16 January, 2017

Let's hug and Unusualasauras - Book Spot Light & GiveAway

Here are 2 lovely children's books. Read to know more..

Book Description for Let’s Hug: 15 Hugs for Beginners:


There must be over a millions ways to say "I love you" or "I care about you", but with a single hug, even without words, you can simply feel it. This book is for toddlers, and encourages children and adults alike to try out all possible types of hugs. It's everyone's gain.


It took seconds for the sweet testers who accompanied the writing of this book to adopt these 15 ways of showing love, to give and receive it. And our testers are not alone. Recent studies reveal that Oxitocin, the most fun hormone available, also known as the Love Hormone, is released into our bodies when we hug.


Hugs are proven to have a generally positive healing and relaxing effect, since they increase calm and happiness, reinforce our self esteem, and support our sense of connection to those who are close to us. If you'd like to validate these studies, go ahead and hug.


This book was beautifully illustrated by Yuval Israeli, and it's the second creative collaboration between Yuval Israeli and Efrat Shoham.


Buy the Book: Amazon


Book Description for The Unusualasaurases:


Ages and ages ago, many different kinds of dinosaurs roamed our planet. Some were as large as whales, while others were the size of small dogs. Some were plant-eaters, while some ate other animals. Some had very long necks and tails, while others were tiny. Some had horns. Some had wings and could fly.


Despite all of these many variations, they were all part of the dinosaur family. And, as is often the case with family, they shared many common features.


No one has ever never whatsoever seen a live dinosaur or spoken to one of them. So, what if dinosaurs could really talk, or smile, cry, dream, dance, play and joke?


To answer all of these questions, all you have to do is become an Imaginesaurus, and meet the Unusualasauruses.


This book is aimed at children aged 4 to 120. It introduces the readers to different types of personalities, characters, and skills and thus helps us to spot them at a glance.


This book was beautifully illustrated by Lilach Ramati.


Buy the Book:  Amazon


About the Author:


Efrat Shoham is an Israeli writer and independent publisher (The Pink Camel).


Shoham grew up in a small agricultural village in Israel. Her father was a farmer and her mother – a teacher and librarian. She lives with her family in Tel Aviv, on a small street lined with eucalyptus, mulberry and loquat trees, where 3 rabbits from the nearby kindergarten run wild.


She thinks and believes that curiosity, imagination, humor, green fields, fresh mango or avocado and pink camels are some of the keys to a good and happy life.


Connect with the author:  Website  ~ Facebook



About the Illustrator of Let's Hug

Yuval Israeli 

"I grew up in a kibbutz in the north of Israel and for years I live in Tel Aviv with Roy and our cat "tsimuki". I studied design and illustration at "Vital" the school of visual arts, which reunited later with "Shenkar".

I also learned classical painting in the "station studio".

I always paint pop icons and characters which affected me, and I also always paint portraits of friends. Besides, I always enjoyed painting all kinds of creatures from my imagination". 

About the Illustrator of The Unusualasauruses

Lilach Ramati

"I majored in visual communication in Holon Institute of Technology. I studied Interactive, but eventually my final project was an illustrated book. Today I work as a designer in games company".




Giveaway:​
Win one of two copies of Let’s Hug or one of two copies of The Unusualasaurases (4 winners, open internationally)

Ends Jan 28
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Until next time,








11 January, 2017

Chameleon by Zoe Kalo- Cover Reveal





~ Cover Reveal ~
Chameleon by Zoe Kalo

Genre: YA/Gothic/Ghost/Multicultural
Word Count: 55,000 
Release Date: February 2017

Premise:

Kicked out of school, 17-year old Paloma finds herself in an isolated convent in the tropical forests of 1970s Puerto Rico, where she must overcome her psychosis in order to help a spirit and unveil a killer.





Blurb:

An isolated convent, a supernatural presence, a dark secret…


17-year-old Paloma only wanted to hold a séance to contact her dead father. She never thought she would be kicked out of school and end up in an isolated convent. Now, all she wants is to be left alone. But slowly, she develops a bond with a group of girls: kind-hearted Maria, insolent Silvy, pathological liar Adelita, and their charismatic leader Rubia. When, yet again, Paloma holds a séance in the hope of contacting her father, she awakens an entity that has been dormant for years. And then, the body count begins. Someone doesn’t want the secret out…



Are the ghost and Paloma’s suspicions real—or only part of her growing paranoia and delusions?



