J.D.R. Hawkins

One bullet can make a man a hero… or a casualty.

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How to Extend the Life of Your Prefab Metal Barn

How to Extend the Life of Your Prefab Metal Barn

Being one of the most durable materials available on our planet, steel has outscored all its competitors. Its features like fire and pest resistance, durability, and strength are unparalleled to traditionally used materials like timber. Generally, metal structures are cost-effective and do not require much upkeep. Even though metal buildings require less maintenance, without a little care, they might start rusting and develop signs of withering. With proper care, you can extend metal building life. With suitable care, the metal barn can last up to 50 years or more, but without maintenance, it will last you only 10 years. Metal barn maintenance becomes essential for livestock cleaning, feeding, and washing inside the building. The area where animals frequently move around or sit will develop moisture. A good housekeeping practice must be implemented for animal health and hygiene. If you are using a barn to store crops, you must check moisture, unwanted rodents, and mildew growth. Following are some hacks you can adapt to extend metal barn life and help you with its maintenance.

Examine Rust:

It’s essential to check your building at least once a month regularly. If you notice any signs of rust or holes in your metal panels, addressing them promptly within a few days instead of waiting for months is best. This proactive approach can help prevent further damage and ensure the safety and integrity of your building. In metal barns, rust can spread if subjected to moisture, so that tiny hole might lead to a bigger impact in the future. Ensure your building is dry and clean to prevent any rust formation. If there is any water logging problem near your metal barn, fix it promptly. Failing to address this matter may lead to rusting in the long run and result in significant financial damage.

Oil Hinges:

Hinges are connectors to your metal structures found in add-ons like windows, doors, etc. They are in use frequently. Timely oiling of hinges will reduce friction. It may look unnecessary, but it will keep your windows and doors from jamming. Do not let a stubborn door get in your way to access your building. Replace hinges that have wear and tear signs. A broken hinge can cause your doors and windows to shift out of place or even fall off entirely.

Ventilation:

Air circulation prevents the building of moisture, foul smell, and heat. When you buy a custom steel barn, ensure that you have proper windows and door plans for ventilation. If you have solar, wind, or gravity-powered ventilators, ensure they are cleaned regularly. Clean the blades of your barn’s ceiling fans and empty the dehumidifier reservoir where water is collected. 

Insulation:

If your insulators have passed their warranty period, get them checked and replaced if needed. Leakage and incorrect insulation may lead to condensation. Condensation damage is interior. It can lead to rusting due to moisture retention.Proper insulation plays a vital role in your metal barn maintenance. It might cost you more at installation, but it will prove worth every cent. Remember to get insulators when buying a custom steel barn; they will extend your metal building life.

Repair Damages:

In general, repair any minor damage that you notice in your metal barn. Metal buildings have power coating and durable spray coating that looks like paint. If you see them chip away or fade away, apply a re-coat. It will protect from rust and prolong the life of your metal barn. 

Washing Your Barn:

Over time, dust and sand can accumulate in your barn and cause it to lose its charm. If dirt and grime have accumulated on your steel barn, it’s time to wash them off. How? You can use industrial cleaners available for washing buildings. After cleaning, you can use a pressure washer at its lowest setting to rinse off. While dirt is not a problem for metal, it will feed and attract algae and moss growth. You can also wash interior walls and floors using cleaning solutions, and wearing a mask while cleaning is advisable so the spray does not enter your lungs.

Cleaning Roof and Gutters:

Any organic debris, like leaves, branches, etc., can stockpile on roof panels. Not just this debris make your barn look dirty, but they also absorb rainwater and moisture from the air. They dampen the roof’s surface, which might lead to rust formation if leftover time. Go for vertical roofs as they make cleaning easy due to their vertical steel panel.Cleaning your barn’s gutter is as important as installing it. While buying a custom steel barn, ensure you have gutter features installed. A gutter will collect all the rainwater and drain it from your metal barn into a drainage. This will help your barn to get dry quickly. Hence, there will be no time to develop moisture. A clogged gutter will restrict the flow of water.

Unplanned Updating:

If you plan to expand your metal barn, consult a professional rather than do it alone. Any unplanned modification might cause extra load on the building’s base. Barn is usually a large structure and requires proper planning to be extended in size. 

WRAP UP

Besides the above points, ensure that your nearby landscape is also clean. Any plants or roots of trees can damage the barn’s foundation if left unchecked. It will take the life out of your metal building. Inspect your metal barn as soon as it is installed to remove any unwanted leftover material that may cause the metal structure to rust. Keep your unused stuff properly stored. So, how far should you have a plantation? Avoid having bushes and trees immediately beside your building’s base. Maintaining a foot gap will be advisable. When you buy custom steel barns, ensure they are coated for protection. It would be best if you preferred installing an insulator during construction because afterward, you might have to dismantle some panels, which will cost you extra. When buying a prefab steel barn, always choose certified galvanized steel. You can email us at Viking Barns for more information. If you are looking for a prefab metal barn or have any queries, please contact us.

