Sukanya Basu Mallik's Blog
February 13, 2019
In a conversation with indie author : Shilpa Menon
Hello book-lovers,today we have on board author Shilpa Menon.She is a Chemical Engineer with a bachelor and Masters Degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.Her recent quest for the eclectic and that un-quenched desire to walk down a road less travelled took her on a journey, at finding her passion in writing. Scars Do Heal is the first work she has published in December 2015, which is a book she has written and dedicated to victims of sexual abuse. She has recently launched her second novel, In Pursuit of a family. So without further ado, let's get started!
1.One fictional character that resembles you the most?It has to be Bridget Jones! I can so relate to her.2.What is your writing motivation?I am an avid reader so books have always meant comfort to me. Before I wrote my first novel, I would usually flip through pages in a novel so casually without really thinking about the efforts that would have gone into writing even one snippet! Writing made me view a piece of writing from an author's perspective and that taught me a great deal. Besides that, coming up with a gripping story line, maintaining a particular style of writing was a challenging task - especially to bring out expressions and emotions through words. I find writing greatly therapeutic and rewarding.I have written two novels so far and I decided to use fiction as a medium to table issues affecting the society at large. ‘Scars do heal’ was dedicated to victims of sexual assault and ‘In pursuit of a family’ was dedicated to orphans. I feel through words I can touch some people’s hearts and help them find some self-healing. In fact, for both of my novels I have had instances of people who have approached me and told me how much the books helped them on their personal path. Such kind of feedback is very rewarding contributes greatly to fuel my desire to keep writing.3.Who's your favourite author?I cannot pick one! My top 3 will be Jojo Moyes, Judith Mcnaught and Sophie Kinsella.4.Few quickies :Money or fame? Fame Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Literary fiction Blogging or vlogging? Blogging Interviews or book reviews? Book reviews Audiobooks or ebooks? Ebooks Plotter or panster? A combination of both5.How long does it take to write the first draft? You've written 2 books now. Did you slow down or speed up your writing process?My first novel was drafted in 6 months. Post publication I had a good curve of learning and I realized my weaknesses and I wanted to address them meticulously for my second book. The second novel took over a year. The writing process sped down because I wanted to challenge myself and do better. I played with the writing style. I wanted the readers to get gripped and the only way one can achieve that is by bringing the right intensity. All this takes extra time. 6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations?My experience as a writer has been very rewarding so far. I now enjoy reading even more because I have seen the literary world both from a reader and author’s perspective. I have been able to write on topics which are close to my heart and I am proud of that. Many people want to write but get discouraged by how to go about and how to publish. Having pursued my dreams to write and actually get them out to readers’ world is a big milestone for me. It has surely helped me grow in my personal front.7.What do you think is the most exciting thing about a book release?After having spent a lot of time crafting and perfecting a manuscript, a book release is a very critical step. The last thing you need after all you’ve invested as time and effort is for your book not to reach out to readers. If you want your books to succeed, to get into the hands of your readers, to potentially achieve bestseller status a good book release is key. Besides that, there is the whole excitement and the anticipation as to how the readers have received your work.8.Who's your favourite author so far and why?I really like JoJo Moyes, for her impeccable style of writing.9.Could you kindly introduce us to your latest book in brief?My first novel, Scars do heal, was published in December 2015. I had dedicated that novel to the survivors of sexual assaults. I had used fiction as a means to achieve two aims - The first was to increase awareness and sensitize people about the rampant crime against women and its aftermath and provide an understanding what the victims of sexual abuse go through. The second aspect was regarding self-healing. The research that went into the work behind the writing of Scars do Heal all paid off. Scars do Heal has been well received by readers across many countries. The reviews were very encouraging and that fueled the desire for me to pen my second novel, “In Pursuit of a Family”.For the story-line of the second novel, I maintained my stance of wanting to write about less discussed topics. I chose to write about a topic which is close to my heart – about orphans, those who have no mother or father to guide them, protect them or love them. Unless adopted or taken in by an orphanage, these children are left to wander the streets, beg or steal for food and find shelter wherever they can. This cycle results in a high rate of suicide, physical and sexual abuse, the need to turn to organised crime and prostitution for survival. Their rights to adequate standards of living, health care and education are often violated. My journey of writing my second novel began towards the end of 2016. The first step was to do a fair amount of research about the main challenges orphans face. Once I was satisfied with the kind of issues I wanted to table in the novel, I started developing and weaving the story. It took me around a year and a half to bring the novel to fruition.The lead protagonist in the plot is, Zsofia. She had lost her parents at the tender age of 4. By the time she got to her twenties, she had gone through so much of struggles on her own that she turned into an introvert. What kept her sanity were the walls which she built around her over the years to keep herself protected and her determination on building a bright career for stability. She then meets Kevin, someone who shares similar career aspirations with Zsofia. The story revolves around them — how they help, challenge and complement each other despite their having radically different upbringing. The story also focuses on how the lead protagonist brings out her suppressed desire of having a family of her own.I have started conceptualizing my third novel. The topic I have chosen to write around is domestic violence. The initial reading I am doing around domestic violence are shocking, to say the least. I feel the urge to write around this sensitive topic as soon as possible. This novel will be having a fresh crew of characters. If all goes by plan, I hope to see this novel published by end of 2020.10.A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your book babies?There have been many enriching learning from publishing my books. The main ones are definitely related to believing in your own story and Manuscript, paying attention to the flow and style of writing and the actual publishing do’s and don’t’s.11.Your advice to aspiring authors?If you have a good story and if you have written a good manuscript, remember that for every book there is a reader out there somewhere. Just believe in yourself, write from the heart and achieve your dream. Many authors are scared how to go about publishing. Don’t let that dampen your spirits! Once you are in it, the process will unfold and the book will see the day. Everyone has a different taste in reading. So, some will love your work, some will be overly critical and some may not appreciate. As authors we have to receive all feedback and reviews with an open mind.Shilpa Menon received her primary and secondary education from Mauritius. She is a Chemical Engineer with a bachelor and Masters Degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Her research work related to the slurry precipitate and recycle reverse osmosis process has been published in various scientific journals. She began her career in the Petroleum field where she worked for few years before she turned into a serial entrepreneur. She then moved to India and founded the luxury lifestyle brand -Jolie. Her export house deals in a wide array of niche lifestyle products friendly to the environment, a whole host of educational aids/tools and a range of toys for children. Her other interests include baking, painting, photography, travelling, Pranic healing and reading. Her recent quest for the eclectic and that un-quenched desire to walk down a road less travelled took her on a journey, at finding her passion in writing. Scars Do Heal is the first work she has published in December 2015, which is a book she has written and dedicated to victims of sexual abuse. She has recently launched her second novel, In Pursuit of a family. https://notionpress.com/read/in-pursu... Page: http://amzn.to/2mVi80YGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... Links: Amazon India, Amazon USAhttps://www.amazon.in/Pursuit-Family-...
1.One fictional character that resembles you the most?It has to be Bridget Jones! I can so relate to her.2.What is your writing motivation?I am an avid reader so books have always meant comfort to me. Before I wrote my first novel, I would usually flip through pages in a novel so casually without really thinking about the efforts that would have gone into writing even one snippet! Writing made me view a piece of writing from an author's perspective and that taught me a great deal. Besides that, coming up with a gripping story line, maintaining a particular style of writing was a challenging task - especially to bring out expressions and emotions through words. I find writing greatly therapeutic and rewarding.I have written two novels so far and I decided to use fiction as a medium to table issues affecting the society at large. ‘Scars do heal’ was dedicated to victims of sexual assault and ‘In pursuit of a family’ was dedicated to orphans. I feel through words I can touch some people’s hearts and help them find some self-healing. In fact, for both of my novels I have had instances of people who have approached me and told me how much the books helped them on their personal path. Such kind of feedback is very rewarding contributes greatly to fuel my desire to keep writing.3.Who's your favourite author?I cannot pick one! My top 3 will be Jojo Moyes, Judith Mcnaught and Sophie Kinsella.4.Few quickies :Money or fame? Fame Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Literary fiction Blogging or vlogging? Blogging Interviews or book reviews? Book reviews Audiobooks or ebooks? Ebooks Plotter or panster? A combination of both5.How long does it take to write the first draft? You've written 2 books now. Did you slow down or speed up your writing process?My first novel was drafted in 6 months. Post publication I had a good curve of learning and I realized my weaknesses and I wanted to address them meticulously for my second book. The second novel took over a year. The writing process sped down because I wanted to challenge myself and do better. I played with the writing style. I wanted the readers to get gripped and the only way one can achieve that is by bringing the right intensity. All this takes extra time. 6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations?My experience as a writer has been very rewarding so far. I now enjoy reading even more because I have seen the literary world both from a reader and author’s perspective. I have been able to write on topics which are close to my heart and I am proud of that. Many people want to write but get discouraged by how to go about and how to publish. Having pursued my dreams to write and actually get them out to readers’ world is a big milestone for me. It has surely helped me grow in my personal front.7.What do you think is the most exciting thing about a book release?After having spent a lot of time crafting and perfecting a manuscript, a book release is a very critical step. The last thing you need after all you’ve invested as time and effort is for your book not to reach out to readers. If you want your books to succeed, to get into the hands of your readers, to potentially achieve bestseller status a good book release is key. Besides that, there is the whole excitement and the anticipation as to how the readers have received your work.8.Who's your favourite author so far and why?I really like JoJo Moyes, for her impeccable style of writing.9.Could you kindly introduce us to your latest book in brief?My first novel, Scars do heal, was published in December 2015. I had dedicated that novel to the survivors of sexual assaults. I had used fiction as a means to achieve two aims - The first was to increase awareness and sensitize people about the rampant crime against women and its aftermath and provide an understanding what the victims of sexual abuse go through. The second aspect was regarding self-healing. The research that went into the work behind the writing of Scars do Heal all paid off. Scars do Heal has been well received by readers across many countries. The reviews were very encouraging and that fueled the desire for me to pen my second novel, “In Pursuit of a Family”.For the story-line of the second novel, I maintained my stance of wanting to write about less discussed topics. I chose to write about a topic which is close to my heart – about orphans, those who have no mother or father to guide them, protect them or love them. Unless adopted or taken in by an orphanage, these children are left to wander the streets, beg or steal for food and find shelter wherever they can. This cycle results in a high rate of suicide, physical and sexual abuse, the need to turn to organised crime and prostitution for survival. Their rights to adequate standards of living, health care and education are often violated. My journey of writing my second novel began towards the end of 2016. The first step was to do a fair amount of research about the main challenges orphans face. Once I was satisfied with the kind of issues I wanted to table in the novel, I started developing and weaving the story. It took me around a year and a half to bring the novel to fruition.The lead protagonist in the plot is, Zsofia. She had lost her parents at the tender age of 4. By the time she got to her twenties, she had gone through so much of struggles on her own that she turned into an introvert. What kept her sanity were the walls which she built around her over the years to keep herself protected and her determination on building a bright career for stability. She then meets Kevin, someone who shares similar career aspirations with Zsofia. The story revolves around them — how they help, challenge and complement each other despite their having radically different upbringing. The story also focuses on how the lead protagonist brings out her suppressed desire of having a family of her own.I have started conceptualizing my third novel. The topic I have chosen to write around is domestic violence. The initial reading I am doing around domestic violence are shocking, to say the least. I feel the urge to write around this sensitive topic as soon as possible. This novel will be having a fresh crew of characters. If all goes by plan, I hope to see this novel published by end of 2020.10.A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your book babies?There have been many enriching learning from publishing my books. The main ones are definitely related to believing in your own story and Manuscript, paying attention to the flow and style of writing and the actual publishing do’s and don’t’s.11.Your advice to aspiring authors?If you have a good story and if you have written a good manuscript, remember that for every book there is a reader out there somewhere. Just believe in yourself, write from the heart and achieve your dream. Many authors are scared how to go about publishing. Don’t let that dampen your spirits! Once you are in it, the process will unfold and the book will see the day. Everyone has a different taste in reading. So, some will love your work, some will be overly critical and some may not appreciate. As authors we have to receive all feedback and reviews with an open mind.Shilpa Menon received her primary and secondary education from Mauritius. She is a Chemical Engineer with a bachelor and Masters Degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Her research work related to the slurry precipitate and recycle reverse osmosis process has been published in various scientific journals. She began her career in the Petroleum field where she worked for few years before she turned into a serial entrepreneur. She then moved to India and founded the luxury lifestyle brand -Jolie. Her export house deals in a wide array of niche lifestyle products friendly to the environment, a whole host of educational aids/tools and a range of toys for children. Her other interests include baking, painting, photography, travelling, Pranic healing and reading. Her recent quest for the eclectic and that un-quenched desire to walk down a road less travelled took her on a journey, at finding her passion in writing. Scars Do Heal is the first work she has published in December 2015, which is a book she has written and dedicated to victims of sexual abuse. She has recently launched her second novel, In Pursuit of a family. https://notionpress.com/read/in-pursu... Page: http://amzn.to/2mVi80YGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... Links: Amazon India, Amazon USAhttps://www.amazon.in/Pursuit-Family-...
