Review: The Solitary Shores by Preeth Nambiar

“Preeth Nambiar is a poet who delves deep into his consciousness to evoke the words that bring images to life.”

Good poems are hard to come by and I am privileged that Mr. Preeth Nambiar chose me to review his second book, titled “The Solitary Shores” because of which I had the opportunity to read such intense, gripping and lovely poems.

To begin with I loved the images, especially the one he has used as the book cover. It’s as if the carriage is waiting for the reader to climb aboard so that it can take him/her on a long journey through hills and valleys and together discover the beauty of nature and appreciate the work of the divine.

I enjoyed reading all the poems, but a few of them just refuse to leave my side -

It Is Raining My Dear

This poem spoke to me in ways I cannot comprehend. The sound of the rains, the sight of the rusted grills and the poet looking out into the horizon, hoping that the words would come and he could complete the poem he was asked to write. The use of imagery is superb! While reading the poem, I could not stop the tears from flowing.

Letter to my Father

“Be the moonlight in this darkness that takes me from the depth of madness, sing a lullaby when the nightmares shake me up!” This poem has the power to take you to another world, to bring back memories of yester years. Readers may interpret the poem in many ways, but to me it symbolized the love of a father; unselfish, forgiving and tender!

The Fragrance of Life

Life is made up of different hues and fragrances and that is very spoken about very deeply in this poem. As I sat reading this one, I could feel the pain evident in the lines. As I went from one line to another I was left with a feeling of dread. I could feel the sandalwood burning and its fragrance spreading through the air.Touching and deep!!

All the poems in this book are mesmerizing. They oscillate between life and death, which are both very difficult topics to write about. Preeth Nambiar has the gift of using his pen to evoke images that are real and painful, but in a certain mysterious way. As you read these poems you cannot help, but question your existence and in turn understand your purpose on Earth better!

About the Author -

Journalist, litterateur and humanitarian, Preeth Nambiar hails from the northern part of Indian state, Kerala in the southwest region of India on the Malabar Coast. Born in an ancient aristocratic family that carried the rich cultural heritage of Southern India, his works reflect greatly the rudiments of music, arts and devoutness that were acquired from the very atmosphere of early childhood and the later life of journeys across the virgin lands of India and abroad prepared him for a broader perspective of universal existence that has a great role in defining his poetry and other works. 

He is renowned for the eloquence in narration and for the meditative tunes in his works whereas the elements of mysticism confer him the position of one of the most significant contemporary mystic poets in the tradition of the greatest Indian Mystics. He was awarded with prestigious Yayati Madan G Gandhi International Award for Poetry in 2014 and his works are being broadcasted by Celestial Radio, London, UK and are being showcased in many international publications. He is also an ardent photographer who absorbs the myriad moods of the nature through the lens.

After serving the University of Cambridge international Examinations in the Maldives as the head of the Department of ESOL, he is presently living in India contributing greatly to media and literature.

Links to author’s profile -

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/preethnambiar

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreethnambiar

Twitter: www.twitter.com/preethnambiar

Google Plus Page: https://goo.gl/fv8jdn

Books available at -

The Solitary Shores (First Edition, 2015) (Hardcover)

http://goo.gl/Jwtm6G

The Solitary Shores [Kindle Edition]

http://goo.gl/8vT9TV

Global Fraternity of Poets Book Store

http://goo.gl/XoXlUH

Review of Not Totally Unbelievable

Name of the Book – Not Totally Unbelievable

Author – Vibhuti Bhandarkar

Publisher – Frog Books

Price – Rs. 95

The last 2 months have just passed me by; with my son on vacation , I hardly had any time to read and write. I missed that, but in the process made so many new memories with him that I can’t complain. Motherhood is the best thing to have happened to me  and I am sure Vibhuti would agree  since she has two kids of her own!!

The author of “Not Totally Unbelieveable” and I connected through Facebook. As time went by we exchanged numbers and connected through Whatsapp too….This is Vibhuti’s first published collection of stories for young adults and I must say it is an interesting read…One of the few books that I finished in one sitting…Below is the detailed review.

