Thursday, April 16, 2015

AUTHOR'S CIRCLE interviews ANIESHA BRAHMA

On Author’s Circle today, meet author and Mphil student, ANIESHA BRAHMA, to talk about writing, life and her book, THE GUITAR GIRL


Hi ANIESHA, thanks for dropping in and letting us have a peek into your life. So, what’s THE GUITAR GIRL about?

The Guitar Girl is the story of a sixteen-year-old girl named Rhea Shah, who harbours a crush on her brother’s best friend and finds an innovative way to give vent to her feelings. I used a modern day epistolary format to tell this tale between a cast of characters...which I hope readers like.

What’s your favorite line from your novel? Why?

‘Only you can mess up telling the truth, you know’ – Sophie Ghosh to Rhea Shah.
Because I can identify with this accusation. More often than not, even I have messed up – all because I told the truth.

How did you become a writer? In other words, tell us YOUR STORY.

I wanted to become a writer since the age of six, when I was first introduced to Fairy Tales. In my bucket list, I wanted to be published before I completed my MA, which was in 2013. In 2012, General Press published by debut novel, The Secret Proposal. But I learned that being published and being an established writer are two different things. And no matter happens, writers need to keep writing. J

Why write what you write? As in romance or suspense or thrillers?

I write the stories that I write because it makes me feel good. And I believe when readers come across it, they’ll feel good reading it too. I’m just trying a spread a little joy to people who take the time out to read my stories! :D

Is there a certain scene you find difficult to write? Eg: Racy or action etc.? Why?

I find it difficult to describe settings. Probably because I get too focused on the dialogue exchanges between characters (something I love writing a lot of). Probably why I chose the format I did for The Guitar Girl. I’m working on my skills though. And hey, no one’s perfect! ;-)

What can we expect from you next?

I signed a contract with LiFi Publications for my novel, Sparks of Memories, and it should be out sometime this year or the next. Not entirely sure when since the contract has a two-year window. If you like my stories you can always follow me on my blog: Aniesha’s Musings.

To end lets try a Rapid Fire round. Your answer should be the first word/s that pops into your head when you think of:

LIFE: adventure
PASSION: Meh
HERO: my mother
LOVE: Pippo
HATE: nothing

Thank you once again, ANIESHA, for being here and talking to us. 

About the Book:

Sixteen year old Rhea Shah never thought that she would find herself falling for her brother’s best friend, Joy Fernandez, when they come home from college. Because she never thought that the dork who used to go to school with them would suddenly reinvent himself in college.
The only people she’s able to talk to about her absurd crush, are her best friends, Sophie and Arjav. Both of whom at first encourage, and then almost blackmail, Rhea to confess her feelings, which leaves the poor girl more muddled than ever!
Plagued with upcoming Board Examinations along with her friends’ suggestions, Rhea finds it difficult to concentrate, because she’s fallen for Joy, hook, line and sinker. In an attempt to vent to her feelings, she begins a blog, where she publishes all her songs and poems, dedicated to Joy, keeping her identity a secret.
But things do not go quite how she planned when a certain blogger named J. Fern begins to read her blog, and wishes to work with her…
Will Rhea ever confess her feelings to Joy? And will Joy find out the real identity of The Guitar Girl?

Book Links:


Meet the Characters of The Guitar Girl


Rhea Shah: 16-year-old Rhea Shah develops a crush on her brother, Robbie's, best friend, Joy Fernandez. She adopts the alias The Guitar Girl in a misguided way to keep a hold on her feelings. Rhea cares about her two best friends, Sophie and Arjav, although the latter knows how to push her buttons. She is pretty awful at hiding her feelings.


Joy Fernandez: 18-year-old Joy is Rhea's brother's best friend, as well as Arjav's cousin. He takes on Rhea as his student, teaching her how to play the guitar, unaware that she harbours feelings for him. He can be pretty dense at times - refusing to see what is really happening right in front of his eyes. He dates a rather crazy girl in college, Rosetta, who later becomes Robbie's girlfriend.



Sophie Ghosh: Rhea's best friend in school, who discovers her secret at the beginning of the novel and keeps encouraging her to confess to Joy about it. Initially united with Rhea on the front by finding Arjav, she begins liking him more than a friend. Both she and Arjav believe in meddling with 'destiny'. 



Robbie Shah: Rhea's older brother who has no idea has his sister has fallen for his best friend. He is too preoccupied with his band and his girlfriend, Rosetta, who Joy had dated before him. 



Arjav: Rhea's oldest friend, who knows her secret and wants her to tell Joy as well. He and Sophie like each other and likes to meddle with 'Fate'. 


