Author Interview : Apoorva Anand Srivastva

Author Interview : Apoorva Anand
                                   Srivastva

Hello everyone,
Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'The Better You'

Let's start!

1) Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? 

I'm a management consulting professional who graduated from college about 3 years back. I'm also an artist and a food enthusiast and needless to say, have art (@purplestein.store) and food (@survivalgourmet) blogs on Instagram :) 

2) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

While I've been writing poems ever since childhood, professional writing happened only after college when I started to pen down my everyday thoughts into words - something that I was doing in the pursuit of giving meaning to them. 

3) When did you start writing?

Poems since childhood, book writing post college.

4)What is 'The Better You' about? 

‘The Better You’ details my learnings from facing the ‘real world’. It captures a wide range of human emotions and experiences, ranging from everyday courage, compassion and managing relations to mindfulness, self-love and self-awareness. 

5) What motivated you to write the book of this genre?

My parents have always taught me that as long as we are on this planet, we must always strive to provide meaningful contributions to the world. I always try to live by this value and for me, this book is a medium to bring about change (hopefully) in the lives of people who read it.

6) Explain your book in one line. 

"Life lessons beyond textbooks"

7) What's the best experience you've gained through writing? 

     a) Our entire life is transient - every moment passes away and every person comes and goes (some stay longer, some don't) 

     b) Self-reliance can take you to places. Lack of it won't even get you out of your bed

     c) Denial is the biggest roadblock against change

     d) Everything we want to achieve can be worked upon by watching one less TV show each day! 

8) How do you handle negative feedback? 

I see feedbacks (both positive and negative) as exciting avenues that can enable me to be a better version of myself. 

For this reason, I take note of positive feedback and label that as my 'strength' so that I know that this skill/point can be leveraged sometime in the future as needed. Similarly, I also take note of negative feedback (which I like to call 'constructive feedback') and see what change in my actions can help me convert this development opportunity into a strength.

9) Who is your favorite Indian and foreign author? 

I wouldn't say that I have a particular favorite - I'm the kind of person who loves to know about a lot of different ideas from a lot of different perspectives. :)

10) How soon can your readers expect your next book?

I've already started working on the next book, perhaps a year or so.

 
11) Any message to all aspiring authors?

I'd summarise the message, in a poem from my book:

In the long, dark tunnel,

would I have to travel…

…and when I set sail,

it’ll all be behind.

 

And I wouldn’t even know,

where is the other end;

or even worse, if there is any?

 

So is it even worth,

to embark on this journey?

 

But if I never try, would I ever know!

Thanks for reading.

Book Review : The Coercion A Corporate War... Gone Ugly

Book Review : The Coercion A Corporate
                            War... Gone Ugly

Title : The Coercion A Corporate War...
            Gone Ugly
Author - Ishan Majumdar
Publisher - White Falcon Punishing
Genre - fiction
Pages - 253
Format - ebook

The story revolves around two e-commerce companies, a corporate spy and a seductress. The story is about continous conflict between e-commerce companies Grocstore and Yourcart about investment funds. After sometimes this corporate war becomes ugly. One of them hires a spy to get the information of other company and the second one hires a seductress to influence investment.
Grab the book and read the tale of treachery and decoit where the greed engulfs the human soul.

Review -
1)The cover of the book is eye catchy and the title is totally apt to the content.
2) The plot of the story is unique and interesting. It is a perfect blend of thrill, jealousy, greed, betrayal, fraud, fight and revenge.
3) The author has beautifully narrated the ugly side of corporate world that it seems to be realistic.
4) The book has sketched in such a way that the people can learn a lot from this.
5) The language used in this book is simple and lucid. The author has frequently used the corporate words in between.
6) The book is divided into 4 parts - the engagements, the coercion, the news and the transfer. These sections have total 25 chapters which is readers friendly.
7) The characters are well developed and described by the author.
8) Hats off to the author for writing such a book which throws light on the reality and strategy of corporate world.
9) The flow of the book is well paced which makes it an engaging read but sometimes these business talks make it somewhat slow.
10) Overall, an informative and nail-biting read.
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Rating - 4.8/5

I recommend this book to all.

