Beyond the Cover: Exploring Passions

The Blurb:  You can sleep through the world, but not through yourself. A childhood incident she can’t recollect… A haunting nightmare that jolts her out of sleep… For Zara, knowing is suffering. Cocooned in the shell she has built around herself, life is all about bare survival until one day she gets an email from The Storyteller… Zara is hooked by his words and hungry for more. But, to her horror, she learns he knows more about her than she thought. When her step-cousin Zachariah lands after eight years, reviving bittersweet memories, Zara must face her worst demons. Who is The Storyteller? What does he want from her? What is she afraid of? And why didn’t her mother protect her from the devastating truth about herself? The Storyteller is a poignant narrative, exploring childhood trauma and the battle of a young woman caught between PTSD and high-functioning normalcy, intertwined with a tale of love, loss, grief, betrayal, pain, and survival. The Story:  The story starts up wi...

First, before we move forward with our Authors Interview, I would like to start with an introduction.  1. Could you please introduce yourself to us? I am Senior Citizen. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to travel extensively around the world. With a personal interest in people, culture, cuisine of the countries I spent time in either for work or for travel, I came across many many people and willingly and unwillingly had enchanting adventures. I believe in people, their origins and culture since I lived with them, rather than seeing from a Hotel window. It had broadened my outlook of life. Now I have the time to write my stories, some memoir based mostly fictional. 2. Congratulations on your book. So what inspired you to write this book? China is a vast country and the people away from the Megacities are very simple and full of empathy. Religion and beliefs still exist and the normal way of life exists. I met and heard innumerable stories of success and despair in the expansionis...

The Blurb:  5 friends, who met 3 years back in a Delhi University college are now like the annual budget of India and inflation-'inseparable'. 3 boys- Giani, Vivaan, Pauwa, and 2 girls- Aarzoo and Shayasta; form what they call the 'Gang'. They are out for dinner to celebrate the much-awaited culmination of their final examinations, but from within they all experience myriad of emotions as they don't know what the future holds for them and their friendship. For dinner; they order the specialty of that eatery and it turns out to be the most popular Indian delicacy - 'BUTTER CHICKEN'.  This scrumptious preparation has given joy to millions through its delectable flavor; but what it gave to our ‘Gang’ was the key to a treasure.  What seemed like an end of a beautiful friendship turns out to be the beginning of a roller coaster of a journey; full of adventure, thrill and self-discovery.  Hop on and unlock the mystery as these diametrically opposite characters tra...

First, before we move forward with our Authors Interview, I would like to start with an introduction. 1. Could you please introduce yourself to us? My name is Anmol. I am a Data Scientist with one of the world’s Largest Audit Firms. I am an Engineer by education; an Artist, a Writer and a father by choice. 2. Congratulations on your book. So what inspired you to write this book? I think it was my work. As a Data Scientist, I am always questioned; can your predictions be made more accurate; and a thought would always pop-up - "It's a Time Traveler can predict better than a Data Scientist." That thought later became an inspiration. 3. What is the book all about? It's a story of a superhero who can leave his body and travel the universe as a soul. But in the real world, he is just an ordinary human being. He is fighting against a powerful soul-reaper who wants to enslave mankind and can even enter dreams of individuals and manipulate them. 4. Why did you choose this genr...

First, before we move forward with our Authors Interview, I would like to start with an introduction.  1. Could you please introduce yourself to us? My name is Cynthia and I decided to emigrate to London when I was 23 years old in the pursuit of exploring my ambitions and find myself. Today, six years later, I feel that I know exactly who I am and who I aspire to be. I am now a qualified teacher, which is the career that I love and I am also an author. 2. Congratulations on your book. So what inspired you to write this book? I have loads of stories written and I knew that one day I would publish a book. But during the lockdown this year I found my diary where I used to vent about some parts of my life in this country. That made me emotional and I wished I could go back in time and give some advice to that fragile and young me, so I decided to grab my laptop to type it all in. I sent drafts to some people to give me feedback, and I realized that it can help young women going through...

The Blurb: "Love me before I get lost in this journey of life, Let us float and fly together like these carefree clouds. My beautiful! Let me embellish you like a bride This moonlit sky is our wedding bower, Let's get mingled into one. " Aisling is a collection of poems on Love, Life, Hope, Wisdom. It also touches upon some crucial contemporary topics. Feel with me and heal your emotions. Explore your heart with poetic words of Aisling. Enter my world and share it with me. My Take:  Aisling : My Poetic world is the debut book written by poetess Sakshi Arora and it’s a refreshing And a delightful treat. The book contains 40 outstanding and beautifully expressed poems that will not only amaze you but You will also find yourself a lost in them. Each poem is different and it sets a pleasant mood that will refresh your mind. The unique thing about this book that I liked the most is that after every poem there is a short summary, my view, where is the poetess Sakshi Arora had e...

