Monday, December 28, 2015

Spotlight: More Than Just Desire by Summerita Rhayne

About the book



The Bollywood diva who ran away
Piya walked out of an explosive situation three years ago. She married Arfaaz for security but left him facing social bedlam. Now she's back in Bollywood and searching for the crown she gave up. In the competitive world of starry glamour, the only way she can begin her career anew is to trash the past and get a divorce.
The man who wants her atonement
Arfaaz is determined to get his revenge on Piya for making a farce of their marriage and leaving him to face the mudslinging. He forces her to keep up the appearances and stay with him so she can play the loving wife and repent on her sins. But Piya drives him crazy with her antics. On the top of that, the attraction between them sizzles and threatens to make him forget reason.
A passionate conflict
Piya knows she has lessons to learn but she cannot let this man enter her heart. There is too much to risk and she cannot afford to forget the real reason she has come back. Success is her mantra and her worship. She can be faithful to only her goal 

About the author

Summerita Rhayne loves to write sensual and emotional romance. There's no knowing when some quirky - or sometimes even not so quirky - happening in daily life might trigger her right brain and then she's off craving a new story. She loves writing characters who learn and grow and find their way out of their troubles and emotional hang-ups. Hot, sensual heroes and sassy but sweet heroines mostly fit the bill in her stories. She also believes that a touch of humor never goes amiss in a book.

She divides her time between family, job and writing - and loves winding down with music, movies and the internet!


Author links

Amazon author page:

Website and blog:

Follow her at Twitter @SummeritaRhayne    

Friend her at Goodreads:

Excerpt from the book:

Arfaaz exhaled slowly as he pressed down the pedal. He could feel it. The same old thing. He hated this feeling but obviously his libido didn’t know it. He could still feel the purely sexual thrill that just that eye contact had generated. It was still running up his spine. Flooding his veins.
In a black top and tight jeans with the ends encased in high boots, she formed an eye-catching silhouette. One bare shoulder gleamed against the black knitted material. She’d always been sizzling and now was no different.
The gold shadowed lids lifted and the dark gaze brushed against his glance again.
He cursed silently, fists curling on the wheel and reminded himself why he was here. Just to find out why she was back. Not to get riveted by her glamour.
He focused on the road. It rankled that she hadn’t informed him she was coming back. No word for him. No call. Not that he had expected any.
She flicked the cell phone screen rapidly then shut it off with an impatient movement of slender fingers. When he switched back to her from the road, she was taking out her lipstick. Quick nervous movements that always betrayed her as she ran it over her lips and again.   
‘Careful. Don’t use up the whole stick.’ Despite himself, he couldn’t hold back the sarcasm and he felt juvenile satisfaction clench his gut as her hand paused midair and her gaze clicked against his in the mirror, eyes wide and shocked.  