About the Author:

A certified bookworm, Zoe Kalo has always been obsessed with books and reading. Reading led to writing—compulsively. No surprise that at 16, she wrote her first novel, which her classmates read and passed around secretly. The pleasure of writing and sharing her fantasy worlds has stayed with her, so now she wants to pass her stories to you with no secrecy—but with lots of mystery…

A daughter of adventurous expats, she’s had the good fortune of living on 3 continents, learning 4 languages, and experiencing a multicultural life. Currently, she’s working on a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature, which she balances between writing, taking care of her clowder of cats, and searching for the perfect bottle of pinot noir.


Connect with
Zoe Kalo on the web: www.ZoeKalo.com / Facebook / Twitter


Until next time,

09 January, 2017

#BangaloreMolestation What can we do?

After reading the recent incident in Benguluru about Mass molestation of women by drunken men on the new year's eve, every woman in India has got a shocking feeling. We, as women face eve teasing and abuse at least once in our lifetime in India, but we are habituated to either ignore and forget the issue or blame ourselves for being there in that circumstances. But, this time, #LetsSpeakup.

Whatever happened in Benguluru is not correct and we all knew that. But, what can WE do about it and stop the same happening in future? This thought was lingering in my head in the first week of Jan and I was searching for answers by reading a lot of articles on this issue.

What I found and understood is that there are 2 ways to stop this happening in future.

1. Parents educating their Sons to show respect to women
Source:www.pixabay.com

Respect should never be gender biased. Men or women - every human being deserves respect.  Researchers reveal that rapes don't happen because of the dress the women wear or the religion they belong or the specific age group they belong. So, instead of putting restrictions on our daughters, let us teach our sons how to respect women. Let us teach them what consent means. Of course, Fathers play an important role as they are role models to their sons.

We should let our children know that whatever they show in movies mostly is not correct. Even now, a hero in Indian movies wins the heart of heroine by stalking and harassing her in college/ office, which is very impractical and demeaning. 


2. Parents training their daughters with self-defence skills

We should raise our daughters more confident, give them enough freedom with responsibilities. We should make them understand that women are not weaker sex when they learn self-defence skills and be confident. 

"A Human body can bear only up to 45 del (units) of pain. Yet, at the time of giving birth, a mother feels up to 57 Del (units) of pain. This is similar to 20 bones getting fractured at the same time."

Now, what more proof is needed to show that women are strong physically? 

These days, women are working and managing families without much support, handling a lot of stress which is making them strong emotionally as well. So, let us stop retraining our daughters to wear a specific dress or be at home at a specific time but build their confidence to face this world. 

What else do you think we can do to prevent these incidents happening again? Please do share your opinion in comments.  

Linking this post to Amrita and Deepa for #MondayMommyMomments.


Healthwealthbridge

Until next time,


Linking this to#MondayMusings hosted by Corinne of Everydaygyaan

#MondayMusings

06 January, 2017

Grow up Messy by Paromita Goswami - [Book Review]

Title of the book : Grow Up Messy!

 (A Hilarious Coming of Age Series Book1)

Author  : Paromita Goswami

Genre :  Middle School, Teen and YA

Publisher :  Ficus India

Length - 171 Pages
Format - Kindle


Book Blurb


Childhood is considered to be the best time of one’s life. What if you get a chance to live it once more with a five-year-old? 
Misry, a naughty five-year-old girl, lives with her parents in a B.S.F border outpost near Indo-Bangladesh border. But with no schools and friends she feels very lonely. She tries to befriend some local village kids. But they find her incompetent in their rural antics. They nickname her Messy as most of the time she messes up their plan. Can Misry really be a part of the gang? 
Set in the early eighties, join Misry in the adventures of her life.


Purchase Links

Amazon kindle

 Nook    

Kobo

My Review
This is the story of a sweet naughty 5-year-old girl Misry who is called as Messy by everyone because of the mess she creates. Misry is the daughter of Anurag who works at Border security force and thus have to move to many places due to his dad'said work assignments. 