Blurb -

Lin delves into her knowledge of the magical powers of the Tisane to solve the problem that her elder sister Liu is facing at The Lingnan Tea House. Dereck has accidentally slipped into a seemingly unending black hole while trekking in the Black Forests of Germany. His whole life flashes before his eyes as he travels down the dark tunnel. Once out in broad daylight, he is surprised to be alive and shocked to find himself in India. One evening a teenager looks up from the book she is reading and finds a phantom staring her in the face, floating between her mother's white roses, just a few steps away from her. On another day Daddy's bike journey once again very mysteriously comes to a similar end like always, almost like a decree from God. From Meera, a young teenager, life seems to have always turned a deaf ear towards her. One day she finally decides to step off into oblivion. She goes unheard. 'Not Totally Unbelievable' is a collection of 10 short stories narrating the extra-ordinary experiences in the lives of the seemingly most ordinary people from the Occident, Orient and India. These pieces of fiction are essentially true stories that will compel one to believe in the mysterious, magical powers and forces around us, within us. 

What I feel -

This book was a welcome break for me; it was actually like a breath of fresh air on a hot summer day. Reading the novel  Aarushi was making me very emotional, every line was tugging at my heart strings and there I see Vibhuti’s book in my mailbox and jump at the chance of reading something that will divert my mind.

When I began the book I just stared at the words and marveled at the use of language - Simple and appropriate, the book had my attention! All  the 10 stories in the book appealed to me, but I especially liked - At the Lingnan Tea House, Trekking through time, A little thing called love, Ninny and The Wordsmith.

At the Lingnan Tea House - I liked the author’s use of narration, description and dialoges. The way she has described the love between the two sisters – Lin and Liu and the way they  look out for each other is done very subtly, but is so strong that you can feel it in the narrative. I actually felt I was sitting there at the Lingnam Tea House sipping tea!

Trekking through time - This story shocked me. I never expected the ending to be like that! Here I am making up my own story about Dereck and all of a sudden it all goes up in flames….Interesting ending. You have to read it to know what I am talking about.

A little thing called love - This story just pulled at my heart strings and a few tears escaped my eyes It may be a simple story that has been told many times before, but the way the author has handled he subject is nice….the little details showing disappointment, heartache, concern and love are well written.

Ninny - I love the jab at the Educational system. Being a teacher, I know how harmful words can be and how they can discourage and demotivate a child. Ninny’s feelings, his belief in himself, the support from his family, his inquisitive mind and the way he rises above it all is well described in this story. If you are looking for a story with a message…this is one!

The Wordsmith -  Suma has dreams and I like the way she works towards making them come true. I like her sense of observation, the way she deals with the devil in her head and yes, I loved the ending. I just wasn’t expecting something like that!

The author, Vibhuti Bhandarkar does have a unique style of writing, along with a good understanding of the English language.4 years have passed since she wrote this book and I am sure that she has now honed her skills further and is ready to share her new book with the world. Keep on writing Vibhuti…You are blessed with the wonderful gift of weaving interesting and heart touching stories!

Links -

Blog: http://klishmaklaver.blogspot.in/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vibhuti.bhandarkar

