Interview with the Ravishing Rubina Ramesh

December 15, 2016 by Aparajita

KNITTED TALES:

A Collection of Emotions

Blurb

What forces an innocent girl to become a sex symbol? Her desires?Or cruel fate?

Is a lifetime enough—for avenging a betrayal? How do you hide secrets that never stopped haunting you?

Can vengeance and secrets of your past devastate your present? How can long-buried crimes of yours suddenly raise their head? Can sinning be saving?

Is your spouse your soulmate? What if they never understood your feelings? Can you still live with them?

Lastly, does life give only two options? Live or die? What if there is a third?

In her debut anthology, Rubina Ramesh tries to find answers to these questions that are often from the heart and yet makes the mind ponder over the solution. Or is it the other way round? Either way, Knitted Tales is a bouquet of emotions that is bound to touch both your head and your heart.

Grab your copy @

Amazon India | Amazon USA |

Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia
Check out all the posts here

About the author

Rubina Ramesh is an avid reader, writer, blogger, book reviewer and marketer. She is the founder of The Book Club, an online book publicity group. Her first literary work was published in her school magazine. It gave her immense pride to see her own name at the bottom of the article. She was about 8 years old at that time. She then went to complete her MBA and after her marriage to her childhood friend, her travel saga started. From The Netherlands to the British Isles she lived her life like an adventure. After a short stint in Malaysia, she finally settled down in the desert state of USA, Arizona. Living with her DH and two human kids and one doggie kid, Rubina has finally started living the life she had always dreamed about – that of a writer.

Interview with Rubina Ramesh:

Hello everyone!!

Today we are here with our very favorite lady ( author+reviewer+ entrepreneur + + + ) Rubina Ramesh. Many of you know by now that she is a loving, charming, elegant woman. Apart from the love, affection and guidance she nurtures for me, Rubina Ramesh, rather my Rubina didi is a writer I love. Her words, the way she looks at the world, her optimism overshadows the negativity around us. You feel happy reading her, you feel inspired talking to her, you feel motivated. And trust me, you will get all these spices in this interview.

Taking the interview of the woman you admire, the writer you love and a sister you adore is those joys of life which are hard to express. I shall not waste any more time talking about how excited I am for this interview. Let’s see what was it all about:

Rubina Ramesh: My dear Aparajita,

Thank you so much for these lovely questions.

Aparajita Dutta: The pleasure is purely mine, Rubina didi. So, let’s proceed:

(1) What/ who inspire(s) you to write?

Who inspires me to write will be my brother, Reuben. He always wanted me to give wings to my dreams. To have a support in a writer’s life is very difficult, especially in a household of engineers, doctors, and architects. Art though appreciated, is not a career choice. I too had given up and was working as a corporate trainer for Oracle Corporation. But that was not for me. Moreover, I have traveled a lot. So holding onto one job was very difficult. So a bit of life and a bit of fate – both made me what I am. Good or bad, only readers can tell 😀

(2) How would you define a ‘good writer’?

There is no definition for that Aparajita. Let’s take Mr. Bhagat. People are so happy throwing stones at him. Yet no one can deny his is a success story. It is no more about hiding behind a pseudonym and penning stories because you love to do that. Now it’s the era of visual impact. The more you are seen, heard and written about – that is an author to you.

The word literature, I have never understood. Who defines literature? A group of people, writing a lot of synonyms to sound cool? Or simple writing touching the hearts of the readers? I am yet to find a good writer then Aparajita, for there are none.

(3) What was the most difficult part in creating Knitted Tales?

The plunge. Questions like ‘can I do it’? ‘Will I be accepted as a writer?’ In a world where I live, there are writers everywhere. Some very good writers are lost in the oblivion. I did not want to be lost nor pelted with stones 😀

(4) If you were to live the life of a character of Knitted Tales, who would it be and why?

Lolita. Her pain touched me a lot. I want to explore her more. Be ready for that one Aparajita 😀

(5) Tell us about your upcoming writing ventures.

After Knitted Tales, I have published a Romance, Finding the Angel. After that will be Maya, a story of love and betrayal. (Dark Romance). Then a mythology called Finding the Ashes, which was a winner in the DNA short story hunt competition in 2014.

Whaaaooo!! Such an amazing session we had!!

Let’s have a look at her other published works:

Her other published works include:

‘Home is where Love is’ a short story in the anthology Writings from the Heart. Ed. by Beth Ann Masarik.

‘You Stole My Heart’ and ‘Let me Go’. Short stories as a part of the anthology Long and Short of It by Indireads.

‘Wake Me Up’ as a part of the anthology Marijuana Diaries by Fablery Publishers.