In Pursuit of a Family
by Shilpa Menon (a book review)
In Pursuit of a Family By Shilpa Menon – A Book Review Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Notion Press, Inc.; 1 edition (15 October 2018) Language: English ISBN-10: 1644295415 ISBN-13: 978-1644295410 Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 1.8 x 22.9 cm About the book: Zsofia Lakatos was orphaned early in life. Hardships forged her into becoming strong and independent. With her wit and determination she fulfilled her dream of becoming a fine architect. She never allowed anyone to break down the fences she had created around herself. Until meeting Kevin. Kevin Percy had everything going well in his life - a loving family and living his dream of running a successful architecture firm in London. Kevin's first meeting with Zsofia leaves him intrigued. He hatches a plan to bring her closer to him by offering her a job at his firm. Will the two be able to resist their attraction to each other? Will their differences be too big to overcome? Will Kevin's past hurt their plans? Will Zsofia finally be able to dream of having a family of her own? About the Author Shilpa Menon is a Chemical Engineer. After having worked a few years in the petroleum industry, she decided to start her own business to pursue her entrepreneurial ambitions. She founded her own brand, which deals in a range of lifestyle, kids' educational and eco-friendly products. Her interests include baking, photography, travelling, reading and arts and crafts. She currently lives in Chennai, India, with her husband and son. Her quest for the eclectic and the unquenched desire to walk a road less travelled have led her to finding her passion of writing fiction, with Scars Do Heal as her debut novel. You may contact her on www.shilpamenon.com My review The protagonists of “Scars Do Heal”, i.e. Sonal and Ryan appear in “In Pursuit of a Family” as characters. However the present story is more so about Ryan’s younger brother, Kevin Percy. Kevin is a successful architect but he feels that something is missing from his life. An encounter with Zsofia (much like what happens in ‘Scars do heal’) at a Christmas party leaves him dazzled. Kevin digs into Zsofia’s background and upon finding out that she is studying architecture, ensures that she is offered a job as an intern in his firm. And the love story continues with highs and lows from there on. So the reader is left the story to find out if there is a happy ending for Zsofia and Kevin. Zsofia’s character could be better developed. Also at times it felt like a sequel, and again at times it didn’t feel like that at all. This story line comes with an even more beautiful style narration this time. It has a pace that calls for your notice to the exquisite work of literature in the pages that merges different fragments into a picturesque buoyant tale. A good read overall.
December 24, 2018
In a conversation with Vrinda Singh, the author of 'Murky Girl'
Hi book-lovers,today we have on board Vrinda Singh, the author of 'Murky Girl'. Vrinda, as her name, is pure by heart and intentions. From the doors of the lower-middle strata, Vrinda stands tall today with her debut novel, “Murky Girl”. So without further ado, let's get started:
1. One fictional character that resembles you the most? Techna from wingx club invites comparison with Vrinda. I am no where close to her physical appearances but being the fairy of technology, she has inspired me to be practical, beautiful and logical. We are sisters from different mother struggling to express our emotions and base the majority of our decisions on pure logic. 2. What is your writing motivation? Could you tell us the story behind 'Murky Girl? Murky Girl, herself is a motivation for millions, who suffer. Motivation lights up other motivations. Hence, a girl(you) is(are) a motivation behind Murky Girl. Murky Girl is the first Indian super-power born to empower by lightning up the confidence and instincts. You can easily connect your story with the story of Murky Girl. 3. Who's your favourite author? Ruskin Bond and Khushwant Singh.4. Few quickies : Money or fame?—> Fame. Commercial fiction or literary fiction? —> Literary FictionBlogging or vlogging? —> Blogging Interviews or book reviews? —> All! For me its both as writer and writings are made for each other. Audiobooks or ebooks? —> ebooks, since I am a technocrat.Paperbacks or hardbacks? —> Paperbacks since I want to reach the masses in general.5. How long did it take to write the first draft? In a span of 1 month, the first draft was ready since the character accouchement was done long back before the draft was written.6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations? I enjoyed writing the novel because this undertaking bestowed an opportunity to juxtapose technology and literature on one platform. Writing becomes more rewarding when you feel every character. It’s like one actor, multiple roles and one play. Expectations, of course do take a leap, when the target audience is the entire age group, from the very young to very old. This book imitates life with nature and is a complete mix of emotional spices. Therefore, I feel, I have justified my imaginations with this work. 7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a 1st time author? Writing this book, I never felt I am a first time author. The imaginative connects were rich enough to flush all the anxieties. The writer inside was born a decade ago as a freelancer and newspaper column writer, but being a published author is of course a euphoria. 8. What do you think is the biggest challenge ? The biggest challenge was to portray the practical world with fictitious characters endowed with super powers and connecting the readers in a way that they choose their characters, practically enjoying the troughs and crest of the character’s life. This book is not about inflicting but admitting. 9. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Share your writing rituals with us. I'm a little bit of both, precisely a plantser. I start out writing by the seat of my pants. I like to let the story take me, and see where it goes. But then, once I see where the story is going, I like to make an outline. That doesn't mean I need to completely follow it, but it is nice to see what might happen in the story.10. Could you kindly introduce us to your book in brief? The book brief, if revealed will be a spoiler for all the readers. However, the story baseline revolves around an abandoned girl, fearless and obstinate, struggling to understand the meaning of life. This book has nothing to do with feminism, so curiosity streams equally for any gender while reading. 11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your first book baby? I wasn’t really prepared for my first baby, rofl ! I went careless with my imaginations on practical grounds unto such an extent that I didn’t realize, I am impregnated by this ’Sui genesis’ baby. But giving birth to your baby and preparing it to face the world isn’t a bed of roses. The complete journey from writing the first draft to publishing the book was a roller coaster ride. Amongst a pound of take aways, the most important was- “Don’t let your work go waste. Choose your publisher not on brand value but on it’s reach to masses”. Only Readings can reward the writings. For me Paperwiff, did the magic. 12. Your advice to aspiring authors? Appreciate and follow but don’t copy anybody’s style of writing. Writing is an art and there is a huge room for perfection in this art form. Possibilities are endless with plethora of permutations and combinations. Hence, keep experimenting and let people recognize by your style of writing. "Don’t bother, if you are an honest author"A technocrat at a reputed MNC, a speaker, a writer and an ardent reader, Vrinda believes in exploring a bit of her every day. The Gold Medallist in VLSI, Vrinda envisions juxtaposing literature and technology. Her knack of writing in due course of time has turned into a wild chase of minimizing hatred, indifferences and miseries of life. A blogger by blood, she captures the real voices which go silent amidst the noise. She is a budding entrepreneur at the age of 25. Post graduated from one of the reputed Govt. University, Vrinda also has a research paper attributed to her name. The links to her profiles on social media are as follows:1. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (Good Reads account)2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrinda-si... (Linkedin Account)3. www.intheheatofthemoment.net( Blog website)
1. One fictional character that resembles you the most? Techna from wingx club invites comparison with Vrinda. I am no where close to her physical appearances but being the fairy of technology, she has inspired me to be practical, beautiful and logical. We are sisters from different mother struggling to express our emotions and base the majority of our decisions on pure logic. 2. What is your writing motivation? Could you tell us the story behind 'Murky Girl? Murky Girl, herself is a motivation for millions, who suffer. Motivation lights up other motivations. Hence, a girl(you) is(are) a motivation behind Murky Girl. Murky Girl is the first Indian super-power born to empower by lightning up the confidence and instincts. You can easily connect your story with the story of Murky Girl. 3. Who's your favourite author? Ruskin Bond and Khushwant Singh.4. Few quickies : Money or fame?