Archive for December, 2014


Eulogy 2014

As another year gets ready to write it’s final lines of its existence, leaving behind memories of pain and loss, of gain and recovery, of mistakes and hurt, I’ve learned to embrace the small blessings bestowed on me, of the tiny pleasures of daily life, and the sweet smiles of loved ones, of the helping hands and the constants in life; grateful, appreciative and thankful!

This year has been a steady flow of mending fences, bringing sanity to minds, re-laying foundation for fledglings and re-evaluating selves. I’ve re-connected with a childhood passion of reading and writing that took me through a doorway into a whole new world; a world that gave me immense personal satisfaction and brought me in touch with some charming and beautiful personalities. And these very personalities and creative artists have decorated my life with their charisma and friendship.

I may have mentioned several times, and will continue to do so; to me love is a journey of the good with the bad, the pain with the cure, and the ups with the downs, going forward and together. And my mate indeed made his presence known stronger than concrete and reclaimed the crown of my eternal soul mate! He has been a bull with a goal to solidify the foundation and single-mindedly went about it. With his many quirks, patience and understanding, he’s managed to keep his sassy, charming, beautiful gem of a wife right next to him ;).

My daughters have blossomed into two amazing human beings, who have made me proud and I shall always be eternally grateful for their presence in my life. With their typical teenage oddities, many idiosyncrasies, non-stop questions about life and their fanatical obsession with One Direction, they keep us entertained, muddled, annoyed and rooted!!! And lots of times I wonder with my husband, how a dysfunctional couple like us have managed to parent these two charming daughters.

No trades offered for them!!!! J

And now, here I’m again, a couple of years later, more than half way down on this wonderful path called my life, reminiscing some could haves and should haves, yet not regretting things that have happened and have learned not to confuse sadness with any regrets. A different person, hopefully a better person, and with a wish to pass on some warmth, empathy and compassion where it is needed, I hope to be there for the people in need.

My belief that things happen for a reason, and with life throwing its usual curve balls, choices will be made, futures may be different, journey will be destined and fate will take us on a ride that already has been decided……as always. We are just players on the stage of that life, and we are entitled to all the surprises that come our way. And I’ve realized that sometimes not everyone can be a part of my journey, and that only a few would be with me until the very end.

As my family and I enter another New Year with new dreams and aspirations, I thank the year gone by for its priceless lessons and bountiful blessings. As I welcome the New Year with renewed hope and faith, I draw strength and courage from my wonderful husband and my daughters, and my extended family, as they constantly remind me of their unconditional support and love.

My family to yours, here’s wishing everyone a safe and healthy New Year, and hoping that the new year brings more joys than sorrows, and more happiness than sadness, painting the walls of your life, with some priceless memories.

I’ve loved, loved Violet Duke from the first time I read her – a brilliant writer with an insight into the souls of her characters, heavily invested into the emotions of her heroes and heroines, a tremendous energy of keeping wit and humor between the lines and a sublime spark of passion and love, just ready to sizzle the pages of her stories.

If “Love, Chocolate and Beer” (Cactus Creek 1), was a heady concoction of rich, warm chocolate and beer brewed to perfection, “Love, Tussles and Takedowns” (Cactus Creek 2) is armed with the unconditional love and support of a family, with no boundaries whatsoever and a town of people brimming with undying protection of their younglings. And not to mention the alpha male who trips and falls flat in the midst of prickly Cactus Creek!

LoveTusslesTakedowns-July2014

Liana Lin is an antique arms authenticator with a lifetime of martial arts training, and a past that had made her what she is today. Loved by all, adored by the kids of Cactus Creek, protected to the last pore of her very being, the pretty, sexy and sassy Lia has Hudson Reyes all but gets kicked in the gut with her kick-ass moves.

A former marine recovering from war injuries and working as a movie industry consultant for weapons and fight scenes, Hudson Reyes is all knocked out of breath by the angel face, tiny Liana Lin. Having endured the ravages of war, and the endless guilt of loss and pain, Hudson sees those chains around his heart break, as he gets to know Lia.

