Interview with Dinesh Gupta author of "Kaise Chand Lafzon Men Saara Pyar Likhun."

This week I had the opportunity to interact with poet Dinesh Gupta, a software engineer who is passionate about poetry. Here he tells us about himself, his books, his idol and what it is that keeps him writing. 

Tell us a little about yourself?

I am Software Engineer by profession and a poet by passion.

 (Bheetar Ki Gehrai Aur Bahar Ki Tanhai Ne Shayar Bana Diya)

I am basically from Mandsaur, a district of Madhya Pradesh. I currently stay in Pune and am working as a manager in a Software Firm.

What are your other 2 books about?

My First book “Meri Aankhon Men Muhabbat Ke Manzar Hain” is a collection of Poems based on a variety of topics like Muhabbat, Deshprem, Dreams, Social imbalance, Corruption, Terrorism, Life etc. I believe in 2 aspects of love - one for your country and one for the one you love.

My Second Book “Jo Kuch Bhi Tha Darmiyaan” is a collection of articles that connect with Poetry. Similar to the first one, this is also based on random thoughts. I would say it’s a collection of Articlic-Poetry.

How is this book different from the other two?

My earlier books were collection of Poems on any random topics that happened in life or things that came into my mind.  In this Book I have tried to arrange the poems in a professional way. This book is a collection of poems based on only romance which is better suited to the market today.

How did you come up with this beautiful title – “Kaise Chand Lafzon Men Saara Pyar Likhun”?

Well, I belive in choosing creative titles  for all my books. This title came out from the first 4 lines of the title poem:

“Shabd Naye Chunkar Geet Vahi Har Baar Likhun main

Un Do Aankhon Men Apna Saara Sansaar Likhun main

Virah Ki Vedna Likhun Ya Milan Ki Jhankaar Likhun Main

Kaise Chand Lafzon Men Saara Pyar Likhun Main!”

Software Engineer and poet…When do you get time to write?

Lots of people ask this question and I just say: “Engineering IS My Profession but Poetry is My Passion. Shabd Meri Ragon Men Khoon Bankar Daudte Hain Aur Kavita Meri Nason Men Behti Hain.”

Well, honestly speaking, I hardly write using pen and paper. I am very attuned to things happening around me and when I get the right words to express them poetry comes out automatically. Like, one day I saw a poor kid begging at the train station and these 4 lines came to me -

“Sabki Rahon Men Nahin Hoti Hai Chadar Phulon Ki

Kisi Ki Takdir Hoti Hai Dagar Shulon Ki

Jindagi Kya Hoti Hai Jara Unse Pucho

Jinke Ghar Roj Jung Hoti Hai Bhuk Aur Usulon Ki !”

What or who inspired you to write this book?

I was inspired to publish my work after seeing the tremendous response I got from the readers on my Facebook posts and blog. My poems also got appreciated from many editors who belong to reputed magazines. All these things inspire me to write!

How long did it take you to finish it?

I think it took 1 year to finally have the book in my hand.

Who is your favorite poet and what is it that really strikes you about his/her work?

My Favorite poet is Dr. Kumar Vishwas who actually inspired me to write. I am inspired by the tales of his struggles, the tough decision he had to take and the mind-blowing poetry he writes using simple and touching words.

What is the best compliment you have received about your work?

Well, Almost everyone who got to know about my poems said its mind blowing, amazing, fantastic, touchy, tremendous and “you write so well” etc. I am glad to receive all these comments, but the biggest one I got was when few readers said “You are not less than Dr. Kumar Vishwas and you can be on same stage if your approach is good.” There is not better feeling than  someone comparing you to your idol.

What projects are you working on at the present?

Right now I am focusing on marketing of this book. Also these days I am actively performing in poetry events. I have not finalized anything for my next book yet.

How has your experience with the publisher been?

It was a nice experience. Aniket is very cooperative and transparent. Although he is new in this field and we are facing lots of issues related to the retail distribution of the books, but I found it was a nice decision to choose a new publisher rather than an established one since I was able to take charge of the marketing in my hand. There are lots of other issues with established publishers mostly transparency. Overall I think it was a good deal.

Anything that you would like to sgare with your readers -

“Meri Aankhon Men Muhabbat Ke Jo Manzar Hain

Tumhari Hi Cahton Ke Samandar Hain

Main Har Roj Cahta Hun Ki Tujhse ye Keh Dun Magar

Labon Tak Nahi Aata Jo Mere Dil Ke Andar Hai !”

