">
About author Anju Gattini:
Anju
was born in India but grew up in Hong Kong. Her Indian upbringing and
British education worked together to strongly influence her writing.
Anju’s
fiction explores how the distinct mindsets and traditions of different
cultures permanently shape people’s values, thinking, and behavior
patterns—for both good and evil—despite the “leveling” effects of 21st
century communications and travel.
Anju
earned a Bachelors degree in English Literature in India and a teaching
degree in the United Kingdom. She has also studied creative writing.
Anju
has lived in Singapore, Australia, India, New Jersey and Connecticut.
She now makes her home in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two
kids. Anju is a columnist for a multicultural magazine in the USA. She
is also an avid guest blogger, who loves to share her experiences in
health and fitness, food, self-empowerment and great fiction reads.
Duty and Desire is her first novel.
Visit Anju at www.anjugattani.com
Find the Author:
Title: Duty and Desire
Series: Winds of Fire #1
Author: Anju Gattani
Genre: Family Saga
Publisher: Greenbrier Book Co.
Ebook/Paperback
Pages: 304
Purchase:
Book Description:
How Can Happiness Survive When Duty Clashes With Desire?
Sheetal Prasad has it all: youth, beauty, wealth and education. But when this modern Indian woman surrenders love for honor and marries into India’s most glamorous ‘royal family’, these very advantages turn against her and she is stripped of her freedom.
Meet the Dhanrajs — a powerful family bound together by a web of lies where infidelity, greed, secrets and hidden identities lurk beneath the lush tapestry. The Dhanrajs have plenty to hide and will do what it takes to mask the truth from the world.
As Sheetal peels back the layers of deceit, she confronts a haunting reality and is threatened by the blazes of passion she ignites.
Excerpt:
“She loved him. She reached out to touch him and soothe his anger. “I risked everything just coming here to be with you.”
“Not to be with me. To tell me. You came to tell me you’re marrying someone else. And you expect me to do nothing?” That’s exactly what she did expect, because society required a woman to marry the man her parents chose for her.
Arvind grabbed Sheetal by the shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “Do you understand how much I love you?”
She understood. “I have no choice, Arvind.” Sheetal took a long, deep breath and clasped her fingers together. “Love isn’t enough for my father. Money, reputation, class and status. That’s what matters to him.” Until now she had ignored the imitation suede shoes on his feet and the ripped, beige, front pocket of his shirt; things she would have never have noticed if her mother hadn’t brought them to her attention a while back. “My father wants me,”—she bit her lip, knowing her words would hurt him—“well taken care of.”
~Fragrance & Flavors~
Have
you ever wondered about the flavors and fragrances of the places you’ve been
to?
What
memories trigger those senses?
What
aromas bring that ambiance alive?
Having
lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Australia and now the USA… I guess I’ve
had my fair share of moving around. I’ve
also had my fair share of foods and flavors.
And considering I’ve been a vegetarian all my life, you’re probably
thinking that I’ve missed out the best there is.
The
truth is I’ve had the best of both worlds in grains, dairy, fruits and
vegetables!
A
whiff of the salty, ocean breeze – I’m transported to Hong Kong, a city
bustling with fresh seafood (I’ve never had), the Hong Kong Harbor with its
famous boardwalk, the sound of water lapping the famous harbor walk and string
of 5 and 6-star hotels along the periphery.
The
sight of lavish greenery, the sound of busy lawnmowers, and I’m in
Singapore. A peace-loving city that’s
also famous for seafood (again, I’ve never had) and moreso fantastically
manicured and pedicured flora where trees in a row are identical to one another
and every blade of grass is cut down to the precise length. I’m not joking. You’d think the greenery was cloned!
So
sometimes it’s not just foods or flavors that take me to another time and place,
it’s the sounds, sights and triggers that transport me back in time.
When
I see clouds nestling on a mountain range and I’m walking through its mist, I
feel like I’m back in the Blue Mountains, Sydney, Australia… with the koalas
and kangaroos. The slight sound of an
Australian accent and I swear I was beginning, once, to talk like them too…
rounding off harsh consonants to a friendlier tone.
What
about India, you ask? Well… hmm… let’s
see. We eat Indian food about thrice a
week… supplemented with Italian, Mexican, Chinese, American, European cuisines,
of course. All home-cooked and all
veggie delights! You can tell, I love to
cook, right? Wrong! I love the ‘cooking’ bit… not the prep and
clean up after. After all, I’m human,
right? So we have India right at home,
beginning with our doorstep.
As
for the USA? Hmm… I’ll have a fries and
veggie burger anytime… or a pizza, my favorite!
And what about the famous ribs and steak most Americans love? Well, I’ve never had them, so I don’t really
miss it (or its fragrance). Jalapeno
Poppers? Anytime. Bagels?
Bring it on! Donuts? Don’t count the calories. I could go on and on…
But
I won’t.
I’ll
wait for you to share what foods you love and what aromas trigger the tiniest
memories.
Your
turn!
Don't forget to check out the other stops on this tour!!
September 10th- My Seryniti
September 11th- My Escape
September 12th- Beach Bum Reads
September 13th- Crazy Four Books
September 14th- Simply Infatuated
September 15th- Bookluvrs Haven
September 16th- Lizzy's Dark Fiction
September 17th- Reading with Holly
September 18th- FireStarBooks
September 19th- Tricia Kristufek
September 20th- Juniper Grove
September 21st- The Avid Reader
September 22nd- A Bit of Dash
September 23rd- Black Hippie Chick's Take on Books & The World
September 24th- SnifferWalk
September 25th- A Bibliophile's Thoughts on Books
September 26th- Mallory Heart Reviews
September 27th- Day Dreaming Book Reviews
September 28th- The Bunnys Review
September 29th- I am, Indeed
Fun post! Baking smells trigger memories for me - I think it's because of the spices - I've also had memories triggered by smelling things like too much antiseptics (makes me think of times spent in hospitals) - every once in a while a scent will make me think of the beaches I spent time on as a child - so yes, I think smells definitely trigger memories. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeletejunegirl63 at gmail dot com
Sounds like an intriguing story... I love the smell of fall, apples and cinnamon, cider, burning leaves (when they burn the brush piles in a controlled fire)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you love donuts, I don't believe in calories in donuts :p or chocolate!
(((hugs))) Kat
Hi Maria,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm glad fragrances trigger memories for you too and antiseptics - the hospital... absolutely! Good luck on winnning the giveaway!
Regards
Anju
Hi Kat,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the sound of the story and donuts too! As for calories... well... whose counting anyway? Thanks for joining me here!
Regards
Anju