An Autograph For Anjali by Sundari Venkatraman - Review

AN AUTOGRAPH FOR ANJALI

by

Sundari Venkatraman

Published by Flaming Sun

Blurb

Jayant Mathur is found murdered in his bed, shot at point-blank range with his own revolver. Though she’s extremely disturbed by his death, Jayant’s wife Anjali is way more upset about something else. Who stands to gain by killing the multi-millionaire businessman?

Parth Bhardwaj is a friend and neighbour of the Mathurs. Parth is an author who goes by a pseudonym. He appears more than a friend to Anjali; while he’s also on good terms with her son Arjun who lives and studies in the UK. What role does he play in Anjali’s life? Jayant’s relatives are curious to know.

Jayant’s brother-in-law Rana is convinced that Parth and Anjali are the murderers. But Inspector Phadke has his own doubts about this theory. In comes Samrat, the private detective who appears as quiet as a mouse. Will he be able to find the murderer?

Will Anjali find happiness and peace?

Review

The book starts with a dead body and a stoic woman who is seemingly unaffected by the death of her husband. As we come to know of who the murdered man - Jayant was, how selfish and unloving a husband he was, we feel for Anjali. The only respite in her life comes from her son Arjun, who is almost the exact opposite of his father. Loving, caring and concernced, Arjun is the perfect son every mother would want. 

Anjali is who she is because of what Jayant has made of her - merely a wife with no rights or voice of her own. It is when she sees Jayant with his mistress that the sky falls down for Anjali and she falls into depression. With treatment and love, Anjali gets better and becomes confident of who she is. Parth seems to have a very positive effect on Anjali. Jayant finds out everything about the romance of Anjali and Parth and in a few days, he is found murdered in his own bedroom. 

Who killed Jayant? What would happen to Anjali and Parth? How would Arjun react to all this? Answers to all these form the story.

Though the book has some elements of mystery in it, it is mostly about love and second chances in life. In the second part of the book, the issue of depression is addressed and that too very gently, deftly woven into the story. 

As always, the pages describing love and romance shine best and the author has yet again proven that she can churn out romances at the snap of her fingers. 

The writing is clear and simple, all the characters are very well developed, be it Anjali, Jayant, Arjun or even Parth. The book makes for a relaxed reading session that can be spent on your favorite couch nursing a cup of coffee. 

Grab your copy @

Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | 

Amazon.com.au | Amazon.ca

Notion Press | Flipkart | SapnaOnline | Bookadda |

Infibeam | Paytm | ShopClues 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In 2014, Sundari self-published The Malhotra Bride (2nd Edition); Meghna; The Runaway Bridegroom; Flaming Sun Collection 1: Happily Ever Afters From India (Box Set) and Matches Made In Heaven (a collection of romantic short stories).

2015 brought yet another opportunity. Readomania came forward to traditionally publish this book - The Madras Affair - a mature romance set in Madras.

An Autograph for Anjali, a romance with a touch of suspense, is also a self-published novel. Going a step further, the author has published the paperback version through Notion Press.

Stalk her @

               

Follow us # +Pinterest

Follow The Book 's board An Autograph for Anjali by Sundari Venkatraman on Pinterest.

Every day new links and tasks will be added. Follow The Tour Hosts of ATUW by +Sundari Venkatraman

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out The Book Club Tour Schedule 

This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | | Linkedin

We Promote So That You Can Write 

Color Me Rich || Mohan Deep

Color Me Rich 

by 

Mohan Deep 

Blurb 

A sensitive love story of a handsome and talented struggling painter Akash Saigal. What happens when he marries an extremely rich and beautiful artist and art investor Zenobia Taraporevala?

Prologue

J J School of Art, Mumbai.

Taking a charcoal pencil, Akash Saigal started drawing the wood-and-stone structure, popularly known as ‘Kipling Bungalow’. He was sketching sitting on a bench on which, in another era, K K Hebbar, M F Husain, Syed Haider Raza, Sadanand Bakre, V S Gaitonde, even Dadasaheb Phalke had sat with their sketchbooks, sketching the house where the author of The Jungle Book was born.

