Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Monday, February 26, 2018
Book Blitz : Finding Her Way
Print Length: 16 pages
Publication Date: February 12, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
Available on Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Short Story
What does marriage mean for an Indian girl? Whether she marries for love or by arrangement, she’s forced to obey unreasonable demands. But she also wants to live her life on her own terms.
Avni is such a girl. When the man she loves and cares for wholeheartedly, throws her a curve ball, she chooses to walk away. What comes next for Avni?
Avni is such a girl. When the man she loves and cares for wholeheartedly, throws her a curve ball, she chooses to walk away. What comes next for Avni?
It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR
About Ruchi Vasudeva in her own words:
I'm a doctor by profession, a teacher by vocation and an author by destiny. The writing bug has long resided in me and a contest held by Harlequin for Indian authors gave me a golden opportunity to have my dream realized. I debuted in August '13 with my book 'Bollywood Fiancé For A Day'. I write romantic fiction with conflicted characters who come into their own in their quest of reaching out for love. I love to write about spirited heroines getting hurtled out of their daily life as soon as they cross paths with their rather challenging heroes.
I keep busy juggling writing with my medical job and family life with my doctor husband and two wiser-than-thou teens. When not bent double over the laptop, I might be found with my nose in books or munching nachos at the movies or glued to the telecast of Team India or Chennai Super Kings in action. Sometimes I drag myself for walks and surprisingly discover they are rather good for brewing story ideas!
You can stalk her @
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Book Review :Prem Purana
This book is a delightful read of love stories. The tales are of love amongst Gods & Godesses, among Rakshasas & among Rajas & apsaras.The stories narrate the longing & the passion in a subtle manner without sounding lustful.And these stories describe how love can strengthen the relationships & make the couples stronger !
There are three stories. One is about Ganpati & his three wives. Ganpati takes on different forms to win over each of his wives & how ! This makes for very interesting reading. Gods may have it all ,we think .And yet, it is not so. Hence Ganpati has to work hard for winning over each of his brides & that too in various ways.
Next, is the tale of Ravana & Mandodari.Ravana had many wives & yet, Mandodari was special to him as Ravana was to her. Despite his passionate love for Mandodari, why does Ravana abduct Sita ? And though Mandodari urges him to return Sita to Rama, he refuses & goes ahead with war .Had Ravana outgrown his love for Mandodari ? And the war destroys Ravana's family & yet, he refuses to see the writing on the wall.Why ? What are the reasons or is it because, Ravana is too arrogant ?
The last story is about Nala & Damayanti .Their love story faces too many obstacles. And when they feel that they have settled into a world of pure bliss, misfortune strikes again & the two are separated.Are they united again ? Who is at fault ..Nala or Damayanti or maybe both ? And what about their children ? Do they end up losing everything ?
The tales are told in such a manner, that one is mesmerised by the descriptions, be it the beauty of the female characters , the handsomeness of the male characters, the blooming scenes in the garden, magnificence of the places et al. All these things make them come alive !
A superb read !
PREM PURANA:
MYTHOLOGICAL LOVE STORIES
by
Usha Narayanan
BLURB
Stories of love and extraordinary devotion
No one is untouched by love, not even devas and asuras, kings and nymphs. And when they face life’s unexpected tribulations, their love also undergoes trials. Read how Ganesha took myriad forms to please Riddhi, Siddhi and Buddhi, how Ravana shared an unbreakable bond with his true love, Mandodari and how Nala and Damayanti’s relationship was tested till almost nothing remained.
Tormented by passion, wracked by betrayal, torn by the agony of separation, love in its many splendored forms is the origin of these incredibly endearing stories of Prem Purana.
READ AN EXCERPT
Ganesha stood with Brahma’s daughter Siddhi on the sacred soil of Kailasa, offering worship to the linga that Parvati had installed. He glanced at his companion’s proud face, knowing that he had embarked on a rough path in attempting to win her over. For now, however, he had to focus on his confrontation with Parasurama whom Shiva had blessed with his great axe.
Siddhi watched from a safe distance as Ganesha bowed to the warrior and requested him to wait until Shiva granted him permission to enter. But Parasurama angrily pushed him aside and strode towards the cave. Ganesha intercepted him, causing the angry warrior to raise his axe to threaten him.
Finding that his antagonist would not listen to mere words, Shiva’s son extended his trunk by many lengths and wound it around Parasurama 100 times. He then raised the warrior into the skies so that he could see the seven mountains, the seven oceans and the seven islands of the earth below him. Then he whirled him around and showed him all the lokas including Vaikunta, where Lord Vishnu presided on his lotus throne with Devi Lakshmi. With his yogic power, Shiva’s son granted Parasurama a vision of Goloka, the purest of realms, where blue-hued Krishna resided with Radha and his gopis.
