Zestful - Go For It With Zeal

Today’s the last day of the AtoZ Challenge. Come Monday I’ll be back to regular posting on the blog. The challenge has been fun but I’m looking forward to getting back to regular mundane blogging again. :D

Trying to choose my word with Z, I though ‘zestful’ would be apt to close with. The dictionary defines Zestful as full of energy and enthusiasm. This is how I'd want my blogging to be, I want to blog with zeal.



Zestful is a word I’d use for my first and my youngest dogs. It applies to the others too but with them it’s only in certain areas. With Cuckoo and Elu it applies in every thing.

There is nothing I can think of that Elu and Cuckoo do without their whole heart. They put their everything into everything they do. Where they find the energy for it all is a great mystery to me but they find the energy for everything.



I’ve even tried taking them for long walks that leave them tired with their tongue-lolling out but give them a sip of water and say shall we go and up they are again wondering what you plan to do next.

And those enthusiasm levels are the same no matter what. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a walk you are proposing or a trip to the terrace, the energy levels and excitement is the same. Nothing is boring to these two, everything is an adventure packed with fun.

They have an amazing outlook to life, a way of living that leads to full life!

Read More

Young-at-Heart - The Child Within

Being young-at-heart is something I didn’t understand or appreciate when I was younger. Now as I get older I notice the inner child a lot more and enjoy it too.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten more serious, more busy and less playful. Maybe it’s the responsibilities that have creeped in, or the traumas of day to day life.

But what ever the reasons may be, losing that child within - that smiles at silly things, thrills at simple joys and finds happiness and joy in everything, - is not to be allowed.

 



 

I still remember Cuckoo as a puppy her naughtiness and playfulness had us constantly wondering when she would grow up. But neither did we notice time pass nor how the playfulness receded over the years.

But when Elu came last August suddenly the quietness of our house became apparent. She brought everyone to life with her peppiness, her puppy playfulness and knack for making mischief.

The dogs who had become quite, sedentary and solitude seeking, suddenly sprang into play. Well, truthfully it wasn’t sudden, Elu had her work cut out as she nudged each dog into becoming a puppy again.



Elu went at each dog relentlessly, slowing working her way into their hearts and lives and over time she has gotten each one of them to become a little bit of a puppy again.

Maybe they don’t play as much as she does but in a day everyone of them plays a little, sometimes with her, sometimes with someone else, and sometimes with themselves.

But no matter what, everyday I get to see a little bit of puppyness in each of them, and I’m reminded that ‘You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.’

Read More

Xenial - Hello Stranger!

It’s almost the end of the A to Z Challenge but now in the last few days it gets the most difficult, with X, Y and Z throwing up the big challenges.

Try finding words with X! That's tough as it is, add to that the twist of the word being positive and meaningful and you leave yourself just a couple of words to choose from. So well, after a lot of searching and pondering, my choice for X is Xenial.

Xenial relates to hospitality or relations between a host and guest. It traces its roots to Greece where it defined customs between people of different cities. It means being hospitable to stangers and foreigners who are visiting and in it's adjective form it could also mean giving gifts to strangers.

 



 

Cuckoo House. This is what most people who've ever been home call our house. If you've ever visited I'll not have to explain. But for those who haven't, after Cuckoo came home 7 years ago, the house was ours no more. Cuckoo is the dog you first meet at the gate, she is always at the gate, the face of our home.

She is a dog you never forget after you've met her. A strong personality she makes an impression for sure, it may be good or bad but a strong and lasting impression it is. She has always been somewhat an enigma, there are just to many times I haven't been able to figure her out.

Why she takes to some people and not others is a mystery. The ones she takes too, go away to forever ask about her first when they call, or look forward to meeting her when they return. Those she doesn't like (thank god, that's a rarity), rarely return.



But she isn’t the most xenial of my dogs at all times, being the moody temperamental one that she is. The others balance her out with their love and care. Mainly the ones who are the xenial ones in my house are Buddha, Max and Elu in age order, in xeniality it’d be reverse.

Elu melts and wins over every heart. If we had a Miss Xeniality competition, she’d win it hands down. She knows just what it takes to please people, and can read people to know what would melt whose heart.

Both mongrels but both so different. Yet what they have in common is a knack of winning people over, of worming into their hearts, curling up there and staying for ever.

Read More

Wisdom - What’s Wise All About

I’ve been unable to decided between ‘wholehearted’ and ‘wisdom’ all of today but now at the end of the day, wisdom it shall be for I haven’t told you much about Buddha until now and this is the word for him.