Piya froze. She’d have known that heavy slightly curt voice anywhere. The last time she’d heard, it had been edged and grating...
‘Arfaaz!’ she fairly screeched.
‘So you still recall the name. Brilliant memory.’ The explosive anger glittering in his eyes was only thinly veiled by the mockery. 
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Taking you home.’
‘Taking me...so you disguised yourself? What’s this? A kidnapping? Stop right now. I demand it!’
‘Your demands were always unreasonable, begum. I’ve learnt that a bit late in the day but I’m not likely to forget it in a hurry.’ She opened her mouth and he cut her off with, ‘Save your breath. I have no interest in what you say except what I need to know from you. From here on, I do the asking.’
Her jaw slacked a bit as she absorbed the authoritative tone even before she could assimilate the words. Arfaaz being so masterful? She shook her head slightly. Disbelievingly. He’d been so compliant always. Always. Never refusing her anything.
A fact she had taken enough advantage of...
Looked like he had decided not to forgive her. And really, in all honesty, she didn’t expect him to. Couldn’t. She didn’t expect anything from him, she told herself, trying to ignore the stab of despair that hit her unreasonably at the thought. It was better this way. If Arfaaz was still sore at her, surely he would be more amenable to divorce.
Why hadn’t he sought it already? The question had haunted her these three years. Maybe in the glitterati world he’d been too absorbed to have the time...or to bother.
What did a wife tucked away on the other side of the world, matter?
Why was she feeling so upset at what he did or didn’t feel for her? He hadn’t forced her to go. She’d left on her own.
To find peace. No, not peace. She had it in hordes and she had to run away from it. What then? Even she didn’t know. But she knew it was still missing from her life.
The restlessness she had started feeling recently, gripped her again.
‘You wanted nothing more to do with me,’ she couldn’t help reminding him.
The rain started again but she noticed the fact only absentmindedly. Her gaze was stitched to the man driving the large car. To the brown almost stubby hands. Competent, square hands, with more strength than grace. Yet those hands moved eloquently when he described an action he wanted executed. He could carry out to perfection even the graceful flick of feminine fingers when he was in the directorial mode.
‘Why are you back?’ The question was stabbed at her, a fleeting eye lock in the mirror confirming that he was in no mood to humor her.
‘Why shouldn’t I be? Does it inconvenience you?’ she snapped back. 
‘Why should it?’ A dark eyebrow rose.
‘Maybe you’re too busy painting the town red to want a wife in the picture?’ Better to be offensive, she told herself. And who knew it might be near the truth.

Book buy links:






Free book by the author

'Against All Rules', Summerita Rhayne's sensual workplace romance, a best seller in contemporary romance at Amazon.in, is currently available for free at Amazon. This Christmas giveaway is from 24th to 29th Dec.
Here's the link to download the free kindle book.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MY2QVRS



Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Book Review: Monkeys, Motorcycles and Misadventures by Harsha

Title: Monkeys, Motorcycles and Misadventures
Author: Harsha
Pages: 230
Price: 225.00 INR
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

Blurb

After having recurring dreams, a man considers retracing Lord Hanuman's epic journey from India to Sri Lanka. While rationality argues against the pursuit, the dream appeals to something deeper, and he sets out with two friends on a 1200 kilometer trek across South India. The journey however, doesn’t turn out to be quite what they expected. Along the way, through encounters with evil cans of pepper spray, wise men, pimps, hell hounds, and manic elephants, they are forced to confront their personal demons. At one of their lowest moments, plagued by doubt, they lose all hope. That's when they experience a sign, the first of many, which renews their spirits and helps them push forward.
Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures, provides a candid account of the trio’s incredible journey - their misgivings, sufferings, and triumphs, all in search of faith.

Review


A round trip and a search for lost faith, Harsha Vardhan’s ‘Monkeys, Motorcycles and Misadventures’ is a breezy yet insightful read. As you’ve already guessed, this book is a travelogue charting the course that Hanuman had taken in order to rescue the kidnapped Sita from Ashok Vatika in Lanka. The writer, after having recurring dreams, considers retracing the epic journey from India to Sri Lanka. He ventures out with two friends on a 1200 kilometer trek across South India. This book is a well written and balanced journal highlighting the journey of the trio and their many experiences gathered on the way.
I being an armchair traveler enjoyed every bit the author had to offer. Of course it was a gentler, more pleasurable journey for me than it had been for the writer simply because while I enjoyed his trek sitting in the comfort of my room, he had to brave the scorching sun and adverse terrains. Harsha, not one for crowds, doesn’t feel at home with the traditional way of rushing around tourist spots. In most places he visits, there’s a sense of man and nature being in harmony – Mahendragiri being a notable exception. But it was there that his faith was restored in god.
This book is a travelogue cum memoir in which the writer, unmoored by the loss of his beloved grandmother and consequently that of his faith, seeks a resolution of some kind on a journey. It’s a joy to read. There’s right amount of humour, wit and insight. In addition, I really enjoyed the verbal exchange among the three friends. I’d recommend it to all those you enjoy reading non-fiction.

