Yours To Love Yours To Take: Salim And Anita’s Sanctum (Verma Clan’s Sanctum Series) by Reshma Ranjan

I borrowed Reshma Ranjan’s book Yours To Love Yours To Take: Salim And Anita’s Sanctum (Verma Clan’s Sanctum Series) from Kindle Unlimited. It the author’s fourth book and is the story of Anita and Salim. This is the first book of the Verma Clan’s Sanctum Series.

The blurb:

As if losing her parents and her voice in a childhood accident wasn’t cruel enough, Anita Batra now has to come to terms with her twin’s death and help her sister’s partner get a new lease of life.

Adopted by the Verma Clan after his parents died in an accident, Dr. Salim Verma finally finds love and a chance to be happy only to lose it in an accident he himself survives.
When fate strikes a final blow and brings two strangers together, Salim can’t help but punish Anita and make her tread through the hell he himself was in, while all Anita wants is to help her sister’s partner start afresh, no matter what the cost.
Will Salim ever be able to ignore Anita’s resemblance to his dead girlfriend and fall in love with her instead? Will Anita be able to reveal the real Salim hiding behind the monster? Will they be able to embrace their tumultuous attraction for each other despite their terrible start?

Yours To Love Yours To Take is a heartwarming saga of love and sacrifice that will reinstate your belief that love conquers all.

The story:

Anita Batra lives in Shimla and has a clerical job in a school. Having lost her parents in an accident when she was twelve, the only family she had in the world was her twin sister, Ananya, their guardian, Surendra and his housekeeper, Aayi. The accident had left her scarred for life and she has not been able to speak since then. Surendra had adopted the girls and helped them have a good education as well. Surendra and Anit had managed a great friendship with each other, she was a good listener and he had learnt the sign language to understand her. Ananya was the life of the house and Anita, the calmness.

One day, Anita is shocked to receive the news that Ananya had been killed in an accident on the way to Shimla. Surendra and Aayi give her solace. Anita is surprised to know that Ananya was travelling with Dr Salim Verma, someone she had no clue of though the sisters shared everything, to Shimla to meet her.

Dr Salim Verma, a renowned neuro surgeon in Bangalore was adopted by Dia Verma when he lost his parents in a train accident. Salim did not believe in relationships but Ananya was different. Losing her and finding her identical twin alive, he decides to torture Anita by marrying her and making her feel guilty that she was alive while her twin was not.

Anita is selfless and agrees to marry him, much to Surendra and Milind’s, Salim’s cousin, shock. She feels that this the least she could do for Ananya and Salim as she feels maybe this would help him recover from Ananya’s death and once she accomplishes that, she would come back to Shimla.

My take:

The story has been written in simple English and moves back and forth between the past and the present. The story is set in Bangalore and Shimla. The author has woven the characters so well that I hated Salim and wanted that either Milind or Surendra stakes his claim on Anita. Anita’s character is strong and well crafted. She can make herself understood even while using sign language and does not lose heart even in the worst of circumstances. She even takes Salim’s insults in her stride. I wish we were so patient. I loved Surendra’s and Milind’s characters.   The relationships between the characters have been beautifully portrayed.

The book has many ingredients: friendship, love, platonic relationship, sibling love, family values, drama, tragedy and revenge.

This the first book of the Verma Clan and the reader is introduced to a few members in this book and I am sure that more members would follow in the subsequent books. I am waiting for the next book in the series.

Gurgaon Diaries: Life, Work and Play in Dronas Village by Debeshi Gooptu

I received the book Gurgaon Diaries: Life, Work and Play in Dronas Village by Debeshi Gooptu as a review copy from the publisher Rupa Publications and I would like to thank the publisher for the same.

The book has been divided into three parts: Life, Work and Play and comprises of 61 stories, 2-4 pages long (only 2 stories are 5 pages long). In her stories the author talks about many things that we also have experienced but have never given it a thought.

The blurb:

These are stories of a two-decade-long journey. The journey from Gurgaon to Gurugram. Or was it the other way around?

Modern-day Gurgaon was Guru Dronacharya’s village, a gift from the Pandavas and Kauravas for training them in military arts. While the legends of the mythical village are woven around the warrior mystic, the Millennium City, as it stands today, owes its rapid growth to globalization, outsourcing and the BPO boom.

From swanky malls and skyscrapers to pot-hole-ridden roads where gleaming Mercs vie for space with rickety rickshaws; from voluptuous North Indian aunties and brawny local men to rotund Bengali mashimas; from designer stores and Starbucks coffee to roadside vans peddling chole bhature; Drona’s village is riddled with contradictions, both hilarious and poignant, irreverent and bittersweet. Gurgaon Diaries is a humorous peek at the workings of this modern-day village and how the Millennium City is a paradox in itself.

