Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Saturday Spotlight with Mark W. Sasse and Giveaway of The Recluse Storyteller

Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature that shines the light on Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:

MARK SASSE
~Author of The Recluse Storyteller~


A Creator or a Consumer? 
by Mark Sasse - 2013

Have you ever just taken a moment to look around your house at all the stuff you have wasted money on? It's okay to admit it. We surround ourselves with a ton of junk.

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A while back I wrote a blog post lamenting all the money I had spent on computers over the years - buying top of the line models which would be in the trash faster than a literary agent can press the delete key from an e-query letter. (Sorry about that. I'm not bitter.)

I recently surveyed some items in our house. A $120 video console that nobody uses. A $200 iPod Touch that freezes up and now only plays music. My daughter's $500 camera which is outdated and remains "awkward to use" as she says. My other daughter's $100 camera that doesn't work. My son's $100 camera that hasn't taken a picture in over a year. And the list goes on ... Limited resources spent on "must-have" items which end up in the trash or at a garage sale for 2% of its original value. At least with a paperback, you can rip its cover off and still end up providing enjoyment for people. Somebody in Simi Valley or in a Special Economic Zone in eastern China is laughing. I'm pretty sure it isn't me.

Over the last few years, I've been noticing a shift in my thinking. I am no longer enthralled with mindless TV content or Hollywood same-as-last-year blockbusters. I have a growing desire to be defined by what I create, not by what I consume. And so the transition is in place. Sure, I still like things. Sometimes too much. But the draw is much less now that I have allowed myself to be myself. What do I mean by that? I went for twenty years afraid of being a writer because I felt that I couldn't measure up to anyone else, and so I settled on being a consumer, instead. But can satisfaction be found in what we consume or what we create?

When I wrote my first novel "Beauty Rising" in the summer of 2011, I was afraid to do anything with it. I was afraid that I couldn't repeat the process. I promised myself this: I won't release it until I have written my second. I wrote my second novel, "The Recluse Storyteller" in the summer of 2012. Once completed, I finally felt free to release my first which I did in December 2012. I repeated the same process this year - creating my third before releasing my second. What I learned throughout this whole process is that I love to create. I love to write stories and see where they take me, discovering what will happen, knowing that the outcome is solely determined by me - not by Hollywood, or a face-less corporation. Now that I have started the creative process, there is no going back.

I would much prefer to be typing away on my computer (yes, I know. I can't get away from it) than watching a forgettable episode TV. The creative process in itself has become the ends for me. I am rewarded by the process, and if nobody ever reads my works, I'm all right with that because I just love to write and create. But if others like my writings, all the better. You may not be a writer, but I would encourage you to find whatever it is that you love and pursue it. Whether it be cooking, or gardening, or art, or friendship-building, or, etc...I believe we were all meant to be creative in one way or another. Once we tune into what that means in our own lives, we will find the pull of consumerism to be less and less on our lives. That can't be a bad thing, can it?


Mark W Sasse grew up in western Pennsylvania, but has lived in Vietnam and Malaysia for most of the last twenty years. He is heavily involved with drama and live theatre and his script “‘No’ in Spite of Itself” won the Best Script Award at the 2013 Short & Sweet Theatre Festival in Penang.

His second novel, The Recluse Storyteller, released on October 8, 2013. It recounts the story of Margaret, the middle-aged recluse who tells stories to herself that are inspired by the happenings of her neighbors. But through the most extraordinary circumstances, these stories begin to intersect in her neighbors’ real lives which drastically changes everything. His highly acclaimed debut novel, Beauty Rising, about the abused son of a Vietnam vet who finds new life by travelling to modern day Vietnam, was first published in December 2012.

GIVEAWAY

Today I have one Kindle/Nook eBook of Mark Sasse's The Recluse Storyteller. 
To enter please just fill in the copter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Margaret is not insane, at least not in a clinical sense. She’s like a midnight raccoon, painfully aware of her surroundings, gleaming crumbs of information at every turn; eyes peering incessantly in the night, stealing glances of neighbors behind partially opened doors. 

But the tales that she weaves were not meant to merely hold empty court to the receptive dead air of her apartment. Her stories were meant to embolden the lives of the inhabitants of that drab apartment block because her story is also their story—and everything would be different if they could only hear her stories. 

