Festival time!

As we enter the month of September, we not only usher the Fall season, but also the many festivals that line up making me very excited at the thought of mingling, dressing, eating, laughing, and anything and everything that is fun.

What I love about Fall is the welcoming of Diwali, Halloween, Thanksgiving that brings along a lot of anticipation, excitement, glee, and joy for the upcoming months until Santa brings in gifts!

Festivals also make me ponder over the many quotes:


Don't just Celebrate Festivals, Celebrate Life!

Festivals are a way to bring you closer to your family!

The greatness of a culture can be found in its' festivals


Celebrating festivals has its' own advantages:

* It helps us keep connected to our roots, culture, our origin and as we celebrate it, we help preserve it.
*It helps people to come together and forget their chaos of life while hoping for a good year.
*It also marks the significant events important to the human race.
*It tells you about mythologies and elevates your faith, giving you lessons from inside those mythologies. You celebrate the good will and teachings you get from them.


Ever noticed that when it's time for the arrival of a festival, the whole aura changes, the whole community gets directed towards a faith, a surrounding full of real hopes, happiness, joy, celebrations is created. It naturally uplifts your bad mood and fills you with positive energy. It gives you an opportunity to forget all the not so good events of past and initiate fresh & new beginnings. You can also utilize this opportunity in all other positive aspects you can think of because your faith is high.

A human is a member of a mysterious species, we don't know about our origin, but with a little faith, we have the power to change the tides and modify this world and create something exceptional.

On a minus note

However, Families mingle, but with caution since; they dread that things could get ugly and egos could clash, which could put a strain on their relationship.

It is said that families have thicker blood to sustain any brunt thus, making their relationship compelling as compared to the friends.

My concern

If families are made of thick blood, then why do we use caution when meeting up with them?

*Maybe this thick blood has high expectations from individuals within the family?
*Maybe that thick blood refrains us to argue and confront each other.

I wish family members ought to be flexible with each other and not let ego's come in their way when there is an argument.

I also think peace is directly related to the celebration of festivals. If we have the tolerance for each other, chances are we will appreciate their presence while accepting their flaws. Thus allowing us to bring in adaptability and buoyancy in our relationships. This will help bring in peace within and beyond.

Mantra for today: Peace is the side product of tolerance and fortitude.



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This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post. This week’s sentence is “What I love (or hate) about Fall…”

Finish the Sentence Friday is a link-up where writers and bloggers come together to share their themselves with a particular sentence. If you’d like to stay ahead of future sentences and participate, join our Facebook group.  Link up your sentence prompts below! Please no "link dumping." If you include a link, comment on other posts.

Guest Post--FIGHTING FOR TARA BY SUNANDA J CHATTERJEE

Today I welcome another prolific author---Sunanda Chatterjee

She is a Freelance author, blogger, and ex-Indian Air Force physician Sunanda Joshi Chatterjee completed her graduate studies in Los Angeles, where she is a practicing pathologist. While medicine is her profession, writing is her passion. When she’s not at the microscope making diagnoses, she loves to write fiction. Her life experiences have taught her that no matter how different people are, their desires, fears, and challenges remain the same.

 Her themes include romantic sagas, family dramas, immigrant experience, women’s issues, medicine, and spirituality. She loves extraordinary love stories and heartwarming tales of duty and passion. Her short stories have appeared in short-story.net and induswomanwriting.com.

She grew up in Bhilai, India, and lives in Arcadia, California with her husband and two wonderful children. In her free time, she paints, reads, sings, goes on long walks, and binge-watches TV crime dramas.

My Question

From a pathologist to writing books. How did the germs creep into words that became three novels. In short what inspired you!

Her Response

I grew up in a small central Indian town of Bhilai, which was established for the Steel Plant in the 50’s. Almost all our neighbors worked in the plant, and most were engineers or doctors. As such, the pressure to become a ‘professional’ was immense, even more so than the rest of the country. My father is an engineer and my mother a science teacher. My three siblings became engineers and I became a doctor. I think if I had grown up anywhere else, I might have gone into fine art or creative writing, my true love. But as a doctor, I joined the Indian Air Force, then came to the US to pursue a PhD in cancer research. Academics and family became the most important drivers of what I did. I completed my residency training, and became a pathologist.