As expected, the story shows the world in the perspective of a 5-year-old, her naughtiness and her innocence. Like every other parent, her mother Madhavi sometimes says, 'Grow up Messy' because of the kids' naughtiness. Also, she loves the innocence, intelligence and energy of her daughter and prays inside her heart 'Never grow up, Messy'. 

That's very true of parenting right? Even though kids annoy us with their childish behavior, they are adorable too. We want them to become mature but worry that we miss their innocence and naughtiness. As I am already managing 2 year and 5-year-old boys, I could relate to this feeling.

More than the childhood adventures of Misry, I learned about the lifestyle and sacrifices of the families of army who protect our country day and night to keep us safe. These lines from the book are worth a mention

“Men in uniform have no time to look behind for their family. Restoring peace and harmony had always been foremost for them. Salute to their wives who are so strong willed that even in situations like these they know how to take control of themselves and let their men march away for the nation without any frown on their forehead.” 

Misry is adorable and intelligent for her age. Her mother Madhavi shows good patience while managing misry and clarifying her doubts. Anurag is an ideal father and the way he deals the problem when misry stops going to school for a silly reason is very nice. The characters of misry's dadu and dadi, pallavi mashi, honey etc are portrayed very well and make the story strong. I loved reading this book in a 5 year old perspective and would recommend this to parents as well as children. The ending felt abrupt though it says to read second part of the book series. It might have been better. The book cover and title are apt. 


My Rating:

3.5/5

Ps. I have received this book from the Author for review and this is my unbiased opinion on the book. 


About the author 

Paromita Goswami is a writer and storyteller by passion and a rebel by choice. She says the world is full of stories and as a writer she loves to pen them down. Her work is not genre specific. From literary fiction to children book to upcoming paranormal thriller and women fiction, Paromita Goswami‘s books offer the variety of life to her readers. Grow Up Messy! is her second book. She debuted in 2015 with Shamsuddin’s Grave, a literary fiction. Besides writing, she is also the founder of reading club that enhances book reading habit in children. She lives in central India with her family.

Until next time,

Inkitt - A new reading app on android

Inkitt, the world’s first readers and data-driven book publishing house is introducing an Android app for phones and tablets, globally available from today.

Inkitt’s iOS app became available back in November and was well received by users: The app was not only featured on the US App Store but also on numerous other App Stores around the world, as well as on the front page of Product Hunt, ranking in the top 10 in Tech.

Following the warm welcome by the iOS community, and in order to meet the demand of their own fast growing user base, Inkitt is now bringing their digital library with thousands of novels by emerging authors to Android devices.


Inkitt for Android - 4 key features:
     Access to thousands of novels from all fiction genres: fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, horror, romance, drama, action, adventure, YA and more
     Personalized reading suggestions: hand-picked novels based on a reader’s favorite fiction genres
     Customizable look to match user preferences (e.g. font size, color combinations)
     Online/Offline: readers can save novels to their offline library to access them anytime

Beyond being a platform connecting aspiring authors with book lovers, Inkitt’s mission is to become the world’s fairest publishing house: Its in-house developed algorithm analyzes reading behavior to determine the potential of a novel to become the next bestseller. Using this unique data-driven approach, Inkitt wants to ensure that great works by new and talented writers never again stay in the dark.

Since July, Inkitt has published 7 novels:

Catalyst Moon: Incursion by Lauren L. Garcia (Fantasy), Just Juliet by Charlotte Reagan (YA Romance), I Was A Bitch by Emily Ruben (YA Romance Mystery), Esper Files by Egan Brass(SciFi) and Caged by Onaiza Khan (Psychological Thriller),  King’s Lament by Lilia Blanc (Fantasy Romance) and Three Fat Singletons by J.M. Bartholomew(Humor Romance), six of which became bestsellers on Amazon.

Inkitt for Android willbe available to download on Google Play from the 7th of January 2017.

Download Inkitt from here for Android.
……………………………….

