Release Day! The Truth About Elves by Ekta R. Garg ~ My Thoughts #TheTruthAboutElves #NetGalley

 Happy Release Day!!

Congrats Ekta

on the release of

The Truth About Elves!

The Truth About Elves by Ekta R. Garg

Holiday Fiction, 126 pages

Published October 19, 2021 by Atmosphere Press

As a bartender in Las Vegas, Curtis seems to have the dream life. He’s single, lives close to the Strip, and only has to worry about when to pick up the next extra shift. No one knows the truth about what happened ten years ago, and no one knows how he spends three months every year: as a part-time elf for Santa Claus.

When Curtis went to the Arctic Circle the first time, he thought he could escape the unthinkable. Now, the anniversary of the worst day of his life is coming up, and he’s been asked to do the unbelievable. If Curtis wasn’t a man of his word, he would turn his back on the whole thing. But Mr. C. took Curtis in when he had nowhere else to go, and now the boss is calling in a favor—the kind that will make Curtis face the memory of the unimaginable.

If you’ve ever wondered whether holiday magic is real, come find out. Embrace the season and the power of forgiveness along with Curtis as he discovers The Truth About Elves.

My thoughts about The Truth About Elves ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"Prerna rubbed her hands together as she hurried down the long hallway outside Mr. C's office. Glad to be out of the cold, she brushed a few snowflakes from her shoulders then unlocked the door to the waiting room and went outside."

I love reading holiday stories, especially those that give me an insider's glimpse at the behind-the-scene world of Santa, his elves, and the North Pole. It all seems so magical to me. 

The Truth About Elves offers a peek at the troubled life of Curtis, a bartender in Vegas for nine months out of the year and an elf for Santa the other three. Who knew elfing could be a part-time gig? Curtis has some issues to work through but with the help of some Santa magic, things just might work out. 

This is a delightful little story that offered me a little escape for a few hours as I soaked up the wonders of the North Pole and the ever wonderous world and characters surrounding Santa Claus. I highly recommend The Truth About Elves and hope that you take a little time out of your busy schedule this season to enjoy some holiday magic 

I received an ARC of The Truth About Elves via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Following the completion of her MSJ in magazine publishing from Northwestern University, Ekta’s career in publishing started in 2005 when she became the editor for all special projects out of Community Newspapers, Inc., (now Pamplin Media Group) in Portland, Oregon. Since then she’s enjoyed a tremendous amount of diversity in her career, freelance writing and editing about everything from healthcare to home improvement to Hindi films. In 2010, as the mother to two young children, Ekta added blogging to her resume by starting The Write Edge at http://thewriteedge.wordpress.com. The blog, and its three extension blogs, gives her a place to share her short fiction, book reviews, and parenting adventures.

As a book reviewer for Bookpleasures.com and Netgalley.com, Ekta gets to stay up way too late reading advanced reviewer copies of new adventures by experienced and upcoming authors alike. She also uses The Write Edge as a dynamic communication tool for those interested in hiring her as an editor for their writing projects. She’s met many talented people along the way in the incredible opportunities she’s received to edit short stories, memoirs, how-to books, anthologies, and (her first love) novels.

When not writing and editing, Ekta spends time with friends (the ones other people can see) and ponders just how she came to be so blessed by a husband who loves her and by two beautiful daughters who astound her on a regular basis. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Ekta

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Two for the Holidays (Stories in Pairs, Set 5) by Ekta R. Garg

Two for the Holidays

Two for the Holidays by Ekta R. Garg
Series: Stories in Pairs, Set 5
Kindle Edition
Published December 15th 2015 by Prairie Sky Publishing

A medium gets ready for one of the biggest days in her career speaking to the dead. An elf accepts an unusual assignment and faces his past. Two stories about people tied to holiday-themed professions. Two stories about the reality of life's hardships in the last quarter of the year. Two stories for the holidays.

