Tag: Virtual Book Tours

‘The Lotus Blooms Twice’ Book Review: Stories of Love & Resilience

‘The Lotus Blooms Twice’ is Monica Saigal’s new short story collection. Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours, used with permission.

Book Review: The Lotus Blooms Twice: Stories of Love, Life, and Redemption

By Monica Saigal

Part of Paste Creative Book Tours

The Lotus Blooms Twice is a moving collection of fourteen stories and a bonus novella exploring the complexities of love, loss, and the possibility of beginning again. With settings ranging from Delhi’s bustling streets to quiet Virginia kitchens, these multicultural literary tales offer an intimate look at ordinary people navigating extraordinary emotional challenges. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)

Saigal places women in midlife at the heart of her stories, giving voice to experiences that are often overlooked. Her characters confront betrayal, grief, caregiving, complicated relationships, and the longing for something more:

  • A widow struggles to reclaim her memories at the Taj Mahal.
  • A wife in a comfortable marriage discovers unexpected stirrings of desire.
  • Family secrets challenge a father’s understanding of the truth.
  • A woman faces the difficult choice between silence and survival.

Pick up your copy of ‘The Lotus Blooms Twice’ today!

Table of Contents

  • The Love Child
  • One and Done
  • The Bitter Season
  • It Is Better to Have Loved
  • A Heritage of Gold
  • The Waltz & Schnitzel
  • The Rhythm of Us
  • Truth? I Dare You
  • The Lotus Blooms Twice
  • The 2:00 a.m. Love Loop
  • The Accounts of Love
  • Still, We Remember
  • Love Guaranteed, No Refunds
  • Bonus Read: The Matchmaker’s Recipe

Standout Story Highlights

1. It Is Better to Have Loved

Neelam is a romance author who has spent most of her life as a single mother after a one-night stand. She agrees to go out with Amit even though she knows he’s married, only to realize she was deluding herself.

“I had known. That was the part that cut the deepest. I had betrayed myself before he ever had the chance.”

2. The Waltz & Schnitzel

Roland is a German engineer who keeps a journal addressed to the love of his life, Farah. He asked her to marry him the night she disappeared, and he hasn’t seen her since. As days turn to months and years, he opens a café named The Waltz & Schnitzel, leaving out a plate of spiced schnitzel, two cups of chai, orange slices, and a candle in the window waiting for her return.

“The silence that once gave me peace before I met you has now grown teeth. It bites into every part of my spirit.”

3. Still, We Remember

Deepa and Arun have been married for 25 years, but Arun is slowly losing his memories to cognitive decline. Girish, his brother, moves in to help care for him because Arun seems to remember him best. This one pulled right at my heartstrings.

“I wept for the man who remembered poetry but forgot my name. For the husband who had loved me splendidly and then vanished while still breathing beside me.”

Review

The honest portrayal of human vulnerability is what makes this collection especially compelling. Saigal avoids fairy-tale endings, embracing the messy realities of relationships and the courage required to move forward, even when endings remain somewhat ambiguous. Her characters are imperfect, relatable, and mot of all, shaped by experiences that resonate particularly with women in their fifties and beyond.

Themes of identity, resilience, forgiveness, reinvention, and second chances weave seamlessly through these stories, reminding readers that personal growth does not end with age. The language is accessible, and for readers unfamiliar with certain Indian terms, a helpful glossary is included at the back.

Some tales are heartbreaking, others unsettling, while several offer quiet moments of joy and hope. Together, they celebrate the strength it takes to rebuild a life when familiar foundations disappear.

The Lotus Blooms Twice is an emotionally rich collection for readers who appreciate character-driven literary fiction and stories that reflect life’s complicated truths. Saigal delivers a beautiful reminder that heartbreak need not mark an ending. Like the lotus, we can bloom again, sometimes more beautifully than before.

💬 My Final Verdict

The Lotus Blooms Twice by Monica Saigal reminds me why I love stories that reflect the messy, yet beautiful, reality of being human. It’s a powerful reminder that heartbreak and uncertainty don’t necessarily define the rest of our lives.

