The Devil in Us by Monica Bhide

Friends – I am so delighted to announce the release of my first work of fiction: The Devil in Us – Stories of love, life and redemption. When I started writing about food, ten years ago, my goal was to someday write fiction… and here we are. The book releases on October 15th but pre-orders are open now. This is for the ebook. Paperback launches in November. And, no, you dont need a special gadget to read the ebook.. Amazon offers a free app.

I would so love your support. I hope you will read it and enjoy it.

I request you to join my fun campaign to get the word out: buy one, gift one! It costs only $3.99 … less than a cup of gourmet coffee!

After being a Simon & Schuster and Random House (India) author for many years, I have chosen to publish this book myself. I believe it has a market and an audience. I hope you all will prove me right!

So, what is the book about? The Devil in Us is a collection of stories about how your life can change in a second. There is a story of an addicted poet trying hard to find solace, a magical woman who can capture a dying breath, a widower learning to grieve. The stories all beg one question: what would you do?

A more formal description:

“In The Devil In Us, celebrated writer Monica Bhide weaves spellbinding stories of fate, fortune, and love into lessons for life. A startling train wreck inspires new passion in a disenchanted bride. A prophetic poet’s love is hopelessly doomed by addiction. An enchanting woman literally steals a stranger’s soul. These are but three of a dozen haunting, gripping stories in which each compelling character faces the fateful moment that may forever change them.

Bhide masterfully creates pivotal twists and intangible interconnections that bring together disparate threads of hope and sorrow. If you dare, you may recognize the same fears and redemption in your own life.”

I am honored and beyond grateful to all the people who have helped make this book a reality. And it is with great pleasure that I share the endorsements that this book has already received:

Advance Praise

“This book and its characters will haunt you long after you finish reading it.” — Kathleen Flinn, author of the New York Times bestseller The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry

“Monica Bhide’s shimmering short stories travel from Maryland to Mumbai and back again, effortlessly introducing us to soldiers and shape-shifters, hijras and housewives. With insightful grace, she illuminates the ordinary miracles and tragedies of suburban American life, intertwined with an India equally intimate and spectacular. Full of rich, delicate details and searing character portraits, these remarkable stories remind us of the demons we carry inside us on all of our journeys.” Annia Ciezadlo, author of Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War

“Monica Bhide’s excellent collection will transport you to unexpected places, moving you between America and India, hospitals, college campuses, ancient temples, a devastated train station. You will be entranced by the wide spectrum of characters she has created–a newlywed doctor learning to love his wife, a cancer survivor hoping for a second chance, a dying old man filled with hate, a transsexual who adopts a young orphan. Filled with surprises and heart, this book will pull you in and not let you go.” Chitra Divakaruni, author of Oleander Girl and Mistress of Spices

“Monica Bhide’s wonderful, internationally-flavored collection is full of spice and life. The beguiling voice of a true storyteller will lure you out of your self into her intriguing, fictional world. Enjoy!” Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Crescent and Bird of Paradise

“Monica Bhide’s short story collection isn’t impressive because it’s a first-timer’s effort—it’s impressive, period. The stories, each filled with strong, feisty characters and exquisite details of people, places, and things, will keep you riveted. There are plenty of Indian Americans writing novels these days, but far too few writing short stories and even fewer writing stories of this caliber.” — Sree Sreenivasan, co-founder of the South Asian Journalists Association and Chief Digital Officer at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“For those of us who know Monica’s superb food writing, this book will not surprise you. It’s written with the same clarity, warmth, and attention to detail as you might expect from her. But what you may not expect is to see the emergence of a fiction writer to be reckoned with—these stories have heart and characters that will stay with you long after you close the book.” Mollie Cox Bryan, author of the Agatha-Award nominated Scrapbook of Secrets: A Cumberland Creek Mystery

“Monica Bhide’s riveting collection of short stories brings out the complex flavors of modern day families across the globe. Filled throughout with movement and truly international in its reach, this book is certain to keep you captivated.” Sweta Srivastava Vikram, Amazon bestseller and award-winning author.

“Monica Bhide’s debut short story collection takes us on a journey of an India that few of us know. In wise, compassionate prose, she tells us stories of love, longing and redemption, weaving in the India of temples, rituals and arranged marriages with a much darker side. And memories and fantasies of the homeland continue to resonate in her tales of contemporary Indian American life. Novelistic in scope, this book effortlessly bridges both worlds and signals the emergence of a strong new voice in fiction.” A.X. Ahmad, author of The Caretaker and The Last Taxi Ride

“Indian-American short fiction that will tear your heart apart and sew it back together with thin threads of hope. A must-read for those who like their stories raw and real. THE DEVIL IN US, will put the devil in you, because you won’t be able to put this down!” Jessica Bell, Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal

“Monica Bhide beguiling writing takes us into the rich tapestry within private, intimate worlds that we don’t want to leave.” Shoba Narayan, James Beard award-winning author of the memoirs, Monsoon Diary and Return to India.

I would be so very grateful for your love, support and blessings as I begin this new adventure in my writing career. All I have ever wanted to do with my life is tell stories. Even with my food writing, all my work that has won awards and accolades has been my essays.. my stories of food and life.

Again, with all my heart, I request you to join me on this journey. The Devil in Us needs your support!

***** PRE-ORDER NOW — The Devil in Us *****