Louisiana Catch

by Sweta Srivastava Vikram

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• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Modern History Press (April 10, 2018)

Ahana, a wealthy thirty-three-year-old New Delhi woman, flees the pain of her mother’s death, and her dark past, by accepting a huge project in New Orleans, where she’ll coordinate an Annual Conference to raise awareness of violence against women. Her half-Indian, half-Irish colleague and public relations guru, Rohan Brady, who helps Ahana develop her online presence, offends her prim sensibilities with his raunchy humor. She is convinced that he’s a womanizer. Meanwhile, she seeks relief from her pain in an online support group, where she makes a good friend: the mercurial Jay Dubois, who is also grieving the loss of his mother. Her work in the U.S. and the online medium bring the two men into her life, and Ahana learns that neither is what he seems. With their differing sensibilities on a collision course, Ahana finds herself in a dangerous situation—and she discovers a side of herself that she never realized she had.

Louisiana Catch is an emotionally immersive novel about identity, shame, and who we project ourselves to be in the world. It’s a book about Ahana’s unreliable instincts and her ongoing battle to determine whom to place her trust in as she, Rohan, and Jay shed layers of their identities.

As Ahana matures from a victim of domestic sexual abuse into a global feminist leader, she must confront her issues, both with the men in her life and, ultimately, with her own instincts. Whom can she rely on to have her best interests at heart?

Praise

“This book will be a welcome addition to modern-day discussions of women’s rights, multiculturalism, and online technologies.” ~ New York Journal of Books

“Raw, real, and profoundly moving, this is a very fine novel that begs for continuation in the form of a series. Sweta’s honors are well earned.” ~ San Francisco Review of Books

“Louisiana Catch, by Sweta Srivastava Vikram,is an emotionally immersive novel about identity, shame, and who we project ourselves to be in the world. An extraordinary and entertaining read from cover to cover, Louisiana Catch is unreservedly recommended.” ~ Midwest Review

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Ms. Pamela signed off her tweets with “xoxo,” but I chose to read it as “I am a ho.”

Silence has the deepest voice.

Michael loved eating garlic naan with butter chicken. And he would sweat, like a hosepipe burst in his body, after eating raw green chilis with onions with all his Indian meals.

Life is too short to give another minute to anyone or anything that doesn’t make you happy.

My Review:

I struggled to get through this one. While the premise was topical and important to me, the reality of the blatantly perverse and oppressive patriarchal conditions for women living in third-world countries in this day and age was ever so disturbing.   I am largely ignorant and totally unfamiliar with Indian culture and was shocked to realize the current apathetic and openly abusive societal conditions towards sexual harassment, rape, and women’s safety in general. I applaud the author for her efforts in bringing this issue into the light of day.

The storylines were relevant yet slowly developed and more than a bit bogged down with an overabundance of ancillary details and a huge cast of characters, yet I remained curious as to how the main character of Ahana’s many issues would hopefully be resolved.   I had empathy for Ahana although I steadily lost patience with her, as she was exasperating and ridiculously juvenile for a woman in her thirties. She was also a clueless turd-magnet who was overly rigid and prone to self-sabotage. Rather than giving in to the urge to toss my beloved Kindle against the wall, I felt the need to put it down several times and walk away as I was finding Ahana’s moronic and immature behaviors increasingly tedious, although I shudder to think how annoying I would be if forced to endure such repressive conditions.   Given my penchant for freethinking opinions and sassy mouth, I would most likely be swiftly dispatched to an early grave.

About Sweta Vikram

Sweta Srivastava Vikram (www.swetavikram.com), featured by Asian Fusion as “one of the most influential Asians of our time,” is a best-selling author of 12 books, five-times Pushcart Prize nominee, coach, holistic wellness entrepreneur, and a certified yoga & Ayurveda counselor who helps people lead creative, productive, and healthier lives. Louisiana Catch (Modern History Press 2018) is her debut U.S. novel. It’s the #1 new release on Amazon under women’s divorce fiction and featured on U.K.’s list of “Books to Read in 2018.”  Sweta won Voices of the Year Award, past recipients of which have been Chelsea Clinton, for her work with Louisiana Catch and her tireless support of women who have experienced sexual assault and abuse.