Release Day: Lost (In Disgrace #2) by Shilpa Suraj

Lost by Shilpa Suraj.jpg

Lost is a story of love, betrayal, honour, revenge, and everything in between. It’s also a love story that sets fire to the world they live in leaving them with no choice but to rise from the ashes anew…

Final-Lost.jpg

Lieutenant Rahul Jaishankar of the Indian Navy is a man of honour, principles and commitment. His love for his family, his ethics, and his integrity is only eclipsed by his love for his country. He has no time or space to love anything or anyone else. Until the day Ayaana Sahni explodes into his life. Suddenly, she’s all he can think of, all he can hope for, all he dreams of, awake or asleep…

But Ayaana isn’t a dream he can afford to have. She’s an illusion. Ayaana Sahni is actually Aarushi Mittal. And Aarushi Mittal wants only one thing…Vengeance. And no man, not even one as deliciously gorgeous as Lieutenant Rahul was going to get in her way.

An award winning, intrepid journalist, Aarushi spends most of her life abroad working on the kind of devastating stories that the world would never hear of if not for people like her. But it has come at the cost of her personal life, at the cost of time with family, and at the heartbreaking cost of her friend’s devastating tragedy.

Aarushi needs to atone for her negligence, she needs to right the wrongs done in her absence, and she needs to make the villain in her friend’s story pay. What she really needs to make that happen is a way into the tightly knit community of the Indian Navy and Lieutenant Rahul Jaishankar is it. And if that means there is some collateral damage along the way, then so be it. Even if the collateral being damaged makes her yearn for dreams that don’t exist. Surely, the Lieutenant would understand, wouldn’t he?

Aarushi isn’t built for love. She’s built to burn down the world for her loved ones instead. So what if this man makes her want things she’s never wanted? So what if this man makes her heart ache for something she’ll never have? So what if, suddenly, this man is all she wants?

Goodreads * Amazon IN * Amazon US

Read an Excerpt from Lost
She swung the door open, her eagerness on full display. Rahul leaned against the wall outside her flat, in loose tracks and a t-shirt that had probably been washed ten thousand times. He looked warm and rumpled and enticingly cuddle-able. “Hi Ayaana.” Rahul smiled, a weary smile. Ayaana. Her smile dropped in wattage as she held the door open and made way for him to enter. He didn’t move, instead waiting on the threshold for her to precede him.Oh right. The whole gallantry thing. She turned around and started hopping back down the little corridor. She heard the door shut behind her and then a warm hand captured her crutch holding hand. A shiver worked its way through her. He was so close. So big, so warm, so everything. A ridiculous urge to curl into his solid, stable presence and cry overcame her but she shook it off. She shook it all off. “Problem, Navy?” His eyes, so close to her own, flashed in amusement at the nickname. “You’re doing it wrong,” he murmured.“Doing what wrong?” Why was she breathless? “The crutch thing.”She raised one eyebrow and tried to look haughty. “You’re criticizing my ability to limp on a damaged foot?” But she ruined the effect with the breathless whisper that accompanied the words. He looked down at her, his gaze dropping to her lips before moving to land on her crutch. “You’re hopping too much. All the weight and pressure is on your shoulders and back. You’re not leveraging the crutch enough.”He slid one arm around her waist to anchor her, his other hand going to wrap around the knuckles she had tightly clenched around the handle of the crutch. He helped her raise the crutch in the air and place it forward while using his other arm to coax her body into not leaping into a hop to compensate. Only when her weight rested on the crutch did he let her body slide into step with it. “Better?” he asked, the word a waft of heat against the shell of her ear. Aarushi shut her eyes, as unreasonable sensations cascaded through her. She nodded her head, just once, in response to his question. He released her and stepped back, cold air rushing in to take the place of the delicious warmth of his body. She reached instinctively for him but stopped herself before she made contact. Her fingers curled in mid-air before her hand dropped to her side. 
About the Author:

Shilpa Suraj.jpeg

A published author with Harlequin India – Mills & Boon India Collection and Juggernaut, Shilpa Suraj’s books have hit both the Hot New Releases and Bestseller lists on Amazon. Her next novel, tentatively titled ‘Wrong,’ has been contracted by Rupa Publications and will release later this year. She is also part of the Flipped Anthology by Harper Collins and had an audiobook book Insta Reddy release with Storytel.
She is, amongst other things, currently working on ‘Frazzled and Fabulous,’ a humorous, true-to-life parenting story that is part memoir and part nonfiction.
An avid reader with a passion for creative writing and storytelling saw her participating in writing competitions at school and dabbling in copy writing for an ad agency as a teenager. Twenty years in the corporate space, including a stint in Corporate Communications for Google, India, and a spell at entrepreneurship all hold her in good stead for her multiple current roles of author, mother and Head of Human Resources & Public Relations at an architecture and interior design firm.
Contact the Author:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Newsletter

Guest Post by Andre Griffin

The Art of Curating a Stellar Writer’s Portfolio


Photo by Pexels
The US has birthed countless creative talents, from Edgar Allen Poe to John Grisham. With the country’s literary heritage so rich, it’s clear the passion for storytelling runs deep. If you’re an aspiring writer aiming to add your narrative to this illustrious lineage, understanding how to get your work noticed is critical. This article, courtesy of author J.D.R. Hawkins, offers insight into strategies that can help you amplify your voice, secure an audience, and enhance your chances of making a living from your craft.

