Promo Post: Breathing Two Worlds by Ruchira Khanna

About the Book:

Neena Arya, a Delhi-born goes abroad for further studies and decides to settle down there. Determined to be a 'somebody' from a 'nobody' she blends with the Americans via the accent and their mannerisms while having a live-in relationship with her European boyfriend, Adan Somoza.

When illness hits home, Neena rushes to meet her ailing dad. Tragedy strikes and amidst the mingling with relatives and friends, she finds herself suffocated with the two different cultures that she has been breathing since she moved to the United States. How will she strike a balance between both the cultures as she continues to support her widowed mother? Will she be able to do justice to her personal and professional life after the loss?

Amidst the adjusting she bonds with an ally and learns about ties beyond blood. On what grounds will she be able to form an invisible thread that she has longed for since childhood?

Breathing Two Worlds ventures into cultures and ethnicity allowing Neena to ponder upon her foundation and priorities.

Available on Amazon

Excerpt:

"Oh!" the Mom answered, but could not contain her curiosity with one hand holding the hyper toddler and the other on her hip she could not resist, "You two don't look like brother-sister, hmmm. So, what is your relationship?" she inquired with a slight smile in a soft voice but without any inhibition. A handful of seniors sitting in the same room observed all the drama and nodded to each other while their fingers were moving on the Tulsi neck beads.

Neena rolled her eyes and thought to herself, "Jeez! We Indians are always darn inquisitive."

Nikhil immediately got up and started walking towards the dining area. This was happening to them for the umpteenth time, and he was now tired of clarifying things. He had lived in this country for half a decade now and still he could never understand the fascination Indians had for marriage and children. 

Neena was confused at first because it was unlike Nikhil to be so rude. On the contrary, sometimes Neena referred to him on lessons in patience but today it was different. But then she didn’t have a choice; she felt it was rude to walk away from the young mother leaving the conversation unanswered. Moreover given Indian mentality in all possibility, she might even follow them till she had a convincing answer to her question. 

About the Author:

Ruchira Khanna, a biochemist turned writer, left her homeland of India to study in America, where she obtained her Master’s degree in Biochemistry from SJSU and a degree in Technical Writing from UC Berkeley.

After finishing her studies, Ruchira worked as a biochemist at a Silicon Valley startup for five years. After the birth of her son, Ruchira took a job as a technical writer, so that she could work from home. Soon, she began doing freelance writing work as well.

Her love of writing grew and she started working on her own books. After four years of freelancing, Ruchira published her first book, a fiction novel for adults called Choices.

Then came the children’s book The Adventures of Alex and Angelo: The Mystery of the Missing Iguana. She got a thumb’s up review from Kirkus Reviews.

In January 2016, she has published her second fictional novel Voyagers into the Unknown. It talks about the quest for happiness as the heavy hearted tourists travel miles from different parts of the world to Raj Touristry in Agra, India. Return to their respective home with a healed heart. This book talks about their journey!

In Breathing Two Worlds, Ruchira talks about ethnicity and cultures, and helps to strike a balance via a fiction-drama novel as her characters breathe two worlds.

In addition to writing books, she is a holistic healer associated with Stanford Healing Partners and also maintains a blog of daily mantras on Blogspot, called Abracabadra. Ruchira currently resides in California with her family.

Find her on: WebsiteBlog

Author Interview - Ian Brennan, Author of Sister Maple Syrup Eyes

                                       About the Book

Sister Maple Syrup Eyes is one of the first books published from the historically under-reported perspective on rape: from that of the lesser and oft-forgotten other victim, the individual's partner. With terse lyricism, this novella radiates the anguish of attempting to repair a love and life shattered by violence. Through a series of deliberately concise and untitled chapters, the story erupts in a before/after chasm, culminating with the main character's facing a tentative peace with his past.

                                     Interview with Ian

What motivates you to write and where does your inspiration come from?

Art at its best is an empathy-building device. It allows people to access experiences otherwise distant from their own. Through that action, we are all enriched and bridges are built between cultures and individuals to help celebrate our shared humanity.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?