About Inkitt
On the surface, Inkitt (www.inkitt.com) is a platform where aspiring writers can share their novels and inquisitive readers can unearth fresh content. But under the hood, we are democratizing publishing: The Inkitt algorithm analyzes reading behavior to predict future bestsellers. In other words: if readers love it, Inkitt publishes it.

Until next time,

05 January, 2017

Happily Ever Alpha - Pre-Order blitz

Contemporary Romance
Date Published: February 13, 2017


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20 Billionaires. 20 Sizzling Ways to Fall in Love. Whether your fantasy is a prince or a self-made man, this set has all the hard-bodied, Alpha billionaires you can handle. Let our award-winning, best-selling authors take you on a trip filled with exotic locales, dizzying privilege and heart-warming happily ever after.

Secret Crush: Can a handsome billionaire on a vendetta truly fall for a small town girl?

Come Fly with Me: Why spend New Year's alone when you can fly first class with a sexy billionaire?

Played by the Master: A story of Domination and submission, where breaking the rules of the game is where the fun begins, when Jacqueline crashes a billionaire's exclusive poker game in order to seduce him into granting a favor to save her sister, but instead finds herself Played by the Master.

Something like This: Devastatingly handsome & rich Reece Carter's mission is to win Jadie's heart. Will she surrender herself to him or push him away? 

The Billionaire Cowboy’s Speech: Leta knew the new cowboy in her life wasn’t much of a talker, but Tor Edwards’ billion-dollar secret might really leave her speechless.

Risking it All: What happens when a billionaire real estate mogul falls for the archeologist that wants to stop his next project?

His Fill In Fiancé: Cameron needs a fake fiancée. Enter ex-girlfriend Maddie. Then the past catches up.

Valentine’s Vengeance: What's love got to do with it? Nothing as far as billionaire Joe Diaz is concerned. Bitter hearts and sweet revenge are a Valentine's recipe that is best served cold.

Noelle’s Wish: Noelle who was abused and not looking for love meets Roman, a CEO who thought he had everything he wanted.

Royal Trade: He fell for her first. And he’s going to prove to her that she fell for the wrong prince.

A Teacher for the Billionaire: One sexy single-dad billionaire plus one beautiful kindergarten teacher equals one scorching summer fling.

Falling for the Billionaire: When Vicky trips and lands in billionaire and media superstar Zan’s lap, her face is hot. But soon that’s not the only thing heating up.

Songbird: One beautiful bridesmaid. One billionaire groomsman. One wedding hookup that will change their lives forever.

Winter’s Gift: He's a steely tycoon. She's an elite call girl. Both have sworn off love..

To Trust a Wicked Billionaire:  One wicked sexy billionaire will do everything it takes to win his woman's trust.

Nothing but Trouble: The wealthy Brady Marino is a hot guy who has it all. But it's his dirty little secret that threatens to take away the girlfriend who makes his life complete.

Arrangement with a Billionaire: Arturo is holding all the cards and incredibly happy about it, and if Isla wants the family business back, she's going to have to agree to a little arrangement.

So Much More: Markus offers Hannah $500M to be his wife for 1 year. She agrees, on one condition. But it’s the one thing he can’t resist.

Finding Mrs. Right: One handsome billionaire searching for Mrs. Right. Three women vying for his attention.  Who’ll win his heart?

About the Authors

20 New York Times, USA Today and International Bestselling Authors teamed up for one Billionaire bundle.


Victoria Pinder, Jina Bacarr, Opal Carew, Eileen Cruz Coleman, Margo Bond Collins, Rossie Cortes, Tara Crescent, Michele De Winton, Blaire Edens, Nicole Garcia, Erin Hayes, Courtney Hunt, Mary Hughes, Sydney Logan, Alix Nichols, Tierney O’Malley, Peter Presley, Mandy Rusko, Cristiane Serruya, Debbie White


Contact Links

Twitter: @Billionairesexy

Purchase Links


Giveaway

Win an iPad

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Until next time,

04 January, 2017

A way back into Love by Veronica - Cover Reveal

~ Cover Reveal ~
A Way Back Into Love by Veronica Thatcher
5th January, 2017






About the Book:



Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes, uncertain.People, irrational. But love… Well, that makes complicates everything complicated. When you are caught in a tangled web of secrets, lies, and complex affairs, someone is bound to get burned.