Securing Patronage for Your Literary Endeavours

Just as famous authors and poets, today’s writers might need to find their own champions. Harvard Business School notes that this begins by seeking potential investors who align with your vision and creative goals. Whether it’s securing a traditional publishing contract, pitching for grant funding, or leveraging the power of crowdfunding platforms, building a compelling case for your work is the key.

Creating a Compelling Portfolio

Just as artists have galleries, Authory points out that writers too must curate an engaging portfolio to show the world their unique voice and literary prowess. This portfolio may include excerpts from your works, samples of your writing style, and brief synopsis of your works-in-progress. Demonstrating a range of styles and ideas not only attracts potential investors but also builds your reputation with your audience.

Seek Opportunities to Showcase Your Work

Visibility is a crucial part of getting your work on the map. Besides traditional bookshops and libraries, consider digital platforms such as blogs, podcasts, and online literary journals to share your work. Utilize the power of self-publishing on platforms like Amazon Kindle or Smashwords. Don’t forget literary contests either; they offer the chance to win not just prizes but much-coveted recognition and readership.

Crafting a Personalized Website

In the digital era, a strong online presence is no longer optional. Creating your personal website is like building your online “home.” It’s a place to showcase your portfolio, share your writer’s journey, and connect with readers and potential collaborators. Make sure your site is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and representative of your personal brand as a writer.

Partner with Fellow Creatives

Harnessing the power of collaboration can significantly bolster a writer’s creative journey, opening up fresh paths of inspiration and broader exposure. Tactics such as guest blogging, co-authoring a novel, or organizing joint events can provide a mutually beneficial platform to expand your reach and generate innovative ideas. By pooling resources and audiences with other creatives, you’ll enrich your creative influence, carving out a stronger position in the literary landscape.

Amplify Your Online Presence

Embrace the digital world to extend your reach beyond geographic boundaries. Blog about your writing process, share snippets of your work on social media, or start an email newsletter. These digital marketing strategies not only help attract potential readers from around the world but also help build a community around your work.

Harness the Power of Local Literary Festivals

Engaging in local literary festivals and events offers a unique opportunity to connect with an audience that includes avid readers, industry insiders, and peers in writing. High-profile gatherings like the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and the Library of Congress National Book Festival serve as significant platforms where you can learn, network, and even generate sales for your books. By making the most of these occasions, you can elevate your profile in the literary community and advance your career.

Digitize Your Literary Business

Digital organization is a less glamorous but crucial aspect of running a professional writing business. It involves turning essential paperwork like contracts and copyright forms into digital records, enhancing both accessibility and protection for your work. When it comes to drawing up terms and contracts for clients who commission work from you, you can use a tool that allows you to sign and fill out PDF forms online so your clients can sign documents without having to print anything out. As you look for an easy-to-use tool, you should check this out. The signed PDF helps to streamline your records and ensure quick and easy access.
While you’re weaving words and creating memorable narratives, remember to take time to strategize and market yourself. After all, your stories deserve to be read, and with the right steps, you can make that happen. Your masterpiece could be the next on the map!

Beating a Dead Horse

General Robert E. Lee has long been a part of Virginia’s history. After the War Between the States, he accepted a position as president of Washington College, which was later named Washington and Lee University in his honor. The general is buried in the chapel on campus, even though the Confederate flags around his chamber have been removed.

General Lee’s beloved horse, Traveller, is buried just outside the chapel. Up until last week, there was a marker denoting Traveller’s gravesite, but the marker has been removed. The plaque had been a part of the university’s fabric since 1930, when it was decided that Traveller’s remains required a proper burial. Prior to that, the skeleton was on display, and students etched their initials into the bones for good luck. It has been a longstanding tradition for students and faculty to leave treats on Traveller’s gravesite.

But now, the plaque is gone, as well as two other plaques on campus referring to General Lee. University officials didn’t bother to make any prior announcements about the desecration. Lynn Rainville, the Director of Institutional History and Museums, is the person directly responsible for the removal of Traveller’s plaque. Contact her at the following address, and let her know this is not okay. She should not be the one deciding the fate of our history.

Washington and Lee University

Attention: Lynn Rainville

204 W. Washington Street

Lexington, Virginia 24450

Telephone: 540-458-8379

Here is an excerpt from my book, Horses in Gray, which describes the beautiful horse, Traveller.

Behold that horse! A dappled gray!

I saw him in the month of May,

When wild flowers bloomed about his feet,

And sunshine was his mantle meet.              

Of all the horses to serve in the War Between the States, the most famous is Traveller. The magnificent steed and his owner, General Robert E. Lee have become synonymous in history. Although Traveller was not the only horse Lee owned, he was certainly the general’s favorite. The two were constant companions.

