Spotlight: Alka Saklani's Beyond Scars

check out the schedule here

Beyond Scars 

by 

Alka Dimri Saklani

BLURB

Hi, I am Avinash, but this is not my story. This is the story of Avni, my sister. I know the smell of cement and bricks still pulls her to the incident seven years ago where she made a daring yet ruthless decision. I know she is drifting away. I know she has begun to find comfort in Vivaan. But I don’t know if I like it. 

Hi, I am Avni, but this is not my story. This is the story of Vivaan, the stunning, vivacious painter. There is something sad about the paintings he has locked away from the world in his storeroom. But he never talks about it. But then there are a lot of things he doesn’t talks about, like how deeply he loves me. 

And what about Dev and Kangana? Isn’t this their story too? It wouldn’t have been if only we did one single thing differently on that ill-fated night, the night that changed the course of our destiny. And hey, I am Vivaan. 

And what about me? Why does nobody talk about me? Or talk to me? Because I am a little girl or because…Well, this is my story too. You will ask who I am? The answer lies somewhere in the pages of BEYOND SCARS.

Grab your copy @

Amazon.com |  Amazon.in

About the author

"Alka Dimri Saklani writes contemporary fiction. Her books are labeled as ‘intense’ by most of her readers. Her debut novel ""45 Days in a Cancer Hospital"" was longlisted for Crossword Books Award 2013. Writing is her first love, the love that seized her when she was just 8.

She holds MBA degree in HR and worked with a leading MNC before turning to a full-time writer.

Born and brought up in Vadodara, a city in Gujarat, her roots hail from “Dev Bhumi” Uttarakhand. Apart from writing, she loves music, reading, traveling, and spending time with her two naughty kids.

"

Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @

      

        

A Choice

“Come on! you can do it, Nate!” Mom urged her teen as he sat all heartbroken with a droopy head.

“Beggars can’t be choosers. I shall take what’s offered,” he shouted back at her.


There was silence.


With moist eyes, but a stern voice she said, “That’s untrue! Cause even beggars get an opportunity 

to choose. But they choose to take the easy route!” The son looked at her with a frown as she

continued, “What do you choose to do about your low grades? Accept defeat or get your concepts

right and take the retest?”


“Choice is yours!”


================
 In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story using the phrase “beggars can’t be choosers.” You can play with the words, alter them or interpret them without using the phrase. Give it any slant you want — show what it means or add to its  meaning. Go where the prompt leads!
Join in the fun at CarrotRanch

Book Spotlight : We Women Wonder by Inderpreet Uppal

check out the schedule here


WE WOMEN WONDER: Dreams, Desires, Struggles & Triumphs

by 

Inderpreet Uppal

BLURB

"When a woman becomes her own best friend, life is easier." 

– Diane Von Furstenberg. 

Thoughts, quotes and determination can make a woman stronger, a survivor but she is a winner regardless. 

This book is the story of every woman, you might find your reflection too. 

A journey into what keeps us women ticking. 

What annoys the hell out of us? 

What are we women really about? 

How does the world see us? 

Is the world changing for us or are we just dreaming? 

What is our success and what it means to a woman? 

We Women Wonder, I often do, don’t you?

Grab your copy @

Amazon.com |  Amazon.in

About the author

" Inderpreet writes for her love of writing, edits manuscripts and reads endlessly. 

A sprinkling of fiction, a dash of books, and a bit of opinion add to the eclectic mix that is Eloquent Articulation, her blog.

Books, editing, writing, and blogging keep her busy whenever she gets a breather from mothering her ‘too tricky to handle son’. 

An Army brat, she now joins her adorable Army hubby across the country. "

Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @

      

        



Play the game of Raffelcopter

With Love from Santa Giveaway 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | Linkedin

We Promote So That You Can Write 

Sunrise brings Hope

“Wake up!” mom nudged her hard enough to make her sit upon her bed.

After a big yawn, and a stretch Prema walked with empty buckets in her hand towards a destination where the water truck would station. 

While she waited in a queue for the truck to arrive, ‘Despite no water in our pipes, Life is beautiful.’ she muttered as she saw how the sun broke the spell of darkness with one drop of shine at a time.

She brought the two buckets of water to her cottage with the intention that the water crisis will end soon.


===============

In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that features a bucket of water. What is the condition of the water and what is the bucket for? Drop deep into the weel and draw from where the prompt leads!

Spotlight and Review of From An-other Land by Tanushree Ghosh

check out the schedule here

From An-Other Land
by 
Tanushree Ghosh

BLURB

Never has been the conversation on immigration more pertinent than now, post 2016 US elections. From cancellation of refugee protection and zero tolerance to undercurrent crackdown on H visas, the resurgence of nationalism is hitting the globalized population head-on. 

