I haven't uploaded a #SneakPeekSunday post in a while but today seems like the right time to share my latest WIP (work in progress) with you. There's only one more chapter left to write, and then "Sweet Surprises" will move into the editing phase. I'm hoping for an October release for this 3rd book in the Inn Love series. Here's an exclusive first look at the cover and blurb, plus a short (unedited) excerpt to whet your appetite.

Italy has always fascinated Victoria. Now that the interior designer from America is there to help convert a grand old villa into an inn, it feels like a dream come true – even more so when she falls head over heels in love with the handsome gardener. The few precious days she shares with Riccardo make her rethink every decision she’s ever made in life. But just when Victoria is ready to make a leap of faith, she learns that her irresistible Italian isn’t who she thinks.
 
Will their love be enough to overcome the obstacles, or should she leave Bella Italia and her mysterious billionaire lover behind once and forever?

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, Riccardo strode around to the back of the vast building and found his way to the far corner of the property. He hadn’t come far in his quest last afternoon, although the worst of the debris and vines had been cleared away. Perhaps another three hours of work and he’d be able to reveal what lay hidden—and nearly forgotten—beneath. Searching for the right spot by memory more than by sight, he crouched low and touched the corner of a mossy stone peeking out.

“Are we disturbing your peace?” he asked in soft Italian, whispering as though in a graveyard. “Or are we doing the right thing and actually bringing you peace at last?”

There was no reply, of course. The dead can’t speak, though he knew from experience that they could haunt you in your dreams if you gave them permission to.

“I’ve seen many different methods how people tame a garden gone wild but this is definitely the first time that someone is trying to use verbal persuasion,” a voice broke into his gloomy thoughts.

Startled, Riccardo rocked back on his heels so fast he lost his balance and toppled onto the ground. With a mortified ‘mierda’, he scrambled to find his footing and his scraped dignity and saw himself confronted with a held-out hand.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Sighing, he accepted the help that he probably didn’t need because it seemed impolite not to do so. The American’s hand wasn’t as soft as one would have expected it. A hint of callouses and blunt though neatly rounded nails spoke of a woman who wasn’t afraid to get hands-on, just as he’d suspected from watching her. Her grip was firm and warm when she pulled him to his feet, and Riccardo belatedly remembered his manners and murmured his thanks.

“There’s no need to apologize. I should expect you somewhere on the property at all times.”

He let go of her hand, wondering why he felt this odd spark and tingle where their skin had touched. His gaze traveled up, taking in her navy-blue jeggings that were now dust-stained at one knee and her figure-hugging yet modest black T-shirt. She wore her hair bound together in a high ponytail, accidentally adorned with a fallen leaf. His fingers itched to pluck it out, to run through her hair and find out whether it was as soft as it looked.

Their gazes meshed, and she must’ve seen something in his that brought color to her cheeks and made her break the connection.
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“It’s my duty to be everywhere,” she said somewhat brusquely, wiping her hand on her thigh. To get rid of whatever dirt he might’ve left on it? Or because she’d felt this tingle too?

Catch up before the new release!
Books 1 and 2 of the Inn Love series will whisk you away to a cottage in England and a log cabin in the Canadian Rockies.
Tantalizing Temptations | Hidden Hopes

Blurb
 
Simran, the swashbuckling, no-nonsense new ASP of the Mohanbari District is baffled when a nine-year-old is found dead in a busy market lane. Determined to crack her first heinous crime, she doesn’t leave any stone unturned. While trying to figure out the case her path crosses with Major Imran. Sparks fly, but she is determined to hate him. As the matter gets more complicated, Simran begins to trust Imran.
 
Running through the nooks and alleys of dingy Mohanbari and the mysterious forest nearby, Simran must solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again.
 
Excerpt
 
Simran mulled over her third cup of lal chai in the SHOs chamber. It was a typical police office. Portraits of Gandhi ji and Baba Saheb lurked in opposite corners, on the wall with the honour board, behind the wooden chair. A big whiteboard with details about court cases for the week and important investigations graced the south wall. The north wall was reserved for DKBasu's Guidelines on Arrest. The west wall in front of the chair was a glass partition from where the entrance and the duty officer's room were visible.
 
Deeply craving a cigarette, Simran involuntarily put her pen in her mouth as placebo. Investigation in a murder case, that too of a child, is urgent and should take precedence over everything. A police officer's life, however, is not that simple. Her small red notebook was filled with all that she had to do and an important page in that was dog eared and labelled "Murder: 9 years old". Her meticulous note-making skills while helping her in complying to all the orders passed by the seniors, were also a bane, because she never forgot anything.  Another page which was folded into half bore the name of Major Imran surrounded by multiple circles doodled in anger. A small devil caricature also graced the page.
 
