tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64187086504432260852024-03-05T14:34:24.898+05:30A Chronicle Of DreamsThe Journey To Reclaim The Lost ME...Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.comBlogger327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-15068172896624686502014-11-07T02:38:00.002+05:302014-11-07T03:13:16.861+05:30Is Revenge the Best Solution? - Review of God is A Gamer by Ravi Subramanian<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/en" style="clear: right; color: #7d0f0f; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="God is a Gamer (English): Book" data-error-url="http://img1a.flixcart.com/img/thumb/book.jpg" src="http://img6a.flixcart.com/image/book/3/9/9/god-is-a-gamer-200x200-imady8bmzrktd4xw.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: none; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">God is A Gamer - </b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="background-color: none; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"> <a _blank="" href="http://www.authorravis.com/" style="color: #cc0000;">Ravi Subramanian</a></b><span style="background-color: none;"><b style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;"> </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: none;"><b style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;">Publishers - <a href="http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/en" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;">Penguin Books India </a></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: none;"><b style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;"></b><br style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;" /><b style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;">Genre - </b><b style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;">Contemporary - Thriller</b></span><span style="background-color: none;"><br style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;" /><b style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;">Paperbook - 210 Pages</b><br style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;" /><b style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.79px;">Price: </b><b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Rs 299</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: none;"><b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Available at Leading Indian Stores and Amazon </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: none;"><b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></b></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Blurb</b></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">What happens when you cross gamer, banker, politician and terrorist with virtual money? <i>God Is a Gamer</i> is a world where money means nothing, martyrs are villains, predators
are prey, assassination is taught by the ancient Greeks, and nothing is
as it seems. </span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo"> Ravi Subramanian is considered the Indian John Grisham of financial/banking thrillers and there is no question about his insider knowledge of the banking system and the industry at large.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">In fact, I bought one of his bestsellers "Bankrupt" for my dad (a banker himself). Unfortunately, he fell sick and never got a chance to read it. It stills lies on my book shelf, unread. Given my audit and finance background and my interest in technology, it's only natural I grabbed at the chance to review his latest thriller offering. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo"><b>Review -</b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">The book didn't disappoint when it came to the goings-on in the banking sector - the card processing and scamming aspect of the business, to be specific. The addition of the bitcoin trail was a welcome move. </span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">The book starts off with a worried head honcho (or should that be two worried head honchos) of one of the biggest card payment processing companyies in the world - MasterCard (no prizes for guessing right) planning a meeting with his business rival. Senator Gillan Tan, who has the President's ears, steps in and diffuses the sizeable threat to profitability of the comapnies but traps the two men in a reciprocrity bond. We are given a glimpse, not only into the discreet lobbying in Washington, but also a peek into the Senator's daily routine. As you wonder where this is headed, trouble erupts, rather explodes, claiming th elives of Senator and his entourage. This is rapidly followed by an ATM heist in NewYork that have the bankers in a twist and pulls the FBI into action. The case picks up new scents including a bitcoin based dark web network, scams in multinational banks, hacking within/through gaming companies before dropping us into a world of deceit - a dark place where family members, colleagues and friends wear masks disguisng their true character and intentions.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">The actions is spread over many locations and moves from the power corridors of Washington to the banking zones of Mumbai, the drug addled beaches of Goa, the Finance Ministry in Delhi; and to a lesser extent New York City, Stanford, and Ukraine. It reveals the banks' recurrent battle with phishing, sponsored heists, hacks, internal scams and ego-driven bickering within in the upper echelons of these financial giants.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">Despite the brutal killing of a US Senator Tan, the murder of an Indian CEO of an MNC bank Malvika Sehgal, the hit-and-run death of her immediate but defiant subordinate Swamy, the story is essentially about greed, deceit, acts of betrayal and revenge.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">When Aditya, ex-boss at NHIB - the MNC bank and now owner of two successful companies, </span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">welcomes estranged son, Varun back into his life, </span></span>he never quite imagined the nature of events that followed. Neither did his ex-colleague and current CEO, Malavika forsee her downfall. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">Varun hits off with Malvika daughter Tanya while in Mumbai; their acquaintance established on a previous visit to Rio, Brazil. The lives of Malvika, Swamy, Mike, Josh, Nikki and the rest of the characters are inadvertently tied to each other through their actions.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">But both Varun and Tanya
have secrets hidden from each other and the rest of world, secrets that
have deadly consequences for everyone involved. They have seperate
agendas and yet share a strange link with Senator Tan.</span></span> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">The book is pacey enough and has a lot of short and single page chapters. The author has done his research when it comes to the banking and gaming scenarios. There are no black and white charcters here, except for Sundeep, as the rest are realistically presented in varying shades of grey. There is a bit of technical stuff that may distract a reader unfamiliar with either systems but is necessary enough for the plot.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">Things that bugged me include: a step-motherly treatment to bitcoins, info dump on gaming, more of "tell versus show" style of writing, clipped dialogues, too many sub plots, and a blotchy, narrative ending. Not a single character was worthy of readers empathy or cheering, except perhaps for Swamy and Aditya. Varun and Tanya's choices (revealed at the end) left me cold and with ambivalent feelings for both of them.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="elementtwo">In short, it's a good one-time read and gets a 3 star rating from me. (Goodreads version - I like the book) Will I recommend it to others? - Only to friends who prefer Indian authors and family menbers in the banking sector.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="elementtwo"><b>Disclaimer:</b> I received a review copy of this book as part of the
Book Reviews Program of blogadda.com. </span></span></div>
<br /></div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-55876073692943498062014-08-16T14:32:00.000+05:302014-08-18T14:35:40.046+05:30 The Dohmestics Book Trailer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Mohana Rajkumar is a prolific writer ( no exaggeration) based in Doha, Qatar. Her books, including the ones I've reviewed on this blog, usually focus on Arab and Asian characters within a Middle Eastern setting.<br />
<br />
Her books give you more than a glimpse into the lives of the natives in oil-rich Qatar and South Asian diaspora elsewhere. I am hoping this book is on similar lines but brings something extra to the table.<br />
<br />
As part of her blog tour entourage, I offer this trailer of the recently released book -<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Dohmestics</span></span></blockquote>
<img alt="Displaying DohmesticsNew.jpg" class="aLF-aPX-J1-J3" height="200" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=2c2dfc4b0a&view=fimg&th=1470ac6b5a199d74&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_hxa2werx1&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_mneZHywYeVJzr2ZWRTqDb1KwlAufWgvYBSGFQFJ1Ajk1RKYCgn7ZhhLMUu_t1Ak7PdaVqV4yVK1SIm1YaRZoXSwmy6YXebY-BJhwvmY6TZ3eK_-XDiJY5tKQ&ats=1408351380311&rm=1470ac6b5a199d74&zw&sz=w1332-h521" width="125" /><br />
<br />
The Dohmestics explores the ups and downs of six women thrown together
by fate in the quintessential Middle Eastern compound; a neighborhood
enclosed by a boundary wall with a security gate. Emma, Nouf, Rosa, and
Maya are part of the sophomoric fish bowl no one can escape, where
rumors can ruin marriages or jobs.<br />
<br />
Available in paperback<span style="background-color: none;"> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Dohmestics-Mohanalakshmi-Rajakumar-ebook/dp/B00AREGO36" target="_blank">eBook</a>. at Amazon<br />
</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bol7HNfvxyc" width="560"></iframe></div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-26440751822273057832014-06-11T02:34:00.000+05:302014-06-12T02:39:23.896+05:30Ramayana - The Game of Life: Rise of the Sun Prince - a Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHxwW1sKABDh0xWoxpREkfSV6NmUl8ZB_ah_ilM2vXBxOU_5dEFL25A6QGgSd1JLWqIBfthLtJmesiSgcOpdVh8OHDzCZqt6265W1v26l-XvUZfihAFHlr_ayd1eLqn95qA7nRmfHC7s/s1600/ramayana-the-game-of-life-400x400-imadqqfhg2tbgzua.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHxwW1sKABDh0xWoxpREkfSV6NmUl8ZB_ah_ilM2vXBxOU_5dEFL25A6QGgSd1JLWqIBfthLtJmesiSgcOpdVh8OHDzCZqt6265W1v26l-XvUZfihAFHlr_ayd1eLqn95qA7nRmfHC7s/s200/ramayana-the-game-of-life-400x400-imadqqfhg2tbgzua.jpeg" height="200" width="129" /></a><b style="background-color: none; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: none; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b style="background-color: none; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></b></b></div>
<b style="background-color: none; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Ramayana - The Game of Life : Rise of the Sun Prince (Book 1)</b><b style="background-color: none; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"> - Shubha Vilas<span style="color: #660000;"> </span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: none;"><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Publishers - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CivilVisionInternational?ref=ts&fref=ts" style="color: #7d0f0f; text-decoration: none;">J</a>aico Publishing</b><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;"></span><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Genre - </b><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Contemporary - Mythology</b></span><span style="background-color: none;"><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Paperbook - 217 Pages</b><br style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Price: </b><b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Rs 250</b></span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">
<span style="background-color: none;"><b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Available as eBook at Amazon Kindle Store</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">A common childhood memory for older generations
is the faithful retelling of the Ramayana by the elders in the family and the
gradual progression to reading numerous adaptations of the epic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">The current generation is probably more
familiar with the basic story and concepts in comic form. While the
mythological tale has been revisited countless times, every new rendition –
fiction or philosophical lends a unique</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> flavour</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;"> of its own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">One such modern rendition combined with
traditional theological elements is the first one in the book series - <i>Ramayana - The Game of Life: Rise of the Sun
Prince</i> by <b>Shubha Vilas<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">The book starts as every Ramayana narration
begins; with the Bala Kandha or the childhood exploits of Prince Ram and his
brothers. The book draws largely from the Valmiki's masterpiece but artfully
weaves in the poetic analogies found in the southern version by Tamil poet
Kamban and folk tales.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">The book begins with sage Valmiki and rightly
so. The original narrator is analysed in detail. This detailing of characters,
their actions and situations that they face is something that is retained
throughout the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sage</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">
Vishwamitra</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">, a unique personality in his own way, is
accorded ample acknowledgement as both spiritual guide and mentor of the
celestial Prince.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">The lessons of childhood shape our future
actions and the sage plays an important in moulding the character of the princes
and helping them earn their rightful place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">Readers familiar with the tale are well aware
of the father, king Dashratha - his hopes, foibles and agony. The same has been
well captured in this narrative, as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">The famous ceremonial fire and battlefield
scene has been captured in all its serenity and pathos. As the reader watches
the young Rama and his siblings grow up under the sage's tutelage, he/she is
swept along by the immersive storyline. Every character gets a place under the
sun including minor ones. The parts involving Ahalya and Sita move you and make
you question the customs and traditions that dictate their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Ramayana is a serious but engrossing tale
and the author provides a version that mirrors the original while retaining a
unique voice. The book cover is attractive and draws you in. The author has adopted
a simple but effective writing style. He handles the complexity of various
