Special Mention- The Stopover by Deepa Pinto and Ram Prakash

INTRODUCTION TO THE STOPOVER: 

Yesterday, on the 29th of September, 2012, Deepa Pinto and Ram Prakash's first of its kind photo-fiction book, The Stopover saw it's Author's Special Release. I had received a sample PDF consisting of a sneak peak into a wonderful short story and some beautiful photographs from The Stopover sometime early September from Deepa. You can read my review of it a little late in this post or you can read it seperately here. 

This post goes out to Deepa and Ram and the efforts they have put into making the intriguing concept of The Stopover a reality. 

THE STOPOVER BY DEEPA PINTO AND RAM PRAKASH: 

GOODREADS SUMMARY OF THE STOPOVER: 

The Stopover is a book for those who believe that every new place we visit and every culture we experience enriches our lives and that at every stopover in the journey of life is an exciting new treasure trove. It has stories of 4 such stopovers, a combination of fiction & fact brought alive through photographs.

The Tibetan Wheel of Wisdom : Varun seeks refuge in Ladakh from the storm in his life. There he befriends three Tibetans, one of them a Buddhist monk. The Lessons of Life he learns from them change him forever.

A Rocking Horse Can Gallop Too : Quaint wooden carts, colourful rocking horses, handcrafted dolls – that’s Channapatna, “the land of toys”. It’s the town that witnesses the highs and lows of Vishwa’s life, his dreams and his nightmares.

The Sun Shines Forever : In Ooty, well-hidden from touristic eyes, lies the unique simple world of the Toda tribe. Vijay, a true-blue Toda, is determined to shield his tribe from the danger that a young city girl brings.

I Hear Them Calling : Vikram has it all. Deepika, the love of his life, and his dream job. In Chennai he comes in touch with ornamental fish breeding and he wants to make a difference to the animal world.

ABOUT DEEPA PINTO AND RAM PRAKASH:

Deepa teaches German at the Goethe Institut. Her passion for languages is matched by her passion for travel and exploration. With a pen in hand and a yearning for the unknown in her heart, she set out. 

Ram had been in the advertising & marketing world for 12 years when he realised that we have but one life to explore the many fascinating worlds around us. Armed with a one-year photography course, he set out to seek beyond what the eye sees.

MY REVIEW OF THE STOPOVER (SAMPLE PDF): 

I was surprised to receive a message from co-author of The Stopover, Deepa Pinto asking for my opinion on the idea of a photo-fiction book, the first of its kind. When I checked out the website (you can take a look at it here). I was completely intrigued and mesmerised by the whole concept.
The Stopover, the brainchild of Deepa Pinto and Ram Prakash, is a photo-fiction book, consisting of four beautiful stories titled The Tibetan Wheel Of Wisdom, A Rocking Horse Can Gallop Too, The Sun Shines Forever and I Hear Them Calling, along with some really brilliant photos of the Indian cities where the stories are set. When it comes to India, I think she is best described in pictures and a few words, which is exactly what The Stopover is about. It’s all about India in her shining glory!
I read a sample copy of The Stopover given to me by Deepa Pinto, which had The Tibetan Wheel Of Wisdom in it. The story is set in Leh and is absolutely nice.
Varun decides to take a break from his hectic schedule and his break-up with Meghna. That’s when he goes to Leh, a peaceful and calming destination. There, he meets his guide and driver, Tashi and also makes new friends. Varun learns about the Tibetan culture, enjoys delicious authentic food and is having an amazing time. I liked that a lot of South-east Asian history and culture was described in it. 
The pictures of Leh were equally enthralling and I found myself admiring them for a long time.
From what I have read until now, The Stopover seems to be an interesting and wonderful book. It is going to be like travelling through India. I am really looking forward to reading the book in its entirety.

RATING FOR THE STOPOVER (SAMPLE PDF):

X 3.5

AUTHOR'S SPECIAL RELEASE OF THE STOPOVER: 

Photo Vault is the place where you can place an order for Author's Special Release copy of The Stopover. Click here to place your order. 

*NOTE: Photo Vault delivers only in India. 

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE STOPOVER: 

I highly recommend The Stopover. It's a very interesting and an amazing journey. Being a new concept, The Stopover will be something different and readers will get a glimpse into the incredible country that is India. 

I'd like to wish both Deepa Pinto and Ram Prakash all the very best! I'm sure their brainchild will be an instant success. 