Buddha or #BuddhaTheWise as we call him, came into our lives about 4 years ago. A timid retiring little thing Buddha was hardly ever heard and sometimes not even seen. He spent his first Diwali with his head stuck between the wall and the beanbag and the crackers made a racket.

 



 

Buddha had always been a timid dog, we had been told. He did like confrontations and his way of avoiding that was to become the side-kick Tiger at a very young age. Tiger was the alpha of the pack and Windward Kennels and no one messed with Buddha as messing with him was messing with Tiger.

But that didn’t take away from Buddha in anyway for he won best in breed 7 times and was one of the stud dogs at Windward. Life was good for Buddha who preferred to sit and stare at birds and bees rather than chase them. That is until Tiger passed away.

Things changed then, he suddenly didn’t have his bodyguard anymore, he started getting noticed, pounced on and he began to retreat into himself. The Buddha we brought home was a timid dog who spent most of the day under chairs keeping out of everyones reach. We hoped a change of pack would give him a new life.



Four years later, looking back I know we couldn’t have been more right. Buddha has blossomed into a dog all his own. He scolds you for everything, charges out with the pack at strange sounds and strangers, and can be the cutest thing at times.

 

https://youtu.be/a8fell3HJfE

 

He isn’t the dog we brought home any more. Still timid around people, he stands up for himself just fine with dogs. Interestingly William, my Golden Retriever is most scared of Buddha who makes him toe the line with such ease.

Now that you know so much about Buddha, lets get to the topic of this post - wisdom. This is one thing I’ve seen in large quantities in Buddha. He knows when to fight and more importantly when to walk away. Most often, we rather walk away then have a fight. He spends hours in contemplation and I’d give so much to find out what he’s thinking.

Buddha is so wise, he even looks wise! :D

Read More

Movie Review: O Kadhal Kanmani or OK Kanmani

Release: April 17, 2015 (India)
Language: Tamil
Director: Mani Ratnam
Actors: Dulquer Salmaan, Nithya Menen, Leela Samson, Prakash Raj
Music composer: A. R. Rahman
Cinematography: P. C. Sreeram

After Mani Ratnam’s last movie Kadal which Che didn’t like and I didn’t land up watching, I was looking forward to this one. With O Kadhal Kanmani it would be decided which way Mani Ratnam’s career was going. Was he going to make a comeback into movie greats or fade away into the world of wannabes.

OK Kanmani is at the surface a simple love story. Boy meet girl in dramatic circumstances. He then next sees her at his best friends wedding and love blossoms, only it’s still in budding stage. A few dates follow and next thing you know they are living-in.

Yep, living-in is the new normal and we now talk about it openly in our movies. All is well until the boys brother and sister-in-law visit. Then girl gets told off for living in sin and boy is living in denial or the belief that his brother and S-I-L know nothing.

Girl turns out to be a heiress and her mother puts boy behind bars in Arthur Road Jail to see if he is good enough for her daughter. Suddenly in the midst of all this both girl and boys dreams materialise. Girl gets opportunity to study in Paris and boy gets job posting U.S.

They have to choose, either dreams or love. But there is also so called mid path. Boy tells girl he wants her to chase her dreams, to do all she wants, go where she wants, and all that spiel but only after she marries him.

So, they get married, go their separate ways, and then come back together and make babies. The perfect love story if you leave every iota of your intelligence at home. Hey, I’m not being insulting, I’m serious. I enjoyed the movie, but then again, I didn’t have high expectations, I wanted a random entertainer and most importantly I don’t speak Tamil. :D

Me Likey:

(Those few things I liked.)

I enjoyed the music, and some songs like Kaara Aattakkaara and Mental Manadhil I’m still humming. I also enjoyed Malargal Kaettaen and Parandhu Sella Vaa was a very interesting mix of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVoO9cdk5Eo&index=4&list=PLO5AQIbH89ySmDLQrLF_h-pb83RZjk3uq

Dulquer Salmaan was a sight for sore eyes. A cutie who constantly oozed sexiness. Nithya Menen was the female equivalent of that. The character that I liked the most though was Prakash Raj. With each movie of his I watch lately I’m falling in love with the man a little more.

Irky Things:

(That which irked me a lot.)