situations with the ease of a skilled narrator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">The detailed explanation in the form of
footnotes is a welcome addition. You learn and unlearn as you read some of the
explanations.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">As a neutral agnostic with a fairly religious
upbringing, I liked the explanatory parts more than the preaching aspects. Seen
from a dispassionate point of view, the book manages to motivate on a humane
level through the "laws or key lessons" and provides a path of life
that can be assimilated without adding colours of faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">If you are seeking a mythological fiction
series such as Ajaya: Roll of the Dice by Anand Neelakantan, you will be sorely
mistaken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt;">The author Swami Shubha Vilas is a motivational
speaker and spiritual seeker. His book reflects this; it is a modern rendition
of the timeless epic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: none; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I give this engrossing and
intellectually stimulating book, a four star rating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><o:p style="color: #333333; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; text-align: justify;"> </o:p><span style="color: #333333; text-align: justify;">This review is a part of the biggest </span><a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" style="text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Book Review Program</span></a><a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" style="color: #015782; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> </a><span style="color: #333333; text-align: justify;">for </span><a href="http://www.blogadda.com/" style="text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I</span><span style="color: #38761d;">ndian Bloggers.</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></span></span></div>
</div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-6610054186814385832014-04-09T22:00:00.000+05:302014-04-11T00:19:45.101+05:30Short Messages to Dad -<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My A_Z journey ends here. I have been down with a heat related stomach infection for a couple of days. Having missed three posts in a row, it's only fair I quit. I will continue to post a-z tidbits when I get better.</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A big thank you to Alex, Michelle and others who visited and tried to make me feel better.</span></div>
</div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-67031779669307660682014-04-07T23:00:00.000+05:302014-04-10T01:07:25.323+05:30Short Messages to Dad - Letter F<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Letter F - Future</span></h2>
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<img alt="Conversation to Past & Future" src="http://inspirationboost.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Past-and-Future-Quotes.jpg" height="239" width="320" /><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #444444;">Image courtesy -</span><a href="about:invalid#zClosurez"><span style="color: black;">InspirationBoost/quotes</span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Life goes on... Nothing's changed, snail paced at times and missing an important element - you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Someone said,"You don't die with the dead". True enough. You can - you just don't. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mom is coping badly...Work keeps my grief at bay but for someone who made you the focus of her life, time has slowed down. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rifled through your clothes - found the birthday ones with shopping tags intact - planning to give them away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All I need is a future plan to bring a smile on mom's face - one not dependent on your grand kids. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Any ideas, dad? I am desperate. </span></div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-4862943202843274052014-04-06T01:14:00.005+05:302014-04-06T02:10:11.293+05:30Short Messages to Dad - Letter E<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Letter E - Ethics</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="bqQuoteLink" style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/potterstew390058.html" style="text-decoration: none;" title="view quote"><span style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;">Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do</span><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;"> and</span> <span style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;">what is right to do</span></a> - </span></span><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/potter_stewart.html" style="text-decoration: none;" title="view author"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Potter Stewart</span></a></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You could have been a rich man with luxurious apartments and fancy cars. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You were surrounded by ones who build personal</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> fortunes through devious means and never got caught. </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You worked in the banking industry - </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">loans</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and advances - </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and held a position</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> that offered such opportunities. Y</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ou never took those bribes and commissions for breaking rules - never gave it a second thought.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Money was important but not enough to discard professional ethics. You watched bosses, colleagues and juniors take hefty cuts from businessmen. Those bundles of money never swayed you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was your greatest asset that you passed on to me and bro. You considered us your assets - your wealth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My greatest joy - </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">honest, hardworking parents who scrimped and sacrificed to give us the best they could</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. My greatest regret - my inability </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">to fulfill those professional</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> dreams you had, for me. Where I failed, your son made you proud. He truly deserved to hold your remains - your ashes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I try to follow your footsteps. You know I don't write false web copy or blog reviews for harmful products, and have never written fake book reviews for monetary compensation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Were you proud of me, dad? </span></div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-70469500572894805332014-04-04T21:30:00.002+05:302014-04-10T01:07:08.835+05:30Short Messages to Dad - Letter C and D<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">* The auto posting failed and I failed to notice. I have edited it to add letters C and D in today's post. *</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Letter C - Crab</b></span></h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span class="bqQuoteLink" style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mindykalin456438.html" style="text-decoration: none;" title="view quote"><span style="color: #274e13;">Anyone who's lost someone to the crab will say this, that you have to struggle to try to remember the person before the diagnosis happened, because they really do change - as anyone would change</span></a> - </span></span><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mindy_kaling.html" style="text-decoration: none;" title="view author"><span style="color: #274e13;">Mindy Kaling</span></a></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've met my share of crabs in my short life. Most of these have been the homo-sapien kind, although I encountered a couple of eight-legged ones on the beach. </span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some become close friends - one of them, 20 years older than me, still is - you know who I am talking about, don't you dad? You liked her too, as did any everyone who met Aunt. </span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Other crabs were nice, shy, weird or rude. They were friendly and reserved; moody and talkative - much like me. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And then - there were three - possessing all the negative traits of this sun sign and more - they made my life miserable, and yours by extension.</span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I believed all crabs were made equal. I was so wrong.</span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The worst of the lot was the invisible one - the villain who attacks innocents by pretending to make perfect cellular copies of them. It doesn't discriminate - age, colour, religion, sex, race, language, education, wealth, and country - doesn't matter.</span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This black monster chose you as his next victim - started off as benign and curable - weakened you - an everyday viral infection killed you. No symptoms except constant back pain - brushed off as old age and worn out bones - <b>could we have saved you?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Letter D - D Day</span></h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote>
<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was - </span></span><span style="background-color: none; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px; none: #783f04;">Anne Sexton</span><span style="background-color: none; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">, </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">American poet</i> </span></b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today is the fourth day of the four month of this year. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's been a month since I last heard your voice. Come to think of it, I haven't heard your voice for longer than that, ever since they shifted you to the C.C.U. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Four was my lucky number - my birth number, but now, I will forever associate it with the day you moved on to another realm - we will argue about these realms some other day.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You made promises - you broke them. I made promises - I broke them. You died early in the morning, in your sleep - in a coma. </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A gentleman</span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> till the end</span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> - making sure your children didn't have to run around getting things arranged. You gave loved ones enough time to make it to the funeral site. I called up two banker friends from Mumbai, who kept in touch with you, post retirement. </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Other cried over the phone but</span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I had to hold back my tears</span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, for later.</span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Every one whose company you enjoyed turned up - some by the first available flight and some by road. It was a small group of 30 odd relatives that gathered around us, giving us strength and comfort. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-78210506075184245242014-04-02T23:43:00.000+05:302014-04-03T02:20:57.983+05:30Short Messages to Dad - Letter B<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">B - Beaches</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="bqQuoteLink" style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/annemorrow132769.html" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="view quote">The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea.</a></span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/anne_morrow_lindbergh.html" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="view author">Anne Morrow Lindbergh</a></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #003399;"><br style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /></span>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #003399; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You loved beaches. It was befitting your ashes
were scattered at Elliot's Beach, a favorite spot in Chennai.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #003399; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hindu women aren't supposed to, but the
priest (to my surprise) allowed me to accompany your son and nephews on this
last leg of your earthly journey. I wasn't allowed to touch that small brass
urn containing your ashes. Another feminist rant from me, but you've heard
these and more for over 30 years, haven't you? </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #003399; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I stood on the short wall surrounding
the beach. Teary-eyed, I watched t</span><span style="color: #003399; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">hree lonely figures wade into the water and release
you from mortal confines.</span></span></div>
</div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-34820541500176538672014-04-02T02:02:00.002+05:302014-04-02T02:09:07.342+05:30Short Messages to Dad - Letter A <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: none; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.479999542236328px; text-align: justify;">My first post for the </span><a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/" style="line-height: 18.479999542236328px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;">Blogging from A to Z April Challenge</a><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">2014. Almost a month ago, I had decided against participating and I had emailed Michelle (one of the co-hosts and bloggette friend) about it. This, after informing her about an event that rocked my life.</span></span></span></h2>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">My dad, aged 70, passed away 29 days ago. These short messages -100 words (drabble) or 200 words (droubble) are a mix of past, present and future happenings, memories, and thoughts.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">I apologise if some of these letters end up on a sad note.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: none;"><span style="line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><b>A - Acceptance </b></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: none; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward</i> </span><strong style="background-color: none; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">- C.S. Lewis</strong> </span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">How do I accept you will never return home?
