As promised, I’d like to share one book teaser each week over a four-week time span. Last week, I posted the third teaser for my new novel, Double-Edged Sword, which will be available in a few weeks. This book is the fourth one in the Renegade Series. Please let me know what you think! Does it spark your interest?
Double-Edged Sword describes the perilous desecration of the South following the Civil War, and how one newlywed couple navigates through the turmoil left behind, both in the South and in the North. Sure to be a bestseller, Double-Edged Sword discusses many controversial topics. It is edgy, profound, and alarming enough to pique anyone’s curiosity. Soon available at Amazon and from Westwood Books Publishing, LLC.
When a pretend engagement ends in a very real combined bachelor/bachelorette weekend in Goa, three couples find their lives going from chaotic to disastrous…
Hatefully Yours by Alisha Kay is the quintessential enemies to lovers story with a very interesting twist. Aditi and Manan hate each other but love their mutual best friend, Karthik. Planning his bachelor party is a trip to hell sprinkled with accidental kisses that taste of heaven. Past misunderstandings, present attraction, and a future built on hope all tangles together to make this weekend one to remember.
Sinfully Yours by Shilpa Suraj is the story of a one night stand turning into nights that they hope never end. Sidharth is Bollywood’s biggest hit-turned-overnight-flop. His best friend Sanjana’s bachelorette in Goa is the perfect place for him to hide out and drink his sorrows away. Until he passes out in the arms of the extremely hot pixie who moonlights as a bartender in a shack in Goa. And Dani is left with an armful of drunk movie star who is as messed up as he is hot.
Deceitfully Yours by Andaleeb Wajid is the story of what happens when a fake relationship starts to feel very, very real. Sanjana and Karthik just wanted their parents to stop talking marriage to them. So, they faked an engagement and now their parents are not talking marriage but planning a wedding instead. When their friends throw them a combined bachelor and bachelorette party, they use the opportunity to plan their breakup. Except behind all well laid plans lies the path to disaster.
Three love stories, three oddball couples, one epic weekend in Goa…
Will they find their heart’s twisted path or focus on the brain’s straight-but-boring one? Will they gamble on their happily-ever-after or choose to leave Goa as they came, single and not ready to mingle?
The minute he asked himself that, Manan could have kicked himself. Of course, she’d be here. She was Karthik’s friend, just as he was, and while Karthik was the smartest guy he knew, he was completely oblivious to the cold vibes between his two best friends. Or maybe he didn’t care. He wouldn’t see anything wrong in inviting both his friends together.
Something else struck him, and the biryani that he’d had for lunch threatened to make a second appearance.
His mother hadn’t told him anything about the girl that Karthik was supposed to marry. Just said that she was a friend of his. Was it Aditi?
Every cell in his body revolted at the idea of Karthik marrying Aditi. He told himself that it was because he didn’t want his friend to be ensnared by the evil little she-devil. It had nothing to do with the way his heart sped up at the very sight of her. Or the very inexplicable impulse that came over him occasionally to kiss her senseless.
Not that he ever gave in to such an impulse. He hated Aditi with all his heart. That’s all there was to it.
Alisha Kay writes funny, exciting and steamy stories, with spunky heroines who can rescue themselves, and hot, woke heroes who find such independence irresistible.
The first book in The Devgarh Royals series, The Maharaja’s Fake Fiancée, won the grand prize at the Amazon KDP Pen to Publish Contest 2020.
Sid froze, the glass near his lips. “You certainly have a way with words and polite conversation.” “Really? You are critiquing me on etiquette, Beach Bum?” She responded to someone hailing her from the other end of the bar with a raised hand. “Listen, I’ve got to go,” she told him. “Work and stuff. You have a good night, okay?” “Dani, listen.” Sid grabbed her hand before she could rush off. “When do you finish?” “I finish at two in the morning,” she smiled. “Not exactly an early night.” “I’ll wait,” he smiled back, something frozen in his chest thawing at the sight of her warm, beaming face. “Could we get something to eat and maybe chat or something?” “I don’t ‘or something’ with guys I’ve just met,” she grinned. “I threw up on you. You threw a bucket of water on me. I think we’re past first or even third date pleasantries, don’t you agree?” Dani threw her head back and laughed, the same loud, warm laugh he remembered. The thawing moved on to melting. “Alright,” she said. “Stick around. We’ll grab dinner during my break and chat.” She pointed a finger at him. “No ‘or something’.” Sid grinned. Suddenly, ‘or something’ was all he could think about.