… Traveller has also been immortalized in verse, such as in the following by Stephen Vincent Benet:  

And now at last, comes Traveller and his master. Look at them well. The horse is an iron-grey, sixteen hands high, Short back, deep chest, strong haunch, flat legs, small head, Delicate ear, quick eye, black mane and tail, Wise brain, obedient mouth. Such horses are the jewels of the horseman’s hands and thighs, They go by the word and hardly need the rein. They bred such horses in Virginia then, Horses that were remembered after death And buried not so far from Christian ground That if their sleeping riders should arise They could not witch them from the earth again And ride a printless course along the grass With the old manage and light ease of hand.          

… Before his death, General Lee was approached by his wife’s cousin, Martha “Markie” Williams, who desired to paint a portrait of Traveller. In response, the general dictated a description to his daughter, Agnes:         “If I were an artist like you, I would draw a true picture of Traveller . . . Such a picture would inspire a poet, whose genius could then depict his worth and describe his endurance of toil, hunger, thirst, heat, cold, and the dangers and suffering through which he passed. He could dilate upon his sagacity and affection, and his invariable response to every wish of his rider. He might even imagine his thoughts, through the long night marches and days of battle through which he has passed.            

“But I am no artist. I can only say he is a Confederate gray. I purchased him in the mountains of Virginia in the autumn of 1861, and he has been my patient follower ever since—to Georgia, the Carolinas, and back to Virginia. He carried me through the Seven Days battle around Richmond, the second Manassas, at Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, the last day at Chancellorsville, to Pennsylvania, at Gettysburg, and back to the Rappahannock.            

“From the commencement of the campaign in 1864 at Orange till its close around Petersburg, the saddle was scarcely off his back, as he passed through the fire of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and across the James River. He was almost in daily requisition in the winter of 1864-65 on the long line of defenses from the Chickahominy, north of Richmond, to Hatcher’s Run, south of the Appomattox. In the campaign of 1865, he bore me from Petersburg to the final days at Appomattox Court House.            

“You must know the comfort he is to me in my present retirement. He is well supplied with equipments. Two sets have been sent to him from England, one from the ladies of Baltimore, and one was made for him in Richmond; but I think his favorite is the American saddle from St. Louis.            

“Of all his companions in toil, Richmond, Brown Roan, Ajax, and quiet Lucy Long, he is the only one that retained his vigor. The first two expired under their onerous burden, and the last two failed.            

“You can, I am sure, from what I have said, paint his portrait.”    

https://www.wluspectator.com/home/2023/7/14/travellers-headstone-removed-not-yet-replaced

Release Blitz – Flawed

Why would anyone want perfection when they could have Vaani Jaishankar instead?

Aditya Khamankar was a chartered accountant who built his life on a bedrock of numbers. For no matter what happened, numbers and math never let you down. They stayed the same. And that fundamental fact defined many of his choices. He was the obedient son, the diligent student, the overachieving employee, the reliable friend. All he wanted in his life was routine and sensible discourse. All he craved in that same life was peace and quiet. And then his senior partner’s flighty daughter came home. And life as he knew it was never the same again…

Reality television villain and tabloid fodder, Vaani Jaishankar lived for the arclights. The notoriety, the glamour, the larger than life noise that came with it held her in thrall. Until the industry she loved and the people she trusted used and abandoned her. And now, she was back home. Darkening the doorstep of her childhood home, something she’d sworn she’d never do and working in her father’s accountancy firm…Could God just take her now already? And then there was her father’s business partner…

What happens when Perfection meets Flawed? Do the cracks beneath his façade show? Or is it as well hidden as the foundation of grit and ambition her shiny polish conceals?

When attraction wars with common sense and love burns a fiery rope that ties them together, Aditya and Vaani need to decide if this is enough…If they are enough for each other? For the world doesn’t believe they are and the world isn’t done with them yet…

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/131128586-flawed
Amazon India: https://amzn.to/434aing

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/436lyzl

Read an excerpt from Flawed

The bloody suitcase’s gimpy wheel broke off and the whole thing listed to one side. With a tiny scream of frustration, Vaani righted the now muddy suitcase and straightened. She took a deep breath as she stared at the house in front of her. 

Her childhood home. The home she’d grown up in, the one where she’d learned to walk, to talk, to do pretty much everything including curling her eyelashes. It looked the same, exactly the same. A bougainvillea plant bloomed along the circumference of the compound wall, the pop of colour painfully bright in her current mood of gloom and doom.

The roof tiles seemed to have been recently replaced, she thought absently as her gaze took in the brick red tiles that gave a cottagey kind of look to the otherwise cream coloured bungalow. 

She stood there, her useless suitcase by her side and stared at her past. Memories of banging doors and screaming ‘I’ll never set foot in this house again’ rose up in front of her practically taking on corporeal form. 