*All the data that I have used for this post has been taken from official website of The Stopover, Facebook page of The Stopover, @TheStopover on Twitter  and Goodreads. 

Sarika

Possible Reads (Week: 30/09/2012 - 7/10/2012

Janhvi:

Lucky Break by Kelley Vitollo
Second Chance by Katie Kacvinsky
Love Sucks by Sage Collins

Sarika:

Sleeping Gods by Kristin.R.Campbell

Murmur of the Lonely Brook by Debashis Dey

Things That Remind Me Of...

This time's Things That Remind Me Of... is Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry. It is a fantastic book which takes you on an emotional roller coaster. I loved Echo and Noah. If you still haven't read it, I suggest you get your hands on it asap!

           















                  Summary-
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

" Sometimes when you see the line, you think it's a good idea to cross it - until you do."

"The worst type of crying wasn't the kind everyone could see - the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes. No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it."

" I saw the world  in black and white instead of the vibrant colors and shades I knew existed."








"  It had been so long since I'd let myself fall for anybody. I gazed into her beautiful green eyes and her fear melted. A shy smile tugged at her lips and at my heart. Fuck me and the rest of the world, I was in love."

" I wanted her to feel what I felt. To revel in the pull, the attraction. Dammit, I wanted her to undeniably love me."

" I love you enough to never make you choose."


Ah, those quotes just make you swoon, don't they? It makes me want to re read Pushing The Limits all over again. Have you read Pushing The Limits? Like it? Let me know. :)

                                                                           Janhvi

Feature and Follow Friday #6

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. 

This week's question is:

Q: What is the BIGGEST word you’ve seen used in a book lately – that made you stop and look it up? Might as well leave the definition & book too.

My answer: 

Word: TETCHILY

Meaning: bad-tempered and irritable

Book: Dysfunctional Romance! by Derick Hudson

Goodreads Summary:

Barry Shaws’s whirlwind journey through life was shaped by the growing demands of a multitude of disorders, which meant he tended to clean things repeatedly and aggressively, before they had the chance to murder him!

Barry thrived on routine. If it hadn’t happened before, it was unlikely to happen ever…until he collided into her that is. On that fateful day, as he walked to work, stepping from the centre of one pavement stone to the next, he crashed into Sandra Wiggins, who had also been discreetly avoiding the dreaded cracks. It was lust at first sight. Love would have to wait. Apart, they were just weird, but together, they were pure mental!

This is the bittersweet, often hillarious story of two human lovebirds, destined to spend their calamitous lives together…until something extraordinary occurs that threatens to decimate what remains of their limited sanity. Welcome to the New World Order, created when Barry met his Miss. Match!

I'd love to increase my vocabulary by looking at all your answers!

Happy Friday everyone! 

Sarika

Review- The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter

Summary-

Doomed to escort the souls of the innocent - and the wicked - to their final resting place...

Lucien walks alone, even among the other Lords of the Underworld. His curse allows him little time or inclination for pleasure. Then Anya arrives.

Anya is the goddess of anarchy and chaos, and she delights in wreaking havoc on Lucien's ordered life. But her playfulness hides a dark secret. She may be drawn to the Keeper of Death, but she isn't going to let him get too close.

When Lucien is ordered by the gods to kill Anya, their flirtation becomes a battle - one that can only end when Lucien takes her soul...

Lords of the Underworld Series:
The Darkest Night

Review-

The Darkest Kiss is the second book in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. It continues on from where The Darkest Night left off. Where The Darkest Night seemed a little slow, The Darkest Kiss is filled with adventure. The plots, sub-plots and characters are further developed which made the story an all the more richer experience.

Lucien is the Keeper of Death. He came off as the strong and silent type in The Darkest Night. I was intrigued to know more about his past and scars since then. As the story unraveled I found my self caring more and more for Lucien. He has had a tortured life and so he never wants to fall in love. He seems all calm and collected but inside he has his insecurities.

Anya, is the Goddess of Anarchy and Chaos. She is a total spitfire. She was a fun heroine. Anya can't help being attracted to Lucien. She is the one who makes all the moves on him. Every time Anya called Lucien Lucy or Flowers or some such equally horrid and ridiculous nick name it made me laugh out loud. Being the daughter of Goddess of Lawlessness she had a sad and interesting past with a curse which I loved getting to know about.