I know, you must be waiting to get connected to her after reading this. Don’t worry folks, here are the links you need: Enjoy stalking her 😉

Facebook | Twitter | Website

Play the Game of Rafflecopter

aRafflecopter giveaway

This Tour is Hosted by

Cover Release: Knitted Tales by Rubina Ramesh

October 6, 2016 by Aparajita

Hello one and all!! Presenting you a book I have been awaiting for so long !! There are hundreds of reasons it can be special but one of them overshadows the rest … yes, the book is written by my elder sister, Rubina Ramesh. Let’s have a look at the cover of Knitted Tales : A collection of emotions releasing on 10th October.

RELEASING ON THE 10TH OF OCTOBER

Knitted Tales: A Collection of Emotions

Rubina Ramesh

Every tale has a path to follow to reach its destination..but it may not exactly be the one we should follow.

WHAT IS THE ANTHOLOGY ALL ABOUT?

What forces an innocent girl to become a sex symbol? Her desires?Or cruel fate?

Is a lifetime enough—for avenging a betrayal? How do you hide secrets that never stopped haunting you?

Can vengeance and secrets of your past devastate your present? How can long-buried crimes of yours suddenly raise their head? Can sinning be saving?

Is your spouse your soulmate? What if they never understood your feelings? Can you still live with them?

Lastly, does life give only two options? Live or die? What if there is a third?

WHAT INSPIRED ME TO WRITE THIS ANTHOLOGY…

Dear Friends and Aspiring Writers,

My journey as a writer started after I joined Wrimo India. It’s a group of aspiring authors where all members are challenged to write, by the NaNoWriMo ML for India region and the Founder/Admin of Wrimo India, Sonia Rao. Along with the other admins, Neel Ina and DolaBasu Singh, she made our lives pretty tough if we did not submit on time.

Our work was critiqued, broken to pieces and then mended again by all the Wrimo members. I laugh now, whenever I reminisce about those days. We writers are so passionate about our work that even a little bit of criticism makes us want to hide our baby. But in this group, we trained ourselves to accept all types of honest criticism. We sculpted our stories and life continued. This happened around 2 years ago.

Then, one fine day I found that I had gathered around 17 stories and forgotten all about them. As I dusted away the layers of neglect, I fell in love with my own stories. I am a narcissist. 🙂 But then, all writers are, aren’t they? I do hope what I have written from my heart, touches you. Here are the stories of a writer who aspires to always write from her heart. With NaNoWriMo just around the corner, here’s raising a toast to inspiration!

<br />

</div>

Releasing on 10th of October 2016

Add

</div>

The Cover of Knitted Tales:

a collection of emotions

Rubina Ramesh

to your

Edited by Inderpreet Kaur Uppal

Proofread by Nikita Jhanglani

Cover Designed by SachinVenkatesh

About Rubina Ramesh

Her other published works include

‘Home is where Love is’ a short story in the anthology Writings from the Heart. Ed. by Beth Ann Masarik.

‘You Stole My Heart’ and ‘Let me Go’. Short stories as a part of the anthology ‘Long and Short of It’ by Indireads.

‘Wake Me Up’ as a part of the anthology ‘Marijuana Diaries’ by Fablery Publishers.

You can stalk her @

Facebook | Twitter | Website

This Tour is Hosted by

Wishing Rubina didi tons of luck for her book 🙂 All the best 🙂

RI : THE HOMELAND ; BOOK REVIEW : BLOG TOUR BY BOOK CLUB

January 12, 2015 by Aparajita

Ri – Homeland of Uncertainity

PaulamiDuttagupta

The Blurb

Ri- Homeland of Uncertainty is adapted from the National Award Winning Khasi film by the same name.
Trapped in the limbo between ideology and conscience, Manbha finds him himself part of a terror outfit. An unexpected opportunity, anger, squalor and disillusionment – followed by and armed combat and injury lead to the soul- searching that form the substance of this moving tale.

Buy @

Amazon.in | Flipkart | Infibeam | SapnaOnline

Watch It

Meet the Author

Born in Shillong, many moons ago, with schooling at Loreto Convent, and an English Honors from St. Edmunds College, PaulamiDuttagupta started her career with All India Radio Shillong. She had written and also given her voice to a few shows there. Later she came down to Kolkata and got a post graduate degree in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University. She had also taken up a fancy to learning Spanish, but today confesses that she has forgotten most of it.

She has written for ‘The Times of India’ in the ‘Guwahati-Shillong plus Edition’ and also ‘The Shillong Times’. Television had always attracted her and was connected to the Bangla TV industry for about 6 years. She was associated with ETV- Bangla, Akash Bangla and Sony Aath in this period.

Having left her day job in 2012, Paulami took up full time writing. Her first novel, “Pinjar” released in early 2012.

Her second novel “Unplanned Destinty” released in 2014. She is also the screenplay writer of the national award winning Khasi film – “Ri Homeland of Uncertainty”.

