Spotlight: Hope? I Hope Not by Raghav Gupta

Hope? I Hope Not!

Genre:

Short Story Collection

Blurb:

'Hope? Hope not!' is a collection of stories from all walks of life and all age groups. It's is a reflection on human behavior and its peculiarities, written from the narrative perspective. The story traps the struggles and aspirations of the common men through different themes and genres.

Intro Story:

 

‘There are two kinds of hope’, he read through the text he had written and memorized. He was to give this speech at many motivational talks he would be giving once he achieved his goals. ‘The one hope is which drives you towards your goals. It is the hope that is the burning fire when you are cold and dark. This hope has been the reason for all the good things in the world.’ He paused, reflecting on his own life.

 

‘There’s another hope, it’s a disease disguised as hope. You don’t achieve anything, get a false sense of failure and victory because your heart and brain fail to differentiate between truth and deception. Yes, you get deceived by what you want to be, even though you can’t be the person.’

 

He realized he had no breathing space. And he wasn’t breathing either. He was again in two places, the world where he wanted to belong; and the world, where the world had sent him. Of course he had fallen for the second hope he wanted to warn people about in his motivational talks.

 

Reviews:

“Worth every penny. Simple language, vivid portrayal, just the right balance between humour and seriousness. Eagerly awaiting more from the author.”

 

“This is an interesting book. All the stories gave different perspective about life. The narration is good with easy language. There is also dose of humour here and there with life philosophy. I liked it. If you want to experience different shades of life in a single book then go for it.”

 

“This book is like a Diwali bonus to provide provide you with several characters and several stories in just a couple of hours. â€œ

 

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About the author

Raghav Gautam was born in 1987, and from there his experiments with hobbies began. He started writing poetry around the age of 15, started writing stories around the age of 18, then moved on to sketching, digital painting, stitch painting, and so many other things where he just didn’t stick (except for verses and fiction perhaps).

 

Life changed for him when he picked up his camera for a heritage walk for the second time- after almost not using it for years properly. He moved beyond auto-focus, changed his ambitions of working in post-production to working in production and as it seems- he has found a hobby which has turned into his profession, and he still yearns for those moments of personal projects which stretch him, test him, and give him pleasure in equal measures.

 

His writing style is natural, as he doesn't delve deep into descriptions. He remembers R. K. Narayan's Dateless Diary, where he mentioned that he skips writing all the descriptions that he skips while reading. Raghav has imbibed this feature. His aim is to take people into an emotional space where they can experience a world of their own.

 

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Spotlight – I’m the 10th by Deep Downer

I Am The 10th
(Navruts series- Book 1)

Genre: Historical thriller

Blurb:

Based in modern times, ‘I Am The 10th’ is the story of one of the oldest, and arguably the mightiest cults that originated during the 3rd century BC in India.

Sarah, a happily married lady from New Delhi, India, wakes up one fine morning in an unknown place. It’s not her home, not her city; it’s not even her country.

What is she doing there? How did she reach there? Where is her family?

Her search to all these questions takes her on a journey, a long journey that had started way back in the 3rd century BC. She finds out that everything she thought she knew about her- her marriage, husband, family, home, India, even her name- was a lie.

Will she be able to find out the truth? More importantly, will she be able to handle the truth if she finds it out?

Come and join Sarah on her journey that will take you to
300 BC, through the Mahabharata era, and back. Witness the biggest and the deadliest battle ever in the history of mankind that could well spell the end of humanity and the end of this world. Experience the might of the ancient Shastras and Astras, like Naag Pash, Brahma Kavach, and Narayan Astra.

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About the author

D. R. Downer is a writer, author, editor, and a ghostwriter. He has penned more than 39 books so far, 20 of which have been published under his own name, with the rest being ghostwriting projects. Although he has written books in varied sub-genres, his favorite genre is thriller and almost all his books have that as the main genre.