The Recluse Storyteller weaves five stories into one as the loner Margaret not only searches for meaning from her reclusive life, but also gives meaning in the most unexpected ways to the troubled souls of her apartment complex. Part adventure, part tragedy, and part discovery, The Recluse Storyteller bridges genres, bringing hope, life, and redemption to the broken relationships of modern society.

Thanks Mark for being on the spotlight today! To find out more about this author check out:

Goodreads~Blog
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Saturday, October 19, 2013

The Saturday Spotlight with Casey Keen and Giveaway of Saved by the Spell

Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature that shines the light on Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:

CASEY KEEN
~Author of the Anna Wolfe Series~


What’s Brewing? Branding & Why It’s Important for Authors
by Casey Keen 2013

Branding. We've all heard of the word, but what exactly does it mean and why is it so important, especially for authors?

What is It?

Branding is a promise. A promise to your fans/customers that you and your brand (product) are different than the rest; that your brand is spectacular, interesting, etc. and everyone should use, read, buy, etc.; your branding signifies who you are and how people perceive you.  

Why are you Different?

So, what does branding have to do with writing? Everything. Authors, you may have written an amazing self-help book or a paranormal novel, but who cares? There are THOUSANDS of authors doing the exact same thing. Why makes your story/plot different? What does your writing offer the readers?  These questions are extremely important when promoting your book. You need to stand out in some way, whether it be from your writing technique or storyline.

Branding on Paper.

So, where do we go from here? Simple. From business cards to your website, everything should be buttoned up with a thread of similarity woven into each. Do you write ghost or paranormal stories? If so, your brand should reflect this in some way, whether it be in color, graphics or wording. Consistency is what builds your brand over time. People begin to recognize it, in turn, recognizing you.

Here are some tips for your branding process:
  1. Logo. Get one and slap it on everything! A logo can be your initials, icon or look.
  2. Tagline. Create a tagline that will grab your readers attention or draw them in! It's one statement (or line, hence the name).
  3. Messaging. What is your brand trying to communicate with your readers/customers?
Consistency & Integration

Be consistent with your brand-from the way you respond to e-mails to your website's wording! Integrate your look and feel into EVERYTHING that revolves around your novel/product.
  1. Marketing. Make sure your brand's standards are reflected in everything from promotional items to stationary. Your colors, logo, font, etc. should always be consistent. 
  2. Deliver. Don't lie about your offerings or brand promise! Keep the promise and you will build a strong client base in no time!

Best Witches!

Casey Keen was born in Philadelphia, PA and grew up in the suburban outskirts of the amazing city. She loves anything paranormal and/or supernatural. The city is an awesomely haunted place! This healthy paranormal addiction has provided Casey with the motivation to write her first book, “I’ll Be Damned.”

Casey graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and is currently working on the Anna Wolfe Series.


GIVEAWAY

Today Casey is giving away one eBook {Smashwords-version of choice) to a lucky winner! To enter please just fill in the form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Two worlds in danger.

A Grand Witch behind bars.

A stunning Werewolf and a devilishly handsome Warlock’s pursuit for her affections.

You think you have it bad? Grand Witch Anna Wolfe awakens to find herself imprisoned by Micah, the Prince of Darkness. Micah’s on a quest for world domination—and it’s not just the Netherworld that’s in danger. The human world is threatened as well. Now, it’s up to Anna to escape from Micah's clutches so she can locate The Scholars and an ancient book before both fall into the wrong hands.

With a fiercely loyal Werewolf and immensely powerful Warlock by her side, what can go wrong? 

A lot apparently. 

If fighting off the Prince of Darkness wasn't enough, Anna’s emotions are a whirlwind, as she battles between what fate demands and what she actually wants.

Thanks Casey for being on the spotlight today!! To find out more about this author check out:

GOODREADS

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Feature: Shelf Cravings~{70}


Its time for Shelf Cravings!! A random dish on all things book. 
New releases, coming soon, just discovered and deals for my Kindle. This week Im excited for:


~COMING SOON~


My Real Children by Jo Walton
May 20, 2014 by Tor Books

It's 2015, and Patricia Cowan is very old. "Confused today," read the notes clipped to the end of her bed. She forgets things she should know—what year it is, major events in the lives of her children. But she remembers things that don’t seem possible. She remembers marrying Mark and having four children. And she remembers not marrying Mark and raising three children with Bee instead. She remembers the bomb that killed President Kennedy in 1963, and she remembers Kennedy in 1964, declining to run again after the nuclear exchange that took out Miami and Kiev.

