Amina Thajudeen Author Interview, Book Review, Book Tour, Thriller

An Interview with Stuart Pittorino | Author of The Cobra Corridor

Today I’ll be hosting  author Stuart Pittorino on my blog. His new book “The Cobra Corridor” is available on Amazon.com

Why did you choose to write this book?

I thought about what is the most dangerous weapon mankind has ever made? And then, what if it were to fall into the wrong hands? Would a traitor from the White House, Pentagon or somewhere in the military be in play? Then, why would global intelligence agencies like MI6, Mossad and Hezbollah be involved?

I found the answers to the first two questions and a covert action book started to take form. Then, all I wanted was for readers just to have a good time and escape – like being submerged in some of the best international military fiction thrillers.

Why would someone want to read your book?

Unforgettable characters with plot twists. I like to write for an audience first so it must be fast-paced and a real page-turner. With storytelling advancing over the last 20 years I chose a visual style to take my readers to the next level.

If you want excitement, escapism and enjoyment, like a James Bond or Mission Impossible good time, then go click the purchase button and enjoy the ride!

How far into the next book of this series are you?

That’s hilarious. Let’s wait and see if this becomes one of Amazon books best sellers in 2021 fiction.

What do you love about the writing process?

Life can be full of routine and hard work so the chance to dream, dwell and disappear into a fantasy world for a few hours is a real bonus.

Any tips for publishing?

Make sure your book is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited Free Books.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

The audience is smarter than you think. Respect them. WOW them!

About the Book

18 HOURS…

IS IT ENOUGH TO FIND A BETRAYED ARMS DEALER HIDING IN BEIRUT?

AND STOP A MISSILE STRIKE?

★★★★★ “If you are a fan of spy action books this is one you don’t want to miss.”

★★★★★ “Definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat and wanting to read the last page first.”

★★★★★ “Gimme more…”

For fans of Brad Thor’s Scot Harvath, David Baldacci’s Will Robie and Lee Child’s Jack Reacher.

James Cable is delighting, resting in his post-traumatic stress state, as all hell breaks loose inside the Situation Room. Syrian terrorists hiding out in Beirut are threatening a missile strike on two American cities.

Clandestine Operations urgently call him in to save the lives of hundreds of thousands. But placing this operations officer from the CIA alongside his brother John in a special black ops team is no one’s first choice.

Disaster strikes right at the start en route to Beirut when James disobeys orders in an F-22 dogfight and the whole team gets blown out of the sky. James and John are the only ones able to eject over the southern countryside of Lebanon.

They are now left with only eight hours on this dangerous mission to hunt for the terrorists and save the lives of millions across what the CIA, NSA & DOD term The Cobra Corridor – all area between the thirty fifth and fortieth northern parallels which includes China, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and The United States of America.”

If you enjoy Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne and Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp this fast-paced spy thriller is one you don’t want to miss.

★★★★★ “Nailed it! It kept me guessing throughout and held my interest to the end.”

★★★★★ “Such a great read! I was looking for something that would keep me entertained and this book certainly did that.”

Purchase here: Amazon.in Amazon.com

About the Author

Author Stuart Pittorino

Stuart Pittorino was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and has spent the last 18 years producing in the Film & TV industry.

He lives in Cape Town below Table Mountain with his wife Nicole and son James.

Big bold bottles of red wine are his favorite whilst gazing off into the distance collecting his thoughts on a heart-racing espionage action thriller.

Purchase The Cobra Corridor Amazon.com Amazon.in

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fantacy, Fiction, Thriller

Office Pool: Orientation by D. L. Blackburne|Book review

41cMuzKUfJLOffice Pool is a coming of age story of an underachieving ink pen named Arthur “Arty” Bickerson. As his unique journey is chronicled as he navigates the ups and downs of “The Office” and it’s complexities. Arty experiences new success, love, peer jealousy, classism, along with high expectations and self doubt.
Office Pool is a fictional world with many layers. With humans set as the backdrop, these common everyday writing utensils deal with universally relatable issues and themes.

Title: Office Pool: Orientation

Author: D. L. Blackburne

Pages: 56

My review

Absolutely creative!

I have rarely come across stories that made me give a standing ovation to the creativity. This story is one of its kind. I never ever saw this kind of witty tale crafted around the everyday writing utensils. Set in the fictional world of Pens, the story has everything a reader hopes for. It has a shy and lighthearted protagonist, a mentor/ father figure, romance, and gripping flashbacks. The story even ends in a cliffhanger. How the author has managed to craft a story like this, I really don’t know.