About the author

Harsha is a freelance writer and the author of ‘Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures’. After graduating with a Master’s in Business Administration, he worked with a large IT company for a few years, before taking a sabbatical to trek the Hanuman route. In 2013, he moved to a beach town, where he spent a year beach bumming, mooching off family, and writing ‘Monkeys, Motorcycles, and Misadventures.’

Website:


Facebook Page:


Buy links:

Amazon:

Flipkart:

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Giveaway:

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I'd like to thank author Harsha for letting me review his book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 



  

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Blog Tour - When Our Worlds Collide by Aniesha Brahma

About the Book
Akriti has led a pretty much sheltered life. 
Zayn has been shuttled from city to city when he was growing up. 
She is comfortable watching her life from the sidelines. 
He wants to feel rooted to a place he can call ‘home’. 
They meet each other quite by chance. 
And both seize the chance to be someone they both need in their lives: 
For Zayn, it’s a 'Partner-In-Crime'. 
For Akriti, someone who just knows how to be there for her… 
When their worlds collide, 
It is not what either of them expected it to be. 
Zayn has a steady girlfriend. And Akriti has a crush on him. 
What happens when these two become friends? 
The biggest adventure of their lives? Or the road to heartbreak? 
What happens when two completely different people collide? 
Do they become friends? Or, is their friendship doomed from the start? 
'When Our Worlds Collide' is the story of two twenty-three-year olds, Who are finally growing up and finding their feet in the world. 
A tale of friendship and love, crushes and betrayals, messes and second chances, Marriage and divorce… and the elusive happily ever after! 


Book Links


Character Interview: Ayoub & Esha 


Hello Ayoub and Esha. Thank you so much for joining us. First question, could we know a little bit about you?


Esha: Yeah, totes! I am seventeen years old, extremely troubled and I have a crazy crush on Ayoub. 

Ayoub: And I am completely freaked out by that. I am 21 years old, and I help Akriti run her mother’s café. And I am pretty much Akriti’s only friend. Which honestly, is the unrealistic. How can someone be that unsocial?

Well, we can get to Akriti and her unsocial behavior later. Tell us, which is your favorite part in When Our Worlds Collide? 


Esha: When I almost force Ayoub to be my date. 

Ayoub: I guess when I’m trying to talk Akriti out of harboring a mad crush on Zayn, and everyone else mistakes it for us getting together.
Esha: You do get together, don’t you?
Ayoub: SHUT UP, Esha! 

If this book were to be made into a series, would we be meeting either of you again?


Esha: I do know that the next book tentatively named, Take On the World, is featuring the battle between me and my sister, Aisha. It would be like a companion novel.

Ayoub: *sigh* Which basically means, yes. You will be meeting both of us.

What is a companion novel, if we may ask?


Esha: A companion novel is when another story is set in the same timeline as the one you are currently reading. It is completely different from a sequel.

Ayoub: Yes, for example, Take on the World, would give you deeper insight into Esha and Aisha’s world. And it would feature same scenes when we are all together, as it had been in When Our Worlds Collide.

Why do you think readers should read When Our Worlds Collide?


Esha: One, I am sure everyone can relate to at least one of us. And two, because we are awesome! 

Ayoub: Because it is not a far-fetched fairytale. It is something people can relate to. And because it is a chance to get to know new characters, live a new story.


About the Author

Aniesha Brahma knew she wanted to be a writer since she was six years old. She was schooled in Dolna Day School and went on to pursue B.A., M.A., and M.Phil in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur Univeristy. She currently lives in Kolkata, with her family and five pet cats. The Secret Proposal was her debut novel, followed by The Guitar Girl. She was a contributing author with her story The Difference, in the anthology: Voices, Old & New. When Our Worlds Collide is her third work of fiction, and first novella.