Though the novella is fictional, it was inspired by the emotional aftermath that followed my partner’s being brutally beaten and raped in her own home.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

The best exercise I was ever taught is to write through the blocks. To literally force yourself to fill pages with stream of consciousness thought. This can help us get past judgmentality, and shift the focus from the left/analytical sphere of the brain back to the right/creative side.

What are your current/future projects?

My next book is the non-fiction work, How Music Lives (or Dies): Field-recording and the battle for democracy in the arts. It is my fourth book— all four with different publishers— and deals with the need for greater representation of international music and languages globally, to help offset the dominance of English-language artists. It is based on the many musical recording projects that my wife and I have done in more remote areas of Africa and Asia, one of which thankfully resulted in my winning a Grammy-award as the music producer. The book is being released February 2, 2016 by Skyhorse/Allworth in New York City.

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?

The better ideas have a way of sticking. But sometimes, once forgotten, recovering them from the unconscious can be very laborious. As a precaution, it is best to write things down immediately. I always carry a pen and end-up with a lot of notes written on the palm of my hand (but sometimes those get washed away or smeared). I also send myself a lot cryptic emails as reminders, notes that would look crazy to any one else who attempted to decipher them.

If you had the chance to get one message out there to reach readers all over the world, what would that message be?

If you leave this world without ever having inflicted deliberate harm on another, then you are already a success. Anything more is somewhat superfluous and just a bonus. You don’t need to be the “best”. The best is an illusion. The more important objective is to fully become yourself with modesty and acceptance towards others and our own innate limitations.

What makes a good story, why?

Truth. Period. The reader has to believe the author and their intention.

What are some events you have attended or participated in that has been a positive experience/influence on/for your writing?

I owe an incalculable debt to my two primary writing mentors, Robert Sillonis (when I was a teenager) and the late Betty Solomon. They both pushed me and refused to coddle my ego.

They were never afraid to tell me the truth versus what I wanted to hear.

What are the most important elements of good writing? According to you, what tools are must-haves for writers?

All artists must find a way to integrate their influences and then shed them entirely, in order to find their own voice. Specificity is the key. The more detail there is, the more universal a story becomes, ironically. Good writing takes the reader “there”, even if they have never been there before.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Write for yourself, not an audience. Join a creative-writing workshop and welcome educated— meaning more objective than most— critics to find the weak points in your vision. And always read everything you have written aloud before committing to a final draft, since many flaws reveal themselves when lifted from the page vocally.

                                      About the Author

Ian Brennan is a GRAMMY-winning record producer and has produced three
GRAMMY-nominated records. He has worked with artists as diverse as country-great Merle Haggard, filmmaker John Waters, Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Fugazi, Green Day,
Tinariwen, Kyp Malone & Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), the Blind Boys of Alabama, Nels Cline (Wilco), and the Vienna Boys Choir, and has repeatedly travelled the world in search of music. Amongst others, he has discovered and produced groups who went onto be the first international releases in the indigenous languages of their respective countries, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Malawi. During his leanest years, he supported himself by day working as a counselor in the locked emergency-psychiatric unit for Oakland, California. This led to his becoming a violence prevention “expert”, lecturing on the topic over 100 times annually since 1993, at such organizations as the Betty Ford Center, Bellevue Hospital (NYC), UC Berkeley, and the National Accademia of Science (Rome), as well as on various continents— Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. He was a published poet by age 19 and has written about music regularly for Zero Magazine and Guitar Player. He is the author of four published books.The Boston Phoenix called his lyrics,”a model of economical, unpretentious, narrative songwriting,” and the Readers+Writers journal praised his novella,  Sister Maple Syrup Eyes as, “A beautiful book. Achingly beautiful.”
In February 2016, his book will be published about the need for greater attention to be given to international music. It is titled How Music Dies (or Lives): field-recording & the battle for democracy in the arts and is being issued by Skyhorse from New York City. 