Her childhood, her years at Oxford during the Second World War—those were solid things. But after that, did she marry Mark or not? Did her friends all call her Trish, or Pat? Had she been a housewife who escaped a terrible marriage after her children were grown, or a successful travel writer with homes in Britain and Italy? And the moon outside her window: does it host a benign research station, or a command post bristling with nuclear missiles?

Two lives, two worlds, two versions of modern history. Each with their loves and losses, their sorrows and triumphs. My Real Children is the tale of both of Patricia Cowan's lives...and of how every life means the entire world.



Half Bad by Sally Green
March 25, 2014 by Penguin

In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides.

Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?



Evertrue by Brodi Ashton
January 21, 2014 by Balzer &Bray

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?




Ignite by Tessa Teevan
October 30, 2013 by Author- Indie

After nearly a year and a half of grieving the loss of her husband, twenty-seven year old Alexa Sullivan Tate is headed back to her hometown after a decade of being away. She has no idea her high school crush, Jace McAllister, the guy who stole her heart the same night that he broke it, is more than ready to pick up the pieces.

Jace has spent the last ten years in the Army defusing bomb after bomb, trying to forget the girl who ignited all his passions. Little does he know that the spark still exists. Ten years ago they had smoldering chemistry, but the spark between them now might light a fuse that leads to an explosion even Jace can't stop. Not that he wants to. If only Alexa can get past her guilt and trust her heart again. But how do you put it all on the line when you've already lost everything once before?




A Risk Worth Taking by Heather Hildenbrand
October 22, 2013 by Accendo Press

When 22-year-old Summer Stafford’s parents split halfway through her senior year at college, Summer’s world is rocked. Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale.

Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.

Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations. Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy.



Outlaw by Ted Dekker
October 22, 2013 by Center Street

The story of how I, Julian Carter, and my precious two-year old son, Stephen, left Atlanta Georgia and found ourselves on a white sailboat, tossed about like a cork on a raging sea off of Australia's northern tip in 1963, is harrowing. But it pales in comparison to what happened deep in the jungle where I was taken as a slave by a savage tribe unknown to the world. Some places dwell in darkness so deep that even God seems to stay away. There, my mind was torn in two by the gods of the earth. There, one life ended so another could begin.

Some will say I was a fool for making the choices I made. But they would have done the same. They, too, would have embraced death if they knew what I knew, and saw through my eyes. My name is Julian and this is my story. But more, it is the story of my son who was born to change the world.



~NEW RELEASES I NEED TO READ~



Undying by Cyndy Aleo
September 24, 2013 {Indie}

What if the world isn't ready for your miracle?

Cameron Tattersall’s wife, Adrienne, should not be cooking breakfast when he wakes up. After all, he buried her yesterday. Yet the woman in his kitchen not only claims she is his wife, but also refuses to accept that she's supposed to be dead.

Cameron doesn't know what this woman is: hallucination, con-woman, or bona fide miracle. For all he knows, he's crazy, but her reappearance may return the only thing he ever wanted: a life with Adrienne.When their families discover Cameron isn't alone in his house, the couple learns coming back from the dead has its own set of trials: angry surviving family members, confused insurance companies, and a media storm that simultaneously wants to build the couple up and tear them down. There's also the matter of just who, or what, was buried in that coffin. Or not buried.

Thrust into the spotlight, Cameron and Adrienne have to decide whether living under a microscope is a fair trade for a miracle, and to reconcile their need for privacy with the desire for answers.


Never Come Back by David Bell
October 1, 2013 by Nal Trade

Elizabeth Hampton is consumed by grief when her mother dies unexpectedly. Leslie Hampton cared for Elizabeth’s troubled brother Ronnie’s special needs, assuming Elizabeth would take him in when the time came. But Leslie’s sudden death propels Elizabeth into a world of danger and double lives that undoes everything she thought she knew....

When police discover that Leslie was strangled, they immediately suspect that one of Ronnie’s outbursts took a tragic turn. Elizabeth can’t believe that her brother is capable of murder, but who else could have had a motive to kill their quiet, retired mother?

