
Discover more from The Writer Gal Letter
Mahalo,
I’m writing this edition of The Writer Gal Letter listening to I See You by MISIO and it’s definitely number one on my muse soundtrack for the new project I’m working on. I am still mulling on if I want to create a separate newsletter for this particular sub-genre so forgive me if I keep my cards close to my chest for the time being.
In the meantime, the novella is back so your Aarti V Raman words-need is fed for the time being! Check it out by scrolling below. Now, onto the bookish news for this edition of TWGL.
Counting down to Aarti V Raman’s Thanksgiving BLOWOUT Extravaganza
The sale of boxsets and standalones will conclude at midnight PST on 30 November 2022, so you have a few short hours to grab these books!
Find ALL the info by clicking on the shiny pink button below. It will take you to a dedicated page on my website that directs you to ALL the countries in which Amazon sells books so you can buy your faves ASAP.
I have tried to price match these prices in US, AUS, Canada, UK, India and Europe to the lowest that Amazon would allow me while still keeping some royalties so please check the price in your country and enjoy all the books on me
For the first time ever The Millionaire Foes 1-4 and 5-8 boxsets are BOTH on sale. Along with Wealthy Gods!
Wealthy Gods is ONLY 2.99 and lowest prices everywhere else! That’s 50% off on the OG 4.99 retail price :)
The Millionaire Foes box set (1-4) is only $3.99 each! And the companion boxset is off by 41% at 6.99! Usually, these books are $9.99 each so grab them now when you can.
My beloved Filthy Rich Geeks is all 99c JUST for this week. Love The Way You Lie is half off at 2.99 but the others are still 99c! So grab these babies now, will you?
If you have any trouble accessing any of the links do let me know. And I’ll sort it out as soon as I can for you!
No Other Love - Chapter 7
Now, without any more fuss, let me share the next chapter of my sweetly angsty, second chance, marriage in trouble, small-town romance novella starring a desperately nerdy doctor and his feisty surgeon wife!
Author’s Note: I’ll be writing down the English translations of the Indian words to this story, as I introduce you to Indian culture :) If you’d like to read the previous chapter, click here.
Fun fact: This novella is actually set in a town founded by one of my oldest friends. I’ve been fascinated with Aronda since I heard her talk about it back when we studied together and wanted to set a story here forever! Vikrant and Anika’s is the one finally. :D
‘I’ll go freshen up, if that’s okay?’ Vikrant said.
‘Go right ahead,’ she invited.
She went out to the balcony, to enjoy the gentle rain and give Vikrant his privacy. It was somehow too intimate to watch him get ready for a shower and bed. It reminded her of all the times he’d gently insisted she shower with him, ‘for water conservation’. More often than not, they’d wasted water and had the funniest, sexiest times.
One time, he’d literally slipped on a stray bar of soap and fallen on his butt, injuring his tailbone.
She’d laughed her butt off before helping him up.
Anika blinked back tears as she remembered everything – the good times and bad – that she’d successfully repressed for months now. Maybe being back here, with him, for this one week, could give her the closure she needed to move on with her life.
Without him.
Lightning flashed, cutting across the velvety sky with a silver crack, followed by roaring thunder. The rain turned forceful. Falling on her face and clothes, drenching her. Good, the rain would hide her tears.
She wiped at her streaming cheeks and walked slowly back in just as Vikrant bounded out with a curse, slamming the ensuite bathroom door open.
‘FUCK!’
~~~~~
Her eyes widened as she saw him wrap a towel around his hips and curse loudly. In a fraction of a second she took in his glistening chest that looked stupidly good wet and the way his hair curled at the nape, drawing her attention to the dents in his shoulders, because he was an exercise fiend and kept himself in shape by doing all the right things.
Heat pooled in her belly, wetting her with its instantaneous reaction.
‘Hey! What happened?’
Vikrant held the towel in one hand. ‘There’s a lizard in there.’
‘What?’ She asked thickly while she devoured the droplets of water streaming down his back and disappearing into the indents made by his gluteus maximus. She clutched her fingers, digging the nails into the soft bed of her palms.