Ganpat Gupte appeared along with two of his gang. Gupte was the nephew of a minister, or so he claimed, and had the arrogance that comes with power.

“Ae Akash, kae karto?”

Akash looked up at the trio and said, “Nothing much. Just a drawing.”

“Okay. What is the day today?”

“Monday.”

“I should have known.Tere ko blue shirt hai na?”

Akash didn’t get the connection, but Gupte’s chamchas laughed knowingly.

“Didn’t you get it?”

“What?”

The three boys sang in unison, “Monday, blue shirt. Tuesday, black shirt. Wednesday, blue shirt. Thursday black shirt. Friday, blue shirt. Saturday, black shirt. Sunday…laundry!”

If Akash was hurt, he didn’t show it. He laughed sheepishly and continued sketching the bungalow.

But he would never forget this.

Today 

The elevator zoomed up, taking Akash directly to the penthouse on the 60th floor of Apollo Towers, and stopped with stomach-curdling smoothness. The door slid open to reveal his luxuriously done-up lounge.

He came out of the lift, turned down the passage, and walked over the deep-pile rug to the lounge.

He had returned from the salon.

He felt cleaner and fresher after his bimonthly facial – only Tanveer could give him a satisfactory shave - and pedicure. He liked to have his moustaches- like John Lennon's - done like in the Sixties, and he liked sideburns.

His head was still heavy from drinking until the late hours, but he looked much better than he felt. His studio was to the right, almost hidden behind the lavish bar facing him as he entered.

Perched 550 feet above the city of Mumbai, he could see the Queen’s Necklace and the World Trade Centre. From Zenobia’s bedroom, the Gateway of India and the high dome of the Taj Mahal Hotel.

Pran smiled at him.

Akash returned the smile, picked up the bottle of Blue Label and poured himself a stiff drink.

“Isn't it a little early for a drink?”

Without saying anything, Akash smiled, and switched on the TV.

The TV screen flashed a story over a video shot of Zenobia with him in happier times, followed by a shot of the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s heritage Gothic-style building and a subtitle: 'Mumbai Police give clean chit to Akash Saigal.'

The newsreader said:

“Based on the findings of the forensic department and investigation, the Mumbai Police has declared the death of noted artist and socialite Zenobia Taraporevala suicide. It may be recalled that a year ago, Zenobia died from a fall from her 60th-floor penthouse. There were questions about her death. Was it a suicide, or an accident, or was she pushed to her death? Her husband, the famous artist Akash Saigal, was under a cloud all these months. It has now been established that tired of being confined to a wheel chair after a car accident, a depressed Zenobia committed suicide.”

Pran jumped out of his seat, still listening to the newsreader with open-mouthed amazement. He shouted: “Wow!”

Both the men hugged.

A shot of Prime Minister Narendra Modi now flashed on the screen, as the newsreader continued, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Singapore….”

Akash smiled tiredly at Pran.

“You already knew about it?”

Akash nodded and absent-mindedly picked up an envelope. He took out the card, glanced at it, and pushed it back. It was an invitation to his own function.

“Boss, when do we leave?” Pran asked.

“We have lots of time. The inauguration is after three hours, and the ministers never come on time. Agar aa bhi gaya toh hamari woh Fareeda baithi hai. Sambhal legi. Dad will take care of it. Chal baith, tu bhi le.”

“No, not me. I’m driving,” Pran said solemnly.

Akash knew that this was not the time to drink. He shouldn’t appear sloshed in front of the entire world and the prying media. He took another sip, and changed the news channel. 

And found himself staring at a picture of Zenobia on the screen. The still picture changed to a video shot of Zenobia and he at a party.

The newsreader was ranting:

“In India, the law mandates that the husband be questioned for cases involving the death of a woman within seven years of marriage. Akash and Zenobia had been married for barely two-and-a-half years. And Zenobia had died under mysterious circumstances, falling from the French window of her penthouse! The police always look for ‘the other woman’ in a case like this.”

The TV showed a shot of Suma, followed by a video shot of Suma and Akash emerging from the JW Marriott in Juhu. The newsreader went on: “And they found her in Suma. Suma Malkani, the beautiful ghazal singer.”