Your desperate attempts to breathe haunt me - 36 hours turned hope into
despair. How do I stop this recurring image - your bidding me good night and
walking slowly to your room, wearing those black and red flip-flops? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wake up everyday and expect to see you in
the living room – I imagine myself grabbing the newspaper while you're
distracted by the news on television.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">How do I assuage my guilt over those words repeated
every day of your hospital stay - false words I believed in – <b><i>back
home soon</i></b>?</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfWoEyF_3QskeR3Pra2PSrZgS-fOIPMMHw1eeeH6EUdfHIYKhwQOdGtlG-I2qgFeZ9Dy6TSvmCs-oXwAQ92XMRTVXG-ZIwMMjXCNnp6K9uR8fJ1fxoA1E_Fnz8VCQp9oBPt3ZNczFlzo/s1600/dad+frame+option1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfWoEyF_3QskeR3Pra2PSrZgS-fOIPMMHw1eeeH6EUdfHIYKhwQOdGtlG-I2qgFeZ9Dy6TSvmCs-oXwAQ92XMRTVXG-ZIwMMjXCNnp6K9uR8fJ1fxoA1E_Fnz8VCQp9oBPt3ZNczFlzo/s1600/dad+frame+option1.JPG" height="320" width="244" /></a></div>
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-82142410900950043822013-09-21T01:27:00.000+05:302013-09-22T14:45:59.381+05:30The Trilogy Draws To A Close - Alex and the Cassans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I debated on posting this earlier in the week, but as the third and final instalment of the Cassan Series draws to a close, it seemed fitting to mention the launch of the final instalment on the last day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Byron has had an incredible journey so far. From the self absorbed, "chip on the shoulder" kind of guy, he has become social enough to answer my question - with Alex Cavanaugh, his creator - acting as the messenger.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe, I took my childhood instructions of mastering the three R's seriously. It's equally probable that writing advice on the "power of three" has lodged into my neuron cells for my question has a unique set of three. Unique and strange to our world but relevant to the alien worlds on a far away galaxy - a zone, Voyager may find as it floats through worm holes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Telekinesis, telepathy or teleportation - which one would be Byron's least choice and why?</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, he’s never experienced telekinesis, so he wouldn’t know what he was missing. However, between the other two, it would depend on whether it was the younger or older Byron. Younger Byron would select teleportation over telepathy any day. Older Byron would be a different story. As much as he enjoys teleporting, he values the mental connection with his mate more.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I concur.The younger me may have very well enjoyed teleportation but the older me prefers mind conversations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lest I forget, we are gathered here, no, not to bless a couple in holy matrimony, but to celebrate the launch of the final book in the series - CassaStorm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do hope that Alex, a wonderful blogger and human being, will continue to write books. These may be in other genres, and he might even attempt his hand at songwriting or poetry. You never know what's written in the stars, until the right time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here the details of the book and a brief profile of the author.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 36pt;">CassaStorm</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">By Alex J Cavanaugh</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">From the Amazon Best Selling Series!</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">A storm gathers across the galaxy…</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…</span></div>
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<strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">“…the racial conflicts propelled much of the plot in this story, driving home a message that's relevant to our own world and giving the book an interesting texture.” </span></i></strong><b><i><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">- C. Lee. McKenzie, author of Alligators Overhead</span></strong></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i>“CassaStorM is a touching and mesmerizing space opera full of action and emotion with strong characters and a cosmic mystery.” </i></b><b><i>– Edi’s Book Lighhouse</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">$4.99 EBook available in all formats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Find CassaStorm:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Barnes and Noble - </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116848619?ean=9781939844002" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/<wbr></wbr>w/books/1116848619?ean=<wbr></wbr>9781939844002</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Amazon -</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-Alex-J-Cavanaugh/dp/1939844002/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378484337&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastorm" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">http://www.amazon.com/<wbr></wbr>CassaStorm-Alex-J-Cavanaugh/<wbr></wbr>dp/1939844002/ref=sr_1_1?s=<wbr></wbr>books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378484337&<wbr></wbr>sr=1-1&keywords=cassastorm</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Amazon Kindle - </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-ebook/dp/B00F2O9QMC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378811366&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastorm" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">http://www.amazon.com/<wbr></wbr>CassaStorm-ebook/dp/<wbr></wbr>B00F2O9QMC/ref=sr_1_1?s=<wbr></wbr>digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=<wbr></wbr>1378811366&sr=1-1&keywords=<wbr></wbr>cassastorm</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Goodreads - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17670532-cassastorm" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial;">http://www.goodreads.com/book/<wbr></wbr>show/17670532-cassastorm</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.</span></div>
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<span id=":2tr"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Comment on Alex’s blog today for a chance to win a Cassa mug, mousepad, magnet, and swag!</span></span></span></blockquote>
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-25202188786802822632013-06-17T00:25:00.002+05:302013-06-19T11:05:19.292+05:30Hearts For Sale - An American Soldier's Journey Through War Torn Aghanistan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday was a holiday for many reasons. Not just the last day of the weekend or Father's day, it is also the day when the first woman cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova went into space 50 years ago. <br />
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Seems like the perfect day of a brand new week to introduce someone who has flown thousands of miles away from home but on a planetary scale. A courageous young woman who has seen war up close and has effortlessly straddled the divide between East and West... as the gift of a Persian name bestowed on her, Farzana meaning wise and intelligent, bears testimony.<br />
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Felisa is the author of the hard hitting non fiction book <b style="font-style: italic;">Hearts For Sale. </b><br />
The book talks about the history of the region, the wars, the strategies and commitments of the American government and forces to preserve peace and humanity in a region ravaged by strife. To succeed unlike the precious Bamiyan Buddhas who lost the battle to ignorance and brute force.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSZ9kR-1DQyYwKlTDaDn2xb_tW3aUfQVJB4-0qQdKLKX_gYjQw8EMsex4JEiDFpaTYxNMqlcdZ6-4AdPOyIEGSLvnddXl2fy1QLqe2SwH9jiPUWRXnUulWKHg083L9TtLxLfeiwbL5YY/s1600/51cVNEBPezL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-48,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSZ9kR-1DQyYwKlTDaDn2xb_tW3aUfQVJB4-0qQdKLKX_gYjQw8EMsex4JEiDFpaTYxNMqlcdZ6-4AdPOyIEGSLvnddXl2fy1QLqe2SwH9jiPUWRXnUulWKHg083L9TtLxLfeiwbL5YY/s200/51cVNEBPezL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-48,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Hearts For Sale - <span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044216.Farzana_Marie">Farzana Marie</a></span></b><br />
<b>Publishers - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CivilVisionInternational?ref=ts&fref=ts">Civil Vision International</a></b><span style="background-color: none; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;"></span><br />
<b>Genre - </b><b>Contemporary - Non fiction - War Report</b><br />
<b>Ebook - 155 Pages</b><br />
<b>Price: </b><b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Price $ 6.52</b><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Available at Amazon Kindle Store</b><br />
<b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">All proceeds are donated to charities that support freedom, stability, and peace in conflict zones.</b><br />
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Before we read my thoughts on the book, let us hear what Farzana has to say.<br />
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1. As someone who has served as a US military personnel and seen the ground realities, do you really believe peace and stability will find a permanent home in Afghanistan?</h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">There is an Afghan proverb that says, "Where the water has flowed, it will flow again." There is nothing historically or culturally deterministic dictating that Afghanistan must be at war. In fact, the vast majority of regular Afghan people yearn for peace, and many I know personally are working very hard toward that end. Many Afghans remember peaceful times in their own lifetimes. So yes, I really do believe that peace and stability are possible in Afghanistan. My book talks about some of the obstacles to that peace that have not yet been properly addressed, especially the support and safe havens in Pakistan for the extremism (Taliban and other groups) flowing into Afghanistan. It will be difficult for peace and stability to come unless those sources of conflict are addressed.</span></span></div>
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2. There are reports that question the safety of Afghans who have actively helped the US army. They paint a rather bleak and insecure future for those unable to emigrate, once the complete withdrawal of troops occurs. What's your personal take on this?</h3>
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Yes, it is true that those who have served directly with international forces are often at higher risk to be targetted or threatened by extremists. While there is no projected complete withdrawal of troops (that is a bit of a myth), the drawdown of combat troops means the Afghan National Security Forces must increasigly step up to protect Afghanistan's citizens. There are many <a href="http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afghan-security-forces-hailed-kabul-attack-085723343.html#XF1T2UE" target="_blank">recent reports</a> showing that they are in fact doing this day by day. Nevertheless, I think there is absolutely a moral responsibility for the U.S. and other nations to take special care for the safety of those who have helped them and served alongside them in this conflict. They should ensure policies and programs are in place to make effort to ensure the safety of these courageous partners.</div>
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3. Your book states that except for efforts from certain quarters, the U.S has largely failed to involve the people of Afghanistan and missed an opportunity. Is it too late for collaboration and cooperation? </h3>
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It is absolutely not too late! In fact, a central recommendation, perhaps I should even use the word <i>plea, </i>of my book is that we should not give up and should concentrate on efforts to listen to, connect, and partners with the Afghan people, especially in this critical stage of transition. You see, the major downfall of the policy of withdrawing combat troops in 2014 has not been the fact of their withdrawal but U.S. failure to communicate effectively about it. There is fear and uncertainty everywhere about this looming year, 2014, with both security transition and political transition coinciding with the presidential election. Fear is compounded by historical memory: many feel that it is a re-play of U.S. abandonment in the early 1990s, when the U.S. who had supported and helped to arm jihadi groups against the Soviets disappeared from the scene and the nation devolved into civil war. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">W</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">hile many analysts assess that nothing especially dramatic will actually happen in 2014, the fear and uncertainty is driving many unhealthy trends. I spoke with a book vendor in Kabul not long ago and asked him how business was going. He said, oh, not so good..."2014, you know." It is affecting business, it is affecting people's willingness to invest, to buy, to stay. Many have family members and friends who are already leaving the country if they can. Even though some number of international troops will remain in Afghanistan post-2014 for training and advisory functions, and the United States has signed an </span><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/2012.06.01u.s.-afghanistanspasignedtext.pdf" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement</a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">set to last until 2024, the message of commitment and continued partnership has largely not reached the Afghan people. The uncertainty, fear and mistrust among the Afghan people regarding the future is an enormous psychological win for the enemies of a stable and peaceful Afghanistan. Therefore, the most vital step the U.S. and international community can take to is to communicate unequivocal commitment and re-focus on partnering with Afghans in practical, deeply needed (and usually small-scale) ways that effect the communities where most Afghans live. I talk more about how to do this in the book.</span></span><br />
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4. You have mentioned ten strategic propositions to winning hearts in your book. How many of these have been practiced by those in and outside Afghanistan? Will it likely remain an idealistic, unfulfilled vision?</h3>