1. This funda of getting married before you can doing anything, especially anything fun. After the live-in scenes, I was starting to think that finally here was a movie that wouldn’t culminate in wedding bells. But no, no such thing happened. Instead they reinforced that societal requirement of signing a sheet of paper.

2. One of the supporting characters has Alzheimers and the movie was doing a good job of showing that it was about and the love and care an Alzheimers patient needs, until suddenly you realise that’s just a part of the story to allow the hero and heroine to have more time for cliched yucky dialoguebaazi where they exchange sappy dialogues.

3. There were others too but I’ll round off this list with sappy cliched dialogues. The ‘Will you take care of me when I’m old’ type dialogues have been done to death and should be put to death soon. Especially in a movie where initially the girl and boy come across are strong characters that do not believe in marriage.

Summary:

(The short and sweet of it.)

All said and done, the movie had it’s moments and I enjoyed it. There were a lot of scenes that made me smile and even laugh. I also so wanted to pinch Dulquer Salmaan’s cheeks and say ‘choo sweet’ many a time. :D

Mani Ratham it seems has not lost his touch completely, but he definitely needs to find more of it before he can make Roja or Bombay again.

Did you watch it? What did you think of it?

Read More

Vice - There Should Be At Least One

Yesterday, when I realised that today’s letter was ‘V’ I started to shortlist words. There weren’t too many to choose from and none seemed satisfactory. 'Vice’ though kept cropping up.

There isn’t much to write about vice and to top that, it’s a word with negative connotations. I spent last night and most of today thinking how I would work it in. I even tried to look for other easier words but vice just didn’t go away.

Then I turned to Google for rescue. Here’s two meanings google lists -

- immoral or wicked behaviour.
- an immoral or wicked personal characteristic.

Now I’m not going into the immoral part but the wicked seemed right up my ally, or for that matter the dogs ally. :D

My doggies are angels, yes, but they can surface the devil sometimes. And each one has their own unique little devil-dog with his trident.

Elu loves to chew on things and a lot of times, it things she shouldn’t be chewing. Like the dress she made holes in this morning.



Senti has a silly OCD of licking, he has his favourite spots in the courtyard and then he just licks and licks and licks the same spot.

Senti being told off... Not that it bothers him in any way :D #LifeAsFreya #Sentimeter #InspectorSentimeter #dachshund #weinerdog #dachshundsofinstagram #dogsofinstagram #DailyDoggieDose

A video posted by @freya3377 on Mar 1, 2015 at 10:05pm PST

Cuckoo is a cranky bitch. She loses it when there is another dog on the other side of the gate and in her frenzied state she takes out her excitement on any dog that’s stupid enough to be around her in the heat of the moment.



Max considers some of the weirdest things as food and the yuckiest thing I caught him eating is human feces. I know, yuck!



William chooses to sleep in the oddest of spots, and then gets upset when you jump over him to get to the kitchen. He’s like a walking obstacle course.



Then there’s Buddha, who is an all round wonderful dog, except that he will scold you for everything. Tell him to go out and he’ll bark at you. Call him for dinner and make him wait and you’ll get told off. Scold a dog and he’ll scold you, he’ll even scold the dogs when they argue.



All of these may not seem like negatives but that depends on how you look at it. To me vices don’t have to be negative, they just have to be wicked and weird. They add to the character the dog or person and help you appreciate the good things about them.

I’ve had a lot of vices over the years, some have stayed and a lot of changed or gone away. But some are always around. I can’t be all good, right? ;)

Read More

Unique - As We All Are

 

I'm unique... just like everyone else.
- Unknown

 

The desire to be unique drove me for a large part of my life and it still does. Looking back a lot of things I did were rebellion but they also were fuelled by the need to stand out, to be different.

It took years of upstream swimming to realise that I didn’t need to struggle, I was unique naturally. I didn’t need to go with the flow, but I didn’t need to fight it either.



With 6 dogs in my pack I get to see a lot of variety, a range of personalities, each one so different from the other. From their barks, to snores, they are so different, I can usually tell one from the other even with out looking at them.

Each one of them has their own quirks, their very own favourites - from food to poop spots, individual temperaments, characteristic styles of walking and running,… the list goes on. I could tell each one apart in everything little thing about them.

 



 

Not one of them tries to be like the other. They are unique and they to be very happy and content with who they are.

That’s the moral for me here - to be comfortable in your own skin, don't try to be someone else, be who ever you are, for you are unique!