The State Minister for Cultural Affairs, Nanasaheb Palekar, was to launch the art school, named after Zenobia Taraporevala-Saigal, that evening at Powai. There had been several protests because of the controversy over her death, but the minister ignored them all.

A protest was planned for the same day by Kapila Khandelval's NGO. It was unclear whether the NGO would go ahead with the protest or cancel it in view of the clean chit given to Akash by the police.

This project had been his baby and Zenobia's dream. The government had given the land and the Taraporevalas had put in the money. Fareeda had inserted a business angle even in this dream project of Zenobia's. The Zenobia-Akash Saigal School of Art had become the Zenobia-Akash Saigal School of Art and Business Management. She also had plans for a Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in an annex. The minister had given the nod for that, too.

Akash’s mobile rang.

He looked at the screen and let it ring.

Taking a sip of his drink, he moved towards his den. He stepped into his room, and before he could shut the door, the phone near the bar table rang.

“Boss?” Pran said. “Fareeda is on the line.”

Fareeda would be having kittens without him. Akash’s association with the project had given it respectability and even a cultural cause, and got the plot at one-eighth its market value, and all the permissions.

"Fuck her!" Akash said, but he answered the phone anyway. 

Fareeda seemed frantic.

"The media will be here in three hours. And the minister, too."

Akash said, “Fuck the media!" and hung up.

The TV newsreader went on:

“Before Akash Saigal hit the big time, he lived in a small apartment in Adarsh Nagar, in the western suburbs. His paintings didn't earn him enough to buy a decent vehicle. He travelled by buses and cabs. While Zenobia almost took a sabbatical, Akash shot to fame with his mixed media and three-dimensional installations after marrying her.”

Leaning against the soft, cool leather of a luxurious sofa, Akash said, "Cigarettes?"

Pran was already sliding open the glass door of a cabinet. A carton of Marlboros had just one packet left. He gave the packet to Akash, grinned, and threw the carton in the trash box.

They might have been sharing the same flashback, the same past.

Akash Saigal is the typical bollywood hero - his story has all the elements and it is a proper rags to riches story. All the milestones in his life are clearly laid out before the reader - initial days of struggle as an artist waiting to be discovered, his sudden rise to fame and his entry to the elite club by way of his marriage to Zen. Akash chased his passion tirelessly to get everything in life, but it was also the very reason he lost everything. The common man envies the life of celebrities and think that they have it all. Some incidents around us in the recent times wake us to a different reality, how everyone no matter how famous they are go through the struggles they have to. For Akash also, even when he was at the pinnacle of success, life was no better than how it was in his days of struggle.

In subtle ways the book hints at the state of our society today - how cheap duplicates are valued more than unique originals and how much corruption and such malpractices are prevalent around us.

Zen is a typical woman who is both jealous and proud of her husband and his success.
Akash has been portrayed well, while Suma could have been explored a bit more in detail.

With a little less than 200 pages, the book is an unputdownable quick read that grips the reader with its crisp narration and smooth flowing storyline which can be devoured in a single sitting. I am definitely looking forward to reading the other 9 works of Mohan Deep.

Grab your Copy @

amazon.com | amazon.in | flipkart

or grab this book free at #KindleUnlimited 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Mohan Deep, is an Indian author, painter and Feng Shui Master. Mohan Deep is the author of ‘The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala’ (1996), ‘It’s My Life’ (Novel) (1997), ‘Simply Scandalous: Meena Kumari’ (1998), ‘Eurekha!’ – an unauthorized biography of Rekha. (1999), ‘Four Options’ (2000), ‘Feng Shui for the Bold & Beautiful, the Rich and Famous’ (2001) and ‘Nehru and the Tantrik Woman’ (2002). After a sabbatical of a decade, during which he touched upon the lives of people as a Feng Shui Master, he was back with The Five Foolish Virgins( 2013). Mohan Deep is arguably the only Indian author to write what is often described as controversial, unauthorized star biographies in India. Columnist-journalist and former editor of 'Illustrated Weekly of India', Khushwant Singh called him 'a truly gifted gossip writer'. “The maverick writer”, like columnist-reviewer-poetess.