Stalk Links



Giveaway

Prize 1: One really Lucky Indian Resident can win a Handmade Book Jacket made by Diptee Raut of DIP & DIY
  

As Diptee says, its ideal to ~ "Keep your books cozy and warm and away from prying eyes with this book cover. A classy way to carry your book to your favourite coffee shop/library/park for a quiet read."

Prize 2: One really Lucky Indian Resident can win a  Surprise gift from the Author 

Lets keep you guessing ;) Rest assured, it is going to be something pretty!


Check out the Tour Stops

Friday, December 11, 2015

Blog Tour : Velicious Part Two by Shelique Lize

Velicious Blog Tour Banner

VELICIOUS PART TWO
By: Shelique Lize
Publication Date: November 30th, 2015
Genres: Paranormal Romance
* Velicious Part Two cannot be read as a stand alone.



Justice Labelle has lost too much in this war of monster and men, and it needs to stop now. After her run in with Erin, which left her lying in a hospital bed, black and bloody blue, Justice is no longer going to sit by and simply accept the twisted hand, that has been dealt. Especially since she now has superhuman powers, all thanks to her being a Doll. Her one and only passion– To get through College and practice law at a top tier firm, is fading from her grasp and its all because of Calvin, Dante, Vampyres and the Government. In fact the government has more secrets than kids have candy… And they’re all just as deadly as the enemies they hunt. But you know what? Justice has come up with her own master plan and heaven help the Vampyre, monster or human that gets in her way!


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Excerpt

My phone beeped again, and before I was able to warn Angel, the twilight zone shattered. Within a blink of an eye, Nicolle disappeared from Audrina's side. Now she was behind Angel, grabbing her long, blonde hair. Too fast for me to comprehend, for anyone to really notice, Nicolle jerked her hand back. That sudden snag, bucked Angel's head back and Angel cried out as her whole body slammed to the hard ground. At first glance, the pull of Angel's hair didn't seem that rough, but the way Angel hit into the ground with a loud thwack confirmed the strength Nicolle had used.

I don't know when Nicolle had grabbed a knife, but she had one in her hand, and she swung her arm, aiming it at Angel's head. But Angel was able to shift, and Nicolle missed her head by inches. Then, without missing a beat, Angel grabbed the sides of Nicolle's head and brought up her knees, ramming them into Nicolle's face. It was a hard hit, and Nicolle fell backwards, her face bleeding.
Like an off switch, Nicolle cried out, holding her face as blood poured out from in-between her fingers. Her demeanor seemed to have gone back to normal. We were back in the twilight zone.
Jordan rushed toward Angel, helping his girlfriend up off the ground. Everyone was looking at Nicolle, cautious and confused.
Nicolle sat up awkwardly, holding her face as blood gushed out on her top, landing on her jeans and dripping on the ground. I looked at Nicolle, feeling sorry for her, and against Jordan’s protests, I helped Nicolle up.
Nicolle didn't know what had happened, but standing up, she removed her hands from her face. Nicolle's brows pulled together, and she looked down at her hands. Her palms were stained red and black with blood.
Nicolle gazed at her hands and asked, "Why am I bleeding?"
And no, that was not the right question. The question should have been, “Why is your blood black?”
In the seconds that followed, Nicolle fell to the ground unconscious. Before I think to call for help, Jessica was there, and took control of the situation. Jessica turned to my friends and I, requesting that we help with Nicolle.

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summary001

Justice Labelle always had her life perfectly planned.

Her goals were to graduate from University and get into law school.

Then one day, Justice tried to kill herself.

Well, not her technically. It may have been her body, but those actions weren’t intentional and the suicidal thoughts were not hers. Or, so she keeps telling her therapist and family. Justice is afraid she’s losing her mind and just wants to forget everything. But when her best friend is murdered, another one is being mind-screwed by a Vampyre, and her ex is back in town, looking as scrumptious as ever and very suspicious, maybe she isn’t all that crazy!