Born in India, Sweta spent her formative years between the Indian Himalayas, North Africa, and the United States collecting and sharing stories. She writes hopeful stories about multiculturalism and women’s issues with a healthy dose of suspense, reflection, wellness, and food. Sweta, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, amongst other publications, across nine countries on three continents, is an award-winning writer and graduate of Columbia University. She lives in New York City with her husband and in her spare time, teaches yoga to female survivors of rape and domestic violence. You can find her in these online spaces: Twitter (@swetavikram), Instagram (@swetavikram), and Facebook.

Landslide 

The South Beach Connection Trilogy #1

by  A.R. Hadley 

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Amazon

About the Author

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The Garden of Blue Roses

by Michael Barsa

Amazon | Books-A-Million | B & N

Paperback: 248 pages

Publisher: Underland Press (April 17, 2018)

“Ominous, fantastic, and wonderfully malevolent…. I felt the spirits of Shirley Jackson, Edgar Allan Poe, and Albert Camus’ Meursault, whispering to join the fun.”– ALICE SEBOLD, #1 best-selling and award-winning author of The Lovely Bones

A car lies at the bottom of an icy ravine. Slumped over the steering wheel, dead, is the most critically acclaimed horror writer of his time. Was it an accident? His son Milo doesn’t care. For the first time in his life, he’s free. No more nightmarish readings, spooky animal rites, or moonlit visions of his father in the woods with a notebook and vampire makeup.

Or so he thinks.

Milo settles into a quiet routine–constructing model Greek warships and at last building a relationship with his sister Klara, who’s home after a failed marriage and brief career as an English teacher. Then Klara hires a gardener to breathe new life into their overgrown estate. There’s something odd about him–something eerily reminiscent of their father’s most violent villain. Or is Milo imagining things? He’s not sure. That all changes the day the gardener discovers something startling in the woods. Suddenly Milo is fighting for his life, forced to confront the power of fictional identity as he uncovers the shocking truth about his own dysfunctional family–and the supposed accident that claimed his parents’ lives.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Mother drove us to the wedding in the Volvo… She dabbed her eyes and distractedly jerked between lanes at fantastic speed. She must have imagined she was on the Autobahn. Even the notorious Boston drivers seemed terrified. She squealed into the parking garage and nearly ran over a man in a wheelchair. “He’s got to learn to share the road,” she muttered as he flapped his arms like a bird.

She’d occasionally dressed this way after her divorce. She called it “retro” but really it was like Emily Dickinson in her Sunday best. It was as if she rejected not just her ex-husband, but the entire era in which he lived.

I knew right away what it was. Why are unmarked cars so obvious? The police ought to use beaten -up little Fiats.

 My Review:

This was undoubtedly one of the most frustrating, grueling, and confusing books I have ever read, while at the same time, I was unable or unwilling to walk away in defeat. This book held some type of evil voodoo that kept me in place, although it also made me itch. Yet I could not and would not let it get the best of me! In trying to make sense of the disjointed ramblings I read slowly but will confess to becoming utterly lost several times within the incoherent and disturbing narrative. And it was quite distressing at times as the highly intelligent main character possessed a wild and vivid imagination and was prone to hallucination, delusions, paranoia, and lost time. Some of the issues I struggled with the most were: figuring out which events were real and which were merely delusional; and which one of this bizarre clan was the most impaired. No spoilers – but it turns out, they all were more than a bit off the charts with a vile and severely warped family dynamic.   The plot was elaborate and the writing was gripping, intriguing, maddening, and frequently hard to follow.   While on one hand, I’d like to give him a good pinch or ten, I also have to give this confounding and fiendishly twisted wordsmith his props as I couldn’t leave it alone, his clever tale continued to beckon until I saw those two most highly desired words of the day – The End.

About Michael Barsa

Michael Barsa grew up in a German-speaking household in New Jersey and spoke no English until he went to school. So began an epic struggle to master the American “R” and a lifelong fascination with language. He’s lived on three continents and spent many summers in southern Germany and southern Vermont.