“I hate you all,” she whispered the words she’d screamed years before. It was the last thing she’d shouted at her family before she’d stormed out of the house, dragging this same suitcase with her. She’d been so sure, so confident, so stupid…

A loud car horn had her startling and her suitcase fell over again. The lid flew open from impact and the overstuffed suitcase disgorged its contents. Vaani stared in dismay as her clothes littered the driveway of her parents otherwise neat-as-a-pin compound. 

It was only as her gaze tracked her hot pink bra did she realise that it was draped over a perfectly polished black shoe. The car honking at her! Oh no, her bra was dangling off her father or brother’s shoe. Kill her now. A strike of lightning maybe? But nope, the clear blue skies meant that wasn’t an option.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she looked up at the man standing in front of her. Not her father or brother. Her heart soared in relief at the realisation before sinking like a stone at the sight of his forbidding expression. Angry glower, clenched jaw, nasty scar, and dramatic frown. Yes, whoever this was, he wasn’t impressed by Vaani. All six feet plus of taut muscles and frozen disapproval. Which was a new experience for her. Vaani usually had men falling at her feet in a haze of lust, not tapping an angry foot draped in a hot pink bra at her.

“Who the hell are you and what do you think you are doing here?” the man bit out. 

“Who the hell are you?” Vaani tossed back, genuinely bewildered. Had her parents sold the house or something? Even if they had, Rahul Anna would have told her. He was the only family member who still kept in touch with her. Despite being in the Navy and off on a ship most of the time. Which said a lot for her estrangement from the rest of her family. 

But that wasn’t a problem for now. Her problem for now looked to be the mountain of muscles who didn’t seem to realise he was wearing her bra on his foot. 

“Aditya Khamankar,” he said grimly like that was supposed to mean something to her. 

“Okay then Mr. Khamankar,” Vaani replied crouching and grabbing an armful of distressed jeans. “Don’t just stand there. Help me clear up the mess you made.” 

“I made??” 

“Yes, you!” She stuffed clothes back in her suitcase haphazardly. She would figure out how to fit everything later. “You honked at me and broke my suitcase.”

“I honked at you because you were standing in the middle of the driveway and staring into space. But how exactly do you manage to blame me for your suitcase disaster?” 

She noticed he hadn’t moved an inch as she scrambled around on the ground collecting her fashion debris. 

“May I have my bra please?” she asked politely, pointing at his shoe and hoping to shame him into being a gentleman.

He glanced down at his shoe, one eyebrow slowly rising at the sight of her bra still elegantly draped over its tip. 

“Stop gaping and give it to me,” she ordered, losing patience with the whole drama. She had to still deal with family drama once she entered the house. She wasn’t interested in driveway drama with random strangers.

“You look familiar,” he said slowly, as he removed the bra from his shoe and held it out to her.

Oh God. Here they went again. Honestly, Vaani was so tired of the fans and their constant requests for selfies and autographs. 

“Look, now is not the time, okay?” She made a vague shooing motion with her hand. “I’ll pose for a selfie some other day. Right now, I am here for quality time with my family and don’t want to be disturbed.”

Now, both his eyebrows shot up. She reached for the bra, but he tightened his grip on it and she found herself engaged in a weird tug of war with Muscle Man for her own underwear.

“You’re Shravan Uncle’s daughter.” 

Yuck. He knew her father. If that didn’t put him on her shitlist, she didn’t know what would. She pulled at her bra again, but, again, he didn’t let go. He just kept staring at her with that frown on his stupid face. 

Okay. It wasn’t a stupid face. It was actually a nice face. All manly and craggy and, she was pretty certain, it was a hundred percent natural. She was sure this man had never injected his face with anything or had any other work done on it. If he had, he would have first fixed that nasty scar on the right side of his face. It extended from his temple to halfway down his cheek, jagged and slightly raised. 

She wondered how he’d got it. Maybe he’d held someone else’s lingerie hostage and she’d been attached enough to it to attack him with a knife. Vaani didn’t care quite that much about hers. But, it was the principle of the thing. It was her bra after all. 

“Look.” She flashed her trademark pouty smile. “I realise keeping a celebrity’s personal stuff as a souvenir is a thing and I’m sure you’d love to keep this bra for, you know, private bedroom stuff, but-“

He dropped it like it had turned into a live flame in his hand. And then, to add insult to injury, he rubbed his hand on his pant like he was trying to rid himself of the feel of her bra.

Annoyed, Vaani opened her mouth to say something biting and sarcastic, she didn’t know what, but she knew she would think of something good. And then she heard his voice.

“Vaani?”

Of course, he would be the one to find her like this. 

Two years ago, when he’d told her she brought nothing but shame and embarrassment to the family and the family name, she’d stormed out of the house vowing to never return until she proved him wrong.

And here she was, standing in his driveway, with a broken suitcase, nothing to her name but the clothes stuffed into it, and a pink bra in her hand in lieu of the white flag of surrender she should actually be waving. 

She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and turned to face the man who’d sired her and deserted her. 

“Hi Appa. I’m home.” 