—> Fame. Commercial fiction or literary fiction? —> Literary FictionBlogging or vlogging? —> Blogging Interviews or book reviews? —> All! For me its both as writer and writings are made for each other. Audiobooks or ebooks? —> ebooks, since I am a technocrat.Paperbacks or hardbacks? —> Paperbacks since I want to reach the masses in general.5. How long did it take to write the first draft? In a span of 1 month, the first draft was ready since the character accouchement was done long back before the draft was written.6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations? I enjoyed writing the novel because this undertaking bestowed an opportunity to juxtapose technology and literature on one platform. Writing becomes more rewarding when you feel every character. It’s like one actor, multiple roles and one play. Expectations, of course do take a leap, when the target audience is the entire age group, from the very young to very old. This book imitates life with nature and is a complete mix of emotional spices. Therefore, I feel, I have justified my imaginations with this work. 7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a 1st time author? Writing this book, I never felt I am a first time author. The imaginative connects were rich enough to flush all the anxieties. The writer inside was born a decade ago as a freelancer and newspaper column writer, but being a published author is of course a euphoria. 8. What do you think is the biggest challenge ? The biggest challenge was to portray the practical world with fictitious characters endowed with super powers and connecting the readers in a way that they choose their characters, practically enjoying the troughs and crest of the character’s life. This book is not about inflicting but admitting. 9. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Share your writing rituals with us. I'm a little bit of both, precisely a plantser. I start out writing by the seat of my pants. I like to let the story take me, and see where it goes. But then, once I see where the story is going, I like to make an outline. That doesn't mean I need to completely follow it, but it is nice to see what might happen in the story.10. Could you kindly introduce us to your book in brief? The book brief, if revealed will be a spoiler for all the readers. However, the story baseline revolves around an abandoned girl, fearless and obstinate, struggling to understand the meaning of life. This book has nothing to do with feminism, so curiosity streams equally for any gender while reading. 11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your first book baby? I wasn’t really prepared for my first baby, rofl ! I went careless with my imaginations on practical grounds unto such an extent that I didn’t realize, I am impregnated by this ’Sui genesis’ baby. But giving birth to your baby and preparing it to face the world isn’t a bed of roses. The complete journey from writing the first draft to publishing the book was a roller coaster ride. Amongst a pound of take aways, the most important was- “Don’t let your work go waste. Choose your publisher not on brand value but on it’s reach to masses”. Only Readings can reward the writings. For me Paperwiff, did the magic. 12. Your advice to aspiring authors? Appreciate and follow but don’t copy anybody’s style of writing. Writing is an art and there is a huge room for perfection in this art form. Possibilities are endless with plethora of permutations and combinations. Hence, keep experimenting and let people recognize by your style of writing. "Don’t bother, if you are an honest author"A technocrat at a reputed MNC, a speaker, a writer and an ardent reader, Vrinda believes in exploring a bit of her every day. The Gold Medallist in VLSI, Vrinda envisions juxtaposing literature and technology. Her knack of writing in due course of time has turned into a wild chase of minimizing hatred, indifferences and miseries of life. A blogger by blood, she captures the real voices which go silent amidst the noise. She is a budding entrepreneur at the age of 25. Post graduated from one of the reputed Govt. University, Vrinda also has a research paper attributed to her name. The links to her profiles on social media are as follows:1. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (Good Reads account)2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrinda-si... (Linkedin Account)3. www.intheheatofthemoment.net( Blog website)
In a conversation with Chitrangada Mukherjee- the author of 'Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic'
Hey book lovers, today we have on board the beautiful Chitrangada Mukherjee. Born and raised in the scenic north-eastern state of Tripura, the author post graduated in History from the Presidency College in Kolkata, a city which made her a thinker. A love affair resulting in marriage brought her to the south of India, where she worked as a tele-caller, teacher, news reader, soft skills trainer, quiz show hostess, and content writer. Five years ago she decided to leave her cushy IT job and embrace motherhood. While at home, she started to introspect about her true calling. She found it in writing. Apart from writing and reading, she loves listening to music on her headphones, grass walking, and gazing at the ocean. Chennai is her home now, where she lives with her seven-year-old daughter and husband. Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic is her second novel. So without further ado, let's get started:
1.One fictional character that resembles you the most?A combination of Bridget Jones (Bridget Jone’s Diary), Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) and Nel Abbot (Into the Water)Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic is a sort of book which has a lot going on.2.What were the challenges that you faced while writing the book?I didn’t struggle at all while writing this book. In fact, I laughed aloud and was cheerful the entire time. And I’m glad readers have got the humour and are calling this book ‘hilarious’. Some have called it a “happy-sad” tale and I find this a more apt descriptor. Anyway, the challenge came in much later, when I was editing the book. Editing a book requires looking at you work objectively and that translates into ruthlessly cutting down on chapters; re-writing; plotting; sequencing etc.3.How did reading influence your writing/ belief-system?I don’t have favourites. And I am quite selective about the books I read. I’m not a voracious reader; I’m a temperamental one. I pick and choose my books carefully. Having said that, I would like to name a few which are on top of my mind and whose work I admire: Kamala Das, Helen Fielding, JK Rowling, Jhumpa Lahiri, SJ Watson, Gillian Flynn, Han Kang, Jane Austen, Stephen Chbosky and Agatha Christie.4.Few quickies :Money or fame?Both Commercial fiction or literary fiction? BothBlogging or vlogging? BothInterviews or book reviews? BothAudiobooks or ebooks? None. I’m partial towards paperbacks and hardcovers – call me old-fashioned if you like.Plotter or panster? Planster (a bit of both)5. How long does it take to write the first draft? You've written 2 books now. Did you slow down or speed up your writing process?It takes 3 months to write the first draft, if I’m convinced about the plot and the characters. My speed is just the same.6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations?I’ve had a great time writing and seeing my book publish online and in book stores. The love and adulation received from readers and critics’ is way more than I had expected. I’m a very happy person, right now.7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about a book release?Sharing your thoughts and stories with readers and their appreciation is the award for all the hard work you put in and the days you spend working in isolation.8. What are the pros and cons of traditional publishing?I had to publish my first book independently, so I’ve done the self-publishing bit too. My first book was a psychological thriller and after waiting for months, I asked a friend to do a cover design and another friend to convert it into an e-book and upload on amazon; I didn’t spend a penny from my pocket. Self-publishing is fast, you don’t have to wait to fit-into a publisher’s calendar. But that’s where the benefit ends. In traditional publishing, the publisher helps you to market your book and it’s a credible way to get recognised for your work. Publishers and the literary community doesn’t take self-published authors seriously; maybe because the quality of a self-published book, particularly in terms of editing is not at par with a book published by a renowned publisher – in most cases, not all. In self-publishing, you will have to spend from your pocket, if you opt for a paperback or hardcover version of your book. When you publish traditionally, you don’t spend a rupee.9. Who's your favourite author so far and why?As I said, no favourites. But I do lean towards writers like Kamala Das or Jhumpa Lahiri or Ottessa Moshfegh when I’m looking for inspiration.10. Could you kindly introduce us to your latest book in brief?After writing my first book, which was a profound, sad and disturbing tale, I was looking to write something frothy and light. Also I wanted to explore the fun and quirky side of me. Taking inspiration from the works of Helen Fielding and Marian Keyes, I created the character of Madhubala Ray, who is thirty-something, grieving and yet not ready to give up on life. Later, I created the other characters and a story line which would unfold in the course of a year and in the place where I live -- Chennai. I chose the diary format to tell this tale because I find it interesting and highly personal; so it would be like having a conversation with an interesting person for the reader.11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your book babies ?I've learnt to be patient and slightly indifferent to success and failure. I've also learnt the marketing side of publishing a book, which I didnt know - earlier. And most importantly, I've discovered that the only craft that I want to dedicate my life to is -- writing. 12. Your advice to aspiring authors? We all have that one book in us, so write it. But before you do, think hard about what new can you offer and if you will be able to pull it off. Choose your genre carefully and spend some time researching on the type of reads available in the genre. Work on the language, I do. The best way to work on language skills is to read and then write. Work on plotting, I plot all day and fail and then try once again like the proverbial spider. Work on editing your manuscript, I always do – it’s a must. And make sure you work with an editor before publishing your book. Once you publish your book, market it well.
