Tuesday, 27 April 2021

Kindle Countdown Deal - God's Will

  Dear friends,

          For the God-fearing people in this world, nothing in life occurs without His Will!
         
          They lead their lives with a song on their lips and a prayer in their hearts. They are hard-working folks of the soil who swear by their sweat and toil.

           Babu and Rojakutty are two such simpletons who lead a solitary existence in their village, till their paths cross.
          
           Will their destinies entwine or unravel?

Read on to find out, in my engrossing novel titled God's Will - (All the way...)


          This novel is available at www.amazon.com under a Kindle Countdown Deal from 28th April to 5th May, 2021at a whopping discount of 67%; for just $0.99.

         Kindly peruse it and let me have your invaluable feedback. You could even have a free preview at the site.
 
         While you are it, you could even peruse my other 15 books at www.amazon.com.

 Thanks, 
Priya 

E-book's cover

Paperback's cover

Paperback's cover


          Excerpt from this book

          “Roja, Roja palli” she heard a familiar voice behind her.
          
          She whirled around and King Dushyant was standing face to face with her. He winked at her. She laughed at the weird sight. His face painted in bright green with the white and red winged eyebrows and red nose, stiff white ceramic covering the lower chin with a heavy, studded crown on his head, stared back at her; with his dark eyes merrily smiling down at her.
          
          His billowing, tent-like, regal costume swathed his body in layers of clothing. A heavy perfume of kewda assailed her nostrils as he came closer. She involuntarily stepped back,
 befuddled. How did he know the nickname that Babu had given her? Was he his friend? How dare that scoundrel address her like that in public? Even wink at her?
          
          Just as she got ready for a slanging match, it struck her. She slapped her forehead and exclaimed “Babu?”
          
          He bowed down deeply and said in an exaggerated tone, “Naane daan. It’s me!”
          
          Now she spoke with awe and reverence. “Wow, Babu! You really got me there. I never knew that you are a part-time Kathakali performer. You never revealed it to me. I must say, that you are an excellent performer. Your thick, handlebar moustache really becomes you. King Dushyant indeed!”
          
          Babu was elated and his face creased into his familiar grin, showing sparkling white teeth through his bright red painted lips.
          
          His grin expanded further and nearly reached his ears as she added further, “And your reference to the fish in the story was also not lost on me! You deliberately chose this play as I like fish, don’t you?” She sounded pleased as punch. Now her fangs were bared in undisguised glee, reveling in the fact that Babu truly cared for her and wanted to please her, going the extra mile for her!
          
          He also inhaled the heady fragrance of Emami as he walked with her, all the way back home, walking with his right hand dragging his cycle by its handle, and the left one, possessively around her broad shoulders. Everyone on the same path curiously stared at the couple as Babu was still in his full costume and make-up.
          
          “Raja Dushyant and Rani Shakuntala!” exclaimed some enthusiastic passers-by. The couple giggled. They really felt like the royal couple and basked in the reflected glory.
          
          The next day they would go back to catching fish and bringing down coconuts for a living…. Mundane reality.

                    End of the excerpt

Sunday, 18 April 2021

The Celestial Souls of Khambetka - Excerpt from a story in this book

 Excerpt from the story titled 'My big boss up there!' in my e-book titled 

                             The Celestial Souls of Khambetka 

     Manoj would remark, “It’s high time you stopped looking at your father’s photo! Now you should be looking at mine!”

     He started keeping an unbearably repulsive, close-up shot of his, in an equally hideous and unimaginative frame, on our bedside table. I had politely declined to frame one of our ‘lovey-dovey’ shots from our honeymoon, as it was something that I didn’t want to be reminded of!

     I just softly told him, “That’s personal Manoj. Let it remain only between the two of us. A private remembrance!” Inwardly, I snidely remarked, “A private joke!”

     Surprisingly, Manoj hadn’t persisted. He had instead, plastered the walls and the cupboards’ doors with huge posters of .....

     They were definitely a ‘better-watch’ than his plain Jane of a wife! Needless to say, there was no love lost between the two of us.

                                                               END OF EXCERPT

     Intrigued? Do buy and read this e-book, available for just $0.99 at www.amazon.com till 20th April, under a Kindle Countdown Deal.
     

     This book has got a 5 star rating at www.goodreads.com.
     

     Your precious online reviews are most welcome!

     Thanks in anticipation!

                                                                                 Priya

                                                                            
                                                                              Paperback


                                                                               E-book

Tuesday, 13 April 2021

  Dear friends,


What happens when one's wishes are not fulfilled in one’s lifetime?

Read on to experience it in my thrilling e-book titled The Celestial Souls of Khambetka. It is a collection of paranormal stories that will surely capture your imagination!

This book has received a 5 -star rating at www.goodreads.com.
Here's the link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44653148-the-celestial-souls-of-khambetka#

A Kindle Countdown Deal will be on from 13th to 20th April 2021, at www.amazon.com for this e-book. It will be available at a whopping discount, of 67% for just $0.99. You could peruse a free preview of the e-book at the website.


Kindly purchase the e-book, read it and let me have your invaluable feedback. You could even peruse my other 15 novels. 
Kindly post all your reviews directly at www.amazon.com. 
Happy reading!

Thanks.
Priya

List of other books by the author,
Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan:

       The Enigma and other stories
       The Obsession
       The Mysterious Basement of Summer City (Prize-                                                         winning, debut novel)
       Wow! Wrong Number
       You Compromise, I Won’t!
       Unconditional Love in Exchange
       Just Not Meant For Marriage!
       The Byline and other stories
       A Good Old Rumor! and other stories
 The Trophy Wife
 Of Siblings and E-Friends 
      Dad's Great, Boys! (ebook only) 
                     (also available at www.draft2digital.com)
      God's Will
      Neha's Quest
G   Ghosts of the Past
G
All these ebooks and paperbacks have been released worldwide, and are  available at www.amazon.com and Amazon's other marketplaces.