Link://www.amazon.in/dp/8192955532

If you want me to review your book or feature you on my blog, you can contact me at - myriadhues14@gmail.com

Twitter - @GuptaRach

Review of "21 ways of Being Happy" by Shama Patel

Name of the Book - 21 ways of Being Happy

Author - Shama Patel

Publisher - Grapevine India

www.grapevineindia.com

I love what I do because I get to connect with very interesting people and read great books. Shama contacted me to review her book some time ago and I jumped at the opportunity because I loved the fact that it was a self-help book and also that she wrote such lovely e-mails to me :). It’s great to know Shama and I live in the same city and we hope to meet up soon….will post the pictures of our meeting on Facebook when we do. Till then, Happy Reading. Stay Blessed!

Blurb -

Happiness is a state of mind.

Yes, It is.

It is not a condition or situation that is presented to some and kept away from others.

It is in our own hands to overcome guilt, self-pity, regret and anxiety to lead a fulfilling, happy life.

Shama Patel, a Professional Psychologist, enlists the ways and tricks to stay happy forever.

21 ways of Being Happy is written with the aim of bringing you closer to yourself.

It is a book that will help you charter the course of your life, your own way.

What I liked about the book -

I liked the cover, which is courtesy Chandni Dua. It exudes so much positive energy that you can’t help but smile even before you begin to turn the pages of this very interesting book. The book is well-written. The language is lucid and the quotes by famous people at the beginning of every chapter helps hold your attention and prepares you for the words of wisdom contained in every sentence in the book.

21 ways of Being Happy is a self-help book everyone should read! I mean it when I say “everyone” because this book has so much to offer in terms of getting to know oneself better! In a world where all of us are so busy trying to make ends meet or striving towards goals that we have set for ourselves, it is important to sit and ponder over the things the author mentions in her book.

Shama is not preachy when she tells us about the 21 ways in which we can attain happiness. Instead her experience as a psychologist is clearly evident in the examples she cites from her life as well as others to tell us that happiness is attainable and it is lurking around the corner and that all we have to do is reach out and catch it! With so much positive energy flowing from the book, I am sure that each reader will feel blessed as they turn the pages of this nicely-written book.

Links - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorShamaPatel

http://www.amazon.in/Ways-Being-Happy-Shama-Patel/dp/9381841209

If you would like to do be featured on my blog, please send me a mail at myriadhues14@gmail.com

Twitter - @GuptaRach

Interview with Olivier Lafont author of "Warrior."

An actor, a model and a writer, Olivier Lafont is a very talented individual! Recently I got the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his book, his childhood as well as his creative pursuits. Read on to know what he has to say….

➢    Tell us a little about your childhood?

My family moved from France to India when I was about 7. We lived in Delhi and I went to the American Embassy School, and I grew up with French, Indian and American culture. I didn't speak any English or Hindi when we moved, so the culture shock was significant. It was as I learned English that my initial love for language, reading and writing began to develop. I started writing stories seriously from a young age. Over time I developed other interests, like acting and basketball.

➢    What are the books that have influenced you the most?

From the earliest, Redwall by Brian Jacques, The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, The Shannara series by Terry Brooks, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, The Eearthsea Quartet by Ursula K. Leguin, A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin.

➢    Name a writer you would consider a mentor?

I don’t think I consider any writer a mentor.

➢    Which book are you reading now?

I just read Mark Lawrence’s The Broken Empire series and Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law series.

➢    How do you find time to write?

Since my careers are fairly modular I’m able to fix and shift chunks of time here and there. I may shoot for a month and then take a few weeks to write. It’s flexible, but I do make it a point to make the time when I’m in a writing space.

➢    Who inspires you?

My wife. She’s the most intelligent, most extraordinary person I've ever met. I admire her perspective on life, her uncompromising honesty, how she thinks about and through things. An exceptional person.

➢    Actor, Model and Author…How has the journey been?

It’s been fantastic. I've had the fortune of being part of some great films, many great ads and now I have a book published by Penguin. Living in Mumbai has been a wonderful experience and working here has also been fun. And I met my wife here! Life just keeps getting better and better.

➢    Why did you choose to write about this particular genre?