My take:

The book is the author’s account of her experiences of Gurgaon over the last twenty years when she moved there nineteen years ago from Kolkata. She says that the Millennium City or India’s Singapore owes its rapid growth to globalization and the BPO boom. She mentions that these are her stories of the two-decade long journey, the journey from Gurgaon to Gurugram.

The author talks about the lack of awareness of the concept of personal space among the people, religious food beliefs, the special relationship between a Bengali woman and her fishmonger (I agree with this one), about safety of children in the Village, the Bengalis living there and also about the modest swim wear being used for different reasons by different people. She has mentioned about the monkey menace in the city, how she would be prepared for earthquakes, about the revered cow, the brawny men, her dilemma of to-dye-or-not-to-dye, her neighbours, changing room etiquettes, parents in restaurant oblivious to their kids’ actions.

There are incidents of pigeon menace, elevators malfunctioning, impersonal sweet shops, what freedom means to different people, how a simple word pronounced wrong changes the meaning altogether, people’s obsession for fancy shmancy things and selfi obsessed people.

She talks about Japanese influence in Gurgaon, women drivers, canines being the prized possessions in the city, her relationship with wasps, Christmas in Kolkata versus that in Gurgaon, how the use of a synonym changes the meaning of a sentence all together, and how it is always a good idea to talk to your children.

There are incidents about importance of career in the lives of some people, Gurgaon’s obsession with the phoren and fanciful (it exists is Delhi too), about working from home not being a profession for some, about the not well existent (or non-existent) infrastructure in the city, modern workwear code in the city, system of public transport, and start-up founders everywhere. She has also talked about now people can spend on cars but not on parking them, ‘doing coffee’, the latest fad, fitness, deciphering Indian accents, Halloween in Gurgaon, a birthday party with a difference and many, many more.

The language is simple and easy to follow. The stories are about real life incidents and are relatable and engaging. Though the stories are short but it took me a little longer to finish this book because I was savouring the stories and also relating to them. The words like Gartar, Christmas on Park Street, Flury’s, made me nostalgic.

The Bengali dialect has been written in English in the way that it would be pronounced by a Bengali. There is satire, humour and the best part of the book is that she has not refrained from making fun of her own people. She has referred to some previous instances in her stories establishing a connection between the stories.

This book is a must, must read for people living in the metropolitan cities and even those who are not living in it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debeshi Gooptu is a business journalist turned digital content strategist and entrepreneur. With more than twenty years of experience in print and television (Business Standard, Business Today, Plus Channel) and higher education (British Council, Canadian High Commission, Intel Asia Electronics), she runs an online research consultancy for overseas education organization and works as a digital content strategy head for Digiqom, a digital media agency. Debeshi is also the India editor for Innovation Enterprise, a Singapore-headquartered publication tracking trends in technology and innovation in Asia-Pacific. She frequently blogs for The Huffington Post and runs ‘The Gurgaon Diaries’, a successful blog. In 2015, she self-published an e-book (with the same name) comprising few of her stories from the blog on Amazon Kindle Select. The book has done extremely well with readers across the worls requesting for more writing in this genre. She lives in Gurgaon, Haryana.

DISCLAIMER: I received the book as a review copy from the publisher, Rupa Publications, in exchange for an honest review. I have not received any monetary compensation for the same.

 

 

Sins of the Father: Sunanda Chatterjee (Wellington Estates Series Book 1)

Sins of the Father by Sunanda J Chatterjee is the story of a psychologist and an undercover cop that I received as a review copy from the author. Thank you Sunanda and the Book Clun for the same.  This is the first book of the Wellington Estates Series, but can be read as a standalone as well.

The Blurb:

Police Officer Harrison McNamara grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. The former Wellington Estates heir has dedicated his life to taking criminals off the streets. But when he goes undercover to expose a blackmailing scheme, he meets a freelance model who may hold a key to his past.

For psychologist Laura Carson, freelancing as a model is the perfect bridge until she can set up her practice. But her modeling agency isn’t what she expected. Encountering the enigmatic undercover cop might be everything she’s ever wanted—and everything she must avoid.

As Laura and Harrison grow closer, their past threatens to destroy them. Trapped in an unending cycle of guilt and blame, can they find a way to bury the sins of the past for a future of redemption and love?

Book 1 of the Wellington Estates Series, Sins of the Father is a stand-alone romantic saga.

The story:

Twenty seven year old Laura Carson is a clinical psychologist, an undergraduate teacher at Ackerman and also models for a photography class as a fun project. Her mother is an oncologist and her father has not been with them since she was seven. Though her mother can pay for her education till she starts her own practice, she wants to earn her own money. Elena, her friend since school and her roommate now, has recommended a modelling agency to Laura for professional modelling and she considers it as an extra source of income to pay her rent. Juhi Raina is her best friend since school days and also her room-mate. Her boyfriend George broke up with her a year ago and she is determined not to confide in anyone.

