Eldon Taylor.

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Announcing I Believe, the latest release
by New York Times best selling author,
Eldon Taylor.

Join the launch party for I Believe: When What You Believe Matters!
Hundreds of bonus gifts will be given away to everyone who participates. Plus, enter to win grand prizes worth over $5K from personalities such as Lindsay Wagner (Bionic Woman), James Van Praagh, Bob Doyle, Hay House, InnerTalk, Norman Shealy and Caroline Sutherland. For more information, visit here.

Q. Why did you write I Believe?

I have spent over thirty years investigating why people self-sabotage or limit themselves, thus experiencing so much less than their highest best! What I have found is the reason rests solely in their beliefs—not their spiritual belief so much as their life beliefs. I found this to be true when I was conducting lie detection tests and discovering criminality, and equally true when I worked with elite athletes, business executives, professionals and lay people alike. The bottom line is this: What you believe always matters! It’s like a web that fastens itself to belief-anchors, causing disheartening mediocrity in place of the glorious success we all seek.

I Believe spells out the power of belief and how it influences everything from our health and longevity to our success with relationships and life. Astounding as it may seem, belief can (and has) defied our so-called laws of science and it has done so over and over again. As ordinary and trite as it may seem, belief nevertheless makes all the difference in success in all walks of life. Knowing how we acquire our beliefs, and which beliefs serve us while others sabotage us, is critical to maximizing our individual potential. I Believe: When What You Believe Matters! was written to empower you with the roadmap to decipher and re-write the programming governing your life.


Excerpt
Personal Identity

The idea that we’re each a drop of water in the ocean can be compelling in some ways. The typical perspective offered in Buddhism postulates that we are drops of water, individualized but for a moment from the greater sea that is the total of all-that-is. I get the idea of immersion, being one with the One. I don’t, however, see that as requiring the surrender of my self, and isn’t a healthy ego necessary for my identification? I’ve said before that an ego out of control fits the 12-step-program interpretation of the word: Edging God Out. But a healthy ego is who we are.
I know myself in many ways, chiefly as an experience, as I’ve already discussed. In that sense, I expect that the word ego doesn’t really apply in its traditional form. For as a verb instead of a noun, I am my experiences—always in motion, dynamic as opposed to static, changing as opposed to immutable, expanding as opposed to contracting, and forever young in every instance as opposed to aging. Still, even in this view, I have a self-concept, and from this spring my lessons, alternatives, choices, likes, and dislikes. This is identity, and it’s absolutely attached to the experience, even if part of that is letting go in order to proceed in a new and different way in some other dimension of existence.
I’m totally unaware of any near-death experiences (NDE) in which the survivor tells of being immersed and losing all sense of identification. It’s possible, however, to lose our sense of being, to become so involved in the moment that we lose ourselves. That may be what immersion really is. Getting lost in the experience, whether on this plane or another, is experience at its highest.
For me, the analogy of a drop of water in the ocean is fitting when I think of losing myself in the moment. To do that, I must truly choose to engage in everything life brings to me, and that can’t be done while unattached. I become the experience by being fully aware of what’s happening in each moment. In doing so I can let go of my expectations, for as long as I hold them, I can’t be fully present.
Words can be tricky, and ideas can become puzzles, whereas definitions can and do delimit our understanding of all that we care enough to think about. When many of these concepts are distilled, there remain a few constants. One of them is simply this: immersing ourselves in the experience of life gives rise to understanding that we could otherwise never grasp. The little miracles are not only noticed but fully integrated into our journey. The sadness that comes along is recognized for what it is, but this doesn’t rob us of hope, for we’re not hanging onto some expectation in the moment. Setting about each day with the idea that it’s a miracle—that every moment is a wondrous opportunity to glimpse yet another spectacular exchange in the nature of life, a grand time for fully immersing ourselves in the experience—approaches heaven on earth here and now.