“Ri” has been adapted into a novel and was released on September 14,2014

She is currently working on her next project as movie script writer.

Apart from writing full length novels, she has written several short stories and articles. She has also contributed to the “Minds@work Anthology” and the “Family Matters International Anthology” in 2013.

Recently she has contributed to the “Learning and Creativity Anthology” , “Her Story Anthology”, and “Celebrating India – Love across Borders Anthology”.

When she is not writing or watching movies, Paulami is either reading biographies or classic pieces of literature. Cricket, food, cinema, books and music are an integral part of her life.

You can stalk PaulamiDuttagupta @

Check out The Book Club Tour Schedule

A Giveaway

The Prize

aRafflecopter giveaway

Some extra Info on the book

This book is an adaptation from a movie. Why? The author will answer that in one of our blogs which we will post soon. Stay tuned !!!

This Tour is Hosted by

I would not ruin people’s interest by narrating what is there in the book. Rather, I would prefer to limit myself to discuss about the themes which I found extremely interesting and unique :

(1) TERRORIST – FREEDOM FIGHTER DILEMMA : The author, through the character of Manbha has wonderfully portrayed this ‘ terrorist – freedom fighter dilemma ‘ . She reflects upon the situations which make the youth choose these paths and also the breaking of their illusion when they see the merciless killings and become a part of them too.

(2) ROLE OF THE PRESS : Through the interactions between Janet and S.P. Kyndiah, the role of the press in situations of anarchy have been portrayed well by the author. It reflects upon how the press shapes people’s views and also their limitations which often backfires and overshadows the verity of the situation.

(3) SHILLONG : HEAVEN OR HELL : Each and every word of the book bleeds the pain of the people and the police who fight against the terror that has shaken the paradise called, ‘ Shillong’. It will make you cry even if you do not have any idea about North -East; it will make you pray for those souls and it will make you shift your eyes from the news of ISIS or Kashmir and feel grieved for the residents of this paradise.

I don’t feel I am accoutered well enough to rate this book . There are so many sub themes to talk about and discuss that I felt, a single blog post is just not enough. I have tried to talk about the prime themes and I have plans to take up the text ( yes, I prefer to call it a text of study ) and work on it for some research paper in the near future. I also feel, I need to read more about the theories of power , politics and media before I can restart my discussion on the book again. And yes, thank you Paulami didi for writing this wonderful piece of literature and also giving me a signed copy. I feel like a celebrity now

I would not ruin people’s interest by narrating what is there in the book. Rather, I would prefer to limit myself to discuss about the themes which I found extremely interesting and unique :

I don’t feel I am accoutered well enough to rate this book . There are so many sub themes to talk about and discuss that I felt, a single blog post is just not enough. I have tried to talk about the prime themes and I have plans to take up the text ( yes, I prefer to call it a text of study ) and work on it for some research paper in the near future. I also feel, I need to read more about the theories of power , politics and media before I can restart my discussion on the book again. And yes, thank you Paulami for writing this wonderful piece of literature and also giving me a signed copy. I feel like a celebrity now

AN EXCLUSIVE IHNTERVIEW WITH PAULAMI DATTAGUPTA

January 12, 2015 by Aparajita

The Blurb

Buy @

Amazon.in | Flipkart | Infibeam | SapnaOnline

Watch It

Meet the Author

Having left her day job in 2012, Paulami took up full time writing. Her first novel, “Pinjar” released in early 2012.

Her second novel “Unplanned Destinty” released in 2014. She is also the screenplay writer of the national award winning Khasi film – “Ri Homeland of Uncertainty”.

“Ri” has been adapted into a novel and was released on September 14,2014

She is currently working on her next project as movie script writer.

Recently she has contributed to the “Learning and Creativity Anthology” , “Her Story Anthology”, and “Celebrating India – Love across Borders Anthology”.

When she is not writing or watching movies, Paulami is either reading biographies or classic pieces of literature. Cricket, food, cinema, books and music are an integral part of her life.

You can stalk PaulamiDuttagupta @

Check out The Book Club Tour Schedule

A Giveaway

The Prize

aRafflecopter giveaway

Some extra Info on the book

This book is an adaptation from a movie. Why? The author will answer that in one of our blogs which we will post soon. Stay tuned !!!

This Tour is Hosted by

Greetings everyone. Today we have the graceful and talented Paulami Dattagupta with us . Let us see what she has to say about her famous book, RI : THE HOMELAND OF UNCERTAINTY

Qs.1> What quality do you think a writer needs in order to write ?

Passion and love for life and creation. A good listener/ observer and a mind that has an opinion of its own! Also it is necessary to train that mind from being overtly imaginative and running in dozen directions.

Qs.2> If a person has a good control over grammar, does that mean s/he can write ?