About the Author:

A published author with Harlequin India – Mills & Boon India Collection and Juggernaut, Shilpa Suraj’s books have hit both the Hot New Releases and Bestseller lists on Amazon. Her next novel, tentatively titled ‘Wrong,’ has been contracted by Rupa Publications and will release later this year. She is also part of the Flipped Anthology by Harper Collins and had an audiobook book Insta Reddy release with Storytel.

She is, amongst other things, currently working on ‘Frazzled and Fabulous,’ a humorous, true-to-life parenting story that is part memoir and part nonfiction.

An avid reader with a passion for creative writing and storytelling saw her participating in writing competitions at school and dabbling in copy writing for an ad agency as a teenager. Twenty years in the corporate space, including a stint in Corporate Communications for Google, India, and a spell at entrepreneurship all hold her in good stead for her multiple current roles of author, mother and Head of Human Resources & Public Relations at an architecture and interior design firm.

Contact the Author:
Website: http://shilpasuraj.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shilpasuraj/
Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/shilpasuraj/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shilpa.suraj/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dt-Br9

New Release – Hopelessly Devoted To: Violet

Hopelessly Devoted To: Violet 

by 

Terri Anne Browning

Contemporary New Adult Rockstar Wedding Romance

BOOKS2READ

Cold feet isn’t her only problem.

Every time someone mentions planning their wedding, Violet finds a reason why they should wait.
Luca is her soulmate and Love Bug’s favorite person.
They are already a family, but they need to make it official.
Luca is getting tired of calling her his fiancée and not his wife.
But Vi is torn.
Saying “I do” to Luca will mean releasing the last hold Remington had on her heart.
Yet just as she’s ready to tell the memory of her first husband goodbye and let go, another ghost from their past knocks on their door.

Terri Anne Browning is a Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author. She writes contemporary romance featuring rockers, bikers, and mafiosos–but mostly about the strong female characters who rule what has become known as the Rocker Universe.

Terri Anne lives in Virginia with her husband, their three demons–err, children– a Frenchie named Ciri and a chatty as-sin bird named Raven.

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New Release! Angel’s Halo Collection V. 2

Angel’s Halo Collection

Vol 2

by 

Terri Anne Browning

Contemporary New Adult Romance is filled with MC members, Rock Stars, and Mobsters

ANGEL’S HALO COLLECTION VOL. 2 by Terri Anne Browning

Being part of Angel’s Halo MC was exactly like being part of a family. A scary, powerful, crazy family. There are rules, just as there are in every family and every society. But only breaking one specific rule will leave you in a broken, bloody pile on the floor…

From WSJ & USA Today Bestselling Author Terri Anne Browning comes the final segment of the Angel’s Halo Collection.

The Angel’s Halo MC have joined forces with the Vitucci Mafiosos to overcome a world determined to set itself on fire.

Suspense, intrigue, warring families, loss, and redemption, fill the pages barreling toward a finale that will leave you breathless.

BOOKS2READ

Family is everything…

From WSJ & USA Today Bestselling Author Terri Anne Browning comes the final segment of the Angel’s Halo Collection. The Angel’s Halo MC have joined forces with the Vitucci Mafiosos to overcome a world determined to set itself on fire. Suspense, intrigue, warring families, loss, and redemption, fill the pages barreling toward a finale that will leave you breathless.

Terri Anne Browning is a Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author. She writes contemporary romance featuring rockers, bikers, and mafiosos–but mostly about the strong female characters who rule what has become known as the Rocker Universe.

Terri Anne lives in Virginia with her husband, their three demons–err, children– a Frenchie named Ciri and a chatty as-sin bird named Raven.

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Book Tour – Hopelessly Devoted

Hopelessly Devoted

Rockers’ Legacy

by 

Terri Anne Browning

A Contemporary New Adult Romance filled with Rockstars, Mobsters, and MC members to round out the edges.

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Sometimes “I do” comes with complications.

Mia: Being pregnant and still angry at her father isn’t the best recipe for making the perfect wedding. Can Emmie work her magic to give her daughter the wedding she dreams of?

Nevaeh: Marrying Braxton is supposed to be the happiest moment of her life, but his parents have other plans for their son.

Arella: Her wedding to Jordan is all planned out, but the nightmares of what happened with her uncle continue to haunt her. Someone is still trying to torture her, but Garon Steel is dead. Who could be left that wants to hurt her?

Shaw: Will marrying her rocker be the small, intimate experience she’s hoping for? Or will the paparazzi turn it into a three-ring circus?

Doe: Why does it feel like everyone is planning her future…but her?

Trinity: After all the heartbreak she’s suffered, this wedding must go off without incident. She refuses to start her life with Jarrett anyway other than flawlessly.

Piper: Her childhood nemesis is now the love of her life. But all eyes are on the groom, making sure he doesn’t pull any of his old stunts and break her heart. Everything has to go perfectly, or her parents will make sure Cannon loses more than just his freedom.

“We invited you here to get to know one another a little better,” Lana said in a cool tone. “But I’ll have the waiter show you out if you speak to my daughter like that again.”