Free both copies
Christmas is right around the corner, so besides the Rafflecopter,
Shelique Lize has decided to give The Velicious Series away for free!

PART ONE CODE: 8UJISKZYYN

GRAB YOUR FREE COPY

PART TWO CODE: 6MDJUOCHB1

DOWNLOAD HERE

giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveawayAbout the author

Image13- big 

  Shelique Lize is an awesome mother of two beautiful baby girls, and a wife to the luckiest man on the planet. It took her five years to write Velicious Part One but once her first daughter was born, she decided to revisit the world that she had created. Falling in love with her characters all over again, she wanted to finish their story. Velicious Part Two was written in half the time. Shelique loves anything to do with the paranormal world. She’s a proud Canadian but dislikes winter. She prefers watching the snow falling beautifully from inside a warm home. Currently she likes to listen to The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey, and she’s pretty open to every other genre of music.
  social media links

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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Book Review : The Last Soul Children by Aman Chougle


Title: The Last Soul Children
Author: Aman Chougle
Pages: 108
Publisher: Partridge India

About the book

The Last Soul Children is a look back at the childhood and youth of the author through the people surrounding him during his formative years; realizing himself as much as he traces his memories through them.

Whether it be your first infatuation or the realization that you are not a kid anymore; the stories here are a quintessential blueprint of deliverance from innocence for many of us who grew up like anybody else, muzzled from one institute to another: school, college, and finally into the mouths of big business. Forever repressed, forever the victims of false ideals.

Review

I had no idea what ‘The Last Soul Children’ was all about. Since I was asked to review it among several others, I picked it up with not much expectation. But I was wrong and the book did surprise me to say the least. Initially I thought it was a novel. I read two chapters, felt lost, and was about to give up. There were no names to the characters and I couldn’t string the two people together from the two chapters that I had already read. I was almost nearing the end of the third chapter and then it struck me. The chapters were actually different episodes from the writer’s life and that each chapter was going to be about a different friend from the author’s life. Finally I realized why Aman Chougle had described it as a look-book. From there the reading became interesting. It was a pleasant break from all the fictions I had been reading. There’s nothing make-belief in this book. All that has been written is something each of us have felt or experienced sometime or the other.  
Each chapter marks a reconciliation with a long lost friend. What Aman has described is specific to his life but it is definitely relatable. As I read I thought about all the friends that I’ve left behind. Of how so much is not with me even though I’d have liked them to be a part of my present. Throughout the book the author has tried to visualize for the benefit of the reader not only his life but that of each one of us. What he has narrated is easily the story of every generation past and present.
 The book makes for an easy read. The only downside is the grammatical errors that jump out of the pages and threaten to spoil that which the author has created so painstakingly. Some words have been oft repeated and not too appropriately. A good story should have a good language I believe. The novel has potential and there’s no denying that I read it cover to cover. I’m glad I got to read this book.

About the author

Aman Chougle is a poet and writer from Thane, Maharashtra, India. He also enjoys making short-films, and dabbling into music from time to time. He has published his short-stories and poems in various literary journals. Currently he's working on his first collection of poems, a self-exploratory endeavour to realize the best for himself, and for the ones close to him.

Buy link



I'd like to thank author Aman Chougle for letting me review his book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 



Monday, December 7, 2015

Author Interview : Becky Jerams, Author of Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me

About the author


Becky Jerams (born June 26th, 1987) is a writer and musician from Portsmouth, UK. Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me is her debut novel and has been featured on the website Wattpad where it has gained many loyal readers and over two million hits. After receiving such an overwhelming response for her writing, she recently released the new and improved edition of her story as an official eBook through Kindle Direct Publishing.