I'd like to thank Ian Brennan for sharing his thoughts with us. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

Author Interview - Avantika Debnath, Author of The Bridal Pyre: Nainam Dahati Pawakah

                                    About the Author

Avantika Debnath is a writer at heart and dancer at soul but to earn a living she works as an HR professional in a multinational company. She hails from the City of Joy: Kolkata, West Bengal and stays in the City of Nizams: Hyderabad, Telengana. She has done her Bachelor’s from Calcutta University with Major in English and has an MBA degree from The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI).

Having written widely in various websites, and print media, and being a regular contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series, she is final ready with her debut novel – The Bridal Pyre: NainamDahatiPawakah for you to read this September. Meanwhile please enjoy her dig on social norms.

nalysts of India (ICFAI).

                                Author Interview

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?
I guess, I was in class 2 at that time. I had just written a poem and I was sure I want to explore more into writing.

What motivates you to write and where does your inspiration come from?
Life… Life inspires everyone to do something. It inspired me to write.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?
I always wanted to write a novel. It is just that I wasn’t getting the subject that would keep me glued for as long as it takes to finish a book. And then I witnessed a few incidents in life, no not my life though. But I did see a couple of things happening around my regular life, and so I knitted them together added a little bit of my own imagination and here we are with The Bridal Pyre – NainamDahatiPawakah.

What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine or do you have any weird, funny, or unusual habits while writing and what are they?
This is not a job for me, I cannot keep a process for it. At times I can spend an entire night hitting the keys of my laptop, and then for days at stretch I won’t be able to write a single word. I am very impulsive. And so writing happens to me in a momentary way.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
I haven’t written so much as yet that I would suffer from writer’s block. I still have many thoughts pilled up in my head waiting to find words into my books.

What are your current/future projects?
I do intend to write a collection of 4-5 love stories sometime. In fact that is what I had started my book writing with, but there was this dying need to pen down The Bridal Pyre – NainamDahatiPawakah first. But I will go back and complete my compilation of love stories.


Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?
The Bridal Pyre – Nainam Dahati Pawakah is a feminist social drama, and I chose to write on this topic because the situation I have come across and witnessed, some in my life some in others, I couldn’t help but write it. It is a story that needs to be heard and told. I had to write it, because someone had to address the elephant in the room. For how long could we turn a deaf ear and blind eye to it? The protagonist of the book Meera is a character that is basically a compound of various real life woman I have come across in life. They choose to stay anonymous, so let them be. But their struggles are real. Meera is a woman who is from an upper middle class Bengali family where marriage is given some amplified importance. And like all mothers, Meera’s mother also advised her to adjust and be patience. But mothers need to tell their daughters when exactly they should put their foot down, because a one-sided adjustment soon takes the form of subjugation. We don’t want that to happen to our woman anymore. Again, there are so many bodies that fight for woman rights, every other day some new law is passed. But when a genuine case requires attention, no one is there to help. And these laws, lawyers, courts, police, they only add to the plight of the victim. How? You will know through the story.
I do not have another feminist story line running in my head anymore. I don’t see that happening anytime sooner.

What is the intended audience for you book?
I target mature audience. And for the record I am not saying I target ‘old’ audience when I say mature. Maturity has nothing to do with age I believe. You can be a teenager and you if have that understanding of the unforeseen challenges that life can throw at you, you are my audience. You can be some 70+ gentlemen, but if you have not learned anything from the life that you have lived so far, The Bridal Pyre – NainamDahatiPawakah is not for you.

If you had the chance to get one message out there to reach readers all over the world, what would that message be?
People, learn to love. Love with all your heart. Be possessive about your lover, it is okay. Don’t be jealous of your lover’s success or achievement or don’t be insecure. That is not okay. And yes, please pave the way for the modern Indian woman. She will make your life amazing.

