May 2016 - SUNANDA CHATTERJEE

Published on: May 31, 2016

An un-put-downable Psychological Thriller

Until I Met Her by Natalie Barelli
Before Emma Fern meets Beatrice Hodgson-Greene, she is a sweet, happy, and easy going store owner in a reasonably happy marriage.

Enter Beatrice, a best-selling author of crime fiction, who comes to Emma with an offer: Beatrice needs someone to be ‘the author’ of her yet to be published novel, because it is of a different genre. Emma has unfulfilled literary ambitions, and finds the offer impossible to refuse.

As they begin their imbalanced and bumpy ‘friendship’, things take a turn for the worse, and you find yourself rooting for poor Emma, as she takes decision after self-destructive decision, in a journey of shocking discoveries and unexpected turns.

I enjoy a good psychological thriller, and Natalie Barelli’s Until I met Her didn’t fail to entertain. In fact, instead of going out for a jog, I found myself glued to the exercise bike at home, with the iPad in my hands, waiting for the next mind-boggling twist.

A fast paced, interesing read.

Published on: May 23, 2016

A Funny, Quirky and Heartwarming Love Story

Clean Break by Abby Vegas
A Clean Break is, at its heart, a romance with elements of suspense. It is the story of a down-on-her-luck, used-to-be-rich girl Lane, who is trying to get a clean break and start over. She may have lost everything, but her greatest asset is her personality.

When she loses her deposit for an apartment in New York and must live in the basement of a suspicious Russian-mafia-type organization, she has no choice but to accept her fate. But Lane is such a spunky, strong, impulsive, loving young woman with a quirky sense of humor, that I fell in love with her character from the first page.

Viktor is everything Lane should avoid: devastatingly handsome, with a quaint accent and startling blue eyes, numerous tattoos, and a past he prefers to hide. But he keeps showing up when she needs him. He seems like a really good guy at heart. Hurting, just like her. But he also seems linked to the Russian mafia, and her only friend warns her not to get too close to him. But their attraction is irresistible.

What I like most about the book is Ms Vegas’s ‘voice’. For a debut novel, Ms Vegas has such a great voice, that it almost seems she’s talking from experience, about herself. In addition, her descriptions of places and people are vivid and enriching. The character arc is well built for all the characters, including Lane’s boss, eventually leading to a satisfying end.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was rooting for Lane all the way!
Kudos!

Published on: May 17, 2016

Evocative saga of love, lies, and heartbreak

A Mother's Secret by Renita D'Silva
5/5
A Mother’s Secret is a sweeping saga that weaves the lives of three women seamlessly, drawing the reader into the story with breathtaking imagery. As we delve deeper into the secrets, deceit, and heartbreak, D’Silva reveals the story bit by tantalizing bit, and unfolds a tapestry of richly textured characters with flaws and strengths, and we find ourselves cheering for each in turn until the satisfying end.

The three main characters are Jaya, who is mourning the loss of her baby and her mother, Durga, who blames herself for her parents' accident, and Kali, who loses the love of her childhood sweetheart because of family drama.

But my favorite was Kali, whose deception has a childlike innocence, whose pride is fragile, and whose love for life is triumphant.
Another evocative book by Renita D’Silva. A must read!
Buy on Amazon

Published on: May 13, 2016

Author of the Month: Pamela Kelley

What do you like to write about?

I read widely, across several genres and tend to write similarly, depending on what catches my interest. Small town romance, women's fiction, historical westerns and mystery suspense primarily.

Tell us about your latest release. What was your inspiration for this book?

My latest release is a Kindle Worlds book, The Wedding Photo, which is part of a launch for Bella Andre's sweet romance series, Four Weddings and a Fiasco, which she writes as Lucy Kevin. In my book, Jenna is a photographer who often shoots weddings and has a gift for seeing how true their love is by looking at the pictures she takes. She is taken aback when she reviews the pictures for her most recent wedding which is for her best friend, Charlie's cousin. When she sees Charlie's individual photo, it seems like he's staring directly at her and she sees something in his eyes that she's never noticed before--intense interest. But does she want to risk their friendship on a romance that might not last? It's a friends to lovers romance, which is always one of my favorite story lines, and I'd been wanting to write one for a while.

What is your writing process? Tell us one unique or quirky habit you have when it comes to writing.

I don't recommend my writing process. But for the last few books it's gone like this. Spend a few weeks thinking about the story and putting off the writing. Then sitting down and writing the first half of the book slowly, as I figure out what the story is. Then, write the second half in a few very long days. I keep saying it would be so much easier if I just wrote a little each day, but it just doesn't seem to work that way often for me.