As a pathologist, I make life-changing diagnoses on a daily basis. Many patients get a clean bill of health, but some get chemotherapy or other harsh medications based on what I find in their biopsy. I carry the burden of the words “carcinoma’” or “melanoma” or other such deadly diagnoses with me. It is a draining, challenging environment.

When I took this job, on my days off, I found myself alone at home, and after all errands were done, I had a few free hours. For the first time since I was a child, I actually had time to indulge in creative activities. Writing for me is catharsis, an escape into a world of my creation, where my characters do as I tell them, where calamities happen, but I give them tools to deal with them. I took up writing as a hobby, but as a die-hard academic, I took writing courses and read umpteen books on fiction writing. As I learnt more techniques, I kept changing my first book several times, and by the time I published it, ten years had gone by.

The second and third books became easier to write.

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Stalk her @

                  

Review of Metro Diaries-2 by Namrata

Metro Diaries - 2 is the second book of stories by Namrata. These are stories about the man and his relationship to the many aspects of life that make him trudge along day in and out. The author has personified the many characteristics that personify life thus, asking her readers to live and not just exist in this humdrum of every day.

This book consists of 20 unique stories, and each of them left a trail on my mind and heart. More so since none of them are fiction. They have either been told, heard stories thus, making me very intrigued on all that life has to offer while also making me grateful to have a so-called monotonous life.

Usually, her stories start by encompassing the surroundings and then it nosedives into the character's mind. That gives the reader a clarity and also makes her presence felt with the character that is undergoing a mental and physical change. The writing is crisp, and it made me envision it all thus, NOT allowing me to read these stories at a stretch. I took days to read and finish it. Blame it on the story teller and the kind of stories she had weaved based on what she had heard.

All the stories are unique, but there is a handful of them that I would like to bring it to the notice.
"Charlatan" a tale that had a unique twist to a philandering husband.
"Stain of Love" made me ponder over the definition of love and stain, which usually never go together. But the author contrived these words together effortlessly.
"Veil Thy Love" a one-of-a-kind take on a tale that symbolizes that "all" things existing have feelings!
"A Rare Sight" gives an insight into a love of a parent, and how he liberates himself from the agony.
"The Last Kiss" provides an insight into the kinds of love man is hungry upon.


Then, there were stories that were blunt, raw yet the truth that usually gets hidden in the urban lifestyle of thy man.
"The Plummet"
"Child is the father of the man."
"The Keepsake"


There were also a couple of stories that had a strange twist, and it brought a smile on my face since it ended with a noun that we all want to associate with (hope!), but alas! Get dejected.
"The Darkest Hour"
"Love V/s Hate"
"A Pinch of Love"

"Mou Athena" was a tale that made me hungry for more. I felt the author left the reader dangling :)

"Rags & Riches" was a beautiful tale and Dear Author I would like a novel shape up from this story. As a reader, I wanted more!

Metro Diaries - 2 is a collection of stories that will leave a lingering taste of many emotions in your mouth and make you ponder on the intelligence of man. How he molds himself when in need of affection, when betrayed, loved, in fear, and in denial. This book via the many stories will help uncover each of these emotions of humanity thus making it a recommended read.

Spotlight : Rightfully Wrong Wrongfully Right by Varsha Dixit

RIGHTFULLY WRONG, WRONGFULLY RIGHT

by

Varsha Dixit

Blurb

Love is in the air again…this time it’s steamy, bold and manipulative!

Gayatri and Viraj both are products of childhood trauma. Yet they were able to survive, one because of her shrewdness and the other because of his genius. Rightfully Wrong Wrongfully Right, the final part in the best selling ‘Right and Wrong’ love trilogy is the story of these two damaged souls.

Gayatri Dutta, the poster child for rich spoiled diva is fighting to escape a life of servitude her tyrant father is hell bent on pushing her into. Her past string of failures have her backed against a wall. Lonely and desperate!

Viraj is a con who uses his genius to perpetuate his isolation. His life once of violence and abuse has left him cynical and cold. He shuns the society and its hypocrisies. 

And then Gayatri and Viraj cross paths. She needs him and he despises her.