She lives with her boyfriend in a little flat near the sea and splits her time between fiction writing, songwriting sessions, performing acoustic gigs and working in a student art shop. Her songs have been featured internationally on various shows and adverts, and her stories have been read by thousands of young people across the world gaining her fans from UK, US, Spain, Philippines, Nigeria, France, Egypt, Jamaica, Australia, India and beyond. Her pacey, emotional style of writing aimed for a young adult audience has been compared to the likes of John Green, David Levithan and Jenny Downham.

Becky is currently working on the spin-off sequel to Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me titled Could You Love An Apple? which will be available on Kindle in the near future. She hopes to continue writing about the characters she has created for as long as people want to keep reading about them.
Twitter: @beckyjerams
Youtube (Featuring Book Trailer): https://www.youtube.com/user/beakyboo123




Interview

1. When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?
I’ve always known that I loved writing stories right from when I was a small child in my creative writing classes at school. I had a big imagination growing up and would often spend hours making up stories and little home-made books with my own illustrations. However, as I got older, this skill transferred to music and lyric writing. I spent many years honing my musical craft and the thought of fiction writing at a professional level didn’t really cross my mind until a few years ago when I stumbled across the website Wattpad and felt inspired to try my hand at it. I never realised how passionate I felt about writing books until I was finally doing it. Now I seriously couldn’t imagine my life without it!

2. What motivates you to write and where does your inspiration come from?
M any things inspire me to write, whether it’s people and situations from my own life or just beautiful imagery and characters from other media that spark my imagination.  I always try and put a bit of myself into every scene and write elements of my own experience into my stories.

3. How did you come up with the idea for your current story?
When it came to Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me, my aim was to throw all my favourite things together in one book and see what happened. I love reading boy x boy love stories and I know the genre is very popular, plus I feel very strongly about gay rights so I decided to go down that route with the romance side of things. Then I added all my passions to the mix – music, headstrong females, a brooding rocker boy, geeky pop culture references and lots of melodrama. I just wrote the kind of story I’d want to read and luckily for me, others responded to it!

4. What are your current/future projects?
Right now I am working on editing the sequel to “Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me” which is called “Could You Love An Apple?” and is a spin-off story all about the character Taylor Raven. I am also in the planning stages of a third story which focuses on one of the female characters in the sequel!

5. Are you traditional or self-published, and what process did you go through to get your book published?
I am a self-published author – I started out writing my first draft on Wattpad where I gained many loyal readers who really helped me to shape and polish my story. Using the feedback I received, I self-edited the novel, going through every chapter numerous times until I was completely happy with it. I then got a friend who is studying a doctorate to go through my work and help fix any grammar problems I had missed (and it turned out there were quite a lot). After that, I got my friend Kendal James who is a local artist to design the front cover and my boyfriend Mat to format the book so it was compatible with Kindle. Once it was published as an e-book, I set about promoting it as much as possible with friends, readers, reviewers, blogs and local news sites. I feel very proud that I have accomplished so much all by myself and I hope to keep taking the project as far as possible!

6. What field or genre would you classify your book(s) and what attracted you to write in that field or genre?
M y books are Young Adult which is a genre I absolutely love. I think that emotions and situations are so new and intense when you are in your teens/early twenties and I love that feeling of life stretching out in front of my characters. I also love being able to connect with real life young people and write stories that engage with them and might even help them in some way.

7. What do you do if inspiration strikes in an inconvenient place like (car, restaurant, bathroom/shower, etc..) and how do you capture that moment before it gets away from you?
Inspiration is always striking me at the worst times, usually when I’m at work or out walking around in public. I tend to keep my phone or a pen and paper nearby me at all times and quickly scribble down any great ideas or bits of dialogue that come to me. Although luckily I have a very keen memory when it comes to my own ideas and there isn’t a lot that I tend to forget.

8. What is your biggest fear about having a book published?
There are so many fears that come with publishing a book, especially self-publishing. Will people like it? Will they give me bad reviews? Am I living up to my true potential by going it alone or should I have gone down a traditional publishing route? I worry constantly about doing the right thing, but sometimes you just have to make a decision and go for it! It’s hard to put yourself out there, but I’m so glad that I did and the results have been incredible rewarding for me!