About the Author:
Aniesha Brahma has loved writing since the age of six. She was schooled in Dolna Day School, and then pursued BA honors in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University, where she went on to complete her MA in the same. Currently, she’s pursuing MPhil in Comparative Literature from the same place. Her hobbies include reading, writing, playing with her favorite pet, Pippo the cat, (and other kittens too), traveling and blogging.She has written innumerable short stories and poems, most of which can be found on her blog and in various magazines and newsletters. Her debut novel was, The Secret Proposal, published by General Press in September 2012. She won the Editor’s Pick for Romance genre in the IndiReads Second Short Story Competition, and her story The Difference, was subsequently published in the anthology, Voices, Old & New. She has interned with www.womanistan.com and www.zapondo.com, as their content writer. She has volunteered at Hope Foundation, Kolkata, teaching the children who attend the Chetla Lock Gate Coaching Center. Aniesha also had a brief stint as a writer for the Kolkata-based travel magazine, Touriosity.

Contact the Author:

Monday, April 13, 2015

NAMRATA joins the AUTHOR/BLOGGER'S CIRCLE

On the blog today, we have avid reader and blogger, NAMRATA, aka Privy Trifles, and author of 

METRO DIARIES.


About the Book: Love is one of the most amazing feelings on this earth, one that makes you the most powerful person or the most helpless person in a split second. These stories capture those feelings of despair, longing, love, lust, desire, want, dejection and admiration to create deja vu. Hold onto your hearts as you flip through these pages and take a walk down the memory lane as "Metro Diaries" will revive your innermost feelings and imbibe in you the magic of love. Touching, amusing and deeply moving, Metro Diaries - Love Classics are 20 tales that will hold you from start till end.
The book cover is a photograph by a very dear friend. I selected it for it conveys love in the most perfect manner in that one glimpse.

Book Links:


All right, with the introductions out of the way, let's get on with the interview.

What genre(s) do you consider your book classified as?

My book can be classified under romance and drama.

What made you write a book?

I somehow feel the real meaning of love is getting lost in today’s times. I have witnessed so many love stories around me that every time someone says true love doesn’t exist in this world I want to tell them no! My book is an attempt to tell them that true love exists around us and it is there is its truest form. You just need to look for it.

Describe your book like a message in a bottle.

~You are holding a piece of my heart, I hope it finds a place into yours. ~


Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

Somewhere in the mountains, having a library of my own!

What’s your current guilty pleasure?

Chocolates!

Isn't it everyones? :) When did you decide to become a blogger and now a writer?

Blogging started 4 years ago and I feel anyone who writes is a writer in their own way. Even if its writing a personal diary daily or letters to loved ones. We all are writers.

Becoming an author was never a choice, it was something that happened to me and I am so glad it did. It showed me I could make a difference through my words.

Who is your mentor? Who do you look up to?

When I started I was more of a recluse. But over the period of time during one of the book reviews I came across someone who not only encouraged me to write my own book but also took time to read my entire blog and choose stories from it to show how they could be worked upon more to make them a full length novel. His words that I cannot forget till now, “You write because that is what you are born to do. “

Aside from writing, what do you enjoy doing on your spare time?

I love reading, dancing and painting too in my spare time.

What do you love about books?

The very fact that within those pages they carry people, places, feelings, dreams and desires is what makes them very special to me. For me they are the ticket to a new world altogether.

Name a book you wish you’d written or a book you wish someone would write.

P.S: I Love you is a book I would have loved to have write for it portrays love so beautifully. And yes I would love to read a book in which the reader falls in love with the writer. It has always been my fantasy to read or write something like this.

Your favorite books and authors?

Paulo Coelho, R K Narayan, Nicholas Sparks, Cecilia Ahern, Novoneel Chakraborthy are some of my favourite authors.

The list of my favourite books is too long. To name a few Aleph, Malgudi Days, A Walk to remember, P.S: I Love you, Seven steps in the sky, Mirror City etc are some of my favourite reads.

Which genres do you prefer to read?

I love reading various genres like romance, drama, self-help, spirituality, travel, memoirs etc.

What book is currently on your nightstand?

The Rise of Superman is the book on my nightstand.

How interesting. Is that a Marvel thing? Wait. Is Superman part of the Marvel franchise. Anyway, how many books do you read/month?

Usually 7-10.

Nice average. Be it blogging or writing, how important do you find the communication between you and your readers? Do you reply to their messages or read their reviews?

It is absolutely important. I reply to each and every email, feedback, comment and reviews for I believe that they spare some moments of their precious time in writing to us and it is truly valuable.

Do you prefer Twitter or Facebook?

Facebook for I find it more user friendly for a tech handicapped person like me.

Where can your fans find you?

OK. Let’s do a THIS or THAT:

Vampires or werewolves? 
Vampires
Female or male authors? 
(That’s a difficult one!) Female authors
Morning person or a night owl? 
Night Owl
Jeans or salwar kameez? 
Jeans
E-books or real books? 
Real books anyday!

If I give you a time machine, what time period and in what place would you travel to?

The 70s or 80s. In any country I would like to witness this era.

What projects are you currently working on right now? Would you mind sharing them with us? 

I am currently working on my own manuscript which is a story in two parts and hence might have a sequel too. The first part is 80% ready and in the process of being polished further to be presented.

LAST question: favorite line or quote from a book.

