Chasing Pavements, Arabian Nights-Style (Part II)

Astonishingly, my husband insists he had no idea that I was a writer of the story he listened to every night as part of our own Arabian Nights, even after it became clear that the author had a very similar background to me.  Even more hilarious was how I ended up telling him the truth.  It was during a fight one night.  He was accusing me of trying to be like the heroines in all the love stories I’d read, to which I said, “I never read love stories, they were all crime novels and mysteries.  Twilight was the first love story I’d read.” It was true.  “What about Chasing Pavements?” he retorted and said that I wanted to be like Mukti.  “I don’t want to be like Mukti,” I fired back.  “Why would I?  I control her.  I created her!”

Maybe it was the heat of the moment, or maybe I married someone really dim (just joking!), but he still didn’t get it.  The next day, I showed him the book cover and muttered how much time it took me to produce it, that it took a while to come up with the concept.  Finally, the penny dropped.  “You wrote Mukti’s story?” he asked, uncertain.  “And the Poison Blood books I once mentioned,” I replied and showed him the covers of the vampire series.  He was very impressed with those - everyone likes the Poison Blood covers more!  “And they’re published?” he asked, already excited.  “Only in e-book format.  But they’re available to download from all the major retailers, including Amazon.”  That’s the store he knows and I smiled as he became even more impressed.

Since then, he has started acting like my number one fan and his fondness of Mukti has grown.  When I went through the sequel Make You Feel My Love, I could see how caught up he was in the story, sometimes accusing me of being really cruel to Mukti.  “Why do you have to put her through so much?” he once complained.  He was never been judgemental of her, he understood why she did what she did in the second book and seemed to care about Mukti in the same way I did.

He doesn’t want me to tell him what happens next, in the third book of the Soulmates Saga, because I will apparently “put Mukti through hell” and he doesn’t think he can take much more.  I don’t know if I believe him but he said he almost cried when I read one of the chapters from the third book to him, but it was one of the hardest chapters to write, so perhaps he wasn’t exaggerating. 

I feel so lucky that I now know five people (two friends, two book reviewers and my husband) who have been genuinely touched by Mukti’s story, by a character I created.  This is one of the reasons I want to start writing again, one of the reasons I know that when my life eventually settles down, when I have some spare time, I will write like there is no tomorrow.

Thank you for reading this post. If you're interested in my debut novel, click the image below to learn more about it:

 

Like all my other books, it's also available on:
iBooks   |   B&N Nook   |   Kobo |   Smashwords 

Book Details

Length: 110,000 words

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Clean Romance / Diverse Romance / Interracial Romance / Romantic Drama / Women’s Fiction

Mood: Inspirational / Feel Good / Coming of Age / Dark

Content: Sexy but No explicit sex scenes / No erotica

Audience: New Adult & College / Adult / Female Readers

Recommended for: Readers that enjoy romance novels with serious issues and characters with depth. This is a story about life, love, friendship, family, music, art, destiny and soul mates.

And the first two books in my urban fantasy/paranormal romance series, the Poison Blood series, can be downloaded for free via:

Amazon US|  Amazon UK|   iBooks US & UK   |   B&N Nook Store   |   Smashwords

PB1 Book Details

Length: 29,000 words

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Vampire Romance / Paranormal Fantasy / Urban Fantasy / Science Fiction & Fantasy

Mood: Dark / Humorous / Coming of age

Content: No violence / No explicit sex scenes / No erotica

Audience: Teen / Young Adult / New Adult / Adult

Recommended for: Readers that love all things vampires, slayers and witches!

Chasing Pavements, Arabian Nights-Style (Part I)

My husband doesn’t read books.  Like most men in my family, he’d rather watch a film or play on his SmartPhone.  To this day, he still hasn’t read any of my books. 

Ours was an arranged marriage, so he didn’t know I was a writer (or an aspiring one at the least), he had no idea that I had self-published a few e-books (at the time I’d published Chasing Pavements and PoisonBlood, Book 1: Revelation and PoisonBlood, Book 2: Absolution).  And I didn’t know how to tell him.  Since so few people in my life (and the whole world in general) knew Neha Yazmin, the indie author, it was extremely difficult bringing the topic up in everyday conversation with a man who I was just getting to know. 

Deep down, I didn’t want to tell him.  Not yet.  Not until I had a bit more recognition for my work.  Yet, I still wanted him to know about the books, read them, be a part of that piece of my life that was still secret from him.  So I encouraged him to read Chasing Pavements.  “I don’t have the time,” he replied.  He wasn’t joking.  I didn’t have much of that either.  Between my full-time job, spending time with my mum in hospital following her brain surgery and partial paralysis (see previous posts When Life Becomes Stranger ThanFiction - An author’s story, Part I & II for more detail), my responsibilities to my family and new in-laws, my husband and I hardly had time for each other, for our new life together, let alone to huddle around my Kindle.

