Treasure of Indian Music – Meet the Author, Jaykishan Hariharbhai Kapdi

Jaykishan, my friend from a country I’ve never visited, but nobody who follows my blog will be surprised; music flows through my writing, and this is a very special time.

 

An Editor’s Pick! Congratulations my friend. 

Jaykishan grew up in a family to which music is a blessing from God. Music is hereditary to him. He has learned music from his grandfather Shri Mohanlal Ramdasji Kapdi and father Shri Hariharbhai. He has an experience, how to teach music. He is “Upantya Visharad” in “Tabla” (rhythm).

His grandfather Shri Mohanlal Ramdasji Kapdi has established a non professional music class “Shree Saurashtra Sangeet Vidyalay” in 1935 in the Bhavnagar city-364001, Gujarat State, India, to spread & serve music.

 

This book is organized into three parts.
Part one addresses the musical terms generally used in vocal & instrumental Indian music. Topics covered include Understanding Indian and Western musical notation method, Signs of Notes used in Indian music, Classical & Non-Classical Indian musical forms, Construction of “Thaat”, Construction of “Raga”, and description of 155 Indian classical “Ragas”.
Part two addresses the musical terms generally used in the Indian rhythm. Topics covered include Understanding the Indian rhythm method, signs of rhythmic words and terms, tempo, “Gharana” (different schools of Indian rhythm), and descriptions of 60 Indian rhythms.
Part three covers a spiritual emancipation through music &“Nad-Shashtra” (Acoustic).
I hope this book will open a new window in the field of Indian music and will be useful for personal study and in the field of education
How to use this book :
You can use this book
1] As a reference :
This book is organized / designed as a reference that you can refer to most of the concepts of Indian Music. A complete index of the book can also help you look up features and topics.
2] As a tutorial :
I have designed this book to be comprehensive guide to Indian Music and to include most of significant features of Indian Music that enables you to use the book as a tutorial – from beginning to end.

  Amazon

I also found some Indian music     YouTube

Please feel free to leave comments. Sarah

 

 

Grant Leishman’s Review of One Alone in the World

​Having read the first two books in this series and having enjoyed the different style of romance involved, I was keen to read One Alone in the World and see what the world would continue to do to our erstwhile heroes in this latest iteration. I was not disappointed. This was a continuation of the fascinating story crafted by a talented author in Sarah Stuart.
Richard and Maria, now married and with a young child, are managing the hotel left to them but things are tight financially, work is almost 24/7 and Maria wonders if their commitment to the business is causing her to be the sort of bad mother for their daughter Eleanor, that her mother was, for her. Richard, meanwhile, still dreams of the singing career that never quite happened and although he does get to sing in the bar of an evening, it isn’t the same as being a singing superstar and Richard feels that lost opportunity keenly. Eleanor has an idea that she thinks will solve everyone’s problems, if only she can discover who and where her maternal grandmother is. Everything is building towards a cataclysmic financial, emotional and familial disaster for our characters.

As with the first two books, the story is full of twists and turns as we watch Eleanor grow from a naive, young girl, in an equally naive, young woman. The author shows us clearly what happens when business or a career takes priority over family and how little things and small misunderstandings can be amplified to the point where they become crushing problems. Stuart always has something a little odd in her romances and One Alone in the World is certainly no exception. I was privileged to be able to satisfactorily conclude a story that I have been engrossed in since I read the first page of the first book in the series. Stuart has a conversational style of writing that sucks a reader in and allows them to quickly identify and empathise with her characters.
This is just a feel-good story that rounds off a fantastic series, or one that can indeed be read as a stand-alone novel. The author does a great job of filling in the backstory of the previous two books in the series, as we read along. I can highly recommend this for readers who like a bit of adventure and challenge in their romances.

                                                  Buy/BorrowKU

Harmony Kent Is Back!

And Harmony has a secret, or she had from me. I missed her first collection of Erotica, and she has written a second!