Read More

Tolerance - Understand and Accept

I used to be a judgemental person some years ago. Ready to assess and dismiss people easily, not giving them a chance most of the time.

Over the years though, this has changed, I’m less judgemental now, or so I think. I still land-up judging people even before I realise I am doing it but now I can stop myself when I realise it. I am a lot more tolerant now than before but I have a long way to go.



William as I was saying yesterday has been abused and this abusive history of his has made him less tolerant and a lot more cranky than most dogs. He doesn't like being disturbed, his personal space is much larger than normal and he gets upset at any invasion of it.

There are constant instances of him mock charging and scolding the other dogs for walking past him or playing in his vicinity. He used to do this with me too earlier and my reaction to it was usually to retaliate and scold him.



The dogs on the other hand, stop in their tracks when he does this. They freeze, look away, take two breaths, and then continue on their way like nothing happened. It’s as if they understand him and his issues and are saying “It’s ok dude, chill out!”.

They seem to have a tolerance for each other built into their natures, it’s what keep them glued as a pack. They understand each other, each others quirks, irritants, likes, dislikes, and histories.

But I think it’s not just that they understand or tolerate each other but that they accept each other, without changes or modifications, they accept each other just as they are.

Read More

When the Clocks Stopped by Marion Eaton: Mystical Mystery Bundle Giveaway

Discover a touch of the mystical and an innovative take on mystery from an international trio of authors. Australian Virginia King, American Amber Foxx and British Marion Eaton – all B.R.A.G. Medallion winners – have teamed up for a giveaway and over a week of discounts from April 21 – 30.

The Mystical Mystery Bundle is up for grabs at discounted prices from the 21st to 30th of April. But from the 21st to 26th of April you have a chance to win it for free. Scroll down for more details on how to participate in the giveaway.

Before I tell you more about When the Clocks Stopped, Marion Eaton and the giveaway, here's a question I asked Marion about her book.



What inspired you to to have a time-slip in ‘When the Clocks Stopped’? Why did you choose Hazel Dawkin's profession as a lawyer?

I’d like to answer the second question first … as a novice writer, I was advised to ‘write about what I know’. So I have to come clean and admit that ‘When the Clocks Stopped’ is based on an unforgettable, rosy time in my life — when I first set up in practice as a solicitor. My personal experiences were very different from Hazel’s, of course, but I liked the idea of an unusual protagonist for a legal thriller — a young pregnant lawyer who knows next to nothing about crime or litigation but solves a mystery with common sense combined with practical legal knowledge.

My own conversations with Annie inspired the time-slip, but then I have always been aware that history is not dead. It walks beside us through the streets of cities and across country fields. I have noticed that in many old buildings where dramatic things have happened, an impression is stamped on the atmosphere or is impregnated in the walls. Annie became as real to me as Hazel, although she lives in a different century. Their lives became so entangled that it seemed inevitable that they must meet. And I am convinced that it is possible for present day occurrences to affect events that have happened in the past as much as they shape the future. Besides, it was such fun to write!

 

Summary: When the Clocks Stopped

When lawyer Hazel Dawkins decides to write some wills while she waits for the birth of her first child, she unwittingly triggers dramatic consequences. Mysteriously, she encounters Annie, a woman whose tempestuous life took place more than two centuries earlier when Romney Marsh was a violent place, dominated by smugglers. Soon that past collides with the present, and Hazel finds herself pitted against an evil that has stalked the marsh for centuries. As her destiny intertwines with Annie’s in the shifting time-scape, Hazel confronts a terrifying challenge that parallels history – and could even change it. If she survives.

 

About the Author: Marion Eaton

 
Retired from legal practice, Marion Eaton lives near the sea in the beautiful Sussex countryside with a long-suffering husband, a lazy Saluki, a wild garden and an urge to write into the small hours –all of which she attempts to keep in some sort of order.

 

 

 

Giveaway: Win a Paperback of Each Book

Enter the drawing below to win a paperback copy of the first book in each author’s series.

You can also buy 'When the Clocks Stopped' (only US $1.99 during sale from 21st to 30th) - Amazon.in | Amazon.com

In the Rafflecopter widget below choose which series you would like to learn more about. This will enter you in the drawing. To get an additional entry, click on the option to tweet the give-away. The giveaway will run from April 21 (midnight US Eastern time) to April 26 (midnight US Eastern time). The winner will be announced on April 27, 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Just in case the Rafflecopter widget isn't showing, click here.

