Taj Mahal Love, by Aria Dirmilli - Captivating Twist of Romantic Love Story

 

“Hi. I don’t mind. Honestly, it’s rare to meet someone who actually reads more than a page before getting distracted.” “Guilty of staying up way too late reading. Once a book hooks me, I can’t put it down.” I smiled at the screen, my fingers moving before I thought too hard. “Same. I tell myself “just one more chapter,” and suddenly the sun’s coming up.”

“So, you have obviously mentioned  you’re from India, tell me more about India.” “Yes, I’m from Mumbai, but I’ve been in the States for a little over four years, first to do my bachelors and then to finish my master’s degree. That’s why I was in Chicago.” He replied. “Ok I see, it seems you are familiarized with american culture… Maybe you can teach me some Hindi? I mean if that’s ok? Not sure if that’s offensive?” “Yes, even before moving to the states, I watched many American TV shows, films, and obviously books by American authors… Not offensive at all, I’m very proud of my culture” Soon, our chats became a part of my days. At first, it was just short, casual messages, but within weeks, we were writing paragraphs. About the music that shaped us. The books that stayed with us. Even little things, like how I preferred the quiet of late nights and he loved the way mornings felt before the world was fully awake. Our conversation had drifted easily, like an old jazz record playing softly in the background, smooth, unexpected, and impossible to stop. "I didn’t realize how late it was," I said. Glancing at the clock in the corner of my laptop screen. 12:03 a.m. It blinked at me like it knew something I didn’t. "Guess that’s a good sign. Either we talk too much or time’s just playing tricks on us." "Or both." "What were we even talking about just now?" "Books, You were ranting about how On the Road is overrated." "Because it is!" he continued with a second long text “Kerouac was romanticizing being broke and irresponsible like it was a lifestyle choice.” I raised an eyebrow reading his message. "So you’re telling me if someone handed you a map and a full tank of gas, you wouldn’t go?" It took him a while to reply. "Okay, maybe I'll go. But I’d bring snacks and a charger. You know, the modern version of being spontaneous." I laughed texting back. "Spontaneity with Wi-Fi. Revolutionary." His sarcasm kept our conversations. “I do want to see it, though. All of it. The desert, the redwoods, diners in the middle of nowhere… places where no one knows your name but they still pour your coffee like you’ve been coming there for years. There is this place though it's been on the top of my list since before moving to Colorado. Four corners. Have you heard of it?” "Oh interesting I haven’t, what's there?  I questioned back. Although I had never heard his voice, I would imagine it through our texts, it felt as if he was there in the room with me. "It’s where the four corners of Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico meet. I keep saying I will go once I have the time. Then, once I figured out who I was going with. I guess I just never went." "Maybe you don’t need a reason, maybe you just need to go." He was quiet for a beat. "You’d come with me?" I blinked, surprised. "What, to four corners?" "To anywhere," he said "Just… hypothetically. If I rented a beat-up car and played terrible playlists, would you sit in the passenger seat?" I bit my lip, smiling. "Only if I get to DJ at least half the time." "Deal" he texted back

