Tuesday, October 10, 2017

The Goddess Fish Promotions Book Review: The Last Gambit



The Last Gambit
by Om Swami

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GENRE:   General Fiction-> Coming of Age

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BLURB:

Success by design is infinitely better than a win by chance. Vasu Bhatt is fourteen years old when a mysterious old man spots him at a chess tournament and offers to coach him, on two simple but strange conditions: he would not accompany his student to tournaments, and there was to be no digging into his past. Initially resentful, Vasu begins to gradually understand his master’s mettle.

Over eight years, master and student come to love and respect each other, but the two conditions remain unbroken – until Vasu confronts and provokes the old man. Meanwhile, their hard work and strategy pay off: Vasu qualifies for the world chess championship. But can he make it all the way without his master by his side?

Inspiring, moving and mercurial, The Last Gambit is a beautiful coming of age tale in a uniquely Indian context.


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Excerpt :

Saving a few times, like when he was sleeping, living with Andrei was a continuous challenge. He was just not designed with any sense of living in a world sans chess. He couldn’t even pour tea without spilling it in the saucer. He would never remember to turn the gas off after cooking. And the only thing he knew how to cook was an omelette. It was scary to be in the same car with him because he would just stop anywhere and start making notes on some game.

He would forget his wallet in the restaurant and keys in his car. It’s hard to imagine that the genius Andrei, immaculate on the chessboard, would be so clumsy in real life. The man who could think through lengthy lines of variations in his head could not string together two words to hold a conversation. He never spoke to my parents. He would say he didn’t have any conversational skills. Surely, he could have learnt these skills, if only he had made an effort.

 I kept my hopes up for six long years and then one day I realized that ‘if only’ doesn’t work with people like Andrei. If it could, he wouldn’t be Andrei then.


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Review: I've always been a fan of stories about chess. I got hooked on stories about the game from the musical "Chess." So this book intrigued me from the get go.

This book is the story of a young chess player and his coach/master. The dynamic reminded me of The Karate Kid in some ways.

It was very inspiring. Its the kind of book you will pick up again and give a re-read, when you need to feel light in your life. 

A fabulous read!

Rating: 5 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Om Swami is a monk who lives in a remote place in the Himalayan foothills. He has a bachelor degree in business and an MBA from Sydney, Australia. Swami served in executive roles in large corporations around the world. He founded and led a profitable software company with offices in San Francisco, New York, Toronto, London, Sydney and India.
Om Swami completely renounced his business interests to pursue a more spiritual life. He is the bestselling author of Kundalini: An Untold Story, A Fistful of Love and If Truth Be Told: A Monk’s Memoir.
His blog omswami.com is read by millions all over the world.
Buy links:
Brief Description of the Book
Success by design is infinitely better than a win by chance. Vasu Bhatt is fourteen years old when a mysterious old man spots him at a chess tournament and offers to coach him, on two simple but strange conditions: he would not accompany his student to tournaments, and there was to be no digging into his past. Initially resentful, Vasu begins to gradually understand his master’s mettle.
 Over eight years, master and student come to love and respect each other, but the two conditions remain unbroken – until Vasu confronts and provokes the old man. Meanwhile, their hard work and strategy pay off: Vasu qualifies for the world chess championship. But can he make it all the way without his master by his side?
Inspiring, moving and mercurial, The Last Gambit is a beautiful coming of age tale in a uniquely Indian context.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION :

One commenter, randomly drawn via Rafflecopter, will receive a $20 Amazon/BN GC and one host.



http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2387/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="28e4345f2387" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_5cvfj21w">a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, October 9, 2017

Goddess Fish Book Tours Cover Reveal: Devil's Gamble


DEVIL'S GAMBLE
by Michele Arris

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GENRE: Steamy Contemporary

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BLURB:

Sienna Keller saw how men used her mother, and from an early age she swore she’d never allow it to happen to her. So when she meets smooth-talking billionaire Gavin Crane, who uses his connections to help her art career, she resolves to keep things strictly professional—no matter how gorgeous he is.

Gavin might be the son of the head of the Kavanagh organized crime family, but he wants no part of that life. It’s important to him to prove to Sienna that he’s a good guy. But when she winds up in the hospital with a gunshot wound, he is driven to exact revenge. His father agrees to provide security to watch over her as well as find the man who shot her, but at a cost—Gavin must come back into the family business.

As Sienna begins to let her guard down around Gavin, seeing the kind, caring man he’s always wanted her to see, his secrets begin to pile up. Has she done the one thing she vowed never to do—trusted her heart to the wrong man?


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Because this is a cover reveal, there are no excerpts included with the tour.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award winning author, Michele Arris, writes steamy contemporary romance.
Michele is always plotting out her characters’ next move. Even when she’s not seated in front of her laptop writing about strong-willed, professional heroines and the complex heroes who strive to have them, she’s plotting scenes in her head.
I love to write story where my characters are guaranteed their Happily Ever After.”
In her spare time, Michele enjoys reading all types of romance genres. She loves paranormal romance as well as historical romances, enjoys watching period classics (Little Dorrit, The Buccaneers, and Persuasion to name a few), actually looks forward to working out, is a holistic enthusiast/vitamin junkie, and spending time with family and friends – simply enjoying life.