All the Best!!! :)

Read More

Sensitivity - Unto Others and Yourself

When it comes to sensitivity we have both ends of the spectrum in our house. We have both - be sensitive unto yourself and be sensitive unto others.

I sensitivity as two types, one in which you are sensitive to what others are going though, feeling, experiencing and the like. Where you sympathise and empathise with someone who is suffering or in pain.

The other level of sensitivity is the one that make you touchy, makes you react to what people do to you, to what you are experiencing, to what people are saying. In this one you tend to growl and snap at people under the right circumstances.

And like I was saying we have an example of both in our house. Both examples are mongrels, only 6 years apart.



Cuckoo has always been a touchy dog. She doesn’t like certain things at certain times. Like try telling her to get away from the gate and come in when there is a cat out there and you’re going to see some fireworks.

Or when she sleeps. She likes to curl up at tummy level and expects you to curl up around her, but, but but but, you cannot curl up tight or touch her paws in any way. This she will not tolerate. When it happens accidentally (we’ve been trained well) she will growl, jump out of bed and promptly paw your face to get do it right all over again.

Cuckoo is super sensitive but then so is Elu, only at the other end of the spectrum. She isn’t a touchy dog, rather she is in tune with people around her. Super sensitive to whats happening to her people.



When Che or I get even mildly upset, hurt or we are unhappy for any reason, it is amazing to watch how Elu picks up on i and will be immediately by your side. Nudging, licking and trying to find a way to distract you and make you feel better.

In her head, I think Elu thinks her cuteness can override any bad thing. And it’s true, Elu can make you smile no matter what. Her immediately attention when I’m am down and out is one of the most wonderful things I have experienced. It makes you bounce back and how.

For me, there is something to learn and take away from both...

Read More

The Calling by Amber Foxx: Mystical Mystery Bundle Giveaway

Discover a touch of the mystical and an innovative take on mystery from an international trio of authors. Australian Virginia King, American Amber Foxx and British Marion Eaton – all B.R.A.G. Medallion winners – have teamed up for a giveaway and over a week of discounts from April 21 – 30.

The Mystical Mystery Bundle is up for grabs at discounted prices from the 21st to 30th of April. But from the 21st to 26th of April you have a chance to win it for free. Scroll down for more details on how to participate in the giveaway.

Before I tell you more about The Calling, Amber Foxx and the giveaway, here's a question I asked Amber about her book.



Mae Martin-Ridley in your book The Calling has the gift of ‘the sight’. What do you think of this psychic power, is it a gift or a curse?

For Mae, it’s both. The first few things she does with the gift seem undeniably helpful—finding a lost person, a lost pet—but she runs into problems because she can know things about others that they’d rather keep from her. Some of the things she accidentally discovers disappoint her deeply. Some of her experiences frighten her. It’s a challenge to learn how her ability to see the past or a distant event in the present in an ethical and compassionate manner. She has to learn to balance and control this gift, and has no one to teach her.

People who don’t have psychic abilities often imagine it must be wonderful. I have a different ability than Mae does—I dream the future, and sometimes get sudden intuitions about the future. Once I dreamed that the academic department at the college where I taught was going to be closed. When it happened, I was ready. But dreaming about an aunt’s terminal illness was troubling. I didn’t want to be right, and didn’t tell anyone in the family. It would have been less burdensome not to know in advance. When I shared foreknowledge with someone I thought it could help—a warning of an impending stroke—he laughed it off. Months later, it happened. These experiences helped me create my psychic character with empathy for her conflicts, but I made her gift unlike mine on purpose. Mae isn’t based on me, and it seemed better for the mystery plots if she couldn’t see the future.

 

Summary: The Calling

Obeying her mother’s warning, Mae Martin-Ridley has spent years hiding her gift of “the sight.” When concern for a missing hunter compels her to use it again, her peaceful life in a small Southern town begins to fall apart. New friends push her to explore her unusual talents, but as she does, she discovers the shadow side of her visions – access to secrets she could regret uncovering.

Gift or curse? When an extraordinary ability intrudes on an ordinary life, nothing can be the same again.

 

About the Author: Amber Foxx

Amber Foxx is the author of the Mae Martin psychic mystery series, and an avid reader of mysteries, thrillers, nonfiction, literary fiction, and paranormal fiction that doesn’t have vampires in it. She has worked professionally in theater and dance, fitness, and academia. Amber’s training and academic studies in various fields of complementary and alternative medicine, as well as her personal experience and travels, bring authenticity to her work. In her free time she enjoys music, dancing, art, running and yoga. She divides her time between the Southeast and the Southwest, living in Truth or Consequences during her New Mexico months.