Juhi and Laura are sould sisters. Her lacunae are Juhi’s forte and Juhi’s shortcomings, her strength. Each is strong in the face of the other’s weakness. They are close friends and always come through for each other and they thrived on each other and needed each other in equal measure.

On her first day of professional modelling, she collides with Police officer Harrison McNamara, an undercover cop on a mission. He tells her that he is looking for someone. They is mutual attraction between them. Twenty nine year old Harrison has been a cop for five years and cannot get involved with the subjects of his research. She is everything he likes, intelligent, funny, expressive and utterly feminine. He also has an emotional baggage.

My take:

A story with a beautiful plot, well developed characters, written in a simple language which keeps the reader glued to the story. There is romance and a lot of suspense. The author has described the feelings of both the protagonists. Even the secondary characters have a role to play in the story. The story has a family drama, romance and suspense. Though the story has a suspense element in it, the romance also moves in parallel. The story is fast paced and unputdownable. The bond between Juhi and Laura has been described beautifully.

Everytime I felt that the story was about to wrap up, a surprise or a twist would come up.

The language is beautiful, some lines that I really liked were, “You clear your whole calendar”; “Everyone is allowed five bad deeds”; “like an orchid, trust….”

A must read for all romance, suspense and even family drama fans.

The next book in the Wellington Estate Series, Old Money, is the story of Juhi Raina. When Sunanda asked me if I was interested in the next book of the series, I said yes, read that and then this.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of the book from the author in return for my honest review. I have NOT received any monetary compensation for the same.

This book is available on KINDLE UNLIMITED.

 

Book Blast: The Immortality Trigger by Douglas Misquita – a Luc Fortesque adventure thriller

~ The Immortality Trigger by Douglas Misquita ~

a Luc Fortesque adventure thriller

 

 

1945 

Allied paratroopers raid a secret Nazi research facility. The operation is reported as a success. But, the lone survivor, Benjamin Ezra, knows otherwise. 

 

2014 

A drug lord, El Fantasma threatens to plunge Colombia into an era of bloody drug wars. DEA Country Attaché, Zachary Mason is in charge of a covert operation to remove El Fantasma, with the help of a vigilante, El Angel, and a retired undercover agent, Raymond Garrett. 

In Naples, INTERPOL agent, Sabina Wytchoff, is investigating the death of her parents, when the Wytchoff family’s association with an ancient cabal comes under investigation. 

 

After the events of The Apocalypse Trigger, Luc Fortesque, is scouring the world for the man who tested experimental drugs on him. 

Wei Ling works for a shadow Transhumanist faction within China’s State Council, developing drugs that will enhance human longevity. 

 

Their paths will converge… violently… and conclude the mission that began in 1945.

 

Goodreads * Amazon 

Literary Titan Silver Award Winner

The Immortality
Trigger is also available at all leading eBook retailers

Reviews for The Immortality Trigger:

 

“…with a
storyteller of Misquita’s caliber, you just may need Dramamine before the first
chapter is done.” – Bestthrillers.com

“For fans of the
fast-paced and modern tale with global reach that dabbles in history, this is a
perfect storm.” – Lydia Peever

 

 

“The Immortality Trigger cemented in my mind why
Douglas Misquita is my favourite Indian thriller author.” – Newton Lewis

 

 

Other books in the series:

         

Book #1 in the Luc Fortesque series  *  Available as a free eBook short download

 

 

 

Douglas Misquita is an action-adventure thriller writer from Mumbai, India. He hammered out his first novel on the keyboard of a laptop with half-a-working-screen, and has been churning out literary entertainment to the tune of a book-a-year. His books have been praised for their pace, locales, intertwined plots, research and visuals – it’s almost like watching a movie… only, this one unfolds across the pages of a book! 

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

 

Giveaway:

One Paperback Copy of The Immortality Trigger by Douglas Misquita

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leo’s Desire (Written in the Stars Book 2) by Sundari Venkatraman

Leo’s Desire (Written in the Stars Book 2) by Sundari Venkatraman is the second book on star signs and is the story of a Leo man and an Aries woman.

The blurb:

Twenty-four going on twenty-five, Nishaan Ahuja refuses to take life seriously. Intelligent and highly educated, he’s slotted to become the VP of his father’s multi-billion-rupee construction business. Only, the Leo man insists on living on his own terms. He takes the identity of Shaan and goes to work as a farm manager.

Chaahat finds a quick-fix cure to her plumpness as she’s desperate to become a fashion model despite her parents’ objections. The Aries woman is stubborn, determined and fiercely competitive. There’s a hitch though. Her body refuses to cooperate as she continues to abuse it and is soon on the verge of breakdown.

