Thursday 5 July 2012

Guest Post, $15 Amazon GC Giveaway and best comment SPOTLIGHT: The Destiny of Shaitan by Laxmi Hariharan



Epic fantasy kindle bestseller, "The Destiny of Shaitan is mind-blowing, dark, humorous, and clever. It took me on a powerful journey inwards, which was a surprise, as I'm not generally drawn to Sci-Fi or Fantasy. I love the scene where the planet is covered with water and Yudi rescues Tiina. It's core message is unity. I believe it will appeal to people across all ages." - Sonia Ducie Dip.CSN.AIN, Numerologist, Author of eleven Numerology books.


Inspired by Indian mythology and partially set in a futuristic Bombay, The Destiny of Shaitan is a coming of age story, painted against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world. 



When Tiina accompanies Yudi on a mission to save the universe from the ruthless Shaitan, she seeks more than the end of the tyrant; she seeks herself. Driven by greed and fear for his own survival, Shaitan bulldozes his way through the galaxy, destroying everything in his path.  Tiina wants Yudi to destroy Shaitan, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Shaitan being killed by his son. But she finds that Yudi is hesitant to do so. The final showdown between Tiina, Yudi, and Shaitan has unexpected consequences, for Shaitan will do anything in his power to win the fight.  The stakes are high and the combatants determined. Will Shaitan's ultimate destiny be fulfilled?


Buy Now @ Amazon 
Genre - Fantasy / Metaphysical
Rating - PG13
More details about the author

Connect with Laxmi Hariharan on Twitter & Facebook 

BETTER TO HAVE LOVED & LOST

- GUEST POST BY LAXMI HARIHARAN


Loving you, loving me
In the voice of Tiina Yadav  (The Destiny of Shaitan)



Tiina Yadav
Growing up on Ka Surya, my mother the queen once revealed to me in a moment of weakness, how she had fallen in love at sixteen, with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. She had loved him with all the passion of a first infatuation—it was clear she had never got over him. 

“Why did you not marry him?” I asked. 

She laughed “I had a duty to wed well and produce heirs for the throne....” her voice tapered off. 

Now with the threat of Shaitan’s invasion hanging over us, I wondered if she was thinking the same thing. Was the sacrifice really worth it when she could lose the very kingdom she had sacrificed so much for?  

“I don’t regret it though, if I had not followed my heart I would have never known how it was to love someone so much that..that.. when I left him, I was convinced I would die. It was real, the pain, and I had never felt more alive. Never felt that way since... well not counting giving birth” she smiled. 

I couldn’t understand what she meant at that time. Why fall in love with someone only to leave him? It seemed like an awfully painful way of discovering that you were real. 

“It’s better to have loved than not...” my mother explained somewhat unconvincingly. Ha! Here I was, twelve years later, in almost the same situation. Perhaps destiny like history does repeat itself? Except, nothing had stopped me from following my heart. Only myself. 

Rai had been right, I was my own worst enemy. I didn’t really know what I wanted, did I? “I love you” he had said. Those three words which every girl wants to hear. Did I? 

“Stay with me” he said. And I had run away from him, from everything I knew, from my life as it was. Because that life was not for me. Was it? Oh! I did love him alright, in my own way. But I couldn’t stay.  I knew what I didn’t want.  Maybe it was because somewhere deep inside I knew he would always love me. Ah! So, he would cheat on you, but he still loves you? 

It did sound strange when I said it aloud that way. But did I feel for him as much as I had felt for Egreog? I had known Egreog for but a few days. Yudi, I had known all my life. He was my first, the boy who made me feel a woman, when those strange innocent feelings shivered up my spine embracing my heart, before flowering my face.  

The boy had been innocent, his heart on his sleeve, true feelings for me glowing in his eyes. The man he had become was tougher, harder, with a mean streak running through him. More like his father every day. I shivered in premonition and clutched my trusted sword where it lay in front of me next to the control panel of Artemis. The hard feel of the cold metal brought me back to the present. Best to move forward onward to my destination where the Seven Islands awaited.


About Laxmi Hariharan

(In the author’s words) I am a writer, technophile & dare I say, a futurist, with a penchant for chai and growing eye-catching flowers.  Wanderlust drove me out of my home country India to travel across Asia, and I lived in Singapore and Hong Kong before coming home to London.  

I am inspired by Indian mythology; I draw from the stories my grandmother narrated to me as a child. It is in acknowledging my roots that I found my voice. When not writing I love walking in the woods with my soulmate, and indulging my inner geek. 

My debut novel The Destiny of Shaitan  (#1 Chronicle of the Three) is available on Amazon http://tiny.cc/szqsew

I would love to connect with you:





If you like my writing and would like to be profiled in my Reader Avatar Series then please email me at laxmihariharan@yahoo.com

GIVEAWAY


Giveaway details are
- any one who comments is entered into a draw to win $15 amazon card
- in addition the person who contributes best comment will be spotlighted: author will profile them on my Reader Avatar series on her blog  http://www.laxmihariharan.com/p/my-reader-avatars.html


a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 comments:

  1. Thanks Vidya for hosting me. It feels I am closer to home too since you are based in Chennai! I hope to be there 12.12.12 for another book launch... but that's another story ;)

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  2. Congrats on the new release! Sounds fabulous :)

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  3. Best comment. No pressure, huh? :)

    In your profile, it says that you use the stories you where told by your granmother Laxmi and that you are inspired by Indian mythology.
    Is there any particular story of your grandmother or Indian myth that you worked into this book?
    I admit to not being familiar with a lot of Indian myth' , so I might not have picked the similarities up.

    Emiliana

    emiliana25 at web dot de

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    1. Hi Eimiliana,
      I actually borrow from the plotlines of a wide range of stories from Indian mythology... not to give everything away but for example one of the stories goes that Yudishtra (the oldest of the Pandavas) is asked five questions which he has to answer correctly if he wants to see his brothers and wife come back to life... and I use this plotline in a key scene in the novel. I also provide a bookclub guide with more detail on the stories at the end of the novel:) Hope you will have a chance to read it.
      Laxmi

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  4. Love the mix of past and future, mythology and post-apocalypse! Isn't it the greatest sacrifice when a hero/heroine sacrifices up heart's desire for the bigger good?

    ivegotmail8889@yahoo.com

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  5. The book seems to be an interesting mix of romance and adventure, with a sci-fi setting. I'm looking forward to find more about it!

    anas-karina(at)mail(dot)ru

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    1. Hi Anas,
      nice to see a comment from someone based in Russia (you are based in Russia right?) Sergey Lukyanenko (Day Watch & Night Watch) is one of my favourite authors!

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