“This book contains explicit sex scenes and language hot enough to melt your eReader. For mature readers only.” Now she tells me!!!

 

So, before we start chatting, here’s a tempting list of stories.

WIGGING OUT—contemporary romance in 1000 words. Two strangers. A crowded platform. A collision. And a wig on the floor.

STORM CHASER—ménage à trois in 2000 words. A sabotaged tire. A raging storm. Passion mounts.

MOON-STRUCK—shifter romance in 3000 words. Trapped on a ship orbiting the moon, a horny astronaut falls for a hunky author who has a secret.

THE CLUB—contemporary romance in 4000 words. An invitation and a host, who is so much more than he seems, bring excitement, enticement, and a choice to make.

NUDIST CAMP—contemporary romance in 5000 words. An older woman. A younger man. A gossip discovers their secret tryst. What will happen when it all gets laid bare?

INITIATION—contemporary romance in 6000 words. A pretty daydreamer arrives for her first day at university. A brutal initiation, and a man with an unusual issue, leave her reeling. Strange, the places you find true love.

THE INCOMER—contemporary romance in 7000 words. A divorced beekeeper has spent her whole life in or around her local village. Then a city-slicker architect comes to town. When two worlds collide, a big bang is sure to follow. Can you have a frenemy with benefits?

DOWN AND DIRTY—contemporary romance in 8000 words. On the run from a sadistic ex-husband, Ellie flees to a remote mountain town and takes a job in the mines. Wary of men, she resolves to keep herself aloof, but mother nature has a way of having the last word and will, quite literally, make the earth move if she has to.

REUNION—contemporary romance in 9000 words. A school reunion looms. Not wanting to arrive sad and single, Molly talks her long-time friend Paul into going with her. While the music plays, the sparks fly.

SOUL MATES—supernatural romance in 10,000 words. A bereaved woman seeks solace in remote woodland. All too soon, she discovers that she’s not as alone as she’d expected. And her heart isn’t the only one that needs to mend.

Tempted?    Amazon Pre-Order   At least you can’t rush off and start reading before we’ve finished our chat, and Harmony will be popping in now and then all day to respond to comments and answer your questions.

Harmony, why did you wait until you reached 40 before you published your first book?

 

Ever since I can remember, I’ve enjoyed making stuff up. As soon as I learnt how to write, I put felt tip or crayon (and, later, a pen) to paper and made up stories. I loved writing and reading and wanted nothing more than to be an author when I got all growed-up.         

I’m with you there!

 The likes of Black Beauty, Narnia, and the Famous Five fuelled my youthful imagination. And later in life, I devoured books by Anne McCAffrey, Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, and the likes. Perhaps in this diversity of reading material, you can see the origins of my eclectic approach to writing?     

Indeed, I can.

Alas, life had other ideas. Having to earn a living and find a home took over idle fantasy. Mostly, I didn’t have the confidence. Too many putdowns and too much ridicule from family soon killed my early dreams. However, some tiny part of that little girl never gave up.   

And little girls “get all growed-up”.

 The spark grew –thirteen years in a Zen Buddhist Temple, and a lot of hard work, produced a new person—one with the confidence and drive to realise her dreams at long last. So, the writer in me was born in 2013 … just a ‘few’ years older than the gal herself … Honest! 

I believe you, thousands wouldn’t. 

The moral of the story? … Just because people tell you something, doesn’t mean it’s true. Be careful which voices you listen to. 

Now, it’s things that go bump in the night, and I bet it’s bedsprings!

Now, the question I really want to ask, especially as you’re my guest and much too polite not to answer. What prompted you to write the original Interludes?

Already, I’d published a traditional fantasy fiction book, a supernatural thriller, a book on how to self-edit, and a coming of age about a teen’s recovery from child abuse. What I hadn’t yet tried to write was romance in any form. Throughout my writing career, I’ve wanted to stretch my boundaries and challenge myself. I also hadn’t yet produced a full book of short fiction. So the idea behind Interludes, which Interludes 2 mirrors, brought changes for me in so many ways.