 

Giveaway: Win a Paperback of Each Book

Enter the drawing below to win a paperback copy of the first book in each author’s series.

You can also buy 'The Calling' (only US $1.99 during sale from 21st to 30th) - Amazon.in | Amazon.com

In the Rafflecopter widget below choose which series you would like to learn more about. This will enter you in the drawing. To get an additional entry, click on the option to tweet the give-away. The giveaway will run from April 21 (midnight US Eastern time) to April 26 (midnight US Eastern time). The winner will be announced on April 27, 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Just in case the Rafflecopter widget isn't showing, click here.

All the Best!!! :)

Read More

Resilient - Bounce Back, Slowly but Surely

William and Max came to Bangalore about three years ago. Bringing them here was a decision we made in a split second and we have never looked back since.

On a routine call with Che’s parents we heard about how they had found out that the dogs were being abused. My In-Laws are doctors and they run a hospital. William and Max had come as pups into the premises and had had a good life.

Growing up they had a large space to play in and spend the day and at night the entire hospital compound became their play ground. They ran about, hunted and generally had a ball. This though lasted only for a little over 6 years, then the old security guard and their caretaker passed away.



There on things took a down hill turn. Caretakers changed often, none were patient and kind, and it seems a couple hit them and put the scare of people into them. Their temperaments had changed, they were becoming different dogs, and difficult to handle.

We brought them over and put them up at Happy Tails, a boarding rehab, while we searched for a bigger house that would accommodate 5 dogs. It took us close to a year to find a house and bring our pack together.



As I was saying yesterday Max is all about food and sleep (the pic above is Max at the kitchen door) and it seems like he had found a way to separate from the abuse in his head. He wasn’t as regressed as William but he wasn’t open either. Over the last year and a half he has blossomed and is almost his former self. A dog that demands food and attention, likes to cuddle and allows us to touch him all over.

William is a stickler for routine and cleanliness. He would bark when he needed to go out and instead of being taken out he would be punished for barking and would get tied up. The abuse impacted him the most, to a point where he was wary of every human being, he flinched a the slightest change in tone or volume and got defensive if you had anything that resembled a stick in your hand.



When William first came home, the only person he trusted was Che. He was always watching me from the corner of his eye, ever watchful, ever wary. He’s a big dog and when he did his mock charges, it made me jump out of my skin. It made me ever watchful, ever wary too. :D

It’s taken a year and a half for William to learn to trust me and me him. We aren’t bum-chum pals like Che and he but we have our own little equation. He has learned to listen and believe in me and I have learned to read some of his moods and language. He has come a long way but he also still has a long recovery ahead.



Considering what these two have gone though (and the fact remains that a lot of it is still a mystery, we don’t know all that happened to them and maybe we never will), their resilience amazes me. Their ability, to withstand their past and recover from it to find themselves again, is a testament to their strength and hardiness.

The dictionary defines resilient as "able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed” and this so is them. Fast in Max and slow in William but yet a case in point for resilience.

Read More

The First Lie by Virginia King: Mystical Mystery Bundle Giveaway

Discover a touch of the mystical and an innovative take on mystery from an international trio of authors. Australian Virginia King, American Amber Foxx and British Marion Eaton – all B.R.A.G. Medallion winners – have teamed up for a giveaway and over a week of discounts from April 21 – 30.

The Mystical Mystery Bundle is up for grabs at discounted prices from the 21st to 30th of April. But from the 21st to 26th of April you have a chance to win it for free. Scroll down for more details on how to participate in the giveaway.

Before I tell you more about The First Lie, Virginia King and the giveaway, here's a question I asked Virginia about her book.



Your character Selkie Moon was named after a Celtic fairy tale. Why did you choose this folklore? How has it added to the supernatural element of the book?

The selkie myth has haunted me for many years. When I worked for a children's publisher, I helped put together a collection of myths from around the world and I got hooked by their symbolism. The selkies are the seal people who peel off their skins to dance in the moonlight on human legs. In the myth, a fisherman falls in love with one of the selkies as he watches her dancing and steals her skin so she must marry him. She's never quite herself and when she finds where he's hidden her skin seven years later, she returns to the sea without looking back. The First Lie is not a retelling of the selkie myth but I've played with it to add supernatural layers to the mystery of a modern woman. Selkie Moon has run away to Hawaii and landed in the middle of a series of bizarre happenings that are tangled up with both Celtic and Hawaiian mythology. Selkie has been living a lie without knowing it – The First Lie. And just like the selkie whose pelt was stolen, her very life depends on finding what she's lost – by returning to the place where it all began, without looking back.