Two months since her joining as Assistant Superintendent of Police, Simran had run into Major Imran on two occasions. Imran had tried hard to impress her in the first meeting, at the evening gathering at the Mess. Dressed in his best formals, Imran had paid attention to Simran all evening and cracked stupid jokes to make her laugh. All Simran could think about was how short he was. She had been kind to him, but there was no attraction. None whatsoever. Imran followed it up with a message next morning.
 
"Morning Ma'am! Shall we catch up on coffee in the evening?- Imran"
Aghast at his forwardness, she replied a curt no.
 "Morning…not possible...I am busy-Simran"
"L Imran"
Simran wanted to make a sighing smiley but held back. She was distracted the whole day and cursed Imran for making her uncomfortable.
 
The second meeting was more eventful. They met at a high-profile intelligence meeting, where Imran completely ignored her. A curt nod in acknowledgment of her existence was all she got from the Major, who looked dapper that morning in his Olive Greens. He was not that short after all. Simran's ego had been bruised by Imran's neglect.

Buy here
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Esha Pandey, is an author and a police officer. She made her debut as an author with her book Kiss of Life and Other Stories, a collection of short stories. Esha currently lives in New Delhi. She is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 2010 batch. 
Esha has a Masters in International Relations and Masters of Philosophy in American Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Before becoming a civil servant, she dabbled with the idea of being a journalist and worked with Times of India as a copyeditor. She has won a United Nations FPA Award for Excellence for the “Best Short Story”. 
Esha has kept her passion for writing alive through her tough assignments in policing because writing is music for her soul. Her TDH hero is her partner for life, her husband Rajiv, who supports her in all her endeavors. When she is not doing either, policing or writing, she is busy dealing with her two bundles of naughtiness, her sons.  She can be reached at:
twitter.com/PandeyEsha
https://www.facebook.com/EshaPandeyAuthor/

I had the pleasure of beta-reading this enchanting novella and it left me with a smile. Let's celebrate its release!
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​Genre: Women’s Fiction
Length: 75 pages (novella)
Format: Kindle edition

Blurb

Koel is almost 40 years old and too old to be married — according to Indian society. She's a successful lawyer and a bookworm and quite happy living like a nun until she meets Ranbir Ray. Significantly older than her, Ranbir is hot and sweet and full of pleasant surprises. Can Ranbir teach Koel about life, love and happiness in this heartwarming, fun romance?

Excerpt
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That ended our privacy as we found Reema and Aditi waiting impatiently. They had a table for four next to the bar. Ranbir greeted them politely, waiting for me to slide into the sofa before he sat on it too. We were like the perfect couple. So fast. So well dressed. Familiar with each other and getting more familiar at speed.
We ordered drinks and sushi. Ranbir stole glances and smiles at me, wrapping one arm around my waist until the drinks came. Aditi shamelessly measured his every movement. Reema asked him about his business. I was ignored.
Devouring my sushi, I listened to Ranbir describe his struggles setting up business in a political culture like Kolkata and how hard it had been at first. Reema was in awe. 
Ranbir asked about Reema’s work. He said he was aware of the competition in her field and knew of some of her campaigns. That won her over. Aditi was quiet until she interrupted with a silly question.
“So Ranbir, do you think my friend and you have a future together?”
I was livid. This age gap thing was getting out of hand. I asked her to apologise. However, Ranbir wasn’t annoyed. Or he was not showing it. Instead, he told me an apology wasn’t necessary.
“Aditi is concerned about her friend. It’s a good thing,” he acknowledged.
Ranbir really was a kind man. Glaring at my friend, I waited for his answer.
Clearing his throat, he confirmed that yes, we did have a future together. 
“You see, Aditi, at my age, you don’t spend too much time thinking about what you want -- you just go after it. What I mean to say is that, I have fallen hard for your friend and I intend to keep her by my side for a long time.”
How beautiful. Tears hit my eyes. Happy tears from the heart. I saw Reema and Aditi control their tears too. Ranbir hadn’t used the word ‘love’ but I knew what he meant. I felt the same way about him from that day at the bookstore and coffee shop.
Aditi took a swipe at her eyes and asked him what a long time meant at our age.
Taking my hand in his, he declared, “It means for as long as your friend wants to be with me.”
The three of them all looked at me. I said thank you. Everyone burst out laughing. Aditi behaved well for the rest of the meal. Afterwards, Ranbir dropped her home before he dropped me. She said sorry. Dismissing it with a wave of his hand, he handed her a chocolate bar. He joked, “Now don’t say thank you, Uncle, please.”
We couldn’t stop howling. He was so funny!
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Buy your copy of Past Marriageable Age here:
https://www.amazon.in/Past-Marriageable-Age-feel-good-romance-ebook/dp/B07XHNQMRY/ 
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​Sudesna (Sue) Ghosh is an author based in Kolkata, India. She is a graduate of University of Rochester and an ex-journalist. When Sue isn’t reading or writing, she is busy doing her best to keep her rescue cats happy.
You can find her on Twitter @sudesna_ghosh and on Instagram @sudesna_meow