Emily Stevens is a spunky, spirited college girl whose life is turned upside-down when she realizes she's in love with her best friend of fifteen years, Derek Thorpe. As Emily prepares to confess her feelings to Derek, something happens one night which changes her life forever. Five years later, Emily finds herself in Boston, alone and heartbroken. Will she ever be able to forget the past? And what will she find when she returns home... to the man she left behind?









About the Author:

Veronica Thatcher is an exciting new contemporary romance author. Ever since she was very young, she’s dreamed of becoming a doctor when she grew up. While still forging ahead with that, majoring in pre-med in college, she unwittingly stumbled upon a new dream—becoming a published author. Some may call her an introvert or a wallflower, but she has always found she could express herself better in written, rather than spoken, words. However, never in her wildest dreams had she envisioned she would pursue writing as a prospective career, not just a hobby. Her love for writing goes hand-in-hand with her love for a good romance novel—whether it be a feel-good, sweet romance or a dark, suspenseful one. When she’s not studying, reading, or writing, she is usually found blasting her favourite songs, sometimes singing and dancing along to them.  She dabbles in a number of activities, including painting, karate, singing and dancing. She is a huge chocoholic – probably the biggest – and she is an ice-cream junkie too. She considers herself technologically handicapped forever and has no shame in admitting that. She also deems chocolates her boyfriend, Patrick Dempsey the love of her life, and Friends her life!

Her first book, A Way Back Into Love, is slated for release in February 2017, and she hopes readers will enjoy it as much as she enjoyed writing it. You can reach Veronica through Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad and Gmail.


Contact the Author:

FB Page * FB Profile * Twitter * Wattpad







Until next time,




01 January, 2017

5 New year resolutions that everyone should take

I usually don't set any resolutions for the new year as I believe that we should start doing good things whenever we can, without waiting for a specific time.







But, below are a few resolutions that I feel anyone can take for a peaceful life.

1. Eat healthy


Give preference to this resolution. Feeling good, fit and healthy makes us happy and positive. So, it is essential to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

  • Make it a point to eat a portion of fruits at least thrice a week.

  • Drink at least 2 litres of water daily

  • Eat leafy vegetables, grains and pulses at least twice a week


2. Stay Active


Being active and busy keeps us feel alive. When we are contented with staying at home always and watching TV, life gets boring. Keeping mind and body active is the only way to avoid boredom.What say? 

  • Try to exercise at least thrice a week. Jogging or brisk walking for 30 mins would be a starter.

  • Keep mind busy by reading or playing sudoku or painting or any other creative work

  • Have a good night sleep always as this is directly proportional to the mind being active

3. Pursue a hobby


Many don't realize the importance of pursuing a hobby. A hobby can be anything that makes us happy, keeps us occupied and brings out our creativity. 

Many people say that they don't have any hobbies and hidden talents. But, it's not tough to find out what we really enjoy or love  to do. We need to explore many hobbies, learn skills, spend some time on each until we find out the hobby that makes us happy.

  • Without thinking of expertise and the level of talent, try hands on different things that you enjoy.

  • Spare at least 2 hours per week as a starter to nourish your dreams

  • Don't worry about failure and others' negative comments if the hobby really makes you happy. Learning is the part of process and no one is an expert from day one.

4. Express Gratitude



This is the new resolution that I took in my life whose potential is more than other resolutions. We are lucky in many ways. Every human being has up and downs in the life and it is foolishness to think that we are not blessed compared to others. 

A rich kid might not have freedom to run and play on the streets, whereas a poor kid playing on the streets might not have proper clothes. So, instead of taking things for granted, be happy that you have food to eat, good clothes to wear etc.,

  • Create a list of things/ experiences that you are grateful to God every month (even simple gestures by strangers and their help)

  • Read the gratitude list whenever you feel depressed.