Thanks for reading.

Author Interview : Jayamadhure S

Author Interview : Jayamadhure S

Hello everyone,
Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'Meraki'

Let's start!

MDT -Can you tell something about yourself to our readers?

JAYA - I am a final year engineering student who was born and brought up in Bangalore.
Writing, for me started off as an escape, my way of untangling the thoughts that were in my head.
But I realised, the more words that I put on paper, the happier I became.
So, eventually I started writing a lot more and am currently an Elite writer at Thesilenttalks with an audience base of over 260K. As my audience grew in number, so did my passion for writing
I started to participate in various intercollegiate fests held across the state. After several wins at the IIMB lit fest 2020, Kalanjali MVIT and Udbhav MSRIT, I have now published my first book, Meraki – My affair with words.

MDT - Please tell us about your book.

JAYA - “Meraki – My affair with words” is a world of diverse emotions that each one of us would have experienced at some point in our lives. It is a collection of relatable stories that will remind you of your past and make you hopeful for the future. There is a story in here for everyone.

MDT- As this is your first book, where’d you get the idea to do a collection of short stories instead of a full-length novel?

JAYA - In a fast-paced world like ours, I realised that majority of us don’t have the time to sit through an entire novel. Most people I know aren’t avid readers but do enjoy the occasional glance at short stories and social media blogs in between the busy hours. Meraki gives you that sweet escape. Every story that I’ve written has been influenced by some part of my life - big or small. I wanted to treasure all the stories that I’ve lived and loved in a space that was mine and share it with the world. So, whether it is a broken heart, or butterflies in your stomach, there is a story in here for you.

MDT - What does the title mean?

JAYA - The Greek word Meraki is used to describe the art of doing something with all your soul and putting a part of yourself into the work that you do.  Every story in this book captures that very essence.

MDT-What inspired you to write this book?

JAYA - I found my inspiration for Meraki in the nights that I cried myself to sleep, moments where I couldn’t stop smiling, and the days I wish I could relive. I wanted to describe the roller coaster of emotions that we experience and breathe life into the stories that are waiting to happen.

MDT -What is your favourite childhood book?

JAYA -The power of five series by Anthony Horowitz was my all-time favourite. I must’ve read these five books at least six to seven times.

MDT- Does your family support your writing?

JAYA - I am extremely grateful to my family who have always inspired me to be a better version of myself. Amma was the reason I got into Poetry in the first place. Both my parents are extremely supportive, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

MDT -Do you google yourself?

JAYA - I did google myself when the book came out. It was very exciting.

MDT -Your favourite authors?

JAYA - I grew up reading Anthony Horowitz and Cecelia Ahern. They introduced me to two completely different worlds of fiction, horror and romance, and I found myself falling in love with both.

MDT - Any message to you readers?

JAYA - Fall in love with yourself because everything will look different when you decide to live your life on your own terms.

Thanks for reading.

Author Interview : Samir Satam

Author Interview : Samir Satam

Hello everyone,
Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'Rhythm of Remembrance'

Let's start!

MDT: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Samir Satam: A compulsive wanderer who scribbles poems, but is stuck in an unavoidable lockdown at present.

MDT: When did you first realise you wanted to be a poet?

Samir Satam: Poetry is not something I chose to write. It's more of a way my mind found to relieve itself from whatever caused discomfort within. So, there was no point of realisation as such. It was more of an urge that was looking for an outlet, which I found during my early college days and have continued writing ever since.

MDT: What is 'Rhythm of Remembrance' about?

Samir Satam: ‘Rhythm of Remembrace’ is a tune on which our souls start dancing while we have lost ourselves in memories. It's inaudible to people around the one who is lost in such a dance. This collection of poems revolves around such impossible longings.