 And just to add to the difficulty (and fun!), I also decided to set a word target for each story. I have to say that it was easier in the writing to stick to the word limits than it was in the editing stages.

Here’s where I confess that writing clean romance soon grew boring for me. And so the book of erotic romance shorts was born. With my history of more than a decade training in a Zen temple, the prospect of publishing anything ‘naughty’ felt somewhat daunting. But by that point in my life, I had promised myself never to hide away again. 

So, we have Interludes & Interludes 2.

Romance or erotica or whatever, I always try to bring life to my fiction, and these collections of short stories offer so much more than the traditional romantic curve. It’s my sincere hope that my readers enjoy the books even more than I enjoyed writing them.

Oh heck! Harmony. Dare I ask what next?

I’m in the middle of a trilogy called The Colony that’s all about venturing into and conquering unsettled space. As well as dealing with intrigue and betrayal, you find yourself faced with the dire question: What happens when you find you’re not alone?

As well as the trilogy, I also have ideas outlined for an Interludes 3. So, watch this space!

I knew it! The girl’s hooked. She’ll be back to tell us all about it – if you subscribe to my newsletter you’ll get advance warning – link from the top of the page, but don’t go yet! The way Harmony wrote the stories is fascinating. Go ahead, Harmony.

For each story, I used prompt cards from a great creative tool called Storymatic.  Here’s what the set gave me to work with:

  1. a) deaf person b) recluse … c) person in love … conflict = class reunion
  2. A and B relate to the main character. C relates to the secondary character. And the final prompt gives us the conflict.
  3. From the above set of prompts, I came up with REUNION—A contemporary romance in 9000 words.
  4. A school reunion looms. Not wanting to arrive sad and single, Molly talks her long-time friend Paul into going with her. While the music plays, the sparks fly.

Harmony is letting us have a peep!

Molly shoved open the door and strode into the room. She saw Paul bent over the sink, splashing water on his face. With her body blocking the doorway, she crossed her arms and glared at him. Then she mouthed, carefully and exaggeratedly, ‘How dare you walk out on me.’

Guilt darkened his eyes and expression. Then he shrugged.

Molly stared.

The idiot had just shrugged at her.

Had sex then shrugged her off.

No. Just … no.

Molly ran at him and shoved him back against the sink. His head hit the mirror, and he brought his hands up in surprise. He held her at arm’s length, and her momentum died. She held his gaze, and then wriggled out of his grip. He let her go. ‘What just happened?’ she signed.

Paul looked wretched. ‘I’m sorry.’

Molly heaved in a huge breath and let it go on a long sigh. ‘What for, exactly?’

‘I shouldn’t have done that.’

She laughed, a bitter and sarcastic bark of sound. ‘Last time I checked, it takes two to tango.’

Paul stared. Blinked.

Molly said, ‘Do you see me complaining?’

A spark of amusement brightened his whole being. ‘Well, you don’t look happy.’

She rolled her eyes and readied an angry retort. Then the irony hit her, and she laughed too—full of merriment this time. ‘Not because you just f****d me.’

Paul watched her. She rolled her eyes. ‘You just left me lying there. How could you?’

Understanding dawned. How thick could he be? A sheepish expression settled on his features. ‘Um, yeah. Sorry. I panicked.’

Molly tried for humour, but it proved difficult. ‘Was I that bad?’

I’m going to sneak something in here – please don’t buy it – well. obviously buy it, but don’t start reading before you’ve added your comment or asked your question, or forget to pop back and read what Harmony has to say! Manners maketh the man, remember, and that includes ladies now we’re all equal.

 

A collection of short erotic fiction that will tickle more than your taste buds and wet more than your appetite.

With a range of genres and styles, this book has enough steam for everyone.

GREY MANCHESTER—contemporary romance in 1000 words. Will Nadine choose to drop her knife or her knickers?

DOUBLE TROUBLE—ménage à trois in 2000 words. After a dry spell, Sophia gets more than she bargained for with a solicitor and a teacher.