Since we didn’t have any time together during the day, we stayed up late every night, talked and laughed into the early hours of the morning, even though I had to get up at 7am to get ready for work each day.  The late nights worsened the effects of the stresses of work, hospital visits, getting home late and trying to please every single member of my new family, but I was determined to make time for my life partner, so we could get to know each other, make a connection.  Time didn’t exist for me anymore.  Every second of the day I was doing something, very little for myself, but I was super-busy everyday and sleeping at night seemed to be wasting the only time I could give my new husband.

It was during one of our late night talks that I found myself telling him about how Mukti and Jamie met and before I knew it, I was telling their story.  He seemed genuinely intrigued, and soon, engrossed by the tale of the two soulmates.  When I got really sleepy and insisted we call it a night, he made me promise to continue the story the next night.  I thought he was joking.  I promised I would pick up from where I left off nonetheless.

What ensued was our very own, very short, version of Arabian Nights - each night, I would run through a few chapters of the book.  This one time we were on the sofa in the living and he said, “Let’s go to bed, I want to know what happens after X event in the book.”  He didn’t know I’d written it and so I knew his interest wasn't fake.  What surprised me was how much he cared about the characters, Mukti in particular, feeling both sympathy and empathy for the tragic heroine.  He visited the Needle In Tension (the iconic sculpture referenced throughout the book) and took pictures with it.  I took him to Arnold Circus (a park featured in the book) and he muttered, “The author must have lived around here.”  A part of me thought he had figured out that I was the writer but didn’t want to say it because I hadn’t admitted it yet.  Another part of me wondered whether he was that slow. 

This post continues here.

Thank you for reading this post. If you're interested in my debut novel, click the image below to learn more about it:

 

Like all my other books, it's also available on:
iBooks   |   B&N Nook   |   Kobo |   Smashwords 

Book Details

Length: 110,000 words

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Clean Romance / Diverse Romance / Interracial Romance / Romantic Drama / Women’s Fiction

Mood: Inspirational / Feel Good / Coming of Age / Dark

Content: Sexy but No explicit sex scenes / No erotica

Audience: New Adult & College / Adult / Female Readers

Recommended for: Readers that enjoy romance novels with serious issues and characters with depth. This is a story about life, love, friendship, family, music, art, destiny and soul mates.

And the first two books in my urban fantasy/paranormal romance series, the Poison Blood series, can be downloaded for free via:

Amazon US|  Amazon UK|   iBooks US & UK   |   B&N Nook Store   |   Smashwords

PB1 Book Details

Length: 29,000 words

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Vampire Romance / Paranormal Fantasy / Urban Fantasy / Science Fiction & Fantasy

Mood: Dark / Humorous / Coming of age

Content: No violence / No explicit sex scenes / No erotica

Audience: Teen / Young Adult / New Adult / Adult

Recommended for: Readers that love all things vampires, slayers and witches!

Book Review - Make You Feel My Love

Today's guest book review was written by a customer of Smashwords.com

Book: Make You Feel My Love

Author: Neha Yazmin

Reviewer: Smashwords customer

Rating: 5 stars
Available via: Amazon, Smashwords, Apple iBookStore, Diesel eBook Store, Barnes & Noble Nook Store, Sony Reader Store 

"Love isn't simple, and definitely not easy.  Life is very powerful and destructive.  And the Universe has its plans for all of us, some we would never imagine in a million years." 

After a tumultuous year, star-crossed lovers Mukti and Jamie have finally resolved their personal issues and are starting a new life together in New York City. Mukti has found her calling in life and Jamie’s music career is taking off.

But as all this brings new obligations and responsibilities, their love is once again put to the test.  The sequel to Chasing Pavements unravels even more secrets and lies which threaten to split them apart forever.

You didn’t think it finished there did you?  How wrong you were - that was merely book 1!  The Soulmate Saga continues! 

When I first read ‘Chasing Pavements’ (the first book of ‘The Soulmates Saga’), I remember thinking that it seemed to have the perfect ending; how could the story possibly continue?  But as I started to turn the pages of ‘Make You Feel My Love’ (the sequel), suddenly it felt like just the opposite.  How could I have thought that the story was over, when in fact the story had just begun!

Starting a new life together in New York, Mukti feels very much in love with Jamie.  But how long will this happiness last?  And what happens when others become entangled in Mukti’s life?

