These finely nuanced stories provide a rare glimpse into the complex and mysterious inner lives of human beings.Happy Birthday was longlisted for the prestigious Frank O'Connor Award 2014. It has also been voted the TOP title on Flipkart’s editors picks for this month: http://www.flipkart.com/books/~editor...A dedicated friend undertakes one last labour of love for a childless woman. Nadia - married into money - finds herself facing uncomfortable truths about her comfortably numb marriage. A Mumbai slum-girl dreams of speaking words valuable enough to be translated into English. An American tourist seeking nirvana sets off a sudden chain of events when his bag is stolen, and destiny plays her hand. A retired civil servant of modest means struggles to support his snooty foreign-returned daughter.Meghna Pant’s knife - sharp stories are compelling, emotionally intelligent and provide a rare glimpse into the strange workings of the human heart. They evade neat categorization andare the perfect read for all curious spirits."These are stories with a large heart and a keen eye, deeply aware of the complex, sometimes uncomfortable realities of India, its many layers. Meghna Pant knows how to create characters that will surprise and move you." – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni "Deft, merciless and expertly-tuned parables for the new Indian century."– Jeet Thayil"Meghna Pant pierces one’s heart with the reality and depth of her stories, wrapping up her tales with unanticipated yet undeniable flourish. Exceptionally thought-provoking narratives that manage to be provocative and inspirational in the very same breath."– Ashwin Sanghi"These intimate stories juxtapose a range and register of aerial and emotional perspectives, with craft, delicacy and an intensely human sensibility."– Namita Gokhale

    Until one December dawn, when the ducks and the little duck girl, not so little any more, return to the village after several years of absence and light up Maash's life again.The year is 2019, the Indian Parliament has passed the Citizenship Amendment Act and the question of identity-- especially religious identity--is at the forefront of everything. Suddenly, everyone wants to know: who is this duck girl, where does she come from, who does she pray to? In a matter of days, Maash finds himself in the middle of a conflict he couldn't have foreseen.Set in Kaikurussi - the near idyllic village which Anita Nair introduced to readers worldwide in her first novel The Better Man, The Little Duck Girl is a state-of-the-nation story that sensitively but unflinchingly explores the idea of who we are as a people.

    Every day is a new hell for her, oscillating between torture and death, with a quickly dimming flicker of hope that one day she will find her way back home. But will she? What does home really mean to a fractured soul? In anguish, it appears the whole world delights in schadenfreude, while God lies in wait. In wait for what, no one knows. ***A provocative concoction of realism, mystery and myth in a dystopian tone. Throughout the reading, a sense of pain carries forward till the end and it endures. A disturbing impactful debut novel - The New Indian express Will leave a deep impact on the readers. The details and tone of the story are haunting. Incredible writing - The news up About the Author: Sujith Balakrishnan was born in Kerala, India. An engineer by profession, he lives in UAE. This is his Debut Novel. He can be contacted at - sujithwriter2018@gmail.com

    She was engaged to be married and everyone knew that her fiancé Rakesh was a great guy. But life took a detour when her father collapsed and Manasi had to rush back to India to take care of ND Software, her father’s company that focused on software for manufacturing industry. When she had been running the company for about six months, ZipMake, the company that was their best customer, got acquired by AccellaFab. Jay Randive, the founder and CEO of AccellaFab wanted to get into the Indian market and he had identified NDS as the Indian software company he wanted to acquire for that purpose. Jay Randive was coming to India to visit NDS, and when he learnt that the CEO’s daughter had stepped in after the CEO suffered a stroke; Jay was looking forward to an easy acquisition.

    Reunited with an old ally from the loop, he must prepare to take part in an international tournament where the most powerful practitioners in the world fight for dominance.And unbeknownst to all, a calamity looms overhead—a continent-shattering trial that only Ian can stop.The Menocht Loop Series is a best-rated serialized novel on Royal Road with over a thousand ratings and millions of views. Now it's an Amazon best-seller.Buy a copy or read free with Kindle Unlimited today!