Lucien and Anya were complete opposites but they had really hot chemistry. The sexual tension was flying off the pages. Anya helped Lucien get over his insecurities and Lucien saw beneath Anya's carefree exterior. As the story progressed you could see how perfect they were for each other.

We get to meet William in this book and all the other Lords make an appearance too. The Lords are searching for artifacts which will help them destroy Pandora's Box and contain their demons within themselves forever. Each of the subplot gave us a little tidbit about some of the other Lords which makes you crave for their book.

Gena Showalter is a brilliant writer whom I can't praise enough. Her writing is beautiful. The Lords of the Underworld series is an interesting and unique concept which keeps you engaged. She makes you love the characters with all their flaws. You'll always have a good time while reading the Lords.

 X 5

                                                     Janhvi

Waiting On Wednesday #6

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Touched (Sense Thieves #1) by Corrine Jackson

Publication date: 27th November, 2012

Goodreads Summary: 

Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll becoming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.

This is Book One in the Touched trilogy.

I loved Corrine Jackson's If I Lie and I can hardly wait to read her next book, Touched. The cover is absolutely lovely and the story seems interesting too. 

What book are you looking forward to?

I'd love to stop by your Waiting On Wednesday! 

Sarika

Teaser Tuesday #6

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's My Teaser:

" She wasn't sure how she knew it, but she did. It was like having a favorite song playing in your head, and turning on the radio, only to discover it was playing there too. "

-Blood Twist by Bonnie Erina Wheeler

Summary-

Braden Murphy knew he was going to die. There was a twist to his family secret – one that was forced upon him from the time he was a child. For years he envisioned his final days and tried to be strong enough to leave his family. Now that it was time, he was ready to make good on a deadly promise. Except for one unexpected glitch, a raven haired beauty insisted on joining him. 

Liz Sanders thought her best friend’s stepfamily was weird, but she never would have guessed they were werewolves. Now Liz must travel with a secretive half-vampire in search of a lycanthropy cure. Landing in a nest full of blood thirsty vampires wasn’t on the agenda, but neither was falling in love.

Braden is tempting, but Liz’s feelings for him are complicated. She wishes he would open up about his past and give her a reason to trust him.

Just when Liz thinks she can let her guard down, she’s forced to confront the evil that has been stalking Braden’s past for years. Death is here and ready to destroy everything they've fought to save. 

What's you teaser this week?

                  Janhvi

Review- The Detention Demon by Samantha Combs

Goodreads Summary:

A raggedy group of delinquents, thrown together by circumstance, get the opportunity to prove if rumors about the detention teacher being less than human are true and discover it doesn’t take years of friendship to bond together and overcome evil.

Wayne is a Junior High school boy who just got detention for fighting in school to protect his longtime best friend, Gumby. But recently, there have been stories about detention. Kids have mysteriously disappeared, creating creepy rumors about detention class. Now, Wayne finds himself trapped in there with school bully Bubba Dugan. Keeping his distance from Bubba won’t be Wayne’s only problem. In fact, those rumors about the detention teacher don’t seem like stories at all. 

With his best friend Gumby, a crew of delinquents and a surprising late addition, a pretty cheerleader harboring a secret crush, Wayne and his group of misfits will have to band together to outwit the detention teacher. He’s protected his best friend from harm his whole life…..but, can he protect him and everyone else against something that might not even be human?

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of The Detention Demon from Musa Publishing in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house for the book! 

Wayne, Rob (Gumby) and Holly of Conrad Junior High School have to take detention for fighting, bad-mouthing and smoking respectively. Previously, the kids had only heard of rumours about mysterious Mr. Levi and his unusual detention class. It's only when they find themselves in his class with a couple of their classmates, that they realise the rumours weren't just rumours after all. 
Together, Wayne, Rob and Holly make a plan to put an end to Mr. Levi's strange and creepy way of conducting detention. The three of them made a cool team. Wayne's confidence, Rob's slightly side-kick support and Holly's practicality are all worth praising. It was good to see the kids take the lead and come out successful. Wayne's mom is a very sweet woman and they both (Wayne and his mom) share a great relationship.
Author Samantha Combs manages to keep the reader curious as to what happens.
The epilogue of The Detention Demon was written so well. It was well thought out. I finished the book in one sitting. The book is a very short read and it won't hurt at all to give it a try.
Overall, The Detention Demon was an good read. If you're in the mood to have a quick read and enjoy every bit of it and if you like books that remind you a bit of your school days, go for it. 