Shilpa Suraj wears many hats – corporate drone, homemaker, mother to a fabulous toddler and author.
An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.
Short Excerpt from Deceitfully Yours by Andaleeb Wajid
Karthik stared at Sanjana as she stood at the jetty and it almost felt like the rest of the world had faded to nothing. He could see only her, as she stood there, stark against the background of the greyish water. He was still reeling from what his mother had just said about him and Sanjana but he was also trying to look at it realistically. He had been a child then. But surely, there had to be something about her, something that had drawn them together that fateful day when he saw her seated in the garden on his favourite bench.
Fate. It had to be fate, he told himself.
Andaleeb Wajid is the author of 27 published novels and she writes across different genres such as romance, YA and horror. Her horror novel It Waits was shortlisted at Mami Word to Screen 2017 and her Young Adult series, The Tamanna Trilogy has been optioned for screen by a reputed production house. Andaleeb’s novel When She Went Away was shortlisted for The Hindu Young World Prize in 2017. Andaleeb is a hybrid author who has self-published more than 10 novels in the past two years.
Hunter Whitloch’s Wall Street career is on the fast track until he learns about his boss’, Egon Gregory, underhanded dealings. Hunter’s and Egon’s confrontation means Hunter must turn a blind eye or return to Crystal Creek and walk away from a lucrative career and the only woman he’s ever loved⸻Egon’s daughter, Bryce. He won’t let her make a choice between him and her father, so he makes that choice for her. Bryce watched Hunter walk out of her life and never expected to see him again⸻until he shows up at her father’s funeral. The mystery deepens when Bryce learns her father asked Hunter to return to New York⸻the night her father died. The authorities have ruled Egon’s death a suicide but attempts on her life unearth more questions than answers⸻namely who can she trust? The man who abandoned her a year ago, or her father’s right-hand man who wants to seize control of the company from her? Hunter has to return to Crystal Creek, but he won’t leave Bryce as bait to someone who wants her dead. But Crystal Creek isn’t the haven he expected, and soon he and Bryce race against the clock to find out what secret died with Egon, and how to endure the pain that has them fighting to protect their hearts and their lives.
As the daughter of billionaire Egon Gregory, Bryce has it all, including men who want to marry her. She soon learns that her father’s billions makes her attractive to men who are looking for a way to get rich quick. One heartbreak is one too many, and she develops a distrust toward men. Can any man love her for herself, or will her wealth be the most attractive feature about her? She won’t let her guard down when it comes to men. Though she’s cool and aloof, men still seek her out. Afraid of another heartbreak, she keeps her distance from men. It will take a special man to break past the barrier and convince her he loves Bryce for herself.
Could that man be Hunter Whitloch?
Hunter knows too well what it’s like to live in the shadow of the powerful. His grandfather is the wealthy financier Max Whitloch, Sr. Hunter’s father, Max, Jr., never forgave his father for abandoning him after his mother died.
Hunter loves his grandfather, but learned early on that many wanted to be his friend because of who his grandfather is. He understands Bryce’s reluctance to have relationships. He doesn’t know who wants to be his friend and who wants to use him. Because of Bryce’s fear of relationships, he lets her go. He’ll be there when she needs him.
After Hunter and Bryce graduate college, Bryce’s father, Egon, hires Hunter. He’s now climbing the corporate ladder. When Bryce opens her heart to him, he know she’s the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
His life couldn’t be better. He’s with the woman he loves, and he’s becoming a success without the help of his grandfather. He’s on the fast track …
Until …
His fraternity brothers started a company in their dorm room and want to take the company public. Hunter’s excited to help. He drafts the public offering and with Egon’s blessing prepares the deal. When the offering is scheduled to close, his brothers call and tell him the payout they’ll receive is less than the agreement.
Angry and humiliated, Hunter confronts Egon. Egon’s partner, Percy, is cheating Hunter’s fraternity brothers. Egon is enraged. How dare Hunter accuse Percy of underhanded dealings. Unless Hunter can prove Percy’s duplicity, he can leave.
Hunter can’t prove it. He’ll leave, but he’ll take Bryce with him.