With an amazing supporting cast of characters in Cactus Creek (I’m sure we’ll see them more), Hudson and Lia become friends with benefits, followed by home runs! Love, Tussles and Takedowns is an emotional journey of relationships, of unconditional bonds made through heart, and the undying faith in humanity that there are good people among us. It is a charming story of two wonderful people who deserve each other of their love and passion.

Violet Duke does another fabulous job of keeping us on the toes of our feet, heart fluttering, warmth oozing, charm and charisma brimming, with a family that can go to any ends to protect their own, and a love that is armed and loaded with patience, humor and understanding.

2014 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,500 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 58 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

The saga of the Sentinels and their eternal protection continues in Alexandra Ivy’s second in the series, “Blood Assassin”. Fane had made an impressive impact as the guardian of Callie in “Born In Blood” and after handing off her and the special bond they shared to Duncan, Fane is ready to head back to Tibet for some down time. But then fate throws a wrench in his plans, when the love of his life disappears.

BloodAssassin-Sentinals2-AlexandraIvy-Dec2014

Not just a powerful psychic, Serra is a rare telepath who can connect to minds with objects and helping to find missing children is her specialty and weakness. A weakness exploited by a high-blood and Serra ends up in St. Louis via a spell to help Bas, a powerful assassin find his kidnapped daughter.

Fane is on the prowl as Serra’s guardian, and would lay his life for Serra. And Serra is racing against time to find the little girl so her life can be safe. Amidst danger and betrayal, revenge and retribution, sizzling chemistry and passionate love, Serra and Fane finally consummate their feelings for each other, for a future with each, if they can ever survive the danger they landed in.

Alexandra Ivy does another brilliant job of etching Serra and Fane, who are fast becoming my favorites. There is so much love and tenderness between them; you just can’t help loving them. Despite the danger they are in, their relationship just oozes charm, charisma and warmth. And the hint of sparks between Wolfe and Mave is something that I am waiting for Alexandra Ivy to bring to fruition. And I hope there is a closure for Bas and his story.

I’ve always loved the way Ivy gives importance to small details, the explanations of situations, the various chapters of history of the Sentinels and Norms, the layers of foundation of Valhalla, and the dynamics of various relationships among them. It is a fascinating exploration of the paranormal, beyond the imaginations of the norm, and a fulfilling experience of reading the story of each of the Sentinels and the woman they are destined to have in life.

Received an ARC from Kensington Books via Netgalley for an honest review.

Can the Chesapeake Series be anything but sweet and warm? And can the O’Brien’s leave alone any of its residents from finding love and a happily ever after?

“Dogwood Hill” is book 12 of Chesapeake Series, and Sherryl Woods weaves another story of romance, trust and support and what seems to be the essence of Chesapeake Shores. No one can escape the magic of Chesapeake Shores, the wonderful and meddling residents of Chesapeake Shores and the dominating and lovable O’Brien’s!!!!

DogwoodHill-Chesapeak12-SherrylWoods-Dec2014

Ex-pro football quarterback Aidan Mitchell comes to Chesapeake Shores, when the position for the high school coach opens up. But with the new lease of life, also come doubts and insecurities of coming to the beautiful town to get some answers of his roots. Handsome, protective and lovable, meeting Liz March makes up his mind of staying back in Chesapeake Shores, and when he gets roped in to become the owner of a dog, his destiny has been sealed.

Liz March has been living in Chesapeake Shores for a few months, creating a new life far away from North Carolina and leaving behind painful memories. She runs the pet store “Pet Style” and is taken into the warmth and love of the O’Brien’s. Beautiful, sassy and tenacious, especially when it comes to taking care of animals, she falls for the handsome Aidan for his wonderful support and compassion towards the students as well as his tenacity in wooing Liz, and trying to assuage her fears and insecurities.

Another romantic story of two beautiful people meant to be together for life, as they work the around the secrets, fears and insecurities plaguing them. Sherryl Woods has given us another amazing story of love, romance and magic – perfect for the holidays.

Received an ARC from Harlequin via Netgalley for an honest review

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