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I have personally witnessed the impact that the ideas and strategies captured in the "10 Strategic Propositions" can have. In other words, they have been implemented on a small scale, usually by individuals or teams who personally take responsibility for understanding the situation and developing these strategies, with little to no formal/organizational support and unfortunately often even resistance. The problem is that we need these strategies to be implemented broadly, we need policy to support them, and we need to stop relying on troop and dollar numbers and start relying on genuine human connections, measuring our effectiveness in relationships and trust. That might sound "squishy" at first, but my team saw the power of it first hand. The irony is that many of the ideas I advocate in "Hearts for Sale" already exist in counterinsurgency doctrine (see Appendix B)! Yet both US military and diplomatic efforts have failed to adjust their conventional systems and approaches (including recruitment, training, and utilization of personnel) to realize the powerful potential that is there for genuine partnership toward interests shared by both nations.<br />
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5. How easy or difficult was it to compile this book and relive the experiences? </h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">This is a fairly short book but it was important for me to write. There are many more experiences and stories that are not included of course, but I sought to choose those that would most vividuly depict the ideas I was trying to capture. I started writing this as an "after-action report" to capture lessons learned, in the months after I got back from my deployment in April 2012. I had a lot of leave (time off) because I had been gone so long and my commander at the time encouraged me to capture some of my experiences and lessons in writing. These were clearly, as you can see from the book, not only my own experiences but those of my team, especially the "Afghan Hands" I worked with under General McMaster in the anti-corruption task force. There was always a sense of the value and uniqueness of what that small team had lived and learned, especially from our colleagues in Afghan civil society, but at some point we realized that these insights, both strategic and practical, really needed to be shared more broadly. I see this book as belonging not just to me but to my team, including the many Afghan mentors who have shaped it. I have had many many positive experiences in Afghanistan along with the difficult ones, and I think reliving and sharing both has been important for me. I just hope that what I have written can be useful to others: to deploying troops, to leaders, to policy-makers, even to families and friends of those who have been killed or wounded in this conflict, whose sacrifice is incalculable. I believe the ideas in this book could change the course of our involvement in Afghanistan for the better, whether on a broad policy basis or one soldier at a time.</span><br />
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6. It is mentioned that you love to read and write poetry. Are you aware of Mirman Baheer, the women's group that secretly helps Afghan girls write and record poetry. Have you encountered such women in your travels?</h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">Yes! I just spent most of the week with such women in the city of Herat, in Western Afghanistan. There, men and women meet together once a week at Herat's Literary Society, the oldest in the country (established in 1930) to read and discuss their poems. The women I met are writing powerful poems on human themes of love, longing, loss, oppression, freedom, and a variety of social issues. Many of them have published books of poetry available in the local bookstores. Such literary societies and gatherings also exist in Kabul and elsewhere in the country, but Herat has been a special place to start getting to know the contemporary poetry scene because it is a city with a very long tradition of art and poetry. I hope to spend much more time learning about this since contemporary Afghan women's poetry is my PhD dissertation topic.</span><br />
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7. Tell us about your work in the orphanages and your organisation Civil Vision International.</h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I worked in the public orphanages in Kabul in 2003 and 2004 with two other young American volunteers. We taught English, exercise, and did a variety of management tasks. I lived with an Afghan family and also worked with Afghan kids and adults daily, so I was really blessed to have an immersion experience that helped a great deal with learning language and culture.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Civil Vision International is a nonprofit established in 2012 with an emphasis on building citizen connections and initiatives for mutual understanding, cooperation, and action in conflict regions. Right now, CVI is solely focused on Afghanistan, on <a href="http://afghanistanvisionnetwork.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">building a network</a> of hopeful and visionary people who share a positive and determined outlook on the future there. Instead of taking on monetary-intensive projects ourselves, we like to honor and highlight the inspiring work that is already happening, but that many people especially in the US do not know about or have access to. We use a broad array of social networking to do this, as well as facilitating direct dialogues between citizens of both nations, such as the recent <a href="http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2013/04/students-build-bridges-between-afghanistan-u-s-in-facilitated-dialogue" target="_blank">student dialogues</a> between the University of Arizona and University students in Kabul. You can watch my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkqJ9OsgEPywdQHXKY1UXXA" target="_blank">TEDx Tucson</a> video or check out our<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CivilVisionInternational?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page for more examples!</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://farzanamarie.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Farzana Marie</a> | Program Consultant, <a href="http://www.watchafghanistan.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Afghanistan Watch</a> | PhD Student, University of Arizona | President, <u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CivilVisionInternational?ref=ts&fref=ts" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Civil Vision International</a></u> | Twitter @farzanamarie</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My short review of the book. A slightly longer one will appear on Amazon and Goodreads and other sites where I can post reviews.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Hearts For Sale</b> is a practical book on the conflict but written with not just the insights of an Air Force veteran in Afghanistan but with passion for the country and affection for the people living there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The book starts with a brief account into the </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">tumultuous</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> history of the region and progresses at a brisk pace bringing us strategical inputs interspersed with personal experiences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What I liked about he book was the frankness and the direct approach adopted by Farzana when she talks about the military operations and governmental policies. She doesn't hesitate to call a spade a spade. She reiterates that the involvement of the Afghani people, especially the youth, is the best way to ensure that peace and stability is achieved and maintained.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The book is a reminder that beyond victory by arms, true victory lies in gaining the confidence of people who are direct and indirect victims of the decades long conflict. The personal experiences as she and her team embarks on an often risky journey to learn about the culture, the language, and to interact with the people on the ground level can't but move you. A particularly poignant moment from me was the conversation with the young widow Rayana.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She weaves in creative lessons of governance to identify and emphasise the need for and the lack of effective approaches and mindsets in dealing with the common man and woman in Afghanistan, by the soldier and government officials alike.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Farzana scores more brownie points in my book with her advocacy of the <i>10 strategic propositions</i> with for now is implemented on a smaller scale by individuals or teams. When implemented on a larger level, it could bring the change that has eluded America and her allies in the Afghan war or the war against terror in any other part of the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This book is a must for everyone including military personnel. It is an eye opener for those who are far removed from war zones and are more influenced by media coverage. Books like the one authored by Farzana can be useful in reducing the escalation of conflicts if not outright prevention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The Afghani Proverb <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">"N</span>iat-e saaf, manzil-e aasaan" - clear intention make for easy destinations - is as much a reminder of what Afghanistan needs at this juncture, on the lines of encouraging signals that a moderate leader provides liberal Iranians.</span><br />
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-17363488395003317752013-06-05T21:00:00.000+05:302013-06-06T11:13:12.191+05:30Are You A Blog Rat?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-style: italic;">The first Wednesday of every month is officially </span><b style="font-style: italic;">Insecure Writer’s Support Group</b><span style="font-style: italic;"> day for participating blog owners who may be professional or amateur writers. (All you need is the passion and output, published or not). Started by </span><a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></b></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> the author of the sci-fi space opera </span><b style="font-style: italic;">CassaStar </b><span style="font-style: italic;">and sequel </span><b style="font-style: italic;">CassaFire</b><span style="font-style: italic;">, it is a means for writers to talk about their fears big and small. It is also an opportunity to connect to other writers who may have conquered these or are sailing in the same insecure boat as you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">I won't be boring you with sad talks and usual insecurity rants.</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">My question is simple. Should you cut back on blogging or abandon it altogether? I haven't updated in a month, haven't done my rounds though I want to.</span><br />
<i>Starting today, I plan on just 2/3 posts a week one of which will be a book review. </i><br />
<i>I am going to stick to a select group of old blogger friends and interact with new ones at memes and blog hops. </i><br />
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<i>Sounds like a good plan to me. What do you say?</i><br />
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<i>Now for some sales talk. :) I am hosting an American soldier cum social worker based in Afghanistan on June 16th. We will be discussing her non fiction book based on her time there. Would love it if you could find time to visit and show your support and appreciation for her and others' efforts. to make a better world.</i><br />
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<i>Until my next post and visit - Live Long and prosper.</i></div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-20540028361906011502013-04-03T19:49:00.001+05:302013-04-10T11:50:05.364+05:30C: Clarification, Conscience And Confidence - IWSG<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-style: italic;">The first Wednesday of every month is officially </span><b style="font-style: italic;">Insecure Writer’s Support Group</b><span style="font-style: italic;"> day for participating blog owners who may be professional or amateur writers. (All you need is the passion and output, published or not). Started by </span><a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></b></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> the author of the sci-fi space opera </span><b style="font-style: italic;">CassaStar </b><span style="font-style: italic;">and sequel </span><b style="font-style: italic;">CassaFire</b><span style="font-style: italic;">, it is a means for writers to talk about their fears big and small. It is also an opportunity to connect to other writers who may have conquered these or are sailing in the same insecure boat as you.</span><br />
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<i>I ddin't join the A-Z bandwagon this year, not with the temperatures up in the 100s (37 C) and climbing. But, if I had, this would have been my entry for C. It could also fall under P:Paid reviewer.</i><br />
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<i><b>C: Clarification</b></i>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, before you rush to the comment tab to bombard me with your opinions, hear me out, especially if your thoughts are in sync with this gentleman.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_vjWjxWe-B4/UVwtG-0nDJI/AAAAAAAADHg/S63bQeH4bfw/s1600/Should+Authors+Pay+for+Book+Reviews++%E2%80%94+The+Book+Designer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_vjWjxWe-B4/UVwtG-0nDJI/AAAAAAAADHg/S63bQeH4bfw/s1200/Should+Authors+Pay+for+Book+Reviews++%E2%80%94+The+Book+Designer.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To read more on this, read this link </span><br />
<a href="http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/08/should-authors-pay-for-book-reviews/">http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/08/should-authors-pay-for-book-reviews/</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, I have recently joined a company that pays me for reviewing books. And, no, it doesn't mean I will never review books for free as I won't be getting more than one or two assignments a month.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I will continue to do 4-5 free reviews every month,</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a review a week</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I will stop reviewing for the said company the day they they ask me to pad up my reviews. I have been honest all my life and I am not going to sell my conscience for a few dollars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>C: Conscience</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Those who have been with me on this blogging journey know me fairly well. Those who have read my reviews know that they are detailed analysis of the book in question with my inputs as a reader. When I joined this book review group, I had some questions twirling in my mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My checklist was :</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Will I be allowed to post honest, unbiased reviews? Yes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Will I be expected to bluff and fluff up my review? No.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Will my review be worth the money? Yes. The authors may differ on this, but my reviews are as detailed and honest as before and long ones too.</span><br />