    With her family deeply molded into the cartels, she tries to live a more wholesome life as a kindergarten teacher. After the tragic loss of her only son, the blame game and a wicked deception drives the grieving parents in opposite directions. Years later, when he returns to her life, she can’t seem to filter through her conflicted feelings. Sir Vito is YiYa’s weakness. He’s also the one man who has the capability to break down every wall she attempts to hold up against him. With them both still grieving over the loss of their son, emotions are at an all-time high. When it seems like history has a chance to repeat itself, they have to learn to lean on their love for hope to survive. That’s if the two have the strength to fight for love. Omi Wright is an incisive business woman above all. Her high mindedness is the root of her flourishing cocaine transport empire on Norman Cay Island. YiYa is her only true friend that she allows in her life. When the women who raised Omi passes away, it forces the once homeless young girl from the Westbank turned drug trafficker to reunite with her past. Shassius Linares belies his thuggish exterior with his charming ways. He acquires the title as one of the most ruthless international drug lords known to law enforcement and governors. Being that he was raised by La Madrina, nothing stops him from returning to New Orleans to lay her to rest. Not even the fact that he is a wanted man on the run. His deep past with Omi resurfaces with the hard on feelings to match. With him back with his old squad who made him, problem arises. Yeti Wright is Omi’s twin brother whose involvement with cocaine trafficking has moved to high levels. With a wide range of workers under him, he doesn’t regret the relationship he begins with the girlfriend of one of his loyal workers. Nigeria Remington goes from being the girlfriend of a worker to sleeping with the head boss in charge. She captures Yeti’s attention immediately, and even when she seems undecided on who she wants, Yeti comes to her every beck and call when needed. Their relationship is filled with secrets, causing untruths to be revealed. When Nigeria tries to keep up with two men, will the one she chooses be all that she wished for? Will it be too late to go back to the man that she disregarded? Follow the lives of these couples as they try to deal with love lost and found. Will Omi allow Shassius back in after his true colors are shown? Is she even capable of receiving love and giving it back in return? Shassius is a wanted man, so the underlying question is when will his bad karma catch up to him? Will YiYa be able to forgive Sir Vito for not being there when she needed him most? The shell shocking truth of his absence cuts her deep but how will she handle it?

    Not only is it a requirement, but he has six months to make it happen. The journey reveals things about himself that he never took the time to acknowledge. Ever the traveler, Lawrence hasn’t taken the time to make real connections with people until he enlists the help of Brielle Golden. Brielle Golden is a matchmaking extraordinaire that struggles with her own love life. She has all the tools to assist those willing to pay to find something she wants more than anything but thinks she will never have. Love is dodging her, and she doesn’t understand why. In her eyes, she’s the perfect catch, however, the fear of rejection is a powerful emotion to tackle by yourself. As the work begins to help Lawrence find a mate, souls collide, and things start to change within the mutual business partnership. In the midst of sorting feelings out, Brielle's smile changes and Lawrence's heart begins to beat again. But trouble arises forcing them to do something crazy to get them both out of the mess that his fathers’ wishes created. Will Lawrence find a wife and make his father proud by succumbing to The Golden Effect, or will both he and Brielle find themselves surrounded by the darkness of life without love when their partnership comes to an end?

    But when her con man cousin Nick suddenly disappears, Kate’s own plans are put on hold as she is forced to deal with bounty hunters, criminals, and a relentless private detective, all looking for Nick - and looking to Kate for answers. Spurred on by family loyalty and her reluctant curiosity, Kate wades into the murky waters of Nick’s illegal activities and finds herself facing her greatest challenge yet: office work.Fresh and very funny, Happy Endings wraps up the Kate McCall series, which features a fearless and impulsive young woman absolutely determined to make a success of her business on her own terms and in her own way. Written for fans of humorous fiction as well as those who like imperfect female PIs and quirky cases, this lighthearted series will also appeal to anyone who enjoys a great read, memorable characters and a happy ending.

