Spotlight: The Magician by Sonia Rao

 

THE MAGICIAN 

(The Tarot Trilogy Book 1)

by 

Sonia Rao

 

Blurb

Fashion designer Sasha Kapoor always felt she’d missed out on love as she had an arranged marriage. And when her husband turns up at their 15th-anniversary party with a strange woman, she knows that her marriage is dying. With constant surprises and disasters to contend with, will Sasha ever get a chance at true love?

Shantha is much sought after for her tarot card readings on love, but can’t seem to help her own love life with a string of broken relationships behind her. Now, sparks are flying between her and a sexy bartender but will this relationship fizzle out too?

Young professionals Nilima and her husband are so besotted with each other, they give the word ‘soulmate’ a complex. Theirs is a match made in heaven…till tragedy strikes.

The Magician is a heart-warming story of these three dynamic women as they discover the meaning of true love through loss and longing.

 

Thoughts from the Author, Sonia Rao

 

Who is a Magician? If it is a Tarot Card, then it the Major Arcana card in the deck and symbolizes life-changing issues.

But if it is a person, then it is Sasha, the main protagonist of my novel, The Magician. In this urban, contemporary romance, fashion designer Sasha, who caught within a loveless marriage, now seeks true love. It is also Shantha and Nilima who face their own challenges in love and try to rise above them.

It is also every woman. This is because, as Shantha says to Sasha in the book, “Imagination is your strength. You have the power to visualize and then manifest what you want. You are the Magician.” Each one of us is The Magician because we hold within ourselves the power to create the life of our dreams.

But how did this cover happen? There is a lovely story behind it. While researching the many tarot decks online, I saw this card on the Attic Shoppe website and I knew at once that this was my “Sasha.”

Go back and have a look at the cover again. Doesn’t it just grip you too? Part practical, part whimsical, part traditional, part digital, this card, like the book, is a labour of love.

The designer, Bethalynne Bajema, created this card for her Black Ibis Tarot card deck.  The love she put in is very evident in the vibe one gets from it. Every time I see it, I am inspired to bring a touch of magic to the everyday routines of mundane life.

Carrying on the serendipity, Bethalynne immediately and graciously agreed to my request to make this card my book cover. Such generosity is hard to come by and I believe it is the Universe’s way of saying “you’re right on track.”  
(Bethalynne can be contacted here: Instagram)

 

Read an excerpt

Grab your copy @

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About the author

 

 

“Sonia Rao is a writer, editor, and award-winning blogger. Her fiction has appeared in many prestigious anthologies such as Voices Old & New and Jest Like That (edited by renowned editor-writer Shinie Antony).

As NaNoWriMo’s Municipal Liaison for all-India and founder of the Wrimo India group on Facebook, Sonia has motivated thousands of people in India to write a novel every November since 2011. She has also curated and edited the first Wrimo India Anthology, Vengeance—A Sting In Every Tale.

Sonia likes to believe she is ‘high-minded’ but strangely, her fave hobby is thinking up torture devices for those autorickshawallahs who consider the roads to be their personal spittoon. Who knew?“

You can stalk her @

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Catch Sonia Rao’s latest release, a sweet romance titled If You Let Me Go, here: mybook.to/IfYouLetMeGo

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We Promote So That You Can Write 

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT : Get a chapter of ‘THE MAGICIAN’ in your inbox, every week.

My dear friends have been most encouraging about me putting out my writing for my readers and so giving in to their gentle (and sometimes, not so gentle) prodding (and my narcissism), I’ve decided to tread the off-beat path.

I am making my novel ‘THE MAGICIAN‘ available to those who want to read it, via e-mail. This is a story of coming-of-age-in-love of three dynamic women.

The MO is such:

Email me at soniaraowrites@gmail.com to sign up to receive one chapter of the novel every Friday beginning from 24th July, 2015. Weekends are gonna be fun, no?

I will not be posting any of those chapters on FB or my blog or even on Amazon, simultaneously.