 immediately. "But only if you don’t skip bollywood songs" "That's a non-negotiable, You’re safe there." In my head I could imagine, like we were sitting next to each other on a porch swing somewhere, not separated by miles and glowing screens. "You think it’s weird," he asked after a moment, "how we never run out of things to say?" "No, I think it’s rare." And in that quiet night, just past midnight, I realized something else too: rare things aren’t meant to be ignored. They’re meant to be followed, even if it means going a little off map. “Nice talking to you pyaari, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” “Pyaari?” “It means “dear” in Hindi, it’s how we refer to our friends or close ones” “Oh okay, good night.” I felt butterflies as I texted back. “Good night.”

~~~~

“So, if you had to choose, books or music?” “That’s cruel. Books feed my mind. Music feeds my heart. I need both.” “Good answer. If you had chosen one, I would’ve known you were lying.” I laughed to myself, shaking my head at my phone.

I must admit that I chose this book because of the title and book cover. I'll never get to see this building, but it has always been on the top of my list of places I would like to have visited... It is indeed a fascinating structure that is well deserved as one of the 8 Wonders of the World!

Meeting online can become a problem, of course. For Kyra she was delighted to have somebody asking her to connect that actually had substantive information on his profile--poetry, mentions of books/literature. She of course accepted! Everything was going fine, they became friends immediately because of these common interests and were soon talking almost daily. Until Kishan discovered that she was only 16 and immediately pulled back because of the age difference. 

Still, they had developed such a close connection that later they reconnected and began a closer relationship. I must admit that I was hoping for this to continue, given my common interests in books and music myself, LOL... But, along comes a big problem. Kishan's mother saw the close connection and explained to Kishan that she would not accept his marrying outside of their culture. He had to choose...

There went my chance to see the Taj Mahal through their eyes... LOL Because, the author quickly moved on from First Love...to...another... which actually became the major portion of the book. Other than my thinking that the title could have been better chosen, I was surprised when she promised to find her First Love in the afterlife and continue on... Ah, first love, unfortunately, is replaced when you're still at an early life...

For the remainder of the book takes place, having nothing to do with India, disappointingly for me...

“Hi Kyra, would it be ok to call you? I would like to hear you translate this new Spanish  song.” The Despacito trending song was the first he had asked me to translate. I agreed with hesitation. I saw my phone ring, I was nervous. “Hi Kyra.”

Not meant to be

 but meant to meet

 I was just a girl

 with stars in my eyes,

 You were the boy

 from another life.

 We ran hand in hand,

 chasing the rainbow’s light,

 Two worlds apart,

 but together that night.

 Up on Lookout Mountain,

 snow in the trees, 

Your jacket on my shoulders,

 the cold on the breeze.

 The sky turned saffron,

 then crimson and gold,

 Like Diwali flames

 in the stories you told.

 You were my Indian summer

 In the heart of winter’s freeze,

 Like silk sarees

 in the moonlight

 Dancing in the midnight breeze.

 We weren’t meant

 to be forever,

 But we were meant to meet, 

Now you’re just a memory

 That still smiles inside of me.

 You spoke of your home

 half a world away,

 Sacred temples 

and kites in the warm Bombay bay.

 I told you my dreams,

 you told me your fate,

 We knew from the start

 we could never stay.

 You were my Indian summer

 In the heart of winter’s freeze,

 Like silk sarees

 in the moonlight

 Dancing in the midnight breeze.

 We weren’t meant to be forever,

 But we were meant to meet,

 Now you’re just a memory

 That still smiles inside of me.

 Not every love is meant to stay,

 Some are lanterns that light the way.

 And I’ll keep that light, quietly,

 Like you still keep a piece of me.

~

On the other hand, Dirmilli takes Kira into another world where she is not only able to share much more with her new friend, but has a rich and full life, with a child... And begins an entirely different life...

Crested Butte Cowboys Series Book 1, And Then You Fall, by Heather A. Buchman Offers Spotlight on GB Leighton!

Certain song titles and lyrics in this book are by

 GB Leighton and are reproduced by permission.

Actual songs here selected randomly at BRH

Liv picked up her tablet and hit replay on the song coming through the wireless speakers. She intended to set the tablet back down on the ledge in the barn, but hesitated, picked it back up, and scrolled through a social media feed. It took her a minute to zip through the hundred new posts. There was nothing from the only person she hoped for. Why would there be? It was ten in the morning. Liv had checked at least four times in as many hours. What rock star was on social media between midnight and noon? Logical, but it didn’t stop her from looking. Besides, he would never define himself that way. Just a working musician, he’d say. He might even admit to being a songwriter. And a dad. Not that she’d be having a conversation with him. 

A car pulled up outside the barn as she tapped the screen to check another social media site, also for the fourth time that morning. “Aren’t you getting tired of listening to this? It’s time for a new playlist.” Paige Cochran planted her heels in the dirt to shift the heavy barn door open. As usual, Paige dressed more as though she was going to a high-powered meeting at the investment firm she consulted for, not to visit her best friend’s barn. 

“But I love this song,” Liv muttered as she flicked through the playlists for something else to listen to. “Here’s the thing—”

“Don’t say it. I can listen to whatever the hell I want to in my own damn barn.”

 “A little testy this morning?”

 “I’m sick of people complaining about my music,” Liv growled. “People? What people? Who have you seen in the last few days other than Pooh and Micah?” 

Pooh was a fourteen-year-old sweetheart of a mare. The quarter horse belonged to Liv’s twenty-one-year-old daughter, who stood firm on the name Pooh when they’d gotten the horse when she was ten. “You don’t know Winnie the Pooh is a boy. He might be a girl.” Renie, short for Irene, informed her, not realizing the slip in her own words. 

“You’re right,” Liv had answered, rolling her eyes. “He may be a she. What was I thinking?”

 The other horse, Micah, was Liv’s baby. The four-year-old appaloosa gelding showed promise as a barrel racer. Liv didn’t want to part with him for proper training, and she couldn’t train him herself. Those days were over for her. They had been since before Renie was born. 
“You didn’t answer me. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I’m getting tired of my own company. I’m bored, and sick of the cold weather.”
~~~

And Then You Fall:

Crested Butte Cowboys Series

By Heather A. Buchman

Really enjoyed being introduced to both a new author and a new country singer, to me, all tied up in one package! The book includes selected songs and lyrics to complement the story (while I selected what was available online to give you the experience).