A Suitor for the Princess (radiantpriyasvision.blogspot.com)

The Love-addict (www.freeditorial.com)

My novel titled No Mother-in-law, Please! is currently being serialized at www.wattpad.com. Read it for free and feel free to comment on or like it. 

My latest book titled Ghosts of the past is an entry to the 'Pen to publish' contest 2021, held by Kindle Publishing of Amazon.com.

Do not forget to read The Trophy Wife! (She doesn't like to be snubbed!)
This ebook is available for just Rs.70 at www.amazon.in. Kindly post the reviews at www.amazon.com. Thanks in anticipation. ☺😊☺Priya

By the way, wish all those who are celebrating New Year, a very happy, peaceful, healthy and prosperous new year filled with contentment.
Let's make peace with our souls and free our spirits!
In keeping with this theme, may I suggest that all of us could volunteer for body-donation (dehadaan); the ultimate gift to mankind! 
Let's live on, long after we have gone from this planet...

My mother-in-law, husband and myself have pledged for dehadaan.
Priya

Saturday, 10 April 2021

My book 'Just Not Meant For Marriage!' was dedicated to our dear Anna, my Dad. The following tribute is mostly in the present tense and I just don't want to convert it into the past tense! He recently passed away and left a huge void in our lives. He will remain evergreen in our memories and we'll always strive to keep making him proud of us. I'm sure that even now as I type this piece, he's around me, motivating me to live life just as he would like me to; bravely and confidently.




For a Very Special Person!

                     I dedicate this book to my evergreen Dad, Ramesh Sharma. Fondly called Anna by us, he is the person who taught us to be brave and confident, while struggling against all odds. His unstinting support was behind the success of my mother as a Principal. An old adage goes, “Behind every successful man, there is a woman.” My father turned this adage on its head! “Behind every successful woman, there is a man!”

                      He was like ‘The Rock of Gibraltar’ for her, always helping her out with the chores, guiding us in our home-work, availing leave for our Board Exams to ferry us to and from our respective exam centers and attending to his work at his office. He ensured that we didn't only study, but had hobbies and other recreation too.
                    

                      I’ll especially never forget how he spent several sleepless nights when I had severe jaundice, as a young girl. He would be always at my bedside, spending sleepless nights at the hospital and later, at home, administering my medicines on time, buying and giving me the appropriate diet as prescribed by the physician and encouraging me with kind, loving words and lots of Chandamama books!   

                      Later in life, when I insisted on having an arranged, but registered marriage, without matching horoscopes; and with a list of attributes to be possessed by my would-be groom, my father ran around meeting prospective grooms, apprising them of my ‘demand’ for a simple, no-frills, registered marriage ceremony, braved being rejected by them; till he finally discovered one such ‘gem’ for me! A perfect match - my husband Ramesh! What a beautiful coincidence it was, to have my husband sharing my beloved father’s name!  Of course, I soon discovered that they share several endearing traits too! In fact, I often joke that they could pass off as father and son!           

                      He is also a great multi-tasker and shows us how life must be lived and enjoyed. He is great pals with our friends too and they envy us for having such an easy-going and friendly father. We are never scared of him and always look up to him for any advice, and he has never ever failed us. He is a living example of how a person can be a constant source of joy for everyone around him! He is very helpful, dependable and doesn't thrive on any ego. He takes equal pride in my mother's and our achievements. He never boasts about his accomplishments, which are quite a few!

                      He’s blessed with a photographic memory as he remembers people and places, even after meeting and visiting them just once, no matter how long ago! He’s a good singer, a great artist and an excellent palmist. His exhibition of water-paintings and fabric paintings was very well-received by one and all! He’s fond of listening to good music and watching movies. He dotes on his grand-daughter and constantly teaches her new things. Apart from our family, his friends at the Senior Citizens’ Association are his other lifeline. He enjoys spending his time with them and often goes for picnics and other programs, with them. They miss his lively and cheerful company when he is not around. His enthusiasm is highly infectious!

                      He appreciates the wonders of Mother Nature and has inculcated the same perspective in us too. He has always encouraged us to be forthright and fearless, honest and just, in our dealings and interactions with others.
                    

                      Thanks to these two great teachers, my mother and father, we siblings have become well-balanced individuals and always strive to make them proud of us. For them, we are three little gems and for us they are our heart and soul! We owe everything to them. Dear Amma, we miss you a lot!

Thank you Anna, for always being there for us!

                         *********************************************************

Dear Anna,

We are missing you a lot!

Smile at us daily, through the flowers in our garden

Twinkle at us daily, through the dazzling stars up above

Always be there for us, blessing us like our guardian angel!

Your three little gems!                                                                                               

 

Monday, 5 April 2021

To Dad, With Love!

 


My friend, philosopher and guide

You were always there by my side

Between us there was nothing to hide

Life had been such a smooth ride!

     At times a friend, at times a brother,

     Even a mother, weren’t you dear father?

     Like you there can be none other

     I can vouch for that, my dear father!

Easy-going and fun-loving you’d always been

Principles and values like yours, I’ve never seen

Never strict even when I was a teen,

Your countenance was ever so serene!

     You always took things easily in your stride

     By honesty, patience and faith, you'd always abide.

     You were the best father, I say with pride

     Always my friend, philosopher and guide!

The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

My beloved father recently passed away. It breaks my heart to change all the present tenses in this poem to the past. 

Dear Anna,

We three siblings will always cherish your fond memories. May your soul rest in eternal peace and may you always be our guardian angel! Along with beloved Amma!

Priya