RATING:

 X 3

 Sarika

Janhvi's Birthday + Things That Remind Me Of...

Here's wishing Janhvi, my best friend, now also fellow blogger and the most simple, sincere, sometimes silly, always smart and sexy girl that I know, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :* 

This post is dedicated to her and her love for Carlos, Fuentes brother #2 from Simone Elkeles's Rules Of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2). My plan is to give her as much of Carlos as I possibly can on her birthday. I've got her a PB copy of the book as a present! (Shhh... Don't tell her that yet.) 

 Rules Of Attraction is the story of Carlos Fuentes and Kiara Westford. 

The Perfect Chemistry trilogy consists of-

Perfect Chemistry

Rules Of Attraction

Chain Reaction

Simone Elkeles has book trailers for all the books that can be viewed on her website. 

The guys who have played the male protagonists in the trailers are simply gorgeous! 

But today, we will only have a look at the ever hot and simply cool, Carlos. The model's name is Giancarlo Vidrio. (That name sounds hot too!)

Here's a very nice quote from ROA.

“Look at me, chica." When she does, I repeat, "Eres hermosa."
"What does it mean?"
"You're beautiful.”

There is also a superb trailer for the book! This trailer is a must-see!

I hope you all had a great time staring at Carlos, which is why the word content of this post is so little. Sometimes, the picture says it all! ;)

The pictures have been taken from Google Images, Tumblr and other blogs.

Happy birthday again, Janhvi! 

Sarika

Review- Lunangelique by Kristin R Campbell

Goodreads Summary:

For Alexis and Alex life has been great. They have loving parents, great friends and live a life every teenager dreams. However, they are adopted and Alexis struggles with wanting to know who their real parents are and not wanting to hurt her adopted parents. Then, a stunning guy moves across the street from them. One who has a secret past and seems to know things about Alexis. One who does mysterious things and leads her to other mysterious persons. One who pushes her to discover her extraordinary birth family and the truth between mythology and religion.

*NOTE: Author Kristin R Campbell  provided us (The Readdicts) with a copy of her book, Lunangelique  in exchange for an honest review. We thank the author for the book! 

REVIEW:

One of the most impressive things about Lunangelique wasthat it was everything that I thought it would be. I really liked the way thebook started out and it kept getting better and better.

Lunangelique is the story of twins, Alexander (Alex) andAlexis (Lexi), which itself was a huge turn on for me, as I love to read aboutone girl and one boy twin pairing. The two of them aren't what they think theyare.

Being adopted at a very young age, Lexi is very curious toknow about her actual biological parents. That's the whole journey ofLunangelique. How Alex and Lexi figure things out and all the things that comestumbling upon them.

I absolutely loved Lexi's voice. It was simple, short andsweet. Sometimes it's better to say what you want in ten simple lines ratherthan try and complicate it by putting it all in one sentence. Lexi does theformer. Her voice was so clear. Author Kristin R Campbell has done anoutstanding job with getting Lexi's thoughts straight and clear.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the relationship between Alexand Lexi. I also liked how they were so respectful towards the couple whoadopted them, obeyed them and had a normal parent-child relationship with them.

Alex and Lexi's school friends, especially Kaitlyn, Lexi'sbest friend and Alex's girlfriend (another thing that they both 'share'), wereall very sweet and fun to read.

The two guys in the book, Oliver and Cole, were both greatin their own ways. I hope I don't have to choose a Team here! There isn't alove triangle, which again is a huge turn on. Once she knows what she wants,Lexi is clear about her loyalty and priority.

One other thing I really liked about Lunangelique wascontemporary references like The Hunger Games movie that the school friends goto watch or Snow Patrol's song Chasing Cars that Lexi sings in her head whilelying down.

In the end of the book, Lexi receives a letter. I keptreading that letter again and again because it was so beautifully written. 

Lunangelique was a cute read. It has a little bit ofeverything. Lovely cover, astounding story, great protagonists, interestinghistory, beautiful angels, a bit of astronomy and mythology coupled withromance! You name it and Lunangelique has it!

I can hardly wait to know what happens in the next book inthe series, which is called Sleeping Gods.

RATING:

 X 3.5 

Because I was so happy to read the mention of Chasing Cars,a song that I personally like to listen to by the band Snow Patrol, I amsharing the song here! :)

Sarika

Possible Reads (Week: 23/09/2012 - 30/09/2012

Janhvi:

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
Hot Wheels by Stephanie Campbell
Waterdancer by Samantha Combs

Sarika:

The Detention Demon by Samantha Combs
Ripples by Linda Oatman High
Phoenix by Jennifer Mason-Black

Review + Author Interview + Giveaway (IN & INT): Night Of The Purple Moon by Scott Cramer

Welcome guys, to our first ever giveaway! 