After showing Parasurama how insignificant he was when compared to the primordial universe spanning endless time and space, Gajamukha dropped him gently on the ground outside Shiva’s cave. He smiled at Siddhi who stood dazed, clinging to a tree for support, as she too had been granted the supernal vision by Ganesha’s grace. She realized now that her cheerful friend was called Vakratunda not because of his crooked trunk, but because he was the one who straightened out the crooked.
Parasurama recovered from his stupor and saw that he was lying on the ground at Ganesha’s feet. Incensed by this humiliation, he sprang to his feet and took up his mighty axe. The parasu hurtled towards Ganesha with a deafening roar. Siddhi trembled, certain that her friend would not survive the dire power of his father’s weapon.
Strangely enough, Gajamukha made no attempt to counter Parasurama’s axe. Instead, he joined his hands in worship to the parasu and stood calmly as if reconciled to his death.
Siddhi heard a horrific crack as the parasu struck one of Ganesha’s tusks and severed it completely. It fell to the ground with a crash, smeared in blood, looking like a crystal mountain covered in red chalk. Shiva rushed out of the cave, followed by Parvati, who turned into fiery Durga when she saw that her son had been wounded. She discerned what had happened and raged at the warrior who stood before her with the axe that had returned to his hand.
‘O Parasurama!’ she said. ‘You may be learned and wise and the son of a great sage, yet you have allowed wrath to overcome you. You received your parasu from your guru, Shiva, but abused your gift by using it to wound his son. Ganesha, on the other hand, allowed the axe to sever his tusk due to his respect for his father’s weapon. What next will you do, Parasurama? Will you assail mighty Shiva himself? Presumptuous warrior! I curse you this day that though you are an avatara of my beloved Vishnu, no one on earth or heaven will ever worship you!’
Parasurama cowered before the angry goddess whose fury grew by the moment. ‘It is only due to Ganesha’s forbearance that you are still alive, for he can kill a hundred thousand Parasuramas in the blink of an eye,’ she said. ‘But I am unwilling to be so tolerant and will end your life today!’
Durga rushed towards him, with her trident aimed at his head. Parasurama stood unarmed and unresisting. He closed his eyes, joined his hands together and surrendered to Krishna.
‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!’ Parasurama chanted, invoking his god with his last breath.
At once, Krishna appeared before him, lustrous and omnipotent, granting him protection with one raised hand. Durga stopped mid-stride and gazed at Krishna. Her wrath vanished, dissolving like mist in the light of the sun. A beatific smile adorned her face. She offered him a reverential welcome along with Shiva.
Krishna addressed them gently, a calm smile on his face. ‘I have come here to rescue my devotee,’ he said. ‘Though Parasurama has committed a grievous sin, I request you to forgive him, Parvati. He is your son too, for you are the divine mother, the refuge of all creation. As for you, Parasurama, you have to undertake a severe tapasya to attain forgiveness. Worship the Devi who animates the three realms in the form of the gentle Gauri and the fierce Durga. Seek the blessings of Ganesha who is now Ekadanta, the lord with one tusk.’
Having offered his counsel, the lord returned to Goloka. Parasurama prostrated himself before the gods and laid his axe at Ganesha’s feet in tribute. He then retreated to a distant mountain to begin his worship. Parvati took her son into her mansion, to coddle him after his fierce encounter.
Siddhi watched from a safe distance as Ganesha bowed to the warrior and requested him to wait until Shiva granted him permission to enter. But Parasurama angrily pushed him aside and strode towards the cave. Ganesha intercepted him, causing the angry warrior to raise his axe to threaten him.
Finding that his antagonist would not listen to mere words, Shiva’s son extended his trunk by many lengths and wound it around Parasurama 100 times. He then raised the warrior into the skies so that he could see the seven mountains, the seven oceans and the seven islands of the earth below him. Then he whirled him around and showed him all the lokas including Vaikunta, where Lord Vishnu presided on his lotus throne with Devi Lakshmi. With his yogic power, Shiva’s son granted Parasurama a vision of Goloka, the purest of realms, where blue-hued Krishna resided with Radha and his gopis.