The plot of ‘Make You Feel My Love’ is a refreshing change to the typical narratives of romantic fiction.  True to real life, what might seem like ‘happily ever after’ can change in an instant.  Sometimes love can evolve over time, changing for the better or for the worse.  And sometimes you might think that love is forgotten, to later find that it never really left you at all… 

I enjoyed the various plot twists and the way the narrative flits between the points of view of the different characters involved.  But most of all, I loved the characters themselves.  Neha has a unique way of writing where you really empathise with the characters.  You might not always agree with the choices they make (!), but you are able to understand their points of view and you care about them all the same.  

At times, I found myself laughing out loud at their humorous conversations.  At other times, I found myself crying over their heart-wrenching sadness (yes I admit it, it made me cry!).  This story really does take you through a whole rollercoaster of emotions.

And, like the first book, ‘Make you Feel My Love’ also has its own soundtrack that you can enjoy - plus a Q&A from the author herself.  Again this helps to add an extra dimension to the novel, as you are able to gain an insight into Neha’s inspiration and how the novel came about.  Check out Neha’s blog for more info: http://nehayazmin.blogspot.co.uk/ 

All in all, I would thoroughly recommend this book!  Now to wait for the third part of ‘The Soulmates Saga’ (hurry up Neha!).

Spotlight on: The Soulmates Saga

The Soulmates Saga (Chasing Pavements, Make You Feel My Love & Someone Like You)

Meet the soulmates....


Jamie.  

Musician....  Introverted....  Loner....  Elusive....

Mukti.

Young professional....  Inspirational....  Intriguing....  Damaged....

Both are huanted by the past....

Trapped in the present.....

Afraid of the future....

Two fading stars....   

What happens when they collide? 
  

Would you recognize true love if you saw it, or would you just keep Chasing Pavements? 

To introverted and socially withdrawn singer and songwriter Jamie York, life has no meaning unless childhood love Sarah returns to him.  Roaming through life without living it, shutting the world out, he has long since given up on a potential career in music.

It is only when he meets the unexpectedly inspirational Mukti that Jamie is lured out of the black hole he has banished himself to for years.  Suddenly, his creativity knows no bounds and he feels torn - he has to see her, but what will she make of his tortured soul?

Little does he know that Mukti has her own secrets and is just as troubled a soul as he is.  Her name translates as ‘freedom’ in her native tongue Bengali, but she is anything but free.

Torn between his unconditional love for Sarah, and his undeniable need for Mukti, Jamie’s life is in far more chaos than ever before. And when his estranged mother Tanya becomes intent on sabotaging his relationship with Mukti, Jamie stands to lose the two women he cannot live without...

Set in contemporary London, Chasing Pavements is a unique love story between two unique characters who will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

Barnes & Noble Nook  |  Apple iBooks US  |  Apple iBooks UK  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Smashwords

Read an excerpt at the Amazon Kindle Store here, or download the first 25% of Chasing Pavements for free from Smashwords here.

If you thought finding your soulmate was the hard part, think again. Chasing Pavements continues....

After a tumultuous year, star-crossed lovers Mukti and Jamie have finally resolved their personal issues and are starting a new life together in New York City. Mukti has found her calling in life and Jamie’s music career is taking off.

But as all this brings new obligations and responsibilities, their love is once again put to the test.  The sequel to Chasing Pavements unravels even more secrets and lies which threaten to split them apart forever.

Barnes & Noble Nook  |  Apple iBooks US  |  Apple iBooks UK  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Smashwords

Read an excerpt at the Amazon Kindle Store here, or download the first 20% of Make You Feel My Love for free from Smashwords here.

The story continues in Someone Like You....

What if you had to choose between your soulmate and saviour?

 

Someone Like You is available to download from Amazon US, Amazon UK, iBooks, Kobo and B&N Nook 

Read an excerpt at the Amazon Kindle Store here, or download the first 20% of Someone Like You for free from Smashwords here.

Make You Feel My Love

Make You Feel My Love ~ A Contemporary Romance Novel by Neha Yazmin

“Love isn’t simple, and definitely not easy. Life is very powerful and destructive. And the Universe has its plans for all of us, some we would never imagine in a million years.” 

After a tumultuous year, star-crossed lovers Mukti and Jamie have finally resolved their personal issues and are starting a new life together in New York City. Mukti has found her calling in life and Jamie’s music career is taking off.

But as all this brings new obligations and responsibilities, their love is once again put to the test.  The sequel to Chasing Pavements unravels even more secrets and lies which threaten to split them apart forever.

Read an excerpt at the Amazon Kindle Store here, or download the first 20% of Make You Feel My Love for free from Smashwords here.