The Lion is a know-it-all and has to impart advice. Will the Lamb realise that it’s all for her best?

Sparks fly in their love-hate relationship as Chaahat struggles to achieve her dreams with a lot of unsolicited help from Nishaan. Will the lovers be able to get together on their own terms despite the distance separating them and their interfering mammas?

The story:

25 year old Nishaan Ahuja, the scion of Ahuja Constructions, a multimillion business, is back in India after a degree in architecture and an MBA from Harvard. He is an only child and his father wants him to join the business as the Vice President, but he wants to work his way up. So on his twenty fifth birthday, his father gives him one last chance either to join as the VP or leave home and he chooses the latter. His father tells him that he should not use the family name.

Nishaan goes to Chirag Bhatia’s advertising agency and tells him about leaving home and also tells him that he wants to do a job, that he would love, far away from Delhi. Chirag, his best friend since they were toddlers, understands his problem and finds him a job as a manager on Wadhwa farms near Mumbai owned by Dev Wadhwa (of one of the author’s previous books, Finding Anya). Nishaan becomes Shaan and even erases his profiles on social media. He decides that the maximum amount of time he would spend on the farm would be two years and then would ultimately join his father’s company. So he keeps himself updated on his father’s projects too.

After working for fourteen months at the farm, Shaan and Dev become close and one day he sees a skinny girl smoking on the farm (something that is absolutely taboo). He stops her and she turns out to be Chaahat Wadhwa, Dev’s younger sister. Chaahat, 23, an MBA, has escaped her parents’ house in Mumbai to Dev’s home because they to have an opinion on everything she did and had even pushed her to do an MBA. She wants to be a fashion model and has a weight problem. She is headstrong, does not talk properly to anyone, does not eat properly and smokes. Shaan takes her to a health farm and she refuses to undergo treatment. And then she faints due to under nutrition and dehydration.

Dev is supportive, takes up the matter with her and send her to the health farm for treatment. She tells her brother not to tell Shaan about her going to the health farm as she wants to tell him herself. When Dev comes back after dropping Chaahat, Shaan tells him that he has to go back to Delhi to his ailing father and tells Dev to give Chaahat his Delhi number only if she asks for it.

So the two of them are unaware of each other’s whereabouts, angry with each other for not staying in touch….

My take:

A simple love story with twists and turns and lots of romance. The characters are realistic and well developed. Chaahat is headstrong and Shaan knows how to handle her. Dev is the ideal brother and the parents, they are a different ball game all together. The conversations between the characters are relatable. And the fights and argunebts between Shaan and Chaahat….

I could imagine many of the scenes, the descriptions are so well done. The language is simple and the book is fast paced. I finished it one night flat.

All in all the book is pretty entertaining.

You can read the book for free on the Kindle Unlimited.

 

Interview with the author Sunanda Chatterjee

 

Sunanda J. Chatterjee grew up in Bhilai, India and now lives in Arcadia, California with her husband and two wonderful children. When she is not by the microscope or creating imaginary worlds, she reads, sings, goes on long walks, and binge-watches old TV dramas.

She writes romantic sagas and family dramas, with empowered heroines and noble heroes, and all manner of family relationships. She loves extraordinary love stories and heartwarming tales of duty and passion. Her themes include the immigrant experience, women’s issues, and medicine.

Her books have consistently been the Top 100 bestsellers on Amazon USA and Amazon India in Asian Literature, Indian Writing, and Asian Drama categories. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies, short-story.net and induswomanwriting.com.

Thank you so much Sunanda, for agreeing to this interview.

 You are a doctor, how did you transform into a writer? In all your books, cancer comes up, is it the pathologist in you that brings it up?

I have been writing stories from a young age. In fact, I recently discovered a story I had begun to write in my diary as a fifth-grader and had a great laugh about it with my daughter. Growing up in a small steel town, everyone in my neighbourhood was an engineer or a doctor and the social and family pressure to conform was immense. So I became a doctor, joined the Indian Air Force for five years, then did my PhD (6 years in cancer research) and my Pathology residency (four years with a focus on cancer diagnosis). I was always busy with academics and work, and only when I started working as a pathologist did I decide it was time to take the plunge, so to speak. My first novel took me ten years from start to publication, with many hurdles along the way. Since then I’ve published 3-4 books a year and hope to keep going despite my full-time job.

Given my background as a doctor, a veteran and a pathologist, my stories often feature someone with that background. It’s simply a situation of writing what you know. It takes me the least amount of research and the most satisfaction. So many of my stories has a veteran, a doctor or a patient with cancer, even if it is a cameo.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?