He’s worked as an award-winning grant writer, an English teacher, and an environmental lawyer. He now teaches environmental and natural resources law. His scholarly articles have appeared in several major law reviews, and his writing on environmental policy has appeared in The Chicago Tribune and The Chicago Sun-Times. His short fiction has appeared in Sequoia.

The Garden of Blue Roses is his first novel.

Connect with Michael

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 A Risk Worth Taking

by Brynn Kelly

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Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: HQN (May 29, 2018)

He can’t outrun himself…

Legionnaire Jamie Armstrong lives in the shadows. A medic haunted by his mistakes, he knows better than to hope for redemption. But his latest mission brings a threat he doesn’t see coming—an attraction as irresistible as it is dangerous. Hacker Samira Desta is a woman he swore to forget, but as a key witness to a deadly conspiracy, Samira is his to protect.

But the woman he rescues might be the one who saves him

After a year in hiding, Samira’s worst fears come true when her cover is blown and the unlikeliest of allies comes to her aid—the secretive Scot with whom she shared one unforgettable night. Hunted by lethal forces and losing the battle against their desire, Jamie and Samira make a desperate play to take the fight to their enemy—but those at greatest risk of ruin may be themselves…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

A massive Christmas tree circled up to the dome, so laden with ornaments she could almost hear it groan.

 I’m immune to you. I’ve developed antibodies against the virus that is James Armstrong.

 I look forward to never seeing you again.

 Jamie, if we’re going to judge on stereotypes you’d be grumpy and pasty and miserly and I’d be a kid with a bloated stomach and flies in my eyes.

 That had gone so far beyond her expectations she couldn’t recall what she’d expected.

My Review:

I struggled with this book, valiantly I might add. It was laborious work, as I had no knowledge of the characters or experience with the previous installments in this series, which left me frequently at sea as I made my way through this complicated story with a full roster of complex and terse characters. Sigh, don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a poorly written book, it just didn’t ring my bell. I enjoyed several of the storylines that I could follow but I couldn’t keep all the balls in the air, which left me feeling dim-witted and exhausted… I freely admit that I would make an extremely poor spy as I am far too lazy and wouldn’t be able to keep all the lies straight.

The main character of Samira had stumbled onto dangerous information through her deceased fiancé, information that had lead to his death and continued to place her life in jeopardy. She had been living in the shadows for over a year, which only heightened her already anxious nature. She was paranoid and prone to panic attacks as well as over thinking every single issue. She also repetitiously looped back to obsessive thoughts. She was not a character I could warm up to, and I really tried but I didn’t find her endearing; I found her tiresome. But of course, I would adore the flawed yet protective male lead of Jamie with his lovely Scottish burr – yummy. Too bad they spent 95% of the book fighting their attraction.

About Brynn Kelly 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

As a journalist, Brynn Kelly once spent her days chasing stranger-than-fiction news reports. Now she spends them writing larger-than-life novels, in a happy bubble of fiendish plots and delicious words. A New Zealander, Brynn is an RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards nominee and a former Golden Heart® nominee and has won the Valerie Parv Award, the Koru, and the Pacific Hearts Award.

The Forever Night Stand

by Bena Roberts

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Amazon  / Smashwords /  Kobo  / Nook 

A two-hour romance which starts with drama and mayhem!

Sara has her back up against the wall. She is recovering from the side effects of chemotherapy and at her own “cancer free” party, she makes a decision that will change her life forever.

The adventure begins when she leaves her posh lifestyle in Scotland and moves in with her Bollywood loving parents, in West London. Her parents are tragically ashamed of Sara’s actions and her electronic monitor. She decides to make them happy again and considers re-marrying.

Enter Raj, a possible hero who comes with the promise of a huge Indian wedding in Goa!

George, the childhood love of her life who seems to be hanging around every corner. Or should she just go back to her husband? Sara faces the biggest dilemma of her life, after making the colossal mistake of her life. What will she do and whom will she choose?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“Men are like a chapati. Difficult to cook in the beginning, but after five years you will be slapping them around! Make them your own!” My mother’s inability to make chapati after fifty years not mentioned.