What is the easiest/hardest scene for you to write, why? (Love, action, fight, death, racy, controversial, etc…)
There are a couple of them. But the most difficult scene that I wrote was Meera’s miscarriage in The Bridal Pyre – NainamDahatiPawah. More, so because the amount of emotional turmoil this character goes through along with the physical pain. This was my first work as a novelist, I am not sure if I could do justice to the situation. But I was writing this scene, and I had to stop for a while, cry, get myself a cup of coffee, and go back to completing the scene.

Were your characters based off real life people/events or did you make it all up?
The protagonist of the book Meera is a character that is basically a compound of various real life woman I have come across in life. They choose to stay anonymous, so let them be. But their struggles are real. Again, a number of negative characters are also ‘inspired’ by real life people. Then I have tried to draw the characters a lil bit here and there. I would certainly give some credit to my imagination as well.

Sneak Peak

It was indeed a beautiful twilight that Meera had lived in a long time. The sky appeared like someone scattered a box of vermillion on it. But this vermillion had nothing as scary, as haunting, as suffocating as the vermillion she has just washed off her head, the vermillion that washed down her face like a jet of blood, similar to the blood that flushed out, in between of her legs just a couple of months ago.

‘Don’t touch me anymore, Abhi. I will be sullied, I will be stained, I will be dirty…” No, she didn’t say this to a rapist. She shivered as her husband extended his arms towards her to offer help. Her fatigued body had no strength to clean itself again. She had just washed his child out of her body.

****

“How on Earth did I conceive? How did I conceive staying with an impotent bastard like you?”

She stood up. One against all. She wanted justice for the child she never saw, and the humiliation her parents faced throughout the course of the eleven months of her matrimony. But she was ambushed by all those who were supposed to rescue the ones in despair. All those in whom the women of this nation rest their trusts. The police department, the lawyers, the judges, politicians, big businessmen, media houses either waylaid her or proved utterly futile in serving justice.

“I have seen such strong men cry like babies while getting a broken bone fixed. How are you bearing with this pain so tranquilly?” asked the doctor.

“May be I am not a man, but what made you think that I am not strong?” she thought.

****

Book Review : 3 @ A Time by Diptendu Sekhar Chakraborty

Title: 3 @ a Time

Author: Diptendu Sekhar Chakraborty

Pages: 192

Price: INR 140.00

Publisher: Omji Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.

Blurb

Falling in love is one of the most exquisite feelings that one can experience in their lifespan. But what if while searching for your true soul mate, you end up having that ‘exquisite feeling’ for three people at the same time?

3 @ a time is the story of Deepankar and his tryst with trust, love, relationship, betrayal and humiliation with 3 girls at the same time along with maintaining his reputation as the wonder boy of his college.

Deepankar- strong, laborious; with a never-say-die attitude while searching for true love ends up in relation with three girls from his college.

Notorious yet dedicated for his deeds at college, Deepankar seeks love from his dream girl who turns out to be homosexual!

And then destiny plays its game.

And the reason- GIRLFRIENDS

But one should never back down and nor did Deepankar; Pooja stood by him in full support.

And in the end it does matter.

Will the search for his soul mate be completed after his rendezvous with all the three girls?

Will Deepankar restore his faith in others or will life throw curve balls at him?

Will he be able to maintain his reputation or will be hailed as a wonder?

Review

‘3 @ a Time’ is quite a read. Full of fun and frolic, this story is about today’s youth; about their struggle to find the purpose of life and about friendship. A lot of elements have been woven together in a single packaging. I’m sure several readers will be able to connect with the story at different levels. Through Deepankar’s story the author has tried to tell us not to be complacent with our achievements and neither be discouraged on account of our losses.

Although the story has a lot to say, I’ve found it sluggish at times. There are too many references that fail to serve a proper purpose. The most striking element of the book is its climax. It was something not expected and has certainly helped the book to remain afloat in a sea of books.

Cons

A poorly edited book with absolutely zero proofreading. The errors are so glaring that it distracts the reader almost in every line. Even typesetting is faulty. Brings down the book’s worth all at once.

Verdict

A cover to cover read. There’s nothing extraordinary or new but it is certainly readable. Even with all its flaws it is a pretty good story.