Control over grammar is a good thing. It makes the editor’s job easier and delays the inflow of rejection slips. But it could also be like a person who knows all the keys of a keyboard but doesn’t essentially have much music within. Technicality is a much needed tool but not essentially something that always makes quality work.

Qs. 3> In this age when chick- lits are flooding the market, do you think that other genres are not getting the popularity they deserve?

Popularity is a very relative term and I am sure the writers who dabble into lesser known genres actually don’t look for Facebook likes and umpteen followers on twitter. For example look at the writers who make it to the lit fests and look at the bunch with ‘best seller’ tags! They are a completely different set and there’s a space for both. It’s like the movies that make it to film festivals and the movies that make 100 + crores.

Qs. 4> How difficult was it for you to create the whole film in a small novella?

The film script had gone through many drafts and when I started writing the book it was pretty easy. Only regret is I blew up a chance to add more space and flesh for the characters.

Qs.5>What is your advice to aspiring authors?”

Keep writing. Not social media posts but stories!

Thank you so much Paulami didi for giving this exclusive interview 🙂 We wish you all the best 🙂

SUDIPTO SPEAKS : AN INTRIGUING INTERVIEW WITH SUDIPTO DAS, AUTHOR OF THE EKKOS CLAN

November 7, 2014 by Aparajita

The Ekkos Clan
by
Sudipto Das
The Blurb
“The Ekkos Clan” is the story of Kratu’s search for the killers of his family, his own roots and the mystery behind his grandmother’s stories.

It’s the fascinating account of Kubha and the basketful of folklore she inherited from her ancestors. The eventful lives of Kubha and her family span a hundred years and encompass turbulent phases of Indian history. The family saga unfurls gradually, along with Kubha’s stories, through the three main characters – Kratu Sen, a grad student at Stanford, Kratu’s best friend TistaDasgupta, and AfsarFareedi, a linguistic palaeontologist.

Afsar hears about Kubha’s stories from Kratu in a casual conversation, but she figures that these stories are not meant to be mere bed time tales – they contain rich linguistic fossils and layers of histories.

In a bizarre incidentKratu miraculously survives an attempt on his life. His sister and uncle had not been so lucky. Were these murders acts of revenge, or a larger ideological conflict connected to Kubha’s stories which conceal perilous secrets that should be suppressed?

Afsar, Kratu and Tista travel across continents to unravel the mystery of Kubha’s roots and the origin of her stories.

At a different level, the novel subtly delves into the origin of one of the oldest civilizations of the world and the first book written by mankind.

Meet the Author

Sudipto was born in Calcutta to a family which fled Bangladesh during the partition riots of 1947. He grew up listening horrid stories of the partition, something which he has used extensively in his debut novel The Ekkos Clan. He completed his engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1996. He lives in Bangalore.

The links :

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Ekkos-Clan-Sudipto-Das-ebook/dp/B00I48VJV4/

Amazon.in http://www.amazon.in/The-Ekkos-Clan-Sudipto-Das-ebook/dp/B00I48VJV4/

Flipkarthttp://www.flipkart.com/ekkos-clan-english/p/itmdzcg7adjg8bnq?pid=9789381523957

Author Website :http://www.sudiptodas.com

Twitter :https://twitter.com/sudipto_das

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

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18195225-the-ekkos-clan

Some Media Mentions

“A promising debut in the growing realm of modern Indian fiction” – Jug Suraiya

“An Indian thriller inspired by Dan Brown & Harrison Ford!… fast-paced thriller, replete with murder and miraculous escapes” – Telegraph

“If you are a history buff and a thriller aficionado, then [it] might just be the book for you” – The Hindu

“A tale of the Indian civilization and culture… takes you on a roller coaster ride” – The New Indian Express

“An interesting read for an afternoon… One feisty woman’s partition story” – Bangalore Mirror

“Should be read for its sheer aspiration and the intelligent handling of historical material” – The Sunday Guardian

“Is essentially a mystery novel, but is grounded in a substantial base of research and exploration into our past” – newsyaps.com
Check out The Book Club Tour Schedule
This Tour is Hosted by : THE BOOK CLUB

Hello friends. I would like to thank The Book Club for giving me the chance to interview my favorite author . Given the opportunity, I tried to make the best of it and I am happy to present you the wonderful conversation I had with our author, Sudipto Das. Before we begin , let me tell you all : Sudipto Das or rather Sudipto da, ( by which I prefer to all him) is an amazing person and he can keep on talking to you on any topic.. be it music, language , politics or corporate life. Talking to him made me realize that he is an avid reader of everything that he can find and perhaps, which is why, he is a great writer as well. So let us get to know more about him :

1. ” linguistic paleontology ” .. when did all of these come to your mind??