The Gift

I believe that every breath is a gift, and what you do with that is the only way you can pay tribute to the Giver. I believe that you were meant to have faith in yourself and that you deserve to know an unlimited cornucopia of abundance in all the good things this life has to offer. When you trust in yourself, you turn the key in the lock that opens the door to manifesting your true potential. You aren’t going to take anything with you out of here except your experiences. And notice that it’s you I believe in—and that calls for the distinctly unique individual that you are—not some generalization. Perhaps I’m attached to an idea of being unattached, at least to an outcome, yet as with everyone else, I’m also committed to being uniquely me. In the end, if I weren’t invested in anything, including my experience and ideas, then who would I be?
In the words of novelist Virginia Woolf, “[It] is like a spider’s web, attached ever so slightly perhaps, but still attached to life at all four corners. Often the attachment is scarcely perceptible”4 (emphasis added).

Reflection
So what is it that you believe? Do you think that the goal of a spiritual life is to overcome the illusion of separateness, to lose your sense of identity and so to return to the oneness? Or do you believe that this life and your individuality are amazing gifts that should be treasured and experienced to the fullest? Should you be attached to outcomes, or should you focus on doing your best and then detaching? Which beliefs would serve you best?


For information on the book launch, please visit here.

This is a blog hop

REVIEW

Review of Halo of the Damned.
Trailer

I thought at first that I was not going to like Halo of the damned. I found it quite hard to get into, but I’m glad I persevered because after a while it turned into an enthralling page turner.
First, I suggest that you release the rational side of your mind and allow this dark paranormal to take to you places that you never knew existed. Where demons are repentant and angels are all forgiving to us mere human beings. There is death, destruction and bloody fights, which expertly builds up to a climax that will have you perched on the edge of your chair.
You will go to bed thinking about the characters Joanna and Kim’s chances of survival and what would happen if Satan and his fiery hell really got a foot hold on our mortal plane of existence. Dina Rae may be a new author, but I believe that she will go far with her books. She has a unique knack of really bringing her characters to life and you either love them or hate them.
Halo of the damned is twisting turning road, fraught with the dead and dying. It’s a fantastic read and I give it a 5 star rating.

Buy this book now....I dare you...

Welcome to Nicole Morgan

Today, the sun is shining bacause it knows that Nicole Morgan is in my virtual blogging lounge today. Before we start, here is a bit about her. Nicole Morgan was an avid reader who kept having one recurring problem. Ideas of stories kept popping into her head. Today Nicole is an author of erotic romantic novels, which more often than not have a suspenseful back story. Erotic romance mixed with a good old fashioned who done it. She tries to place strong emphasis on the characters emotions while also throwing in some spicy and hot love scenes. Her alpha male of choice will most often than not have a uniform of some kind. From military to police officers, she has a love for writing about those who protect and serve.

While still trying to stay true to her style, she is finding her writing is evolving as she takes on new and uncharted territory for her. In the first months of this year she finally wrapped up her first ever full length paranormal romance novel. There are many areas of erotica out there that she hasn’t had a chance to really delve into just yet, but she is anxiously looking forward to doing just that.


Good Morning Nicole. Its lovely to meet you, help yourself to the virtual coffee while we chat. A little birdie tells me that you have a new book out. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Good Morning Margaret. Thanks for having me in your lounge today. My latest release is Intimate Confessions. It’s the second book in my Intimate Temptations series and took me a year to complete it. It was one of those books that I would write a little, put down and pick up later.
Derek and Sandi, the lead characters are two who shared a love which reached as far to the depths of their soul. A few readers who were left hanging with the end of book 1 with what may happen with the couple finally sent enough veiled threats to my email where I felt I had no choice but to finish it and get it out there. We can’t have upset readers now can we?

lol no, that wouldn't be fair as you have already hooked them in! Now this is finished have you got anything e4lse in mind to write?

I’m in the middle of writing a novel about a former Marine, now Police Chief who finds himself blindsided by the attraction he has with one of his best rookies and who also happens to be his best friends little sister. A whole lot of “ruh roh, I shouldn’t be doing this” plagues the Hero in this book. The fact that she’s tenacious, argumentative and pushes his buttons at every turn does nothing to curb his frustration with her. I’m having a lot of fun writing some of the banter between the two characters who would rather argue than admit they want each other.

I love that sort of tension. It makes you want to jump right in the book and shake them lol right, just for fun, pick your favourite character from your new release and tell us about them.

