Targeted Age Group:: 18+

Let’s just say, hypothetically, that you found out you were living a lie. The father you thought had died before you were born… well, he’s alive and ready for a meet and greet.

What would you do?

If you were me, you’d go on an epic cross-country road trip in order to learn the truth.

Along the way, new friendships are formed with unlikely allies, a few enemies are made, and there’s definitely more than a little romance… but that’s to be expected, right?

They do say that getting there is half the fun…

Link To Bar Fights and Blue Birds On Amazon Kindle Unlimited

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
An idea popped into my head one day and I ran with it!

How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
Getting their names right was the hard part. After that, their personalities just flowed onto the page!

Book Excerpt/Sample
“Excuse me, but do you know what time the band comes on?” a deep and husky male voice questioned, causing me to snap my attention away from the beer I was holding.
At first, I assumed I’d be face to face with Derek pretending to have a sexy voice to try and flirt with me, but that was not the case.
Not at all.
I found myself staring at the most beautiful pair of brown eyes hidden behind black glasses. They bore into my soul as I gave the man an appraising glance. Dark blonde hair was neatly held in place, a slight growth of facial hair appeared to be well-trimmed, his warm smile showcased the tiniest hint of a dimple, and broad shoulders filled out a tight dress shirt covered by a nerdy brown vest and bow tie.
Yes, you read that correctly.
My new Mr. Right wore a bow tie and vest paired with khaki pants. His combination of ‘nerdy professor’ mixed with ‘tall and handsome’ to create the perfect blend of spices necessary to become marriage material.
I blinked a few times and studied him, taking in every last detail, when he cleared his throat uncomfortably and repeated his question.
“The band?” he stated gently, as though speaking to a skittish child. “What time do they start?”
Oh. He was probably just here to see one of the group members.
“Nine o’clock,” I replied suavely. Way to flirt, dipshit. If you want to have an actual conversation with another human being, maybe it’s a good idea to ask him a question so he’ll keep talking.
What’s something people say to break the ice?
While I struggled to give the impression I wasn’t a moron, my mystery man took the lead.
“That’s cool. I saw some posters around town and figured I’d check it out. Have you heard them play before?”
Damn. Now that’s how you make small talk. He’s good. Surely I can say something intelligent now.
“Yes.”
Shit.
The man cocked his head and a tiny smile formed in the corner of his mouth.
“I’m not the best at approaching beautiful women in bars, as you can tell by my lack of a decent pick-up line. I guess I’ll try being honest and see if that works,” he explained, pausing to run a hand through his hair as though nervous. “I’m just in town for business and hadn’t planned on staying very long. Unfortunately, my car broke down and the service station needed to order a part that was out of stock. It looks like I’m stuck here a few days, so I thought I’d grab a burger at the local bar and maybe catch the live band. A raven-haired stunner caught my eye… so I figured I might as well strike up the nerve to approach her. Is that okay?”
Holy shit. This charmer was actually putting the moves on me!
Part of me wanted to pinch my arm to see if I was dreaming, but that wasn’t possible because my skin was protected by a thick layer of black leather from my borrowed jacket. Ah, yes. Tonight I was playing the part of edgy bad girl rocker chick.
No wonder my mystery man was so hypnotized by the sight of me… I radiated ‘sex on legs’ instead of the watered down version of myself presented to the world on a daily basis.

Author Bio:
I would first and foremost like to thank everyone for taking the time to give my stories a chance. My goal is to take you out of your world, and all the stresses that go along with everyday life, and bring you into my world of romance and humor. I have a special weakness for hot alpha males and the feisty heroines who love them. Above all else, I hope you got a laugh out of my book. I aim to incorporate as much comedy into my romance as is humanly possible.
My professional biography is as follows (I’m not sure why it’s in the third person, evidently that’s the rule): Grace is happiest when reading, eating Portillos hot dogs, and patiently waiting for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Author Home Page Link

Link To book On Amazon Kindle Unlimited

Have you read this book or others by this author? Tell us in the comments how you liked it!

Targeted Age Group:: All age groups

The stories in the collection are all about love, unrequited love, madness, delusion, loss, loneliness, dilemma, and of course, family. Characters brush aside the niceties of life and unravel the feminine ambition. At every step, love and fire-like passions test and tempt the characters – do they win over the temptation or succumb?

The protagonist—Rakhee in the title story – Once is Not Enough somewhere nudges the understanding about love—that it’s complicated and isn’t always about being in love. She loves both the men in her life. Will she make a choice? Is she ready to make this life-changing decision?