“Your daughter is nothing but a home-wrecking little whore.” Mom’s gaze traveled up and down Lana’s slender body. With her hair free from gray and only a few lines on her face, she didn’t look like she should have an eighteen-year-old daughter. Hell, she looked more like Nevaeh’s older sister than her mom, but Lana had been in her twenties when they’d had their first of five children. “And I’m sure the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Ah, fuck,” Nevaeh whispered. “Things are about to get crazy.”

The words hadn’t fully left her mouth when her mom swung back and delivered a punch direct center to my mother’s face. My mom screamed in pain, while the entire restaurant seemed to gasp in shock as one. Blood poured out from around her fingers and splattered on her designer dress.

“If you ever call my child a whore again, a broken nose will be the least of your worries, bitch,” Lana seethed, shaking out her hand.

Drake grasped her hand, inspecting it for any damage she may have caused herself. Briefly, he lifted his head and snapped his fingers at a waiter. “Get my angel a bag of ice for her hand,” he commanded before turning his focus back on his wife’s already-bruising knuckles.

“You need to have a better rein on your wife, Stevenson,” my father grumbled.

Slowly, as if he were a predator capturing his prey in his sights, Drake turned his head and looked at Miles. I heard him gulp at the feral look in the rock legend’s blue-gray eyes. “I suggest you take your bitch wife and go, dickhead. Before I start spilling your dirty secrets here in this packed restaurant with people who know you.”

“Belinda,” Miles snapped. “Let’s go.”

Even holding her still-bleeding nose, my mother was able to toss her hair back and hmph as she walked past Lana. With a little growl, Lana started to grab for her, but Drake stepped into her path, lightly tightening his grip on her injured hand. “Easy, Angel. You already made your point.”

The waiter returned with the bag of ice—and the manager. “Sir, I’m afraid you and your party will have to leave, or I will be forced to call the police.”

“Gladly,” Drake gritted out. “If you allow trash like that in here, then I’m sure the food isn’t nearly as good as your accolades claim.”

“Sir,” the manager began again, a look of outrage on his face. “Please don’t make more of a scene.”

Carefully releasing Lana’s hand, Drake pulled out his wallet and extracted several bills. Tossing them on the table, he lifted his chin at the waiter who had brought the bag of ice. “For you, kid.”

—Hopelessly Devoted to Nevaeh

Terri Anne Browning is a Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author. She writes contemporary romance featuring rockers, bikers, and mafiosos–but mostly about the strong female characters who rule what has become known as the Rocker Universe.

Terri Anne lives in Virginia with her husband, their three demons–err, children– a Frenchie named Ciri and a chatty as-sin bird named Raven.

Top 5 Questions

Q: How do you “dress down?” Favorite fuzzy slippers? Add a pic!

A: An anime or oversized shirt with anime pajama pants. Sometimes a cardigan or hoodie.

Q: What hobbies do you have?

A: Reading is top of the list. But I also am huge into watching Turkish, K-Dramas, and C-Dramas. I prefer those over American TV.

Q: Who is your closest adult friend, and how do you relate to them?

A: My husband is my best friend. Maybe because we were friends before we started dating. But he is the one I trust the most with every dark secret and every deep emotion I feel. He’s my rock, the one who holds me up when I don’t have the energy or the will to stand on my own.

Q: What bands do you like? Do you even pay attention?

A: My playlist is a little bit of everything…except country. For some reason, I just can’t stand country at the moment. Bands like No Resolve, Anthony Mossburg, BTS, Sia, and Citizen Soldier are just a few off the top of my head that are always playing while I’m working.

Q: What do you find most relaxing? (Not as in stress relief, but as something that actually calms you down.)

A: My husband’s touch. I can be having a hard time, the weight of the world crushing down on me, then he touches my hand, it all just fades away, and I can breathe again.

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Hopelessly Devoted To- Violet

Every time someone mentions planning their wedding, Violet finds a reason why they should wait.

Luca is her soulmate and Love Bug’s favorite person.

They are already a family, but they need to make it official.

Luca is getting tired of calling her his fiancée and not his wife.

But Vi is torn.

Saying “I do” to Luca will mean releasing the last hold Remington had on her heart.

Yet just as she’s ready to tell the memory of her first husband goodbye and let go, another ghost from their past knocks on their door.

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Book Blitz – Eden on Earth

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After setbacks one after the other at a young age, Dhaval Sonsoil accidentally stumbles upon a glimpse of enlightenment. In his childhood dreams, he sees visions of what he calls the void, the place of nothingness but, conversely, all-knowing. Challenged by a domineering father and pulled by emotions for a young peasant girl he is forbidden to see, Dhaval quickly learns that, enlightened or not, we can’t always get what we want. Ever persevering, Dhaval embarks on a quest for illumination in the modern world. But in doing so, he embarks on something much more profound: a search for paradise on Earth with coming-of-age philosophy to celebrate life in every moment for everyone in this majestic world.