Twitter: https://twitter.com/klishmaklaver

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/Vibhutibhandarkar

Review of FLAKE - Friendship Love and Killer Escapades

Name of the Book - FLAKE - Friendship Love and Killer Escapades

Authors - Pankaj Giri and Apoorv Wanikar

Publishers - Pen Publications

Price - Paperback Version - 150

Kindle - 127

Blurb -

Prakash Bharti: a shy, self-effacing, spiritually-inclined simpleton from Gangtok; Purvesh Shroff: a cocky, strapping young lad from Mumbai; Richa Malhotra: a sweet, vivacious girl from Bangalore; Anand Kumar Rajput: a mysterious, enigmatic personality from Jharkhand. Friendship, Love and Killer Escapades (FLAKE) is a captivating story, primarily revolving around four protagonists pursuing engineering courses in a run-of-the-mill institute in Bangalore. The story encompasses a unique, intriguing, realistic love plot between Purvesh and Richa, numerous escapades, and thrilling adventures. Throughout the four-year roller-coaster, the academic and personal fortunes of the chief personas fluctuates à la the great Indian stock market! What impact will the inscrutable character, Anand, have in the lives of Prakash and the other protagonists? Will Purvesh and Richa succeed in sustaining their relationship over time? Will Prakash be able to transcend the stage of infatuation and eventually fall in love? What predicaments will Prakash and friends encounter in the academic journey? Read more to find out. Ready, FLAKE, Go!

My Review - 

When I was asked to review the book FLAKE - Friendship, Love and Killer Escapades I was really excited. One because the title seemed interesting and second, it was co-authored by someone from Gantok, a place very close to my hometown. Pankaj sent me a pdf version of the book as soon as it was out in the market. This review frankly states what I feel about the book. I understand that the authors have worked hard on the novel and I hope that after reading they will not be disheartened, but work towards weaving better stories in future.

Here it goes - 

I began reading this book sometime early this month. I started with great enthusiasm, but somewhere along the way I was not sure I wanted to complete the novel. Why? To begin with the story is simple and predictable! The authors have woven a story that they felt would appeal to the masses, but in this endeavor they did not realize that the only people who would actually relate to the novel are 18 to 25 year olds who would be just starting college or who have just finished college and can relate to the experiences. Well to think of it .. I guess it is a large enough crowd :) !!

Soon I lowered my expectations and continued reading the story, despite the fact that the words used in most parts of the book just did not appeal to me. As a language teacher, the words like – hitherto, anent, ere, ergo and the improper use of some words along with a few grammatical errors just stood out of the page and demanded more of my attention that the story itself. Some of the words used are out of context and difficult to comprehend. In some sentences, the words can be understood from the context, but in others the reader would have to keep a dictionary handy to understand the meaning of the sentence.

Being a feminist, another thing that did not appeal to me was the way the women are described - Charlie’s Angels are “voluptuous,” a simple girl in a Kurta is shown as a “good” girl while someone who wears short skirts, tight jeans and/or smokes is described in poor light! This is not what I expect from the young writers of today!! Having said this I am sure that the writer's perception does not match mine and that they had no idea that what they have written could be interpreted or misinterpreted like this ;)

I wish Pankaj and Apoorv all the best for the future!

Links - 

http://www.amazon.in/Friendship-Love-And-Killer-Escapades/dp/8192877442

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25504764-friendship-love-and-killer-escapades

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FLAKETheNovel?fref=ts

Interview - Author Devika Fernando

     

   About the Author -

Almost as soon as Devika Fernando could write, she imagined stories and poems. After finishing her education in Germany and returning to her roots in Sri Lanka, she got a chance to turn her passion into her profession. Having lived in Germany and in Sri Lanka with her husband has made her experience the best (and the worst) of two totally different worlds – something that influences her writing. Her trademark is writing sweet, yet deeply emotional romance stories where the characters actually fall in love instead of merely falling in lust. What she loves most about being an author is the chance to create new worlds and send her protagonists on a journey full of ups and downs that will leave them changed. She draws inspiration from everyone and everything in life. Besides being a romance novel author, she works as a self-employed German web content writer, as a translator, and as a faithful servant to all the cats, dogs, fish and birds in her home. When she’s not writing, she’s reading or thinking about writing.

    Romance Novel Author – How did you choose this particular genre?

I think it chose me. ;-) I just always knew that if I’d really finally write a novel, it would be a romance novel. And most of my poems (which I wrote before writing prose) were about love in one way or another.

Which of your books is closest to your heart? Why?