1.One fictional character that resembles you the most?A combination of Bridget Jones (Bridget Jone’s Diary), Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) and Nel Abbot (Into the Water)Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic is a sort of book which has a lot going on.2.What were the challenges that you faced while writing the book?I didn’t struggle at all while writing this book. In fact, I laughed aloud and was cheerful the entire time. And I’m glad readers have got the humour and are calling this book ‘hilarious’. Some have called it a “happy-sad” tale and I find this a more apt descriptor. Anyway, the challenge came in much later, when I was editing the book. Editing a book requires looking at you work objectively and that translates into ruthlessly cutting down on chapters; re-writing; plotting; sequencing etc.3.How did reading influence your writing/ belief-system?I don’t have favourites. And I am quite selective about the books I read. I’m not a voracious reader; I’m a temperamental one. I pick and choose my books carefully. Having said that, I would like to name a few which are on top of my mind and whose work I admire: Kamala Das, Helen Fielding, JK Rowling, Jhumpa Lahiri, SJ Watson, Gillian Flynn, Han Kang, Jane Austen, Stephen Chbosky and Agatha Christie.4.Few quickies :Money or fame?Both Commercial fiction or literary fiction? BothBlogging or vlogging? BothInterviews or book reviews? BothAudiobooks or ebooks? None. I’m partial towards paperbacks and hardcovers – call me old-fashioned if you like.Plotter or panster? Planster (a bit of both)5. How long does it take to write the first draft? You've written 2 books now. Did you slow down or speed up your writing process?It takes 3 months to write the first draft, if I’m convinced about the plot and the characters. My speed is just the same.6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations?I’ve had a great time writing and seeing my book publish online and in book stores. The love and adulation received from readers and critics’ is way more than I had expected. I’m a very happy person, right now.7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about a book release?Sharing your thoughts and stories with readers and their appreciation is the award for all the hard work you put in and the days you spend working in isolation.8. What are the pros and cons of traditional publishing?I had to publish my first book independently, so I’ve done the self-publishing bit too. My first book was a psychological thriller and after waiting for months, I asked a friend to do a cover design and another friend to convert it into an e-book and upload on amazon; I didn’t spend a penny from my pocket. Self-publishing is fast, you don’t have to wait to fit-into a publisher’s calendar. But that’s where the benefit ends. In traditional publishing, the publisher helps you to market your book and it’s a credible way to get recognised for your work. Publishers and the literary community doesn’t take self-published authors seriously; maybe because the quality of a self-published book, particularly in terms of editing is not at par with a book published by a renowned publisher – in most cases, not all. In self-publishing, you will have to spend from your pocket, if you opt for a paperback or hardcover version of your book. When you publish traditionally, you don’t spend a rupee.9. Who's your favourite author so far and why?As I said, no favourites. But I do lean towards writers like Kamala Das or Jhumpa Lahiri or Ottessa Moshfegh when I’m looking for inspiration.10. Could you kindly introduce us to your latest book in brief?After writing my first book, which was a profound, sad and disturbing tale, I was looking to write something frothy and light. Also I wanted to explore the fun and quirky side of me. Taking inspiration from the works of Helen Fielding and Marian Keyes, I created the character of Madhubala Ray, who is thirty-something, grieving and yet not ready to give up on life. Later, I created the other characters and a story line which would unfold in the course of a year and in the place where I live -- Chennai. I chose the diary format to tell this tale because I find it interesting and highly personal; so it would be like having a conversation with an interesting person for the reader.11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your book babies ?I've learnt to be patient and slightly indifferent to success and failure. I've also learnt the marketing side of publishing a book, which I didnt know - earlier. And most importantly, I've discovered that the only craft that I want to dedicate my life to is -- writing. 12. Your advice to aspiring authors? We all have that one book in us, so write it. But before you do, think hard about what new can you offer and if you will be able to pull it off. Choose your genre carefully and spend some time researching on the type of reads available in the genre. Work on the language, I do. The best way to work on language skills is to read and then write. Work on plotting, I plot all day and fail and then try once again like the proverbial spider. Work on editing your manuscript, I always do – it’s a must. And make sure you work with an editor before publishing your book. Once you publish your book, market it well.
December 1, 2018
In a conversation with debut author Debankan Das
Hey book lovers,today we have on board, a debut indie author, Debankan Das. His novel, "The Curse" is a fictional work that deals with suspense, mystery and thriller. Or so it seems unless you dip into it's lines to discover even more! So without further ado, let's get started!
1.Name one fictional character from "The curse" that resembles you the most. Gyanendra. I have prepared his character keeping my habits in mind. Just like me, he too dreamt about the lady in black sari. Apart from that, he tries to relate his abstract jigsaw puzzle kind of dreams with reality. I too had this habit.2.What is your writing motivation? Could you tell us the story behind 'The curse'?First of all I use to watch and listen to a lot of stories. I have seen a lot of movies which had really unique storyline. This was my foundation as a storyteller. I watch regional movies- Bengali (1950s to present), tamil, telugu, Malayalam, hindi (ranging from 1950s to present). Apart from that, I watch Chinese movies, Hollywood movies (ranging from 1918s to present) and some movies made in the UK. So this created a storyteller inside me. What really motivated me, were flop movies or the movies I didn’t liked. When I see a not-so-impressive movie, my brain starts improvising the story I saw. This started to trigger my creativity to make any story out of anything.The curse story was made in a very similar way. I watched a Bengali movie, ‘baishe srabon’ based on serial killing. The movie was a huge hit and I liked the movie throughout but I was not so happy with the ending (anybody who watched that movie would understand why). So I decided to make a story on serial killing with great ending. But I wanted to give a very solid reason for why the killing was happening. So first, I came out with a reason. Now, in most of the serial killing stories, the villain gives clues, which doesn’t makes sense to me because why a killer should give clues in such a manner? Then I saw a horrible dream of the lady in black sari. I was so moved by that dream, I utilised it as a background of my story. Then I made the character of Gyanendra who gets the clues by his dreams. So this is how the story was prepared. 3. Any special reason behind the choice of genre? I haven't seen many debut authors try this category. I believe it is because of the complex plot structure. Though you did carry that off pretty well. Did you not feel nervous about it? Also do you intend to stick to one genre?No I do not want to stick to a single genre. The reason I have chosen this genre is because after action genre I like supernatural/mystery/thriller genre the most. I didn’t choose action as a genre to write because action is something that I enjoy watching; not reading. But thriller I can write and I feel fun to read. A thriller novel with supernatural elements can be gripping and quick read so I liked that part. I know a bunch of authors writing mythology fiction and another bunch of authors writing romantic novels. It’s my opinion that Indians are not getting enough mystery/thriller books to read that are original and have an Indian flavour to it. It’s not like people don’t want to read thrillers; they want it but are not getting enough. Apart from this, the characters of the story were very easily designed in my mind, so I wanted to make a story out of it very badly, even though I knew that it would be challenging but I also knew that it would be fun. So I was not nervous, I was excited. 4. Few quickies : Money or fame? Both Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Commercial fiction Blogging or vlogging? Both Interviews or book reviews? Both are needed but I want more interviews Audiobooks or ebooks? Audiobooks Paperbacks or hardbacks? Hardbacks 5. How long did it take to write the first draft?It took me approximately 6 months but then it was left over for five years. This year I have improvised it a bit and finally published. 6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations?It was a thrilling experience. I felt the tension of the characters 10 times more than the readers did. I started to worry of what is going to happen next in my story because I have to prepare it anyway.It had surpassed my expectations. I liked it more when I prepared the climax scene. At first I never wondered that the ending will be so amazing. Everyone who read it appreciated the gripping storyline and the sketches made by me. It feels great when the readers are happy. 7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a 1st time author?I guess it’s a sense of achievement that I can write a novel and I can make other people entertained. 8. What do you think is the biggest challenge?My biggest challenge was my job. Because I was doing job, so it took me 6 months, otherwise I would have finished it in 3 months or less than that. Another big challenge was I got stuck while writing and had no idea what to do next and how to come up with the climax scene. It took me a month or two to come up with the climax idea.9. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Share your writing rituals with us.A. I am a pantser. Although, while writing the novel The Curse, I had no idea what is plotter or a pantser. But when I came to know about these terms I became sure that I am a pantser. I develop characters in my head, imagine few scenes for three to 4 days and then just start writing. I get new ideas while I am on the writing process. But I want to be a plotter because I found there work process to be more organized. 10. Could you kindly introduce us to your work in progress?My next novel is a drama about a guy struggling in corporate world. It had some amount of comedy and some romance elements. I am writing it with another first time author. It will be completed next year. 11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your first book baby?There are many lesson that I have learnt like marketing a book is as important as preparing it. People do judge a book by its cover, so I made the cover of my book as impressive as I can all by myself. The marketing of book is just something that I am learning day by day. 12. Your advice to aspiring authors?My advice is read as many books as you can and search for more and more stories both in literature and in movies. When you know many stories, they somewhere do a chemical reaction in your brain and a new refreshing story is often synthesized which will be unique. Just a small imagination about a scene is enough to write an entire story. Just make it a rule to entertain your readers because making the readers bore is a sin and one who commits that sin is punished with bad results. https://amzn.to/2xOO8Id https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb9gG... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
1.Name one fictional character from "The curse" that resembles you the most. Gyanendra. I have prepared his character keeping my habits in mind. Just like me, he too dreamt about the lady in black sari. Apart from that, he tries to relate his abstract jigsaw puzzle kind of dreams with reality. I too had this habit.2.What is your writing motivation? Could you tell us the story behind 'The curse'?First of all I use to watch and listen to a lot of stories. I have seen a lot of movies which had really unique storyline. This was my foundation as a storyteller. I watch regional movies- Bengali (1950s to present), tamil, telugu, Malayalam, hindi (ranging from 1950s to present). Apart from that, I watch Chinese movies, Hollywood movies (ranging from 1918s to present) and some movies made in the UK. So this created a storyteller inside me. What really motivated me, were flop movies or the movies I didn’t liked. When I see a not-so-impressive movie, my brain starts improvising the story I saw. This started to trigger my creativity to make any story out of anything.The curse story was made in a very similar way. I watched a Bengali movie, ‘baishe srabon’ based on serial killing. The movie was a huge hit and I liked the movie throughout but I was not so happy with the ending (anybody who watched that movie would understand why). So I decided to make a story on serial killing with great ending. But I wanted to give a very solid reason for why the killing was happening. So first, I came out with a reason. Now, in most of the serial killing stories, the villain gives clues, which doesn’t makes sense to me because why a killer should give clues in such a manner? Then I saw a horrible dream of the lady in black sari. I was so moved by that dream, I utilised it as a background of my story. Then I made the character of Gyanendra who gets the clues by his dreams. So this is how the story was prepared. 3. Any special reason behind the choice of genre? I haven't seen many debut authors try this category. I believe it is because of the complex plot structure. Though you did carry that off pretty well. Did you not feel nervous about it? Also do you intend to stick to one genre?No I do not want to stick to a single genre. The reason I have chosen this genre is because after action genre I like supernatural/mystery/thriller genre the most. I didn’t choose action as a genre to write because action is something that I enjoy watching; not reading. But thriller I can write and I feel fun to read. A thriller novel with supernatural elements can be gripping and quick read so I liked that part. I know a bunch of authors writing mythology fiction and another bunch of authors writing romantic novels. It’s my opinion that Indians are not getting enough mystery/thriller books to read that are original and have an Indian flavour to it. It’s not like people don’t want to read thrillers; they want it but are not getting enough. Apart from this, the characters of the story were very easily designed in my mind, so I wanted to make a story out of it very badly, even though I knew that it would be challenging but I also knew that it would be fun. So I was not nervous, I was excited. 4. Few quickies : Money or fame? Both Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Commercial fiction Blogging or vlogging? Both Interviews or book reviews? Both are needed but I want more interviews Audiobooks or ebooks? Audiobooks Paperbacks or hardbacks? Hardbacks 5. How long did it take to write the first draft?It took me approximately 6 months but then it was left over for five years. This year I have improvised it a bit and finally published. 6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations?It was a thrilling experience. I felt the tension of the characters 10 times more than the readers did. I started to worry of what is going to happen next in my story because I have to prepare it anyway.It had surpassed my expectations. I liked it more when I prepared the climax scene. At first I never wondered that the ending will be so amazing. Everyone who read it appreciated the gripping storyline and the sketches made by me. It feels great when the readers are happy. 