The Blurb:  This is an ultimate adventure story, in which a man’s normal life is thrown into jeopardy and he is handed a huge responsibility that would change the course of the world and his life as he knows it. After realizing how his past connects to the present whereby a time filled with secrets and terrors is revealed, it seems the world might just end at any moment. Ixchel’s Secret is a story brimming with blood, violence, and the thrilling idea that a hidden world awaits. My Take:  Ixchel's Secret is the debut novel written by the author Natasha George Patrick and its a mysterious and gripping story.  I liked how the author Natasha George Patrick has started the story with a simple plot, a man looking for a gift for his Wife’s birthday and accidentally get her an ancient statue that contains thousands of years old pamphlet. Unaware of it worth the story continues into a complete archaeological treasure hunt that is full of historical, mythological, and marvelous adv...

The Blurb:  The year was 2080 BCE… The epic Mahabharata war that was fought thousands of years ago between the Pandavas and the Kauravas was thought to be the last. But generations later, everyone was mistaken. The descendants of the Pandavas and the Kauravas (Pauravas) faced a mammoth invasion by the Gandharvas. The Pauravas had to face new challenges to save the land of Bharata (Ancient India). New lessons were learned, old secrets were unveiled and new allies were made. Would the Pauravas be able to save the city of Moenjo and Hariapa? Would the Ancient Aliens (the sky Gods) really come to their rescue? Read on to know more in the story "The Last War".  Can we really rely on an extra-terrestrial object as the source of unlimited power? What would be the repercussion? Read on to know more in the story "Genesis".  A team of researchers went to an alien planet that was inhabited by humanoid species. However, they were faced with a threat of a virus for which there w...

The Blurb:  For a group of friends, one mistake changed the course of their lives forever. In the aftermath of a tragic school shooting, the group must find their own form of justice and a way to begin healing from a wound that just won’t stop hurting. For them, the lines were drawn. Right and wrong became blurred. Friends became enemies. Told from the perspective of four friends, we learn how one student’s revenge reigned terror over a school and a community-- causing secrets to unfold and relationships to be tested. A compelling and powerful story about a school shooting. A must-read. My Take:  What would you do if your best friend shot dead 10 kids from your school? Will, you sympathize with him as he was going through stuff? or you will hate him and call him monster just like everyone?  Silent Screams is the 4th book I'm reading of the author Zachary Ryan and like always he had captured my attention from the very start of the book with his amazingly written and grippi...

The Blurb:  A small-town girl from rural China grows up looking for a normal life of romance, love, and family encounters hurdles at every step in frustration she heads to the growing cities of the growing Megacities surmounting the greed, the comprises to find a place for herself in this World So far denied by fate. When she does come across a man with empathy and love for her, she is confused and skeptical of what the future might surprise her with. So, confused foregoes the security offered. In consequence, the opportunity is lost. Finally, she configures the dream of her nascent years is only a dream and it is time for her to end it all. My Take:  Have you ever met a stranger and after talking you are smitten by to him/her? What will you do if you develop a relationship with the same stranger but you know nothing about him/her?  The author  Sumant Barooah is back with yet another intriguing book  Forsaken Pastoral Women of China that is not only  audaci...

The Blurb:  “Rakshabandhan is a two-way clear crystal, where a brother named handset stains the beauty of this relationship, little gourav who couldn't even speak was the energy source for Nisha”. Rakshabandhan is a critic of the artificial social frames and sketches the dark reality that changed the life of a little girl Nisha. Rakshabandhan is the most sacred and valued bond between two individuals of the opposite gender and the expectations that are framed from one another are enormous. This story unfolds the battle of a little one from the modern tantrums of a couple, their hardships of being together, and the ignorance that a child faces due to the differences between her parents. The expectations that she keeps from a cousin's brother and the shivering end that brings peace to everybody else’s life and leaves her in a never-ending pain. The Story:  The book starts with a heartbreaking separation of 17 years of marriage, even though it was the father's choice for havin...

The Blurb: Mahabharata as an epic is an amazing read, whatever the times. But, in the social media age, Mahabharata's narration needs to be adapted. The original Mahabharata written by Maharishi Ved Vyas was in a poetic form, albeit in Sanskrit. The question remained, why can't Mahabharata be written in English in the form of poems? That's where Sonnets came up! Sonnets, 14 line poems, work very well since they roughly fit in a single mobile screen. Bringing these two distinct assets together, an Indian Epic and an English form of a poem, has created this epic called Sonnet Mahabharata. Sonnet Mahabharata - Book 1 sets the story up and establishes all key characters of Mahabharata. The story begins with the crown prince Devavrata taking a very unusual oath. That starts a chain of events that eventually culminates into the epic called Mahabharata! Here's a sonnet, on what makes Mahabharata an epic that you just shouldn't miss! At its core, Mahabharata is a tale of am...

The Blurb:  Orphans of an Angel, is a tragic, but true story of Evelyn Dalton, aged 42, who struggles to survive, burdened by destitution and deteriorating health. When husband Eddie abandons the family, they are evicted from their home, plunging their lives into anguish and despair. Social Services become involved as the threat of her four boys being taken into care looms as a distinct possibility. Unexpectedly, Evelyn collapses with abdominal pains and is admitted to the hospital for immediate surgery. The misdiagnosis of symptoms leaves Evelyn in a coma unaware of the perilous danger she faces. The welfare of her boys becomes precarious, but she still remains oblivious. Unable to provide adequate care, her boys are condemned to a Children's Home. The youngest two children spend twelve years of their childhood incarcerated. Evelyn’s four boys never see their mother again as their crisis deepens into a battle for their own survival. Four boys became motherless, fatherless, homeles...