***To celebrate the launch of Make You Feel My Love, the prequel Chasing Pavements is now FREE to download from Apple iBooks, Diesel, Sony Reader Store and Barnes & Noble Nook Store.  For a limited time only.***

Make You Feel My Love - The Sequel to Chasing Pavements

Make You Feel My Love ~ A Contemporary Romance Novel by Neha Yazmin

“Love isn’t simple, and definitely not easy. Life is very powerful and destructive. And the Universe has its plans for all of us, some we would never imagine in a million years.” 

After a tumultuous year, star-crossed lovers Mukti and Jamie have finally resolved their personal issues and are starting a new life together in New York City. Mukti has found her calling in life and Jamie’s music career is taking off.

But as all this brings new obligations and responsibilities, their love is once again put to the test.  The sequel to Chasing Pavements unravels even more secrets and lies which threaten to split them apart forever.

Read an excerpt at the Amazon Kindle Store here, or download the first 20% of Make You Feel My Love for free from Smashwords here.

When Life Becomes Stranger Than Fiction – An author’s story (Part II)

A few days before Christmas, I had a dream that my mum would open her eyes on the day I first visited her after the wedding.  By then, my family had succeeded in convincing me to go through with it.  I’d also realised that my mum would be devastated when she learned that I’d cancelled it.  She’d blame herself and feel guilty forever.  It wouldn’t help her recovery.  So the show went on, but because of my emotional state, everyone (apart from me) decided it was best that I didn’t visit the hospital until a few days after I got married.  It wouldn’t be much fun for the guests, or my new in-laws, if the new bride was constantly breaking down with tears.

I tried to be strong.  It was hard but I found that if I kept my head blank of all thoughts and took deep breaths whenever any painful memory invaded it, I could just about make it.  Being blank was the only way I survived those first couple of days after the wedding – it was so overwhelming.  So many new faces, a whole new life, a new routine…  I kept telling myself that I’d feel so much better when I finally saw my mum.  Thankfully, my dream about her waking up came true.  I think I cried non-stop for an hour at her bedside when I saw her eyes, fully open.  They were so warm and you wouldn’t have been able to tell that they had been closed for over a fortnight.  It was also the first time my husband was allowed to visit the hospital, and the first time he saw me cry so much.  It brought us closer together and I’m really glad he was with me.

Things have been very tough ever since and the New Year started with a mix of pain, worry, tears and also some laughter and excitement.  It was the first time in my life that I literally had no free time whatsoever.  If I wasn’t trying to be a good wife, a good daughter-in-law, a good employee at work, I was trying to be a good daughter and visiting mum in hospital every day after work.  She’s been improving slowly.  She still hasn’t regained her speech, mainly because she can’t swallow, and the right side of her body is pretty much paralysed, but things could be a lot worse so we’re extremely thankful that she is still with us.  All we can do is hope and pray that she continues to get better.

Life remains hectic and unpredictable but the pain is bearable because I have a husband who is very supportive and knows how to make me laugh.  I don’t know when I’ll be able to continue with my writing, and I apologise to fans of the Poison Blood series who are eagerly awaiting Book 3.  I promise you all, as soon as I have time to write regularly, I will continue with the vampire romance – hopefully you’ll think that it was worth the wait.

In the meantime however, I am planning to publish my second contemporary romance novel (the first one being my debut Chasing Pavements).  I’d written and edited this forthcoming book a while ago, so there’s not much to do apart from uploading it to Amazon and Smashwords.  I have a summer 2013 launch date in mind for this book, so watch this space.

Thank you for reading this post. If you're interested in my debut novel, click the image below to learn more about it:

 

Like all my other books, it's also available on:
iBooks   |   B&N Nook   |   Kobo |   Smashwords 

Book Details

Length: 110,000 words

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Clean Romance / Diverse Romance / Interracial Romance / Romantic Drama / Women’s Fiction

Mood: Inspirational / Feel Good / Coming of Age / Dark

Content: Sexy but No explicit sex scenes / No erotica

Audience: New Adult & College / Adult / Female Readers

Recommended for: Readers that enjoy romance novels with serious issues and characters with depth. This is a story about life, love, friendship, family, music, art, destiny and soul mates.

And the first two books in my urban fantasy/paranormal romance series, the Poison Blood series, can be downloaded for free via:

Amazon US|  Amazon UK|   iBooks US & UK   |   B&N Nook Store   |   Smashwords

PB1 Book Details

Length: 29,000 words

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Vampire Romance / Paranormal Fantasy / Urban Fantasy / Science Fiction & Fantasy

Mood: Dark / Humorous / Coming of age

Content: No violence / No explicit sex scenes / No erotica

Audience: Teen / Young Adult / New Adult / Adult

Recommended for: Readers that love all things vampires, slayers and witches!