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.

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

Some authors live amazing lives and share them with the world through their writing.  Others inhabit a quieter existence, but their imagination and creativity creates the most riveting of stories.  Personally, I always thought my life was pretty simple, drama-free.  Yes, I’d had my issues, and recent years have been particularly emotional, but it’s only in the last few months that my life has really been swept up in whirlwind of drama, chaos and pain.

It all started with some exciting news though.  In November of last year, I got engaged.  The wedding was due to take place on Christmas Day 2012, so I had very little time to do anything other than go to work and come home to plan and prepare for the big day.  Time passed too quickly, and before I knew it, it was half-way through December and I’d left ordering my bridal bouquet till the last minute.  Only to be told by the company that they don’t deliver over the festive period!

I thought it was the end of the world, that the wedding was going to be a disaster – when you’re a stressed out bride-to-be, a professional in the financial services industry who is also trying to make it as an independent author, thoughts like these enter your head.  I should have waited a little longer before I let my catastrophic thoughts get the better of me though, because heartbreak would engulf me by the end of the day.

About an hour after I spoke to the bridal bouquet company, I received a call which changed my life forever.  My mum had been taken into emergency brain surgery.  My world turned upside down.  She’d fallen down the stairs and hit her head.  Blood clotted in her brain, squashing it.  The surgeons were able to remove the clot but warned us that she may never recover from the injuries incurred, or worse, never wake up.  It felt like my life was over.  My writing, my upcoming wedding, none of it seemed to matter now.  I might lose my mum, the most important person in my life, I didn’t care whether I wrote another word or got married on Christmas Day, or any other day. 

The two weeks that followed were hell.  Mum was still unconscious.  Machines were breathing for her.  No one knew what was around the corner.  I was falling apart, and also into depression.  I wanted to cancel the wedding.  My family urged me to reconsider.  Everything had been arranged and paid for, not just by me, but by my fiancé’s family too, so it would be unfair to make them suffer such losses.  I understood all this, but I didn’t have the strength to carry on.  I didn’t have the strength to do anything.  Could I go through with the ceremony while my mum was in hospital, fighting for her life?

Continues in Part II here.

Spotlight on: Poison Blood, Book 2: Absolution

“I don’t know what being in love is like for humans. It never happened to me, not really. I only thought it did. Thought it for a long time. Almost half a century. But it feels as though I’ve known for longer that I’d been wrong."

Being a senior official at The System, the vampire world’s governing body, Christian routinely assigns secret missions to his agents. As The System’s most powerful immortal, he also takes responsibility for some of the trickier tasks himself.

When he stumbles upon a project that was kept secret from him, Christian decides to investigate. Why was he not told about this vampire that his employer wants to recruit? Why can’t he get anywhere near this elusive immortal?

Soon, he discovers that this is no ordinary vampire that he is hunting. And when he is suddenly overwhelmed by a rush of strange emotions, Christian is left even more perplexed. Is any of this related to Ellie?

Book two of the Poison Blood series answers some of the questions raised in book one while asking many more.

Download this e-book for free from Apple iBookstore US and UK, B&N Nook Store, Diesel, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and Smashwords.

~ What Others Have Said About Poison Blood, Book 2: Absolution ~

"I've been waiting for PB2 and it did not disappoint!  It suddenly brings a whole new perspective to the events of PB1 and you get to learn a lot more about how the vampire world works.  Cannot wait for PB3!" *****

~~~

"I loved this book." *****

~~~

"I love this vampire story.  Can't wait for the next book." ****

Spotlight on: Poison Blood, Book 1: Revelation

"I don't know what blood tastes like to a human.  I'd never even licked a tiny drop of it from a pricked finger, let alone suck on a bleeding cut.  The shedding of blood, my own, or anyone else's, always made me scream or panic in fear and revulsion.  Now it's my only food source."

Elisia Dalton, more commonly known as Ellie, is not a typical teenaged vampire.  She still has her humanity and conscience.  

Her human memories and growing pains.  

And the same distaste for blood.

Still reeling from the secrets she uncovered before she was turned into a vampire by the mysterious immortal Christian, Ellie is also finding it hard to come to terms with what she has become.  And the revelations keep coming.

Book 1 of the Poison Blood series reveals why Ellie is not like others of her kind.