To be honest, I have such little time to write that I’ve never had the time to develop writer’s block. All day at work, in my free time, while I am driving or walking, I am thinking about my stories, scenes, dialogues, such that the moment I sit at my computer, I can start typing. So I have not been afflicted with it, but with time, when I’ve caught up with all my current stories, I’m sure to experience writer’s block at some point.

When you read books, what is your favourite genre?

My favourite genres to read are women’s fiction and thrillers. Romance is not my favourite genre to read, but I do read a lot so I know the ropes. I think switching up genres as well as indie and traditionally published books keep me interested at all times. When I’m not in a mood to read my usual genres, I read short stories or non-fiction. I recently read a book called ‘Economics for Dummies’ and enjoyed it a lot. Sometimes I pick up a book my daughter’s High School English class is studying. I also read a lot about writing itself. My nightstand is full of books about creative writing, grammar and style. When I’m tired of it all, I re-read Harry Potters. Yes, I’m a Potter fan through and through.

One last question, which authors do you like more, Indie or International?

I read both indie and traditionally published books, both Indian and International, mostly British and American authors. I enjoy the writing styles of various authors in various genres. I switch them up for variety but I read them all.

Social Media links of Sunanda Chatterjee for people to find/follow/like
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sunandajoshich1

Blog: http://www.sunandachatterjee.com/blog
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10228387.Sunanda_J_Chatterjee

Website: http://www.sunandachatterjee.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SunandaChatterjee_Author-515705275228760/

Books by the author:

A Perfect New York Christmas by Sudesna Ghosh

A Perfect New York Christmas by Sudesna Ghosh is her latest book, fifty pages long.

The blurb:

Aditi left New York ten years ago. Her best friend has been asking her to visit her there and Aditi finally says yes. She’s excited about spending time with her friend. And then she finds out that her ex – love of her life – who she left behind ten years ago, is in New York too. Aditi finds herself face to face with her past and feels things she hasn’t felt in years. She wants snow, love and the perfect New York Christmas. Will she get what she wants?

The story:

Thirty two year old Aditi Mukherjee lives with her parents and her cat, Rustom, in Kolkata. Being an only child, she moved back to India from New York to be with her parents, leaving behind her college boyfriend, Ravi, and her best friend, Sheena. Even though Ravi was ready to move back to India with her, she did not want him to leave his family and a promising career in law and forced him out of her life not even letting him to come and see her off at the airport.

Now, ten years later, Aditi is a freelancer. She has stayed in touch with Sheena through the internet and Shila and Soumi are her best friends in India. She has dated a few men but could not forget Ravi.

She misses New York, the Times Square, the huge tree at the Rockfeller Centre that stole her heart, the cafes, and the Central Park.

Christmas is her favourite time of the year, so when Sheena asks her to come to New York to spend Christmas, she is excited and hoped for a White Christmas. Sheena goes all out and contacts Ravi on Facebook and tells Aditi that after a decade of zero communication, Ravi wants to see her again.

Read on…….

My take:

Written in first person from Aditi’s point of view, this book is a go to book this winter. It warms you up. There is friendship. There is love. There are second chances. There is Christmas. All of it thrown together makes a wonderful recipe. The characters are relatable, conversations are realistic and the story flows flawlessly.

There is something for cat lovers too.

So read on, I promise you will love this short read.

 

It Happens by Karan Sharma

I received the book It Happens by Karan Sharma as a review copy from the author as a part of the Blog Tour by the Book Club. Thank you for the book. This book is the story of a twenty five year old banking professional, Gautam.

The blurb:

During our childhood days, we tend to have these crushes on people older than us that fade as we grow up. We never act upon them but they remain as memories that we always cherish.

But what happens when two adults with such an age difference fall in love?

It Happens is a story about how Gautam, a twenty-five-year-old upcoming professional and Roshni, an unmarried thirty-seven-year-old senior management member working in the same multinational bank, face this very question. Can two people with such a vast age difference be compatible?

The story is a romantic comedy that explores this situation in a light-hearted way as they fall in love, get laughed at by their friends and then develop cold feet, thinking about the repercussions their age difference could have on their marriage. Since this happens in India, where marriage is a major social issue, the plot holds further intrigue.

They say love is blind and makes one think with the heart, rather than the mind. Will two smart professionals make a mistake by doing so? Or will they listen to their logical senses at the last moment to avert what may be the biggest blunder of their lives?

The story:

Gautam, an MBA, is a twenty five year old banking professional who works in a multinational bank in Mumbai. He stays with his parents and is very close to his sister Richa, six years older to him, now married with a two year old son. He treasures and values Richa a lot and confides in her before discussing anything with his parents.

Rohit, his colleague in the bank, has been his best friend for ten years. Payal is their colleague for the last couple of years and has a soft corner for Gautam, but our hero falls in love with Roshni, an unmarried thirty-seven-year-old, Senior Vice President in the same organisation.

