UK appreciation month: Laxmi Hariharan - Guest post

My darling corner of this world

I landed in London with the first snowfall of the decade. As I rode in from Heathrow in the back of a black cab, I shivered.  My thin cotton T-shirt & jeans—more appropriate for the tropical thirty degrees centigrade temperature that I was used to—not shielding me from the incoming cold which instantly pervaded my bones, moving right in and staying there for the next three years, until I mastered the art of layering up without looking like a snowman or snow-woman as the case maybe. Having finally solved the problem of how to stay warm and yet look stylish, I finally got around to exploring the nooks and corners of my adopted city when a wrong turn lead me to stumble upon  a space of timeless greenery that kissed its neighbouring homes before sweeping away proud yet serene up the edges of the cricket greens and then beyond. The greenery interspersed the ancient tress in a rock ‘n rolling kind of way. Roses draped over ancient stones while ivy crept up the sides of ageless hedges. Flowers bloomed in every nook & cranny in the spring while in autumn the red & brown leaves draped the mud below christening them with the vermilion of their youth. Sitting on a bench dedicated by a husband to his wife who had loved the woods, I floated down to Earth with the next petal and wondered if soon I too would be just an inscription on the ether of humanity? Like my unborn child would I too vanish down the corridors of history, never forgotten for I was never remembered. My favourite corner of London, Highgate Wood does this to me. It gives me the silence to listen, the intuition to follow my own beat and the courage to face up to my own path. Now all I need is the means to materialise my vision. I am sure it will, all I have to do is listen to the wisdom of the three hundred year old trees which surround me, reach out to me, embrace me and soothe my worries.

The destiny of Shaitan

When Yudi, Tiina & Rai embark on a mission to save the universe, they come up against the ruthless Shaitan who is determined to stop them at any cost. But they soon realise they have a bigger enemy - themselves. So they must learn to trust each other and overcome their fears as they fight their way towards the ultimate showdown.

Partially set in a dystopian Bombay of the future, The Destiny of Shaitan is a coming of age story, painted against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world.

Yudi, Tiina and Rai are destined to come together, for they are the Chosen Ones. It falls to them to save the universe from the powerful Shaitan, who is terrifying, and utterly merciless. Driven by greed, and fear for his own survival, Shaitan bulldozes his way through the galaxy, destroying anything that gets in his path, including his lovers and his own children. The battle between the Chosen Ones and Shaitan is a classic, epic encounter. Hated and feared by all, Shaitan must win this fight to keep his power. The stakes are high, the combatants are determined, and no matter what the outcome their lives will be changed for all time.

Author bio
Though born in India, wanderlust drove me out of my home country, and I lived in Singapore and Hong Kong before being based in London where I now live. I am inspired by Indian mythology. It was in embracing my roots that I found my voice. When not writing, I enjoy long walks in the woods and growing eye catching flowers. My debut novel The Destiny of Shaitan is available on Amazon.

If you like my writing, and would like to be profiled on my blog as part of my Reader Avatars series, then please do email me: laxmihariharan@yahoo.com

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Be sure to check out Book passion for life today for a guest post and giveaway from Sarah Crossan, author of Breathe.