More questions arise when a stranger is named in Leslie’s will: a woman also named Elizabeth. As the family’s secrets unravel, a man from Leslie’s past who claims to have all the answers shows up, but those answers might put Elizabeth and those she loves the most in mortal danger.



Ok, lets talk about My Real Children....freak-ieeeee!! The rest sound equally great, I cant wait to read Evertrue and Im very curious to check out Undying, heck Im curious to read them all!!!
What book looks good to you?

~Recent eBook Deals~

All She Wanted by Nicole Deese (Freebie)
Keep Me Still by Caisey Quinn (99 Cents)
Can't Let Go by Michelle Brewer (Freebie)
These Things About Us by Laura Beege (Freebie)
Spiral by Mila Ferrera (Freebie)
Offworld by Robin Parrish (Freebie-still free now!!)



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Saturday, October 12, 2013

The Saturday Spotlight with Kelly Wittmann and a big big big giveaway!!

Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature that shines the light on Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:

KELLY WITTMANN
~Author of Remember Big~

Breaking through the Boundaries
by Kelly Wittmann -2013

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Hello, readers of Tina’s Book Reviews! I know that a lot of you are fans of the Romance genre, so I’m going to get this out of the way right off the bat: My novel, Remember Big, is not genre romance. It’s not even in any of the categories that are commonly referred to as “the Genres.” On Amazon and Kindle, it’s listed as Literary Fiction, landing in the sub-genre of Satire after not-so-great results in Contemporary Romance and Family Saga. Is there a contemporary romance in this novel? Yes. Does it include the saga of a family? Actually, it includes the sagas of two families. I quickly learned, however, that these two categories were considered “genre,” that most genre readers enjoy the familiar formulas they've come to know, and that trying to shoehorn a novel like mine into one those genres would only backfire.

Notice I said most genre readers prefer familiar formulas. And to those readers I say: good for you. Life is just too short to read anything you don’t like. But to the genre romance readers who might be looking for something a little different (not better, just different), I ask you to consider the love stories to be found in so-called “literary fiction.” (We could argue about that term ‘til the end of time, but let’s save the semantics for another day.) Not all of those love stories are dreary bores for Poindexters, lacking in passion and heart.

A first-person narrative from a male protagonist (like Charlie in Remember Big) may seem off-putting at first, but as you continue to read, you just might decide it’s a refreshing change. Some rough language (and it’s in there) may be a bit more than you’re used to, but sometimes a little shock to the system can invigorate you in unexpected ways. And although a formula always promises a happy ending, it is possible for a more realistic love story to leave you—well, happy.

So if you’re looking for a romantic story that’s outside “the genres,” check out the reviews for some literary fiction novels. And keep hoping (as I do) that someday we won’t have to argue over the meaning of “literary fiction.”


Kelly Wittmann is the author of the novel Remember Big and co-author of former NFL player Bill Searcey’s inspirational memoir High Tide: A Story of Football, Freefall, and Forgiveness. She lives with her husband, Michael, and her cat, Telly, in a hipster-infested neighborhood in Chicago.






GIVEAWAY

Today thanks to Kelly's awesomeness I have two paperback copies and 2 Kindle Copies of Remember Big to giveaway!! Everyone is welcome to enter this contest. Please just fill in the form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thirty-three-year-old Charlie Matthias was born on the same day as Phil Mickelson, but his career in professional golf sure didn't turn out the same way. Throw in some substance abuse and divorce issues, and he's a wreck who's pretty much given up on ever having a happy life. 

A chance meeting with an old friend from high school, Erica Denner, lights a spark of hope in his heart, but he claims their very different family backgrounds and personalities are stumbling blocks. Only when he admits to the real stumbling blocks—his own pain and bitterness—will there be a chance for Charlie and Erica to find a lasting love together.
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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Chatting with Authors~Featuring Angela Correll and Giveaway of Grounded



Today its lovely to welcome author Angela Correll to the blog. She will be sharing some thoughts on how writing and inspiration lands on paper. Be sure to check out the giveaway at the end of this post.


A Writer Writes, Watches and Listens
By Angela Correll- 2013

My classic image of a writer is someone who resembles Ernest Hemingway, pecking away at a typewriter for long hours, hair disheveled and eyes intense, while the ideas flow like water. When a chapter ends, the paper is ripped from the typewriter in victory, and then added to a neat stack. He pushes back, pours a drink, and is ready for relaxation until he sits down to work the next day.