7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a 1st time author?I guess it’s a sense of achievement that I can write a novel and I can make other people entertained. 8. What do you think is the biggest challenge?My biggest challenge was my job. Because I was doing job, so it took me 6 months, otherwise I would have finished it in 3 months or less than that. Another big challenge was I got stuck while writing and had no idea what to do next and how to come up with the climax scene. It took me a month or two to come up with the climax idea.9. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Share your writing rituals with us.A. I am a pantser. Although, while writing the novel The Curse, I had no idea what is plotter or a pantser. But when I came to know about these terms I became sure that I am a pantser. I develop characters in my head, imagine few scenes for three to 4 days and then just start writing. I get new ideas while I am on the writing process. But I want to be a plotter because I found there work process to be more organized. 10. Could you kindly introduce us to your work in progress?My next novel is a drama about a guy struggling in corporate world. It had some amount of comedy and some romance elements. I am writing it with another first time author. It will be completed next year. 11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your first book baby?There are many lesson that I have learnt like marketing a book is as important as preparing it. People do judge a book by its cover, so I made the cover of my book as impressive as I can all by myself. The marketing of book is just something that I am learning day by day. 12. Your advice to aspiring authors?My advice is read as many books as you can and search for more and more stories both in literature and in movies. When you know many stories, they somewhere do a chemical reaction in your brain and a new refreshing story is often synthesized which will be unique. Just a small imagination about a scene is enough to write an entire story. Just make it a rule to entertain your readers because making the readers bore is a sin and one who commits that sin is punished with bad results. https://amzn.to/2xOO8Id https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb9gG... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
November 26, 2018
In a conversation with Nadya A.R. the author of Invisible Ties
Hello book lovers,Today we have on board, Nadya an author, a psychotherapist and a motivational speaker. Her latest novel, Invisible Ties, has been published by Rupa Publications in August 2017. Besides that she has written articles and submitted papers on different psychological constructs and topics in International conferences and workshops. Invisible Ties is a beautifully written story of a girl based in Pakistan. What I liked about the book is that unlike other pseudo feminist texts, this book highlights the struggles of both the partners involved in an arranged marriage.(Also, I love the texture of the cover 
1.One fictional character that resembles you the most?One fictional character that resembles me the most is perhaps Noor. I am also quite warm and sensitive. Also, maybe the fact that she is a psychotherapist. She is family oriented, follows the old tradition and yet is adaptive to the changes in life. Those are the things I can identify with and perhaps that is what makes her a part of me.2.What is your writing motivation? The major writing motivation for anyone is to tell a good story. One of things that I really think a lot about is about creating a change, creating a ripple effect with the kind of story you tell. From Broken Souls to Kolachi Dreams and in Invisible Ties, I have reflected on different themes, like social injustice and feminism, which I identify with and are integral to my story.3.Any special reason behind the choice of genre? Also do you intend to stick to one genre?I actually experimented with different genres. Kolachi Dreams, my earlier novel was a commercial fiction. And then I deviated from it. Invisible Ties was conceptualized as literary fiction but would be classified as general/contemporary fiction. It is important for me to experiment with different genres in writing. In a way, I feel my work reflects my evolution as a person and my growth as a writer.4.Few quickies : Money or fame? Fame Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Both – I have respect for all genres Blogging or vlogging? Blogging Interviews or book reviews? Book reviews Audiobooks or ebooks? E-books Paperbacks or hardbacks? HardbacksA plotter or a pantser? - A pantser – a bit of both5.How long does it take to write the first draft? You've written 2 books now. Did you slow down or speed up your writing process? I took about three years to write Invisible Ties because I plotted and researched for writing the novel and then the actual writing time was about two years. For Kolachi Dreams it didn’t take me that long to write that novel but then I redrafted it afterwards. So I don’t really know… every timeline has been different.I think and felt, the actual process was faster than what it was with my earlier books because I knew where I was going and I was following a structure with my second novel, Invisible Ties.6.How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations? Writing Invisible Ties was an intense and a beautiful journey. I feel a strange, soul connection with this book. I travelled a lot and went to all the places I have written about in my book. And I gained a lot of insights from that process. I think it was very individual and very unique. I think there should be flexibility in the writing itself and your writing journey. When I go back to the days of writing- Invisible ties- I know that I will never be able to recreate the same experience ever again.7.What do you think is the most exciting thing about a book release?The most exciting thing about a book release is seeing your name on something concrete and tangible and holding your book close to your heart. Also the sense of fulfilment- and perhaps the awe and wonder you experience that you have shared a part of yourself, are connected to others and are leaving it behind for this world.8.What are the pros and cons of traditional publishing? The pros are you have the backing and the name of the traditional publisher. People tend to pay more attention to your work. And I also feel that if you have a traditional publisher then you don’t have to worry about the distribution, promotion, building networks etc.But the cons are that the traditional publishers are publishing so many books and to pay attention to each one of them is a huge challenge. So you don’t get that kind of exclusivity, and it is highly competitive in traditional publishing.9.Who's your favourite author so far and why?My favourite writer or the book I perhaps loved is ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho. Yes!!! I would really like to meet him. However, I haven’t found anything in his other books that can actually match up to the brilliance of ‘The Alchemist’.10.Could you kindly introduce us to your latest book (you could talk about Invisible ties - how or why you started writing it. Or maybe you could give us a little information about a work in progress ...My work in progress is a book called Sanctuary and it is still in the developing stage. It’s going to be general fiction but it is an adventure novel and the characters are likely to be more multi-dimensional than those in ‘Invisible Ties’.I started writing Invisible Ties because I really wanted to focus on security and childhood attachments. I feel that security is not just about external security or tied to different places. Security is tied to a deep place within us, which makes us resilient to life’s changes, and more empowered to face the unpredictability and ups and downs of life. So that was my main motivation in writing Invisible Ties and that’s how I constructed the character of Noor.11.A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your book babies? A lesson that I have learnt while publishing my book Invisible Ties is that the readers are the most important thing for any writer. And it’s beautiful that the book has been well received by the readers, by the bloggers – and for that I am extremely grateful. And also, you have to be in touch with the readers to be receptive to your flaws and to better your craft in the future12.Your advice to aspiring authors?My advice to other writers is basically to write and to just forget about the future. That means letting go of that fear of whether the book is going to be published? So I think if you are a writer, then you have to be authentic to your unique identity, and that need to do justice to a piece of work that you were meant to create. And then of course, you consider the practical dynamics and look out for publishers etc. So my advice to every writer is that hold your pen or whatever else, and Just Write!Author Bio:Nadya is an author, a psychotherapist and a motivational speaker. Her latest novel, Invisible Ties, has been published by Rupa Publications in August 2017. Nadya has written articles and submitted papers on different psychological constructs and topics in International conferences and workshops.Facebook Page:http://www.facebook.com/nadyaaroffici... Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/nadyaaroffic... Invisible Ties on Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Invisible-Ties-...
1.One fictional character that resembles you the most?One fictional character that resembles me the most is perhaps Noor. I am also quite warm and sensitive. Also, maybe the fact that she is a psychotherapist. She is family oriented, follows the old tradition and yet is adaptive to the changes in life. Those are the things I can identify with and perhaps that is what makes her a part of me.2.What is your writing motivation? The major writing motivation for anyone is to tell a good story. One of things that I really think a lot about is about creating a change, creating a ripple effect with the kind of story you tell. From Broken Souls to Kolachi Dreams and in Invisible Ties, I have reflected on different themes, like social injustice and feminism, which I identify with and are integral to my story.3.Any special reason behind the choice of genre? Also do you intend to stick to one genre?I actually experimented with different genres. Kolachi Dreams, my earlier novel was a commercial fiction. And then I deviated from it. Invisible Ties was conceptualized as literary fiction but would be classified as general/contemporary fiction. It is important for me to experiment with different genres in writing. In a way, I feel my work reflects my evolution as a person and my growth as a writer.4.Few quickies : Money or fame? Fame Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Both – I have respect for all genres Blogging or vlogging? Blogging Interviews or book reviews? Book reviews Audiobooks or ebooks? E-books Paperbacks or hardbacks? HardbacksA plotter or a pantser? - A pantser – a bit of both5.How long does it take to write the first draft? You've written 2 books now. Did you slow down or speed up your writing process? I took about three years to write Invisible Ties because I plotted and researched for writing the novel and then the actual writing time was about two years. For Kolachi Dreams it didn’t take me that long to write that novel but then I redrafted it afterwards. So I don’t really know… every timeline has been different.I think and felt, the actual process was faster than what it was with my earlier books because I knew where I was going and I was following a structure with my second novel, Invisible Ties.6.How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations? Writing Invisible Ties was an intense and a beautiful journey. I feel a strange, soul connection with this book. I travelled a lot and went to all the places I have written about in my book. And I gained a lot of insights from that process. I think it was very individual and very unique. I think there should be flexibility in the writing itself and your writing journey. When I go back to the days of writing- Invisible ties- I know that I will never be able to recreate the same experience ever again.7.What do you think is the most exciting thing about a book release?The most exciting thing about a book release is seeing your name on something concrete and tangible and holding your book close to your heart. Also the sense of fulfilment- and perhaps the awe and wonder you experience that you have shared a part of yourself, are connected to others and are leaving it behind for this world.8.What are the pros and cons of traditional publishing? The pros are you have the backing and the name of the traditional publisher. People tend to pay more attention to your work. And I also feel that if you have a traditional publisher then you don’t have to worry about the distribution, promotion, building networks etc.But the cons are that the traditional publishers are publishing so many books and to pay attention to each one of them is a huge challenge. So you don’t get that kind of exclusivity, and it is highly competitive in traditional publishing.9.Who's your favourite author so far and why?My favourite writer or the book I perhaps loved is ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho. Yes!!! I would really like to meet him. However, I haven’t found anything in his other books that can actually match up to the brilliance of ‘The Alchemist’.10.Could you kindly introduce us to your latest book (you could talk about Invisible ties - how or why you started writing it. Or maybe you could give us a little information about a work in progress ...My work in progress is a book called Sanctuary and it is still in the developing stage. It’s going to be general fiction but it is an adventure novel and the characters are likely to be more multi-dimensional than those in ‘Invisible Ties’.I started writing Invisible Ties because I really wanted to focus on security and childhood attachments. I feel that security is not just about external security or tied to different places. Security is tied to a deep place within us, which makes us resilient to life’s changes, and more empowered to face the unpredictability and ups and downs of life. So that was my main motivation in writing Invisible Ties and that’s how I constructed the character of Noor.11.A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your book babies? A lesson that I have learnt while publishing my book Invisible Ties is that the readers are the most important thing for any writer. And it’s beautiful that the book has been well received by the readers, by the bloggers – and for that I am extremely grateful. And also, you have to be in touch with the readers to be receptive to your flaws and to better your craft in the future12.Your advice to aspiring authors?My advice to other writers is basically to write and to just forget about the future. That means letting go of that fear of whether the book is going to be published? So I think if you are a writer, then you have to be authentic to your unique identity, and that need to do justice to a piece of work that you were meant to create. And then of course, you consider the practical dynamics and look out for publishers etc. So my advice to every writer is that hold your pen or whatever else, and Just Write!Author Bio:Nadya is an author, a psychotherapist and a motivational speaker. Her latest novel, Invisible Ties, has been published by Rupa Publications in August 2017. Nadya has written articles and submitted papers on different psychological constructs and topics in International conferences and workshops.Facebook Page:http://www.facebook.com/nadyaaroffici... Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/nadyaaroffic... Invisible Ties on Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Invisible-Ties-...