  • Be a reason for someone to be grateful to you by giving surprise gifts to them and leaving appreciation notes if they have done something good. (Not only to a family member but also to a colleague/ friend/ neighbor/house help)

5. Accept your weaknesses


This is the most important resolution that everyone should take. No one is perfect in this world. We know that, but still we see our weaknesses in a magnifying glass and worry about them. It's time to stop worrying.When we accept our weakness and try to improve, it doesn't hurt when others comment/ discourage us. 

I am not good at cooking. I know it and I always try to improve this aspect but I never get discouraged by the negative comments of others on this topic. Thinking about the negative comments make me lose my confidence, which I don't want to happen. 

  • List down your weaknesses, be a self judge, criticize your own work and improve.

  • A few things can never be changed and behavior patterns are very difficult to change. Accept them.

  • Always remember that nobody in this world is perfect.

I wish you all a great year ahead which gives more happiness, good health and success in your endeavors.


Until next time,






Image courtesy: www.pixabay.com

29 December, 2016

Good Bye 2016 #FridayReflections

This year has been a hell of a ride with many ups and downs. I don't set any specific goals or choose a specific direction during the start of the year, but if I had to think of one word which describes my 2016, it is 'CHANGE'.

Change is the only constant of life. 

I know this quote for a long time and I repeat it whenever a change is inevitable. This is to prepare my mind to give less resistance. But, this year has been full of changes like moving to a different place, quitting my job, engaging kids more, cooking, freelancing, blogging, reading a lot of books etc.,

This year started with my father's Shashtipoorthi (60 years completion) in January. I enjoyed organizing the family function and it sure made a lot of lovely memories in my heart. February and March went in a jiffy with my elder one's birthday celebrations and school exams. We both had a fun time making many crafts too. By the end of March, I have quit my job and moved to a new place. Being a house wife, managing kids and cooking was tough initially, but these experiences taught me new skills and patience. Till September, I read a lot of books, reviewed, explored many new places, tried new cash back apps, tried user testing and blah blah. October was a fun time for Halloween and a lot of purchasing for thanks-giving. Here comes the December with the most awaited vacation. Atlast, time has come to bid farewell to 2016.


Source:www.pixabay.com

More posts will follow on my recent travelogues, which I am as always excited to share on my blog :-) and more book reviews too will pour in soon. But, this post is brief as it is holiday time and I don't want to be with my laptop for more time.

So, bid a farewell to the wonderful year 2016  and ring in the new year with the positive spirit.

Here are my hearty wishes to all my blog readers for the great new year ahead :-)



Until next time,






Linking this to #FridayReflections hosted by Sanch and Corinne.
Living my Imperfect Life

On-Request Laundry in Benguluru with LaundroKart App

It won't be too far-removed to call this era 'optimized individuals'. Youngsters prepared to pay for on-request services to spare time from busy schedules. This is the purpose behind such a large number of on-request benefits flying up and doing truly well across different cities in India.
On-request is the eventual fate of businesses for conveying quick and accurate services. We as of now get video gushing on request, taxicabs are accessible on-request, even our staple is on-request. I haven't utilized the most, however, I am told there is a crystal gazing request too.
Heard of laundry on-request benefit?
Image courtesy:www.pixabay.com

We have one of the Best dry cleaners in Bangalore constructed with its online laundry services respect to request clothing administration as of now working in and around Koramangala. The group has been running operations for a long time and has effectively finished almost all request on the go. Clothing services are simply not an organized one but rather likewise an extremely comfort driven market. You won't give your garments to the adjacent 'laundry Walla bhaiya' on the off chance that you know he doesn't do the clothing great. LaundroKart services are attempting to sort out clothing folks consequently, sparing the purchaser the bother of managing them specifically.

Engaging kids in this holiday season is tough and with whole day outdoor play, stains on shirts are unavoidable. Isn't it better to focus on engaging kids and save time from tough laundry?


These consumer-oriented services driven by smartphones have become a boon in guise for the generation today. A workaholic lifestyle can only be calmed by such optimized and advanced services in cities like Bangalore. So save yourselves from “itne paise mein itna hi milega” situations and switch to online home based laundry services at a great price and welcome home one stop doorway solutions to all problems with your clothing. Try now! Simply download the internet app on your smart phones and schedule your week’s laundry today. Try LaundroKart and know what believing in quality feels like.!

Until next time,

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