Roshni is career driven, having lost her parents in a train accident when she was twenty three and has lived alone since then working long hours making ends meet. Sonal is her best friend.

Gautam wants Rohit to plead the case to his parents and for this Rohit says that he has to be convinced first. Rohit questions him and Gautam is all the more confused.

Gautam, Payal and Rohit are all selected for an assignment abroad, Gautam and Payal are posted in Singapore and poor Rohit goes to Seoul. Gautam feels that this would be the best chance for him to decide about his relationship with Roshni. He returns to India and proposes to her and she accepts. Sonal wants Roshni to understand how the age difference would come in the way of their marriage.

And then it is the time of the parents to come in.

What happens next? Do they get married?

My take:

I initially thought that the story was about Rohit. But then Gautam came in and the story begins. There are many characters, all well developed and all of them have important roles to play in the story. I loved the relationships between Gautam and Rohit, Gautam and his parents and Gautam and Richa. Even Gautam and Payal.

The storyline is simple written in simple language which is easy to follow. The language flows making the book a fast paced read. The descriptions are detailed making it easy for me to visualize the scenes. Some parts are hilarious and some parts are dramatic.

The theme of this love story is a little different. It is about a younger guy marrying and older girl, which is acceptable nowadays.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of the book from the author in return for my honest review. I have NOT received any monetary compensation for the same.

Spotlight: Sins of The Father by Sunanda Chatterjee

 

 

Sins of The Father

by

Sunanda Chatterjee 

Blurb

Police Officer Harrison McNamara grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. The former Wellington Estates heir has dedicated his life to taking criminals off the streets. But when he goes undercover to expose a blackmailing scheme, he meets a freelance model who may hold a key to his past.

 

For psychologist Laura Carson, freelancing as a model is the perfect bridge until she can set up her practice. But her modeling agency isn’t what she expected. Encountering the enigmatic undercover cop might be everything she’s ever wanted—and everything she must avoid.

 

As Laura and Harrison grow closer, their past threatens to destroy them. Trapped in an unending cycle of guilt and blame, can they find a way to bury the sins of the past for a future of redemption and love? 

 

Book 1 of the Wellington Estates Series, Sins of the Father is a stand-alone romantic saga.

 

Read an excerpt:

AT THE END of class, Laura Carson assigned the reading for her Child Psychology seminar, snatched her embroidered tote bag from the desk drawer, and waited for her students to leave the classroom. Some students hurried out, others sauntered in twos and threes, laughing over some inside joke and planning their lunch. Once everyone had left, Laura turned off the lights and hurried down the hallway. Her wristwatch read 12:05. If she grabbed a quick sandwich, she’d be on time for the photoshoot. Laura pushed open the exit door of the building as blinding light from the late California summer assaulted her eyes. She shoved her hand into her tote bag for her sunglasses and stepped into the sunny, brick-lined walkway. Students thronged the campus at lunchtime like a wolf-pack on a hunt. Just as she let the door close behind her, someone crashed into her. She winced in the bright sunlight and said, “Watch where you’re going, dude!” Clutching her shoulder, she stared in dismay at the contents of her bag now scattered on the ground. Great! Now she’d be late. She cursed under her breath. She looked up to glare at the clumsy clod who had bumped into her. But she stood transfixed, mesmerized by the hazel eyes of a man built like Hercules. Hazel with green speckles. In his button-down shirt tucked into pleated khakis, he didn’t look like he belonged on a college campus. This Adonis should be in Hollywood. He apologized and bent down to pick up her things. Their hands brushed, and a shiver ran down her spine as he glanced at her paper: Effects of Family Reputation on the Child’s Personality. She picked up her lipstick, mints, hand lotion, sunglasses, receipts for grocery and lunches, and the usual bric-a-brac she stuffed into her tote. Her wallet lay open, a business card peeking out. The man grabbed it and frowned as he stared at the card. “Hey!” She tried to snatch it from him, but he moved his hand away with the swiftness of a fox and held it just outside her reach. “Give me that.” Still kneeling on the walkway, he hesitated, and asked, “Do you work for them?” She looked at the business card for The Angels, the modeling agency where Laura was to have a photoshoot in twenty minutes. She’d modeled for a photography class as a fun project, and Professor Warren told her she had the face of an angel. He knew people at this agency, and if she was interested in making extra money, she should give them a call. “Do you?” asked the handsome hulk, staring at the appointment time she’d scrawled on the card. He didn’t exude curiosity. The way his eyebrows knitted together, it emanated disapproving hostility. Laura was annoyed at his intrusiveness. There was nothing wrong with trying to make a bit of extra cash. Her oncologist mother could well afford to pay for her education, but Laura knew the value of money. She’d worked on campus on minimum wage with non-existent tips all through college and graduate school. She had completed her supervised hours as a therapist, and her mentor had told her she was ready to start her own practice. All she had to do was find an office space. But she enjoyed teaching undergrads in the interim, trying to psychoanalyze them when they asked questions. And the longer she delayed her jump into the life of a therapist, the more her desperation for extra cash, especially now that her roommates were ready to abandon her to move onto bigger things. Besides, her soon-to-be-ex-roommate Elena worked for The Angels and had recommended the agency. The man was waiting for her answer. She held his gaze and said, “It’s none of your business.” Laura didn’t understand the emotion in his eyes. Concern? Worry? He said, “Um…” She looked at the enchanting frown lines on his forehead. “Yes?” The urge to run her hands through his hair mortified and surprised her, as if a magnetic pull drew her to him like a moth drawn to a flame. She grabbed the last credit card lying on the ground. He used her pen to write his phone number on the back of The Angels’ card and handed it back to her, their hands touching once again, as an electric current ran up her arm, jolting her with an unfamiliar sensation. She quirked an eyebrow, still kneeling. The bricks on the walkway dug painfully into her exposed knee, and she tucked her skirt under it. “Presumptuous, aren’t we?” He put the card from The Angels inside her wallet and returned it to her. She took it from him and stuffed the credit card she’d picked up. When she looked up at him, he extended his hand, a smile playing on his lips as if he was enjoying himself, and she was surprised at his sudden change from concern to mirth. Then he spoke in a resonant baritone. “Can I have my credit card back? Or are you planning to rob me blind?” Laura flushed and stared at her wallet in dismay. She had indeed picked up his credit card. Poisonous words from her childhood stormed through her mind, piercing her heart: You’re a thief like your father. Hands shaking, she returned the card and said, “I’m not a thief!” The face of her ex-boyfriend, George, flashed in front of her eyes. But this time she actually had picked up someone else’s credit card, albeit by mistake. George’s angry yells still rang in her ears. “You’re just like your father!” Although it had happened a year ago, the raw hurt was still fresh in her heart, like a slash from a six inch blade. Why had she been foolish enough to reveal her family secret? George had told her about his arrest for driving under the influence, and she’d told him about her father. After George broke up with her, she was determined never to confide in anyone, and had started a string of meaningless dates. “Hey!” said the man in front of her, bringing her back to the present. She looked at him, anger and confusion blinding her momentarily. “I was kidding,” he said with a grin as he pocketed his card. Then he stood up, towering over her. “Can you tell me the way to Freshman English?” The brilliance of the grin dazzled her as she threw her things back into her tote bag. Warmth flooded through her as the irritation washed away like dust from her unwashed windshield after a shower, her need to make a good impression on him, intense. Her head reeled as she straightened up. “New on campus? You look a bit old for Freshman English.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Looks can be deceptive. And some of us have to work.” She wondered what he meant. Had he worked before starting college? Or was working while in college? Intrigued, she smiled and led him a few feet away to the campus map displayed on an angled stone plaque upon which stood an abandoned coffee-cup. She tossed the cup into an overfilled trashcan beside it. “English Department holds all the freshman classes in Mudd Building.” She pointed to the star. “We’re here. You take Ackerman Way down to Bolden Plaza and turn right. You’ll see Mudd Building on the left. Ask someone once you get there.” “Thanks,” he said, and flashed her a smile that enlivened his face once more. She wanted to hand him the business card of The Angels for he could well be a model himself. In a moment, he would walk away and she’d never see him again. For some reason, the thought brought an ache to her heart. On a whim, she said, “I’m Laura Carson, by the way.” She hoped he’d take the hint and introduce himself; she had squandered the opportunity to see his name on the credit card. “Harrison McNamara.” He walked away from her as she watched his receding back, his muscular, lithe frame disappearing into the crowd of students down the walkway in the dappled shade of the jacaranda trees. He was gone, but he had left her his name, like the pleasant aftertaste of chocolate that lingers long after the ice cream is finished. Behind him, the outlines of the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California rose tall and wide, their tops covered in clouds, promising delightful mystery, inviting her to ascend into the uncertainty. Stop behaving like a teenager, Laura. You’re a therapist! Still, a smile stole on her lips. Harrison McNamara was like no one she’d dated before. George had been much older than her, and she was drawn to his success. She cooked and cleaned for him and ran errands like a housemaid, staying over at his place more often than not. Her best friend and roommate, Juhi Raina, had told her she was being foolish over someone who didn’t value her as a person, as a professional. And she was right, for George had turned out to be a judgmental prick. The lingering scent of Harrison McNamara’s aftershave knotted her stomach, reminding her of her empty life. Of late, her dates were guys she picked up from a dating site, just for an evening of fun. They’d have drinks together, and depending on whether they were gentlemen, she’d bring them back home and go on a second date. But most of her relationships ended on her doorstep at the end of her first date, with or without a goodnight kiss like the period at the end of an uninspiring sentence. But Harrison was someone she wanted to get to know better. She touched her lips, letting her feverish mind imagine his mouth on hers, and a rush of adrenaline drowned her in foolish anticipation. Her reverie was broken by a flyer that flew right into her face. It was about Kara. A few days ago, the suicide of the co-ed had shrouded the campus in confusion and sorrow. Laura had been dismayed at the news. She remembered Kara from her Intro to Psychology class as a studious, pretty girl who kept to herself. But the resilient arrogance of youth sprung back from tragedy with unnerving rapidity; after just two days of mourning, the college moved on with classes, shows, and parties, and Laura had found herself getting ready for new hope and prospects. She pulled out her phone and called Juhi, who was busy with the opening of her boutique. Juhi had worked at an upscale boutique for a few years until she started designing dresses and evening gowns in the condo. She had recently found the guts to open her own shop. Laura was both proud and envious of her courage and wished some of it had rubbed off on her. Juhi said, “Just two weeks left, Laura. You’ll come to the opening, right?” Laura remembered a weekend back in middle school when she’d promised to visit Juhi, but forgot to call and cancel when Elena showed up at her door for a school project. The next day at school, Juhi threw haughty glances her way until lunchtime, and when Laura asked her what happened, Juhi said, “Laura, you are my only real friend. But I get it. You have many friends and have every right to see them. I’m trying to deal with it. Just, do me a favor. If you make plans with me, stick to them. Because when I make plans with you, I clear my whole calendar.” Laughing at the memory, Laura cupped her hand over the phone and said, “I’ve cleared my whole calendar.” “Good!” Laura grinned, as the comfort of years of friendship enveloped her in its warmth. She may not have a boyfriend, but she had a best friend. “I might even bring a date. Juhi, I think I met the one.” Juhi laughed. “Again? Where? Who is he?” “I bumped into him.” “Bumped into a guy and have an instant crush. Can it be more cliché? And where did this happen?” Laura laughed. “On Ackerman. He was on his way to class.” “You’re a Clinical Psychologist, Laura. Since when are you interested in college kids?” Laura sighed. “Since Harrison McNamara started Freshman English.”