About the author

Diptendu Sekhar Chakraborty is a published fiction author with his debut literary achievement titled “3 @ a time”. His debut novel “3 @ a time” published by Omji Publications was released on 28th February 2015. It is gathering astounding and remarkable positive reviews and rated 3.5/5 by most of the reviewers. OTTT also ranked 3rd among top 50 bestsellers on Salisonline.

It is also ranked 62nd at Amazom.in bestsellers in Indian Fiction and 84th in contemporary fiction.

Diptendu always believed in the fact that love can happen more than once in everyone’s life. However, people are too reluctant to accept such facts in reality which prompted him to bring out a story where the protagonist falls in love with 3 girls at the same time.

He has worked as an editor for his college magazine titled Vyaktitvam during his post-graduation. He loves to read fantasy, Romantic thrillers and sensual stories. Unexplored destinations excite him and he love exploring new places. He usually travels to lonely places to write and search for stories and motivations.

Next in line is a book comprising of story based romantic poems titled ‘Lonely Shadows,’ a romantic, dreamy, passionate and inspirational set of poems with fragments of tragedy and slices of betrayal perfect for everyone who has ever fallen in love.

He composes short stories too, though he is not seriously chasing that dream as of now.

Book links

http://tinyurl.com/nbsvu7s (Flipkart)
http://tinyurl.com/p7e5fl7 (Amazon)
http://tinyurl.com/q7djqzh (Infibeam)

Contact the author

Facebook:http://tinyurl.com/qjhwsy6

Twitter:http://tinyurl.com/oogqw25

Email: diptendusekhar.dsc@gmail.com

Quotes from “3 @ a Time” 

1. Finally she arrived and 99% of the boys turned their heads towards the stage,two minutes of her speech were the best time I ever loved someone on stage. I felt the urge to run to the stage and express my love for her. - Page 16 "3 @ a time"

2. I wondered girls were the best multitaskers and that is the prime reason for companies to hire them at managerial position. - page 22 "3 @ a time".

3. Her sweet innocent face and lush green eyes were influential enough to capture the imagination of everyone even if he was a hermit. - Page 47 "3 @ a time".

4. I realized if a girl loves a boy it's impossible for the boy to ignore her for a long time while the table turn in the exact opposite direction when a boy is in love with the girl. - Page 65 " 3 @ a time"

5. The communal violence which aggravates people is the result of dirty politics and not because of hatred between religions. - Page 69 " 3 @ a time"

6. I could see the pain in her eyes while she was confessing. That moment I felt like hugging her and saying this is the best moment of my life. - Page 79 " 3 @ a time".

7. I sometimes wonder how students of the same age think alike. - Page 106 " 3 @ a time".

8. Deepankar to Pooja - "I know we have been through extremely  turbulent times in the past and in the future too being with me is not going to give you a smooth ride, but I can promise you one thing, I would forever love you the way I do in sickness and in good health." - Page 150 " 3 @ a time"

Spotlight: Blank Space

Title: Blank Space
Author: Various
Pages: 250
Price: INR 200
Publisher: PropelSteps

100 stories. 100 authors. ‘Blank Space’ is one of a kind amidst the galore of anthologies that seem to be pouring out every day, flooding the Indian literary market.  It has not only completed a herculean task effortlessly but also very professionally. Some of the names associated with the book are noteworthy while others are newcomers paving their way to the higher echelons. Each story speaks for itself and the writer behind it. The stories have a varied theme but a single concept: inspiration.

Get your copy of Blank Space and gift a copy to your friend*

PayU Store : (delivery time 1 week - 10 days) https://www.payumoney.com/store/buy/propelsteps

Buy from Amazon : (delivery time within 3-4 days fulfilled by Amazon)

http://amzn.to/1BlZDWr

*for a sale of every 10 books a book will be given away for free! Please don’t forget to nominate your friend’s name whom you want to gift the book on our facebook group. She/he could be the one in ten to get a free copy. 

More details on www.facebook.com/groups/psBlankSpace