I've read and written in the fantasy genre since I was very young. It was something that I've always loved, long before Harry Potter popularized the genre for the world. Writing ‘Warrior’ in this genre was a very natural progression.

➢    Describe your writing process – Do you write more by intuition or logic or would you define it as a combination of both?

A combination of both. Since storytelling is primarily an emotional activity, I use my intuition a lot to gauge the effect my writing should have on a reader. I believe that great storytelling also requires great structure, and structure needs a logical approach. So it all happens at the same time, logic and intuition work together to craft a great story.

➢    How much time did you spend writing your novel- Warrior?

At the time I was working full-time and working on ‘Warrior’ on weekends, so my sense of how long it took is somewhat distorted. All together I suppose about three months.

➢    What was the hardest part of writing this novel?

I didn't really face any difficulty with writing the novel. For me writing is and should be an effortless endeavor. Art needs to be flowing and easy, not hard.

➢    Which part of the writing process did you enjoy the most?

Everything - from the very beginning, the creation of Saam and the story and his dynamic relationship with his father Shiva, to the actual writing, creating the other characters and subplots, to the editing. Every part of it was fun.

➢    Your book has been shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asian Awards…How does it feel?

It’s nice to have your work recognized by a literary body of standing. It’s a really lovely validation of your creativity and work.

➢    What projects are you working on next?

I've just written a feature film script, the first one I've written for myself as the main character. It’s a fun comedy, and I’m looking for a producer to partner with on it. What’s particularly interesting is that it could be an Indian film or an international film, so the producer could be Indian or international.

➢    Words of Wisdom! Is there anything you would like to tell your readers?

Read what you enjoy and read with joy!

Links - 

“Warrior” Book Trailer - http://youtu.be/qDLMISZAzME

Facebook Page -

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Olivier-Lafont/625633327480645

Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/OliLafont

“Warrior” Amazon Link - 

http://www.amazon.in/Warrior-Olivier-Lafont/dp/0143423630/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425650490&sr=8-1&keywords=warrior

If you would like me to review your book or feature you on my blog, mail me at myriadhues14@gmail.com

Twitter - @GuptaRach

Review - That Man in The Mirror by Rajeev Ranjan

Name of the Book - That Man in the Mirror

                                  Love…Lust…Life

Author - Rajeev Ranjan

Publishers - Lifi Publications

Price - 220 INR

www.lifipublications.com

Blurb ­­-

How far one should go to help his sibling…Can we draw a line in blood relationships?

What happens…when we stop counting our blessings and long for fictitious pleasures, when lust takes over gentle senile notions of love and when you lie to yourself and justify it?

Is there any date sheet for emotions?

This novel tries answering these questions through a beautiful story. Besides it also touches the emotions that cross our heart when we embark on the journey of betrayal. It is also an attempt to locate that man in the mirror that we generally choose to ignore.

Review 

What I liked -

That Man in the Mirror is about everything it claims to be – Love…Lust…Life! It is real because it talks about human emotions that bring about a feeling of euphoria and then deep uncontrollable pain and regret. The story woven by the author is real and anyone can associate with it.

The female characters in the novel are projected as strong individuals who are entirely different from each other. While reading the novel you cannot help but draw a comparison between each of them and people you know. The protagonist Raghav is a man with dreams who knows what he wants and yet loses his way somewhere in his quest of finding happiness and realizing his dreams. He makes decisions, he doubts himself, he questions his motives and then he regrets his decisions and starts making amends. 

I liked the way the author has mentioned topics like superstitions, quacks, adolescence, pride, lust, love and regret. He has woven each of these feelings neatly into the novel which helps the flow of the story. I especially like one quote -  “Silent people are the most difficult to understand.” I loved the fact that the book ended on a positive note…After all I love happy endings!

Things that could have been better - 

The beginning was good, but then somewhere in the middle the story became very predictable; this changed after a few chapters! In my opinion the author could have added more details about a few characters - his brother and father. There is a brief mention about them, but a little more details about how they felt, what they were going through etc. would have made the book more interesting. A more visually appealing cover would have aroused more interest in the book, but as they say don’t judge a book by its cover; so I would like to end by saying…That Man in the Mirror is an interesting novel which will certainly touch a chord in your heart!