That’s a bit like asking a mother which of her children she loves most. :D If I have to choose, it would be my latest release, “Saved in Sri Lanka”. It is set in Sri Lanka, and a little of the heroine was modeled after me and inspired from real life (and I won’t say what).

What is your next book about?

I am currently working on the sequel to my paranormal romance novel “Playing with Fire”. It’s called “Dancing with Fire” and will be Book 2 in the FIRE Trilogy. It’s about fire witch Felicia and ice wizard Joshua meeting another gifted person in Iceland. While Felicia deals with unwanted attraction and struggles to train her magic, they’re facing one catastrophe after the other that might mean the end of the world.

Animal lover, content writer, author and translator. How do you find time for yourself? Please tell us a little about your writing routine?

Good question. I wish the day had 48 hours... My main job is writing non-fiction, and I work on that from morning until afternoon, with breaks for meals and some housework in between. If I am not totally swamped with work, then I’ll reserve the evening for fiction writing. I always try and write a chapter in one go. I work on Saturdays too, but I usually take Sundays off to read, read, and read.

What do you look for in a book?

That depends on the genre and the reason why I picked it up in the first place. Generally speaking, the story should pull me in from the first page or chapter. And I want the characters to feel real and to develop over the course of the story. I’m also really fond of a happy ending. 

                                                                        

Your favorite quote?

So many... Let me settle on this nugget of wisdom by Rumi: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

I am sure that you have received a lot of reviews about your books...what is the nicest and the most critical review you have received so far?

The nicest one was comparing me to the famous author Nora Roberts, who I admire a lot and whose books are a great source of inspiration. The most critical one pointed out that I tend to get so lost in descriptions and details that action is lagging behind a bit.

How do you spend your time on weekends?

Reading. It’s by far my preferred hobby. But I’ll also watch television with my husband, dedicate more time to my 2 cats and 4 dogs, and write all those messages and e-mails to my friends from around the globe for which I don’t have enough time during the week.

If you had one wish, what would you wish for and why?

I wish I wouldn’t get motion-sick, so I could travel this beautiful country and the rest of the world.

Links -

http://www.devikafernando.com

https://twitter.com/Author_Devika

https://plus.google.com/+DevikaFernando

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00ISH0RD2

https://www.facebook.com/devikafernandoauthor

http://www.pinterest.com/devikafernando1

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7980006.Devika_Fernando

Guest Post by Neil D'Silva

Neil and I connected through his brother Roy who I had worked with previously in Pune. Soon, we began chatting about my books and marketing strategies. It was around the same time that Neil launched his first book – Maya’s New Husband, which went on to become a bestseller. Today, Neil shares his experience with budding authors and interested readers on my blog. 

Thanks for sharing Neil and all the best for your forthcoming projects!

Maya’s New Husband: How I Wrote a Bestseller

Despite being a debut novel, Maya’s New Husband has gone on to rank at #1 on Amazon shortly after its paperback release, win awards, and earn a considerable amount of critical appreciation. People usually ask me questions on how I did it, and this is my humble attempt to guide others who might wish to take something from my experience.

Be Inspired

You cannot write a good book if you aren’t inspired by a story. Do not go looking for inspiration; let it hit you. This inspiration could be just a thought, or a story you hear, or something you see, but it should have an impact on you.

For me, it happened when I was on a holiday in Goa. While spending a cozy evening with my wife in the balcony of our room that faced the Calangute Beach, and seeing the happy couples holding hands and sharing their love, a thought entered my mind—How much of each other do these couples really know? What if one of these has a dark unmentionable secret?

The idea shook me to the core. Thus, the grain of Maya’s New Husband was born.

Build an Outline

You may be a plotter or a pantser, it doesn’t really matter. I am a bit of both. I plot the beginning and the end of the story, and a few of the vital scenes that occur in between. But a lot of the flow occurs when you actually sit down and write. If you are really convinced in your work, trust me, your story will begin writing itself.

