Let's start the week with something good to read, shall we? An awesome author friend of mine has a new release waiting for you.
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Blurb:

On the outside, Tara leads a perfect life. A home of her own, a handsome husband, a doting son and a promising career as an author.
But inside, she is a wreck. Her marriage is a sham and she hasn't succeeded in forgetting her one true love, Manu, the man she had wronged. The man she had almost married.
Manu, now the senior editor with a science portal, firmly believes that he has left Tara where she belonged: in his past. But in reality, he hasn't forgotten anything. Not the love nor the hurt.
Their past and present collide when they accidentally meet in Chennai. The city has come to a standstill after facing the worst flood in a century. While nature is unleashing its fury on humans, they must make peace with their past.
Will they have the courage to do that?
Can they fight the attraction that still burns bright?
Or will the bunch of people they are with, teach them new life lessons?
How long can Tara hide her secret from Manu when it has the potential to tear them apart?
 
Amazon Book Link: mybook.to/RememberWhenANovel
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Excerpt:
 
Tara had been looking forward to the book launch since months. Yet now, when it was happening, she was in a stupor of sorts. All thanks to the man who was sitting next to her.
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She was on autopilot and not fully aware of anything that was happening around her. She did what she was supposed to do. She answered the random questions that were thrown at her both by the audience and by the moderator. She also read out from her book and signed copies for those who had bought her book.

Manu had not changed much in appearance. But his attitude towards her had undergone a sea change. The lover who cherished her presence had transformed into a stranger who made her feel unwanted.

Manu’s questions during the launch had felt personal to her.

"Why do you write romance?"

"Do you believe in true love?"

Tara didn't remember her answers. She had faced the audience when she answered them. Whenever their eyes had met, Manu’s eyes asked her a thousand questions for which she had no answers. Together with guilt, regret held her heart in an icy grip.

All through the function, she prayed for a chance to ask him for forgiveness. When he left her on the stage to allow the readers to get the books signed, Tara watched him stealthily whenever she got the chance. If he had slipped away, she might have abandoned all pretence and ran after him.

Much to her relief, he didn't leave. Maybe he wanted to talk too. He kept standing, hands in his pocket staring around as if bored by whatever was happening. Next time when she looked up, he was gesturing to Aryan to go to him. Aryan pulled at her saree, asking for permission. When she nodded a yes, he ran toward Manu, clutching his angry bird plush toy.

When Tara glanced up next, Manu who was listening to Aryan's babble, burst out laughing. The sound sent a shudder of excitement through her. She had not forgotten his laugh. The deep, hearty sound always did strange things to her heart. It had been one of the first things that had endeared him to her.

​Preethi Venugopala is a civil engineer during the day and a writer and blogger in all her free hours. She has many short stories traditionally published on Juggernaut books but she opted to self-publish her novels on Amazon KDP.  
Being a voracious reader, Preethi writes the kind of stories she loves to read. 

It's time to feature another fabulous author friend of mine with a new release. Look at this gorgeous cover!
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Blurb

Being born a princess, and raised by a loving father and three doting brothers would make life seem like a bed of roses to any woman. Born out of the sacred fire, Draupadi is no ordinary woman, and her destiny cannot be to walk the beaten path. Witnessing estrangement and betrayal within her own family makes her perceptive and intuitive beyond her years. Complicated marital relationships, a meteoric rise and a fateful loss, humiliation unheard of and a pledge of revenge, all culminating in a bloody war—her ordeal seemed never-ending. Yet she stands up to it all—never succumbing, never breaking. One of the most unforgettable characters of the Mahabharata, Draupadi shows what a woman is capable of. Told with great sensitivity and passion, this book brings alive a character of epic proportions that resonates with every reader across space and time.
 
 
Excerpt

An awestruck silence overtook them, each drowned in their own memory. Uttara was remembering her association with her enigmatic mother-in-law, and Janamejaya was thinking about Rishi Vaishampayana’s narration of the exploits of his ancestors and their much-celebrated queen. He saw Uttara fiddle with her silvery white plait, still long and lustrous, despite her ripe age of nearly eighty springs. 

‘You lost a lot in the great war, Grandmother,’ he murmured, shuddering while he imagined the dance of destruction at Kurukshetra. ‘Was there ever an occasion when you felt your life would have been better had you not married into the Pandava household?’ 

‘Depends upon how one defines the word “better”, Janamejaya,’ Uttara replied, still staring into space, as if she was viewing the incidents of her past right there. 