The story has every element identical to everyday human life. Yet the story has no major role for any humans. But all the characters want only one thing in their life, a purpose. Through fulfilling their purpose they yearn to achieve fame and attention from their owners. They even fear their death, replacement, and uselessness. They all have their own fears to overcome and villains who are dedicated to making others life miserable. This world also welcomes leadership and heroics.

Although the author carefully placed humans in the backdrop, he constructed a world of human emotions and struggles with pens as characters. It is a small world, identical to humans inside our everyday life. Highly recommended to everyone who likes to delve into a different kind of story for a change.

 

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Erotic fiction, Fantacy, Thriller

Chloe After Dark by Elsa Joseph |Book Review

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Moving on from a painful break up with her boyfriend, beautiful Chloe Milano takes a job as a radio host at a steamy late night erotic radio station to pay off her debts and make ends meet. But she gets a lot more than she bargained for when she becomes entangled in the salacious fantasies of after-hours callers…

Title: Chloe After Dark

 

Author: Elsa Joseph 

Pages: 275

My review

Chloe After Dark is an erotic romance story revolving around the protagonist Chloe. The story is all about Chloe’s life. It starts with a painful breakup with her boyfriend Daniel. She has been in this relationship for a long time and a sudden split led her to a state almost like a depression. Her boyfriend left her with nothing but huge debt. She was in and out of freelancing gigs. She was in no condition to pay her off this large debt. Seeing that one of her close friends, Blaire offered a job at a radio station to host a midnight show talking about sexual fantasies. She was reluctant at first. But eventually, she decides to step out of her comfort zone and give it a try. Just as predicted by Blaire, she was an overnight success. But just as her publicity grew, she finds herself in turmoil of its aftereffects. The rest of the story is all about how she transforms herself to overcome her vulnerabilities and taking responsibility to change the course of her life.

The story ends as a full circle. Chloe achieves everything she wanted in her life. She was brave enough to capture her opportunity and she worked hard to excel in it. She overcome her inhibitions and gained confidence. We can witness her amazing transformation throughout the story. Although this is a steamy erotic drama, the story adds more layers to it. The author carefully developed a good story with depth around the romance. Besides Chloe, Blaire is a very likable character. The friendship and supportive nature of Blaire is another highlight of the story.

This is not like any other erotic romance you ever read. This story revolves around the character’s emotions and real-life problems. They are real characters going through some hard situations. The author deserves a huge applause for penning down a good story in this genre.

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, supernatural, Thriller, Young-Adult

Deceptions: Book 7 (Whispering Willows) by Diana Dawn|Book review

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Lily is now hiding a secret that she is terrified that Thomas will discover. But with these recent ‘ghost sightings’, will she decide to choose Nate over Thomas? Are the villagers really seeing ghosts from their past, or could it be the witch simply wreaking havoc upon the Willows? And what about the disappearance of their dwarf friend, Ben? ‘Deceptions’ is the seventh book in the Whispering Willows series

Title: Deceptions: Book 7 (Whispering Willows)

Author: Diana Dawn

Pages: 103

My review

Deceptions is the seventh installment of the Whispering Willows series. The sixth book of this series Barn Tales ended in a cliffhanger and this one starts by explaining that ending. I was quite shocked by the climax of Barn Tales and were looking forward to read this book to know the answers. But I must say this is the best book in this series so far. Because the whole storyline is changed from now on. The author has given many clues on mysteries happening in and around Willows in previous books. All these mysteries were solved through this book. The plot is drastically changed in this one.

In all the six books the author has followed the same pattern of narration like, starts with an explanation to the climax of the previous book, a happy middle, and again some shocking revelations towards the end. But this edition has dedicated to reveal all the mysteries. Because of that, the life of people in Willows especially, Snow, Mitch, and Lily’s are so terrible. They are hit by tragedies one after another. They all are trembling by these revelations. Also, the emotional turmoil of these characters is at a peak. They are confused about their own emotions added by the horrors of Margurite and Phillipe. I was really shocked to know who was Philippe all this time.

Lily is caught in between a love triangle with Nate and Thomas. She is now unable to choose one. This love triangle is getting interesting day by day. I’m looking forward to know how things are ended up for Lily.

The author has beautifully captured all the emotional moments in the story through words. All the hurt is felt so real through the words. I really liked this part of the Willows series. This installment is crucial and a true turning point considering the whole plot.