In my new release I would have to say Derek, the main character is my favourite. Sandi was the only woman who ever managed to sneak past his defences and into his heart. Despite her being an angel in his eyes, she hurts him. Throughout the course of the story, he struggles with what he wants and what his stubborn male pride tells him he should do. It’s an interesting contrast to see a man who can love so intensely struggle with his bruised ego.

He sounds like a typical man to me lol I can't wait to read that one when it's released. As authors we know how hard it is to market ourselves, do you have any tips that might help?

The best marketing advice I would offer to anyone in any type of business is to not over market their product. There is a difference between marketing and spam. You want to tell the world about your product and hopefully gain their interest. What you don’t want to do is shove the product down their proverbial throat. Overkill will essentially destroy any marketing strategy. And no one wants that.


Okay, now for something totaslly random!! Where did you meet your partner? We all love to hear a romance story.

Well I’m currently single. I know...cry me a river, right? LOL Actually it’s a good thing. I (luckily) haven’t gotten to that point in my life where I feel like, “OMG, I need to start collecting stray cats”... I haven’t even tried dating sites. Well, not YET anyway. After being in a relationship for the better portion of my adult life I’m really enjoying being single, meeting new people and seeing what life has to offer me on a daily basis. Plus, there are A LOT of attractive, charming and incredibly sweet men out there, so I’m hoping one of them will eventually grab my attention and in turn make me take a second look and say “Yowsa!” Now, that isn’t to say that I don’t have my eye on one or two...but I won’t mention names. Torture me if you must, my lips are sealed. I’ll offer you a hint though, I am a complete sucker for a man in uniform. Past or present doesn’t matter, I’m pretty much putty in their hands at that point. But, shhh...don’t tell them that.

Your secret is safe with us Nicole. I rather like men in uniform too lol Before you go, where can your followers find you?

Facebook Fan Page:
Facebook Friend Page:
Twitter:
Website:
Blog:

Thanks for dropping by Nicole and don't forget to leave us a taster of your new book.



Buy this great book. AVAILABLE: Thursday, March 1st
This title is offered at a 10% discount. Offer ends midnight CST, March 8th.

PG Excerpt:
Sandi remained motionless for several seconds after she heard the door close before turning her head to see if Derek had really left. Once she looked over her left shoulder and didn’t see him, she quickly spun her head around to survey the rest of the room.
Was he still in the room with her, but waiting to see if she reacted? She wondered, but as soon as she asked the silent question to herself, she already had her answer. Derek had in fact left the room. She was handcuffed to the bed and alone with nothing else but her thoughts.
Instinct made her want to cry. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and beg him to come back. Instead, she bit back her tears and tightly squeezed her eyes shut. She knew very well that she wasn’t entitled to her sadness.
There was no one else she could blame for her current situation other than herself. Two years ago she had pushed Derek away. He was the only man who had ever treated her with respect, kindness, compassion, and love. He was the only man that she had ever loved, and rather than cherish that, she had thrown it away, all for some obsession, some elemental need she thought she had to have.
She hated that after two years she still hadn’t found a way to fulfill those unexplained desires. No one that she had met over the past two years had even come close, not even Tony, the one she was foolish enough to leave Derek for. Just remembering the man who had introduced her into this world made her cringe. She detested him for making her think she wanted this kind of lifestyle.
If only she knew then what she knew now, she would have never left Derek and their life together for a life she clearly didn’t want.
A gut-wrenching pain tore through her heart when that thought made her realize that in all these months over the past two years she hadn’t felt even the smallest amount of pleasure from all the acts she had participated in. She hadn’t gotten any enjoyment from any of it. That was not until moments ago when Derek had been inside of her, taking her from behind, while she was handcuffed to a headboard in a place where she asked for only punishment.
Oh God! she thought to herself. Was Derek the missing piece to the puzzle of her desires? Was he what she had been searching for this whole time?
She knew the answer to the question already. The one man who she had tossed aside so carelessly two years ago was the only man who could ever truly make her happy.
She jerked her mind back to reality when she heard the door open. She spoke before she was able to stop herself.
“Derek?” Disappointment washed across her face when she saw it was Zach.
“No, Sandi. Derek has gone to his room. I came to make sure you were okay.”
She didn’t respond to him as she waited for him to finish unlocking the fur-lined cuffs which had her wrists attached to the bed.
Zach’s arm grazed her exposed bottom, and for some reason at that point she became very aware of her nakedness. Nervous emotions overcame her, making her face flush and heat from embarrassment.
When the last cuff was unlatched, Zach gently took her shoulders and brought her body back down to a sitting position.
“There, you must be sore from being in that position and on your knees for so long. Is that better?” he asked her while handing her a small satin robe which had been hanging on the bedpost.
She nodded uncomfortably, not really sure what to say to him.
Zach brushed a stray lock of hair away from her eyes and smiled at her. “Please don’t be embarrassed. I promised you when I found you that I would give you happiness.”
Her heart began beating much too fast. “I know you did. But I still don’t understand what that means. Or how…Derek, I know him.”
A robust laugh came from Zach, which almost startled her at first.
“Did you know that I knew him?” She almost whispered the question, but the smile on his face gave her the answer before she had a chance to finish asking it.
He held up his hand in a gesture to silence her. “Sandi, does it really matter if I knew? Does it really matter that you knew him, or he knew you?”
He hesitated for a moment before he continued. “No, Sandi. None of that matters. All that matters is that you are here, Derek is here, and you both want something that I have the opportunity to give you. Just let whatever fate brings your way happen.”
She wanted to say something. She wanted to question his motives, or how he knew of their connection to one another, but she realized that his reasons and the circumstances didn’t matter. He was right. She wanted Derek. She loved him and needed him.