All I Want is You 

Your breath and your heart 

The way that you’re smart 

The charm of your tease 

When you make me say please 

Your eyes and your hair 

The look of your stare 

You make my soul lift higher 

You set my love on fire Baby, 

every word I say is true 

All I want is your mouth, 

and your lips 

And your soft fingertips, 

The curve of your spine 

Well it’s gotta be mine 

The warmth of your kiss 

When we’re lying like this 

The heat of your touch 

Well it’s never too much 

You make my heart beat wild 

Turn me into child 

Where the hell would I be without you

 The soft skin on your bones 

And the smile I would own 

When the blood in my veins flows 

With all that remains of doom. 

All I want is you.

 —GB Leighton

~~~

The man, and his music,
made her quiver.
She shuddered.
 I cannot think this way.
 I’m with my daughter.
What is wrong with me?
~~~

Ben was muscular, 

not body-builder muscular, but

but hard-as-rock muscular. 

He reached up to put his straw

 cowboy hat on the rack
with his jacket,
and Liv remembered

 he kept his head shaved. 

He turned and looked
 straight at her,
bestowing her with a
 charming smile.
“Hey little lady,”
he reached for her hand.

 “It’s good to see you..."

~~~

Want to start a new series? (if you haven't already) then check out this fun, musical, western Cowboy Series. I only wish I had the time to proceed on through the whole series, but it's just impossible for me due to other commitments...but do check it out especially if you love country music and country living!

Ben Rice was one of those men who you may form a huge, immediate crush on, but can't quite believe it could be anything real... but Liv was at least interested enough that she'd consider all these accidental meetings maybe a sign? While Ben was much more decisive--he was pretty sure that she was "the one..." Could he convince Liv he was serious?

Liv is a woman with whom many will feel empathy. She's been a single Mom for years, always putting her own dreams aside to take care of her daughter and make sure she had everything she needs. Now her daughter is grown, but falling for a stage personality, who is away from home for much of his time, is scary in itself...and, wouldn't that just put her playing second fiddle for the rest of her life? 

I think both men and women, especially country folk, will enjoy this story. It's thoughtful, timely and goes directly into the lives of many women who have put their lives on hold for others. And, you know, can you really even trust a celebrity to give up all those women who throw themselves at him while on the road!?! You'll have to read this great book to find out! I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to those who enjoy chick lit, a good ole romance--a solid love story... and cowboys!

GABixlerReviews

My books are filled with things that bring me joy: music, wine, skiing, families, artists and cowboys. Not always in that order. 

I'm an author, speaker, editor, teacher, blogger, and in my spare time--became certified as an executive sommelier. I bring years of experience in the publishing world to all I do. I've edited and designed more than two hundred books, including fiction, non-fiction, children's books, coffee table, and cookbooks.

I'm an east coast girl, who spent half her life on the west coast. But now my husband, our two boys, and I happily call Colorado home.

More than 200 shows a year. Jubilant fans who follow him from Minnesota to Mexico. More than 70,000 albums sold. A new release “Get Up” and a state-of-the-art nightclub named after one of his songs -- all without the support of a major record label…

Meet GB Leighton, a band named after one of the regions’ most incendiary live performers and consistently solid songwriters, Brian Leighton. Through more than a decade and eleven studio albums, Leighton and his six piece band have been tearing up rock clubs, festivals and even a few fan’s living rooms with a slew of songs that connect with the heart and couples singing along out on the dance floor. “A man of the people” is a phrase usually reserved for statesmen and politicians, but for Leighton, it’s a fitting description when you see him in action working a crowd.

Where have we seen this phenomena before? Springsteen in Asbury Park before he lit out for New York and the wider world; Mellencamp back in those anonymous Indiana bars; Hootie and the Blowfish lightin’ up the southern circuit…Leighton delivers that same inescapable rock ‘n’ roll spirit night after night. “If I hadn’t heard a bunch of Bruce’s bootlegs or seen the videos I’d be a much different musician,” he says today. “He’s always been a great songwriter and performer, like a preacher almost who commands an audience. That’s the place I’m coming from. But at the end of the day, I’m just a common guy, a working class kid from a Twin Cities suburb who loves to put on a good show and hopefully write some good songs in between.”

When approached to have a first-class, high-tech nightclub – not far from his house in New Brighton - named after a song his first album, “Pickle Park”, Leighton was in. Not since Prince opened Glam Slam in downtown Minneapolis has any Minnesota musician opened a club where fans can expect to see a hometown rocker and his band play live and hang out “to catch a Vike’s game or just kick back”. He adds, “It’s another way to keep fans happy and to share a space with them. It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time and when club owners Tom Tomaro and Mike Tupa approached me about the idea, I was all over it.”