Rating - 3/5

Links -

https://www.facebook.com/pages/That-man-in-the-mirror/371139536394346

http://www.amazon.in/That-Man-Mirror-Love-    Lust/dp/9382536728/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425141516&sr=8-1&keywords=that+man+in+the+mirror

  

Mail me at myriadhues14@gmail.com if you want to be featured on my blog!

Interview With Author Varun Prabhu

Ever since I started spending more time on social networking sites I realized that there are many people who thought out of the box and chose to write about interesting things. Varun Prabhu is one such person who I connected with on Facebook! Very like me, author Varun Prabhu is at his creative best when the rest of the world is immersed in dreams. His debut novel “Exodus” will be available in an e-book format on the 7^th of March. Here are a few questions I asked him and this is what he has to say…. Happy ReadingJ!

Ø Tell us a little about yourself ….

      I am an ambivert, as in I can be both introvert and extrovert, depending upon the situation. I am also hard-working and detail oriented; always want everything to be perfect. I love research and I do a lot of it for my stories.

Ø What do you think makes a good story?

    Content. I will even ignore the grammar if the book has good content. There must be no loopholes and the story must have been developmentally edited. I will also ignore show versus tell as long as the story immerses me into the book and takes me to the world the author has created.

Ø Why did you choose to write about this particular genre?

    Fantasy, historical fiction, and mythology are some of my favorite genres. The current book, my debut novel, is a part of the Mahabharata series, a retelling of my own interpretation which will immerse the reader into the erstwhile Aryavarta politics and folklore. For my debut novel, I chose to write about this genre as I wanted to share the mythology from my POV and how I can relate to those times. Also, many have said my writing is kinda archaic, something that would suit that era. I choose these genres because I absolutely love writing them. Other genres, well, not so much. They pretty much end up being crap..hehe

Ø How much time did you spend on research?

    I have been a fan of Mahabharata since childhood and have been researching its folklore since ages. Considering I love the era and Krishna is my favorite, you may say that I have spent most of my time researching Indian mythology.  For this series, the research I have done before helped me a lot. Plus, I did a specialized research for 3-4 months and came up with new sub-plots and brought forth minor characters to play a major role in the epic. To come up with such things require extensive amount of time. The forthcoming books in the series will only double the research time because the need is extensive.

Ø How did you come up with the title?

    I had an ending in mind. Since the book ends with a temporary disappearance of Dharma and all the characters following it, it was simple really. Exodus means a mass disappearance of people from a place. Hence the name. 

Ø How long did it take you to complete your debut novel?

    It took me a fortnight to write up the first draft. Since this is a genre I love, I can usually write fast.

Ø Do you experience writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

    Not really. I haven't yet. I am clear upon what I want in my book from the start to the end. I plan extensively. I am a plotter, not a pantser.

Ø What does your family think about your career choice?

    Like all others, I face my share of judgment. I am a professional writer and editor. I don't earn much compared to the engineers and doctors and MBAs...I think my parents wanted me to become one of those. But I am happy where I am, because I am doing what I love. Despite all this, my family has supported my decisions even though they can be a bit cranky sometimes. I don't blame them. They have a right to be worried.

Ø Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

    I used to post a lot on websites and the readers have both good and bad things to say about my writing. The good thing is that they love how I write and interpret things. Reminds them of classics, they say. Some have even gone on and compared me to J R.R Tolkien by saying that my writing makes them reminisce the style the great author used. I take it as a compliment but I'm definitely not taking it to my head.

Ø Who is your favorite author?

    J.R.R Tolkien of course! If I had not read his Lord of the Rings, I would probably not have read many books. Or even write one. He is my main inspiration.

Ø What do you do when you are not writing?

    Reading, watching TV Shows (I am like an avid fan)

Ø You favorite song/singer…

    I don't really listen to much music, but then I like Ramin Djawadi and Enya.

Ø Your favorite quote…

“It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.” - J.R.R Tolkien - Lord of the Rings

Ø What advice would you like to give aspiring authors?

    Write. Just Write. Don't worry about the grammar. Don't worry about Structure. That's for later drafts. For first drafts, just get your ideas to paper. Also research well, and even if you are a pantser, have some kind of an ending in mind. And if you find yourselves in a block, I suggest leave writing for a while, go enjoy and then come back :)

Link to his FaceBook Page –

https://www.facebook.com/Varun.Prabhu.Author

Twitter @VPAllasander

If you are interested in being featured on my blog or would like me to review your book, mail me at - myriadhues14@gmail.com