Welcome to Greg Kiser

Today I am welcoming the fabulous Greg Kiser to my virtual lounge. Today he is giving away a signed copy of his book to Random commentator. The coffee is on and the biscuits are fresh out of the oven. Before we have a chat, here is a bit about him.


Greg Kiser is happily married to a wonderful and inspirational wife, Serena, and has two beautiful children – Miller and Grace. He graduated from Southern Polytechnic University in Atlanta with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Greg also earned his MBA from the University of South Florida. He is currently a Director at Cisco, a high tech fortune 50 multinational corporation.

Greg has written extensively for fortune 50 high tech firms in describing next generation networks and painting pictures of the true evolution of technology for the consumer.

Good Morning Greg. I hear that you have a new book out. Tell us a bit about it.

Good morning Margaret. Thanks for having me here today. The books called Tampa Bay and is set in Florida and the year is 2020. Ex-Navy SEAL Mitch “Double” Downing discovers how to tap into the internet with his mind. His new inSyte provides transparent access to the sum of all human knowledge recorded since hieroglyphics. If knowledge is power, Mitch just became the strongest man in the world.
But inSyte has ideas of its own as the software exposes a politician’s “divine” plan that will unwittingly slaughter millions of people. Is killing the man the only way to prevent Armageddon? The politician’s daughter would probably disagree. And she happens to be the love of Mitch’s life. Losing Kate would be too damn much collateral damage.
At the center of the conflict is a wolf-like killer who will stop at nothing to murder the ex-Navy SEAL. And Mitch must come to grips with inSyte’s dark side – a dominating addiction that soon controls his thoughts and places him on a steep slide to self-destruction.


Wow, it sounds like a real nail bitter. With this book finished what’s next on your writing agenda?

At the moment I’m thinking about a sequel. Just thinking. Lol Letting my mind sort through it subconsciously.

So you’re a deep thinker huh! How about you pick your favourite character from your new release and tell us about them.

My favorite character is Cheslov who is an antagonist… but not necessarily THE antagonist. I struggled at times with dialogue and scene creation for other characters. But for some reason, it just flowed with Cheslov.
My book takes place in 2020. Cheslov is Russian, born around the turn of the century. Around 1900, that is. Somehow he ends up in Tampa in 2020 as hired muscle for the Mayor. How did he survive to 2020 if he was born in 1900?
Something happened in the woods of Rostov.
It’s like that with Cheslov, he’s just naturally creepy. I think Kirkus reviews put it pretty well when they wrote the following in their review of inSyte:
“Woven throughout a story with many finely crafted twists, turns and revelations is the charismatic, mysterious, murderous Cheslov Kirill. As a classic merciless political operator, Kirill is unforgettable and chillingly, complexly rendered, especially for a man who uses a school of sharks off the Florida coast for corpse disposal.”
But he’s also charming, likeable on some level. He is the character everyone who reads my novel seems to talk about. Some are darkly drawn to him. Most found him fascinating in his evilness. But he’s the one people remember. Me too.