MDT: What motivated you to write this book?

Samir Satam: Just life...

MDT: Describe your book in one line.

Samir Satam: A collection of poems born out of love, loss and longing.

MDT: What's the best experience you've gained through writing?

Samir Satam: Retaining my own sanity is something that writing has helped me with. When you write and share, many people read you and relate to what you went through. And when you see that reflection of thoughts, you realise you are not alone. In many ways writing has turned out to be the most therapeutic experience for me.

MDT: How do you handle negative feedbacks?

Samir Satam: My previous book 'The Camphor of Night' started with a short note that goes thus:

'You, My friend,
My mirror image,
So much like me,
Yet, My most brutal critic!'

Constructive criticism is like that for me. If we stop looking in the mirror, how will we ever improve?

MDT: Who is your favourite Indian and foreign author?

Samir: My all-time favourite book is the richly textured 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who is also one of the authors I have read extensively. But there are two other books that have left footprints all over my life:
'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' by Milan Kundera and 'The English Patient' by Michael Ondaatje. I also love reading Pablo Neruda, Andres Neuman, Albert Camus and Roberto Bolano. There are many more authors across the world, to be read in this short life.

Amongst Indian authors, I am a huge fan of Rabindranath Tagore. Then I wait endlessly for Arundhati Roy's work in fiction as well as non-fiction. A couple of years back, I relished reading Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup and now I am waiting endlessly for her next book. In regional languages, I love reading Mahashweta Devi, Premchand, Gulzar Sahaab, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Saadat Hassan Manto, Ismat Chughtai, Khushwant Singh, Ruskin Bond and many more.

MDT: How soon can your readers expect your next book?

Samir Satam: It's too early to say anything on that. 'The Camphor of Night' and 'Rhythm of Remembrance' released within a year's time. So, maybe I will plan my next book to release next year.

MDT: Any message to all aspiring poets and readers?

Samir Satam:  I would just say, never stop writing or reading, no matter how busy life gets... And most importantly, stay home, stay safe till the vaccines are officially available…

Thanks for reading.

Book Review - Rhythm of Remembrance

Book Review - Rhythm of Remembrance

I was searching for some good poetry book then I came across this which intrigued me and I downloaded it.
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Title - Rhythm of Remembrance
Author - Samir Satam
Genre - poetry
Pages - 116
Format - kindle
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Rhythm of Remembrance by Samir Satam is a collection of emotional and expressive poems. My favorite ones are -
A sense of belonging, we are fine and I miss my dog.
Grab the book and enjoy these lonesome poems.
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Review -
1) The cover and the title of the book is totally apt.
2) The plot of the poems is revolving around the memories which are amazingly penned down by the poet.
3) The poet has described his thoughts through his thoughtful creativity. It seems that poet has written these poems with an experience of different phases in life.
4) The poems are deep, easy to connect and has the power to touch one's heart and soul.
5) I liked the pictures given in between the book. They are really eye catchy.
6) Language used is simple but melodious. The words are beautifully put together by the poet.
7) Overall, a short and beguiling read.
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Rating - 5/5
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I recommend this to all poetry lovers out there.

Thanks for reading. 

Author Interview : Sudha Sikrawar

Author Interview : Sudha Sikrawar

Hello everyone,
Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'Threshold' and 'Chand Saanwala Hai'

Let's start!

Q1. What is your book about?
A: I have written 4 books – Chand Sanwla Hai, Threshold, Vihangini, and Vihangini – a soul. But when we talk about Threshold, it is an English translation of my Hindi book – Chand Sanwala Hai, through which I have tried to explain the real events of life become stories. But I always believe that the stories we read do not turn into the reality of our lives.

Q2. What inspired you to write this book?
A: All the events that happened in my life – big or small, excited my mind, and inspired me to write these stories.

Q3. What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
A: I believe that whatever we learn from a book, stays with us for a small period of time. I mean, we have read such great stories in Panchtantra but as we grew up, the lessons didn’t stay with us for life. I would ask my readers to read my book just as another novel and I would love to know if they could mirror any of the stories with an incident in their life.