9. What makes a good story, why?
To me, all good stories are about people and what makes them tick. I think behind every genre, whether it’s fantasy or historical or sci-fi, ultimately we want to know what happens to people in exceptional circumstances and how they are feeling. It’s a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I personally don’t like lots of action in stories, such as chase or battle scenes. I find those parts very boring. I’d rather read a whole chapter of what’s going on in someone’s head.

10. Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?
I read every single review I can get my paws on! Hearing good feedback is so motivating and makes me feel a real sense of achievement. Bad reviews are harder to take. I am very lucky that most readers have been very kind about my story and the majority of their criticism has been constructive. I think it’s important to take criticism because it’s the only way you will improve and get better. Of course, sometimes you just flat out don’t agree with people’s opinions and I think it’s also important to stay firm when you know you are in the right! One reviewer of my book recently mildly criticised my dialogue which I feel is one of the strongest elements of my story. However, I accept that some of the phrasing might be unfamiliar to people outside of UK, so cultural differences have to be taken into account too!

11. What is the easiest/hardest scene for you to write, why? (Love, action, fight, death, racy, controversial, etc…)
 For me, the easiest scenes to write are usually ones with a lot of dialogue in them because I can let the conversation play out naturally and follow the characters emotions. Heated arguments or confessions of love are my favourite! I think the subtle, in-between scenes are much harder to write than the scenes where a lot is happening.

12. What are some events you have attended or participated in that has been a positive experience/influence on/for your writing?
This summer I attended a convention in London called YALC UK (Young Adult Literature Convention) – there were talks from agents and one-to-one sessions with them which were so interesting and helpful to me. There were also author meets and so many stalls and information and recent young adult releases. I found the whole event super inspiring and it definitely pushed me to keep going with my writing and finally release my work professionally.

13. What would you like to write about that you have never written about before?
I would love to tackle more big issues in my future work. I’ve had a few different ideas for love stories with a theme of mental health in them. I would also love to write something more in the fantasy realm, but I think I need to practice my craft a little more before tackling such an intimidating genre!

14. What book(s), author(s), or significant life event(s) have had a positive or negative influence in your life that inspired you to begin writing?
There are so many reasons why I write. It is definitely an outlet and a way of self-expression for me. I was very shy growing up and hated school, plus I was an only child, so I tended to daydream a lot and get lost in my own imagination. I loved authors such as Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl and AA Milne, and I would get lost in their magical stories. I also really loved stories about talking animals such as Charlotte’s Web, they were a particular favourite for me as a child and must have had a bigger influence on me than I realised at the time. In later life, the one book that inspired me to write was 50 Shades Of Grey. Now don’t get me wrong, I kind of love that book in a guilty pleasure way, but most people would agree that it’s very poorly written. Once I finished it I remember thinking… Dear God, if this is a bestseller then what the hell am I worried about?!

15. Do you view writing as a career, labor of love, hobby, creative outlet, therapy, or something else?
Writing is definitely a labour of love and something I will always do because it’s instinctive to me. However, I also really want to make a career through it and push myself to the limits. I think it’s definitely possible to turn your hobby into a job, it all depends on how hard you work and how big you dream!

16. What are the advantages/disadvantages of self or traditional publishing?
There are so many pros and cons to self-publishing and I am always changing my mind about whether it’s something I want to keep pursuing or whether I want to attempt to go down a more traditional route with a professional agent and publishing house. Doing everything solo is incredibly hard work, and it feels like the odds are constantly against you because some people won’t even give you a chance if you are self-published or have no physical copy of your book. It would be amazing to have the backing and promotion of somebody bigger than myself and be able to reach a wider audience. On the other hand, I absolutely love the freedom of doing everything myself and the total control it gives me. I can write about whatever I want without someone else trying to interfere in any way. I also get to keep a hundred percent of the profit I make and the sense of achievement of doing everything single-handed simply cannot be beaten!