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At least that is what I used to think until I became a writer. My hair might be disheveled and I can feel quite victorious at the end of a chapter. But for me, writing does not end with the typing. And I suspect it didn’t for my imaginary writer as well.

Writing is just one part of the process—it’s the “pouring out” where the words and sentences go onto the page. But you can’t pour out unless you have something inside from which to draw. Life experiences, time to think, observations, and listening to others are all ways to fill up the tank so you have something to spill onto the paper.

We each have our own story to tell: experiences, hurts, loves, humor and memories. This is a good start, but we need quiet time to let something bubble up out of it.

I enjoy a brisk walk in nature, silent drive time in the car, and a long soak in the bathtub. Sometimes I just sit with a cup of coffee. It may look like I’m not doing anything, but an inner world is coming to life. It’s fun to see what might come out of this time: a slight twist to the story, an unexpected piece of information about a character, or a trail of dialogue that makes a chapter.

Observation is just as important. Because I write about small town and farm life in Kentucky, I pay attention to cadence of speech, different drawls, how a certain word is pronounced and how a colloquialism is used in a sentence. I watch how people walk, how they wear clothing, and how emotions are expressed through facial expressions. And how do I get that down on paper? All these things make characters authentic.

Creating a sense of place is like another character for me. I need to know when the Catalpa will bloom in the spring, when the creek is likely to be dry, and when the first twinge of red will appear on the Maple leaves in autumn. Is the air crisp in the morning, warm in the afternoon or is it summertime hazy, hot and humid? The character needs to feel this by pulling the cardigan close in cool weather or wiping sweat in the humidity.

There are good story-tellers in my neck of the woods and hearing a tale about something that happened to someone, humorous and sad, can simmer in my mind for years before a piece of it comes out in a story. I am always ready to pull up a chair when someone says, “Let me tell you what happened to this fella I used to know…”

Now I understand that when my imaginary writer pushes back from his typewriter, or laptop, as it is these days, the work is just beginning.

~Angela Correll


Angela Correll is a seventh generation Kentuckian who lives on a farm with her husband Jess and an assortment of cattle, horses, goats and chickens.

She has written over fifty columns for local newspapers about life, family, and farming. She is the co-owner of the Bluebird, a farm-to-table restaurant, promoting local food produced in a humane and natural way, as well as a shop, selling handcrafted goat milk soap.



GIVEAWAY

I have one paperback copy of Angela Correll's Grounded to give away to one lucky winner here at TBRs. This is open to US and Canada only. To enter please fill in the form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


New York City flight attendant Annie Taylor is grounded, putting a halt to weekends in Rome and her jet-setting lifestyle. Soon her noncommittal boyfriend’s true nature is revealed, and to top it all off, she loses her apartment. With nowhere else to go, Annie leaves the city for the family farm in Kentucky, a place she’s avoided for years. She finds a shotgun-wielding grandmother, a farm in disrepair, and a suspicious stranger renting the old stone house. The country quiet haunts Annie with reminders of a past that can’t be changed. She tries persuading her grandmother to sell the farm, but is met with stubborn refusal? Yet in the midst of her crashing life, Annie sees a glimmer of hope for a second chance.

Jake Wilder is contemplating jumping off the corporate ladder to follow his passion for sustainable farming. He’s almost ready to propose to Camille, a girl who wants more, not less. Annie believes Jake is about to make a terrible mistake, but does she have the right to tell him? As the summer heats up, so do Annie’s unexpected feelings for Jake and her interest in the land. When a sudden phone call comes from New York, Annie is forced to choose between coming to terms with her past or leaving it all behind.

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Saturday, October 5, 2013

The Saturday Spotlight~With Rohit Gore and Giveaway of The Guardian Angels

Welcome to the Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature that shines the light on Indie and Debut authors. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:

ROHIT GORE
~Author of The Guardian Angels~


Indian writing in English – A phenomenon.
By Rohit Gore- 2013

India enjoys a unique position among all the English speaking nations. The reason being unlike the western countries where English is a language, here in India, it unites a billion people. There is a bit of an irony in this, because my country has a rich and very well documented history of its struggle for Independence from the British, who are the inventors of English language. One might think that this is a sort of extended colonial hangover and perhaps forty years ago, it might have been deemed right. However, today, the reality is quite different. English has become as much a part of our history and heritage, as say, The Taj Mahal. It is a language that is spoken across the seventh largest country in the world and has become as ‘desi’, as the West likes to calls everything Indian, as our Bollywood movies.

