Torn Together
by Emlyn
Chand
BLURB:
From her cheating
boyfriend to her dead father and cold, judgmental mother, Daly knows she can’t
trust others to be there when it counts. This cynicism begins to melt away when
she meets Kashi, a light-hearted charmer from India, who decides he cares too
much to let her fade into the background of her own life. After a series of
false starts, their quirky romance carries them to India, where Daly must win
the approval of Kashi’s family in order to seal their “forever.”
Meanwhile, Laine
struggles to cope with the pain of early widowhood, fleeing into the pages of
her well-worn library and emerging only to perform her duties as a social
worker at the crisis pregnancy center. Although her daughter wants nothing more
than to work as an artist, Laine doesn’t know how to redirect Daly to a more
suitable profession without further damaging their tenuous relationship.
Can Laine look past
her pain to learn from an unlikely mentor? Has Daly finally found someone whom
she can trust? Will the women recognize their common bonds before the
relationship is broken beyond repair?
"Torn
Together," Emlyn Chand’s first sojourn into Literary/Women's Fiction,
illustrates how our similarities often drive us apart.
REVIEW:
This book was an emotional read. It made me laugh and cry as I accompanied Daly on her journey.
Daly's character was very real for me. This story wasn't like reading a typical book, it was like reading the pages of someone's life.The conflict between Daly and her mother was very real and believable. I'm sure its something that a lot of people could relate to.
I loved Kashi's character, he was so full of life and adventure. Ms.Chand penned his character perfectly, I couldn't think of a more perfect person for her. I admired the way he was able to pull Daly out of her shell, and allow her to see herself through his eyes.
I found a lot of heart warming moments in this story, and it was truly a journey that we all could relate to.The ending of this story was not at all what I expected, but it worked. I understand that it had to be that way for Daly's journey to come full circle.
If you like emotional, well written women's fiction I recommend this book to you.
*****5STARS
EXCERPT:
Kashi pushed
the second door open, and a wall of heat crashed into them. She peeled off both
Kashi's jacket and her own, letting the hot air dry her clothes.
"Told
you." He smiled when she handed his jacket back to him.
She stepped
toward the stacked stone fountain at the center of the room, and listened to
the simple harmony of the flowing water.
"I love
this place," Kashi said. "Engages all the senses."
She agreed,
taking in the sights and scents of the blossoming flowers, listening to the
gentle trickle of the fountain, and allowing the warmth of the garden to
embrace her. It engaged all the senses, as Kashi had said, except for taste.
She glanced over at him, fixing her gaze on his full lips.
Why aren't I brave enough to initiate
the kiss myself? "So
beautiful," she said, bringing her eyes to meet his.
A curious
Postman Butterfly landed on the fountain next to them. They watched the
beautiful insect rub its forelegs together and flex its wings before flying
away almost as quickly as it had landed. She followed as the Postman flitted
upward, watching as dozens of butterflies floated above at the top of the glass
dome. She reached to her side and took Kashi's hand, then closed her eyes and
imagined him reaching up to pluck a butterfly from the sky, thus completing the
picture from her diary, completing their hat trick of fate.
Someone
bumped into them from behind, ruining the moment.
"Excuse
me," said a middle-aged woman corralling two toddlers.
Zoo visitors
continued to pour into the tiny garden, seeking shelter from the rain. The
influx of too many people into too small a space compromised the romanticism of
the place. A handful of volunteers in red vests stood guard, watching for any
misconduct.
"This
way." Kashi headed toward the exit. "It won't be so crowded."
She followed
him through the chain curtain and into the free-flight aviary.
A Scarlet
Macaw greeted them with an impertinent squawk as they strolled deeper into the
indoor jungle.
Daly stopped
to examine the colorful parrot, but Kashi continued forward, pulling her deeper
into the warm sanctuary.
The winding
trail was all but deserted. Most visitors clung to the more popular butterfly
garden, which meant the two of them were alone in the presence of the birds.
Rounding a corner, they came upon a secluded nook under a Caribbean bleeding
tree still vibrant with greenery, even though the trees outside had long since
begun to yellow and shed their leaves. High in the tree, long-necked Scarlet
Ibises hopped about, competing to find the best branch for perching. A concrete
wall, carved to resemble a natural rock structure, shielded them from the view
of potential onlookers.
Daly marveled
at the playful Ibises above. "They're so—"
Kashi
interrupted her by bringing a hand to her cheek and taking a step into her.
Is this it? Is this the moment I've
been waiting for all day?
She didn't have much time to wonder, because within an instant, his lips drew
forward to meet hers.
Her heart
trembled as he parted her lips with his tongue. She pressed closer still and
raked her hands into his hair. Locked in his embrace, she let her inhibitions
go, wanting only more, more, more as
they kissed in time to the cacophony of tweets, chirps and whistles of their
avian companions.
If only this
moment could last forever. If only I could live here permanently instead of at
home with Laine.
Kashi pulled
away and ran a finger across her lower lip.
She cast a
weak smile. Her face flushed warm, but not from embarrassment. She couldn't
allow this encounter to go on any longer—unless, of course, they really wanted
to get in trouble with zoo security.
Kashi hummed
one long beat and once again pulled her into him, this time in an embrace of
arms rather than lips.
Her cheek
pressed into his collarbone, where the rhythm of his heart thumped wildly
against her face.
Bringing his
lips to her ear, he whispered, "So, how was that for life-changing?"
GIVEAWAY
Emlyn will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC and autographed
copy of Torn Together
to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emlyn Chand emerged from the
womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not
writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author
PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also
developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is
beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with
readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit
EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun
conure Ducky!
http://amzn.com/B008XPKNWY