LINKS

WEBSITE: www.michelearris.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Michele-Arris-Author

TWITTER: @ArrisMichele

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2fRe25X
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2xKIM1Z




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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

PLEASE MENTION THE PRIZE THAT THE AUTHOR WILL BE GIVING AWAY:

$20 Amazon/BN GC

Please use the following Rafflecopter code:






Monday, October 2, 2017

Goddess Fish Book Tours Book Review: The Accidental Wedding





The Accidental Wedding
by Debra Elizabeth

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GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Unemployed Keira Callahan decides to try her luck at the casino before delving back into job hunting. As she walks through the casino, she bumps into the most handsome man she’s ever seen. When he asks her to dinner, she doesn’t hesitate. As she learns Cade Tyndale’s story—he needs to wed or lose his British estate, her impulsive nature rears up and she agrees to marry him and move to England for one year. What does she have to lose except her heart to the impossibly handsome Earl of Barrett?


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Excerpt:

“Forget it, Elizabeth. I don’t see how I can pull it off,” Cade Tyndale, the fourteenth Earl of Barrett, said to his twenty-three-year-old sister. It saddened him to see the frown on her pretty oval face. “Besides, eligible young women don’t pop up out of thin air these days. I fear the worst, that Edward will indeed inherit the estate even though I’ll keep the title, Earl of Barrett. What’s a title without the estate? I won’t be in charge of making any decisions about how the income is spent. Those decisions will fall to Edward. We must resign ourselves to it.”

Elizabeth shook her head vigorously, her blond hair flying out around her head. “Cade, don’t say that. We’ll figure something out,” she said, turning and staring out the window of their ancestral home.

“It’s not fair. Why does it have to be like this?”

Cade walked to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. “I know, but that’s what the will states. There’s no contesting it. If I could have changed the terms, you know I would have done it.”

She turned into him and buried her face in his chest, soft sobs escaped her throat.

He stroked her hair while holding her tight. “Please don’t cry. It won’t be so bad.”

“Perhaps a ball,” Elizabeth said.

“A ball?”

“Yes, of course. Young women love balls, and you’ll be able to find a suitable wife.”

Cade gently grasped her small hands within his. “Stop.”

“What?”

“Please stop. There will be no ball. I cannot find a wife like that. There is no fairytale ending here.”

“But Cade…”

Cade shook his head. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth, but there’s nothing more I can do.”

Tears welled again in Elizabeth’s blue eyes before spilling down her cheeks. “Won’t you keep trying?”

He tried to pull her in closer for a hug, but she ran out of the library. Cade watched her leave, then turned to gaze out the window. He was out of options to make things better for her and for the future of the estate. There was no way he’d find a bride in less than a week. It was hopeless, and Edward would inherit the estate.

Behind him, he heard footsteps and turned to see his valet enter. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

Cade shook his head. “No, Clifton. Let’s go. There’s nothing more I can do here. Besides, I’m looking forward to enjoying myself in Las Vegas for a few days.”
“Very good, sir. The car is waiting.”




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Review:  This book made me go Squee! This is a plot that my younger self had floating in my head when I daydreamed about marrying a handsome Brit...and if not a member of the aristocracy, at least Davy Jones from The Monkees or George Harrison...or Simon Le Bon.

I'm a sucker for a cute accent.

This was a wonderful quick read that gave me warm fuzzy feelings. Keira and Cade are just a perfect couple. 

Keira is sweet and more than a little naive, but that is what made you love her. She's really a bit of a Cinderella, without the wicked stepmother/step sisters thing going on. She loves her sister and her family and she's good with children and she is looking for a new job and a place to live.

Cade is the type of hero we all want in a sweet romance too, plus there's no sign of an alpha male to be found. That gets a two thumbs up from me. He is also a victim of a will that says he must be married for a year before he turns thirty or else he must forfeit his inheritance to his not so nice brother Edward and his wife Courtney.

I liked that both were at crossroads in their lives and somehow through a whole lot of craziness managed to get together in an almost fairy tale sort of way, complete with some twists and turns along the way. 


A sweet fun fairytale-ish read.


Rating: 5 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Debra Elizabeth is the romance pen name for fantasy author Debra L. Martin. She has been writing all kinds of stories since her teens and decided to finally publish her romance stories under a pen name so as not to confuse her fantasy fans. She publishes epic and urban fantasy with her co-author and brother, David W. Small and blogs regularly at Two Ends of the Pen.

Debra lives in New England with her husband and two kitties.

Contact links:




The book will be on sale for only $0.99.
Buy links:


Kobo Books:



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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Debra Elizabeth will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.



http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2396/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="28e4345f2396" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_zjnnobui">a Rafflecopter giveaway