Q4. Is writing your full-time career? Or would you like it to be?
A: I always used to write for the sake of my hobby and it was something really close to me. So, I finally decided to make this my full-time job and I aim to keep writing, forever.

Q5. What was your dream job when you were younger?
A: “Trees bear fruits only to be eaten by others; the fields grow grains, but they are consumed by the world. Cows give milk, but she doesn’t drink it herself – that is left to others. Clouds send rain only to quench the parched earth. In such giving, there is little space for selfishness.”
– Munshi Premchand
And so, I always aimed to be a person who was good and believed in the power of giving. I wanted to become a good doctor and serve people in remote areas. It was my father’s dream as well, for me.

Thanks for reading.

Author Interview : Avinish Patahk

Author Interview - Avinish Patahk

Hello everyone,
Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'The Tragic End of Love'

Let's start!

1)Tell me something about yourself ? 

Myself avinish pathak currently lives in gwalior . And I am currently pursuing masters in commerce and in near future I would love to pursue PhD in English literature . And my hobbies are listening music reading novels and abcurse writing and typing.  

2) Did you always want to become a author ? 

to be honest since my school days l like writing different stories and love to create different characters . But at that time I never thought to become a author but people starts praising my writings . So that why I decided to took my writing skills into another level .  

 

3) What is tragic end of love about ?           

" the tragic end of love " is all about a modern day retelling of Lord krishna's love story and the perspective of there three devoted lovers . 

4) What inspired you to write this book?   

I always wanted to write a love triangle that's I have given  a twist by creating a love quadrangle . 

    

5) Is this story inspired from real life, or it is a fictional story?   

 its completly a fictional story. 

6) Describe your book in one line ?             

it's all about love , betray , and tragedy .  

         
7)Are you planning other books?                 

at present not at all coz I have lot of other works but soon I will definately starts working on my next book which is a surprise for my readers. 

                                  
8) How has been your journey as an author so far?                                                   

it's amazing I loved the process of writing and then publishing and aftr that enjoying the compliments of readers which they have given to me.  

9)Who is your fav Indian and foreign author ?                                                             

my fav Indian author is arundhati Roy and fav foreign author is William Shakespeare

     
10)any message for your readers ?             

keep on waiting for my next novel . Till then enjoy reading " the tragic end of love " 

    

Thanks for reading.                                  

Book Review - Sniper's Eye

Book Review - Sniper's Eye

Title - Sniper's Eye (book 1)
Author - Mainak Dhar
Publisher - 4 hour press
Genre - crime thriller/fiction
Pages - 238
Format - kindle
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The story revolves around the protagonist Aditya Ghosh, an ex major in Indian army and currently working in GRS International. He is living a secretive life after leaving the Indian army. The story starts with Aaditya and Zoya dating in a mall and a man in front of them gets shot by a terrorist. He runs after the shooter to catch him. Now he becomes famous and in the hot list of the terrorist. Grab the book and know more about the story.
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Review -
1) The cover and the title of the book is captivating.
2) The plot of the story is interesting with lots of twist and turns. It is a perfect blend of love, murder, mystery, terrorist drama, thrill, political tensions, role of media and suspense.
3) This book touches a lot of sensitive topics like - Indo-Pak relations, fake news reports terms of journalism, terrorism etc. The author has narrated all this amazingly.
4) Language used is simple with a touch of sarcasm.
5) It is a mesh of conspiracies and corruption which is very well described by the author.
6) Characters are well developed and described.
7) Hats off to the author for writing such a book filled with the emotions of patriotism, friendship, love, responsibility, enmity etc.
8) The flow of the book is fast paced. It is just like watching a movie.
9) The climax is very nice and emotional.
10) Overall, an inspiring, thrilling and engaging read.
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Rating - 5/5
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I recommend this book to everyone.

Thanks for reading.