 

Summary: The First Lie

Selkie Moon is a woman on the run. In a mad dash for freedom she's escaped her life in Sydney to start over again in Hawaii. But her refuge begins to unravel and she's running from something else entirely. A voice in a dream says that someone is trying to kill her. Not that she's psychic, no way. But the messages and threats escalate until she's locked in a game of cat and mouse with a mysterious stalker. Entangled in Celtic and Hawaiian mythologies, the events become so bizarre and terrifying that her instinct is to keep running. But is she running from her past? Or her future?

 

About the Author: Virginia King

Virginia King has lived most of her life in Sydney, Australia, but has travelled to many places. She's been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, a producer of audio-books, a writer of over 50 children's books, a writing workshop presenter and an award-winning publisher. The First Lie is her debut novel for adults, the first mystery in the Selkie Moon series. These days Virginia lives with her husband in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney overlooking a valley full of birds. Most mornings she does some yoga, watches the French news (even understands some of it), then sits down and writes till late in the afternoon. Bliss.

 

Giveaway: Win a Paperback of Each Book

Enter the drawing below to win a paperback copy of the first book in each author’s series.

You can also buy 'The First Lie' (only US $1.99 during sale from 21st to 30th) - Amazon.in | Amazon.com

In the Rafflecopter widget below choose which series you would like to learn more about. This will enter you in the drawing. To get an additional entry, click on the option to tweet the give-away. The giveaway will run from April 21 (midnight US Eastern time) to April 26 (midnight US Eastern time). The winner will be announced on April 27, 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Just in case the Rafflecopter widget isn't showing, click here.

All the Best!!! :)

Read More

Quality and Quantity - The Eternal Battle

We’ve been taught repeatedly that it’s quality over quantity. That quality is more important than quantity and I agree, it’s true. However does it have to be more important?

Having a labrador in the house has forced me to change perspective. Maximus or MaxiTaxi as I love calling him has only two priorities in his life. Eat and sleep.



He likes doing other things too, like going for walks, killing lizards (yep he has that nasty habit) and playing sometimes but these aren’t the things that rock his boat. What he cares about most is eating and sleeping.

And when it comes to eating and sleeping, it’s all about quantity. Max does not choose between meat, chicken, kibble or anything else as long as it’s food. All he’s interested in, is finding out how much of it is there.



The more the quantity the happier he is. The rest of my pack may turn up their noses at what is given sometimes and also turn away after a certain amount but not so with Max. He’s all about getting the most out of the box.

To Max, and maybe to most labradors quality and quantity are the same. Push come to shove quantity will be more important than quality. And in some cases I think he has it right.

Making the most of something, or getting all that can be got from something, is a worthy lesson.

Read More

Book Review: Warrior by Olivier Lafont

 
Title: Warrior
Author: Olivier Lafont
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books India(November 24th 2014)
Genre: Mythological Fantasy
Read: eBook
Stars: ****/5
Buy On: Amazon | FlipKart

Summary: (Goodreads)

In Mumbai, driven to its knees by a merciless blizzard, Saam the watchmender is cornered into an intolerable position. As Shiva's only earthly demigod child, it falls upon him to stop his indomitable father. Bred to war, son of destruction, Saam rides with six extraordinary companions into the horror of a crumbling world to face Shiva. He is forced to join hands with Ara, his half-brother he can never fully trust and take with him his own mortal beloved, Maya, on this desperate attempt to stop the End of Days. But his path is littered with death, danger and betrayal. Interweaving mythology, epic adventure and vintage heroism, this enthralling novel will change the way you see gods, heroes and demons.

My Review:

Note: Thanks Olivier Lafont for offering me your book to read and review :)

Cover: Eye-catchy!

Paper and font: Easy on the eyes.

Readability, language: Fast read with some big words.

Why did I choose this book: A demigod story based on Indian Gods and set in India was a must read, no?

The world as we know it is coming to an end. Shiva the destroyer has started the process of the End of Days. But the Gods have human children or demigods and Saam who is Shiva child has the potential to save the world. Can he and how he does it is the story.