Well we always remember the bad boys lol. So to change the subject totally  Where did you meet your partner? We love to hear a romance story on this blog.

I met my wife at work (boring!). We both worked for a high tech firm back in the mid nineties. I lived in Atlanta and she lived in Tampa. I went to Tampa for a week to finish a big proposal and met her in the local office. We worked 12 hour days for a week together, along with a half dozen other folks. Long hours, hard job. At the end of the week one of the guys hosted a big party at his house. Serena and I ended up sitting next to each other at the pool, drinking beer and listening to live music and the rest, as they say…

Before you go, where can your followers find you
Come and join me at mt website.

Welcome to Julie Hayes

Good Morning Everyone.
Today I am highlighting something that will affect many authors. I'd like your opinion on it and what we can do to try and make our voices be heard. So I leave you now in Julies capable hands.



And so it begins. The powers that be at Paypal, under the guise of morality, have begun practicing censorship, strong arming publishing sites into removing titles which PayPal finds objectionable and/or morally reprehensible, under the threat of freezing their PayPal accounts. As anyone who has an online business knows, PayPal payments are vital to the success of most businesses, so that is tantamount to having one’s lifeline severed, bleeding out potential profits all over the internet floor.
But wait, what right have they to do such a thing? Since when is PayPal the moral arbiter of anything, much less the authority for who publishes what and where? Where do they get off doing this?

Damned if I know, but I’m finding it extremely ridiculous and very akin to extortion. My question is, where will it end? If they aren’t stopped now, what will keep them from imposing these sanctions for anything which they don’t like? Including religious and political issues? Today it may be sexual content, but tomorrow? Who knows.
First off, it’s none of their business. They aren’t in business to legislate morality, but to move money. That’s what they do, and they do it well. People use their services to pay for many things, and it’s great. But it’s none of PayPal’s bloody business what they pay for.
Not to mention that it’s arbitrary. They think that they’ll stop these immoral goings on by identifying and halting the payment for such services which don’t meet their standards of morality. But let’s be realistic. How much money gets transferred under the general blanket of “services” which they have no idea what it’s for. And frankly, who cares?
I can send money through PayPal all day long for anything. But if I go into a legitimate bookseller site online and wish to purchase something, that’s my business, not theirs – and for being honest, I’m going to be penalized? There are definite double standards going on here.
And who’s to say what is right and what is wrong? If you don’t like a title, or what the author writes, do what I do—DON’T BUY IT! No one is forcing you to do it, so don’t. But don’t prevent those who want to from doing it, or put the kibosh on free enterprise because it doesn’t suit you in some way.
Your list of taboos is ridiculous. Are you applying these same standards, PayPal, to the major publishers? Because I’m damn sure their books have these same things in them. Subjects you deem immoral. But the difference is that they don’t care, because they don’t need you in the way the smaller booksellers do. So you’re a bully, plain and simple, pushing your views down people’s throats, threatening them in an economic manner, hitting where it hurts – in the moneybelt.
Shame on you, Paypal, for shame! Keep your nose out of other people’s morality. You’re not making a change for the better, you’re making yourself look ridiculous and interfering with people’s rights.
I understand that they’re including shapeshifters under bestiality? Seriously? Teenagers having sex? Yeah, like that doesn’t happen in the real world. The point here is that we’re discussing fictional characters, not real people. Characters who exist only in the minds of their creators, and maybe in the hearts of their readers. But not in the real world.
I think maybe PayPal needs to learn the difference. Reality vs a book. Real life vs fiction. They need to step off their high horse and get over themselves.
Censorship does not belong in the hands of financial institutions. It should be the individual’s right to judge for himself and make his own choices. If people want to read certain kinds of books, although you dislike them, then that is their right. It’s your right NOT to buy them.
STOP CENSORING US, PAYPAL!