The Blurb:  Harlem Dance Crew had been relentless into winning every dance battle of New York. They are Hip-Hop and they had been street dancing for quite a while. But, their number one enemy is Dubai. He is the Hip-Hop choreographer of the Jamaican Queens Dance Crew that despises Kool Ade from the Harlem Dance Crew. Both of them beef until someone takes the reign as Hip-Hop King of New York. Dubai thinks he is King after he won the dance championship last year, but Kool Ade still has a chance to convince New York that he is better than Dubai and Dubai doesn't deserve to be the winner. Will the Harlem Dance Crew claim his title back to being the best dance crew of New York? My Take:  Harlem Dance Crew is the second book in the Hood Riches When Vengeance Served series written by the author Author LaToya McCray and it a short and fascinating book.  As I said earlier the storyline of this series is addictive that will grip your attention completely.  The author LaToya M...

The Blurb:  Azalea never thought she'd find someone who could relate to her after everything that had happened until she met Tabby, a pale-skinned young woman with bleach blonde hair, a gorgeous smile, and a similar attitude to the world at a group counseling retreat for teens. As their friendship grows more, their worlds start to crumble around them. Can they both survive living a normal life after all they've been through by standing together, or will the pain of their pasts be their end? My Take:  A Flower Reborn is the debut novel written by the author Kirstin Graham and its an amazing and beautifully written story.  The story starts with an intriguing prologue after which the story continues immediately. I liked how the author Kirstin Graham has expressed the delicateness of the emotions along with the way she shifted from one emotion to another and explained them in detail, it's just wonderful.  The highlight of the book is its storyline that is unique and...

The Blurb:  Learning through observation is such a God gifted trait of human beings, that to overlook it as a mere occurrence, might be treated as blasphemous. Then again there are plenty of ways humans learn. We learn from our experiences, we learn by studying, we learn when we are taught by someone or something for that matter. Continuous learning is the never-changing truth of life. Learning is a very subjective phenomenon. Every individual responds to lessons or life-lessons differently. The capacity to learn is very innate to a person. It is a very common occurrence that whenever someone tries to convey some lessons, especially in spiritual parlance, the recipient often feels- that is not new, I already know that. Yet, if we just try to analyze our behavior, we will realize how frequently we deviate from the lessons we learned. My Take: Observational Spirituality: A guide to learning Spirituality through Observation is the debut book written by the author Anilson and it's an a...

The Blurb: It's been over half a century since the Phoenix rose in the City of Light. Accused of grave crimes against the Obsidian Throne, Nathaniel Grey is cast out of Obsidia and forced to seek refuge with his peoples' sworn enemies, the Lycans. With the Szar and Necromancers plotting in the shadows, Nathaniel must mount a swift return to his homeland before war breaks out between the Regals and Lycans. Whoever bears the Obsidian Crown, shall hold the fate of Horizon in their hands... My Take :  Nathaniel Grey and the Obsidian Crown is the 2nd book in The Phoenix Saga series written by the author Farrell Keeling and I'm just obsessed with the story. Even though it's the second book in the series, the book stands on its own and has a unique & intriguing storyline. I enjoyed reading the 1st book and once finished reading I immediately started reading this second book and must say I wasn't disappointed at all because it has the same addictive and gripping storyli...

The Blurb:  Life in the Spire for Thorne Grey is comfortable... that is until he is sent on a mission across Horizon to destroy a dark portal to the Foglands and had a premature visit from Death. As ancient dark forces threaten to rise once again from the shadows, the young Warlock must travel alongside a terrifying swordsman and uncover the secrets of the City of Darkness. The Phoenix is rising. My Take:  Thorne Grey and the City of Darkness is the 1st book in The Phoenix Saga written by Farrell Keeling and its the most compelling and addictive series.  The book started with a gripping prologue that not only grasped my attention but also promised was an epic story ahead. The author Farrell Keeling has done an amazing work by penning down his imagination into a creative and imaginative story that I enjoyed reading.  The story contains strong characters, unique plot, interesting twists and turns, magic, mythological creatures, from demons to warlocks, vicious villain...

The Blurb:  Shlok, a lanky teenager and a daydreamer, doesn’t want much from his life. He dreams about making his parents happy and winning the affection of a neighborhood sweetheart, Natasha. Though both are poles apart, their interests bring them close. Together, they experience new emotions. But, just when they are ready to acknowledge their feelings, it is too late. The rapids of life set Shlok on an unexpected journey, where he realizes that one can’t always be in control of one’s own circumstances. Unable to crack an important entrance exam and because of the geographical difficulties affecting his love life, Shlok’s life goes through turbulent times. All the while, his faith in God ebbs and flows, but like a wave, it ends up breaking on the shore before returning to the sea. He is confronted with a perennial question—am I good enough for anything? Holding a mirror to himself, he is faced with the decision to give up on everything he thought was right for him. Set in Varanasi...