Egon tells him that’s where he’s wrong. If he leaves the company, he’ll leave Bryce.
Hunter can’t walk away from Bryce.
What happens next?
Buy Whisper a Kiss and find out.
About the Author:
A native of California, Laura Haley-McNeil spent her youth studying ballet and piano, though her favorite pastime was curling up with a good book. Without a clue as to how to write a book, she knew one day she would. After college, she segued into the corporate world, but she never forgot her love for the arts and served on the board of two community orchestras. Finally realizing that the book she’d dreamt of writing wouldn’t write itself, she planted herself in front of her computer. She now immerses herself in the lives and loves of her characters in her romantic suspense and her contemporary romance novels. Many years later, she lived her own romantic novel when she married her piano teacher, the love of her life. Though she and her husband have left warm California for cooler Colorado, they enjoy the outdoor life of hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and snow skiing. They satisfy their love of music by attending concerts and hanging out with their musician friends, but Laura still catches a few free moments when she can sneak off and read.
As promised, I’d like to share one book teaser each week over a four-week time span. Last week, I posted the second teaser for my new novel, Double-Edged Sword, which will be available in a few weeks. This book is the fourth one in the Renegade Series. Please let me know what you think! Does it spark your interest?
Double-Edged Sword describes the perilous desecration of the South following the Civil War, and how one newlywed couple navigates through the turmoil left behind, both in the South and in the North. Sure to be a bestseller, Double-Edged Sword discusses many controversial topics. It is edgy, profound, and alarming enough to pique anyone’s curiosity. Soon available at Amazon and from Westwood Books Publishing, LLC.
Does Your Child Struggle with Reading? Try These Effective Tips
Children who struggle with reading are faced with many challenges. From learning how to decode words to understanding the content of what they are reading, it can be difficult for them to succeed in school.
Moreover, struggling readers may feel frustrated that they are not keeping up with their peers. They may also feel embarrassed and ashamed that they are not able to do what others can do.
Fortunately, there are many programs, activities, and strategies that your child’s educator can use to help them become successful. J.D.R. Hawkins invites you to explore some essential tips from experts on how you can help your child overcome their reading struggles.
Helping Them See Themselves as Readers
The first tip is to make sure that your child sees himself or herself as a reader. This includes giving them opportunities to read on their own, providing them with books they are interested in, and letting them be part of the decision-making process when it comes to what they read.
For example, you could ask your child if they want to read a chapter book or a graphic novel today. You can also help your struggling reader see themselves as readers by asking them questions about the content of what they are reading. This will encourage discussion about what they are reading, which will help them feel more engaged in the activity.
Create a Dedicated Reading Nook for Your Child
When your child has their own dedicated reading nook, they will be more likely to want to use it. In it, you can put up a bookshelf that you let your child help pick out.
You could also buy a comfortable reading chair that’s just right for your child. Take it a step further by reupholstering the chair in an appealing fabric, possibly one with a pattern featuring characters or designs that your child likes. Look for furniture re–upholstery pros in your area, and then check reviews — you want to ensure the chair is in good hands!
Finish the nook with your child’s artwork, making the space all their own. By having something set up solely for them, your child will want to return to their nook and hone their reading skills.
Hire a Tutor
It is important to work with your child’s tutor. Tutors know the best ways to help struggling readers succeed and will be able to give you advice and strategies that will work with your child’s needs.
Tutors also provide one of the most valuable factors of all time. They spend a lot of their day working one-on-one with students who may need extra attention when it comes to reading.
This can be especially beneficial for children in high school or middle school, where homework starts getting harder. Struggling readers may not understand what they are reading, so they may be stuck on a particular assignment for a long period of time without understanding why they’re stuck.
If your child’s tutor takes the time to work through problems, then you will have a less stressed and more capable reader in the end.
Additional Strategies
Encourage your child by letting them know that they are doing a good job. You might tell your child that they are doing great when they finish a book or take the time to read for fun outside of school. Positive reinforcement will raise your child’s confidence. Another potential strategy is participating in reading rewards. For example, if your child reads a certain number of books in two weeks, give them a reward like going to a movie or getting an extra hour of screen time after school.
