Crossed 💯💯💯💯

Hey friends of WordPress!

How are you all doing? Ready to start the weekend! Hope it turns out as good as you wish.

Just peeped in to read something before I get back to work again. And lo! What do I see? 

I have managed to cross the milestone. Yup! I now have about 400 followers. Means a lot to me. Me, someone who isn’t much confident sharing her work with others around. Not many around me in the real world even know that I write stuff. So, to have some really amazing people reading my amateurish words, means a lot to me! 😄😄😄😄

Thank you everyone.

Stay connected. Stay happy and blessed all!

Lots of love and best wishes!

Syeda

A Kiss at Christmastide by Christina McKnight – Book Review

Greetings to all!

Wondering what I am doing at this hour on my blog (it is about 4pm Indian standard time and I am rarely here at this time. Often this time I spend commuting back home!) Well, I was on leave today due to some work and that gave me a chance to finish what I had started yesterday. 

Any guess?? 😄😄;););)

If you’ve read my previous post you’d know what I was reading. Yes! I finished reading A Kiss at Christmastide by Chrisina McKnight.

The blurb and cover I had shared yesterday. Sharing it today too!

And here is my review.

The life of Lady Pippa has been effected by the change in the behavior of her best friend, Lady Natalie. From friends who shared every little secret and time together, to the time where they were happy without being in each other’s presence. What is it that caused things to change? Why did friendship end as time passed? 

And then an unexpected guest, Lucas, the Lord of Maddox arrives at Lady Pippa’s house. Seeking shelter in an unavoidable situation, he turns over the whole world for Pippa. Is he really who he says he is? Is he really as deplorable as he claims to be? What is the darkness in his eyes? 

The regency romance novella is really endearing. The story was simple and smoothly set. I had a good time reading it and at 176 pages, it is the right dose of romance I needed as I haven’t been able to read any regency romance since some time now. Feeling rejuvenated with the romance injected, the frills and baking, the land of Lords and Ladies, the snow and storm, and the obnoxious yet misunderstood Lord and the soft spoken and kind Lady. 

The way the story unfolds and the little secrets which are disclosed as the pages turn, make it an enjoyable read. Set up with a short time frame, the feelings and thoughts of the protagonists makes the story feel a little like a fairy tale with the ‘kiss under the mistletoe’ thought ruling the hearts!

If you like reading regency romance, and you throw away all the practical acceptability of things and are not looking for a realistic approach at things, this one surely deserves a shot! Impressed by Christina’s writing.

I am happy I can be of some help to indie writers. Wish I could help many more by reading and reviewing their books. 🙂

Lots of love to all! Stay happy and blessed! 

Keep reading and writing dearies!😘😘

S.F.R.

A Kiss at Christmastide by Christina McKnight – Book Launch

Hello everyone!

Well, I am back with a new book launched in one of my favorite genres – Romance! Regency romance 😍😍

Have a look at the “Awwwww! So lovely cover!” 😘

Lovely! Isn’t it? 

Moving ahead is the cover page with the blurb. 

 Title: A Kiss At Christmastide

Author: Christina McKnight

Genre: Historical Romance, Regency, Novella

Release Date: September 27, 2016

Word Count: 37,000

Buy Links

Amazon –  http://amzn.to/2aF6Ffs 

iBooks –  http://apple.co/2biKTwK 

B&N –  http://bit.ly/2czx2Fm 

Kobo –  http://bit.ly/2bbmPgy 

Blurb:

Lady Pippa Godfrey has suffered the most ruinous London Season. She escapes to her Somerset estate for a quiet Christmastide holiday with her family, away from society’s prying eyes. But before her parents can join her, a storm crashes down on Somerset to destroy any hope of Pippa’s white Christmas dream. The roads have flooded and travel is impossible, leaving her stranded and alone. But a muddied, angry and devilishly handsome lord appears at her door demanding shelter.
Lucas Hartfeld, the Earl of Maddox, has been summoned by his parents, the Marquis and Marchioness of Bowmont, to attend a holiday party in the wilds of the country, far from his London townhouse. He suspects they command his attendance for far different reasons than a simple country party. When a storm strands his carriage, he’s forced to seek shelter at the only home for miles around, a local manor called Helton House.
When Lady Pippa is reluctant to admit him, he does what he’s been raised to do—demand she provide him and his servants with shelter until the storm passes. But the beautiful woman draws his interest far more than he’s willing to admit. Can Lucas find a way out of the predicament his parents are planning?
As Lady Pippa scrutinizes another arrogant, demanding lord, she is bombarded with memories of betrayals in her past. Can she forget those difficult life lessons to claim a Christmastide kiss from a perfect stranger?