The first story, "Take A Breath": Marisa Bellini has traveled to a tiny town on Halloween to help people contact the dead. She’s built an empire on the idea that she can talk to ghosts…but can she really? Sometimes even Marisa isn't sure.

The second story, "The Truth About Elves": Curtis, an elf, sets the record straight. No, elves don’t have pointy ears, they aren’t three feet tall, and they don’t live at the North Pole all year long. When Curtis gets a special assignment from the big man himself, though, he learns that Christmas magic has the power to transform everything he’s known for the last decade.

Come spend the holidays with Marisa and Curtis, and join the Stories in Pairs journey!

My thoughts about Two for the Holidays ~~ 

Two for the Holidays is another great set of stories from Ekta Garg. And I love holiday stories so this was a great read this time of year. 

In Take a Breath, Marissa is a woman who contacts the dead for the loved ones left behind. Is she scamming people out of their money, or is she really legit? Sometimes she even doesn't know the answer to that question. 

I especially loved The Truth About Elves. I love when authors take a well known story, in this case Santa and his elves, and put their own, very different spin to the usual story. Being an elf in Ekta's world is not at all what we think of when we imagine Santa's elves' lives. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this set of stories and loved discovering the connection between them. This time it was a little tricky for me to find the connection but when I did, it made both stories so special. I am excited for the next set of stories coming from Ekta so I can learn more about these two great characters. 

About the author

Since the start of her publishing career in 2005 Ekta has edited and written about everything from health care to home improvement to Hindi films. She has worked for: The Portland Physician Scribe, Portland, Oregon's premier medical newspaper; show magazines for home tours organized by the Portland Home Builders Association; ABCDlady.com; The Bollywood Ticket; The International Indian; and the annual anthologies published by the Avondale Inkslingers, based in Avondale, Arizona.

In 2011 Ekta stepped off the ledge and became a freelancer. She edits short stories and novels for other writers, contributing to their writing dreams. She is also a part-time editor for aois21, and she reviews books for her own book review blog as well as NetGalley, TypeReel, andBookpleasures.com.

Prairie Sky Publishing serves as the publishing arm of Ekta's professional writing blog, The Write Edge (thewriteedge.wordpress.com). When she's not writing, Ekta is a domestic engineer--known in the vernacular as "a housewife." She's married, has two energetic daughters who keep her running, and she divides her time between keeping house and fulfilling her writing dreams.

Connect with Ekta

Website |Goodreads | Amazon

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Two for the Road (Stories in Pairs Book 3) by Ekta R Garg and a Thank You Gift from Ekta!

Two for the Road

Two for the Road by Ekta R Garg

Series: Stories in Pairs Book 3

Kindle Edition, 60 pages

Published July 7th 2015 by Prairie Sky Publishing

Ah, summer. Long days full of warm sunshine and one of the most popular times to travel. But what happens when something throws your travel plans off course?

The First Story, "Excess Baggage": Allison has just come home from a grueling business trip. All she wants to do is spend a quiet weekend at home parked in front of the TV or maybe curled up with a blanket. When a friend calls to ask her for a favor, though, all of Allison’s plans hit rough air.

The Second Story, "Wrong Way": With one daughter married and another in college, Rachel and Jim should be enjoying their time as a couple again. But Jim’s worries about his widowed mother force Rachel into a spur-of-the-moment road trip to check on the old bat. When Jim catches Rachel complaining to a friend, tension will ride with them in the car. Can Rachel make an apology stick?

My thoughts about Two for the Road ~~

Ekta has come up with an interesting concept for her short stories; she writes in pairs. We get two sets of stories, this pair deals with traveling and road trips, Two for the Road. The next set, More from the Road, will be connected to the first one and we will learn a little bit more about the characters and their lives.

The first story is full of great characters, people we have all run across in our lives. Allison's weekend doesn't go as planned when she has to deal with some unexpected guests. She handles it as best she can, even though all she wanted to do was to spend the weekend alone and relax. With this story ending the way it did, I can't wait to see where the next set takes us.