Feel Your Characters

In any story, the characters are the most important. Every aspect of them has to be pat down, and the author must know fully well how the characters would react in different situations. With my book, I started with the titular husband first. I closed my eyes until I could actually see Bhaskar Sadachari in my mind, every wrinkle on his face, and I put him into different situations mentally and decided how he would react. I did the same with the protagonist, Maya Bhargava, and the rest of the characters. For me, it helped to establish physical traits first and then the behavioral aspects.

Being True to Genre

My book is a horror-thriller. When I began, a question that loomed large in my head as to how horrific I wanted it to be. Tales of aghoris and tantriks are common. But I intended to write a very different tale. Though it had a dark aspect of our Indian lore as its basic theme, I wanted it to be an urban story. I wanted no clichés. Hence, I decided on all-out, no-holds-barred horror.

At times, the story was so chilling that I could not write it at nights. I had to shut down even in the middle of a totally intriguing scene, because the horror was that difficult to take. But that made me sure of one thing—this was the right direction to take if I was writing horror. Horror is, after all, meant to horrify.

That’s the way it should be. You should feel the genre you are writing in. If it is humor, you should laugh at the jokes first. If it is romance, you should feel the pangs.

The Writing and The Editing

I wrote Maya’s New Husband quite fast, and for that the credit goes to NaNoWriMo 2014. The initial manuscript of the book was written in this month of November, and I became a winner as well. That was my first accolade for writing. I wrote around 3000-6000 words a day. Once you have the entire outline in your mind, the going gets easy.

I moved away from the book for three weeks and then got to editing around mid-December. Editing was furious, and I did my own stuff as well as incorporated suggestions from various people I had sent the book out to. Every word was weighed against its value, and the final product was ready by January 2015.

A Book Is Never Done

I always maintain that the actual work of a writer begins after penning the words ‘The End’. Completing a book is of no avail if no one reads it. For Maya’s New Husband, I did quite a few things, including creating a platform on Facebook and Twitter, building my website to reflect my writing, collaborate with other writers for cross-promotions, submit my book to awards (MNH has won at the Literary Awards 2015 in The Entertainer category) among other things.

But the best bit of advice I can give is this: The greatest advertisement for a writer is to write another book. So don’t stop! You never know which of your books will hit the mark, and that will create an interest in your other books as well. I wrote The Evil Eye and The Charm three months after MNH and that has helped me immensely.

So, keep writing, and take care!

You can contact him at -  http://neildsilva.com

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24284039-maya-s-new-husband

Review of "When Only Love Remains" by Durjoy Dutta

Name of the Book - When Only Love Remains

Author - Durjoy Dutta

Publishers - Penguin Books India

                     www.penguinbooksindia.com

Price - 175

Blurb

I’ve always imagined this in my head so many times.

I have always thought about what I would say; what I would do; and how it would all turn out to be.

And everytime I would remove some detail…

She is a flight attendant - Young, bright and living her dreams. He is a heartbroken singer on his way to becoming big.

She’s an ardent fan of his. He can’t imagine why and yet seems to find comfort in her words.

It’s the first time they are together and in their hearts both are wishing, hoping and praying that the night never ends. That the time they are spending together lasts and lasts…

In the world of imperfection, there is always someone just right for you.

My Verdict …

For the last few months, I have been reading a lot. The books that I have read have ranged from fiction to non-fiction and covered topics from romance, self-help and war etc. Last week while browsing through the vast collection of books in Crossword, I chanced up Durjoy Dutta’s book “When only love remains” and I decided to buy it. There were three reasons I did so - First, I liked the cover - Simple and classy! Second, it had been a long time since I had read a simple, mushy love story and Third, I wanted to know what made Durjoy Dutta a best-selling author. Well! I am happy I picked up the book!

When I first began reading the book, I wasn’t sure where the author was taking the story. Half way through, I waited for the twist and when it came I was happy it did. I liked the simple story-telling way employed by the author; no big words, no fancy language, no long sentences…just short and sweet lines. I may be a little biased here, but the fact that Devrat, the protagonist is from Kolkata, a place very close to my heart that the book started appealing to me even more.

