagonist who is not a weak female, and one who accords just as much importance and priority to her work as her male counterparts, is such a refreshing change. For it is not often that books written in the erotica category cater to women readers while keeping their respect and professional life intact. 
It could have turned out to be just another Fifty Shades parody had it not been for Joyce's creative twist of characters and tale. Thankfully, the twists were convincing and imaginable. Both our hero and heroine share commonalities in the past: Nate is divorced, which happened because he apparently married a pest who was after his wealth, Jessica's past is even more complicated with a string of flings. So much so, that at a point, even she remarks, "I will have two kids with three fathers". She says it is insane, and oh, how right she is. 
I'll have o admit though, the book was very similar to FSOG trilogy when it comes to the crucial points. But, the narrative is fresh, which gives the book brownie points. It is a simple read and can be finished in a day, it so glues you too!
No mysteries, but there is a sense of tension which breaks at points which most suit the reader. 
The best part to look out for in the book are the business meeting. They are amusing, hilarious, professional, utmost business-like, and yet bring the edgy angle into the plot. 
The ending is the best part. The woman is not a timid human being who will give in to the man's will. She refuses to let go of her will and ambitions, after all it was this ambition and common passion towards their professions that brought the couple together!
And again, the narration is so good!

Even if you aren't a regular reader of this genre. this book might just strike as a recommendation. 


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Book Review: The First Coffin by M John

About the book:

The Mumbai underworld is controlled by the Devgun family. When an upright and senior member of the Mumbai police stands up to them, the ‘family’ decides to send out a strong message, by killing not just him, but his whole family. They employ the services of a professional assassin, who does the job, but is unable to kill the police officer’s son, who was not with his family at that time. Because of this technicality, the Devgun family decides to withhold payment to the assassin.

The assassin is now out to collect his payment.

The son has come back, and is now, out seeking revenge.

The Mumbai police are pulling out all stops to solve the case, because the victim was one of their senior officers.

Will things ever be the same again?


About the author:
M John is a retired fighter pilot, with extensive flying experience on the MiG-21, and the Mirage-2000 aircraft. He has also been closely involved in other facets of the military, including Military Intelligence. After retiring from the Indian Air Force, he has written a number of articles on military matters which have been published in a few magazines. He has also taken part in Panel discussions on military matters, on TV. He is a self taught computer ‘enthusiast’, and has written an article on alternative operating systems, which was published in a computer magazine. He likes driving, and has driven practically all over India.

My Review:

In yet another milestone for the crime fiction/thriller scene in India comes a novel which brings a fresh story of the demise of an underworld family- "THE" underworld family is more like it.
I especially like the plot- it is driven by the singular most important and powerful emotion of revenge. Revenge is what provokes the Devgun Family to hire an unknown assassin, revenge is what brings them a powerful enemy in the form of the same assassin who is denied full payment, revenge in the actions of the son whose family was murdered by the assassin. And one twisted plot it is- the initial chapters set the background for the thrill that awaits the reader. However, till the time the assassin is hired and sets to work, the pace is slow. There is an introduction of the characters over the first few chapters, and while it serves well for the purpose of the plot, it was very difficult to remain glued. However, as the story unfolded and the secrets unraveled, I started liking it. The pace, after the killing, was just perfect, and the actions, one following the other were beautifully written in the plot.

The plot keeps you hooked. Another part - the characters- were so deftly etched. Brownie points for that too! The author went under the skin of the characters and it did the trick.

Again, the book was correctly paced, until, in the very end, it ended, and it seemed rather abrupt. Maybe I was enjoying it that I felt it ended too soon, or maybe it left a cliffhanger with scope for a sequel. One can never know. But, the time spent reading it was spent fruitfully.
Crime fiction has indeed arrived in India.

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Book Review: Blinded by Progress by Lee Van Ham

About the book:

Why does MultiEarth living--living as if we have more than one Earth--grip us so tightly when it defies commonsense to live beyond the capacities of our planet? Why do we continue to pursue economic growth as if it is economic health when it is ecologically impossible? Is It sinister? unconscious? blind faith? addiction?

Blinded by Progress contributes to the global conversation now underway about sustainable living. The author clearly delineates the contrasts between MultiEarth and OneEarth worldviews. He shows the power that myth has to facilitate our change to OneEarth ways or prevent it. For the MultiEarth illusion to continue, it utterly depends on our religious devotion to unsustainable economics, corporate rule, shrinking our humanness, and thinning democracy. Will we cooperate? resist? choose alternatives? This is a book of hope, helping us invoke our great capacities to change.

About the author:
In 1999, Lee Van Ham joined others in forming Jubilee Economics, a nonprofit focused in OneEarth living. Born to a tenant-farming family in Iowa, he pastored in the Midwest for 32 years before switching to work explicitly on the interplay between justice, ecology, economics, and spirituality. He and his spouse, Juanita, were part of the intentional community, Peaceweavings, in Chicago, before relocating to San Diego in 2002. They have grown children and five grandchildren. 