The second story is about a couple who have been married for twenty-seven years. Their idea of how to spend some free time together is not the same, which leads to an argument and lots of tension on their road trip. Again, I can't wait to see where this story is going to go.

I also read Ekta's first set of stories which deal with the heart and I loved them. I love getting to know her characters and then getting a little bit more of the backstory to find out why they are thinking and acting the way they are.

Read my thoughts about the first set of stories.

Two for the Heart - book 1
More for the Heart - book 2

Read the 'why' behind Stories in Pairs

http://prairieskypublishing.com/stories-in-pairs-what-why/

Two to Say Thank You 
(Stories in Pairs, Bonus Set)
by Ekta R. Garg

Ekta has made Two to Say Thank You available to download for free! It's a way for you to get a feel for the series. It's available now on Goodreads and is coming soon to Smashwords. The book is called Two to Say Thank You. If you do a Goodreads search for the book with her name and then click Download eBook you'll get it in PDF form. 

Here's your chance to experience Stories in Pairs for free! Read this pair of stories to find out exactly how Stories in Pairs work and to get to know characters you'll love!

About the author

Since the start of her publishing career in 2005 Ekta has edited and written about everything from health care to home improvement to Hindi films. She has worked for: The Portland Physician Scribe, Portland, Oregon's premier medical newspaper; show magazines for home tours organized by the Portland Home Builders Association; ABCDlady.com; The Bollywood Ticket; The International Indian; and the annual anthologies published by the Avondale Inkslingers, based in Avondale, Arizona.

In 2011 Ekta stepped off the ledge and became a freelancer. She edits short stories and novels for other writers, contributing to their writing dreams. She is also a part-time editor for aois21, and she reviews books for her own book review blog as well as NetGalley, TypeReel, and Bookpleasures.com.

Prairie Sky Publishing serves as the publishing arm of Ekta's professional writing blog, The Write Edge (thewriteedge.wordpress.com). When she's not writing, Ekta is a domestic engineer--known in the vernacular as "a housewife." She's married, has two energetic daughters who keep her running, and she divides her time between keeping house and fulfilling her writing dreams.

Connect with Ekta

Website |Goodreads | Amazon

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

More for the Heart (Stories in Pairs, Set Two) by Ekta R. Garg

More for the Heart

More for the Heart (Stories in Pairs, Set Two) by Ekta R. Garg

ebook

Published: April 7th 2015 by Prairie Sky Publishing

Two more stories about the power of love. Two more stories about the characters you remember. Two more stories for the heart.

“Making The Proposal”: Readers learned in Two for the Heart about the end of Pooja and Akshay’s unique arrangement—get married and then prepare their divorce papers—but did you wonder how it began? Just how did Pooja and Akshay make this crazy deal in the first place? Find out in this first story in More for the Heart.

“Reminiscence”: In Two for the Heart, sisters Rose and Helen reconnect with great reluctance after an 11-year estrangement. These two women have spent more than a decade apart. What convinces Rose to stay this time around? Sit at the table with Rose and watch her internal transformation in the second story in More for the Heart. 

My thoughts about More for the Heart ~~ 

Elka has devised such an interesting idea for her sets of stories. Two for the Heart was her first set. And now, in More for the Heart, the second set, we get to learn the back stories of how the characters got to the places we found them in, in the first set. 

I loved the connected stories in Two for the Heart and you can read my thoughts here. In this most recent set of stories, we come to understand more about the characters and the situations they find themselves in. We get a better understanding of what makes them tick and think the way they do. 

I found that I wanted to get totally immersed in the story so I went back and re-read the first set before reading More for the Heart. With their stories fresh in my mind, I am sure I enjoyed my visit to their world even more. 

I love this concept for storytelling and look forward to the next set. Elka has created wonderful characters and stories and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next. 

And look closely at the cover. That's me quoted up there on the cover of More for the Heart! Awesomeness!! This is a first for me. I am so honored! 