After completing his B.E. (Mechanical) and MBA (Marketing), DD started his professional journey as an Executive in the Sales department of a UK based organization. Since then, he changed over and handled many roles and responsibilities in the Marketing and Customer Service departments across industries. Later, shifted over to Advertising and spent a good 11 years in the same. He finally found his true calling in writing and now spends hours glued to his laptop conjuring up fictional worlds, and wonders if his wife can sue him for cheating on her with his laptop.

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Take Five. Anywhere. Anytime.

 How many times have you walked into a room with your body but left your mind elsewhere? 

Perhaps you were heading into a meeting with colleagues but still thinking about a difficult conversation with your partner; or maybe as you were sitting down to dinner with family, your mind was racing with worry. Our minds have the ability to think and plan for the future and also, reminisce and review what has happened in the past. This ability serves us in many ways, but it can also hijack us from staying fully present in the moment.

De-stress with a simple breathing practice.

Moments of transition present us with an opportunity to pause and arrive to the moment right in front of us. TAKE FIVE is a quick grounding practice, to do just that. Simply take five breaths to connect the body and mind together, notice how you feel and set an intention to experience what is happening in the moment. About to sit down to dinner? Taking five breaths can open your heart to set the intention to listen and laugh. Preparing for an important meeting? Taking five breaths can give you a little space to focus on what you want to communicate.

Have little ones at home that are struggling to regulate their feelings? Try TAKE FIVE. It can become a counting game that you can do together as a tool to help them when their world has turned upside down.

Need proof? Try these suggestions.

• Next time you are getting ready to meet your friends online, pause to TAKE FIVE and notice what is present for you. Is there something you want to share that makes you feel anxious? Invite your friends to explore this practice with you by doing TAKE FIVE together or by playing this recording.
• Heading to the grocery store? Give yourself space to take 5 slow breaths before walking into the store. Notice your surroundings, both inner and outer and acknowledge that whatever you are feeling is OK.
• Preparing for your nighttime routine? Create space between your daytime busyness and your evening plans with TAKE FIVE. It’s both a calming and restorative practice. Just sit at the edge of your bed with one hand on your lap, and your palm facing up. Each time you take a full cycle of breath, fold one finger down. Once all 5 fingers are folded, take a moment to notice how you feel. The stage is now set for you to enjoy your downtime.

Sprinkle your day with TAKE FIVE and get in touch with your feelings.

Over time, checking in with yourself throughout the day with TAKE FIVE breathing practice can help build compassionate understanding of the ups and downs of daily life. It's okay to feel anxious, sad, angry, happy, neutral or lonely. The better able you are at identifying what you are feeling in any given moment, the better able you will be at taking care of yourself, no matter what shows up.

 

This post was originally published on the Mindfulness Without Borders blog.

Spotlight: A Marriage of Convenience Romance by Dee James

                         

BOUND BY THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT

(Double Trouble 1)

by

Dee James

Publication Date: Aug 3, 2020

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Language: English

Genre: Romance

Blurb

Ashwin was the ever-so-serious, alpha-male who thrived on the next deal, the next million. Surprises were not his thing, especially when they were of the bad kind. After two years of working with his efficient EA, why did he feel an uncanny attraction to her all of a sudden? Was he missing something in the whole picture?

Dia was the quintessential romantic who read, wrote, and thrived on romance. She had nothing to do with the corporate world or her sister’s boss – the sinful-looking Ashwin Kumar. Only, her twin has been missing and she needed to investigate the reason behind her twin’s vanishing act. She thought it would only be a matter of few days, and she could conveniently play her efficient twin. Unfortunately, she wasn’t prepared for the man who could as well one of her reel heros.

When Ashwin suggests a marriage of convenience, neither of them expect to fall in love. Or, did they? What about Anita? Will she find her missing sister?

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 About the Author

Dee James writes sweet, dreamy, romantic stories. A software professional by day, she wears her secret romance cape after work hours. Dee J loves to write about quirky, independent women and sinful-looking alpha men who find their own happily ever after. Her books feature a heavy dose of humor, drama, and love, of course! Apart from devouring all things romance, Dee J loves to read, blog, sing, and cook. Besides insta-love, pink lipsticks, and kohls, the one thing that she can’t do without is coffee!