November 9, 2018
In a conversation with Aishwarya - the author of Safran
Hey book lovers,today we have on board Aishwarya - the author of Safran.It is her maiden book , but besides that, she's also the founder of the beauty brand 'Global Beauty Secrets'. So without further ado, let's get started!
1. One fictional character that resembles you the most?Laila from 'A Thousand Splendid Suns.' 2. What is your writing motivation? Self Love, I write to give voice to myself and through me to others 3. Who's your favorite author?Khaled Hosseini 4. Few quickies : Money or fame? Fame Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Literary Fiction Blogging or vlogging?Both but priority would be Blogging. Words are more intimate when conveyed as a message to the readers directly , when we attach visuals they become attractive and interesting , but a written word is always more sincere. Interviews or book reviews? Interviews Audiobooks or ebooks?E-books Paperbacks or hardbacks?Hardbacks 5. How long did it take to write the first draft? 6 months 6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations? My experience in creating it was like a solo road trip across the mountains : Peaks, plateaus, valleys, downhill , winding roads , nature, spring it was extracting and enriching at the same time. I ensured it turned out to be exactly how i intended it to be. 7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a 1st time author?Putting your heart out there and finding people who sincerely hold it , for they seek the same. Finding lovers who still believe in love because they know how precious it is, because they are full of it. 8. What do you think is the biggest challenge ?Honesty 9. An all time favourite book?Thousand Splendid Suns 10. The story behind Safran ?As a child my grand-mom nurtured me with Kesar (Safran) , she would sprinkle it in my milk, apply it on my cheeks , later when I moved to the city with my parents I missed her , she gifted me a box of Safran when I left from my grandparents home, I went back to that box and was so attracted to the those threads of Safran.A few threads that could overpower anything they were present in, I had these certain experiences in my life which dominated my world view, I felt I should express their essence , lest it would help someone else in their journey .I adopted the anglicized pronunciation of Saffron which is Safran, because it has the urdu world 'safar' in it, which also means journey . 11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your first book baby? The people you partner with to publish your book are extremely important, as they are the ones who will help you and support you in this journey . 12. Your advice to aspiring authors?There are a lot many words and noise in this world, but the ones which are sincere, honest and soulful are the ones that are precious, collect those, create those. Aishwarya is 25 years old and living in Mumbai. 'Safran' is her maiden book , she's also the founder of beauty brand 'Global Beauty Secrets'. 'Saffron' a natural heirloom passed onto her by her grand-mom has been an inspiring element behind both the creations. You can follow her journey on Instagram : @aishwaryasawarnanir and her writings on @soulscriptsbynir
1. One fictional character that resembles you the most?Laila from 'A Thousand Splendid Suns.' 2. What is your writing motivation? Self Love, I write to give voice to myself and through me to others 3. Who's your favorite author?Khaled Hosseini 4. Few quickies : Money or fame? Fame Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Literary Fiction Blogging or vlogging?Both but priority would be Blogging. Words are more intimate when conveyed as a message to the readers directly , when we attach visuals they become attractive and interesting , but a written word is always more sincere. Interviews or book reviews? Interviews Audiobooks or ebooks?E-books Paperbacks or hardbacks?Hardbacks 5. How long did it take to write the first draft? 6 months 6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations? My experience in creating it was like a solo road trip across the mountains : Peaks, plateaus, valleys, downhill , winding roads , nature, spring it was extracting and enriching at the same time. I ensured it turned out to be exactly how i intended it to be. 7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a 1st time author?Putting your heart out there and finding people who sincerely hold it , for they seek the same. Finding lovers who still believe in love because they know how precious it is, because they are full of it. 8. What do you think is the biggest challenge ?Honesty 9. An all time favourite book?Thousand Splendid Suns 10. The story behind Safran ?As a child my grand-mom nurtured me with Kesar (Safran) , she would sprinkle it in my milk, apply it on my cheeks , later when I moved to the city with my parents I missed her , she gifted me a box of Safran when I left from my grandparents home, I went back to that box and was so attracted to the those threads of Safran.A few threads that could overpower anything they were present in, I had these certain experiences in my life which dominated my world view, I felt I should express their essence , lest it would help someone else in their journey .I adopted the anglicized pronunciation of Saffron which is Safran, because it has the urdu world 'safar' in it, which also means journey . 11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your first book baby? The people you partner with to publish your book are extremely important, as they are the ones who will help you and support you in this journey . 12. Your advice to aspiring authors?There are a lot many words and noise in this world, but the ones which are sincere, honest and soulful are the ones that are precious, collect those, create those. Aishwarya is 25 years old and living in Mumbai. 'Safran' is her maiden book , she's also the founder of beauty brand 'Global Beauty Secrets'. 'Saffron' a natural heirloom passed onto her by her grand-mom has been an inspiring element behind both the creations. You can follow her journey on Instagram : @aishwaryasawarnanir and her writings on @soulscriptsbynir
In a conversation with Chirag Malik(Anātman)
Hey booklovers, today we have on board Chirag Malik, the author of "Conversations with a vegan", popularly known as Anātman, a Sanskrit word means 'non-self' if you wish to know about it in detail, please visit www.anatman.in- www.anatman.in where he writes about Travel, books, Veganism and something he calls 'The book of alternatives'. So without further ado let's get started!
1. One fictional character that resembles you the most?First question and I am already finding it hard to answer :D It might sound like a cliche but we all are so unique and ever-changing, aren’t we? It’s hard to pick that one fictional character when I sometimes don’t remember how I was a few years ago. Even in the book, everyone has some or the other element of ‘ME’ in it but no one is even close to how I am.Just to pick any, my favorite movie is ‘The Last Samurai’. So, I’ll choose Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) from it.2. What is your writing motivation? The author’s note in the book says everything. Writing a book just happened to me, I just wanted to let my thoughts and experience out and while doing so I felt so much peaceful. It felt as if I was meditating, so I kept on writing and eventually, it became a book.3. Who's your favourite author?I’ll take a few names who have inspired me in life. Wayne W. Dyer (Change your thoughts, change your life - Living the wisdom of Tao) , Neale Donald Walsh (Conversations with God- My book title is inspired by this series), Timber Hawkeye (Author of Buddhist Book Camp, he inspired me to write and live the life that I am trying to live today), Karan Bajaj (His blogs on writing helped me a lot while I was writing. Besides, I love his book ‘Johnny gone down and Seeker’) and Anita Moorjani (Author of ‘Dying to be me’ - A near death experience).I couldn’t not include the most beloved author Ruskin Bond. Whenever I read him, I feel blissful.4. Few quickies :Money or fame? Money - much more useful than fame.Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Commercial fiction - it encourages more people to read at least. Not to forget the books directly compete with Netflix nowadays.Blogging or vlogging?Blogging - Everyone can write but not everyone can make proper videos.Interviews or book reviews? Book reviews- if the book reviews are good and numerous, interviews would happen eventuallyAudiobooks or ebooks?Both have their own benefits.Paperbacks or hardbacks?Paperbacks - inexpensive, same content5. How long did it take to write the first draft? I wrote articles initially on different topics and my experiences. Few of them were on Veganism. For a month or so, I worked on the outline and incorporated those articles in between the conversation among the characters. The first draft took around 3 months. 6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations? The experience of writing a book was inspiring, enjoyable and creative. The main task comes when you are done with the book and now you want people to read it. It is a completely unexpected experience. You can only imagine how things should or could turn out but all you can do is be patient and let the experience unfold itself in front of you. Whatever you get, you have to accept it. Meanwhile, I learnt quite a bit about the market, publishing industry and audience.Easy or difficult, good or bad, smooth or struggling. Whatever you experience, it is better than not publishing a book at all due to getting scared of not being successful.7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a 1st time author?You can brag about it in front of your friendsIt is a warm feeling. The best part for me is that I could share my experiences and make people aware about Veganism through my writing.8. What do you think is the biggest challenge?Not just for me, I think for every single author, marketing it and selling the book is the biggest challenge. For me, writing the book was soothing and exciting. Unfortunately, now the content is secondary and marketing is primary in the industry. But same in case of all other businesses too.9. Who's your favourite debut author so far?We all love Amish Tripathi and his Shiva trilogy don't we? 10. Could you kindly introduce us to your book in brief?The title itself is apt. It's a conversation among few friends and an old man that revolves around Veganism. No scientific stuff, just pure, raw human experience of practicing Veganism. It's a blend of non-fiction content with the fiction story.11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your first book baby? For the publisher, it's just another product, only a business whereas author has invested emotions in the book. It's much more than the words or few papers for the author. We have to respect both the parties perspective towards the book. And let both of them do whatever possibly they could for the betterment of the book without expecting too much from one another.12. Your advice to aspiring authors?If someone wants to make a career, I am not the right person for the advice. But if something means a lot to you, don't hold it inside, let it out. Just be in the process and enjoy it. Success is the consequence, it's not in your hand. Writing something that means a lot to you, is in your hand. Just do it.About the author:"His pen name is Anātman, a Sanskrit word means 'non-self' if you wish to know about it in detail, please visit www.anatman.in/about.His real name is Chirag Malik. Many think that to maintain anonymity he chose this name but it's his way of showing his gratitude towards all the sources through which he learnt, experienced and grew spiritually, and also to be able to share the same with the world through his writing.Chirag Malik is a Spanish teacher and translator by profession. He enjoys backpacking. He is a selective reader, not an ardent. He writes whenever he feels like. He has a blog - www.anatman.in where he writes about Travel, books, Veganism and something he calls 'The book of alternatives'. "