Leighton makes his national country debut with “Get Up”, his eleventh album. For Leighton, who was also recently honored by Billboard.com as a Top 10 Country Artist to Watch in 2014 as well, this project is something his fans of all ages and interests can enjoy. Leighton’s music has clearly left a lasting impression in the Midwest as fans have inked themselves with his lyrics.

“This is the only thing I ever wanted to do. I don’t see stopping or changing it up no matter where it takes me and the band.”

YA/Adult Contemporary Romance, Every Glance, by Sylvie Nathan, Set Against Today's World...

“I’m sorry , babe. I just got really scared, and I really don’t think fighting in public with people that stare at us and make comments towards us is the best way to handle it— but I know that your hands were kind of tied, and it was your reflex to go after that guy. So I understand, and I’m sorry,” Britney said timidly. 

Dez situated herself under the sheets and pulled the cord to shut off the lamp on her bedside table. With the room lit only by the lamp on Britney’s side, she leaned over and faced her girlfriend. “It’s okay Brit. I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t have gotten physical and that was really bad form. I just couldn’t hold my tongue anymore. But to be honest I don’t know if I would take it back or ever be able to handle it differently . I’m not cut out for this, having people stare at me or laugh at me— I just can’t sit by and let it happen, it’s too painful.”

 Britney knew that they hadn’t settled the issue, and that it may never be settled because Dez was stubborn when it came to most things. She flipped over to face the wall and turned off her own lamp. “I know Dez, I know,” she whispered. 

They both laid there for minutes before even attempting to go to sleep, both still shaken from the night’s events. Britney’s throat swelled and ached from the tears that she was so desperately fighting back, and she made sure not to make a sound when the tears did start free falling from her eyes.

Every Glance

By Sylvie Nation

It may be accepted nation-wide for homosexual marriage, but we all know that there will always be those who will not accept it. At the same time, those who are homosexual are the ones who are judged, harassed...and watched...

Sylvie Nation tells of a young girl, Dez, who had fallen in love with Britney and had become a couple. But Dez was having a hard time with accepting the attention that was made every time they went out together. All they had done was go out to dinner... But a group of men had watched them all through the meal and then followed them when they left...

Dez hailed a cab and held Britney closely in the light breeze while they waited for a cab with its lights on to pull in front of them. Neither of them noticed as the men came outside and lit cigarettes behind them, resuming the stares that they had become quite practiced at in the restaurant. Hearing voices, both girls glanced behind them and seeing the men they quickly turned around and held onto each other tighter. Not because of the weather, but because of a desperate desire to be left alone and be safe at home. 

The men started whispering and chuckling loudly obviously trying to get a rise out of either of the girls . Dez had to physically bite her lip in order to keep from saying anything. But because they weren’t getting the reaction that they were looking for, it didn’t take long for the guys to make their snickers verbal. They yelled from where they stood, “Hey dyke!” and “I’ve never seen a lesbian that looked so normal!” to Britney. They laughed back and forth until Dez could no longer contain herself. She broke loose from Britney and charged at the group...

~~~

Most of us have known people who were in same-sex relationships...Most of mine have been in a business environment or in a group situation where you don't think about their personal choices...

This story, therefore, for me, was an eye opener. We've all heard of cruel harassment or even worse, but normally that is told to us second-hand. I applaud Sylvie Nathan for writing this short that will surely be of help to young teens who are already or will begin to face this sad and hurtful type of discrimination...

Britney was able to have those hurtful feelings slide off her back, without making a scene. Not so Dez... And when it caused trouble between them, Dez chose to not go out as a couple again...

Obviously, that was not the answer...

So Britney decided to give her an ultimatum!

This is a heartwarming, sad, and, finally, victorious story that is well worth your time. It's a short story with a big message for both straights and homosexuals as well. It's time to accept the world's people as they are... Love is a beautiful story in itself...



GABixlerReviews

Sylvie Nathan was born in Toronto, Canada. Sylvie lives in Seaforth, Ontario with her wife, their child and two cats (George and Darya). Sylvie is an author of lesbian romance and thrillers. In her free time, she likes to meditate, read, draw, clean the house and go on trips with her family.