Download this e-book for free from Apple iBookstore US and UK, Diesel, B&N Nook Store, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and Smashwords

~ What Others Have Said About Poison Blood, Book 1: Revelation ~

“This is definitely not a soppy vampire romance!  As usual with Neha Yazmin’s novels, things are never as they seem.  Just as you think you have a grip on what’s happening, Neha drops more bombshells to keep you guessing (and the pages turning!).  I have a taste for blood – Poison Blood that is!  Please publish the next book soon!” *****

~~~

“I am definitely hooked on the Poison Blood series.  Part of me was unsure as to whether another vampire story was worth telling... It definitely was!  There is so much more to the vampire world that Neha creates - and she really does create a world... but really, this is a character-driven story.  Neha's characters' depths are what drive her stories, each with their hidden secrets.  Book 1 of the Poison Blood series really is about the 'Revelation'.” *****

~~~

“It's more like poison love.” *****

~~~

“Awesome.  This was great, couldn't put it down.  I would love to see a third book!” *****

~~~

“A great book.” *****

~~~

“What a great book to read.” *****

~~~

“Entertaining, light, fun read.” ****

Chasing Pavements Christmas Offer

***** NEW LOWER PRICE FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON - SEE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR DETAILS *****

“It was very stupid but it was also very true. Mukti was in love with him and she didn’t even know his name.”

To introverted and socially withdrawn singer and songwriter Jamie, 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, who instantly falls in love with him, 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 after you have turned the last page.

~ What Others Have Said About Chasing Pavements ~

"Neha Yazmin's novel grips you from start to finish.  There are so many things I love about this novel.  Jamie's creativity.  Mukti's determination.  Twists and turns with every chapter.  But most of all, I love that you see the characters grow and develop.  When you reach the last page, it feels like you've been on a long journey with them - yet it's a journey that you want to do all over again!" *****

~~~

"This is not your typical chic lit book.  There is no sloppy romance and no mushy words.  This is truly a one of a kind book.  Little by little the story was told to me and it was told perfectly.  I cannot believe this is Neha’s first book.  It is perfect.  This is definitely a must read." *****

~~~

"Chasing Pavements is like one of a kind.  I loved the book.  It touched me in such a way that I felt lost for a while without having Jamie and Mukti in my life.   I can't believe that this is the author's first book; the way it's written is excellent.  I was captured from the beginning of the story.  A must read." *****

~~~

"Unputdownable.  I loved the London setting. The story is well told.  Neha has a way with descriptions that make the scenes really vivid.  The songs were a great mechanism to add to the story telling.  I look forward to reading Neha's other work but I hope I don't have to wait too long!" *****

***** NEW LOWER PRICE FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON *****

Apple iBookstore US & UK

Barnes & Noble Nook Store

Diesel eBookStore

Kobo

Smashwords

&

Amazon US & UK

   

Spotlight on: Chasing Pavements

Chasing Pavements ~ A Contemporary Romance Novel by Neha Yazmin

“It was very stupid but it was also very true. Mukti was in love with him and she didn’t even know his name.”

To introverted and socially withdrawn singer and songwriter Jamie, 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, who instantly falls in love with him, 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 after you have turned the last page.

~ What Others Have Said About Chasing Pavements ~

"Neha Yazmin's novel grips you from start to finish.  There are so many things I love about this novel.  Jamie's creativity.  Mukti's determination.  Twists and turns with every chapter.  But most of all, I love that you see the characters grow and develop.  When you reach the last page, it feels like you've been on a long journey with them - yet it's a journey that you want to do all over again!" *****

~~~

"This is not your typical chic lit book.  There is no sloppy romance and no mushy words.  This is truly a one of a kind book.  Little by little the story was told to me and it was told perfectly.  I cannot believe this is Neha’s first book.  It is perfect.  This is definitely a must read." *****

~~~

"Chasing Pavements is like one of a kind.  I loved the book.  It touched me in such a way that I felt lost for a while without having Jamie and Mukti in my life.   I can't believe that this is the author's first book; the way it's written is excellent.  I was captured from the beginning of the story.  A must read." *****

~~~

"Unputdownable.  I loved the London setting. The story is well told.  Neha has a way with descriptions that make the scenes really vivid.  The songs were a great mechanism to add to the story telling.  I look forward to reading Neha's other work but I hope I don't have to wait too long!" *****

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

E-Book Giveaway - Chasing Pavements & More

For a chance to win a free Kindle copy of my book Chasing Pavements, follow/attend the e-launch party of my friend Susan Buchanan's new book The Dating Game, released Friday, November 2nd.  Sooz is giving away 50+ e-books in total by various authors, so make sure you enter!

Here's where to enter the raffle on her blog:
http://susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk/2012_11_01_archive.html