If I were on an airplane the sick bag would have been working overtime, but I wasn’t, both my parents were watching me, so I faked it and giggled.

The volcano in my brain spurted lava.

The DJ put on a popular Indian song and my mom plucked me like a chicken and ushered me onto the dance floor.

Sara, sucked the teeth from Raj’s mouth. Sara searched for his tonsils until Raj went red, I feared I would have to resuscitate him.

The expression on his face was stolen from Salvador Dali.

The hall erupted in clapping and cheers, apart from Raj’s family who became wax works.

My Review:

I am conflicted about how to rate this unusual little tale. Written from a dual POV, the premise was compelling although the writing style was oddly peculiar with incomplete sentences and occasionally skipped about rather erratically without a rational or cohesive flow, like the stream of consciousness or the inner musings of a person with a short attention span and rage disorder. There were considerable instances of razor-sharp humor and clever wit, and other stretches where I felt lost and confused with few clues to what was actually occurring. Yet my interest was snagged and didn’t want to concede to a DNF, as I was curious as to where the story was going to take me. I was satisfied with the conclusion, but damn, I had to work for it.

Author Bio – Bena Roberts

Bena Roberts was a journalist and analyst. Now she prefers the title novelist and romance adventurist. She graduated in England in 1994 and then with a Masters in 1997.

Born in 1973, Bena lived in West London until she was 24. Then she lived and worked in Budapest, Bruges, Prague, Amsterdam, Vienna, Hamburg and Munich. She currently resides in Germany, between Heidelberg and Frankfurt. Although she still refers to London as ‘home.’

Bena successfully created a technology blog which gained funding, had lunch with Steve Ballmer and was ‘top 50 most influential woman in mobile.’ Her blog also won several awards including Metro Best Blog.

Bena has two children, loves small dogs and always writes books with a cup of Earl Grey.

Bena’s favorite literary style is black humor, and she hopes to offer a unique voice in this area. Her books aim to confront the darkest of life experiences, with levity. Most of her writing is heavy hitting yet also entertaining.

Also – Available My Cake! A short story

Pre-Order Tammy&Lisa – How far would you go to protect your teenage son?

Twitter – https://twitter.com/benaroberts

Amazon Author – https://www.amazon.com/Bena-Roberts/e/B076ZRDW8G

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17307556.Bena_Roberts

A Dangerous Game

by Heather Graham

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About Heather Graham    

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels. She’s a winner of the RWA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers’ Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.

For more information on Heather and her work, check out her websites: TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com, eHeatherGraham.com, and HeatherGraham.tv.

You can also find Heather on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Hot Mess

by Emily Belden

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 Books-A-Million 

 Barnes & Noble

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Graydon House (March 20, 2018)

Sweetbitter meets The Devil Wears Prada in this riveting and provocative novel set in the trendy Chicago restaurant scene.

Twenty-something Allie Simon never imagined she’d fall for a recovering drug addict—but that was before she met Benji Zane, Chicago’s hottest up-and-coming chef, who’s known as much for his hard-partying ways as for his unparalleled culinary skills. Six months into their relationship, the food and chemistry are out of this world, but the reality of living with a cooking wunderkind hasn’t exactly been all hearts and flowers. Still, Allie’s convinced that her love is the key to fixing this talented man’s broken soul—so when Benji is offered his dream job as chef de cuisine for a new restaurant opening on Randolph Street, Chicago’s foodie hot spot, Allie agrees to invest her life savings in his future. But less than a month after she goes all in, Allie learns a heartbreaking lesson: addicts lie. Benji cracks under the pressure, relapses and disappears, bagging out not only on the restaurant, but on her, too. Left with nothing but a massive withdrawal slip and a restaurant that absolutely must open in a matter of weeks, Allie finds herself thrust into a world of luxury and greed, cutthroat business and sensory delight. Lost in the mess of it all, she can either crumble completely or fight like hell for the life she wants and the love she deserves.

With razor-sharp wit and searing insight, Emily Belden serves up a deliciously dishy look behind the kitchen doors of a hot foodie town.