Van Ham has been working on ecological economics since 2000. In 2009 he met Michael Johnson, drawn together by a strong common interest in creating books and film on themes of ecology and economics. Johnson is an Emmy-award winning filmmaker. Out of their relationship was born the OneEarth Project. Van Ham is writing three books in the project’s “Eden Series” and Johnson has begun work on a related documentary. They desire to add to the conversations and actions that are moving civilization from empire to a living community with all of Creation.


My Review:

Predicament- Man has relentlessly and brazenly robbed nature of its beauty and bounteousness. There is a growing acceptance of this grave human folly and the dire need for adoption of a holistic and ecological view of the earth. We have decimated the forests and deteriorated the ecosystems. We have committed heinous crimes: over-exploitation of valuable natural resources, injection of toxic substances into the environment leading to global warming, biodiversity and ecosystem destruction (leading to declining fish and crop productivity), and loss of livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people. Concomitantly arises the increasing insecurity that thousands of communities face due to inadequate access in obtaining safe, adequate food and water.

Human beings are penning their own collapse


Ashish Kothari (Kalpvriksha) remarks, “Dominant trends of the last few years point to one inescapable conclusion: humanity is on a rapid descent into collapses of various kinds. The economic crises of the last few years are one very visible indication, and most economists who are open-minded and not driven by the dogmatic assertions of governments desperate to show a brave face, agree that these crises are not going away. Parallel, and connected, is the ecological crisis, most dramatically illustrated by the climate change-related disasters that are taking place around the world. . .” He further adds,” Add to this the growing tensions around the widening chasm between the rich, enjoying obnoxiously wasteful levels of consumption, and the poor, not finding even enough to eat.”
We all are more aware of the dangers lurking over us than ever before. We are painfully aware of the catastrophe that awaits us, the reason behind the changing weather patterns, et al. We are aggressively involved in environmental activism. But we don’t seem to be going anywhere. No lasting change. Not an iota of difference. So, where did we go wrong?
There’s a point in this process where we went extremely, but thankfully, not irreparably wrong. We hadn’t even accepted, acknowledged, acquiesced in or admitted to our folly of indifference when we started focusing on its remedy. Even before diagnosing the illness we have plagued our Mother Earth with, we wickedly shifted our focus to curing an ailment we didn’t even knew in entirety. As a consequence of our eternal haste and impudent thoughtlessness, what we have is a diabolic cataclysmic concoction: our consumerist lifestyles, the rapidity of change bought in by the impetuous and heedless pace of our whims (which is in contrast with nature’s balance), exploitation of finite natural resources with reckless abandon, our intervention in the balance of things, our insouciance towards life, none of these pointing towards any success in our attempt to rescue ourselves from the catastrophe.

Blinded by Progress: How apt!


We need to know where the fault lies. It is in us. And we need to acknowledge the multitudinous ways in which we have hurt the environment.
In his book, “Blinded by progress”, author Lee Van Ham presents a perspective to think of solutions from. He argues that we have adopted a multi-earth worldview. He begins the book by saying, ‘My lifestyle is too big for our planet’. In his book, he brings to us a plethora of astonishing revelations, which are so monumental in magnitude that one is forced to rethink the boundaries of an insanely greedy lifestyle. For starters, take his: if all seven billion people on Earth lived according to how an average American does, humanity would need a total of five planets to sustain us. Our ecological footprint exceeds one planet, we strive for more resources than available on one planet, and all systems, including the governmental and commercial centers are aimed at extracting more despite creational orders and limits. We have such staggering findings and statistics about our blatant, untamed consumption levels, yet we fail to modify our lifestyles into something which is sustainable.
Other remarkable things about the Multi-earth perspective is that we think of technology brings speed, convenience, and other such advantages, while we overlook the fact that the benefits really benefit us only when technology is used within the parameters of planetary and species well-being. In our thoughtless greed and avarice, a trait that manifests itself every time we reward profit-seeking unethical businessmen with huge profits. Profits are being maximized for corporate and private benefit; profits trump people’s rights and needs, social good, and eco-systems’ balance necessary for continued thriving.
And what has the knowledge of scarcity and limitation of resources done to us? We would like to believe it has made us considerate and thoughtful, however, the ugly truth remains that the sense of self-aggrandizement takes over our conscience and we are competing for these limited resources. The commercial strategies only aggravate the situation by making heedless consumers out of us, urging us to pursue unabated accumulation of more.
So, what is my point? Now that I have made you guilty enough, let me tell you what is it that you can do to actually make things better.
What I am about to suggest is open to customization by each one of us according to our respective lifestyles. There’s this one thing we all can do, and doing so will always remain a work-in-progress. We cannot just have a one-day remedy and still dare to think we changed the world. So, this is what I suggest: abstain from surfeit. Start viewing the ownership of more than is enough materially as a violation of the creational order, and live a simple life. The choice is yours to make: a life full of things or a fulfilled life.

I thank the author for providing me with a review copy!

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