Read more about Stories in Pairs 

http://prairieskypublishing.com/stories-in-pairs-what-why/

About the author

Since the start of her publishing career in 2005 Ekta has edited and written about everything from health care to home improvement to Hindi films. She has worked for: The Portland Physician Scribe, Portland, Oregon's premier medical newspaper; show magazines for home tours organized by the Portland Home Builders Association; ABCDlady.com; The Bollywood Ticket; The International Indian; and the annual anthologies published by the Avondale Inkslingers, based in Avondale, Arizona.

In 2011 Ekta stepped off the ledge and became a freelancer. She edits short stories and novels for other writers, contributing to their writing dreams. She is also a part-time editor for aois21, and she reviews books for her own book review blog as well as NetGalley, TypeReel, and Bookpleasures.com.

Prairie Sky Publishing serves as the publishing arm of Ekta's professional writing blog, The Write Edge (thewriteedge.wordpress.com). When she's not writing, Ekta is a domestic engineer--known in the vernacular as "a housewife." She's married, has two energetic daughters who keep her running, and she divides her time between keeping house and fulfilling her writing dreams.

Connect with Ekta

Website | Goodreads | Amazon

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Two for the Heart (Stories in Pairs, Set 1) by Ekta R. Garg

Two for the Heart

Two for the Heart by Ekta R. Garg
Series: Stories in Pairs, Set 1
ebook, first edition, 77 pages
Published: February 3, 2015 by Prairie Sky Publishing

A man and a woman get their divorce papers right after the wedding. A woman learns she’s suffering from amnesia. Two stories about relationships and the power of love. Two stories with characters to remember. Two stories for the heart.

The Proposal - Pooja and Akshay don’t want to bother with relationships, but they get cornered into marriage. The two devise a fool-proof plan: get married, then get their divorce papers ready. But will they have the guts to go through with the break up?

Remembrance - Helen wakes up in the hospital, but she has no idea how she got there. Everyone dodges the question…and then the sister she hasn't spoken to in 11 years arrives. Why is she here? And will Helen ever remember what happened?

The stories share a connection with each other and will definitely make one with readers.

My thoughts about Two for the Heart ~~

What an interesting and different idea for telling stories. Ekta will be writing her stories in pairs. First we will get the main stories and characters then in the next set we will learn even more about those characters who we came to know in the first set. The two stories in the pairs will have a thread that connects then. The reader has to figure out what that thread is. Doesn't this sound like a fun and unusual way to tell and read stories?

Both of these stories had great characters and plots. I was intrigued to discover how they would each deal with the situations that they found themselves in. And I loved looking for that connection between the two stories. The two stories are completely different from each other but they do indeed have a connection. And they are definitely stories of the heart.

I loved both of these stories and I can't wait to continue this unique reading journey that Ekta has come up with. She is a wonderful storyteller!

Read more about Stories in Pairs 

http://prairieskypublishing.com/stories-in-pairs-what-why/

About the author

Since the start of her publishing career in 2005 Ekta has edited and written about everything from health care to home improvement to Hindi films. She has worked for: The Portland Physician Scribe, Portland, Oregon's premier medical newspaper; show magazines for home tours organized by the Portland Home Builders Association; ABCDlady.com; The Bollywood Ticket; The International Indian; and the annual anthologies published by the Avondale Inkslingers, based in Avondale, Arizona.

In 2011 Ekta stepped off the ledge and became a freelancer. She edits short stories and novels for other writers, contributing to their writing dreams. She is also a part-time editor for aois21, and she reviews books for her own book review blog as well as NetGalley, TypeReel, and Bookpleasures.com.

Prairie Sky Publishing serves as the publishing arm of Ekta's professional writing blog, The Write Edge (thewriteedge.wordpress.com). When she's not writing, Ekta is a domestic engineer--known in the vernacular as "a housewife." She's married, has two energetic daughters who keep her running, and she divides her time between keeping house and fulfilling her writing dreams.

Connect with Ekta

Website | Goodreads | Amazon

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!