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About the author

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunanda J. Chatterjee writes romantic sagas and family dramas, with empowered heroines and noble heroes, and all manner of family relationships. She loves extraordinary love stories and heartwarming tales of duty and passion. Her themes include the immigrant experience, women’s issues, and medicine.

 

 

Her books have consistently been the Top 100 bestsellers on Amazon USA and Amazon India in Asian Literature, Indian Writing, and Asian Drama categories. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies, short-story.net and induswomanwriting.com.

 

 

She grew up in Bhilai, India and now lives in Arcadia, California with her husband and two wonderful children. When she is not by the microscope or creating imaginary worlds, she reads, sings, goes on long walks, and binge-watches old TV dramas.

 

 

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Spotlight: It Happens by Karan Sharma

 

 

IT HAPPENS

by

Karan Sharma

 

 

 

Blurb

 

During our childhood days, we tend to have these crushes on people older than us that fade as we grow up. We never act upon them but they remain as memories that we always cherish. 

 

But what happens when two adults with such an age difference fall in love? 

 

It Happens is a story about how Gautam, a twenty-five-year-old upcoming professional and Roshni, an unmarried thirty-seven-year-old senior management member working in the same multinational bank, face this very question. Can two people with such a vast age difference be compatible? 

 

The story is a romantic comedy that explores this situation in a light-hearted way as they fall in love, get laughed at by their friends and then develop cold feet, thinking about the repercussions their age difference could have on their marriage. Since this happens in India, where marriage is a major social issue, the plot holds further intrigue. 

 

They say love is blind and makes one think with the heart, rather than the mind. Will two smart professionals make a mistake by doing so? Or will they listen to their logical senses at the last moment to avert what may be the biggest blunder of their lives? 

 

It Happens…

 

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About the author

 

 

 

 

 

 

After more than twenty years of working in a highly successful family business and owning a popular brand in the interiors industry, Karan decided it was time to get into self publishing—an idea that came to mind when he saw his son having so much fun reading books. It rekindled a latent passion for writing that he had developed after his college days, leading to his first book. It Happens, along with other books that will come out in due course, will be a testament to his storytelling and creative skills.

 

 

 

 

Karan has a beautiful family with two young boys, Aakash and Aayansh, and Aarti as his lovely life companion. He is a commerce graduate and a battle-hardened businessman. His other passions include both playing and watching cricket and football, as well as being an avid traveller. 

 

 

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