After showing Parasurama how insignificant he was when compared to the primordial universe spanning endless time and space, Gajamukha dropped him gently on the ground outside Shiva’s cave. He smiled at Siddhi who stood dazed, clinging to a tree for support, as she too had been granted the supernal vision by Ganesha’s grace. She realized now that her cheerful friend was called Vakratunda not because of his crooked trunk, but because he was the one who straightened out the crooked.
Parasurama recovered from his stupor and saw that he was lying on the ground at Ganesha’s feet. Incensed by this humiliation, he sprang to his feet and took up his mighty axe. The parasu hurtled towards Ganesha with a deafening roar. Siddhi trembled, certain that her friend would not survive the dire power of his father’s weapon.
Strangely enough, Gajamukha made no attempt to counter Parasurama’s axe. Instead, he joined his hands in worship to the parasu and stood calmly as if reconciled to his death.
Siddhi heard a horrific crack as the parasu struck one of Ganesha’s tusks and severed it completely. It fell to the ground with a crash, smeared in blood, looking like a crystal mountain covered in red chalk. Shiva rushed out of the cave, followed by Parvati, who turned into fiery Durga when she saw that her son had been wounded. She discerned what had happened and raged at the warrior who stood before her with the axe that had returned to his hand.
‘O Parasurama!’ she said. ‘You may be learned and wise and the son of a great sage, yet you have allowed wrath to overcome you. You received your parasu from your guru, Shiva, but abused your gift by using it to wound his son. Ganesha, on the other hand, allowed the axe to sever his tusk due to his respect for his father’s weapon. What next will you do, Parasurama? Will you assail mighty Shiva himself? Presumptuous warrior! I curse you this day that though you are an avatara of my beloved Vishnu, no one on earth or heaven will ever worship you!’
Parasurama cowered before the angry goddess whose fury grew by the moment. ‘It is only due to Ganesha’s forbearance that you are still alive, for he can kill a hundred thousand Parasuramas in the blink of an eye,’ she said. ‘But I am unwilling to be so tolerant and will end your life today!’
Durga rushed towards him, with her trident aimed at his head. Parasurama stood unarmed and unresisting. He closed his eyes, joined his hands together and surrendered to Krishna.
‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!’ Parasurama chanted, invoking his god with his last breath.
At once, Krishna appeared before him, lustrous and omnipotent, granting him protection with one raised hand. Durga stopped mid-stride and gazed at Krishna. Her wrath vanished, dissolving like mist in the light of the sun. A beatific smile adorned her face. She offered him a reverential welcome along with Shiva.
Krishna addressed them gently, a calm smile on his face. ‘I have come here to rescue my devotee,’ he said. ‘Though Parasurama has committed a grievous sin, I request you to forgive him, Parvati. He is your son too, for you are the divine mother, the refuge of all creation. As for you, Parasurama, you have to undertake a severe tapasya to attain forgiveness. Worship the Devi who animates the three realms in the form of the gentle Gauri and the fierce Durga. Seek the blessings of Ganesha who is now Ekadanta, the lord with one tusk.’
Having offered his counsel, the lord returned to Goloka. Parasurama prostrated himself before the gods and laid his axe at Ganesha’s feet in tribute. He then retreated to a distant mountain to begin his worship. Parvati took her son into her mansion, to coddle him after his fierce encounter.
Usha Narayanan had a successful career in advertising, radio and corporate communications before becoming a full-time author. Her bestselling novels span multiple genres: ‘The Madras Mangler’, a suspense thriller; ‘Love, Lies and Layoffs’ (Harlequin) and ’Doctor Stalker Spy’ (Juggernaut), lighthearted romances; ‘Pradyumna: Son of Krishna’, ‘The Secret of God’s Son’ and her latest ‘Prem Purana’ (all from Penguin) that have been praised as ‘Indian mythology at its fiercest and finest.’ Two new books are in the offing. When she is not travelling, writing or editing, Usha reads everything from thrillers and romances to the puranas.
Praise for Usha’s books:
'Like the best of our mythological tales, Pradyumna: Son of Krishna too is a multilayered one...There is valour, there is cowardice, there is glory, there is shame, there is sex, lies and deception.’
‘The Secret of God’s Son is a compelling read on mythological tales.’ – The Sentinel
‘Prem Purana is so good! I am impressed at how Usha can write about Ganesha with so much personality while at the same time showing him as a cosmic divine being. ’ Dr Laura Gibbs, Professor, Indian Epics, University of Oklahoma
You can stalk her @
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Saturday, February 17, 2018
Monday, February 12, 2018
Book Review : The Woman Who Saw The Future .