To Viraj, Gayatri, is the epitome of all that he despises, shallow, manipulative and the kind who uses her beauty as a weapon. Or is she?

Gayatri sees Viraj only as a means to an end. She is sure that Viraj with his nerdy demeanor, owlish glasses and crude behavior will be easy to manipulate and walk over. Only he isn’t!

Grab your copy @

Amazon.com | Amazon.in | Amazon.co.uk

Excerpt from #RWWR

‘I can do this, I can do this, I can...’ Gayatri wound her fingers tightly around her cellphone as she made her way to the cubbyhole Viraj called his office. I did not expect a freaking hug, but a polite ‘how are you’ wouldn’t kill that man. She rapped her knuckles on the door.

Viraj swung the door open. ‘What?’ His brows were furrowed and his lips, pursed.

Gayatri remembered what Nikhil had said to her once. Dr Viraj owns and runs this lab. He was the only one you needed to impress! ‘It’s my first day here!’ Gayatri could hear her voice shake. ‘Could you tell me...’

Gayatri scuttled out of Viraj’s way as he leaned out. ‘Find an empty room, do your work there. You are free to leave any time you want. You are free to come or to not come.’ The door shut on her face.

Flabbergasted, Gayatri kept staring at the door. What just happened? She cleared her throat. I should not piss him off anymore. ‘Thank you for this…this job.’ Her voice was as uncertain as the look on her face.

Viraj tugged the door open again. Gayatri flashed a smile at him and opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her short. ‘I don’t like talking. Find a room and stay there.’ He shut the door on her again.

 Asshole! Gayatri fisted her hands and retreated. I can do this! I am doing this! Bigger picture, please! Gayatri paused and peeped inside the first lab that she stumbled upon. The place was quiet except for a low hum of machines. Gayatri pushed the doors open and walked inside the lab. It was empty. ‘Does anyone else work here besides the mad scientist?’ She leaned against one of the steel racks. The door flew open behind her. With a big grin she turned to greet the person coming in. ‘Hi! I—’ she froze. It was the mad scientist with a bunch of papers in his hand.

Viraj noticed Gayatri at the same time. A familiar irritation flashed in his eyes. ‘Not this room. Not my lab! Find another room!’ He spoke with cool authority.

‘I was just looking!’ Gayatri smoothed her ponytail trying to mask her nervousness. He had her in knots.

Giving an indifferent shrug, Viraj walked past her. Gayatri got a whiff of his aftershave; it smelled clean and crisp, like water with a twist of lemon. At least he doesn’t stink like his manners! Gayatri stood there quiet and confused.

A loose paper slipped from Viraj’s hand and landed on the floor.

‘You dropped some paper!’ Gayatri said, her voice friendly. 

‘Ignore it. Like you, it is not going anywhere.’ Viraj pulled a portable stool and took a seat in front of an electronic panel fixed to a bigger panel.

Gayatri gritted her teeth and grinned with the ferocity of a wild animal that could pounce any moment.

Unknown to her, Viraj gave a similar smile except his was more like the wild animal that had pounced and won.

‘I’ll go and find a room. Thank you!’ Swiveling on her heel, Gayatri headed for the door.

Something stopped her—her father’s face and the realization that two weeks ago she had physically fought for herself, and now she had to fight again but with her mind instead of hands. I have to win over Mr Madness. Maybe I could wear a beaker over my head and tattoo the periodic table on my arms! 

‘If you are trying to open the door telepathically, let me be the first to tell you it is not working!’

Gayatri exhaled noisily. Scathing and sarcastic, what more could a woman ask for? Taking a few calming breaths, she slowly pivoted to face Viraj, specifically his back as he sat hunched fiddling with the panel in front of him.

 ‘I’m sorry if I have offended you somehow. I really need this job. And also, I’m qualified for it. I can show you my degrees. I can really make a difference here.’

Hearing Gayatri’s words and her apologetic tone, something melted inside Viraj...again. But to keep up appearances, he turned rude. ‘I’m busy!’ he barked.

 ‘Please Mr Viraj, give me—’ Just then, without warning, someone swung the door open. Gayatri wasn’t prepared for the push. ‘Ouch!’ She toppled. Her desperate hands grabbed the first thing in the vicinity—a steel rack. The rack shuddered violently and some of its contents landed on the floor.