DRAGON KISSED—shifter romance in 3000 words. Jenna’s life is fairly run of the mill until she has a flying accident. With a dragon. All is not as it seems in this fiery romance.

TRYST—contemporary romance in 4000 words. Polly pushes the boundaries on a workplace night out.

LOVE ON THE CORNISH LINE—contemporary romance in 5000 words. Becky falls flat on her face, and madly in love. Her weekly commute home proves to be anything but routine.

THE INLAW—contemporary romance in 6000 words. At 43, amputee Carla never expected in her wildest dreams to be called a MILF by a hot young stud. Trouble is, he’s her son in law’s brother. And young enough to be her son. Sparks fly when she’s caught with her hands in the biscuit tin.

NIGHT NURSE—contemporary romance in 7000 words. Denise has only weeks left to live. What constitutes life, though? What fills the yawning hours of empty days? Who are you once the chemo and the cancer have stripped you bare? What to do?—Go out on a slow fizzle, or with a big bang?

OVERBOARD—contemporary romance in 8000 words. When Stella falls overboard in the middle of the Pacific, she gets more than she bargained for. Sharks and storms not withstanding.

ALIEN LIAISON—alien romance in 9000 words. When the military transport, Lunas Two, crash lands on Zorth, Jay is given the job of liaising with the locals. She’s seen plenty of aliens in her four years of service, but never one as finger licking good as Lemo. How far will she have to go to keep the peace?

SAVING FACE—historical romance in 10,000 words. Non-related step brother and sister, David and Annalise, break all the rules in this steamy historical romance. Forced to live apart from the love of her life and into an arranged and loveless marriage, Annalise has to grow up fast. When all is lost, will she be able to save face?

READER ADVISORY: This book contains explicit sex scenes and language hot enough to melt your eReader. For mature readers only.

 This one is available!        BUY/BORROW KU

Website: https://harmonykent.co.uk/

Story Empire (co-authored): https://storyempirecom.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author Page: author.to/HarmonysBooks

Twitter: @harmony_kent

LinkedIn: Harmony

Goodreads: Author Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Occasional Murder Is Never Enough?

So, your favourite romance author – well, one of them – is diving into her first thriller!

DCI Gerald Persaud is a maverick – he would be; he’s my detective! He works for the London Metropolitan Police in the Basic Command Unit covering Ealing, Garton, Hillingdon and Hounslow, which would be a surprise to the Detective Chief Superintendent as Garton is fictional.  DCI Persaud is bored; overseeing others investigating sundry crimes, including murder, isn’t why he joined up. When a frantic cat shut in an apparently empty house is reported, he can’t resist taking a personal interest…

62,803 words written to date, I have needed a great deal of advice on all sorts, from police procedure to a suitable location for Garton, and beta readers who get to see the story for free, so how about becoming involved yourself?

How, I hear you ask eagerly, or I hope I do! Join my Facebook Reviewer Group. It’s private, but send me a PM – I’m easily found if you are not already a friend; you know what I look like – and say you’re interested, and I’ll invite you.

So far, I’m indebted to Ruth Coulson for the cover, aided and abetted by Sharon Brownlie of aspirebookcovers.com, John Nicholl, best-selling author of physiological thrillers  for putting me in touch with his son-in-law who serves in The Met, Michelle Dunbar who has lived in London – I just love the city and visit – Lesley Hayes, psychotherapist, for advice (on characters!), Rebecca Bryn and Tom Benson, beta reader volunteers, and members who pop along often with much-appreciated encouragement.

Meet Paul Tait. Composer, Singer, & Poet.

The Man Behind the Music in One Alone in the World

Paul Tait doesn’t just take my breath away: he leaves me speechless. Not all the time or I wouldn’t be chatting to you about him. Just when he emails his latest music to “see if I like it”. I love it, and so will you.