Find Julie here:My Links:
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My Publishers:
Romance First
Silver Publishing:
Dreamspinner Press:

Snarky Piranha's

I don’t know about you but I have been seeing more and more heated ‘discussions’ I call them by that term loosely lol on forums and writers sites.
Not too long ago I heard about a couple of authors who were circled and consumed by a shoal of piranha’s in a writing forum, just for daring to post a book blub. Every forum has etiquette, which I understand. But a full out, verbal tearing at the flesh until the author is a gibbering wreck, seems a bit harsh!





















A lot of snarkyness,( if that is a word lol,) will come from competitors. But recently it’s looking like random snarking is becoming more and more apparent. Why do some forums wish to draw blood on a site that should be dedicated to professional advancement? What makes a group of like-minded people band together and turn into a flesh munching, confidence shattering shoal of snarkiness?




Who feels that sometimes they need to tread as if their paths are made of egg shells? Are you worried about weaving discontent on forums? Do you agree that sometimes it’s best to bite the bullet and walk away from the comments?



I personally think that mostly it’s better to retain your dignity and professionalism by walking away, but other times..no? Sometimes the worm needs to turn. But there are right ways and wrong ways.



Remember the saying, give enough rope and they’ll hang themselves, remember that when you are battling a narky snark!






We can only get our point across on the internet by writing. So our words need to be picked carefully as they build and protect our reputation. It’s hard restraining our fingers when they want to type every swear word that’s in the human vocabulary. But it’s at that moment you need to first ask yourself, who will those sort of words most wound? You or the piranha’s?


So, who has battled with a piranha and won? Who has been ripped within an inch if their life because they happened to stumble on a basking shoal of them?

Welcome to Emlyn Chand

Morning folks.
I have to say thats its freezing here in not so sunny kent. Its a good job I have my virtual log fire crackling away in the blog lounge. Before we start, here is a bit about Emlyn.

From an early age, Emlyn Chand has counted books among her best friends. She loves to hear and tell stories and emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). Her affinity for the written word extends to absolutely every area of her life: she has written two-and-a-half novels, leads a classics book group with over three hundred members, and, of course, runs the whole shebang at Novel Publicity.

The book that changed Emlyn’s life is Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson. It opened her eyes to the world that could exist if only she was willing to create it—a lesson she has never forgotten. While she enjoys all types of novels, her greatest loves are literary fiction and YA.


Hi Emlyn. It's lovely to met you and i have enjoyed our chats about the paranormal side of life recently. I hear that you have a book hot off the press. Tell us a bit about it.

Hi Margaret. Its good to be here. I'm a long way from home in your virtual lounge lol My new release Farsighted tells the story of Alex Kosmitoras. Here’s my mini teaser: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider.

Loving the teaser. Paranormal elements always intrigue me. I'm sure your book will catch a lot of peoples interest. So what’s next on your writing agenda?

I’m working on book #2 of the Farsighted Series. Its title is Open Heart, and the story is told from a different character’s POV for added fun/complexity. I am also beginning work on a new YA science fiction series. I like to be mysterious and reveal as few details as possible, but I’m really excited about the upcoming works ;-)

Wow you are a busy bee. How about some fun! Pick your favourite character from your new release and tell us about them.

My favorite character from Farsighted is definitely Shapri Teak—she is also the favorite of many readers I’ve spoken with. Not only is she the most fun of all my characters, but she’s also the kind of the person I wish I could have been like back when I was younger. She’s strong, always true to herself, and won’t let anyone disrespect her. Sure, she has fears, but we all do. Shapri is the kind of girl I would love to be friends with. You know she’ll always go to bat for you when you’re too tired to step up to the plate. And, oh, she has a mysterious, other-worldly secret too.

I can't wait to read this book. it sounds right up my alley. So do you have any marketing advice for other authors that you'd like to share?