‘There’s a fucking lizard in there. As big as a rat.’
His words penetrated her foggy brain.
Anika laughed. Loud and free.
Vikrant gave her an affronted look as he knotted the towel properly and wiped a hand down his half soapy face. ‘It’s not funny, Anika. You know they are slippery creatures. And they bite.’
Anika controlled the rest of her laugh with effort and kept a straight face as she nodded soberly. ‘I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ll go shoo it off, okay?’
Vikrant was alarmed. ‘It could bite you too! Be careful.’
‘I will,’ she promised him solemnly.
~~~~~
Anika walked into the bathroom and there it was. The culprit that had allowed her to see Vikrant in all his beautiful, buff glory for a hot, sexy second.
Thank you, Mr. Lizard.
It was stuck right next to the showerhead, bulging brown eyes twitching this way and that. Right at Vikrant’s eyesight. No wonder he’d freaked out.
It was so cute that a big, strong man like Vikrant shuddered at the thought of creepy crawlies. She was the one who dealt with spiders and ants and other creepy crawlies, during thunderstorms.
He just cowered in the corner and called out unnecessary advice.
Like now. ‘Turn on the handheld shower, okay?,” Vikrant called out. “It’s the faucet on the left side.’
‘Okay,’ she called back.
She turned on the left side faucet and the overhead shower drenched her even more in ice-cold water.
Anika shrieked. Turned it off. The lizard scampered as her shriek reverberated against the bathroom walls, disappearing into the bathroom grate.
~~~~~
‘Fuck! Are you alright?’ Vikrant burst through the door. And froze right where he stood.
‘Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.’ She sagged against the wall, as the shock wore off. ‘Your lizard’s gone.’
‘Great. That’s great.’ Still he didn’t move from the middle of the bathroom. And his hold on the towel was alarmingly precarious.
Anika licked her wet lips and pushed wet hair back from her face.
‘You should finish your shower. The danger has passed.’
She forced herself to look nowhere but his eyes. His hot, intense, focused eyes which were also looking at nothing but her face.
‘You’re...’ He cleared his dry throat. ‘You’re all wet.’ He made a gesture with one hand, pointing in the general direction of her torso.
Anika looked down at her soft tee shirt and it was completely drenched. It was also sticking to her chest like a second skin which meant he could see that she wore no bra and the cold water had peaked her nipples.
Fire flashed through Anika, until she was sure steam would come off her clothes and dry them off.
God, yes, she was all wet.
‘Dammit,’ she muttered. She unstuck the tee shirt from her stomach. ‘I didn’t bring any other night clothes.’
‘Oh.’
She sighed. And made to take her tee shirt off, forgetting for a moment that Vikrant was even there.
‘I’ll lend you my tee shirt,’ he said loudly.
She paused in the act of undressing. ‘That’s…nice.’ And it was. Although, before, he would have been just as happy to have her naked and willing in his arms.
‘Wait here.’ Vikrant nodded stiffly and turned and walked out, holding the towel in a death grip.
Anika sighed once more as the bathroom door closed behind him.
Closure, she repeated to herself. This week was all about closure. Not resurrecting inconvenient feelings that would only end in disaster. No matter how badly she’d wanted that towel to drop.
Writer Gal’s Writer Pals Present
For this edition, I have a freebie and a new release pre-order for you and other events, Postmate.
Bunny La Rue’s snowy new release is up for pre-order. And it is all kinds of Christmasy spiciness wrapped up in a Daddy grump! Check out Up To Snow Good to know more!
PJ Fiala’s romantic suspense romance - Finding His Fire - is free for a limited time. So get it now. (Also this cover is all sorts of fyre!)
That is it for this edition of TWGL, Postmate. I will see you next month with more bookish news and (hopefully) some release news and a hot excerpt or two! Do check out the pre-orders for my upcoming releases Shades of Love and Tempt till then :)
Till then, stay safe and awesome.
Xx
Aarti