As promised, I’d like to share one book teaser each week over a four-week time span. Last week, I posted the first teaser for my new novel, Double-Edged Sword, which will be available in a few weeks. This book is the fourth one in the Renegade Series. Please let me know what you think! Does it spark your interest?
Double-Edged Sword describes the perilous desecration of the South following the Civil War, and how one newlywed couple navigates through the turmoil left behind, both in the South and in the North. Sure to be a bestseller, Double-Edged Sword discusses many controversial topics. It is edgy, profound, and alarming enough to pique anyone’s curiosity. Soon available on Amazon and all online booksellers.
I was recently notified that my novel, A Beckoning Hellfire has received the B.R.A.G. Medallion. The book, is the second in the Renegade Series. The first book in the series, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, also received this award several years ago. I am so honored to receive this award! The book is chosen for this award by readers who vote for it, and is only given to books that have been self-published. According to their website:
“BRAGMedallion.com is owned and operated by indieBRAG, LLC, a privately held organization that has brought together a large group of readers, both individuals and members of book clubs, located throughout the United States and in ten other countries around the globe. The word “indie” refers to self-published books, while B.R.A.G. is an acronym for Book Readers Appreciation Group. The name “indieBRAG” and the B.R.A.G. logos are trademarks of indieBRAG, LLC. The B.R.A.G. Medallion is a certification trademark owned and controlled by indieBRAG, LLC.”
I will post more information about this as it becomes available. Thank you, indieBRAG, for this distinguished recognition.
I have a new novel coming out next month, which will be the fourth installment in the Renegade Series. This book has been in the making for quite some time, but it is finally ready for publication. If you are familiar with the other books in the series, it takes up where A Rebel Among Us leaves off. I will have a cover reveal in a few weeks. In the meantime, I’d like to share one book teaser each week for the next four weeks. Let me know what you think! Does it spark your interest?
Double-Edged Sword describes the perilous desecration of the South following the Civil War, and how one newlywed couple navigates through the turmoil left behind, both in the South and in the North. Sure to be a bestseller, Double-Edged Sword discusses many controversial topics. It is edgy, profound, and alarming enough to pique anyone’s curiosity. Soon available on Amazon and all online booksellers.
Zoe Strozewski – 1/6/2022 The same company that took down the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia, was hired to dismantle the city’s last major Confederate statue and the pedestals where other Civil War-linked monuments used to stand.
The monument of Confederate General A.P. Hill and his remains, which are buried beneath the statue, will be removed, according to procurement documents.
The city announced on Wednesday that Newport News-based Team Henry Enterprises bid $1.5 million on the project and was awarded the contract, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. The upcoming removal of the final major Confederate statue stemmed from efforts that began in the summer of 2020, when the U.S. erupted in mass protests calling for racial justice after the killing of George Floyd. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney ordered their removal that summer and set the process in motion.
Last week, Northam and Stoney announced a tentative plan to transfer ownership of the dismantled monuments to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. Under the proposal, the Black History Museum would then be able to work with The Valentine museum and local community members to decide the fate of the monuments.
Another company, Stratified Inc., said it could complete the work for $1 million. But as Richmond was preparing to award it the contract, the city found that the Washington-based company didn’t have a necessary state contractor’s license. A city official familiar with the process told the Times-Dispatch that Team Henry protested plans to award the contract to the other company. Stratified Inc. CEO Clive Diaz said Wednesday that he intended to get the license immediately, but lawyers he consulted told him that the city had the right to reject the bid without it.
In 2020, Richmond awarded a $1.8 million contract to a shell company associated with Team Henry to remove the city’s Confederate statues. Henry later said he formed the shell company for safety reasons, as contractors taking down Confederate monuments in other places had been threatened or subject to violence.
The Virginia State Police investigated the deal after former Councilwoman Kim Gray raised concerns that company owner Devon Henry had previously donated to the mayor’s election campaign and political action committee. A prosecutor didn’t find evidence of public corruption and ended the investigation last summer.
Richmond’s chief administrative officer, Lincoln Saunders, told the Times-Dispatch on Wednesday that state officials had suggested Henry for this last job after already engaging him to remove the Lee statue.
(Article courtesy of The Southern Comfort, Private Samuel A. Hughey Camp 1452, Sons of Confederate Veterans and President Jefferson Davis Chapter, Military Order of the Stars and Bars, Volume 46, Issue No. 2, February 2022)