I especially appreciate the focus on women in midlife and beyond, whose dreams and desires deserve to be celebrated just as much as those of younger women. Monica Saigal brings deep emotional sensitivity to experiences that feel deeply personal yet universally relatable. These are stories that invite us to pause, reflect, and perhaps see our own struggles with a little more compassion.

Sometimes the most beautiful blooms come after the hardest seasons, and this collection is a lovely reminder that it’s never too late for a new chapter.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

** Thank you to Stephanie Caruso and Paste Creative Book Tours for the gifted copy for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Monica Saigal (formerly Bhide) is an award-winning author, culinary ambassador, and cultural storyteller whose work explores the intersection of food, identity, and belonging. Born in New Delhi, raised in the Middle East, and now based outside Washington, D.C., she brings a distinctly global perspective to everything she creates.

She currently serves as Culinary Ambassador for Aramark Dining Services and has partnered with leading food and spice brands (including House of Spices), translating culture-rich storytelling into meaningful culinary experiences. In addition to her creative work, Monica runs a storytelling consultancy, working with global organizations to shape narrative-driven brand, cultural, and leadership communications.

A four-time contributor to Best Food Writing anthologies, Monica is a sought-after speaker and educator who has collaborated with institutions including the Smithsonian, Yale University, and Les Dames d’Escoffier. She holds degrees from George Washington University, Lynchburg College, and Bangalore University.

Author Monica Saigal. Photo: Rashmi Gill Photography, used with permission.
Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours

‘Volk’ by D. Werkmeister Review: A Gripping Philadelphia Crime Thriller

‘Volk’ by D. Werkmeister is a fresh reimagining of the werewolf mythos. Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours, used with permission.

Book Review: Volk by D. Werkmeister

Part of Paste Creative Book Tours

Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours

The Predator Meets the Procedural

FBI Agent Terri Watson is working the biggest case of her career. As she tracks the flow of dirty money around the world to take down a powerful Russian money launderer, her investigation collides with a series of horrific murders.

Something is out there, stalking the streets of Philadelphia. When Terri comes face-to-face with the beast, she discovers an explosive secret—one that powerful men will kill to keep hidden. Her investigation reveals there is more to this predator than meets the eye. Much more. (Amazon, 2026)

The Story

The journey begins in Siberia, 1994, where a team of archaeologists led by the young genetic biologist Peter Lavroski discovers a preserved wolf carcass.

Fast forward to Philadelphia, 2017, where an unknown creature is on the prowl. After witnessing a convenience store robbery, it tracks the criminal into the shadows, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

  • The Agent: Special Agent Terri Watson is buried in records, hunting for evidence against a local money launderer.
  • The Partner: Marc Peterson, a Philly detective and FBI task force officer, is busy investigating the string of grisly alleyway murders.
  • The Wildcard: Dieter Schnoll moves “dark money” for the world’s shadiest characters. But when a client puts his life in the crosshairs of the creature, he is forced into an unlikely alliance with the FBI.

Together, they must track the beast and dismantle a Russian criminal organization before the body count rises.

Review

In Volk, D. Werkmeister delivers a gripping thriller that blends crime, horror, and conspiracy into a suspenseful masterpiece. The hunt for a Russian financier quickly descends into a fight for survival against a predator that defies conventional logic.

A Fresh Perspective on the Beast

Right from the beginning, the tension builds through the creature’s first-person point of view. Surprisingly, the beast is conflicted and nuanced:

“A wave of loneliness falls over me like a shadow.”

Compelling Characters

Terri Watson is a standout protagonist—intelligent, determined, and believable under pressure. As she uncovers the connections between organized crime and the supernatural, the narrative shifts seamlessly from the clinical world of “dirty money” to the blood-slicked streets of Philadelphia.