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The Company's FAQ<br />
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What do you guarantee?</h3>
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We are going to monitor the site and we randomly select reviewers to monitor and track their jobs and check quality of reviewers if they don't get the reviews in a timely fashion.</div>
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We want to be clear that we do not guarantee a positive review. <b>In no way will we tell the reviewer what to write. We want our reviewers to have the freedom to be honest and xxxxx will not work under unethical conditions. Also, we can't guarantee a 5 star review. We ask the reviewer to give their own personal thoughts and opinions of what they read. Remember, it may not be exactly what you wanted or expected but it will be from your reading audience. Honest reviews go much further with the readers than a fluffy, raving review.</b> You can earn our "seal" of approval on your book when the reviewer rates it with 5 stars. Our seal can be used on the author's site or blog or be posted directly on your review.</div>
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We do not assign books to the reviewers; you choose the reviewer to review your book(s). Carefully evaluate the reviewers, look at their prior reviews and check out what they like to read to ensure it's a perfect match. If you have questions, you can send them a message on the portal. <b>Reviewers have been encouraged to keep an unbiased outlook on all reviews.</b></div>
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xxxxx highly recommends you ensure the reviewer will be a "good fit" for your book by reading their bios and looking at their samples thoroughly.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>C: Confidence</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What are the benefits of entering a controversial arena? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kirkus's paid freelance reviewers and paid newspaper reviewers are respected but not an individual reviewer who rarely finds opportunities to be compensated for the time and effort spent reading books, and some really bad ones at times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I get paid for doing something I like, something that keeps me mentally stimulated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I get a entire day off from writing blog posts and web articles for money - to read other books </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and my own collection</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> -</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and provide free reviews for bloggers, indie authors who can't pay, with two such reviews - as an Indian earning in dollars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It may not be Kirkus or Publishers Weekly that I am working with; it isn't even 1/10 th of what they charge an indie author for a negative, bashing blurb they call reviews. What it does is supplement my income, and keeps my insomniac mind at ease knowing that neither am I a generic five-stars-for-all-books kind of reviewer nor a sock-puppet for an author bashing up another's book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Don't believe that honest paid reviews are possible, just wait till my review gets posted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The only thing I can guarantee with both types of reviews is that the book will be read without any bias. Free reviews of three stars and above will continue to get posted within one-three months on this blog, and I will continue to beta read when asked to and have no time constraints. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">PS: Did you know which one of my review samples got me this assignment - my review on CassaStar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you choose to unfollow me or stop visiting my blog, you are free to do so.</span></div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-90727923378790583152013-03-17T10:39:00.000+05:302013-03-27T12:42:33.772+05:30A Multicultural Romance in the Making - A Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HIJW3EYuL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-70,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HIJW3EYuL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-70,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a><br />
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<b>Love Comes Later - <span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3012741.Mohanalakshmi_Rajakumar">Mohanlakshmi Rajkumar</a></span></b><br />
<b>Publishers -<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008I4JJES?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008I4JJES&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2"> Amazon</a></b><br />
<b>Genre - </b><b>Contemporary - romance</b><b> - realistic fiction - women's fiction</b><br />
<b>Novel - Ebook - 262 Pages</b><br />
<b>Price: </b><b style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Price $ 0.99</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: none; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><b>Blurb</b>:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: none; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: none; font-family: helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11;">Hind is granted a temporary reprieve from her impending marriage to Abdulla, her cousin. Little does anyone suspect that the presence of Sangita, her Indian roommate, may shake a carefully constructed future. Torn between loyalties to Hind and a growing attraction to Abdulla, Sangita must choose between friendship and a burgeoning love. </span><br style="background-color: none; font-family: helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11;" /><span style="background-color: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11;">A modern quest for the right to pursue love and happiness, even when it comes in an unconventional package, LOVE COMES LATER explores similarities between the South Asian and Arab cultures while exposing how cultural expectations affect both men and women. Identities are tested and boundaries questioned against the shifting backdrops of Doha, Qatar and London, England.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A contemporary romance with elements of realistic fiction. The story has a strong Qatari flavour blended with South Asian and offers a tantalising view of student life in London as a bonus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A refreshing tale of love and friendship that overcomes cultural, religious and racial barriers. It starts out in the plush interiors of an affluent family in oil money endowed Qatar, seeking the remarriage of a widowed, still grieving son Abdulla who wants anything but that. The culture is primarily seen from the eyes of Abdulla and Hind, and later on through Sangita - Hind's Indian American room-mate and friend. It's their reluctance to follow traditions, and Hind's impulsive demonstration of independence and adventure that sets off Abdulla's and Sangita's worlds into a collision course of first, tentative friendship and later on love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The characters and the situations have been created skilfully and their interaction comes off as real as possible. The author has tried hard to give an accurate picture of Qatari life and attitudes, specially towards South Asians who form the blue collar workforce without sounding preachy or condescending.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abdulla, a strong character, comes across as inflexible a couple of times but redeems himself as a modern, religious Muslim. I really enjoyed his opening up to the world around, specially to Sangita and his adopted sister Luluwa.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Hind - a tad selfish and Sangita are well etched, and I found myself amused when the Indian girl who advises her friend to play safe goes on her own adventure, risking everything.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The secondary characters of Luluwa and Hind's sister Noor, often two extremes were ones I found interesting. While I loved Sangita's brother - idealistic but lovable character Ravi, it was Grandfather Jassim and Hind's father - uncle Saod who were a revelation in sharp contrast to the other elders in the family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now for the nit picking -</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my opinion, Abdulla and Sangita's romance did not have the time to develop enough for her to burn all the bridges...it kind of ends up as an arranged marriage. But, then, they didn't fall in love at first sight and the author, to my delight, refrained from gushing descriptions of the protagonists beauty. A plus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Indians in the book, Sangita's parents came close to being caricatures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The timeline was a bit confusing in some places. A couple of dialogues were responses to an original action or comment that had been edited out. A revision if possible would enhance the book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all, it was a pleasurable read and one of few romances I have truly enjoyed reading lately.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The book is well written, flows smoothly and the use of Arabic words in the story and the end notes are a nice addition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recommend this book to romance lovers, to those who enjoy realistic fiction set in the Asian and Arab world with ethnic characters, to generally anyone looking for a good book to immerse in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I give this a 4 rating for simply being a good old fashioned romance story and a multicultural book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Personal Disclaimer: This book was received</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"> for the purpose of review, hence the post in entirety is my basic impression after reading the book. It is not based on intervention by the author, publishing house or the blog review forum.</span></div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-91870561716499581192013-03-07T01:12:00.001+05:302013-03-07T11:36:59.758+05:30Time And Tide Wait Not For This One - IWSG<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<i>The first Wednesday of every month is officially <b>Insecure Writer’s Support Group</b> day for participating blog owners who may be professional or amateur writers. (All you need is the passion and output, published or not). Started by <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></b></a> the author of the sci-fi space opera <b>CassaStar </b>and sequel <b>CassaFire</b>, it is a means for writers to talk about their fears big and small. It is also an opportunity to connect to other writers who may have conquered these or are sailing in the same insecure boat as you.</i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My insecurity is a simple one - a race against time that seems to move in just one direction - forward - atleast in our space dimensions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are dozens of stories floating in my head with little time to capture them all. I don't quite know how others manage it, juggling so many different roles in life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I work from home, am single with limited social obligations/</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">opportunities, and yet, I can't seem to find time to put together a small</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> book. When I do make time for the stories that my heart longs to reveal, I end up with a blank page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do I deserve to be called a creative writer when I have hardly written in the last six months? Poetry has eloped </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from my mind garden </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with Dreamer. I see her sometimes, just a wisp of thin air that drifts away when I utter her name.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is time alone to blame or is there a dark force at work that I am blissfully unaware of?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So many questions and fewer minutes to answer them.</span></div>
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-64296742417398388092013-02-23T21:26:00.003+05:302013-03-01T00:24:14.010+05:30Love Eclipsed? - Romantic Friday Writers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Time for another round of</span> <i><a href="http://romanticfridaywriters.blogspot.in/2013/02/romanticfridaywriters-february.html" target="_blank">RFW - Romatic Friday Writers</a> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">February Challenge</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: underline;">Disclaimer:</span><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> All publicly recognizable characters and settings among other things in this fan fiction spoof are the property of Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight series of books. The original characters and original plot are the property of author Stephanie Meyer. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material pertaining to the Twilight series of books or the Twilight motion pictures. No copyright infringement is intended in this fan fiction.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>*</b>A disclaimer for my readers...this follows the first person account of Bella and </span><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">uses long, extraneous sentences </span><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">as found in the original books. <b>The setting is towards the end of the second book - New Moon</b> where Bella, Edward and Alice are held hostage by the Volturi - the vampire royalty </span><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">while in</span><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> Italy</span><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">. Bella's knowledge of the existence of vampires threatens their secret existence in the world. Unlike her beau and his family of vegetarian vampires, these are true, cold blooded</span><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> vampires who prey on humans.*</span><br />