    And Rain of Gold is possibly his finest work -- a sweeping tableau of family ties and cultural traditions.pA pair of strong families, two proud but embattled lineages, find themselves bound together by time and circumstance. Through political upheavals, loves gained and lives lost, the families struggle to keep what is precious to them. This premise would make a mesmerizing novel -- but this story is all true.p"A great love story...magnificent." (Albuquerque Journal)

    . .Janie and her husband James have a strong, loving marriage. A move from an inner-city slum to a peaceful new estate outside of Bolton should have been a fresh start for them and their three children. But when war is declared and James announces he has signed up, Janie fears it's the beginning of the end.Waving goodbye to their menfolk is a sacrifice that families are making all over the country and Janie does her best to make do, forging friendships in her new community.But when James comes home on leave a traumatised and desperate man, then goes AWOL, Janie's heart goes out to him. Determined to keep him safe, she plans to hide him in their new house. But how long can they keep the secret, and what threats lie ahead if they're found out?A page-turning new wartime saga about love, friendship and secrets, for fans of Katie Flynn and Rosie Goodwin.

    For so long, he had his mind set on gaining Harlem's trust back, yet she became the one thing he despises the most; a liar. With both of their lives on the line and a new love interest on the scene, Enzo must now be the one to make a choice. Hoping that it can right all his wrongs from the past. From pen pals to secret lovers, Lucci and Yaz find themselves at odds. While locked up, he found solace in their intimate phone conversations and letters. Their bond formed a solid friendship, but now lines are blurred. Though Yaz swore their first sexual encounter would be the last, Lucci proves, unwaveringly, how much pull he has in Yaz' life and her makeshift relationship. While sacrifices are made, are they worth pushing the love Harlem yearned for to the side? The finale of She From The Gutta is a tale of overcoming unfortunate circumstances, burying your past demons, and taking losses because, in the end, they're really a lesson learned. The type of lessons that can only be taught by life's never-ending struggle to survive.

    Sometimes it feels like we are all on a different planet earth. Sometimes we are!

    Drained from the drama, she lets go and embarks on a new job, new friends and maybe a new love interest. When old feelings come back and family secrets are revealed will this push Miaa further away from Cam or will it push her into his arms. Now that he is the Plug of Detroit, Killa Cam's life obstacles have only just begun. Balancing the streets, fatherhood and the love of his life is a challenge but he is prepared to overcome it by any means necessary. With this newfound maturity, will Cam be able to get what his heart desires or will the streets get in the way of his happiness. The story of Miaa and Killa Cam is back. Will they be able to move on from their love triangle drama and give love another try or will they decide that they are better off apart. When threats are made and truths are told, will they fight to be together or just become another unsuccessful love story. Find out in the finale of A Dope Boy Stole My Heart.

    He’s every woman’s dream. The fact that no one knows much about him, only makes women want him more. His only concern is making money and keeping his sister out of harm's way. MyZell learned the hard lesson that the more people know, the more power they have. Ryan fell in love with the wrong man, she gave him her all, and all he gave her was four years of heartache. He loved her, but not in the way she needed or deserved to be loved. Polo blamed it on the fact that he was young and not ready, but she knew it was simply because he was selfish. The only way to escape his deadly love was to run and not look back. She ends up in Miami where she crosses paths with MyZell, who saves her from a bad situation and possibly her past, only he doesn’t know it yet. Ryan and MyZell both have pasts that haunt them, but when the find each other, will they be able to build a future together? Or will they get caught up trying to right their wrongs and never truly move on?

    Unlike the rest of his family, he doesn’t feel the need for love and is content with the single life. However, his young minded ways are unexpectedly swayed by the intriguing Mo’Nae. Mo’Nae Sumpter isn’t looking for love because she thinks she already has it in her longtime boyfriend, Vario. She quickly learns otherwise when an undeniable proposition from the boisterous Quame leads to more than they both imagined. The only problem is neither of them are what the other assumed, and both harbor secrets. When their hidden lives and agendas surface, will they be able to bounce back from it or will the lies be too much to forgive?