Renew, Revise & Come Alive with Guest Blogger Mina Khan

Win a copy of The Djinn's Dilemma &
other swag from author Mina Khan
today at the Book Boost!

She's here to chat about the importance of Spring's renewal in life and in stories and here's what she had to say...


Spring is my favorite season because you can see Mother Nature at work. Living in West Texas, I find the transformation amazing – naked, leaf-less trees preen in bright new foliage, the ground covered in stubbles of brown grass now sports a soft, green carpet, and the dusty landscape now boasts wildflowers of many colors. The season is an important bridge between the chilly emptiness of winter and the punishing heat of summer...a chance for the soul to breathe a sigh of relief and replenish itself.


The cycle of life and death, the themes of renewal and hope play an important part in my paranormal romance novella A Tale of Two Djinns. The hero, Akshay ("Shay" for short), warrior prince of the earth djinns, earns the title of Crown Prince at a high cost when he loses his best friend in a battle against ancient enemies, the water djinns. He is heartsick and vows never to return to the cursed battlefield, the place of death.


Yet, the story forces him to:


“Tell me where she went.”

“I don’t know,” Umber said. “Probably to the nearest crossroads. She said something about needing to make it to Nijhoom Forest.”

Shit. His insides churned. He’d intended to never return to that Creator-forsaken place again, to the site of Patthar’s death. But if Maya was headed there, he had to go. Maybe he could catch her before she got too far.

Akshay released Umber and fled out the door. “Tell Father and Jazz I’m going after Maya.”


Later, at the site, Akshay has an epiphany:


Wide-eyed, he goggled at the plain at the outer edge of water djinn territory. A soft carpet of new grass covered the rolling expanse, dotted with wildflowers of every color imaginable. Was this truly the bone dry land he’d led Patthar and his army across a mere two weeks ago?

He breathed in the sweet air and tried to tamp down the bitterness welling inside him. Had the water djinns washed away all signs of the war with cleansing rain, or was this new life flourishing thanks to all the blood and death that had soaked into the earth?

Midnight took the opportunity to lower his head and taste the verdant grass. Akshay closed his eyes and pulled in another deep breath, exhaled. Life ended in death, followed by new life. That was the natural cycle.

Maya’s face, her golden eyes glazed with liquid languor and lips parted in a sexy smile, filled his mind. Maya. She’d given him the greatest gift—life. She’d taken a man drowning in sorrow and guilt and made him come alive. She was carrying his child, the new life they’d made together. The realization shook through him like an earthquake, crumbled the remaining walls to dust. He needed to find his heartmate and his son.


Truth be told, I was heartsick myself because my father died while I was writing this story and my first impulse was to hide away from everyone and grieve. Writing thoughts down has always helped me calm myself, find solutions and solace…so I poured my thoughts into my story. My darling husband and his patient caring, my kids and their kisses helped too. In the end, I emerged a bit more balanced, able to grieve my father’s loss and find comfort in living.


To honor my parents I’m donating 50% of the proceeds from the sale of A Tale of Two Djinns to UNICEF’s Schools for Asia initiative. If you’d like to know more about why this cause is close to my heart, please check out my blog.


A Note from the Book Boost: Nice words, Mina. Thanks for sharing with us today and I wish you many sales in your quest for raising money for such a worthy cause.

Want More Mina?

Mina Khan is a Texas-based writer and food enthusiast. She daydreams of hunky paranormal heroes, magic, mayhem and mischief and writes them down as stories. Between stories, she teaches culinary classes and writes for her local newspaper. Other than that, she's raising a family of two children, two cats, two dogs and a husband. She grew up in Bangladesh on stories of djinns, ghosts and monsters. These childhood fancies now color her fiction.

Visit her on the web here:
http://minakhan.blogspot.com/

Follow her on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/SpiceBites

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Mina and be entered to win an e-copy of The Djinn's Dilemma and some fun swag: a signed postcard of the cover of A Tale of Two Djinns, a genie lamp keychain, and a packet of wildflower seeds.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**