On Tour 06/15/22-07/21/22 ”Dragonfly Escaping” by Raya Khedker

Release Date: March 11, 2022

About The Book:

DRAGONFLY ESCAPING is a tale of love, loss, heartbreak and healing which sweeps across two continents and three cultures. In it, Noor is a Hindu-Muslim half caste teen in India of 1980 who dreams of escaping the abuse and segregation that has robbed her innocence.

In 1982, Sergio Santander is a Peruvian diplomat in his mid-thirties who has his own demons to outrun, when he proposes to Noor.

Safe behind their facades, the couple has two infants before Sergio returns to Peru for a home posting. Here, their precarious balance is shattered by Sergio’s AIDS diagnosis.

Noor is barely coping with the reality avalanching on her young shoulders, when her in-laws tell her to leave her children behind and return to India “where she belongs.”

Furious, and more panicked by loss than ever in her life, Noor decides to fight back. But as alone as she is, can she win?

About The Author:

Raya Khedker was only three years old when she received her first writing inspiration, watching her father tie a thread to a dragonfly’s tail in the garden of their Calcutta home, then handing her the ensemble to fly like a live kite. Too young to discern the cruelty of this practice, Raya flew those dragonflies, mesmerized by the beauty and iridescence of their gossamer wings shining like precious jewels under the Indian sun, delighted by how those magical dragonflies were always within her control.

Decades later, those trapped dragonflies would become the heart of Raya’s debut novel, Dragonfly Escaping. Her biggest dream is to inspire women to recognize their untapped power, give it their all, and fulfill any goal they want.

Armed with a B.A. in Spanish Honors and an M.A. in Teaching, Raya has worked as an interpreter, a translator, teacher, private tutor, jail guard, and a seasonal farm laborer on different continents. At present, when she isn’t writing, she interprets and translates for federal and state courts in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Social Media:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/RayaKhedker

Facebook: http://facebook.com/khedker.raya

Instagram: http://instagram.com/rayakhedker

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/raya-khedker-7408664b/

Book Blurbs:

“Compelling, disturbing, inspiring, real—Dragonfly Escaping reads as if you aren’t reading at all and are instead there with Noor, cheering her on, startled at the injustices she’s forced to face, jumping to her defense when she can’t defend herself. By writing us a window into a multicultural cultural arena, author Raya Khedker powerfully showcases the two-three-way influence between people and their circumstances.” Libybet R. G., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing

“Raw, intense, and emotional, Dragonfly Escaping brings to light the pain and suffering of young Noor as she endures a challenging childhood in India, where girls are married off for convenience. But her dream of escaping her parents and homeland might not be all she had hoped, especially when she finds herself in a foreign country with few allies and far more hostile enemies.” Amanda K., Line Editor, Red Adept Editing

Bloggers On Tour:

June 15th- Cassie’s Book Reviews https://instagram.com/cassies_books_reviews

June 16th- Noor The Bookworm https://instagram.com/noorthebookworm

June 16th- She Just Loves Books https://instagram.com/shejustlovesbooks

June 18th- Novels and Latte Book Club –https://www.facebook.com/groups/357651988042629

June 18th- Dani Reads https://instagram.com/dani.reads.1225

June 18th- Books And Beabulls https://instagram.com/books_and_beabulls

June 20th- Biblio Reviews https://instagram.com/biblioreviews

June 20th – Books and Coffee MX https://instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx

June 21st- David L Morgan https://instagram.com/david_l_morgan

June 30th- -Plains Reading https://instagram.com/plains_reading

June 30th- Jennifer Tar Heel Reader – http://www.jennifertarheelreader.com