Stretch far and wide. Stay focused and true to who you are as an author. Readers can sense authenticity, which is why the BUY MY BOOK BUY MY BOOK BUY MY BOOK strategy just doesn’t work. As an author, you’ll want to have an awesome, well-designed blog, a presence on the major social media networks (and try to devote avid attention to at least 1 or 2). And don’t under-count the tremendous value of paid advertising. Sites like Kindle Nation Daily, Pixel of Ink, Cheap eReads, and eReader News Today are just fantastic for getting exposure.

Before you go, I'm goimg to get up front and personal lol Where did you meet your partner? We all love to hear a good romance story on this blog.

Oh, lordy. I’ve been with my husband for over 7 years. Married 4. He’s from New Delhi, India, but we met in one of the least romantic places imaginable—Detroit. We went to the same college. He was pursuing his PhD in materials science engineering while I was finishing up my BA in sociology. To help cover the cost of classes, I got a job at the student center working as a cashier at KFC. Basically, I was the only non-Indian there and tried really hard to fit in by showing off my (then nonexistent) knowledge of Hindu culture. One of the workers invited me to his place for some Indian food. He was my hubby’s roommate. That’s how we met. In the oddest twist of fate, I met my coworker and became close enough friends to venture to his home on my very first day on the job. That ended up being his last day working there. We had one day to intersect, and we did. Fate?


Ah, fate. it never ceases to amaze me. So where can your followers find you?

I'm everywhere. Seriously, Google “Emlyn Chand” plus your favorite social media site, and you’ll find me. Visit me at my website and my favorite networking sites are
Facebook,
Twitter,
Google
GoodReads.


Thanks for stopping by Emlyn. Its been lovley meeting you.




Farsighted is Emlyn Chand's first novel. Here is a short excerpt.


Simmi and I arrive at this rally point together from Mrs. Warszynski’s to wait for Shapri. Several minutes go by. I want to suggest we leave without her but don’t think that’ll score me any points with Simmi.

“You didn’t want Shapri to come tonight, did you?” Simmi asks.

“Well, I—no, I mean, it’s fine. I’m glad she could come,” I sputter.

“You’re such a horrible liar,” Simmi teases, pushing me playfully.

“Hey, that’s not fair. I can’t hit you back. You’re a girl.”

“I’m just teasing you.” Simmi blows a raspberry and pulls her body up onto the circular wall surrounding the flagpole area. I hesitate before pulling myself up too. Simmi scootches over so we touch at the hip. She loops her hand through the crook of my arm and places her head on my shoulder. “I never would have gotten away with this in India,” she says. “But I’m glad I can here. I’m a psychic feeler. I need to be in touch with others.” She pauses and strokes my arm with her free hand. “You know, when I touch someone I can make them feel what I want them to, but I can also sense their existing emotions. It’s almost the same as being able to read minds. Everything important has to do with the heart, not logic.” She lightens her tone. “But don’t tell Dr. Brown I said that, he’d take marks off of my next chem exam out of spite.”

I laugh nervously. Is she like Miss Teak in a way? Can she read my feelings for her? If she can, why hasn’t she said anything? I contemplate reaching over and kissing her, so I can know for sure how she feels. But I’ve never kissed anyone before. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to initiate it. Do I take her out for dinner and a movie first? Or make some lengthy speech declaring my intentions? Do I kiss her, just like that? Or do I ask for her permission before making my big move?

I decide to ask if it’s okay. Simmi is a classy girl. She needs respect. I swallow, hoping the motion will open up my airway, because right now, I’m kind of having trouble catching my breath. “Simmi,” I start.

“Yeah, Alex?” She lifts her head and links her hand in mine, nudging her slender fingers in between each of mine.

“Would it be okay if I…”

“There you two are!” Shapri says, running over to us, panting heavily. “I thought we were meeting in the commons.”

“No, we agreed on the flagpole,” Simmi says, hopping down from the wall.

The moment is gone. I don’t know when I’ll get the chance and the nerve again. My opinion of Shapri transforms from cautious indifference into outright hatred. Why did she invite herself along?

Shapri clears her throat. “Did I—Did I interrupt something here? Maybe a little romance?”

“What? No, no,” Simmi says shaking her head adamantly. “Nothing like that, Alex is like a brother to me.”

Ouch. Pain. Stabbed in my heart. I’m like a brother to her? I guess this means romance is off the table…