AND A BONUS TOO:

Along with the chapter you will also get an article on the art and craft of ‘Writing a novel’, which would work as an advance preparation for NaNoWriMo.

AND, dear Readers, I PROMISE to make the writing interesting (and no writer can afford to break this promise).

So, hey, hop over to soniaraowrites@gmail.com and let’s get started.

Read an excerpt of ‘THE MAGICIAN’ below:

The 6” high Laughing Buddha dressed in shiny pink and green folds covered in gold glitter stood on the round glass-topped table at one end of the living room. Its bald head served as the base for the lighted incense stick which emitted a mild strawberry flavored fragrance. The swirls of pink smoke emanating from it made the dimly lit room even hazier.

Multi-colored crystals, golden-colored feng-shui coins, pouches of multi-coloured, scented pot-pourrie and coloured stones were strewn on the table, around the statue of the Laughing Buddha. On one side was a small pentagon-shaped raised platform, covered with a red satin cloth with large flowers embroidered on it with black sequins.

On this lay a stack of Tarot Cards. The first card on the top had ‘Rider-Waite’ beautifully monogrammed in a cursive hand. The purple and aubergine and gold background in varying shades gave an otherworldly look to the cards and added to the eclectic surroundings. Buddhist chants filled the room with their harmonious melody.

Next to the table was a deeply cushioned armchair. Looking comfortably ensconced in it was a slightly plump lady. To say that she was dressed gaudily would be an understatement. Every aspect of her being was loud. From her eyes, thickly-lined with black kohl, to her auburn –colored permed hair held in place with a bandana that had multi-coloured, African motifs printed all over it, every element screamed for attention. Competing with the showy attire was a neckpiece of large water-melon tourmaline beads that rested on her ample bosom and the thick glass bangles in all colors of the rainbow that adorned her wrists.Her busy get-up was in sharp contrast to her posture. Eyes shut, head relaxed on her shoulders, her hands loosely placed on each knee, she sat cross-legged on the chair.

“ You are my love, my true love..”. The words of the latest Bollywood blockbuster shattered the peace of the room with its hi-decibel pitch.

She gave a start and her dark eyes sprang open. “I must remember to put the phone on silent before I meditate” she muttered as she jabbed the speakerphone button.

“Namaste, Shantha speaking.” Her voice was groggy as she recovered her composure.

“Shantha, where are you? And where is my set? You know I have to wear it tonight!” The voice at the other end was agitated.

“Hi Sasha, Happy Anniversary, my love.” She wished her friend as she recognized the voice at the other end.

There was a snort of derisive laughter at the other end, “I got your message at midnight. Saw it this morning.Thanks.”

Shantha continued, “I spoke to Amit this morning, his karigar brought the set late last night. Amit said he will bring it to your house by 10 o’clock.”

“Very well. And what time will you reach the venue?”

“ By 8pm. Before the guests arrive.”

“Don’t be late,” said Sasha, ending the call.

Sasha had not sounded as happy and excited as she should have. Sasha was her dearest friend and anything that worried Sasha worried her.

Out of habit, Shantha picked up the stack of Tarot Cards and shuffled them. She sought answers for all her worries and doubts in the Tarot. She used it as often for her own life questions as she did for her clients.

She shut her eyes and continued to shuffle. After 30 seconds she opened her eyes and selected one card from the deck and placed the remaining back on the table.
Her heart contracted into an icy grip and a deep frown developed on her brow as she looked at the card she had in her hand.

Death. A Major Arcana card. A black skeleton carrying a black standard emblazoned with a white flower sat astride a white horse.

It did not bode very well for the evening’s party as that was the situation for which she had drawn the card. She was no stranger to the rumblings of discontent in Sasha’s marriage and her worry was now further compounded by the appearance of this card.

She looked at the card again: Death! Termination, Mortality, Exposure, Inevitability. Sharp endings.

Shantha sure wasn’t looking forward to tonight’s party.