‘What the hell!’ Viraj bellowed jumping to his feet.

Gayatri winced. A large electrical component had crashed into her hand ‘The door just opened, pushing me in,’ she said shaking her arm in pain.

 Viraj glared at the door. He instantly lost the frown and his mouth eased at the ends. ‘Oh it’s you! Come inside!’

Huh, Hyde turns Jekyll! Gayatri spun around.

A timid, bespectacled, five-foot-nothing girl, her long hair in a tight braid, clad in a pastel-coloured salwaar kameez, stood at the door. Her skin was smooth and her hands kept tugging at the dupatta around her neck ‘Sorry to interrupt! Dr Kalra wanted to show you some tests he is about to run in lab 2.’ She then glanced at Gayatri. ‘I’m sorry if I hurt you. It was an accident.’

Gayatri was about to speak but Viraj cut her off. ‘She’s fine. Let’s go!’

Viraj went out with the girl, not even sparing a glance at Gayatri.

Astounded, Gayatri watched them leave.

Urghh…the shit-faced scientist actually smiled and that too at that girl! Gayatri kicked the steel rack. It shuddered again! Shoot! Before anything else would fall on her, Gayatri went after the scientist and the simpleton.

Did you like the excerpt? Author Varsha Dixit offers you four of her chapters free.

Read the First Four Chapters Free!!

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About the author

Varsha Dixit

Varsha Dixit, the bestselling author of four successful contemporary romance books. Her debut book, Right Fit Wrong Shoe was a national bestseller for the year 2010. Varsha was a part of the Indian Television Industry and worked as an assistant director and online editor. She considers herself a dreamer who thinks deep but writes light. Even though creativity is gender free,Varsha feels blessed and enriched to be a woman. Currently, with her family, Varsha resides in CA, USA.

You can stalk her @

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The Shore of a Lake

"Wow!" she exclaimed.

He made an "ugh" face as he continued to read his book on the shores of the Lake Tahoe.

"What!" she said irritatingly, "Did you even bother to give a second glance?"

He pulled down his shades partially and gave a brief look, "The water is muddy so why to give me the trouble!" he admitted.

"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Now if the beholder is a grumpy old man, beauty does not care to show her true self" she said while continuing to click the picture of the pebbles amidst the mud.

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In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story using a lens. Join in the fun at CarrotRanch

Guest Post of The Smitten Husband by Sundari Venkatraman

Lately it's been raining authors :)

I got an opportunity to meet up with The Sundari Venkatraman.

Question
"I see you have penned down quite an impressive number of books thus, making your writing career as Numero Uno. As a reader and a follower of your author page, could I get a peek into A Day in the Life of Author Sundari Venkatraman?"

Thank you so much for your compliment. Numero Uno!!! Not yet, but soon. :D

All my days are generally the same from Monday to Sunday Unless, I decide to go out by myself or with my family, I work on all seven days of the week. It’s fun since I am my own boss.

I am a late riser, waking up at around 9-9.30 am. I cook on some days when the mood takes, or my part-time cook does the honours. I open my computer at around 11 am. I begin with promotions, a bit of fooling around on social media and then writing.

I do my best to write every day and succeed most days. My target is 2000 words, but it doesn’t really matter as long as I write at least 500 words. What I write today, I definitely edit and proof the very next day. I can’t go forward otherwise.

I read at least a few pages every day. I go for a walk or exercise, depending on my mood. Sometimes, I am too lazy to do either. Dinner is my department and I can’t escape that. So I cook in the late evening.

Late into the night, when all are asleep, I pray. This is basically chatting with my Maker, writing my gratitude journal and visualising my future in colour.

I go to sleep at 2-3 am.

Yeah, my family has given up on me. They realise that it’s more peaceful if I am left to live my life the way I want. ;)

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You can get a peek into her work via

Twitter: @sundarivenkat

Skype: sundarivenkatraman

Facebook: Sundari Venkatraman

FB page: AuthorSundariVenkatraman

FB page: Flaming Sun

LinkedIn: Sundari Venkatraman

Google: +SundariVenkatraman

Amazon Author Page: Sundari Venkatraman

GoodReads: Sundari Venkatraman