Tag: Historical Romance

It is more than a month

I cannot believe King in Hiding has been out for more than a month. This is my first historical romance novel. King Dushyant captures Princess Lalitha’s father on the battlefield, but finds himself captivated by her. Without revealing his identity, he offers to escort her on the journey home to her kingdom — and Lalitha feels an undeniable pull towards her mysterious escort. But what happens when the truth comes out?

That first meeting sets the tone for the rest of the book

Princess Lalitha is riding alone on a horse while she encounters King Dushyant and the ground. But this damsel in distress does not want to be rescued.

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How do you celebrate Spring?

Spring was welcomed in many ways in ancient India. One such is the Vasantotsava festival. Poet Kalidasa describes the festival as a time when the “earth is fragrant with new flowers.” Ratnavali, the classic Sanskrit play by Emperor Harsha, has vivid descriptions of this festival, and I used them as my reference in my latest book, “King in Hiding.”

Excerpt:

Near the village square, sweet music rose to the accompaniment of a mellow drum. Young maidens wearing flower ornaments danced to the beat while men wearing Asoka leaf wreaths threw turmeric and vermillion powder on them. The spilled dust caused the women’s saris to appear like molten gold.

“It is the Vasantotsava festival,” he said in a strange tone.

This historical romance story is available as serial episodes in Kindle Vella. I will be publishing two episodes a week. The first three episodes are free to read. If you enjoy them, please give the episodes a thumbs up, so other readers can find them.

Would you read this tale?

I have written over 50,000 words in my new tale of love. The series is based on an ancient Indian custom called svayamvara. In a svayamvara, a princess chooses a suitable groom from among the gathered suitors. Here is a sneak peek:

Princess Lalitha searches for her father, who fought in a battle against King Dushyant. When Lalitha is injured, a metalsmith rescues her. He accompanies her on the journey back to her kingdom, and there is nothing convenient about the feelings Lalitha develops for him. Her father had promised to hold a svayamvara, a groom-choosing ceremony, for her. With no male heirs, Lalitha cannot succumb to temptations if she wants to rule her kingdom.

King Dushyant was fighting to avenge his father’s death. He did not anticipate saving Princess Lalitha or escorting her to her kingdom. While he had hidden his identity from the spirited princess, his icy resolve to keep his heart untouched began to melt.

Neither can afford to surrender to the current of attraction sweeping them. But the author has different ideas for them.

If you are interested in reading my other historical fiction books, start here.

Are you a fan of Happily Ever After?

I love reading books with happily ever after endings. The ten romance novels I have read this year pay testimony to that. Reading a well-written romance novel can feel like drinking a cup of hot coffee while watching the sunrise. No one does it better than Jane Austen. Capital L love her books. Who is your favorite romance author?

However, writing a happily ever after story requires a different mastery. Unlike the Land of Magadha series, where death came without an announcement, the protagonists in my historical romance novel have to survive to the end to declare their passion. I have written over 50,000 words in this tale of love without killing my star characters, though I came close a few times.

The series is based on an ancient Indian custom called svayamvara. In a svayamvara, a princess chooses a suitable groom from among the gathered suitors. Sometimes, there might be a contest, and the prize for the winner is a wedding. In Ramayana, Rama strings a bow to win Sita’s hands.

The slender maiden glanced at him; she glanced
And uttered not a word, nor heeded how
The grass-twined blossoms of her garland danced
When she dismissed him with a formal bow.

The Dynasty of Raghu, by Kalidasa

Looking forward to sharing updates about my work in progress in the coming weeks.