Tara Patel described him has also been called William Goldman of Bollywood’s stars (By Behram Contractor, the Editor of Afternoon Despatch & Courier) (Source) Kitty Kelly of India (By R K Bajaj, the Editor of ‘The Daily’). Interestingly, almost every book he has wrote/penned has invited controversies for its bold content.

Stalk him @

               

Follow us # +Pinterest

Follow The Book 's board Color Me Rich on Pinterest.

Win $30 $20 & $15 Amazon Gift Card or Cash equivalent



a Rafflecopter giveaway

         

Check out The Book Club Tour Schedule 

This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | | Linkedin

We Promote So That You Can Write 

The Reengineers by Indu Muralidharan - Review

The Reengineers

by 

Indu Muralidharan
A HarperCollins Publication (Harper Element)

Blurb 

Chinmay Narayan is plotting to kill himself. He is a misfit at school, his parents are about to divorce and the love of his life doesn’t know he exists. It seems pointless to go on with such a dysfunctional life. But before he gets anywhere with that plan, Chinmay and his friends, Anu and Sabi, stumble into the eerie world of Conchpore through a portal in Uncle RK’s library.

They find themselves in The Seeker’s School, where you can buy spiritual courses that will bring you enlightenment. While the seekers seem unaware that there is anything amiss, Chinmay and his friends stumble upon a strange and sinister plot that the teachers and students are caught up in. The three youngsters suddenly find themselves in danger, and their only hope is the charismatic Siddharth, an old student of the school who has come to visit. Chinmay discovers that Siddharth is seeking catharsis from his dark past by writing a book—a book with Chinmay as the protagonist. He realizes that his own story is a mirror image of Siddharth’s, which leads to a moment of reckoning for him: can he become the author of his own life?

Set in Madras in the early nineties, The Reengineers dispels the boundaries between fiction and reality to tell a tale that is as much a coming-of-age story as it is an inspiring narrative of self-empowerment and spiritual growth.

                                    Review 

A secret portal that gives one access to a hidden world - reminds me of the Chronicles of Narnia. There ends the similarity though. The rest of the story is about Chinmay, who is struggling hard to cope with his broken family and nursing a broken heart. Once Chinmay, Anu and Sabi are in Conchpore they realize they are in the campus of the Seekers'school and have strange experiences that leave them changed for the better.

The language is impeccable, the narrative though slow in the beginning picks up pace when the protagonist reaches Conchpore and from there it is an admirable read. The book is enjoyable and no matter what age the reader is, s/he can find something inspirational from the book. Though classified as Young Adult, the story has something for everyone. The story reflects portions of everyone's lives.

Grab your Copy @

amazon.com | amazon.in | amazon.co.uk| flipkart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

I am a writer from Chennai, India. To me, reading and writing are means by which I try to comprehend the meaning of life and reality. My first novel The Reengineers (HarperCollins, 2015) is a metafictional exploration of the meaning of the self, examined through the relationship between an author and the character of his novel. I am working on two other novels at the moment, both centred around the healing power of fiction and its significance in 'real' life.

I live in London, balancing a full time day job with writing and studying a part-time Master's Course in Creative Writing at The University of Oxford.

Stalk her @

               

Follow us # +Pinterest
Follow The Book 's board The Reengineers by Indu Muralidharan on Pinterest.


Win Rs. 1000 worth Amazon Gift Card 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

         

Check out The Book Club Tour Schedule 

This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | | Linkedin

We Promote So That You Can Write 

The Reengineers by Indu Muralidharan

The Reengineers

by 

Indu Muralidharan
A HarperCollins Publication (Harper Element)

Blurb 

Chinmay Narayan is plotting to kill himself. He is a misfit at school, his parents are about to divorce and the love of his life doesn’t know he exists. It seems pointless to go on with such a dysfunctional life. But before he gets anywhere with that plan, Chinmay and his friends, Anu and Sabi, stumble into the eerie world of Conchpore through a portal in Uncle RK’s library.