This is the story of the dreams of a simple girl, Sapna.Well, all girls dream. Yet Sapna's dreams are about calamities & disasters & about death. Sapna is stressed as she does not understand why she is dreaming all this. She manages to save a neighbour from death. Very soon , she gets famous in her locality. Then she saves, Kabir, who is an industrialist.And, soon, Sapna is on a show on the idiot box. Her dreams are saving people who might have died if not for her ! She is being aided by Mahek & Anupama.
The dreams of Sapna are real or manufactured ? And is there any pattern to it ? Does she dream of calamities in India or all over the world ? And does she manage to save the people ? Are the people who are saved actually existing or is this just a cover up ?
And Sapna gets famous the world over. The handsome & dashing Kabir falls for her as he knows she is smitten by him. And they get married. The show goes on & their marriage hits the rocks. The custody battle is won by Kabir. Kabir dies in an accident. Sapna gets back her son after Kabir's death.And then, things begin to change.There seems to be a design or is it an eye wash ? And some people are dead .Is this all pre planned or just natural ? And who is behind all this ? Does Spana know this or she is ignorant of all this ? What about Mahek & Anupama ? Anupama's fiance is in the police. Does he suspect something ? If so , who is on his radar ? Does Sapna's show continue ? What about Sapna herself ? How does she view herself ? How is she seen by others ? She was a simple girl who got suddenly famous. And now , has she changed for the better or worse ? Maybe, she is unrecognizable any more .
The story is so interesting that one continues to read to unravel the layers that are there. Death of a child is so poignantly described that the reader feels emphatic with the parents. And it is really a nightmare to deal with dreams of disasters , calamities & death on a daily basis.And people change so much so, that when they look at themselves in the mirror, they fail to recognize themselves. The author does not preach. Its just, that humans have their faults & their shortcomings & yet, these do not make us the devil.Humans are not saints.They are humans with some positives & some negatives.
A definitive read !
The dreams of Sapna are real or manufactured ? And is there any pattern to it ? Does she dream of calamities in India or all over the world ? And does she manage to save the people ? Are the people who are saved actually existing or is this just a cover up ?
And Sapna gets famous the world over. The handsome & dashing Kabir falls for her as he knows she is smitten by him. And they get married. The show goes on & their marriage hits the rocks. The custody battle is won by Kabir. Kabir dies in an accident. Sapna gets back her son after Kabir's death.And then, things begin to change.There seems to be a design or is it an eye wash ? And some people are dead .Is this all pre planned or just natural ? And who is behind all this ? Does Spana know this or she is ignorant of all this ? What about Mahek & Anupama ? Anupama's fiance is in the police. Does he suspect something ? If so , who is on his radar ? Does Sapna's show continue ? What about Sapna herself ? How does she view herself ? How is she seen by others ? She was a simple girl who got suddenly famous. And now , has she changed for the better or worse ? Maybe, she is unrecognizable any more .
The story is so interesting that one continues to read to unravel the layers that are there. Death of a child is so poignantly described that the reader feels emphatic with the parents. And it is really a nightmare to deal with dreams of disasters , calamities & death on a daily basis.And people change so much so, that when they look at themselves in the mirror, they fail to recognize themselves. The author does not preach. Its just, that humans have their faults & their shortcomings & yet, these do not make us the devil.Humans are not saints.They are humans with some positives & some negatives.
A definitive read !
THE WOMAN WHO SAW THE FUTURE
by
Amit Sharma
Blurb
Sapna Vaid has lived with a unique power for a decade; a power that turned her from a timid, wide-eyed, college-going girl into the most influential and powerful Goddess on Earth. Sapna can see the future and saves thousands of people around the world every year through her record-breaking, popular show ‘Lucky People’. The show had given Sapna’s life a meaning and gives her the courage to sleep every night, where death and blood await her in her dreams.
Even though the world is at her feet, the power costs Sapna her personal life. Thousands of prayers that come her way every year are her only solace, her only reason to live.
When a blinding hatred leads to a desperate act of revenge, a single misuse of her great power triggers a reversal of her fortunes. Now she must decide the path she has to take to preserve her unique gift and her fame, even if it turns her into a murderer on the brink of insanity.
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About the author
Amit Sharma's first fiction book titled False Ceilings has been published by Lifi Publications in 2016.
His second novel titled 'The Woman Who Saw The Future' was published by Readomania in Nov 2017.
Amit has been working in a Software Firm for the last twelve years. His hobbies include reading (but of course), watching world cinema, traveling, digging into various cuisines, cooking, listening to music, painting, blogging, making his daughter laugh and helping his wife with her unnecessary and prolonged shopping.
You can stalk him @
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