Almost a month ago, on 22nd August, 2012, Amazon launched Kindle in Indian stores. This is great news for Indian readers like us, who keep reading books in Kindle format. You can check out the entire news article right here. You can also check out Amazon's Indian website here. 

I got to know about this news from author Scott Cramer, who has written Night of the Purple Moon, book #1 in The Toucan Trilogy. I myself won the book in a giveaway hosted by Aeicha @ Word Spelunking sometime back. I thought the book was simply great! You can read my review a little later in this post itself or if you want, you can read it separately right here. Scott has agreed to do a giveaway of his book for you all. So come along and participate! 

*Note: Throughout the post, NOPM stands for Night Of The Purple Moon.  

  

GOODREADS SUMMARY OF NIGHT OF THE PURPLE MOON:

The epidemic strikes everyone who has passed through puberty.

Abby Leigh is looking forward to watching the moon turn purple. For months, astronomers have been predicting that Earth will pass through the tail of a comet. They say that people will see colorful sunsets and, best of all, a purple moon.

But nobody has predicted the lightning-fast epidemic that sweeps across the planet on the night of the purple moon. The comet brings space dust with it that contains germs that attack human hormones. Older teens and adults die within hours of exposure.

On a small island off the coast of Maine, Abby must help her brother and baby sister survive in this new world, but all the while she has a ticking time bomb inside of her -- adolescence.

REVIEW:

Night of the Purple Moon was a brilliant read.
Life on Castine Island was absolutely normal, until the night of the purple moon. The space dust killed all the adults on the planet, save for some scientists living in quarantine. The situation leaves kids alone to take care of themselves. The lives of all children on the verge on puberty are in danger as they will be the next victims of the purple moon.
Abby, Jordan and Toucan of the Leigh family take the initiative and bring together all kids of Castine Island. All of the kids are extremely intelligent and mature for their age. What I really liked about them was that they are so inclined on making sure that everyone is safe. Especially Abby, who is so determined and a strong shoulder for the others.
The story revolves around the kids and the roles that they play in difficult situations. Many times, situations were explained from various points of views, which made the book more interesting. Sometimes, you could absolutely relate to some of the incidents and even many of the characters, which I thought made it more realistic and easy to relate to.
I thought that the book was put down in a very systematic and thorough manner. I do wish that the end was more detailed. Overall, Night of the Purple Moon was a great read. If you get the chance to read it, don't miss it! It was really touching and hard to believe that the kids are fighting not only for surviving, but also living life the best way they can manage. What I learnt from the story was that bravery, courage and love are all it takes to get through almost anything!
I won the book in a giveaway and I would like to thank author Scott Cramer for it. 

RATING: 

X 4

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Scott Cramer

We have with us today, author Scott Cramer, who very kindly answered all our questions. The answers are all so interesting and fun to read! Here we go! 

1) Can you tell us a bit about your book, Night of the Purple Moon?

Many readers and reviewers have said the novel is very dark. At the same time, they have mentioned the story is inspirational and that it handles some of the harsher scenes in a sensitive way. For me, that has been great to hear, because I set out to write a book where the characters must struggle against impossible odds and they might succeed or they might not.

Briefly, NOPM is a little bit like ‘Lord of the Flies’. Kids are in charge. In fact, 13-year-olds comprise the oldest generation on the planet. A comet passes by Earth and deposits space dust into the atmosphere. The dust contains bacteria that attack the hormones testosterone and estrogen. Virtually everyone with large amounts of those hormones, essentially everyone who has passed through puberty, dies overnight.

The story follows a group of kids on an island off the New England coast. The main characters are Abby Leigh, her brother Jordan, and their neighbors, Kevin and Emily Patel. Abby and Jordan have a two-year old sister, Toucan.

2) What gave you the idea to write NOPM?

I really love the YA novels: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and Homecoming by Cynthia Voight. In each book the young main characters faced incredible odds and took dangerous journeys.

In thinking about a novel, I wanted to increase the odds and raise the stakes. Rather than have one or both parents die, what if all parents die? What if the electricity stops and there is no more running water? What if all the survivors have a ticking bomb inside them, the act of growing up; puberty becomes a death sentence.