They find themselves in The Seeker’s School, where you can buy spiritual courses that will bring you enlightenment. While the seekers seem unaware that there is anything amiss, Chinmay and his friends stumble upon a strange and sinister plot that the teachers and students are caught up in. The three youngsters suddenly find themselves in danger, and their only hope is the charismatic Siddharth, an old student of the school who has come to visit. Chinmay discovers that Siddharth is seeking catharsis from his dark past by writing a book—a book with Chinmay as the protagonist. He realizes that his own story is a mirror image of Siddharth’s, which leads to a moment of reckoning for him: can he become the author of his own life?

Set in Madras in the early nineties, The Reengineers dispels the boundaries between fiction and reality to tell a tale that is as much a coming-of-age story as it is an inspiring narrative of self-empowerment and spiritual growth. 

Grab your Copy @

amazon.com | amazon.in | amazon.co.uk| flipkart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

I am a writer from Chennai, India. To me, reading and writing are means by which I try to comprehend the meaning of life and reality. My first novel The Reengineers (HarperCollins, 2015) is a metafictional exploration of the meaning of the self, examined through the relationship between an author and the character of his novel. I am working on two other novels at the moment, both centred around the healing power of fiction and its significance in 'real' life.

I live in London, balancing a full time day job with writing and studying a part-time Master's Course in Creative Writing at The University of Oxford.

Stalk her @

               

Follow us # +Pinterest
Follow The Book 's board The Reengineers by Indu Muralidharan on Pinterest.


Win Rs. 1000 worth Amazon Gift Card 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

         

Check out The Book Club Tour Schedule 

This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | | Linkedin

We Promote So That You Can Write 

A Thousand Unspoken Words Spotlight

A Thousand Unspoken Words 

by 

Paulami Duttagupta
A Readomania Publications 

Blurb 

A hero, a person who displays great courage for the greater good, can also fall. But what happens to a fallen hero? A Thousand Unspoken Words is the unique journey of a hero who falls.

The champion of the underdogs, the writer who uses the nom de plume Musafir is famous in Kolkata. His incisive criticism of the injustices around him earn him many enemies but he holds his ideals above all else. Scathing attacks at his books and a night of hide and seek from political goons leads Musafir unto a path he never liked, faraway from his ideals. He runs away and chooses the comforts of money over the travails of following one’s ideals. The hero falls.
​
But Tilottama, passionate fan’s hopes don’t. When he comes back after many years, emotions, love and lust take charge and an affair brews. Will she bring back her hero? Will he rise again? Or will the thousand untold words, the many stories of the ideal writer be lost forever?

Grab your Copy @

amazon.com | amazon.in | 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Paulami DuttaGupta is a novelist and screen writer. She shuttles between Kolkata and Shillong. She has worked as a radio artist, copy writer, journalist and a television analyst at various stages of her life, having been associated with AIR Shillong, The Times of India—Guwahati Shillong Plus, ETV Bangla, The Shillong Times, Akash Bangla and Sony Aath.As an author, her short stories have appeared in various anthologies and literary magazines. A Thousand Unspoken Words is her fourth book. Paulami also writes on politics, social issues and cinema. Her articles have appeared in Swarajya, The Forthright and NElive.

Paulami is associated with cinema and her first film, Ri-Homeland of Uncertainty received the National Award for the Best Khasi Film. Her second film Onaatah—Of the Earth is at post production stage and will release in 2016. She is currently working on her third screenplay. A short film tentatively titled ‘Patjhar’ is also in the pipeline.

Paulami is a complete foodie and is almost obsessed with watching one film every day. She also loves reading—political and social commentaries are her favourite genre. Literature classics and books on cricket are also a part of her library, apart from a huge collection of romances. Jane Austen’s fictional character Mr. Darcy is her lifelong companion. She is an ardent fan of Rahul Dravid and has been following all news about him for almost twenty years now.

Stalk her @

               

Follow us # +Pinterest

Follow The Book 's board A Thousand Unspoken Words by Paulami Duttagupta on Pinterest.


Everyday new links and tasks will be added. Follow The Tour Hosts of ATUW by +PaulamiDuttagupta

a Rafflecopter giveaway    

Check out The Book Club Tour Schedule 

This Tour is Hosted by 

Facebook | Website | Blog Tours | Twitter | | Linkedin

We Promote So That You Can Write