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Read an Excerpt from Eden on Earth

I always thought enlightenment was no more than a fairy tale. I assumed that to achieve it, one had to grow old in a mountain cave, meditate under a Bodhi tree, or be delirious enough to hear the sound of one hand clapping. Now I have come to realize that it’s something much simpler. Enlightenment is just another word for love, true and selfless love that enables people to experience joy in all situations in every moment of their life.

And yet, love has become a dirty word. Many will tell you it’s complicated and messy, that it gets sticky, that it distracts you from purity, that it can be done right, and it can be done wrong. Others will tell you that love is a chemical process in the brain and nothing more. And if you search for it any more profound than that, you’ll be waiting for a long like a person waiting to hear the sound of a tree falling in a forest that makes no sound.

And, yet, if you ask any two random lovers—I’m talking about the true lovers, not the Hollywood or Bollywood version, but two lovers that eat at each other’s snot and scent each other’s breath, who want to be in each other’s skin, not just be with each other—about enlightenment. They’ll tell you they don’t care. As far as they’re concerned, they’ve already found the answer, and it’s this: all you need is true and selfless love. That kind of love makes lovers feel content to stay with each other in every moment of their life, run through deserts and sail oceans, and climb mountains, because what else is there worth finding? They’ve experienced what they’ve been looking for, the joy of living, experiencing the depth of love, the catalyst, the glue that binds all creation from time immemorial, now and forever.  

If I sound like a guru, I’m not. I was confused not just by love, but by life itself for most of my life. Sure, I read about enlightenment in books and saw it mentioned in films. Sometimes it was called moksha, illumination, and other times an ecstasy pill. Some others called it living joyfully every day without any worries for tomorrow! But either way, it was always something cryptic, an abstract idea people threw about at meditation retreats, seminars, and in ‘spirituality’ or ‘austerity’ or ‘postmodern art’ workshops, but inevitably made at least one person feel uneasy because big words meant significant opinions. 

Would enlightenment mean having an encyclopedia inside your head? Or was it more a case of being able to project the past and the future like a film reel of dinosaurs and nebulas upon the back of one’s mind? Or, then again, was it more an aesthetic thing? A glowing halo and a white tunic? Was that all it was? Just an image? A pretense?  Or knowing and understanding how to live a joyful life at all times in all circumstances? Is it an idea of something that didn’t exist but people clung on to because of sheer fear, fear of being a conscious presence in a universe that is nothing more than a black vacuum of black holes and giant spinning orbs, one of which we found ourselves stuck to, thanks to that miraculous and very convenient force we call gravity?

But I was never interested in what others wanted to tell me about enlightenment. I wanted to see it for myself. You know, I’ve always only ever wanted the truth. Absolute, not relative truth. Black coffee, no sugar truth, truth beyond illusion. Release from insanity. Release from chaos. Freedom from daily pain, struggles, and disappointments of life—release from greed for power and wealth. Escape from intolerance, violence, and desires of the world.

Did I find it? I’ll let you be the judge. Because who am I to tell you what you should think anyway? Who am I to tell you what the meaning and purpose of your life are? Too many people in this world are convinced they have theanswers. The world has become too loud, too distorted to hear gentle and absolute truths. I don’t think you’ll believe what I have to say even if I do tell you. You have to see it for yourself. You have to experience it for yourself! And isn’t that the whole idea of the one hand clapping and the tree falling in the forest, making no sound? 

The answer is simple. As soon as you try to explain enlightenment or the joyful living in every situation in every moment of life, you have lost it, just like you try to clap with one hand, but you will not make a sound.

All I can tell you is my story.

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New Release – Trial by Thunder


Enduring The Storms 3

by

Neffie Rae

A Contemporary Military Forced Proximity Bodyguard Romantic Suspense

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She’s everything he wants but cannot have…

Retired Navy SEAL Ryan Hunter is adjusting to his new civilian life. 

Bored out of his mind, a steamy night on the dance floor leaves him hopeful about the future until he finds out the Blue-eyed beauty is Ivy,  the little sister of one of his best friends. 

Vince makes it clear he doesn’t want Ryan anywhere near his little sister, but when Ivy’s life is threatened, Ryan is the only one he can trust to keep her safe.

The waters rise and boil as Ryan tries to keep it professional, as they are thrust into the seedy criminal world of Seattle, where things are not what they seem. When the secrets that have been surrounding them come crashing down, they must be careful who they choose as their allies. As the battle begins, they will have to fight for their lives, but when the dust settles, not everyone may be left standing.

Neffie Rae lives in Utah with the love of her life and soulmate. Together they have three beautiful kids and one fur baby. Neffie has a deeply rooted love of reading and telling stories. She’s always been one to be making up stories from all sources of inspiration. She wrote her first short story at nine and hasn’t been able to give it up.

Outside of reading, she’s a bit of a hermit and has a great love of nature and animals of all kinds. Stick her in a small cabin in the mountains by the water, and she’s in heaven. Music has always been a mistress in her life. Give her a soulful tune, and she’ll spin you a story of love, passion, or heartache.

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