1. One fictional character that resembles you the most?First question and I am already finding it hard to answer :D It might sound like a cliche but we all are so unique and ever-changing, aren’t we? It’s hard to pick that one fictional character when I sometimes don’t remember how I was a few years ago. Even in the book, everyone has some or the other element of ‘ME’ in it but no one is even close to how I am.Just to pick any, my favorite movie is ‘The Last Samurai’. So, I’ll choose Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) from it.2. What is your writing motivation? The author’s note in the book says everything. Writing a book just happened to me, I just wanted to let my thoughts and experience out and while doing so I felt so much peaceful. It felt as if I was meditating, so I kept on writing and eventually, it became a book.3. Who's your favourite author?I’ll take a few names who have inspired me in life. Wayne W. Dyer (Change your thoughts, change your life - Living the wisdom of Tao) , Neale Donald Walsh (Conversations with God- My book title is inspired by this series), Timber Hawkeye (Author of Buddhist Book Camp, he inspired me to write and live the life that I am trying to live today), Karan Bajaj (His blogs on writing helped me a lot while I was writing. Besides, I love his book ‘Johnny gone down and Seeker’) and Anita Moorjani (Author of ‘Dying to be me’ - A near death experience).I couldn’t not include the most beloved author Ruskin Bond. Whenever I read him, I feel blissful.4. Few quickies :Money or fame? Money - much more useful than fame.Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Commercial fiction - it encourages more people to read at least. Not to forget the books directly compete with Netflix nowadays.Blogging or vlogging?Blogging - Everyone can write but not everyone can make proper videos.Interviews or book reviews? Book reviews- if the book reviews are good and numerous, interviews would happen eventuallyAudiobooks or ebooks?Both have their own benefits.Paperbacks or hardbacks?Paperbacks - inexpensive, same content5. How long did it take to write the first draft? I wrote articles initially on different topics and my experiences. Few of them were on Veganism. For a month or so, I worked on the outline and incorporated those articles in between the conversation among the characters. The first draft took around 3 months. 6. How was your experience? Did it differ from your expectations? The experience of writing a book was inspiring, enjoyable and creative. The main task comes when you are done with the book and now you want people to read it. It is a completely unexpected experience. You can only imagine how things should or could turn out but all you can do is be patient and let the experience unfold itself in front of you. Whatever you get, you have to accept it. Meanwhile, I learnt quite a bit about the market, publishing industry and audience.Easy or difficult, good or bad, smooth or struggling. Whatever you experience, it is better than not publishing a book at all due to getting scared of not being successful.7. What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a 1st time author?You can brag about it in front of your friendsIt is a warm feeling. The best part for me is that I could share my experiences and make people aware about Veganism through my writing.8. What do you think is the biggest challenge?Not just for me, I think for every single author, marketing it and selling the book is the biggest challenge. For me, writing the book was soothing and exciting. Unfortunately, now the content is secondary and marketing is primary in the industry. But same in case of all other businesses too.9. Who's your favourite debut author so far?We all love Amish Tripathi and his Shiva trilogy don't we? 10. Could you kindly introduce us to your book in brief?The title itself is apt. It's a conversation among few friends and an old man that revolves around Veganism. No scientific stuff, just pure, raw human experience of practicing Veganism. It's a blend of non-fiction content with the fiction story.11. A lesson that you've learnt throughout the process of publishing your first book baby? For the publisher, it's just another product, only a business whereas author has invested emotions in the book. It's much more than the words or few papers for the author. We have to respect both the parties perspective towards the book. And let both of them do whatever possibly they could for the betterment of the book without expecting too much from one another.12. Your advice to aspiring authors?If someone wants to make a career, I am not the right person for the advice. But if something means a lot to you, don't hold it inside, let it out. Just be in the process and enjoy it. Success is the consequence, it's not in your hand. Writing something that means a lot to you, is in your hand. Just do it.About the author:"His pen name is Anātman, a Sanskrit word means 'non-self' if you wish to know about it in detail, please visit www.anatman.in/about.His real name is Chirag Malik. Many think that to maintain anonymity he chose this name but it's his way of showing his gratitude towards all the sources through which he learnt, experienced and grew spiritually, and also to be able to share the same with the world through his writing.Chirag Malik is a Spanish teacher and translator by profession. He enjoys backpacking. He is a selective reader, not an ardent. He writes whenever he feels like. He has a blog - www.anatman.in where he writes about Travel, books, Veganism and something he calls 'The book of alternatives'. "
In a conversation with indie author Richard DeVall
Hey book lovers, today we have on board,the author of Old Letters and New Demons & Pablo's Apprentice. I read his recent poem Hepatitis C and I loved it. So without further ado, let's get started!
1. One fictional character that resembles me in a novel would be Switters in Tom Robbins – Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates2. What is your writing motivation? I’d say it’s a need to create and in that category to also teach the reader something. In Old Letters and New Demons it was the history of religion. Which is to say, that the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, had a crises of self-loathing if they didn’t do what they believed, Ra or Zeus wanted them to do. Also it was to bring the 1920’s and 30’s to life and show what the artist of the day were really like, not all the stuff they teach you in school. With Pablo’s Apprentice it was to educate people about guns, not pro or con, just what a bullet cost and what it can do. As well as teach people the mental place a women goes to after rape and any kind of violence. This is through the relationship of a victim and her psychiatrist. I like to bring research to the table. .3. An all time favorite book. That would be Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy, by John le Carre. It was the first time I read a book that the words attracted me more so than than the story. It was awakening of sorts.4. Few quickies.Money or fame? I’ll take the money.Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Literary.Blogging or vlogging? Blogging – I’m not photogenicInterviews or book reviews? Book Reviews –Audiobooks or ebooks? If I’m not driving ebooksPaperbacks or hardbacks? Hardbacks, but it’s been a long time since I read one.5. How long did it take to write the first draft? The first book about 12 months, lots of research.Did I pace it up or down? I paced it up. My third book will be out in early 2019 and it will have taken me about 6 months. The middle book, Pablo’s Apprentice was about 8 months.6. How was your experience? Was it different from your expectations? It was different on a lot of fronts. It was an entire learning curve, formatting a book for e publish which is different than paperback and all the marketing that is needed. I spent $21 in advertising on my first book and called it quits. I just got burned out. And this latest book I have a self-made marketing plan beginning on November 17th for Pablo’s Apprentice and I’ll see what happens. My expectations were that it would be easier to get reviews and readers.7. What is the most exciting thing about being and Indie writer? I’m excited to see what marketing will do for my sales. Facebook tells you how many likes you’ve received but that hasn’t turned into any kind of big sales. Amazon tells me how many clicks I’ve received and that hasn’t turned into any big sales. So I’ve now gone into the world of book clubs and giving the book away for reviews. Seeing if a particular avenue works over another and trying to develop a sales scheme is exciting to me. I mean, I’m someone who would like to have some financial success in writing. I’ve also found reviews to be exciting. It’s like writing a poem about your dog and people saying I loved your book about food and how it relates to inner peace. I mean people get all these stories out of my books that aren’t what I wrote about. It’s weird and as long as I get something close to 5 stars it’s I’m very cool with it but find it strange. 8. What do you think is the biggest challenge? That would be driving readers to the book. I have a video coming out soon, because that’s the latest thing to do. I ordered it when I was on a finished the book high and if it were today I would have saved the money. I don’t think a video will send a herd or book hounds to my Amazon page.9. What’s your biggest book marketing tool? That would be ordering reviews. It cost money to have large numbers of people read your book for free and write reviews. I ordered a large number in October, but they’re so backed up that they won’t pop until June. There are all these algorithms that Amazon says are important but the top one is reviews and the second is clicks onto your book. They can count how many pages are turned on a person’s kindle. They show you the charts. So I’m addressing the reviews. I believe likes for likes and all that are not going to sell your book.10. Could you kindly introduce use to your books? I have two books for sale at this time. One is Old Letters and New Demons. The genre is historic and paranormal with a splash of horror. It’s based on two real events and real people. In 1929 Harry Crosby was found dead with his girlfriend. They were both fully clothed and had their shoes off and their toe nails painted red. He and his wife had traveled to Egypt and there he picked up a strange belief system where to live you need to die. The other true story is of a family in Spotsylvania Virginia that had the 15 year old son shoot the parents and one of the children. Years later two of the grown children were charged with disinterment of a dead body when they dug up their father’s grave and removed his teeth. When they were arrested they had bread wrappers on their hands and feet to keep the demons away. The two stories were within ten miles of each other. So I tied them together with a talisman and had a guy move into a house where he found the talisman and it changed his life and not really for the better.The second book is Pablo’s Apprentice. It’s about a young girl that goes to prison and studies past crimes. She comes out a criminal mastermind and starts a crime spree. In doing so she encounters another woman that gets her lover killed. In Pablo Escobar style she tries to punish this woman. What begins as a crime in California ends in Bhutan on the Crocodile River on the border with India. The book looks in depth at the mental illness that comes from violence. It’s a look at revenge and it has travel, which I like and some romance. I’ve been told the characters; both the protagonist and antagonist are likeable. I did that on purpose as well as make it have a happy ending because women overcoming obstacles and having a happy ending are stressed by agents and publishers as the things that are hot right now. There was a time when it was vampires; we writers have to keep up.11. A lesson that the process of publishing your book babies taught you? I learned that editing and rewriting is an absolute. The biggest thing I learned is that if you want to make money as a self-publisher, don’t do what I did. I wrote what I like. By that I mean I’m an avid reader and so I like long books so I don’t have to buy or download another book for a while. Well if you self-publish a long book cost more to print and your profit is less. My first two books are approximately 450 pages long. My third is going to be under 250. It takes less time and the profit is greater.12. My advice to aspiring authors? I would say be patient when the book is done. Go over it and over it. Read it at least 4 times - If there are parts that drag, speed it up. The best way to do that is short sentences. Also create tension and that takes thought. You may need to go for a walk or read someone else’s book with yours in mind to help with that. Try and find an agent. They have like 7 seconds to review your query letter. Put in stuff that could beat a program that it might pass through. Things like published – awards – magazine – even if it’s only to say in a sentence you don’t have any of those things. It will help to get the letter to their desk. They’ll tell you they don’t do that, but they do. And if you self- publish it means your book is miles from being on the front page of any category Amazon or Kobo or Smashwords or whatever have. To move it up the ladder you need reviews. They take time to get. You may want to find a marketing agent or publicist. They want your book before you finish it to start pumping it up. That cost money. Richard DeVall is the author of Old Letters and New Demons & Pablo's ApprenticeAn excerpt from Old Letters and New Demons is in the December 2017 issue of RambleFish Magazine.He has a poem coming out in the December issue of Scarlet Leaf Review entitled Hepatitis CIn 2019 he has a Sci-fi book coming out entitled The Sacking of Triolux North -Old Letters and New Demonshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07... Apprentice linkshttp://www.amazon.com/B07JJ14GR7 E pubhttp://www.amazon.com/1728927234 Paperback
