But Pendruggan’s Mr Rochester is in danger of becoming its Ebeneezer Scrooge when he is driven to distraction by the villager’s over-the-top Christmas celebrations. How could the cringeworthy amateur village production of Aladdin bring seasonal cheer to anyone, he wonders? And do the village children really have to arrive at his cottage door every single night in December with their terrible recorders and discordant singing?But when Piran’s bad temper risks spoiling Christmas for everyone, something drastic needs to be done. So, over one Christmas Eve, three very special people pay Piran a visit, determined to show him what Christmas is really all about…

    

    Bridie O’Hara, a beautiful young girl, is torn away from her native Ireland by her father – a freedom fighter, turned traitor, when he has to flee the wrath of the Fenians. Violated by him she ends up in a correction convent. Her escape, and meeting up with Bruiser Armitage, a pimp, sets her fate. One man tries to save her, Will Hadler, a kind, hard-working miner, whose love for Bridie knows no bounds. His rescue of her brings her happiness, but the demons inside her never give her peace. When Andrew Harvey, master of Hensal Grange, takes a fancy to her it is the beginning of Bridie sinking back into degradation. Her daughter, Bridget pays the price. Unprotected by her drunken mother, Bridget suffers rape and the heartbreak of having to give up her child, Megan.Book Two: AN UNBREAKABLE BOND: It is 1913 and for Megan and her friend, Hattie, the time has come to take up their placements and make their way in the world. Megan’s path leads her to fall into a marriage with a man she does not love and at whose hands she suffers beatings and rape. With Hattie’s help she finally escapes, but her path crosses that of the beautiful, rich and powerful, Laura Harvey. It is Laura’s need to have her wish at any price that triggers an eruption of violence that brings Megan near to death and sends Jack, the man both Megan and Laura love to prison, for a murder he did not commit.Hattie’s path crosses that of paedophile, Lord Marley. She is raped by him and his companion. Her ten pound silence money buys her an abortion but her choices have gone and she is forced into a life of prostitution. It is when she stumbles across an evil, child sex ring and is determined to break it that she once more encounters Lord Marley and though she succeeds in her quest and gets her revenge, she pays a terrible price. Hers and Megan’s enduring friendship bring them through.Book Three: TOMORROW BRINGS SORROWSet in 1939 – 1959, As the world faces many changes brought on by war, Megan has found happiness with Jack, but the threat of Megan’s schizophrenic son Billy, still casts a shadow over them. His release is imminent and for Sarah, Jack’s daughter, this opens up a fate she cannot fight. With her love and respect for Billy eroded over the years as she came to realise he has an evil core, Sarah now lives in fear of him and what he will do if she refuses him. Forsaking her true love, she marries Billy in an attempt to protect those who are very dear to her, but love and hate will out and the consequences are devastatingThose consequences are compounded by the incestuous love between twins Theresa and Terrence Crompton and their taking of all they need from whatever source they please.

    

     Danger is no stranger to the heartaches of the world. After losing her adoptive mother, she almost crumbles under a domino effect of misfortune. When she meets Sleep, she thinks she’s finally found a captain to save her, but when she learns his main goal is to pimp her out, Danger wastes no time getting from under his thumb. On the run to get as far away from Sleep as possible, she lands in Dallas, where she reunites with her bestie. Free is the true definition of dangerous curves. A BBW with enough personality to steal any show, she’s quick to flash a smile that hides her own set of demons. It’s hard to be comfortable in your skin, especially when family is the main one trying to tear you down, but Free is determined to stunt on everybody that has a problem with her weight— family included. Add the kind of street smarts that make a natural born hustler, and Free is every hitta’s dream come true. Whether they can handle her is the real question. Stranger is a self-made boss in his own right, a dude whose name rings bells in the streets and commands respect even while he’s locked up. Growing up with a schizophrenic for a mother made him unbreakable, but not above the law when he gets caught slipping. Done serving his time, he only has two things on his mind: hitting the streets and getting to the money by any means necessary. After stumbling across a connect and an offer he can’t refuse, Stranger agrees to collect a blood debt in exchange for the keys to the streets. Will his decision cost him more than he’s willing to give up? Where Stranger is a silent killer, Spazz, his younger brother, leaves a path of destruction with anything he touches. Wild, rude, and reckless, he’s ready to get it poppin’ if you even look at him wrong, and there’s only one thing that can tame his temper: his five-year-old daughter. With a mouth to feed and a street legacy to claim, he’s down with no hesitation when Stranger brings him into his plan to re-claim the streets. With his brother by his side, Spazz is ready to put his city on the map. Stranger never let his heart take his focus off the money, until he meets Danger. Mesmerized by her effortless beauty, he just has to have her, but there’s one problem: she’s on the arm of the same guy he’s planning to take down. Is he willing to kill for love? Spazz always gets what he wants, and he knows Free will be his from the minute he meets her. Never being attracted to BBWs in the past, he’s powerless against Free’s hypnotizing thickness, and her confidence and slick mouth are just the type of bonus that makes her worth the chase. Will he convince Free to take a chance on a real one? Ain’t nothin’ like lovin’ a savage, and once you get inside the head of one, your life will never be the same. Take a journey with Danger, Free, Stranger, and Spazz as they try to cheat the past for the future. Nothing goes as planned in love, especially once you’re Turned out by a Savage.