The title doesn’t really say much about the story, however the blurb does catch the eye and sow a seed of interest. The cover reminded me of samurais and such, but not bad I’d say since it caught my eye.

The plot is new but very clearly inspired by Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series. However there are a lot of elements that are different and new too. The main storyline is about saving the world but there are a lot of sub-plots too that explore Saam and his six companions past to build a complete jigsaw.

The story starts in present day Mumbai and then moves across India, across dimensions and between worlds as Saam and his party try to follow clues and undo the unravelling. Lamont has done a good job of describing the each location both real and fantasy and it is easy to visualise as your read.

Saam and his half brother Ara are the main characters of Warrior. They have a love-hate relationship and a past with many a story. Lamont explores the siblings relationship as the story unfolds unveiling their past a little bit at a time. There are a fair number of other characters too who are also well-fleshed and rounded to support the story and take it forward.

The objective of the story is clear within the first 10 or so pages of the book. Lamont then goes ahead through the tale to attain it. Though there are many sub-plots in the story, Lafont ties them all up well with the main storyline and leaves no loose ends.

He builds the narrative well and ups the pace towards climax, such that I was hooked to the book after a point. Warrior starts out really slow and then picks up pace and gets action-packed. If you can hold out for the first 20 or so pages, you’ll be stuck till the end.

Though the style of writing is somewhat inspired by Percy Jackson, the story is too Indian to hold on to Percy for long. Intwined intricately with Indian mythology and Gods, Lafont has done his research well and paints a vivid picture.

A very good effort for a debut novel. I’m going to be looking forward to more books from Lafont. Suitable for all ages except maybe kids, due to the blood and gore. If you are someone who loves mythology, especially Indian mythology and likes action-packed thriller type books, you must read Warrior.

About the Author:
Olivier Lafont is a French actor and author living in Mumbai, India. He has acted in Hindi films as well as over 80 television commercials. Apart from acting Lafont has also written the screenplay for the film Hari Om and is a regular columnist for MW and Men’s Health magazine. You can find out more on his website

Buy On: Amazon | FlipKart

Read More

Play - It’s Not Just for the Young

I got Cuckoo and Senti when they were puppies but the years have rolled by unnoticed and they are now 6 years old. That’s middle age in a dogs life!

They used to play a lot when they were younger but over time the playing reduced and we hardly noticed it since it happened gradually. The other three in my pack came to us when they were already middle aged and they preferred to lounge than run about playing.



This was the state of affairs in our household last year. The only times I saw a lot of activity in the dogs was when walks were about to happen or food was going to appear. At all other times they lazed about and sometimes investigated a toy lying around.

Then came Elu. When we first thought of adopting Elu, we were in two minds about it. All our dogs had crossed the five year mark, and we didn’t know if the dogs would want a young one around. Neither did we know if a puppy would fit in, if she would be happy in the pack.

We had a lot of questions but we went ahead anyway and Elu came home. And things were never the same again. She slowing and relentlessly won each one over. The old boys didn’t make it easy but slowly and steadily she wormed her way into the pack.

https://youtu.be/tY8lU_u8e0g

She was playful like a puppy should be, a bundle of energy always wanting to be doing something and she got everyone involved. The oldies seemed to get a new lease of life, they were suddenly playing and running about again. It was like they had rediscovered their puppyhood.

Elu changed the dynamic of our pack, she taught us to play again, unhindered, unrepentant, and unleashed. To play for only one reason - the joy of playing!

Read More

Opportunity - Grab It

The one lesson from the dogs that is always in my face is grabbing opportunities. They don’t miss any when they come by and sometimes even create the opportunity.

It doesn’t matter whether it is food, toys, a good scratch, a cuddle, a walk, or anything else. When they get a chance they don’t think twice and they don’t dilly-dally either, they just go for it.

Buddha gets digging the first chance he gets.

 

The ‘Go For It’ isn’t in half measures either. When they get started they do it with their full 100 percent. No holds barred, no holding back, they play the game as all or nothing.

Of course they never walk away with nothing and a lot of times they don’t even get it all but I’m yet to see them not do something because of that. They still do the same thing with their full heart again and again, every time.

Neither does Buddha miss an opportunity to grab my spot on the bed.

 

They are extremely opportunistic and I love my opportunistic dogs even when they apply this attitude to the things they shouldn’t do… like destroy my house, my clothes, my shoes and everything else that appeals to them. :P

Read More