In The Singer–young Bhavna, blinded by her ambition, agreed to marry wealthy Ajit because she knew that her music career would burgeon with him as her partner. And it did, but she was not happy. And as she grows older, she longs for someone to give her attention; to love her. She misses being a woman. After all—we are what we are because of the choices that we make!
In the story The Birthday Cake, a little boy shares his heart-wrenching experience during the present-day global crises. While Lonely Footsteps is about love, family secrets and tragedy, My Father is about the complex issue of caste, politics, love and acceptance of the breakdown of the gentle mental fabric—the ghost prints left by grief and loss.

Link To Once is Not Enough-stories on love, passion, desire, family and loss On Amazon Kindle Unlimited

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
There are five stories in this collection and there's a story behind each story. All these characters exist. Their love stories, dilemmas, struggles and aspirations, particularly innermost feminine desires, stayed with me, haunted me for days. They would just not leave me. Finally, I wrote their stories, put meaning to their voices, and brought in some twists and turns that they had not experienced. I thoroughly enjoyed the liberty of making my characters come alive on my laptop screen. I hope you enjoy reading these stories, based on real characters.

How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
Bhavna and Rakhee came to me naturally. I used to meet them every day but never thought that they were carrying unexplored pain within. So rightly it has been said that 'one can never know what battles the other person is fighting within.' We generally overlook and ignore feminine aspirations and needs. At least in the culture from where I belong to.
While Akash in the story – The Birthday Cake – is a victim of the present-day global crises. The character Akash was born out of my imagination, seeing so much agony all around. The character Roohi in the story – Lonely Footsteps and Rachna in My Father live in their innocent world where what is visible is the truth. I believe that truth is subjective and more often invisible. So the plot, and the characters, emerged.

Book Excerpt/Sample
Eight months had passed, and I was now in a love triangle—my husband and Surr included. I would disappear every Thursday to be with Surr in his beautiful nest. I would give numerous excuses about my whereabouts at home, and I always suspected that Rishabh knew I was lying. But, I still did it because I couldn't imagine going for more than a week without seeing Surr. I had feelings for him, and the thrill of us having a gateway to drive ourselves crazy was irresistible. I also loved Rishabh, my husband, dearly, because I couldn't imagine life without him. He was not perfect, but I loved how he came out of his prison unscathed. I wondered why Rishabh groomed up suddenly. Then I realized how tamed he had been. From the moment I shouted back at him and refused to make him dinner last evening, my husband was never the same again. I was too angry to acknowledge it, but I struck a nerve.
"I want to apologize for how I have treated you lately," said Rishabh. He was now standing beside where I was. I was shocked by what he said, and I noticed his hands were behind him. I knew he had flowers in his hands – possibly my favourite; yellow roses. I did not know what was wrong with everyone. I just wanted to die in peace.
"Please, leave me alone.” I was rude. “Just go inside and do whatever you want to do. And…and leave the flowers!" I said as I turned my face away and closed my eyes, and continued to feel the warmth of the sunset.
Rishabh stood there, glued for a moment, and said three words. "I love you."
He left the flowers with me and went inside the house.
On the day I had decided to leave this world, all the men in my life thought it best to notice that I existed! (From the story – Once Is Not Enough)
Second excerpt- Bhavna was growing old, and she longed for someone to give her attention for once. For twenty years, she had been faithful to a marriage that had no meaning. A marriage that was held together by ambition. No romance, only aspirations to leave a legacy behind. In addition to honouring her mother’s wish, Bhavna agreed to marry Ajit because she knew that her music career would burgeon with him as her partner. And it did, but she was not happy. She bargained love and happiness to become a singing sensation. And by the time she realised that life was not all about money and fame, it was too late. She blamed herself for Ma Saraswati abandoning her; musical notes going haywire and music directors avoiding her. She was unhappy and it reflected in her work.
Bhavna regretted a lot of choices she made during her youthful years. She missed a lot of things. A kiss, for instance. She had forgotten how it feels to be a woman; to be desired. It had been such a long time! (From the story – The Singer).

Author Bio:
Geeta Lal Sahai is an author, awarded filmmaker and a mental health campaigner. She writes fiction and non-fiction. After working as a journalist for several years, she is a full-time writer-filmmaker now. Real-life stories inspire her fiction. Her meticulous research enriches her work with evocative themes and unforgettable characters.

Author Home Page Link

Link To book On Amazon Kindle Unlimited

Social Media:
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter

Have you read this book or others by this author? Tell us in the comments how you liked it!