For One Alone in the World, he let me use the lyrics to I Didn’t Quit I Surrendered, which gave Richard his big break, and Midnight Angels, which would be a spoiler if I told you where that music was used.  “Gonna love you. Gonna love you, girl.” One tiny clue. The girl on the left is Richard and Maria’s daughter, Eleanor.

Tonight, the very latest!

The studio recording and promo video for Run Wild – a beautiful song that is begging for a romantic love story. I guess when I’ve completed a sexy thriller – no title yet, so keep following – I’ll write one. Listen and see if you can resist RUN WILD

My reviews of Paul’s poetry, Boston Dialect books one and two, can be found under “Books I’ve Loved”.

The Story Behind The Story

I’ve loved animals since I “adopted” a neighbours cat when I was five. (She got very fat eating in two houses until Mum found out she wasn’t a stray!) Years later, when I learned to ride horses, I discovered that people hunted foxes for fun. According to them, they were controlling foxes that kill farmers’ livestock, but if that was true, why did they protect the foxes’ setts and stop killing them when the vixens were breeding? Research showed more cruelty, and these people didn’t pretend to be helping! They boasted about how many wild animals they’d killed – some of them endangered species – and their “good bag” of birds. I joined societies fighting against this, and I donated money, but I wanted to do more. How could I persuade people it was wrong when so many others couldn’t?

I based my first romantic novel partly on a girl who was born on a shooting estate, and the research on it was so harrowing I donate 100% of my royalties from all my books to organisations helping animals all over the world. The romantic thread of the novel is based on my showbiz experience, which is probably why it has won awards, but the subtle message is in a story designed to have wide appeal. if you’d like to read it, you can find it by clicking on the cover. If you have Kindle Unlimited, do use it. Page reads count towards royalties, so you will be helping protect animals for future generations.

Curious about “showbiz experience”? Interested in the story behind the hero? Watch this space!

FREE BOOK

“The writing is fresh and immediate, the insights into the theatrical world fascinating, and the author shows a deep understanding of the vulnerability and complexity of the characters and their relationships. A twisting plot with an interesting cast that definitely isn’t your normal rags to riches romance.”

Dangerous Liaisons: Risqué Seductions and Infidelities is FREE today – my New Year Gift! Click the cover to go to Amazon.

New Kindle? Take Some “Me Time”.

Join Michael’s journey from wanting to play Buttons in Cinderella to starring at the Hollywood Bowl and beyond, pursued by his media enemy, The Spy. The journalist wouldn’t have accurate, damning, ammunition if the women in Michael’s life didn’t take a Tudor queen’s 16th century secret royal command so literally!

FREE with Kindle Unlimited or only $5.99 for four award-winning sizzling romances and an exclusive novella never to be published alone. Click the book cover to reach Amazon.

 

 

Fill Your Kindle For Christmas

Royal Command Family Saga: Plus Sizzling Sunset

4 books x $2.99 = $11.96 OR 4 books + an exclusive novella $5.99 – no contest – click a pic to buy.

Last day at 99c – Three Against the World: A Waif, a Stray, and a Romance?

Richard loses his job, his fiancée ditches him, leaving him alone with Ben, the stray terrier he adopted. Next, his ex-wife dumps teenage Maria on his doorstep. Amazon reviewer – “a powerful psychological drama”.

Note “drama”. A new start for a first-time dad, a traumatised teenager, and a nervous dog involves secrecy. Enemies gather like hyena’s around a lion’s kill.

Click a pic to buy, or read it, and any of my other books, free with Kindle Unlimited.

New Release!

Royal Command Family Saga: Plus Sizzling Sunset

99c/99p held for November! Click /\ to Amazon

Michael, a poverty-stricken amateur actor makes superstar abetted by wife Elspeth. Unknown to Michael, Elspeth and their daughter are influenced by a literary heirloom. Seductions, betrayals, kidnap, blackmail, & murder follow. The Spy, an unscrupulous journalist, is out to prove rumour true & see Michael jailed for incest, hiring a hit man, or both.    Remember, Sizzling Sunset is EXCLUSIVE – never to be published separately!