 About the Author: 

Christina McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since. 
Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.

Follow her on Twitter: @CMcKnightWriter

Keep up to date on her releases: www.christinamcknight.com

Like Christina’s FB Author page: ChristinaMcKnightWriter

Do check it out if romance is what you’re looking for! 💜💜

Here’s hoping Christina all the luck and success in this and all her future endeavors! 

Have a wonderful left-over-of-the-week. Mine has just been a pleasant, less stressed day and hope the week continues to be so! 

Lots of love and best wishes to all!

S.F.R.

Where do you dwell, O humanity?

Havoc all along

Nothing left to rejoice

Blood spilled at every nook

Abuse and exploitation around!
Bullets and pellets embedded bodies

Or pieces of flesh and bones askew

Merciless killing of adult or child

Grief and tears for those left behind.

Be it the cruelsome killer

Or the vulnerable victim of his,

What’s left behind are, malady of memories,

Wails of mournful and weeping kith and kin!
Humanity? What creature is that?

I ponder where you dwell now!

Were you a bird that flew away?

Tired of chirping to awaken dead conscience!
Were you an exemplary animal?

Choked to death by menacing hands of man!

Were you an exotic fragrance?

Polluted by the smoke of greed and lust!
Are you a fairy caged by a cruel monster?

Are you a damsel in distress, dying in a dungeon?

Whom no knight in shining armor

Strives to reach and rescue!
P.S. Well, I am now on 399 followers!! I just can’t believe this happening to me!! Thank you each one of you.. Will update you all as soon as I cross the 400 milestone. :)😄😄

Lots of love and best wishes to all!

Stay happy and blessed!! 

©S.F.R.

Going Home by Harriet Evans – Book Review

Hello blogging world! 

How have you all been my lovely friends? My days were spent quite busy, I am on the verge of completing my corrections/assessments, and so today I chose to complete the book I had been reading since a long time. 

The book I finished reading today was Going Home by Harriet Evans. I have read another work by the same author which I enjoyed and so I have got myself two more of hers.

Blurb:

Some families warm your heart. Lizzy’s makes her head spin.

Home. For most it’s a place of calm and safety. For Lizzy Walter, things are a bit more complicated. Keeper House a cherished old place deep in the countryside has always been the heart of the Walter’s universe. There, Lizzy can escape from her London life and ease her heart and mind. But trouble is on the horizon.

For a start, her entire family are hiding something. Then the love of her life makes an unexpected reappearance just when she thought she was starting to get over him. And now Keeper House itself is in peril. By the time the Walters gather for a summer wedding, the stakes have never been higher for Lizzy, for her family and for love.

Review:

Going Home is a book with surprises all along. The protagonist Lizzy, is just another heartbroken girl who has been hurt by her lover/boyfriend. She is devastated when she comes to know that he has cheated on her after he shifted to New York for work. 
It’s winter and the whole family, of cousins, uncles and aunts collects at the Keeper House, their ancestral house for Christmas. This year she dreads it as she has to face her family after the break up. She feels her family is the most eccentric one around! ( How many of us really don’t think the same! 😝:roll:)

She is trying hard to show that she has got over David (her ex-) when there is a shaking announcement made that will effect the family. What leads to that? Why is it to happen? Can it not be fought over? What are the elders of the family doing? What secrets lie hidden from Lizzy and the other children? What can be done? As the story proceeds, we keep fluctuating between the family problem and the events that happen in Lizzy’s life.

Various characters keep joining in the storyline and there is fun, frolic and confusion as scenes are laid out by the author. You meet some really annoying but realistic characters. 

When I turned over the last page, I just was left pondering. Life isn’t supposed to be just taken for granted. If something is really important and precious, one must make an attempt to save it. One must face the hurdles and fight back to claim what is valuable to you. You cannot just bury your head in the sand of time and expect things to turn out better or overcome something. Some things are worth fighting for! That’s what made the book worth all the time! 

Yet I felt it wasn’t as good as Hopeless Romantic! 😮😒

Another romance in my collection! Has anyone read this one? Do let me know! 

Stay happy and blessed! Keep reading and writing!

S.F.R.

I’m here!

Hello my blogging friends!

Greetings to all!! Eid Mubarak! 