    

    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

    He was determined. His by any means necessary attitude has gotten him far but what happens when he's faced to kill an innocent child? In an effort to save his own life, could he take the life of someone who has yet to live their life to its fullest potential? One thing for sure, Quentin comes out of that situation alive. Sadly, taking down Kenny is the least of his problems. After being raped at the hands of one of Quentin's enemies, Simone bounces back better than ever. In the midst of Quentin's war, she has no other choice but to. Unfortunately, suffering for Simone is far from over. After experiencing yet another tragedy at the hands of one of Quentin's enemies, will she be able to bounce back like before? Or will Quentin's reckless and unpredictable lifestyle push her away? And into the arms of another man perhaps? Part three of Married to the Connect is full of plot twists, heartbreak, bloodshed and turmoil. With so much standing in the way of their union, will Simone and Quentin finally make it down the aisle? Or will the loss of a loved one send them down an even slippier slope?

    They say love and soulmates exist no more, Yet they breathe an unseen air to live for sure. Not every story begins in the here and now. Some transit through time never ending. If time were to cease, then some things would live forever… It began in the garden beneath which rivers flow, the place where the Sand and the Sea were born before creation ¬– the first soulmates, the two halves of one whole, the two parts of the eternity sign. A part Koli, East Indian Catholic, Hannah lives in Mumbai where the Sea always watches over her. Yet her dreams are haunted by a voice that calls to her through the breeze… True love walks beside her in another life, yet she is unable to find a way back in time. Riddled with disappointment and distressing heartbreak, she is hopelessly drawn to the path the Universe has laid before her feet. Drawn to Istanbul, she finds part of the puzzle in the Ezan of the Blue Mosque. Could the man from her dreams be real? What could an Indian woman and a Turkish Imam have in common? Will Hannah find what she searches for? Only those who believe will pass the test. Everyone has their own journey; some get on to the path and to some, the path comes calling. This is the tale of the Sand and the Sea, Hanging on the edge of wait, watch and let’s see.

    

    Only months before her retirement, new mandatory background checks threaten to expose Jackie’s darkest secrets, secrets she’s kept buried for nearly fifty years. As Jackie pleads with her husband Peter for help, her carefully hidden past unfolds.Alabama, 1961- As an ambitious student, Jackie is looking forward to her senior year, with hopes for college. However, on Homecoming morning, her father’s infidelity causes her world to change suddenly and irrevocably. In the year that follows, Jackie and her sister are increasingly trapped by poverty, Jim Crow, and ongoing violence and abuse—and Jackie is ultimately forced to protect herself in ways she never imagined. Ways which now, fifty years later, may prove to be her undoing.

    Everything seems to be looking good for the couple. They’re happily in love and expecting the new addition to their family. But trouble is never too far behind. After two death attempts on her life, Angel finally get the moment she’s been waiting for as she comes face to face with Lexi. After months of searching for Martell and Mook, Parker finally have them both where he wants them. Will it all come to an end like he hopes or will they slip through his fingers once again? Missy has shown that she’ll do just about anything so that Angel can get the happily ever after that she so desperately wants. Even if that means stupidly putting herself in danger or even getting herself killed just to make it happen. Chris feelings for Missy causes his carefree nature to crumble as he is force to come face to face with a past that he kept buried away for ten years. Will Chris be able to open up to Missy and let her see the real Christian or will the fear of history repeating itself keep him running away.

    There is child plan, medical plan, retirement plan but what about the one after it?What about death and after it? What if we’re not destined to live a long life? What if we die tomorrow?Death, as like life, is a truth and one day or another, it will come for us and we cannot do anything about it but we sure can plan for the journey after it, the journey of the afterlife.This book is a story of Arpan who has no belief in Karma or the afterlife. It’s the journey of his soul in the afterlife where he finally comes to know the truths which are still unknown for most of us.

    One moment you’re enjoying the ride, the next you’re upside down and praying for the moment your feet will touch the ground. This ride can be exhilarating and painful at the same time. This is the lesson Gizelle learned at an early age, when she was torn from her flesh and blood, found herself displaced, and in the care of strangers. In an instant the world as she knew it took on a new meaning, filled with chaos and unexplainable freedom. However, like a rainbow after the rain, there is a silver lining and for Gizelle it came in the form of a young-thug called Waka. Waka becomes the air to her lungs, exposing her to things she never thought she wanted. Their chemistry is undeniable- their passion is unprecedented. When the ride call life takes an unexpected turn, Gizelle finds herself heartbroken and alone. Pulling herself up out of the sunken place between regret and resentment will be the hardest thing she’s ever done but somehow, she finds away. A new chapter opens when she crosses paths with,a Boss who makes her want to love again.Captures her heart but what good is having a heart when someone else holds the key. When Waka returns ready to claim what he feels is rightfully his, Gizelle will find herself rocking and reeling out of control. Will she continue the new journey she started with or will she succumb to the trillest love she’s ever known? Take the ride with Gizelle, Waka, and through this addictive tale by bestselling Author Mercedes G, that is guaranteed to keep you turning pages and fiending for more.

     True love is often found when you least expect it. Snow-capped mountains and peaks that appear precarious to folks who prefer the solid comfort of level-ground are like home to me.I am Siddharth. My parents would have probably been okay had I turned to the forests seeking nirvana like the Buddha. But, I have turned to the mountains to seek solace or adventure, depending on how you look at it. The mountains are my home. They are my paradise.My parents wanted me to leave my adventures, marry a girl, and settle down. I'm not sure what that means, but I understand their love. So, I obliged them by getting engaged to a girl of their choice, but I had to do one last thing: climb Everest. It is my last calling.During my mission to climb Everest, fate showed its hand and I fell in love with my Sherpani, the woman who was my guide on the treacherous climb. Fate, however, is not finished playing games with me. It wants me to deal with more, much, much more!I don't know if I will ever climb Everest. I don't know if I will ever win my Sherpani. But, I do know that I MUST, even though life has taken a drastic and unimaginable turn... A touching and true to the heart contemporary romance. Order your copy today.