Janamejaya moved closer, taking his place by her feet. ‘After listening to the most learned rishis of Bharatavarsha for days, I have still not been able to come to terms with my father’s death, Grandmother Uttara. How can I even dare to imagine how it must be for you who lost…’ he could not complete the sentence, partly out of the numbness his empathy generated.  and partly because he did not want to refresh her moments of bereavement. Uttara had lost her father, brothers, and a very young husband with whom she had hardly spent a year of marital life, to the war at Kurukshetra. Her unborn child, Parikshit, Janamejaya’s father, had escaped from an episode of horrific midnight slaughter. 

‘Everyone lost someone dear to them in the war, Janamejaya,’ Uttara sighed. ‘My marrying into this household at least gave me the satisfaction of bearing an heir to this empire. In fact, I am proud that the thought of unborn Parikshit gave the much needed hope and strength to Uncle Yudhishtira to take up the reins of this devastated land. I had the good fortune of being a daughter to Mother Draupadi when she lost everyone born of her womb to that midnight slaughter.’ 

Janamejaya’s eyes filled with a sense of admiration. ‘Old men and women at Hastinapura still blame Empress Draupadi and her anger for their losses in the battle.’ With a pained shrug, he added, ‘The gap of understanding that exists between the wise and the mundane.’ 

‘As the emperor, it is your dharma to dispel misunderstandings surrounding the history of this land, Janamejaya,’ Uttara’s voice was stern. ‘The whole point of reciting the records of the past is to learn from the exploits of our ancestors, take pride in their valour, strength and courage, while gaining wisdom from the stories of their tribulations. If people judge their ancestors because of false notions about history, it is only a matter of time before the population is uprooted from the values their ancestors fought for, and falls apart.’ 

Janamejaya nodded. ‘That is the reason why I have impressed upon the rishis and acharyas to impart the timeless record of Bharata to students while they acquire education from their gurus. I have also appealed to the erudite disciples of Bhagavan Veda Vyasa to conduct recitation sessions in public gatherings during the festivities.’ 

Uttara smiled in satisfaction at his genuine attempts. ‘Janamejaya, lazy intellect puts the blame of the Great War on one person. Those who truly understood what led to the eighteen-day-long slaughter at Kurukshetra would reflect on the events and choices of three of the four generations that led the entire empire to war. Blaming someone like Mother Draupadi is not only foolish but also a disturbing sign of misogyny that would be frowned upon by the learned rishis who recorded history and composed the timeless story. Mother Draupadi, in fact, saved the empire from many disasters with the sheer power of her desire to protect this land.’ 

Janamejaya listened to her animated discourse and smiled. ‘Grandmother Uttara, I have never seen a woman defend her mother-in-law with the passion that you did just now. Pray, tell me the story again, this time through her eyes.’ 

Uttara rejoiced at Janamejaya’s undying enthusiasm to listen to the tale of his ancestors repeatedly. Very few were fortunate enough to carry the legacy that he did and even fewer realized and strived to live by it as he did. She was more than delighted to narrate the tale, especially from the perspective of the woman who had captured her respect, awe and love for this life and the lives to come—from the perspective of Draupadi. 
 
The book can be bought from: https://www.amazon.in/Draupadi-Saiswaroopa-Iyer/dp/9353333156/

An Alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and an investment professional turned satisfied writer, Saiswaroopa is the best selling author of four novels, all based on legendary female protagonists from Ancient Hindu Literature. Her second novel Avishi, based on a Rig Vedic hymn, has been acquired for screen adaptation by a major studio. Saiswaroopa is passionate about Ancient Indian history, philosophy and literature. She holds a certificate in Puranas from Oxford School of Hindu Studies. As a trained Classical Singer, she has also been awarded a Gold medal by TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams). In her spare time, she likes to search for her next inspiration in books, pravachanas and historical temples. She lives in Bangalore with her husband and daughter. 

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A few of my author friends and I have decided to join forces in a blogging challenge. Our A to Z of Writing posts will shine a light on various aspects of being an author. This week, we're focusing on the letter H. Please make sure to check out the other blogs. Click here for a list of all blog posts per letter.
Adite Banerjie | Paromita Goswami | Preethi Venugopala | Reet Singh | Ruchi Singh | Saiswaroopa Iyer | Sudesna Ghosh
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This post will mainly focus on heroes in romance novels but some of the information can be applied to other genres as well. The ‘hero’ isn’t always a hero in the literal sense, but he’s the main male protagonist (as opposed to the ‘heroine’, who is the main female protagonist and often his love interest). As such, he’s a central character and an author should take great care how to write him. A common aim in romance novels is to make him interesting enough to make readers fall in love with him alongside the heroine. But what kinds of archetypal heroes are there, and how does one write them well?
 