Can you tell us something about your ‘work in progress’?

The book that I am working on now is a bit different. It's more of a saga that spans a number of years. I think of it as my soapy saga. It's set in the world of country music and is called Nashville Dreams. It's about a young couple that are planning to marry and have their lives mapped out when something awful happens that sends things spinning in an entirely different direction and changes the course of their lives and dreams. The short synopsis I've been using is "True love torn apart by amnesia and an evil billionaire with political ambitions."

What is the single greatest challenge for indie authors today? What is your advice to aspiring writers?

The biggest challenge is standing out among the tidal wave of books that are being released. The very best advice I can give it to focus on the book and make it as good as it possibly can be. That is how you will stand out. People are always looking for a really great book.

What is your most important message to your readers?

Thank you for reading, and for making this author's dreams come true. :)
_
Connect with Pamela Kelley at http://www.pamelakelley.com/ or Twitter
Latest Release: The Wedding Photo

Published on: May 9, 2016

The Girl with the Limp by Sunanda Chatterjee

This short story was published in www.induswomanwriting.com...

Leaving the office with my briefcase and portfolio, I got into my old Nissan and drove toward the estates in Pasadena. The appointment was at 9:30 AM.
I drove through the hills beyond Rose Bowl, overlooking the country club, where all the ‘old money’ lived. My boss Mr. Chen, the owner of Yin & Yang Designs had told me our new clients were Indian, and preferred an Indian designer for decorating their new home. The lady spoke no English.
“Better not mess this one up,” Mr. Chen had said.
I wish he had told me about the meeting yesterday so I could have dressed in an Indian outfit to better impress the client. I looked at my beige blouse and black skirt in dismay. I’d neglected to wear pantyhose for it was forecasted to be a hot day, and hoped the clients wouldn’t be too traditional.
Mr. Chen had hired me just for providing service to the occasional Indian client in a Chinese-American dominated neighborhood of San Gabriel Valley, but I had the least experience on field. I’d worked on the projects with other designers, but was yet to get a client on my own.
My career depended on this meeting…
Parking my car a block from the estate, I picked up my portfolio filled with designs and ideas for ‘Ethnically Oriented Interior Decorations’ that Yin & Yang boasted, and walked up the winding driveway.
An English butler opened the door and told me to wait in the morning room. The ‘mistress’ was a little late.
I looked at the beautiful home, bereft of professional decorating, but elegant nonetheless. The family room and formal living rooms still had a few unopened cardboard boxes. A spiral staircase led to an upper level, and from the room I was to wait in, I could see the hallway, in which stood an impressive oak table cluttered with old photographs, with an empty box beside it.
Unable to resist, I walked to the table and started looking at the black-and-white pictures, my professional mind already dreaming up beautiful oxidized silver frames which would show off their pristine beauty.
My eyes went to framed newspaper clipping dated seven years ago, about a rags-to-riches story of an entrepreneur who had made it big with his Indian pre-cooked frozen foods. The frozen food packets, initially launched for paying-guests and hostel-dwellers in Mumbai were now being exported to the United States.
I was familiar with the name “H & S Foods, Enjoy Home Cooked Meals Without Cooking at Home,” having sustained myself on those for nearly a year. H & S stood for Heat and Serve, the article informed me.
I placed the newspaper clipping back on the table.
Then I saw an old and yellowing photo of a family I knew a long time ago. Surely it wasn’t them? Yes, the old man, the frail woman, and the two girls.
The older girl with the plain face, and the little one with the limp.

To read the rest, click below:

http://www.induswomanwriting.com/the-girl-with-the-limp.html

Published on: May 2, 2016

Language that creates atmosphere

When describing a scene, it is important for the author to show what the character sees and feels. You can use all senses: sight, smell, touch, sounds, and taste. The shortest sentence can give a ‘vibe’ of a place, and create a sense of doom, hope, or sorrow.

Examples:

Storm clouds loomed in the horizon, as Nancy trudged uphill to the stone castle, pulling her coat tighter with trembling hands. The iron gates creaked open. She ran down the mossy cobblestone pathway to the double doors. Two stories above, a curtain swished in the breeze. Had someone seen her?
A mockingbird trilled outside, and the fragrance of orange blossoms wafted in from the window. Dust motes danced in the sunbeam from the dawn of a new day. Nancy hummed as she opened the window to a crimson sunrise over the misty pines.
Moonlight filtered in from the window blinds. John stared at the empty pillow beside him and imagined her profile in the bunched up blanket. He touched the cool pillowcase, yearning for her warmth one more time as crickets chirruped outside. She was in a better place. Life would go on. He just had to find a way.

What do the above scenes portray?