“Belden has written a story that’s more complicated (and feminist) that I ever suspected. Without giving too much away, I will say that HOT MESS far exceeded my expectations.” -The Bookly Club

“Emily Belden serves the decadence and drama a la mode in Hot Mess. The full-bodied novel takes the resilient Allie Simon on a journey of sex, love, secrets, and the high-end culinary world. You’ll savor every word of this provocative story.” -Abby Stern, author of According to a Source

“[F]ull of fire and fury….Belden’s excellent tell-it-like-it-is read is perfect for foodies and entrepreneurs alike.” -Library Journal (starred review)

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 Food may be the way to a man’s heart, but as my colleagues assemble around me, I’m convinced it’s the way to a woman’s ego. It’s like I’m dating da Vinci and I’ve just hung the Mona Lisa in my cubicle. Everyone is ooh-ing and ahh-ing, reminding me just what an awesome perk it is to be dating Benji Zane. I’m the cool kid at the lunch table… “You’re so lucky,” a girl from a different department gushes from the kitchen table. I don’t even know what her name is, but she begrudgingly stabs at her lackluster salad and shoots jealous death rays my way.

 As he pulled on the knot, his muscles surged a bit through his sleeves and the spell was cast. I looked over at my mother who was salivating. It had nothing to do with the chicken, mind you.

 She leaves me alone in the office and I just stare at the keys in the palm of my hand. It’s like somebody has asked me to hold their baby and then took off running. I’m overwhelmed to say the least, but I’m afraid of what Angela will do if she mistakes my fear and paralysis for slacking.

 I used to like proving to people, especially myself, that we belonged together. But then went from exhilarating to excruciating faster than an elaborate lower back tattoo.

My Review:

I am on the fence and can’t seem to put my finger on the sum totality of I how I feel about this book.  The Urban Dictionary defined the term hot mess as, “When one’s thoughts or appearance are in a state of disarray but they maintain an undeniable attractiveness or beauty.”  This book and several of the characters featured were a Hot Mess, but the epicenter or source of the turmoil and havoc was generated from the selfish, seductive, and alluring character of Benji.  The story contained heartbreaking life lessons for those dealing with the fallout and seedier aspects of supposed loved ones with addiction, clever bites of humor, carnal and steamy sensual scenes, liberal use of expletives, a slick and manipulative drug addict, and a frustratingly indecisive and love-blinded woman enabler who I wanted to whack in the head with my Kindle for being a spineless wonder and world-class waffler.

The book was written from the first person POV of Allie, who thought she had found “the one” in a mercurial chef with a high media profile and sordid history of drug abuse.  Allie thought she was doing the right things but also consciously avoided looking too closely.  Despite knowing his history of failure, she was imprudently gullible and ignored her own instincts while she supported and maintained Benji while living in a state of incredulous denial despite the warnings of others.  After the blinders were off and being slapped in the face with evidence she had backed the wrong horse and foolishly investing all her savings into an extensive new restaurant scheme for her drug-addicted boyfriend, Allie was forced to give up her own career plans for a crash course in restaurant management, or lose her investment.  I ached for her during her devastating crash to reality.  Yet still, she waffled – say what?

The story progressed in at an arduously slow rate although upon reaching the conclusion I understood the pacing better, however, that doesn’t negate the fact that I was periodically stricken from impatience and exasperation as it was a bit too intricately detailed and heavy with the minutia of her endless tasks.  I enjoyed the odd assortment of characters, as each was compelling in their own way, while the tantalizing food descriptions kept my mouth greedy and wet and may have led to the increase of a pound or five from indulgent snacking.  I also learned more than I will ever need to know about the hospitality industry, serving food, and culinary terms like “amuse-bouche” which according to Wikipedia is French for mouth amuser.  Hmm, I do like the idea of my mouth being amused.

About Emily Belden   

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Emily Belden is an author for powerhouse publisher, Harlequin/HarperCollins. She is represented by famed literary agency, Browne & Miller, along with 44 Blue Productions in Burbank. The SoCal studio is adapting her memoir into a comedic series.