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Two Friends

 "Where's your other slipper?" Mom inquired as Naina came out from her bedroom, wearing just one. 

"Maggie is nibbling on it," she said with a yawn as she placed herself next to her and brushed her labrador fondly. 

Just then, a mouse bolted by, and Maggie woofed along with joy instead of running after her. 
The duo was quick to pull up their feet and gave out a shriek. 

"I adopted her so that she could keep our house free of critters, but instead, she rejoices on their company and is busy with human objects." said the enraged mom.

 In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story of mice. It can feature any variety of the little critters in any situation. Are the the character or the inciting incident? Use any genre, including BOTS (based on a true story). Go where the prompt leads!

Spotlight: Truly Madly Crazily in Love by Esha Pandey

 

Print Length: 191 pages

Publication Date: July 25, 2020

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Language: English

Genre: Romance

Blurb

What happens when you can't let your first love go? What happens when you keep hoping that the one that got away, will be yours again...forever?

Sue is short, vivacious and dreamy. Viv is tall, spirited and focussed. Dressed to the nines on School Social, she bewitches him. He kisses her. She kisses him back. They fall in love. But the kiss that should have sealed their love, becomes their undoing. 

Sue is truly, madly and crazily in love with him. There is no one like Viv. She pines for him, but he can't be hers. Days go by and she is still head over heals in love with him. 

When she finally lets him go and is ready to start over, he walks into her life again. 

Hearts are broken. Promises are shattered. Lives are wrecked. Love is tested. 

In a tale transcending time, Sue and Viv weave a story of love like none other. Will hope, trust and love win the test of time? From Lucknow, to Delhi to London, will Sue finally have her happily ever after? Read this sweet romance to find out.

Read the Excerpt

“Sir, please proceed towards Gate No. 74. There was a last-minute change in the boarding gate for your flight,” the ground staff said politely. What the fuck! He had postponed his boarding to the last minute and now the gate had been changed. His heart was beating fast as he pushed his trolley bag and walked quickly towards Gate No. 74. As he reached the gate, he realized there was a lot of rush because of the last-minute gate change. Though the first-class passengers were given priority over others, he still managed to bump into a hassled girl with a bang. Both liquor bottles went flying and the trolley bag hit him in his shin, hard. He was waiting for the crashing sound of the bottles and when that didn’t happen, he looked up to find dark kohled eyes, smoothened shoulder length hair, oxidized jewelry and red lips glaring at the mess he had caused. SUE!!!His heart stopped beating. “What the hell? Where do you think you are going?” Sue looked up at him. Her eyes expanded in amazement when it registered that she had bumped into Vaibhav. Reining in her galloping heart at the right moment, Sue enquired if he was alright.“Yes, I am perfectly fine, but my duty-free loot might be a different story.” He picked up the packet and sighed with relief when he found them to be okay. He signaled a thumbs up to Sue.“What are you doing here? Are you on this flight?” Sue was shaken. Not visibly so, but she was. She had gotten very good at hiding her emotions and it would take a professional to know that she was experiencing euphoria and dread at the same time on meeting Vaibhav. Before he could reply, a ground crew member came forward and rushed him to the counter and he could only wave at Sue while she was also being rushed at the Economy Counter.

The moment the seat belt sign switched off, the stewardess came to escort the girl sitting next to Sue. Vaibhav popped into the seat next to her immediately after. 

 

Esha Pandey, is an author and a police officer. She made her debut as an author with her book I Will Meet You There, a collection of short stories.

Esha is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 2010 batch. She has a Masters in International Relations and Masters of Philosophy in American Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Before becoming a civil servant, she dabbled with the idea of being a journalist and worked with Times of India as a copy editor. She has won a United Nations FPA Award for Excellence for the “Best Short Story”. 

Esha has kept her passion for writing alive through her tough assignments in policing because writing is music for her soul. Her TDH hero is her partner for life, her husband Rajiv, who supports her in all her endeavors. When she is not doing either, policing or writing, she is busy dealing with her two bundles of naughtiness, her sons. 

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