When I had decided that I would use Ancient Indian history as the backdrop I started reading historical papers and books on this and that was when I came to know of this field called linguistic paleontology. I figured out that as archaeological and historical evidences are very scant beyond 1000B.C. with regards to the Indo European history, many people are depending on linguistics to recreate the remote past. I found it very interesting. Taking a linguistic clue and deciphering a piece of history is like a detective job.

2. How important do you think, is research important for a book?

Research in the genre I’m in is very important. People are very smart now a days and google has made all information available at the finger tips. So it’s very foolish to bluff readers – they will catch you in no time. So you have to extra cautious to cater to a very smart readership. I personally take serious offence when I see a writer cooking up facts and figures in the name of creativity. Fiction is an extrapolation of real facts and figures unless it’s a fantasy like Harry Potter. So as long as facts are figures are used, they should be authentic. So research is the key in my case.

3. You made your debut by traditional publishing. But very few people get the chance to do that these days and go for self publishing. What is your take on this?

You’ve to be really patient in getting a publisher. Many people have taken to writing and hence publishing is not a very profitable business anymore. Coming from an entrepreneurial background I understand how important for a business to be profitable. So the publishing houses are very cautious and I don’t blame them. Surely, they could have made use of the technology and the internet in a much better way – like Amazon and Apple have done. But in the present scenario they have to be really cautious to remain afloat. Hence the very little chance for newcomers to get published through conventional channels.

Self publishing option is a great way to get published. The only problem I see there is that not all authors don’t do a good editorial job. They have to take the professional service of editors. If they do that, then the quality of production is high. In US and UK, lot of people are into self publishing and some are doing quite well too.

4. How much is book marketing important for the book?

Marketing is everything now-a-days. You can’t sell unless it’s marketed well. I don’t espouse to the theory that every book finds her readers. That would have been true for classics. But I don’t think anyone is writing classics now a days. Even Amitav Ghosh has to market his books properly. Dan Brown has a full fledged PR team strategizing every stage of the marketing. Chetan Bhagat and Amish have also created legends in marketing. Depending on the funds you have, you can make a plan. But you should have a plan indeed.

5. Tell us something about your upcoming book.

The next one, Prembajar is half ready. It’s a modern Indian adaptation of a Greek tragedy, setup against a Bengali backdrop, spanning across India and the US. I’ve a co author for this. The other one, on which I’ve started my research, is a sequel to The Ekkos Clan. That’s again a historical thriller where the Indian mathematician Aryabhata has an important role to play, like the Rig Veda plays in The Ekkos Clan.

6. What is your view on the idea of co-authoring a novel?

At times you may need complimentary skills in a novel. The reason why I opted for a co author in Prembajar is that I wanted someone from Comparative Literature background. As I’m not from a trained literary background there’s only till a certain point that I can go. Beyond that I need a professionally trained person. Like I feel really sad with most articles written on IT and electronics, even by the best journalists, because they just don’t have the right engineering background. The same is applicable for Prembajar too.

7. What is the sequel about ?

I think I already answered… 🙂

Thank you Sudipto da for this wonderful interview..

Signing off,

Aparajita

BOOK REVIEW : THE EKKOS CLAN BY SUDIPTO DAS

November 2, 2014 by Aparajita

Afsar, Kratu and Tista travel across continents to unravel the mystery of Kubha’s roots and the origin of her stories.

At a different level, the novel subtly delves into the origin of one of the oldest civilizations of the world and the first book written by mankind.

Meet the Author

The links :

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Ekkos-Clan-Sudipto-Das-ebook/dp/B00I48VJV4/

Amazon.in http://www.amazon.in/The-Ekkos-Clan-Sudipto-Das-ebook/dp/B00I48VJV4/

Flipkarthttp://www.flipkart.com/ekkos-clan-english/p/itmdzcg7adjg8bnq?pid=9789381523957

Author Website :http://www.sudiptodas.com

Twitter :https://twitter.com/sudipto_das

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

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18195225-the-ekkos-clan

Some Media Mentions

“A promising debut in the growing realm of modern Indian fiction” – Jug Suraiya

“An Indian thriller inspired by Dan Brown & Harrison Ford!… fast-paced thriller, replete with murder and miraculous escapes” – Telegraph

“If you are a history buff and a thriller aficionado, then [it] might just be the book for you” – The Hindu

“A tale of the Indian civilization and culture… takes you on a roller coaster ride” – The New Indian Express

“An interesting read for an afternoon… One feisty woman’s partition story” – Bangalore Mirror

“Should be read for its sheer aspiration and the intelligent handling of historical material” – The Sunday Guardian

NAME OF THE BOOK : THE EKKOS CLAN

NAME OF THE AUTHOR : SUDIPTO DAS

MY RATING : 5 OUT OF 5

MY REVIEW :

A book you can read for the umpteenth time and still feel that you have not been able to unravel its secrets.. a book that makes you cry … a book that makes you want to fall in love with life once again … a book which you are proud to possess … written by an author who will make you say , ” Yes, we Indians too have a Dan Brown .. and our Dan Brown is Sudipto Das ” .. yes… it is THE BOOK … THE EKKOS CLAN.. written by THE AUTHOR , SUDIPTO DAS .