Rating:5/5

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fantacy, Fiction, Thriller, Uncategorized

Barn Tales: Book 6 of Whispering Willows series by Diana Dawn| Book review

53190741._SX318_Title: Barn Tale: Book 6 of Whispering Willows series
Author: Diana Dawn
Language: English
Pages: 109

Blurb

The evil witch and the Captain that Lily fears so have found their way into the Willows. Lily is torn between two men whom she loves. But can she sort out her feelings amidst the trouble that Margurite and the Captain could potentially cause for the village? Does the answer to their problems lie within the mirror…within a time hundreds of years ago back in the House of White kingdom? ‘Barn Tales’ is the sixth book in the Whispering Willows series.

My Review

Barn Tales by Diana Dawn is the sixth installment of the Whispering Willows series. In this part, the story is entirely focused on Snow’s identical sister Lily. The previous book ended in a cliffhanger, that made me eagerly pick this one and read as soon as possible. Just like all the other five books, the author Diana Dawn has not disappointed me a bit. She brilliantly crafted this book too.

With the presence of Captain Philippe and the evil witch Margurite in willows, the plot is exciting from the beginning. The author doesn’t follow the usual pattern of storytelling in this book. She is narrating two parallel stories throughout the book, one is the struggle of Lily to decide between Thomas and Nate, the other is the mysteries around Captain and witch. I must say, she had done a marvelous job through this storytelling. She has narrated two different aspects of a story without losing its emotions to the core.

Lily is not at all identical to Snow in appearance but also in character too. She is also confused in love, an emotion she never experienced before. The author has well presented her viewpoints on love and her tender character of not hurting anybody. I really liked Lily on these points.

I really missed Snow in most of the parts. The author has now shifted her focus to Lily’s story and didn’t allow her to appear not more than one percent of the story. But I’m really looking forward to the next part. Because there are many unanswered questions in this story. I badly want to unwind these mysteries.

Rating: 5/5

Amina Thajudeen Author Interview, Fantacy, Fiction, Thriller

An Interview with Rick Zazueta|Author of “Baja Air & Sea”

Today I’ll be hosting author Rick Zazueta on my blog. His debut book, “Baja Air & Sea” is available at Amazon.com.

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Me: What is your book about?

Rick: Baja Air & Sea is a novel about a stolen yacht and the adventures that happen aboard this vessel. The book, like everything in this world, is about the human condition.

Big Money. Big Yachts. Big Adventures.

Behind every great fortune there is a great crime. Julian Mayorca wasn’t always a billionaire. At one point he was an honorable port captain and legendary yachtsman, but a single temptation—a crime of opportunity—leads him down a path of betrayal, passion, power, and the sea.

Baja Air & Sea, a high end crime-thriller set in La Paz, Mexico, begins with the story of Julian Mayorca. As a port captain, he manages the harbor and oversees a fifty-million-dollar budget. His only mistake? Being incorruptible.

On a sunny day, his cousin, Alex Cuevas, who works for a notorious criminal, holds a gun to Julian’s head and forces him to sign resignation papers. A series of questionable decisions cause Julian to transition into the entrepreneur he never set out to be. What follows is six years of Julian’s life; his voyages, romances, mishaps, and how a need for revenge leads to immense fortune and adventure he never thought possible.

Me: It is quite an adventure. What inspired the plot?

Rick: I was a yacht steward aboard a luxury yacht on the Sea Cortez. I met so many characters and had so many adventures during my time at sea. But it wasn’t just the life at sea that inspired me, it was living in this “other Mexico” that made it all the more interesting. There are two Baja Californias, the expat community and the locals, and as a Mexican-American bilingual person, I was able to seamlessly navigate these two worlds that seem so different. After some time, I began to realize that other than the language barrier, the two Bajas are essentially the same. So I started thinking about blending the two cultures and writing a book in that tone.

Baja Cover Only (1)

 Purchase here: Amazon

Me: Why did you choose to have the story take place in Baja California?

Rick: I love Baja California. I’ve always been completely passionate about it. It’s a land so unique and so full of tales that I wanted to be a part of its folklore. The story only makes sense in Baja California, because of many factors; its proximity to the US, and the influence it directly has on Mexican culture, the climate, the sea, the desert, the tourism, the corruption, the food and lifestyle, for me it was just a perfect pot to stir.

 Me: You have a lot of colorful and creative characters. Did you think them up from scratch or were they inspired by people you know?