My days have been really really busy. Examination of students, evaluation of answer scripts (150 students and their Language and literature papers!! 😱😱)

Then mid-exams, came the festival of Eid. The Eid of sacrifices and generosity. More than enjoyment, this festival brings in a lot of work. The slaughter, the distribution among the relatives and poor.

 Today is the last day of my holidays. Tomorrow back to work, exams still left! So, unless my paper evaluation comes to end, I wouldn’t be able to come in regularly. I’m becoming lazy and non-creative, I feel. 😫😫

So, until I’m back, here’s me wishing you all the best for whatever you plan to do! 

Love and best wishes!

Syeda

Ability on Wheels – Cover Launch – Artson Publishing House

Hello fellow bloggers!

Today I am here to do a post on the cover launch of a book soon to hit the market. The book is on disability and driving and is titled, “Ability on Wheels” to be published by Artson Publishing House. Here is the cover:

Here is a little more from Soniya Kapoor, from Artson Publishing House about what made her pick this one.

Why this book?

After publishing poetry books and holding various writing competitions, I was looking for a story which would really make a difference in someone’s life.  Two months ago I happened to meet Harish Kumar. Harish was born with absence of right arm below the elbow, but that is not his story. I want to highlight the story of what Harish is doing, usually, we call it giving back to the society. Harish is the founder of the organisation “Ability On Wheels”.

ABILITY ON WHEELS is an effort to encourage the specially abled people to take a big leap towards leading a normal life by providing mobility and accessibility services and solutions. As a first step towards this direction, Harish has launched a first of its kind in the country driving school exclusively for the differently able people using customized cars in Ahmedabad.

This definitely was not an easy journey for Harish. And in the first meeting itself, I decided that we are going to publish the story of Harish’s efforts, about disability and driving. And today, I am so happy to see the book taking its final shape. We have named the book same as the name of his driving school.

This book covers stories of 6 brave-hearts, who did not let disability rule over their passion for driving. This book also provides insights on safe driving, which are applicable to all. Hence even people without disabilities can read this book and learn a lot of things about driving which they may have been ignorant of.

More about the author, Harish Kumar:

Holder of two National Records in Limca Book of Records, Harish was born with absence of right arm below the elbow. He did his schooling from a reputed school in Dehradun & went on to do his Masters in Science from IIT Roorkee & Masters in Technology from IIT Delhi. In 2012 he became the first physically challenged person in the country to successfully complete a Solo All India Driving Expedition thereby creating a new National Record in Limca Book of Records. As on date, he has on his name 2 National Records.

About Artson Publishing House:

Artson Publishing House, based in India, is one of the fastest growing self-publishing platform. Founded with the aim of assisting authors and poets to come forward in their writing career. It was founded by Soniya Kapoor to help writers realize and breathe the calling of their soul.

The team at Artson Publishing House is determined to work with potential writers and guide them to success. It has been more than two long years that the team has been working with writers, promoters and publishers to help them come up in their writing career. We regularly hold writing contests and activities to touch base with the writers and create a platform for them that enables them to learn, grow and connect with the reader base.

Our motive in taking up this initiative is to help every writer who has the potential to do wonders with their words to get published and add many more books to the libraries.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/artsonpublishing.com

Publisher bio:

Soniya Kapoor is a career coach and an international recruitment professional. Soniya founded Artson Publishing House with an aim to work for potential writers and guide them to success. It has been almost two and a half years that she has been working with different publishers and authors/writers to help them shape their writing career. She is also the co-founder of CIERO Recruitment LLP.

Soniya writes on various emotions and shares her writing on Instagram with her brand name #SecretSoulDesires. She has contributed her work in several anthologies and has been an integral part of writing and book launch projects.

Read her words: www.Instagram.com/secretsouldesires

Read her Online:

Youth Stardom: https://www.facebook.com/youthstardom/posts/491583281014065

OO Womaniya: http://www.oowomaniya.com/voices/yes-i-am-a-suicide-survivor-and-i-am-not-ashamed-to-accept-it-says-soniya-kapoor

Few details and links for reference:

Pre-order link: http://www.amazon.in/dp/9385792342

Published by: Soniya Kapoor, Artson Publishing House
Branding Partner: Secret Soul Desires
Cover Design: Mileage Advertising
Book Page: Ability on Wheels Book

You can know more on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUKq39062hM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4lXsFplqGo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYWMG6uOd0c

So that’s all I have for now. I hope to be back when the book is released.
Best wishes to the author and the publishing team.

Thanks for reading my lovely friends. Love and blessings for all!

S.F.R.