Guest Post & Giveaway: The Destiny of Shaitan by Laxmi Hariharan

Welcome to Author Laxmi Hariharan

While born in India, Laxmi Hariharan has lived in Singapore and Hong Kong and is now based in London. She has written for various publications including The Times of India, The Independent, Inside Singapore, Inside Hong Kongand Asian Age. Indian mythology inspires her work. When not writing, this chai-swigging technophile enjoys long walks in the woods, growing eye-catching flowers and indulging her inner geek. Her debut novel is The Destiny of Shaitan.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laxmihariharanauthor

Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/laxmi

Website: www.laxmihariharan.com

Guest Post:

Who wants to be a futurist?

“I am like Mohammed Bin Tughlaq, I am too far ahead of my time” so my father often complained to me in my growing years. I now understand that he took this as the main reason to being often misunderstood by the world. He perceived himself as being far ahead of his time. Cut to twenty years later, and here I am, claiming with a straight face that I am a futurist. It sounds so over the top when I say that right? It conjures up a image of someone who is just too cool for the real world? Over the years I have read what others who call themselves trendspotters, future-proofers or futurists, say for themselves; and I found there were certain traits I seemed to share with all of them, which is what prompted me to put myself into this eccentric segment. I have compiled my research into the following facts. How many of these facts describe some aspect of you?


1. Have you traveled and lived in at-least four different countries by the time you were thirty?
 
2. Do you prefer Percy Jackson over Harry Potter? But in general would read YA over any other kind of fiction book?

3. Are you fascinated still by the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland? And therefore were one of the first in your peer groups to experiment with drugs – but you know never really go the sleeping around thing because you fell in love at first sight and married really early. Normally your childhood or teen sweetheart or in your early twenties?

4. Is fantasy and science-fiction your favourite movie genre? Are you the only person you know (other than me who thinks The Fifth Element is one of the most entertaining movies ever made?)

5. Are you obsessed with vitamins, anti-ageing packs, anti-oxidants, flower essences, ginseng & assorted herbs from all parts of the world which help regenerate brain cells, physical cells, keeps your eyesight sharp etc. You get what I mean?

6. Were you one of the first in your peer group, to get an email address, and to get onto twitter and facebook, and the rest? And now you are like so all over social networking platforms then living in the real world is a real drag? In fact you normally end up having bizarre tweet conversations with others about the relative merits of Loki vs. Thor? And when you sit around a meeting room table with grown-ups they still can’t understand the appeal of twitter over FB – duh!

7. Are you like forever fascinated by technology & Einstein and you just don’t know why? It’s just that they are really cool?

8. You are very instinctive, and believe in the unsaid, the unheard, the unseen… you are not alone. And the force is very real all around you.

9. Friends accuse you of being ‘spaced out’; being ahead of your time and you often struggled to fit in as a teenager. In fact it is the same now; except you are just smart enough to embrace social niceties and put people at ease by saying all the right words. In fact you are so smart, you know exactly what to say to get on their right side, but beneath it all, you just want to run away and play with your devices.

10. Always dreamt of being an entrepreneur, and even now find it difficult to follow rules, have issues with authority, still think you are stuck in your rebellious teenaged self? Therefore do you think children and teenagers make more sense than grown-ups and their boring talk any day? And yet you don’t want to have your own kids because you are convinced they are too good for this Earth anyway?

Did you say yes to eight out of ten of the above? In which case congratulations! You’ve just joined the elite club of us misunderstood, socially awkward, geeky, fantasy inspired, night riders. In my experience though either you say yes to all or else none, that’s just how we futurists are. Rather extreme.

For myself, I have learnt that I do have more in common with a fifteen year old geek, or for that matter with the ten year old son of many of my friends. I believe this is also one of the reasons I look decades younger than my real age? It’s probably my East Indian genes too. But that’s another story.

The Destiny of Shaitan Book Summary

Kindle bestseller The Destiny of Shaitan is a delicious blend of gods & humans, sacred & profane; a gripping ride offering a glimpse into your own power. 
Partially set in a futuristic Bombay, this coming of age story is painted against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world.
When Tiina accompanies Yudi on a mission to save the universe from the ruthless Shaitan, she seeks more than the end of the tyrant; she seeks herself. Driven by greed and fear for his own survival, Shaitan bulldozes his way through the galaxy, destroying everything in his path.  Tiina wants Yudi to destroy Shaitan, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Shaitan being killed by his son. But she finds that Yudi is hesitant to do so. The final showdown between Tiina, Yudi, and Shaitan has unexpected consequences, for Shaitan will do anything in his power to win the fight.  The stakes are high and the combatants determined. Will Shaitan's ultimate destiny be fulfilled?

For all the tour stops please visit: http://the-destiny-of-shaitan.blogspot.com/

$15 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Details:
Anyone who comments is entered into a drawing to win $15 amazon card from the author.  The best comment will get profiled on Laxmi's Reader Avatar series on her blog.

Ebook Giveaway:
1 ebook of The Destiny of Shaitan
Ends 7/24/12


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