The alpha hero
 
This is the most common type of heroes in romance novels. He’s especially popular in the steamier stories such as erotic romance, as well as in paranormal romance. A classic alpha hero is confident (sometimes cocky), strong and determined. He knows what he wants and how to get it. That reflects in his physical traits: he’s tall and often muscled, he looks sexy, he wears stylish clothes, drives fast cars, exudes power. He’ll be possessive or at least protective. Sometimes he has a rakish edge. Sometimes he is the leader of a gang or group, clique or pack. Some alpha heroes have matching jobs, such as CEO or SEAL, or are in positions of power and used to being in charge (billionaires with their wealth are an example). Vampires, werewolves and other shifters are usually alpha males.
Precisely because alpha heroes are so common and popular with romance readers, it helps to distinguish one’s protagonist from the rest. Give him an unusual job that also mirrors his take-charge attitude. Or give him a weakness or memorable character trait to contrast all that bravado and macho demeanour. Otherwise he’s so stereotypical that he won’t be remembered for long.
 
The beta hero
 
Yes, beta comes after alpha (B after A), and that basically sums up this type of protagonist. The beta hero is a softie but not an omega (last one down in the hierarchy/weakling). He’s caring, often sensitive, honest and loyal, sometimes a bit too nice or confused. His sweetness makes him attractive and relationship material whereas alpha heroes often seem to inspire ‘attraction at first sight’ rather than ‘love at first sight’. Some beta heroes are best friends, (single) fathers or somewhat elder men but that isn’t a hard rule. YA romance might lean towards the ‘softer’ heroes who in the end prove themselves to be special.
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Careful when you write a gentleman as the ‘leading man’. He should not come across as a wimp or someone who has no idea what he wants. Sure, he can be quiet, maybe a nerd or geek, an introvert or someone whose past has made him vulnerable. But he should also be ‘strong’ enough to drive the plot forward and to warrant attention. In a sweet/clean romance, beta heroes are quite common. They can use qualities like a sense of humour, intelligence or kindness as their biggest strength. But don’t make the mistake of turning them into goody-two-shoes. Charming heroes need a fault too, or there won’t be true conflict.
 
The anti-hero
 
Yup, in romance novels, even the bad boys can be the heroes. Whether it’s a sub-genre like dark romance, paranormal romance or erotica, the main protagonists tend to be rough around the edges. They’re dominant, have a volatile temperament, tend to not show their emotions or motivations or even are real bad guys by behaving rather atrociously. Sometimes, they’re written as notorious womanizers, as BDSM fans or as scarred former heroes who’ve turned anti-hero due to something that happened to them. Some seek revenge, others seek adventures, yet others seek the thrill of risky behaviour or illegal scheming. Some are written as Mafiosi, gangsters, ex-military or shifters. Not all bad boys in the romance genre are necessary tragic heroes, and they should not be confused with villains either.
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If one wants to write an anti-hero as the main male character and ‘love interest’, he needs at least some redeeming feature. It’s not enough to make him sexy as sin because ultimately physical attraction doesn’t lead to a believable ‘happily ever after’. Give him a family member he cares for, a tame hobby, a good deed. Perhaps he first imprisons the heroine, then ends up helping her escape? Or he grew hard and unfeeling due to the circumstances but his heart thaws and he learns from past mistakes?
 
There are other types of heroes, such as the brooding hero, the tragic hero or the warrior hero, but ultimately they fit into one of the three bigger categories – or they’re a mix of some characteristics of each category. Which romance hero type is your favourite? Tell me in the comments.

Argh, how to write a review without spoiling anything?!
​Let’s just say that the book had me hook, line and sinker from Page 1 on and kept me enthralled and entertained till the end. It was fast-paced but never hurried, suspenseful and emotionally loaded. I loved the ‘angel’ and Nikhil equally and rooted for their seemingly doomed future while biting my nails. This is just the right novel if you’re looking for something to devour in one go.

(I had the honour and pleasure to beta-read the book. Also, I did not read the first book in the series but that didn't keep me from enjoying this novel as it works well as a stand-alone too.)

Rating: 5/5