There are so many things I like about the book.. the more I start reading it, the more I discover new things .. and perhaps this review is not enough .. Still, I have tried to pen down a few for my readers :

(1) The theme of adventure and mystery : the book is a journey .. a journey of discovery.. through soul.. through life.. through history .. read it to experience it.

(2) The theme of love : Love sings a beautiful melody in the stream of adventure. Sudipto Das has portrayed love passionately , and in an unique way , a thousand times better than writers who claim to be ” experts ” in love stories. Kratu’s proposal to Afsar , ” ami tomakey bhalobashi ” still gives me butterflies; it is something every woman dreams of, does not matter if she is a Bengali or not; the words have a charm of their own , something like that perfect piece of diamond, small, but filled with everlasting light. Afsar and Kartu’s romance often made me wonder if they at all existed in real life and if at all they did, I bet they are the epitome of Cupid-Psyche.

(3) The use of language : The flawless editing and neatly woven words make me wonder , ‘ is this author really from IIT ? ‘. Sudipto Das belongs to the group of technocrats from IIT and IIM who have entered the publishing world and have been flooding the market with chick- lits. Well, the author proved that he is way above their league. He is not just a technocrat writing a novel.. he is a genuine writer who writes just for the sake of writing.

(4) The author’s unique style : Sudipto Das has created a style of his own and it is very evident in this novel. He has retained the old names of the cities, like Kolkata as Calcutta and has a whole chapter dedicated to his disapproval against this changing of names. Hats off to you !! Very few people are bold enough to make this move.

(5) A well researched book : These days, we often find writers hurrying to get published. Reading this book made me feel that there are genuine writers out there . The fact that the author has done research for 3 years to write the book, itself shows the sincerity and hard work done on the part of the author . And if you are still not convinced, look at the reference list at the end of the book ; the no is 59. I don’t think I need to say anything more on this.

Given a chance to write about the book, I would write again and perhaps I would find a new perspective to write on. This book is not just a book; I feel it is a text of study in the field of literature and I hope someday, researchers will be working on this. Can’t wait to red the writer’s next book 😀

BOOK REVIEW : THE HELPLINE BY UDAY MANE

September 21, 2014 by Aparajita

The Blurb
Samir is suicidal. Rachael works for a suicide helpline. Fate connects them through a phone call. And so begins Samir’s story of love, longing, errors, regret and a girl who changed his life. As his story reaches its conclusion, Rachael will know the true reason behind his suicidal tendencies. But this suicide helpline is not any ordinary service. There is more to the mysterious and yet so convincing voice of Rachael. As this new mystery begins to unfold, Samir is going to discover three things:

What is The Helpline?
Who is Rachael?
What is Samir’s own identity?

Every year, several teenagers in India attempt suicide because of failing relationships, dwindling careers, parental pressure or the competitive world. This story is about one such teenager, his early problems and the hurdles to cope with them. This story is about finding hope in the struggle. This story is about fighting for what you believe in and discovering your true identity. This is not a story about falling in love. This is a story of rising from a failed love story.

Meet the Author

Uday Mane was born in Pune and raised in Mumbai. He works as a marketing professional during the day and a storyteller during the night. He is an avid reader, and loves to collect classic books.

The Helpline is his debut novel that was launched in March 2014 at the hands of Padma Shri Paresh Rawal.

You can stalk him @
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAllegorist

Website: http://www.theallegorist.in/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_Allegorist

Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8119191.Uday_Mane

Amazon.in: http://www.amazon.in/The-Helpline-1-Uday-Mane/dp/9383562889?tag=googinremarketing6-21

Amazon.com : http://www.amazon.com/The-Helpline-Uday-Mane/dp/9383562889/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407656682&sr=8-1&keywords=the+helpline+uday+mane

Flipkart: http://www.flipkart.com/the-helpline/p/itmdut9chy7vkdnu?pid=9789383562886&otracker=from-search&srno=t_1&query=The+Helpline+Uday+Mane&ref=1d5bc58a-42a7-40e1-8538-a43fb5f3fc47

THE BLOG TOUR IS HOSTED BY : THE BOOK CLUB

MY REVIEW :

Things I liked :

(1) The novel has a good sub plot and Riya’s struggle with her brother Sidhhartha was pretty interesting.

(2) The short stories of Samir and detailed explanation of Riya’s painting were an interesting read.

Things I didn’t like :

(1) The main theme of story : A boy trying to commit suicide because his girlfriend was going to abroad for higher studies.

(2) Poor editing and grammar.

I wish all the best to the author for his works.