<span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stood in the red room - Alice and me, not Edward - as you will find out soon enough, surrounded by red eyed men and women who looked more like diminutive porcelain dolls that licked their lips every other second. Yes, I have been keeping count, nothing much to do as usual for me. I turned around at the noise as Felix snarled/smirked at me. I can never tell the difference with these pale, stoned faced monsters even after spending all my spare time with a similar pack of seven back home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Hush! Bella! these are not monsters. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I caught Alice's eyes long enough to find disapproval there and I rejoiced, only to be dejected a minute later for the glare in her golden eyes was directed at me.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tried to erase my thoughts but it was too late, reminding me of the disadvantages of living with a seer, a sore point with Edward. He claimed and I had counter argued, and now I realised what how right he had been.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">He had proclaimed to be a monster, not good enough for me. He was no monster, my Edward, he had proved it today, falling into an silent, unsightly heap on the floor diagonally across from me, no match for Aro's boys. I see him for the first time, his true self, an ageless but delicate, sparkling creature that called itself a vegetarian vampire.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: none; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Boy, was he way off when he said, "Bella, you are not good for me.'"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bright smile flashed and my heart ached to see "him" in person once more. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>When I get out this mess alive, I am making amends to Jake. </i><i>Will he take me back?</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Edward was cold and icy to hot bodied Jake. His kisses, duh, if you could call those pathetic attempts one, fleeting, neither here nor there. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I glad these pale faces cannot read my mind.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i>
<i>"</i>There you go again<i>," </i>The wolfish smile on Alice's face said it all. I let myself be content with images of Jake tinkering with my bike, and being held in his hot, sweaty arms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Dream on, Bella. Edward is a classic stalker boyfriend who will not leave you alone now." She said to me, her voice so soft I could barely hear it. "I am sorry, Alice." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"You owe me one." her words as cryptic as Aro's smile.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">****</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All I remember is being dragged through the dark, damp tunnel that went on and on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"My heart hurts." I said to no one in particular.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Sorry Bella, I forget my vampiric strength sometimes," The pixie looked very happy. "Let's go shopping."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I groaned. "You owe me one, remember." "Where is Edward?" I had to ask out of sheer politeness, not that I cared.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the door bell rang, she muttered, "Just in time." "I'll pick you up at 3. Have something, I can hear your stomach grumble." She vanished as always, not before yelling, "Don't wear your grandma clothes!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jake stood at the door. I caught my breath. I was going to faint. He held me, a little too tightly for comfort.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He sniffed the air angrily. <i>Was Edward in the house? </i> I looked around, afraid and irritated. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He turned to me, "Tell your leech friend, all the perfumes in the world can't hide her stink from us."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I relaxed and grinned when he whispered,"Just the two of us now. He's gone, that leech of yours."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Where?" A stab of guilt tore at my heart. "He chose to be Aro's bodyguard." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My life was no longer dark. .A streak of blinding light illuminated my twilight sky. Bella was not that streak of light as I has long believed, Renata was. Bella's brain held no secrets. Renata, my partner, had shown me that. I had made a promise to Alice and I kept it. Bella was not my first kill, someone close to her had been. Jake was in for a nasty surprise when he went home tonight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span><br />
666 words (<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">suprising isn't it?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi folks, I am attempting a story after two long months...don't be too hard on me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was the guest </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nutschell's blog for </span><a href="http://www.thewritingnut.com/ramblings/wednesday-writers-workspace-welcomes-rekha/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Wednesday Writers Workspace</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...Do visit to know about my writing habits and a bit about me.</span></div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-57292126443426710732013-02-06T21:38:00.002+05:302013-02-06T23:48:04.275+05:30Writer's block or Writer bollocks- IWSG<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>The first Wednesday of every month is officially <b>Insecure Writer’s Support Group</b> day for participating blog owners who may be professional or amateur writers. (All you need is the passion and output, published or not). Started by <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></b></a> the author of the sci-fi space opera <b>CassaStar </b>and sequel <b>CassaFire</b>, it is a means for writers to talk about their fears big and small. It is also an opportunity to connect to other writers who may have conquered these or are sailing in the same insecure boat as you.</i><br />
<br />
A month has passed since I lasted updated this site and Google gave me a thumbs down for my so called writer's block - they called out on my bollocks (bullocks if that makes you feel less threatened) by downgrading my page rank from 3 to 2. Not that I mind, as this blog was a personal outlet for anger and frustration - which turned into a sort of showcase for my limited talent. Just that the freelance writer can no longer point out, with a fair amount of pride, to this beautiful home production on professional networks for quite a while.<br />
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Which brings us to the moot question, does writer's block really exist or it just an imagined state of mind used as an unwilling, unwitting scapegoat to cover up our laziness or preoccupation with other areas of life?<br />
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Can't I just say, I am so tired from writing crap copy for little more than peanuts, maybe dates, that my brain pretends to have a stroke when it comes updating this blog, forget about working on my fiction or poetry?<br />
Truth be told, I have been missing this baby like a heroin addict just out of a failed rehab effort. While writing in isolation is still mandatory, blogging in isolation is no longer an option, not when I have a supportive community of writers that I call friends.<br />
<br />
Relocating from cool Bangalore to pleasant for now Chennai hasn't been easy either, more withdrawal symptoms and then the farewell gift - finding that your best friend from college no longer wants to meet you in person.<br />
The questions come pouring in, do my blog friends want to me meet me via these pages, do my characters miss me, and then Eureka, it hits me...do I miss all this?<br />
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I do, I do and so...before I chase you away, there is no writing block, not for me, just a matter of carving an hour or two and pressing some buttons or keystrokes till something gives. A blog schedule helps too as does creating this toon...<br />
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<a href="http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/5863321"><img -="" alt="Writer" block="" border="0" iwsg="" s="" src="http://static.toondoo.com/public/s/o/n/songsnwords//toons/cool-cartoon-5863321.png" title="Writer's Block -IWSG" width="580" /></a><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; width: 100%;">
By <a href="http://www.toondoo.com/user/songsnwords">Rekha Seshadri</a> | <a href="http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/5863321">View this Toon at ToonDoo</a> | <a href="http://www.toondoo.com/">Create your own Toon</a></div>
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-90342322429992611262012-12-31T18:46:00.001+05:302012-12-31T23:26:16.579+05:30A New Beginning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdH66pqUdbhr9gX81FiT4HLtQJnnK8v_ELkQdjMgxjBMMJEzKB9z6UV9ms13nu8CAaMlaglpbA7i-wC0fhsa5A_IvQviupDV51sGNUgqV1xMwg_9vX5IzoE5r3Te68UzudtEO02Z2RJAA/s1600/New+Year+Greetings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdH66pqUdbhr9gX81FiT4HLtQJnnK8v_ELkQdjMgxjBMMJEzKB9z6UV9ms13nu8CAaMlaglpbA7i-wC0fhsa5A_IvQviupDV51sGNUgqV1xMwg_9vX5IzoE5r3Te68UzudtEO02Z2RJAA/s640/New+Year+Greetings.JPG" width="560" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Bangalore 31/12/2012 5.50 pm</td></tr>
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-75090395580677776802012-12-05T19:15:00.000+05:302012-12-05T20:06:25.523+05:30IWSG - A Rejuvenated ME<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>The first Wednesday of every month is officially <b>Insecure Writer’s Support Group</b> day for participating blog owners who may be professional or amateur writers. (All you need is the passion and output, published or not). Started by <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></b></a> the author of the sci-fi space opera <b>CassaStar </b>and sequel <b>CassaFire</b>, it is a means for writers to talk about their fears big and small. It is also an opportunity to connect to other writers who may have conquered these or are sailing in the same insecure boat as you.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>My first post in over two months.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>No insecurities just some blog changes given my two year journey.</i><br />
<i>I am at a better place than I was when I started out two years ago, I have never written more words- fiction or otherwise even in my so called heydays or heady youthful days.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I no longer f</i><i>ervently </i><i>aspire to get some hard nosed Ezine to publish my work or despair at my lack of productivity in terms of a published book.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I am publishing, and on my blog (full creative control, if you ask me). I hope to make it a proper outlet with a domain name et al...have more guests telling their stories, doing more book reviews and goofy/smart musings on the quirks of life and thought.</i><br />
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<i>Enjoy this Bangalore Sunset while you are here.</i><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCdYk2CzpCE/UL9b29hXS-I/AAAAAAAADAU/qdNktVLUkdw/s1600/P1020853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCdYk2CzpCE/UL9b29hXS-I/AAAAAAAADAU/qdNktVLUkdw/s400/P1020853.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>Thanks to everyone here who made me feel special..</i>.<i>this blog will go on as long as I can write words and entice or entrap a few visitors along the way. ;P</i><br />
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-32522051559828204082012-09-14T20:53:00.000+05:302012-09-19T15:07:42.923+05:30Magic Realism And Three Women - A Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1343815669l/15742930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fractured Legend" border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1343815669l/15742930.jpg" width="128" /></a><b>Fractured Legends - <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5140219.Kranthi_Askani"><span style="color: #660000;">Kranthi Askani</span></a></b><br />
<b>Publishers -<a href="http://www.apkpublishers.com/"> <span style="color: #660000;">APK Publisher</span></a></b><br />
<b>Genre - Speculative fiction - Contemporary fantasy - magic realism - women's fiction</b><br />
<b>Novel - Paperback - 200 Pages</b><br />
<b>Price: Rs 192</b><br />
<b>Available at Flipkart.com/Indiaplaza.com (India)</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: none; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><b>Blurb</b>:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: none; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">We are like the moths that follow invisible spiral loops to go round and round a flickering flame before jumping into the center leaving in their wake, a glowing red sore in the eye of the flame,” says the narrator, a temple slave. Priyambada makes up her mind to leave the temple where she melt into flesh at night and froze into statue by the morning. She renounces her immortal chalices, the temple facades, for a mortal life, for a life in flesh... But the tangles of life in flesh – marriage and bearing children – thrust her into a world of tribulations that cast her off into the past, sealed past, frozen past...</span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">Nandhini, a professional assassin, is plagued by an assignment to retrieve a mysterious manuscript that is smeared with a rope of blood across its pages. She finds herself in the midst of a complex game of deceit and rivalry between two factions...</span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21.100000381469727px;">Pravalli is drafting a very long letter to her mother. She is grieving, glowering, repenting, atoning....</span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;">Fractured Legend is the story of these three women who are sailing away from their turbulent pasts, the denouement puzzlingly curling them all together into one tight ribbon of hope...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: none; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.111112594604492px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This narrative follows
the lives of three women - Priyambada who as a temple slave is immortal, but
forgoes it for a human life and goes through the cycle of marriage &
childbirth. Though she can't make a clear break from her past; she is happy in
her new life. Nandhini is a trained assassin eliminating
people for a price. She is entrapped by a close relative to kill someone related to her job, and for the first time in her life wonders at the futility of it all.