1. One fictional character that resembles me in a novel would be Switters in Tom Robbins – Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates2. What is your writing motivation? I’d say it’s a need to create and in that category to also teach the reader something. In Old Letters and New Demons it was the history of religion. Which is to say, that the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, had a crises of self-loathing if they didn’t do what they believed, Ra or Zeus wanted them to do. Also it was to bring the 1920’s and 30’s to life and show what the artist of the day were really like, not all the stuff they teach you in school. With Pablo’s Apprentice it was to educate people about guns, not pro or con, just what a bullet cost and what it can do. As well as teach people the mental place a women goes to after rape and any kind of violence. This is through the relationship of a victim and her psychiatrist. I like to bring research to the table. .3. An all time favorite book. That would be Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy, by John le Carre. It was the first time I read a book that the words attracted me more so than than the story. It was awakening of sorts.4. Few quickies.Money or fame? I’ll take the money.Commercial fiction or literary fiction? Literary.Blogging or vlogging? Blogging – I’m not photogenicInterviews or book reviews? Book Reviews –Audiobooks or ebooks? If I’m not driving ebooksPaperbacks or hardbacks? Hardbacks, but it’s been a long time since I read one.5. How long did it take to write the first draft? The first book about 12 months, lots of research.Did I pace it up or down? I paced it up. My third book will be out in early 2019 and it will have taken me about 6 months. The middle book, Pablo’s Apprentice was about 8 months.6. How was your experience? Was it different from your expectations? It was different on a lot of fronts. It was an entire learning curve, formatting a book for e publish which is different than paperback and all the marketing that is needed. I spent $21 in advertising on my first book and called it quits. I just got burned out. And this latest book I have a self-made marketing plan beginning on November 17th for Pablo’s Apprentice and I’ll see what happens. My expectations were that it would be easier to get reviews and readers.7. What is the most exciting thing about being and Indie writer? I’m excited to see what marketing will do for my sales. Facebook tells you how many likes you’ve received but that hasn’t turned into any kind of big sales. Amazon tells me how many clicks I’ve received and that hasn’t turned into any big sales. So I’ve now gone into the world of book clubs and giving the book away for reviews. Seeing if a particular avenue works over another and trying to develop a sales scheme is exciting to me. I mean, I’m someone who would like to have some financial success in writing. I’ve also found reviews to be exciting. It’s like writing a poem about your dog and people saying I loved your book about food and how it relates to inner peace. I mean people get all these stories out of my books that aren’t what I wrote about. It’s weird and as long as I get something close to 5 stars it’s I’m very cool with it but find it strange. 8. What do you think is the biggest challenge? That would be driving readers to the book. I have a video coming out soon, because that’s the latest thing to do. I ordered it when I was on a finished the book high and if it were today I would have saved the money. I don’t think a video will send a herd or book hounds to my Amazon page.9. What’s your biggest book marketing tool? That would be ordering reviews. It cost money to have large numbers of people read your book for free and write reviews. I ordered a large number in October, but they’re so backed up that they won’t pop until June. There are all these algorithms that Amazon says are important but the top one is reviews and the second is clicks onto your book. They can count how many pages are turned on a person’s kindle. They show you the charts. So I’m addressing the reviews. I believe likes for likes and all that are not going to sell your book.10. Could you kindly introduce use to your books? I have two books for sale at this time. One is Old Letters and New Demons. The genre is historic and paranormal with a splash of horror. It’s based on two real events and real people. In 1929 Harry Crosby was found dead with his girlfriend. They were both fully clothed and had their shoes off and their toe nails painted red. He and his wife had traveled to Egypt and there he picked up a strange belief system where to live you need to die. The other true story is of a family in Spotsylvania Virginia that had the 15 year old son shoot the parents and one of the children. Years later two of the grown children were charged with disinterment of a dead body when they dug up their father’s grave and removed his teeth. When they were arrested they had bread wrappers on their hands and feet to keep the demons away. The two stories were within ten miles of each other. So I tied them together with a talisman and had a guy move into a house where he found the talisman and it changed his life and not really for the better.The second book is Pablo’s Apprentice. It’s about a young girl that goes to prison and studies past crimes. She comes out a criminal mastermind and starts a crime spree. In doing so she encounters another woman that gets her lover killed. In Pablo Escobar style she tries to punish this woman. What begins as a crime in California ends in Bhutan on the Crocodile River on the border with India. The book looks in depth at the mental illness that comes from violence. It’s a look at revenge and it has travel, which I like and some romance. I’ve been told the characters; both the protagonist and antagonist are likeable. I did that on purpose as well as make it have a happy ending because women overcoming obstacles and having a happy ending are stressed by agents and publishers as the things that are hot right now. There was a time when it was vampires; we writers have to keep up.11. A lesson that the process of publishing your book babies taught you? I learned that editing and rewriting is an absolute. The biggest thing I learned is that if you want to make money as a self-publisher, don’t do what I did. I wrote what I like. By that I mean I’m an avid reader and so I like long books so I don’t have to buy or download another book for a while. Well if you self-publish a long book cost more to print and your profit is less. My first two books are approximately 450 pages long. My third is going to be under 250. It takes less time and the profit is greater.12. My advice to aspiring authors? I would say be patient when the book is done. Go over it and over it. Read it at least 4 times - If there are parts that drag, speed it up. The best way to do that is short sentences. Also create tension and that takes thought. You may need to go for a walk or read someone else’s book with yours in mind to help with that. Try and find an agent. They have like 7 seconds to review your query letter. Put in stuff that could beat a program that it might pass through. Things like published – awards – magazine – even if it’s only to say in a sentence you don’t have any of those things. It will help to get the letter to their desk. They’ll tell you they don’t do that, but they do. And if you self- publish it means your book is miles from being on the front page of any category Amazon or Kobo or Smashwords or whatever have. To move it up the ladder you need reviews. They take time to get. You may want to find a marketing agent or publicist. They want your book before you finish it to start pumping it up. That cost money. Richard DeVall is the author of Old Letters and New Demons & Pablo's ApprenticeAn excerpt from Old Letters and New Demons is in the December 2017 issue of RambleFish Magazine.He has a poem coming out in the December issue of Scarlet Leaf Review entitled Hepatitis CIn 2019 he has a Sci-fi book coming out entitled The Sacking of Triolux North -Old Letters and New Demonshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07... Apprentice linkshttp://www.amazon.com/B07JJ14GR7 E pubhttp://www.amazon.com/1728927234 Paperback
November 7, 2018
Conversations with Vegan by Anatman-a book review
Product detailsPaperbackPublisher: Rumour Books India (10 July 2018)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1513635352ISBN-13: 978-1513635354Package Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 cm About the book:Conversations with Vegan is not just about being Vegan or about a person who survives on a plant based diet but it's about a spiritual journey which one goes through while practicing Veganism.The lives of four friends were changed forever after a reunion and a fortuitous encounter with an old man. They talked about Veganism, spirituality and psychology. The old man imparted his lifelong wisdom. He shared his experiences, his journey and facts about meat and dairy industries. He urges them to take ownership of their actions and live in accordance with who they truly are and what they want to be. Be aware and make a choice. Sometimes, ignorance isn’t bliss.About the AuthorAnatman, a Sanskrit word refers to the doctrine of "non-self". The author believes that this book is not written by him but through him. He is deeply grateful to all the different sources through which the knowledge, the understanding and the wisdom he has received and to be able to write and share the same with the world. He believes that the name is just a collection of alphabets and it would not be appropriate to be called the author of this book. He does not wish to take the credit but wishes that this book might serve you as a foundation for the best of the alternatives you may seek in order to practice love and compassion in your heart each moment of life. ....................................................... 
I’ll not tell you that this book talks about veganism, I won’t tell you that it has a beautiful little love story which is not just realistic but also very much apt as a sub plot, I will not tell you that the old vegan and the little baby vegans took my heart away with their wise and cute dialogues respectively, I’ll also not tell you that the book isn’t a straight forward nonfiction which disgustingly tries to fit into the fiction category (because the author indeed managed to deliver it all much beautifully through this novel, a standing ovation to his storytelling skills) however what I’ll tell you is that the day I completed reading this book, I changed my Instagram bio to #practisingveganism.
I’ll not tell you that this book talks about veganism, I won’t tell you that it has a beautiful little love story which is not just realistic but also very much apt as a sub plot, I will not tell you that the old vegan and the little baby vegans took my heart away with their wise and cute dialogues respectively, I’ll also not tell you that the book isn’t a straight forward nonfiction which disgustingly tries to fit into the fiction category (because the author indeed managed to deliver it all much beautifully through this novel, a standing ovation to his storytelling skills) however what I’ll tell you is that the day I completed reading this book, I changed my Instagram bio to #practisingveganism.