BOOK REVIEW : WHERE EVEN PRESENT IS ANCIENT BY MAITREYEE B CHOWDHURY

August 30, 2014 by Aparajita

NAME OF THE BOOK : WHERE EVEN THE PRESENT IS ANCIENT

NAME OF THE AUTHOR : MAITREYEE B CHOWDHURY

THE BLURB :

Where Even the Present is Ancient: Benaras is a book that seeks to tell the little stories that make us who we are. The author believes that Benaras resides in all of us Indians, in some beautiful often-unknown way. The author is the Sutradhar, in that she attempts to connect an India that many do not realize exists, in that it is everybody’s story. Radha, Krishna, Ganga, Benaras and Me are all characters in this deluge of poems.

This attempt at telling the story of the ancient, of love and of faith is to instil the confidence that poetry exists in all of us, everywhere, all that is needed is to smell its fragrance.

To those outside India, the book does not seek to be a representation of what India is or was, but a whiff of what it also can be. It is an attempt to ask people to see the little stories that govern all of our lives, stories that we often don’t see, but those that are important.

The audience for this book might be strewn across the globe, for faith is not religion-centric, it is people- centric and often without dimensions.

In poetry there is no beginning, no middle, nor no end. Like faith it is everywhere, it is omnipresent. The book affords no answers, nor no questions, but if you listen and read carefully you will see new things, a new beauty perhaps, one that has been silent so long.

where-even-the-present-is-ancient-benaras-400x400-imadzkggqjvar7nv

MY RATING : 3

MY REVIEW :

‘Poem ‘ is perhaps the most difficult genre to review. A poem is very innate to its creator; it travels from heart to heart and settles where it belongs to. It carries the voice of the poet, deriving words from her experiences, her inner feelings and her wish fulfillments and desires, unknown to all. It is neither the reader’s fault, nor the poet’s fault if the poem fails to make an impression on the reader. Drawing from these thoughts, I would like to say, WHERE EVEN THE PRESENT IS ANCIENT : BENARAS by Maitreyee B Chowdhury has been a pleasant journey for me.

The poet connects the city of Benaras with our soul, giving it a different dimension, as she says ,

‘Sometimes Benaras seems like a poem,

A long lost one, at that .”

The depiction of Shiva drawing imageries from various sources, and inclusion of Vaishnav ideals enriches the poetry with a universal aura. I found it pretty interesting as the poet wrote ,

“I returned, with Hare Rama in my ears,

And filth in my eyes”.

The poet endows a different way of worshipping the God, sometimes she is his beloved and sometimes she is the bard. She mentions ‘ Kirtan ‘ , a typical Vaishnav ritual in her poems, blurring the lines of multiple ‘godhood’.

Maitreyee B Chowdhury has done justice to the theme she has chosen, by mentioning the terms in footnotes. It would have helped a reader, alien to our Indian culture , more, if she had described what is a ‘linga ‘ like other points. The other thing I didn’t like was the depiction of the poor. Including some ‘happy moments ‘ could have been better. But it is the poet’s individual choice and I am just expressing my ‘ personal opinion’. I enjoyed the universalism, the theme of love, devotion which binds everyone of us , as we share similar emotions and feelings towards one god, be it Shiva, or Allah or Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

Maitreyee B Chowdhury is a web columnist and creative writer. She is author of Reflections on My India, a book of Indian traditions and spirituality in parts. Maitreyee is also author of Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen- Bengali Cinema’s First Couple and Ichhe Holo Tai, a bilingual muti media presentation of poetry. Maitreyee is featured amongst other Indian writers such as Gulzar, Shashi Tharoor and Deepti Naval in an anthology of Indian writers Celebrating India.

BUY AT : Amazon.in</ a>/ Flip kart.com

BOOK REVIEW : TROUBLE HAS A NEW NAME BY ADITE BANERJIE

August 20, 2014 by Aparajita

NAME OF THE BOOK : TROUBLE HAS A NEW NAME

NAME OF THE AUTHOR : ADITE BANERJIE

BLURB :“Will you pretend to be my fiancé for the next few days?”

Recently-single model Rayna Dutt does not feel like flying to her friend’s big fat Indian wedding. But she does – and when a mix up with room allocations forces her to share a luxury villa on Emerald Isle with the gorgeous owner of the hotel – Neel Arora – and best man at the wedding, things begin to look up.

Until Rayna’s ex turns up with a new girl on his arm!

Hitting the panic button, Rayna searches for a solution. Surely Neel wouldn’t mind being her fake fiancé…? In an instant the attraction they share is fever pitch, but when scandal comes calling, Rayna soon finds herself in more trouble than she can handle!