17. What is your most/least favorite part of the writing process, why?
My favourite part of the writing process is the moment when you are swamped with so many ideas that they just start pouring out of you. When you start writing key scenes and you can feel your characters jumping out of your head and onto a page, it’s such a joyous experience and completely freeing! The worst part is the editing, it’s so boring and tedious. But necessary.

18. What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
My favourite scene in Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me is the moment when Scotty finally confesses his feelings to the person he likes (I won’t give away too much for those who haven’t read the story yet). It’s really the magic movie moment where everyone is waiting with baited breath to find out what’s going to happen. I loved hearing people’s reactions to that scene and I could picture it perfectly in my head as I was writing it.

19. Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?
There are lots of authors who have influenced my tastes and writing style over the years. Growing up I was completely obsessed with Jacqueline Wilson and the way she makes such simple, heartfelt stories from big complex issues is something I have very much tried to emulate. I am a huge lover of teen fiction and chick lit from authors such as Meg Cabot, Maureen Johnson, Louise Rennison, Sophie Kinsella and Lisa Jewell. The way they tell their stories with such vibrant characters and weave comedy and tragedy seamlessly has been a huge influence to me. On the edgier side of the spectrum I have been influenced by writers such as Ben Elton and Louise O’Neill, both writers with something to say. Oh and of course, massive shout-out to JK Rowling, the Queen of all of us.

20. What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?

 The best advice I ever got about writing was from my Mum who taught me everything I know about building a good story. She told me that the main thing to remember whilst constructing characters is what drives them at every point of the story. If you know what drives your character and what makes them do the things they do then you can’t go too far wrong. She also always tells me to “write what you know” which I think is stellar advice.

I'd like to thank Becky Jerams for this interview and I wish her luck for her literary journey ahead!


Saturday, December 5, 2015

Book Review : Pixel Thoughts by Hussain Haideri

Title: Pixel Thoughts
Author: Hussain Haideri
Pages: 178
Price: 249.00 INR
Publisher: White Falcon Self Publishing Platform


About the book

The virtual world we live in has given us the freedom and power to express everything without saying anything. The status messages we write on chat messengers and facebook are the manifestations of our inner voice which was waiting for all this time to be heard. Over the years based on numerous experiences, I have composed some of those messages and penned them down in this book. They are honest, blunt and straight from the heart. It's an attempt to bring them into existence in the physical world too.

Review

Hussain Haideri’s ‘Pixel Thoughts’ is a compilation of quotes based on his random observation of life.  Unlike other quote books that seem to recycle the same old boring flat quotes, this one features the author’s own words and ideas, which according to me is quite fresh. It is a quick breezy read and I finished it in a day even with so much going on. The idea behind the book is that it is something one can just pick up and put down quickly.  I found some of the quotes very sincere and relatable. The author’s take on life is quite noteworthy. He clearly sees life in a way most of us don’t. It has a total of 165 quotes, each with a hash tag to explain the context. 
Of course not all the quotes are good. Some are average and some just words. But those that inspire outweigh those that don’t. A few of the quotes remained with me well after the book had been closed. I think this is what Haideri intended; to be remembered through his words and he has done quite well I must say. I am glad I chose to read it. 

About the author


Hussain Haideri is a computer engineer from Pune, an entrepreneur, thinker, dreamer and an optimist. He works at Softronikx Technologies, a company he founded with his school friends.
He is passionate about creating wealth, strong believer in following his dreams, loves to make things happen and take paths which are calling to his heart.
He is spiritual and believes in the unseen divine forces of the universe which are all around us, to help us discover our cosmic journeys and define our purpose of existence.

Buy links

Amazon 


Flipkart 


I'd like to thank author Hussain Haideri for letting me review his book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!