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Within this historical context, what has happened in the last twenty years is quite significant. Our economy liberalized completely in early 1990s. The foreign businesses were accorded red carpet welcome, where before they were scorned. Along came the likes of IBM, Pepsi, McDonald’s and yes, even the Walmart. What the largely western influence changed significantly is India’s exposure to the world. A mushrooming Indian middle class was waiting for this to happen for a very long time. Since the early 1990s, English has become almost mandatory in schools in India. And by mandatory I don’t mean it to be studied as a subject, like in many Asian countries (Japan and China, in particular), but English has become a medium in which education is imparted. In layman’s terms, all subjects are taught in English for the last twenty five years.

As a natural consequence of the nation’s destiny getting altered in the early nineties, today, we have a burgeoning population of young people who were born twenty five years or so ago, and they are a big consumers of English literature. What has happened to India’s indigenous literature is a matter of a separate article, however, the following of a J K Rowling, a Stephanie Meyer, an E L James, and a Dan Brown is as passionate and as colossal as anywhere in the world. You would find massive bookstores in India today, and they are stocked with English books to the tune of minimum ninety percent. Several clones of Amazon (and now Amazon itself) have been doing exceptionally well in India and almost all their revenues come from selling English books online. Every publisher worth its salt, by that I mean the likes of Penguin, The Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Warner books and every other big name, have India as a cornerstone of their strategy for the future. They have set-up big operations in this country, have invested massively in establishing distribution chains and are making significant long term plans for India.

Within this chaotic but rapidly growing ecosystem, a smaller, hitherto unnoticed revolution was happening – that of Indians writing their books in English. I would sound facetious if I deem all the English writing in India as a modern phenomenon. Like all things Indian, we have a rich history of contributing to English literature. Authors like R K Narayan, Salman Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri, Vikram Seth, Arundhati Roy and Kiran Desai have won international awards like the Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize and are quite well known, even famous in the world. They have been so for the last fifty years. However their writing has been distinctly catering to the western sensibilities of India, and I am not being critical here when I say that.

What we lacked, until a few years ago, is a bunch of authors who were indigenous and told stories based in India, for the Indians and in English. This is the phenomenon I want to highlight. In the past seven or eight years, we have a number of authors like Chetan Bhagat, Amish Tripathi and Durjoy Datta, who have proved that you can crank out a million copy bestseller written in English, sold largely within India. It is a massive thing, because earlier, Indian authors would be glad if they sold a measly ten thousand copies here. Not anymore. There is a revolution of sorts happening here. Today we have all the international publishers like Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Warner Books et all, backing Indian authors, signing them up for multiple book deals, giving them advances and promoting them heavily.

The reason for this is simple – English unites a billion people. Just think about it for a moment. 20% of India’s population of a billion people is middle class and is based in the cities where there are numerous bookstores and online retailers like Amazon have big presence, and they are the potential target market for English books. That makes it two hundred million potential readers! It is, number-wise, seventy percent of the overall US market. And they want to read English Books, because they associate more with English than any other language, as they were educated all through their lives in English.

I am not the child of booming nineties, I belong to the staid seventies of India. But I am now part of this revolution. I am an author who writes in English. Believe me, today, that’s a very Indian thing to say!!


Rohit Gore grew up in a number of towns in India. At various times in his childhood, he wanted to be a theatre actor, an architect and a bookshop owner.


After his engineering degree, he was based in Mumbai. An MBA from S P Jain Institute followed and since then he is in the IT industry for more than a decade.


He loves sports, specifically the discussing and watching part of it, since the playing days are long gone. He has travelled a lot – a consequence of living in Mumbai and London. His greatest passion is reading and it inspired him to write. He is a frequent contributor to many online writing forums and wishes there were more writing groups.

He currently lives in Pune , a wonderfully vibrant city with his wife. He has a keen interest in history, especially the history of music and arts. One of the things he would like to get better at is photography.
 