RATING : 3.75 out of 5

REVIEW :

Tired of reading clichéd novels on young adult romance ? Need a break ? Want to read something different , on the same theme? Well, welcome to Nirvana Resort of Andaman Islands which forms the backdrop of Adite Banerjie’s novel, Trouble Has A New Name. For a Gossip Girl series lover like me, the novel was a treat to my thirst. Honestly, to begin with, if you are expecting a novel, blended with philosophical notes, well, you should go for some other one. But if you want to read something to relax your nerves from your daily routine, just pick up the book and start reading it .

Adite Banerjie has chosen a very simple plot , of love and heart breaks and gave them an outlandish environment and the characters, unique in their own ways , but somewhere , we do find our own reflections in them. The novel is all about fashion statements, luxury resorts, grand wedding and above all, simple human emotions which penetrate even into the hearts of people who work in entertainment industry.

The language of the novel is simple and lucid and the novel gives you less time to ponder over what is happening and makes you flip through the pages , to know, what happens next . The way the plot unravels itself is interesting and the scenes in beach will make you crave for a vacation far away from the humdrum of mundane life. The narrator is very reader friendly and the introduction of the concept of ‘ Rayna Book Of Immutable Laws ‘ is pretty interesting. The episodic structure of the novel reminded me of some of my favorite American drama series.

Amidst the simplicity and the fashion statements, comes out the bold voice of Rayna Dutt, one of the top models of the fashion industry. Adite Banerjie carefully curves out a strong feminist side of her protagonist, which attracted my attention. The writer makes sure that her protagonist has a dusky color and emerges as a beauty, who is desired by all. Adite Banerjie breaks out from the contemporary notions of what Rayna calls ‘ fairy is lovely ‘ in India and when Julie compliments Rayna , she replies, ” Chocolate skin tone is so not cool”. This boldness in Rayna is also expressed in her words when she confronts her ex boyfriend Sid, at her best friend, Milee’s wedding. She becomes the epitome of the independent Indian woman who stands for herself and is strong enough to support the decisions she takes of her own.

Overall, the book is an easy and fast read and it will not haunt you again and again. The aroma of the novel will linger along like a sweet fairy tale rom-com. I wish the author all the best with the book and I look forward to read more books from her.

Buy @

HERE IS AN INTERVIEW OF THE AUTHOR :-

Why did you choose the Andaman islands as a backdrop of the novel?

The Andaman Islands are so beautiful …perfect for a romance, don’t you think so? Besides, there seems to be a trend of weddings taking place in exotic islands, especially, the big fat wedding variety. So, instead of Mauritius or Fiji or the Carribbean Islands, I decided Andaman Islands would be the perfect venue for my protagonist Rayna’s best friend, Milee’s wedding.

Do you relate to any character? If so, how?

Strangely enough, when I write characters I never put myself in their shoes. I believe that the character should be likeable and should have a flaw that I as a writer can relate to. And, of course, something that readers will also be able to relate to. I try to see the situation from the filter of the characters’ unique traits so that their actions are believable. Besides, it would be impossible for me to relate to every character that I write.

How could you write strong erotic scenes without a single hint of pornography?

If they come across as sensuous, I’m glad that I have been able to convey what the characters were feeling for each other. What Rayna and Neel feel for each other is love—though they haven’t recognised it as that! And when love comes into the picture, it’s all about emotions, not about sex.

Do you want to stick to this adult- romance genre for your upcoming books? If so, why?

Umm…well, when you put it as ‘adult romance’ it makes me think of the Censor Board’s ‘A’ certificate! LOL. As far as the classification of my books go, I think Trouble… is more of a romantic-caper or romantic-comedy and my next book is a romantic-thriller. So, yes, the romance and how the couple gets to the happily-ever-after are going to be an important part of the story.

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

To read a lot in the genre that they are writing, hone their writing skills, and write as often as they can…if possible, every day.

Had a great time answering your questions. Thanks, Aparajita, for hosting me on your site.

Meet the Author

Adite Banerjie has been writing professionally ever since she graduated from college. After an exciting and fulfilling career as a business journalist, she turned to freelance writing, crunched numbers and wrote reports about consumer behavior and social development issues. Somewhere along the way she got on to the screenwriting bandwagon and wrote scripts for documentaries and spec screenplays for feature films. She was hired by a filmmaker to write a feature script based on a true story. When she penned her first romantic short story she won the 2012 Harlequin Passions Aspiring Authors Contest. Two of her books, The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal and Trouble Has a New Name have been published by Harlequin India. And she is currently under contract to write two more for the same publisher. She lives in Greater Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, with her writer husband. She loves to connect with readers and writers.

You can stalk her @

Website : http://aditebanerjie.com/

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/aditebanerjie?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

Twitter : https://twitter.com/adite

Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7083664.Adite_Banerjie

JOIN OUR RAFFLECOPTER TO WIN EXCITING PRIZES FROM AMAZON:
Join our Rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter Giveaway