Love is selfless and this book proclaims that aloud. In a world where everything is based on materialistic things, this book comes as a breath of fresh air. I like the fact that Devrat follows his heart, that Avanti is depicted as a chatterbox, fashion conscious girl who is very much in love, that her father is trying to make amends for the past and that Devrat’s parents support his decision. The end makes you sit up and believe that love does have the power to make things right. All in all, this book is a simple, well-woven heart-wrenching love story told by a young author who knows how to write.

Links - http://durjoydattabooks.com

Twitter - @durjoydutta               

                                                                                     

If you would like me to review your book, please mail me at myriadhues14@gmail.com

Looking forward to hearing from you!                                              
       








                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Review of "Lemon Girl" by Jyoti Arora

          Name of the Book - Lemon Girl

          Author - Jyoti Arora

          Price - Rs.131

Blurb

'It's all your fault.'

Mere words these are.

"But words can possess a shadow invincible enough to rob even a soul of its eternity."

In a society that finds it easier to mark sins of a victim than the culprit, Nirvi is a young girl punishing herself for the faults she did not do and avenging her hurts by defeating her own truth.

She is scared of her future, and ashamed of her past. She is failing herself, and knows it. She has had a long line of boyfriends, and hated them all. She detests the guy she is living with, runs away from the one she loves, and seduces the one who can never love her.

When Arsh first sees Nirvi, she's a free and frank girl in whose eyes sparkle the lemony zest of life. The next time he sees her, she is a voiceless doll draped in clothes that cover her body less and shroud her soul more. And Arsh can't rest till he finds out what made Nirvi give up her own real self.

Nirvi knows she is dragging herself on a path from which there can be no recovery. Can her spirit survive the treacherous downfall? Or is the pull of fear and push of desperation just too strong to withstand for a girl who believes she has "nowhere else to go" but down.

"When it's time for you to fall in love, even a lemon can become the cause of it," says Arsh.

But can love survive, when even the self-love dies?

Can love survive when respect is no more?

Does true love have the power to revive a dying soul?

Find out in the pages of this brilliantly woven, intense, heart-warming and thought-provoking saga of RISING IN LOVE...

What I liked about the Book -

As I writer, I like writing about women’s issues, I feel it is important to give a voice to the countless women who suffer just because they think that what they are going through is their destiny. I chose to review “Lemon Girl” because I liked what was written in the blurb. The method the author has used to speak about the trials and tribulations of a young girl who punishes herself for no fault of hers....The way the protagonist deals with her own conscience and how an old memory keeps her going and believing in herself and her strengths.

Jyoti Arora has written an engaging story that keeps the reader captivated till the end. The chapters in the story have been kept at a good length which helps the story flow from one page too another; there isn’t too little information and neither too much! The two main characters in the novel – Nirvi and Arsh are real; their friendship deep and their feelings for each other strong.

I especially liked that way Jyoti had shown the struggle that all of us face; the fear of dealing with our own demons. The mention of Rishikesh immediately has a calming effect on the soul and that is when you know that Nirvi will now find peace and come to terms with her past. The way she discovers herself, the feelings she goes through have been expressed well by the author. Apart from Arsh, the other characters may have been briefly mentioned, but have an important part in shaping the whole story.

What could have been better -

The language used is simple and yet expresses everything well! While reading the story, I came across a few grammatical errors which stopped the flow of the story and proved to be little painful as I had to go back and reread the last sentence again to understand the context better. Maybe another round of proofreading would help keep the flow of the story intact! I also feel that the author could have used another image for the cover. Something which would have expressed the conflict that Nirvi was going through better!  Of course, it goes without saying that this is a personal choice,  and as it happens you can't  please everyone in life :)!

I would like to end by wishing Jyoti a great future. Looking forward to reading many more good stories from you! :)

Links -

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jy0tiar0ra

Website - http://jyotiarora.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jyotiarora