Love stories exist for love is always beautiful then now and forever. It is people who make it ugly. Amongst this ugliness there will only be one heart that will be able to sing back the song your heart wants to hear and they day you find that heart, never let it go at any cost.

Thanks for doing this interview, Namrata. This was fun!

Thank you so much for having me over, it was a pleasure talking to you!

But wait, there's more...

Random Fun Facts:

1. All the stories in the book are real. Name of places and people have been changed to maintain confidentiality.
2. Metro Diaries is a segment on my blog which consists of stories across genres though this book has only got the romance collection.
3. One of the characters in the book is me and NO I am not telling you which one ;) If you think you have the right answer do write to me and I will let you know how close or far you are.
4. All the stories in the book have not been "ended", they have been brought to conclusion in a manner that there can always be a next part to it and the story can go on with the same characters.
5. If observed closely you will notice the stories are not technically love stories where boy meets girl and they fall in love to live happily ever after for I believe love stories are also about what doesn't happen between the lovers.

About the Author:
Namrata is a prolific blogger known by the name Privy Trifles in the blogosphere who romances life through her writings and aspires to make love the universal language. She dons various hats between that of a contributing author to 7 anthologies a reviewer for leading publishing houses an editor to various books and a columnist. Apart from that she is also the editor for an online magazine called Writer's Ezine. Having mastered the nuances of finance till recently she also held the title of an investment banker closely to let it go to embrace her love for writing fully.

Contact the Author:


Tuesday, April 7, 2015

THE ACCIDENTAL WIFE: SPOTLIGHT


About the Book:

From the author of Inconvenient Relations Simi K Rao!

If you enjoyed Inconvenient Relations, you'll love The Accidental Wife, a new contemporary romance from Simi K. Rao.

Some accidents are meant to happen…

Dr. Rihaan Mehta is a brilliant young neurosurgeon who has no inclination for love or marriage. According to him wives and girlfriends are annoying accessories that one can do without. But when his mother dangles the sword over his head in classic Bollywood style, he succumbs, and sets out in search of a bride who would fit his 'requirements'. But can Rihaan deal with what he gets instead?


Book Links:
Goodreads I Amazon.in I Amazon.com

The Accidental Wife is now available on kindle for 99 cents Only! Go get it now as the offer is for a short period only !!

Excerpt:

PROLOGUE

“Another beer to calm the nerves?” A distant cousin who Rihaan had never the pleasure of meeting before, suggested with a knowing smirk.

This was followed by a loud burst of laughter. It was close to midnight, but the party had just begun at the usually serene Mehta abode in South Delhi. “Rihaan doesn’t need anything to cool him down. He’s going to be a full-on man tonight! Can’t afford to disappoint bhabhi, right?” This was promptly followed by another outburst of mirth.
Rihaan submitted to several friendly thumps on his back, returning them with the obligatory wry smile that could be interpreted any which way they desired. He didn’t care about their opinions.
It was true, he hadn’t let a single drop of alcohol pass through his lips. Not because he was anxious to perform well on his wedding night and impress his new wife. On the contrary, he wanted to keep all his faculties intact so he could confirm the suspicion that had been gnawing at his brain ever since the wedding ceremony. And with each moment that passed, his unease had grown steadily.
Unable to bide his time any longer, he stood up and went toward his room paying no heed to the numerous whistles and catcalls that followed in his wake.
Thrusting the door wide open he strode toward the marital bed. It was bare except for his bride’s wedding finery that lay in a neat pile in one corner. His heart now thudding at a frantic pace inside his chest, he scanned the vicinity, fervently hoping his concerns were for nothing.
He approached the wide open balcony door, and his pulse slowed down slightly. Perhaps he’d just been imagining it all?
A girl stood there leaning against the railing, her face upturned toward the full moon. On hearing him approach, she turned around. “Finally! I’ve been waiting like forever!”
He frowned, straining to decipher her features obscured by deep shadow. “Deepika?”
“Naa…, not Deepika.” She stepped forward into the light, a bright smile illuminating her strikingly graceful features.
His heart sank. Not Deepika.
“I am Naina—the girl you married. Goodbye, Rihaan.”

About the Author:
Simi K. Rao was born and grew up in both northern and southern India before relocating to the U.S., where she has lived for several years. She is the author of multicultural contemporary romantic fiction.
The inspiration for her books and other creative projects comes from her own experience with cross-cultural traditions, lifestyles and familial relationships, as well as stories and anecdotes collected from friends, family and acquaintances.
Rao enjoys exploring the dynamics of contemporary American culture blended with Indian customs and heritage to reflect the challenges and opportunities many Indian-American women face in real life.
Much of Rao's down time is devoted to creative pursuits, including writing fiction, poetry and photography. She is an avid traveler and has visited many locations around the world.
A practicing physician, Rao lives in Denver with her family. Her published works include Inconvenient Relations and The Accidental Wife. She is currently at work on her next release.

Contact the Author:
Website I Blog I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads


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