How I Met Dev and Zara
How I Met Dev and Zara
And Why I am writing this edition standing up
Mahalo Postmate,
I’m writing this edition of The Writer Gal Letter listening to one of my favorite songs in the whole world - Tonight by John Legend! I heard it first during my second Hyderabad Lit Fest trip - it played on loop on the VH1 music channel in my hotel room and I fell in love with the lyrics ANDDDDD with the man starring in the video.
A certain Michael Ealy (This is important. Remember this name).
I’m also standing at my desk and working today because yesterday I was diagnosed with ‘crepitus - which apparently is an old people’s disease where your knees knock together and you can’t stand for extended periods of time.
Yep, I’m oldddddd and that is unacceptable because I have so many stories to share with you!
So, now I am actively incorporating standing-up activities and movement-filled time slots in the middle of all the brainstorming, plotting, writing, editing of it all.
Wish me luck, please!!
Now, onto story-telling time.
How Dev and The Geeks Really Came About
If you’ve read the first version of Dev and Zara’s love story, you know it was called Still Not Over You, retitled as Her Millionaire’s Return. And that I wrote it years ago (back in 2012) as a grief-filled response to losing my first-ever school friend in the whole world to an accident in Delhi.
Death changed me so profoundly and gave me the words that have carried me through for the rest of my life.
And, you know? It’s such a funny thing. The scene where Dev so casually mentions Lily’s name for the first time? In the prologue. I just wrote it. It was of no significance whatsoever to me.
Not even when, in that very first draft, Lily was the safe harbor for Dev as he fought with Zara.
Not even when I recognized that Lily and Bret were such warm, wonderful characters that I absolutely could not make her a slutty, vampy woman. Just because the story needed conflict. I think, in retrospect, that initial decision of not pitting a woman against another woman has defined my career and my storytelling, in general.
But, one thing was for sure.
When I wrote that very first barbeque scene with Kit and Lily meeting each other and Kit being clobbered by her, I knew right then that they were one day going to get their own book. This book became Her Millionaire’s Secret (formerly The Heart of You).
But, I will admit that Shiv and Bharat made their appearances only when I began, earnestly, to think of going Independent and sharing my stories directly with you, my reader friend.
Bharat had a great backstory - full of issues and pain and angst; a hero worth fighting for and a heroine who did not take any shit from him. You’ll know it when you read Her Millionaire’s Redemption (that title pretty much gives it away, doesn’t it?!)
But Shiv was the surprise joker of the lot. He really was. He was just this kid, a really smart kid, with secrets and a super-reticent demeanor when I first dreamed up all of the Geeks. But, Shiv became the surprising glue that held the group together. With his special white hat skills and the heart he had, he became the source of conflict and resolution through his own book - Her Millionaire’s Salvation - and Kit’s.
I am so proud of these men, dear Postmate.
Their story names might have changed but they are still the same beloved Geeks I absolutely adore. And I am so happy to share this news with you :P
You’re Cordially Invited To Dev and Zara’s Wedding
On March 15th!
Yep, A Filthy Rich Geek’s Wedding releases on next Monday, the 15th of March. And you can totally get your hands on the Wedding of the Year. (Believe me, it is.)
I’m not going to lie. This book is so special to me in so many ways. Not least because I wrote Dev and Zara the wedding I myself want one day (amen), but because the story is peppered with SO MANY faces - familiar and new - all of whom belong firmly in the Aarti V Raman universe.
This might be the most fun book I’ve written in years because of the sheer scope of giving everyone enough screen time :D
So, here you go.
And here’s the blurb to whet your appetite:
Wed in haste, repent before?
Zara Subramanian finally has it all.
The perfect CEO job, the perfect life, and...the most devastating man who loves her to distraction.
So marrying Dev at a shotgun gala wedding should be a walk in the park, right?
Especially when all their best friends are determined to give them the wedding weekend of their dreams.
But old nightmares and regrets rear their ugly heads and make Zara question everything...including her love and commitment to the only man she's ever loved.
Dev Banerjie is finally living his dream life.
Safe in the heart of his family, working with and loving uber-independent Zara.
Marrying her in a quick, weekend production is a no-brainer for him.
But with his best friends riding him mercilessly and Zara on edge, this Filthy Rich Geek's Wedding is in danger of being called off.
The only thing Dev knows for sure? Zara and he are made for each other.
No matter what.
Featuring the entire Filthy Rich Geeks cast and beloved characters, old and new, come celebrate a wedding to remember in this hot and angsty novella from the Filthy Rich Geeks series.
I’ll see you bright and early on the 15th as I hear back from you on this most-cherished book release.
Writer Gal Recommends
This week’s recommendations are full of romance authors I adore and LOVE reading who are offering their books to you for FREE and on sale. Click on the links below and take your pick of the world’s BEST romance authors giving you a chance to sample them and find more stories to devour.
I know I am.
Free Romance eBooks - For One Day ONLY, you have the opportunity to download an insane number of books for free from the world over. Just click on THIS LINK and search on the page by Store (Amazon, Apple, Google, Kobo) or trope ( for eg: second chance, billionaire, steamy, marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers) or author (Aarti V Raman).
I’m personally looking forward to binging on Zoe York, Sadie Haller, Ainsley Booth, Aidy Award, Zoe Beth Geller, Amelia Wilde, and more.
NOTE: Please do check and see if the book is free in your preferred store. Sometimes software glitches happen and we are unable to unstick it. Do not hesitate to write any of the amazing participating authors, tho. We have you covered. We’ll get you the book you want :)
A Steamy Romance Collection for 0.99 each! This sale of discounted books is still going on. And look at that fabulous lineup of authors. Aren’t these covers so dazzling? Click on THIS LINK and find lots more books to love for pennies!
FREE Aarti V Raman Books.
Dev and Jamie are both FREE for today, so if you want to gift these books to anyone or simply pass on the message, I’d truly appreciate it. After all, I know you are my biggest champion :D
Simply click on this button and it will take you to my Amazon page and you can download BOTH books from there :)
That’s it from me for this time, dear Postmate.
Till next time, do stay safe and awesome.
xx
Aarti