But what is immigration today? A question of life or death - fleeing of persecution? A compulsion? Or a mere pursuance of privilege? 

And what is the US today? A land of opportunities? Or a quagmire impossible to comprehend, inherently racist and selfish?

From An-Other Land dives deep into immigration today for the Indian diaspora and its many facets with characters who seek to define themselves in an intercultural setting that is less and less sure of itself. A reality check and a guide for anyone who wants to understand the modern-day US.

Review: 

From An-other Land is a book of many stories of a handful of characters that have immigrated to the USA. She has portrayed their individual lives and their challenges. 

The book starts with some characters taking the international flight as they form a line towards customs and check-in. The scenario was gripping and realistic as the many emotions surface for such individuals boarding a flight who plan on making a home away from their homes. The author well captured the anxiety and the uncertainty prevalent. 

Once landed the author then delves into the lives of each immigrant as he/she finds a place for themselves on the foreign soil. The characters are well defined as they try their best in becoming a somebody from a nobody. Plots that have been burrowed into are classic cases of immigration; such as the story of Meera, an ex-sister-in-law married to her brother-in-law. A cultural conflict of an Indian wanting to commit to an American. A young lady is making amends with her emotions as she wants to make her home as cozy as her home far away. A father who goes missing in India, and the emotional turmoil the son is facing while living in the US. The ambition to be a somebody but the marriage is falling apart leading to a fallout of the individual. However, I could not empathize with their struggles and their hardships. Maybe since the author would abruptly change gears within the story.

The stories of these characters are woven exquisitely allowing the reader to see all the shades of life: happiness, sorrow, hope, love, lust, success, suicide, and death. The author has written all her stories being unbiased, and nonjudgemental. She leaves stories with no conclusion allowing the reader to make her call on how the characters will turn around. Will Tarun come back and ask for Michelle's hand after seeking blessing from his parents? Will Meera ever get to see her husband? Will Raji be happy in her home? These are some of the questions the reader gets to foresee the ending based on her knowledge and expertise. 

Grab your copy @

Amazon.com |  Amazon.in

About the author

Tanushree Ghosh works in the technology sector in the USA and is also a social activist and a writer. She has a Doctorate in Chemistry from Cornell University and has worked at the Brookhaven National Laboratories and is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and Presidency College Calcutta.

Her blog posts, op-eds, poems, and stories are efforts to provoke thoughts, especially towards issues concerning women, social justice, and immigration - which is the topic of her first solo-author work From An-Other Land published by Readomania publishing. 

As a contributor to the Huffington Post US, she has published several posts on topics that affect the under-represented and the lesser privileged, whether that's a population, a nation, or an individual. Her first article for the Huffington Post went viral and was picked up by the Yahoo news. She has since written on the Syria war and its children, open borders, the unfair coverage in the Western media of the Brazil Olympics, societal differences in outlook on issues like gun control in the US, and off-course - women. She has written on postpartum depression, acid attack and its state globally, #MeToo and a myriad of related topics and was interviewed for Reddit and the Indian Express. She is a regular contributor to several popular publications (incl. The Tribune (Sunday Diaspora segment), Thrive Global, The Logical Indian, Youth Ki Awaaz, Café Dissensus, and The Women's Web). Her literary resume also includes poems and stories featured in national and international magazines, including Words Pauses and Noises, UK; TUCK, Glimmer Train honorable mention, and inclusion in seven anthologies (through winning national and international contests), including Defiant Dreams (Oprah 2016 reading list placeholder) and The Best Asian Short Stories 2017 (published out of Singapore by Kitaab). She has served in coordinator and chapter head roles of ASHA and AID India and has affiliations with several women's organizations and non-profits. She is also the founder and director of Her Rights (www.herrights.website), a 501(3) c non-profit committed to furthering the cause of gender equality and supporting victims of gender violence.

Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

You can stalk her @

      

        

Timeouts!

“I don’t want to go to school tomorrow!” Nate announced loud and clear when he entered his home and sat down with a sulk.

“What happened, honey?” Mom was quick to take the eight-year-old in her lap.

The Mom continued to tickle and caress.

After a couple of minutes, he blurted, “My teacher gives me a lot of timeouts!”  

There was silence.

“I’m sure you cannot identify what is right and what is wrong,” said Mom as she gently stroked his arm, “These timeouts are like a chisel. They will help you recognize and analyze your behavior, going forward.” 

============

In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes a chisel. Use chisel as a noun or a verb. Think about what might be chiseled, who is chiseling. Be the chisel. Go where the prompt leads!

Join in the fun at CarrotRanch