Pravalli, on the other hand, is estranged from her mother Priyamvada over the secrets of the past, and is
writing a letter of forgiveness and trying to come in terms with her mother's
behaviour. The story progresses through the eyes, actions and reactions of the
three female protagonists.</span><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I liked the use of magic
realism to get the tale across. That the book is based on a female perspective
focusing on the trials and tribulations of Indian women (some of these aspects have universal connotation) makes it interesting enough to plow through the slow first 1/3 of the book.<u1:p></u1:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The author had tried to
portray the heroines (each of them is one in their own right) in a humane,
understanding and empathic manner. He has attempted to infuse a vintage feel to the
grey of contemporary realities. The concept
is intriguing enough, and comes as breath of fresh air among all the
college romances and chick-lits floating on the Indian book scene. It shows a side of
India, applicable to many regions of the world, where women are struggling to
assert themselves, while being bound to often well meaning but grossly
misused traditions and customs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> If you can leave aside all rational expectations
of the world we inhabit, the book has the ability to move you with the sadness, pain and loneliness of the three women. The secondary characters, especially
the husband - Priyamvada’s and son - Nandhini’s stand out, though their presence
in the book is limited. The women move back and forth through their memories,
dream a lot and </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">often </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">traverse between the real and surreal world. The author
has left us with an open ended story, maybe a sequel is in line. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> On the flip side,
the author uses a dry narrative style of storytelling
throughout the novel. The lack of dialogues makes it a very distracting
read. For someone used to books, even long winded classic ones, with flowing conversations,
this can be a difficult book to attempt and read through.</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> The sentence
structure is awkward, and the overuse of adjectives and adverbs could have been avoided.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am not sure I could recommend this book to a reader in its current version despite descriptive and detailed
analysis of the lives of contemporary women and use of magic realism.
A major review of the language usage and a rewrite would do wonders for this book. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I would give this book a
3/5 rating basically for the debut effort, for attempting a book without the prejudices of the male point of view and </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">for choosing a difficult women's related story</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Personal Disclaimer: This book was recieved for the purpose of review, hence the post in entirety is my basic impression after reading the book. It is not based on intervention by the author, publishing house or the blog review forum.</span></div>
Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-9803850772292094712012-09-08T18:07:00.000+05:302012-09-08T19:57:36.174+05:30One Sigh Too Many<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I forgot my IWSG post this month, and I almost forgot this...having been away from my blog for over two weeks. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Before I proceed my Friday Guest post at Misha Gericke's Blog <a href="http://sylmion.blogspot.com/2012/09/guest-post-friday-rekha-seshadri.html">sylmion.blogspot.com - guest post friday-rekha seshadri.html</a>. Do check it out. My first one. :)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: none; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://romanticfridaywriters.blogspot.in/2012/09/romanticfridaywriters-challenge-no-44-i.html">RFW Challenge No 44 for Featured Writer/Runner Up titles</a> . Post Any genre, any POV. Remember the romantic element. </span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"> My attempt at Prosetry for the prompt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">Wish I had kissed you then</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">When Chance hovered around, flapping her multi coloured wings. We were no longer just friends, but maintaining the status quo. So afraid of saying the word, so guilty of holding back. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>Now, empty words, emptier dreams, and emptiest memory that I alone drag along.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">Wish I had kissed you then</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">A piece of You forever with me -precious and sacred, my secret visitation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">Nothing more than a Kodak moment, a rarely visited spot on the shelves littered with books and stuff - your bored eyes proclaim. Is the spot taken by more significant others, old friends relegated to a rusting steel almirah at your parents retirement retreat?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">Wish I had kissed you then</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"> Lost - the charmer, idealistic and innocent to the wolfish ways of the world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>Found - the expert rat racer, flipping through your black berry, revealing the unbridgeable chasm that separates us.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 18px;"> Choosing what you once said never mattered, hollow words. I see her by your side - tall, slim, vivacious yesterday as she was a decade ago, our proclaimed rose queen - every valentine.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 18px;">Did you secretly wish to send her those 1001 roses her boyfriend deemed then, his exclusive right?</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">Wish I had kissed you then</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">Seeing you hand in hand - in love? So easy for you with her, impossible for you with me. Was it me who keep you at a distance, or was I just an available backup while you waited for a chance with her?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">Wonder if that ex boyfriend nursed hidden wounds in a dim lit pub, as I did in crowded escalators of the latest mall in the Metro.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">I could never be her then, do I wish to be her now? Do I dare find unpleasant answers to these mocking questions swirling all around me?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">Wish I had kissed you then</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 18px;">These seven years past seem like seven lifetimes, the gulf between what we were and what you are, plain for unblinkered eyes to see. People change, it's oft said, oh, they do, not quite like you.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 18px;">The real You before me in all his glory, kept well hidden from our unsuspecting hearts then, a pretender and a master of disguise? The simple, care free boy no longer, this one I'd rather not know.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 18px;">Your smile is the same, but leaves no tugs on my heart strings, much to my surprise. Is it because I see with fresh insight, the smile of an all knowing flirt?</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">Wish I had kissed you then</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 18px;">On that watery night, taking refuge from knee high, black, muddy pools. The monsoon and her electric backdrop, sending shivers of a different kind amid much discomfort. </span></i></span><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Wished I had seized a stolen moment, that stolen kiss. </i><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">No meaningless memories, not wasted years of longing. </i><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">My heart wouldn't have known betrayal. </i><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">What we were - laughed way with tears of regret. </i><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">What we could have been - unsolved mystery no more.</i><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">What we are - not evoking one sigh too many.</i><br />
<br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;">WC - 495 FCA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-71054942928936307172012-08-17T22:49:00.001+05:302012-08-19T19:32:22.194+05:30A Magical Journey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My late...late entry for the <b><span style="background-color: none; line-height: 42px; text-align: center;">WHAT IF? </span><span style="background-color: none; line-height: 42px; text-align: center;"><i>Fairytale Madness BlogFest!</i></span><span style="background-color: none; line-height: 42px; text-align: center;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: none; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px; text-indent: -24px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: none; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> <b> </b></span></span><i style="background-color: none; font-size: 15px; line-height: 30px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"><b>Best Love Story</b></span></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Sadat seemed
pleased as he turned to me. His long, delicate fingers created butterflies in
the air and as usual in my gut.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"The Sultan,
may the merciful one give him long life, has agreed to annul our wedding.