Atmospheric Writing

Werkmeister uses vivid, poetic language to ground the horror:

“The rain makes little popping sounds as it pelts the Gore-Tex hood. I pause, listening intently: no sound other than the rain. I sniff the air deeply invigorated by the fresh, damp smell.”

The Verdict

Without spoiling the twist, this is a fresh, modern reimagining of the werewolf mythos. It strips away tired tropes in favor of a grounded, conspiratorial plot. It’s an exciting, chilling read that proves the most dangerous monsters often hide behind fur and finance.

  • Most Unexpected Reaction: Feeling genuine sympathy for the creature and its tragic history.

Volk by D. Werkmeister is an exciting and chilling read that successfully mixes crime fiction with supernatural terror. While some scenes are graphic, they serve the story’s dark tone effectively. Fans of supernatural werewolf thrillers with dark twists will appreciate the layered mystery and explosive revelations.

“Death is as relentless and unconquerable as the tide of the ocean. You can’t control it; you just have to learn to live with it. It is the dark shape that hides in the shadows, always present but unnoticed – until it comes for you.”

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Get your copy of Volk today!

About the Author

D. Werkmeister is an award-winning author and a retired FBI Agent. He brings 21 years of street experience in Philadelphia to his writing, including eight years on the FBI SWAT team. A former Marine Corps officer, his supernatural thrillers have earned a Claymore Award and a bronze medal from Readers’ Favorite. When not writing, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours

** Thank you to Stephanie Caruso, Paste Creative Book Tours, and D. Werkmeister for the gifted copy for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

A Review of ‘Yes – YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough’ by Karin J. Lund

‘Yes – YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough’ is the new YA self help book by Karin J. Lund. Photo: Partners In Crime Tours, used with permission.

Part of the Partners in Crime Tours Virtual Book Tours

Yes – YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough by Karin J. Lund

Theme: Celebrating your life, understanding and creating your value, and building confidence and resilience. (Partners in Crime Tours, 2025)

This is the book that will always remind you: YES – I MATTER, I AM ENOUGH.

Photo: PICT, used with permission.

Review

Karin J. Lund’s Yes – YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough is a heartfelt and empowering guide to self-discovery, confidence, and resilience. Written with warmth and clarity, Lund invites readers to celebrate their lives and recognize the unique value each person holds.

It’s less a traditional self-help book and more a compassionate conversation, one that encourages reflection and personal growth.

Lund’s message is simple yet profound: self-worth isn’t something we earn; it’s something we uncover and nurture. Through thoughtful exercises and gentle affirmations, she helps readers navigate life’s complexities with grace and self-trust. Her emphasis on creating one’s own value and building inner strength makes this book both inspiring and practical.

Interactive exercises include:

  • Writing down what you could change and how it might impact your situation.
  • Write a challenge you want to achieve and have an accountability partner to help you. 

Even the cover design, featuring interlocking, layered lines, beautifully mirrors the book’s message. It symbolizes life’s many intersecting paths and the freedom to change direction, reinforcing the idea that resilience is born from flexibility and self-awareness.

Ultimately, Yes – YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough is a compassionate reminder that our worth is inherent and our journeys are ever-evolving. It’s an uplifting read for anyone seeking to reconnect with their inner power and embrace the full richness of who they are.

“Keep seeking truth and honesty in your life. Don’t ever be afraid to choose a new path.”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

About the Author

Karin J. Lund, Founder of G-Power Global Enterprises, partners with corporations, universities, and non-profit organizations to create compassionate, empowered workplace cultures. Her work fosters environments where employees and management actively support shared values, inclusivity, and community impact.

Her online program, Your Journey through the Islands of Grief and Loss, encourages individuals and teams to navigate personal and professional challenges with empathy and resilience. Corporate comfort gifts, journals, and other resources support this meaningful initiative.

Photo: PICT, used with permission

To celebrate the release of Karin J. Lund’s new book Yes – YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough, Partners in Crime Tours is having a giveaway. Enter for a chance to win an Amazon.com gift card.

Photo: PICT, used with permission