Rick: Stephen King said that all characters are a combination of three people; Somebody you know, yourself, and somebody you imagine. So, yes all characters are a play on that. I have always been a curious person and I’ve always been more interested in people than in anything else, so I like to observe human beings, how they are, how they react, their sense of humor, their sense of style, I can be a big extrovert, so I meet a lot of people and pay attention to their lives.

Me: What are some of the more powerful themes that your characters struggle within the book?

Rick: Lust, revenge, selling out, greed, faith, love, and destiny. The characters I write are real people to me. I treat them with respect and I try to get to know them. I am aware that they have complex lives and I am grateful that they let me in to see what’s going on in their world.

Me: What type of reader would enjoy this book?

Rick: I wrote this book to inspire people with a tale of adventure, passion, desire, and the sea. If life has gotten too predictable, if you need an escape into a tangible world of excitement and want to get completely lost in the waves of the ocean and in the luxury of big yachts and Eurocopters, then this book might be for you.

Me: What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?

Rick: Writing a novel is a long journey, and I learned not to judge myself more harshly than I would others. I learned that if I treat these characters with respect, I have to treat myself and those around me with that same respect. So if I commit a mistake, I just erase it and continue.

 Me: Who is your favorite character and why?

Rick: Papa Fabio is the money man; he doesn’t get as much attention as he deserves, but for me, this guy is a huge success story. Born to a family of miners in the small town of El Triunfo, developed into a mathematical genius from a young age, got a scholarship to La Paz Technical Institute, and then a masters degree from MIT. Now an adviser to the UN on international tax code, a great financial analyst, rogue investment banker, and CPA.

About the Author

Rick Zazueta resides in Baja California alongside his wife, Geraldine, and their two kids; Maximo and Larissa. When away from his duties, he plays professional croquet as a member of the Mexico national team. Baja Air & Sea is his first novel.

Connect with him: Instagram

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fantacy, Thriller, Young-Adult

Mirror, Mirror by Diana Dawn|Book review

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Title: Mirror, Mirror: Book 3 of Whispering Willows series

Author: Diana Dawn

Pages: 98

Blurb

Snow has settled into her new life in the magical Whispering Willows. But now that Snow and her “Prince Charming” have found each other, they must still face obstacles to their happiness together. With the help of a new dwarf friend…who may have secrets of his own, Snow must battle the witch and uncover the mysteries of the magic mirror in the mine. ‘Mirror, Mirror’ is the third book in the Whispering Willows series.

Review

Mirror, Mirror by Diana Dawn is the third installment of Whispering Willows series. In this book, the journey of Princess Snow from unknown to known continues. I have read the first two books in this series. So I had a fair idea about the story and the storytelling capabilities of the author. After reading this installment, I must say I admire more her, for bringing this book series to this world.
Diana picks up the story from where she ended the second book. It was ended in a cliffhanger, so the first chapter was the explanation of that suspense. After unveiling some secrets and suspense, she again reunited Snow and Mitch. I really liked the part where Mitch was devastated in the loss of Snow and his determination to find her at any cost. Besides the protagonists, I felt that the author gave much space to other characters in this book. Ben, Max, Eddy…all are supporting the story well. Also, the much-awaited Royal wedding was one of my favorite parts too.

After calming the storm, the author again ended this book at a cliffhanger. But in this time the twist was unpredictable. I was expecting a re-entry of the evil stepmother, but she gave me another surprise at the end.

The narration was flawless. The author connected all the characters well and drove a fast-paced story beautifully. The scenes were depicted vividly allowing the readers to get connected with the emotions of characters and the plot. The climax was enough for me to pick up the next book of this series.

Rating:5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Indian Authors, Self-Help, Thriller

Rape Trial by Bidisha Ghosal

Rape- a word which carries a lot of weight, emotions and pain. Over the years, rape and rape stories become a common headline in the media. They lost news value, because they became a consistent column in newspapers. Our patriarchal society judge this unforgivable crime as a mere deed. Over the years there has been many voices which came out to demand justice to the victims. But unfortunately many struggles end up in vain.

The victim, a more accurate word is a ‘survivor’, has to live the rest of her life in pain and disgust because of this societal attitude. The society will never stand with the victim. So this story has to be told over and over again until it is heard by everyone.

Rahul Satyabhagi is a wealthy businessman who exploits the judicial loopholes and escapes after committing a grave crime, raping Avni Rambha. Will he able to stand behind a thin veil all the time?