But..."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I knew it! The
greedy, 'honey with noodles' loving character hadn't changed in all of my 17
years on this dwelling of humanity. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Sadat, my gazelle
eyed beauty, was harping about the other crook in our lives, his father - the
vizier. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"Two marble
palaces with walls encrusted in precious stones?" Did I hear that right? The ethical djinn world was restive as it is with the
marked lack of Arab spring out here. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Sometimes, I wish I
hadn't found the lamp. At least, Jasmine was out of Sadat's life. What was she
thinking, flirting with my boyfriend in a transparent two piece?...Shaitan forbid, even my
djinn has picked up her silly song as his welcome tune. I linked my coarse, browner hand in Sadat’s
and sighed...</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">His face was
adorned by an enchanting smile that revealed his pearly whites. Time to wake up
the 'A whole new world' guy. Rubbing the magical lamp never
felt so good.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">***</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Well, well, well! What
have we here?" Imhotep ran his fingers over this shiny, bald pate. The crystal
had revealed more than he had hoped for. His naughty 'nephew' was alive and the
magic lamp--so near and so far. His eyes took on a glassy look, his pupils
dilated and he drew a sharp breath at the sight of the pretty boy seated next to the thief. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">'The temple of
Anubis would be barren without this jewel.' He rubbed his ring. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“My Akka, your
wish my command." </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Kublai Khan's Palace,” resonated through the empty chamber.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<i style="background-color: none; font-size: 15px; line-height: 30px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">***</span></span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: none; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 30px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">*Shaitan - Satan </span></i><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 30px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">*Akka - Master </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-indent: -24px;"><i><span style="line-height: 32px;">* Imhotep - High Priest,</span></i></span><span style="line-height: 16px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Egyptian architect, engineer and physician elevated to demigod, given evil traits in novels and myths. "A greedy immortal here".</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">*Kublai Khan - Grandson of Mongol Leader Genghis Khan, created the Yuan Dynasty of China and played host to the Italian traveller Marco Polo.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">*</span></span></div>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="background-color: none; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<i style="background-color: none; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 30px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">Wc 290</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 30px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">* Got tired of writing hetero romances...</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: none; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 30px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></i>
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-69242672411636428092012-08-12T00:00:00.000+05:302012-08-17T23:00:13.901+05:30A Kick Ass Conversation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the Olympic Games 2012 drew to a close in the morning (IST) we close in on an author who's recently released book is set in the backdrop of the London Olympics. </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a part of her month long blog tour she has consented to an interview in the dream chronicle.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fear of getting kicked by a black belt in Wing Chun kung fu is a good antidote to flowery prose from my end. And our show begins without further delay...</span><br />
<br />
<b style="color: #500050; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">She talks a bit on the characters and settings in the book:</b><br />
<div class="im" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<div style="color: #500050;">
<u></u></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #a64d79;"> Are any of your main or supporting characters inspired from real life/ literature or are they purely products of imagination?</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;">I think my characters are an amalgamation of the characters I meet everyday, with some fictional traits thrown in. Detective Kurt Lancer, for instance, was created to reflect the multi-ethnicity of modern London: a half-English, half-Nigerian police detective who grew up in the East End. To add further layers to his character, I gave him some complexities and almost conflicting traits: for instance, he practices Wing Chun kung fu, a ‘soft’ martial art, instead of relying on his considerable size and brawn in a fight.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #9b00d3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="im" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"> Does your martial arts knowledge get incorporated in the book in any form?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;">Yes! My protagonist, Detective Lancer, practices Wing Chun, the martial art I teach, and I have used some of my self-defence knowledge in writing a handful of fight scenes in the book.</span><br />
<div class="im">
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #a64d79;"> Is this a standalone novel or is there a planned series that follows?</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;">I am currently working on a second book featuring Kurt Lancer. Hopefully good news for any Lancer fans. ;)</span></div>
<div class="im" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #500050;">
<b> For a peep into her writing techniques and habits: </b></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">What kind of research was needed for the book?</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;">Obviously, the majority of the research centred around the places near Olympic venues. Apart from that, I also researched the history and origins of the Games, a bit of Greek mythology, and (you’ll find out why when you read the book) death by electrocution in water, various medical conditions, and bomb-making. that last one most probably got me blacklisted by Homeland Security! :)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #9b00d3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="im" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #500050;"> </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">How does the writing pan out? Is it slow draft and fast revisions or fast draft and slow revisions</span><span style="color: #500050;">?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;">I’d say it was a slow draft and slow revisions! Although I believe revisions were easier and less painful because I’m a hard-core plotter: outlining the entire story before I begin writing minimises plot holes, so revisions are mainly a matter of correcting typos and rewording sentences.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">You have written short stories, how easy or difficult is the transition to novels and back?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">Short stories and novels are two completely different beasts. The straightforward plot allows me to write short stories without an outline, but with novels, I need an outline to help consolidate multiple sub-plots ... and to ensure I don’t accidentally give a blue-eyed character green eyes later on!</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #4c1130;">Now, treading carefully on personal ground ;)</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Your book is scheduled to be released during the London Olympics. Do you plan to watch any of the events live or cheer the <span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">participants from the living room?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">I did try to get tickets to some of the live events, but alas they sell out so quickly. :( So I’ll be cheering on my team from the comfort of my living room!</span></div>
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<em style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;"><strong><span style="color: #4c1130;">The book in question - Oracle</span></strong></em>
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<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?ui=2&ik=2c2dfc4b0a&view=att&th=138cf043078faee8&attid=0.2&disp=thd&zw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #222222; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oracle-FrontCover-500px.jpg" border="0" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?ui=2&ik=2c2dfc4b0a&view=att&th=138cf043078faee8&attid=0.2&disp=thd&zw" /></a><em><span style="color: #4c1130;">With London gearing up to host the Olympics, the city doesn't need a serial killer stalking the streets, but they've got one anyway.<br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;" />Leaving a trail of brutal and bizarre murders, the police force is no closer to finding the latest psychopath than Detective Inspector Kurt Lancer is in finding a solution for his daughter's disability.<br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;" />Thrust into the pressure cooker of a high profile case, the struggling single parent is wound tight as he tries to balance care of his own family with the safety of a growing population of potential victims.<br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;" />One of whom could be his own daughter.<br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;" />Fingers point in every direction as the public relations nightmare grows, and Lancer's only answer comes in the form of a single oak leaf left at each crime scene.</span></em><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #4c1130;">Purchase Links:</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008OA0SD2" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true">Amazon US</a> </span></strong><span style="color: #741b47;"><strong style="background-color: none;">| <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008OA0SD2" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true">Amazon UK</a> </strong><strong>| <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oracle-oralisa-martin/1001380582?ean=9781937744083" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true">Barnes & Noble</a></strong></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #4c1130;">About the Author</span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?ui=2&ik=2c2dfc4b0a&view=att&th=138cf043078faee8&attid=0.1&disp=thd&zw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #222222; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Author Photo 2 s.jpg" border="0" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?ui=2&ik=2c2dfc4b0a&view=att&th=138cf043078faee8&attid=0.1&disp=thd&zw" style="background-color: #ead1dc;" /></a><span style="background-color: none; color: #4c1130;">J.C. Martin is a butt-kicking bookworm: when she isn’t reading or writing, she teaches martial arts and self-defence to adults and children. <br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />After working in pharmaceutical research, then in education as a schoolteacher, she decided to put the following to good use: one, her 2nd degree black belt in Wing Chun kung fu; and two, her overwhelming need to write dark mysteries and gripping thrillers with a psychological slant. <br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />Her short stories have won various prizes and have been published in several anthologies. <em>Oracle</em> is her first novel.<br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />Born and raised in Malaysia, J.C. now lives in south London with her husband and three dogs.<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: none; color: #4c1130;"><strong>Contact: <a href="http://jc-martin.com/" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true">Website</a> </strong><strong>| </strong><strong><a href="http://jc-martin.com/fighterwriter/" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true">Blog</a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://twitter.com/JCMartin_author" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true">Twitter</a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jc.martin.author" target="_blank" wotsearchprocessed="true">Facebook</a></strong></span></div>
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Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-51833337555515610442012-08-10T23:55:00.000+05:302012-08-11T14:14:48.522+05:30A Coincidence?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Time for another round of <i><a href="http://romanticfridaywriters.blogspot.in/">RFW - Romatic Friday Writers</a></i>
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Challenge 42- I need a change.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I wandered into the balcony tempted by the
cool breeze and the</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">tantalising</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-US">view of the golden sands. Sips of the invigorating cup of spiced tea
while listening to the melody of the small town rousing itself from sleep formed my daily routine. I enjoyed hearing the slapping sounds of pigeons from adjacent
cottages and the clanging horn of children’s bicycles as they passed by.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peace proved elusive today and the noise
grated on my nerves. This trip hadn’t turned out as well as I hoped, even my
daughter’s imminent arrival from London failed to cheer me up. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US">His indifference hurt</span></i><span lang="EN-US">s. It went back decades and I am used to it.<i> Why did it nag me
now?</i> </span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Sundar</span><span lang="EN-US"> is a liberal man, but his modernity extends to the children alone. For
me, he is the husband cast in the mould of my father and grandfather before
him. Disciplined men yet rigid in their set ways. My husband is in Singapore trying
to solicit new customers for our knit wear factory.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"> The textile
industry has taken a hit given the global slowdown. With the high</span><span lang="EN-GB"> labour</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-US">turnover and the power crisis in our state we may have a white elephant
on our hands. The workers won’t be getting a bigger bonus, if they received one.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took another sip and let out a sigh. <i>I
had an easy life</i>. <i>I shouldn’t be complaining</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He had been more enthusiastic than me over our
ladies club’s week long sojourn to Goa.<i> Why didn’t he take me with him?</i>
As the chief merchandiser, I could scout their retail markets while
he attended the trader’s meet. I hadn’t visited our office in a month. The three
projects on hand were on schedule, and the juniors competent enough to oversee the day
to day activities. They kept me in the loop with emails and calls.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Anita, a package for you.” My childhood
friend, Dina‘s voice filtered through. <i>Who could it be?</i> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Go on, open it.” My friend seemed to be onto
the secret. “It from him,” she whispered.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What an age to turn romantic. Was my
college sweetheart returned to me? I almost tore open the envelope in my haste.
</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The papers
fluttered down from my hands. My friend raced against the wind to retrieve them.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I watched, as her light coloured cheeks turned
crimson. “Bastard,” was all I heard before my head hit the floor.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Wc 400</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> FCA - full critique acceptable</span><br />
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* Do visit on the 12th to catch J.C Martin's, author of recently released mystery thriller Oracle, interview...there is a Giveaway with three prizes for 3 winners that runs till Sept 2. </div>
</div>Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6418708650443226085.post-44035558116520936472012-08-08T01:57:00.000+05:302012-08-08T10:03:07.686+05:30RandomMusings For The Day #48<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now that the Mars Rover has landed and tweeted..is it time to rephrase the cliché : </span><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Curiosity kills the Little green men??</span></b></div>Rek Seshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484322426994645221noreply@blogger.com7