GIVEAWAY

Today Rohit is giving one eBook {pdf} copy of his book The Guardian Angels. Everyone is welcome to win. To enter please just fill in the rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



The Guardian Angels is the epic and tumultuous story of two star-crossed lovers who weren't just soul-mates but were also each other’s protectors.

The fates of Adi Mehta and Radha Deodhar are deeply entwined when within days of their first rendezvous they save each other’s lives.

Despite their vast sociopolitical differences, they are drawn to an uncertain future fraught with contrasting ambitions, personas and ideologies.

. . . he is the son of a billionaire, she is the daughter of a socialist.
. . . he is quiet and unassuming, she is a firebrand and spirited.

However, the unexplained phenomena ties them forever – whenever they are in peril, they are each other’s only saviors.

Over the following two decades Adi and Radha live through hope and despair, joy and sadness, and try to decipher their relationship. As the truth of their bond is revealed, they must confront the true nature of love, and ultimately, their destinies.

Thanks Rohit for being on the spotlight today. To find out more about this author check out:

GOODREADS~TWITTER
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Friday, October 4, 2013

Octobers CFBA Book Spotlight~The Class Reunion Series by Debby Mayne


This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Pretty is as Pretty Does (bk 1)
Bless Her Heart (bk 2)
Tickled Pink (bk 3)
Abingdon Press (June 1, 2013)
by
Debby Mayne
 
 

Debby Mayne is a best-selling author who has published more than 25 books and novellas, 400 short stories and articles, and devotions for women. She has also worked as managing editor of a national health magazine, product information writer for HSN, a creative writing instructor, and a copy editor and proofreader.

Her novel, Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida received 4-1/2 stars from RT Book Review, and was named a Top Pick for the month of July. She and her husband Wally have two grown daughters, and live in Palm Harbor, Florida.



BOOK ONE: Pretty is as Pretty Does


Priscilla Slater goes to her ten-year high school reunion with equal parts dread and eager anticipation. Even though she’s a successful owner of a chain of hair salons and no longer has the mousy brown hair, crooked teeth, and discount-store wardrobe, she still feels like the ugly duckling.

But when she arrives at the reunion, Priscilla soon realizes that her old classmates aren’t exactly as she remembers them. With humor and a just a touch of sassiness, Priscilla finds herself facing her own truth—and she may be surprised at what she discovers.



BOOK TWO: Bless Her Heart


As Priscilla Slater’s 15-year class reunion approaches, she decides to attend out of curiosity… and to flaunt her latest achievement—taking her business to a national level with the possibility of a TV show. As if getting ready for the event and putting up with the pranks of her former classmates isn’t enough, Priscilla’s hometown visit is further complicated by her parents’ separation.

With the once-solid sanctuary of her home broken at the foundation, there’s only one thing Priscilla’s parents can agree on: no matter what sort of accolades their daughter receives as a hair stylist, she’s not living up to her potential. Eager to escape the painful reality of her childhood home, Priscilla bolts as soon as a call from New York brings good news: her offer to purchase one of the best salons in the country is likely to come through. But returning to New York means returning to Tim, Priscilla’s best friend and business pal who has been impatiently suggesting their relationship should be more than a friendship. Despite her recent achievements, will Priscilla learn that success doesn’t always result in popularity or love.

BOOK THREE: Tickled Pink


Priscilla Slater shows up at her 20-year reunion as a national celebrity. Her hair salon dynasty has skyrocketed, and to top it off, she has her own line of hair products. She has become a huge success with the “Ms. Prissy Big Hair” line that lets women with the thinnest of locks get the coveted “big hair” look so popular in the South. Her classmates have finally come to terms with adulthood, but they’re handling it with the grace of a Southern woman wearing white after Labor Day. It’s just downright awkward! Asserting the maturity that her classmates have often lacked, Priscilla holds her head high. But she can’t ignore everything.

When she catches her mother in the arms of her former high school principal, Priscilla can’t get out of town fast enough. Eager to get back to her more comfortable life, Priscilla runs head on into an ultimatum: Tim tells her they’re not getting any younger—as if she has to be reminded.



 If you would like to read an excerpt from Pretty is as Pretty Does (bk 1), go HERE

~This promo spot is a part of the CFBA blog tour! Thanks to Abingdon Press for upcoming review copies.

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