The emotions which a survivor goes through in different stages of life cannot be expressed through words. Because it is that much intense and complex. The author has done a sincere attempt to portray these struggles. Justice can be denied if you have influence and wealth. But the justice will be served at last. The author ends it in a positive note hugging hope.

Rating:4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors, Indian Mythology, Science Fiction, Thriller

The Last Avatar (Age of Kalki #1) by Vishwas Mudagal

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  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins India
  • Language: English
  • Buy here: Amazon

Blurb

In the not-so-distant future, India has fallen, and the world is on the brink of an apocalyptic war. An attack by the terrorist group Invisible Hand has brutally eliminated the Indian Prime Minister and the union cabinet. As a national emergency is declared, chaos, destruction and terror reign supreme. From the ashes of this falling world, rises an unconventional hero – a vigilante known only as Kalki. Backed by a secret society called The Rudras, Kalki, along with Nushen, the Chinese superhuman spy, must do the impossible to save his country, and the world. But who is Kalki? A flesh and blood crusader with a mysterious past? Or the Messiah the world has been waiting for? The future of human survival depends on a single man. Will he become the living God prophesied as the last avatar of Lord Vishnu, or will he fade away as an outlaw?

My take

Kalki is a topic which is overused over time by many prominent writers in India. Still, it is a good subject to let your imagination build on. Mainly because of the mythological and modern background of the character. That’s why this topic never goes off the style.

First things first. Iwas really intrigued by the cover of the book at first sight. The depiction of Kalki with the touch of Lord Hanuman wielding a mysterious but seemingly powerful weapon. The curiosity built by the cover alone deserves an honorable mention.

Coming to the story, this one has everything for every kind of readers. I was absolutely fascinated by the plot and sub-plots in the story. The subplots are the main highlight. Because the author has woven many stories in a single string and connected them well to build an absolutely massive plot. This plot holds together every character in the story. This is also a well-built foundation for his upcoming books in this series.

The world is on the edge of an apocalyptic war. An attack by the terrorist group Invisible Hand in the Indian parliament has eliminated the Prime Minister, Union ministry and cabinet. The national emergency is declared and the subsequent chaos paved the way for destruction and terror. From this total terror, an unconventional hero has risen who is know as The Kalki. The protagonist Kalki, who has a double life as Neel who leads the Astra Group which manufactures most modern technological types of equipment. He is backed by a secret society known as Rudras.

What is the intention of this terrorist group led by Master Zar and what is his hidden motive to attack Indian parliament in one go? Who is Kalki and what is his intention behind saving the world? Who is the secret society known as Rudras and are they have some hidden agenda?

There are many more questions are arising from each page of the story. Every page creates suspense. There are too many different characters and the imaginary world which the author bought to the reader is absolutely magical. This suspense along with twists and addressing the geopolitical situation of India and China, the author never leaves any stones unturned.

The protagonist has no flaws. He has superhuman strength and abilities makes him the reincarnation of God. But I felt the character of the villain is slightly underdeveloped. The strength of the villain has a huge part in making a hero.

Altogether, it is a very good story and worth your time. Every mythological-historical fiction reader ought to try this book.

Rating:4/5

Amina Thajudeen Quotes, Thriller

Quotes from Twilight book series Part 1

Twilight is a book series which gained a lot of positive and negative reviews as well in its journey to the international acclaim. But every book offers a bunch of thoughtful lines irrespective of its positiveness or negativeness. Because every line ever penned down is from the real-life experience of the respective author.

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So here I’m compiling some of the memorable quotes from the Twilight saga through a series of 4 blog posts, each one for every book in the series.

1. Twilight

“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
“What a stupid lamb,” I sighed.
“What a sick, masochistic lion.”

 

“Twilight, again. Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end.”

 

“When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it’s not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.” 

 

“Death is Peaceful, Life is Harder” 

 

“I like the night. Without the dark, we’d never see the stars.”

 

“The right thing isn’t always real obvious. Sometimes the right thing for one person is the wrong thing for someone else. So…good luck figuring that out.”

 

“I know love and lust don’t always keep the same company.”

 

“You’re intoxicated by my very presence.”

 

“That’s the beautiful thing about being human: Things change.” 

 

“I decided as long as I’m going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly.”

 

“Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved.”

 

“Just because we’ve been . . . dealt a certain hand . . . it doesn’t mean that we can’t choose to rise above—to conquer the boundaries of a destiny that none of us wanted.”