That is a gut-wrenching, perilous situation for young teens and children to find themselves in, and that is the germ of the idea that led to my writing Night of the Purple Moon.

3) Are any of the characters in the book based on someone you know or are they completely imaginary?

Every character starts out with elements of people I know, and perhaps even elements of my personality. But that is like doinga rough sketch with a pencil. The more I write the more the characters take on lives of their own. You know you have succeeded in creating a strong, three-dimensional character when as a writer you start to guide them, rather than dictate what they should do. They take over and very often surprise you with their decision making. The trick is to both let them go and to keep them headed in the general direction of the narrative. Characters, like people, sometimes tend to wander.

4) I totally admired the bravery and courage in all the NOPM kids. 

What character traits do you admire the most in your book characters?

Three words: Never. Give. Up. My characters certainly have weaknesses and fears and flaws, but they are also tenacious. They get knocked down, but they get back up. They become overwhelmed, but they somehow find a way to regain their focus.

It’s not to say that there are not times when they fail, despite their best efforts. When everything seems like it is lost. People go through phases like that, and the question becomes: can someone else step up and keep things going. Can the strength of the community overcome the occasional failings of an individual?

Teamwork is an important element of survival in Night of the Purple Moon.

5) When will the next book in The Toucan Trilogy be out? Can you tell us a bit about what to expect?

When it will come out is hard to say. But I can report that I am working on it every day. Some days it is slow and other days the story propels forward. Writing is a process like that. What is so interesting to me is that because several of my characters are well defined, they are moving the story forward. Yet it is also true that people change, and so do characters.

What to expect? Hmmm… I better let the story speak for itself when the time is ready! And I don’t want to spoil Night of the Purple Moon for anyone who has not read it.

6) Who are some of your favourite authors and what kind of books do you like to read the most?

Usually I read non-fiction while I am writing fiction, which is pretty much all the time. Lately I have been reading mountain climbing books, sailing adventures, and other survival stories, and stories about people living in deserted places by choice.

As far as writers of fiction…Lois Lowry, Jules Verne, Rudyard Kipling, Michael Grant (Many people have compared NOPM to his GONE series).

7) What do you think about Kindle being launched in India?

I am so incredibly excited! I live in a town in Massachusetts north of Boston. Over the past ten years, the Indian population has steadily increased. It might be up to seven or eight percent now. My neighbors, in fact, are from India. (I have yet to tell my neighbor that I used his nickname for one of the names of my characters!) In any event, whenever I go to our town library, it seems like half the people checking out books and browsing are Indian. Which leads me to the conclusion that Indian people love to read, and what could be more exciting than reaching such a large audience. I also understand that it will take a little while for kindles to catch on in India, but it is such a great first step for Amazon.

(Good news, too, is that people can read Kindle books oniPads, PCs, and android phones with a free app from Amazon)

8) Is there anything else that you would like to share with the readers?

I’d like to say that NOPM is a great story for people of all ages. Though I would not recommend anyone under the age of 12 reading it, due to some of the sadder scenes.

I also really hope that readers enjoy NOPM. Connecting with readers around the world has been incredibly fulfilling. I can think of no greater compliment than someone writing me to say they needed a box of tissues by their side as they were reading Night of the Purple Moon, and they could not put the book down, and they cannot wait to see what happens next. 

Thank you so much for answering all our questions, Scott! Wish you all the very best, and I can hardly wait to read more of your books. :) 

GIVEAWAY:

Now onto the part you've been waiting for! The giveaway! 

Scott has generously offered one Signed Paperback of his novel to one lucky Indian reader on account of Kindle being launched in Indian stores. Also, FIVE Kindle copies of the book are up for grabs for our International readers. 

Well, what are you waiting for?  

Giveaway rules are simple: 

• Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form for the giveaway that you are eligible for. 
• Winners will be announced here on the blog and also emailed, after which they will have 48 hours to respond  or else we'll be compelled to choose another winner. 

That's all, folks! Good luck to you all and may the odds be ever in your favour! 

*NOTE: The Signed Paperback giveaway is INDIA only. The Kindle copy giveaway is INT. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you so much for stopping by, guys! I hope you all enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed putting it up. :)

NIGHT OF THE PURPLE MOON ON AMAZON:

Those of you who'd like to purchase a copy of NOPM on Amazon, you can do so right here. 

Sarika