Thursday, 8 September 2016

BOOK REVIEW - ALL ABOARD BY KIRAN MANRAL
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BOOK REVIEW - ALL ABOARD BY KIRAN MANRAL


BOOK REVIEW - “All Aboard by Kiran Manral”


​ Coincidentally I am the one who enjoy reading romance more than any genre for that matter when it comes to reading.

Rhea, recuperating from a heartbreak, and Kamal, the hotshot entrepreneur. They meet aboard the Aqua Princess, a Mediterranean Cruise liner, and as the cruise progresses, their mutual attraction does too. The novel is fast paced, with all the elements needed to make it a success – there are misunderstandings, clash of egos, another romance on the side, exes who suddenly turn up to complicate matters, and even a criminal to whip things up and make it more interesting!
I would like to dislocate my share of earful on the story here without further sharing any more details, and trying not to spoil the reader’s eagerness and allowing them to savor the original narration or compelling expression by the writer himself by reading the book itself.
Indeed the climax was quite interesting with twists and turns as they unfold. For that you need to read this book.

Now my Positive viewpoints:

The positives of the story are the characters easily identifiable. The simple plot, lucid free-flowing words and the identifiable characters with swift, zesty narrative style makes a light, engaging and easy read for us.
Characters strike a chord with the modern urban metropolitan readers. The narrative is as easy as ever, the language excellent, without being highbrow. I have been reading Kiran’s blogs for years now, and her books have the same sense of innate humor, which make them such a good read.

Some suggestive points:

Although the narration of the story is wonderful but at some places the story becomes stagnant. A little more editing would definitely increase its appeal. Sometimes, descriptions of people and places are very exaggerated, which seemed somewhat unnecessary. Finally, what strike me or made an impression on me is the way the story tried to explore the fragility and vulnerability of human relationship. That we are flawed being and with that comes perfectly imperfect relationships, which we agree or not but somewhere have to acknowledge the fact. No relationship is ‘happily ever after’. But then it’s our individual choice to persevere or not.

Final words:

Overall if asked I would say this is a good book, perfect accompaniment to anyone interesting in reading on weekend pastime. Overall I would say...this is a good job done by Author (Tuhin A Sinha) … I would give 4 stars to this book.

Monday, 5 September 2016
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Questionnaire with Himani Vashishta


So, for this month  featuring  author from Indian Literary World  is Himani Vashishta


Author Himani Vashishta’s Interview



Author Himani Vashishta’s Interview



Can you tell us a little about yourself? Your profession and your hobbies!!

With hundreds of shades of my personality, I have always seen it as a challenge to describe myself in words. I felt bit relieved when I saw that you have specifically asked about my profession and hobbies. Still, that will be an irony if an author is not able to describe something in words, but for that, I need to write another book... [Ops am I exaggerating?].  I don’t wish to disappoint my readers, so maybe my formal intro will work.

Presently I am working as the founder of Vidya Retreat [www.vidyaretreat.in], where we offer a wide range of alternative therapies like- Pranic Healing, Acupressure, Sujok therapy, Psychological Counselling, Yoga, Meditation, Reiki healing, Vastu, FengSui, Hypnotherapy, Tarot card reading, Past life regression, Dowsing,  Colour therapy, Magnet therapy, Angel therapy, astral travelling.

Regarding my hobbies, I love art, art is my life and breath. I love art in its every form. I love to write, paint, handicrafts, origami, gardening, acting... ops my list is somewhat big...

Educational Qualification-
Pursuing- Doctor In Naturopathy
Master's- MBA
MA- Psychology
Bachelor- Law [LLB]
One year Diploma Course - Ayurveda
Master Diploma- Alternative Medicine
Certificate Course- Panchkarma
Diploma- Naturopathy

Spiritual Learning- Grand Master Reiki

Among India's Notable Astral Projection and Lucid Dreaming Practitioner
Read my Book - Astral Projection, Out-of-Body Experience and Lucid Dreaming]

Arhat Yog Pranic Healing 

Kundalini Initiated
Oracle/Tarot Card Reader
Angel Therapist


Award and Recognition -

Patanjali Award by Baba Ramdev
College Colour- Two Times
Third Prize at Internation level in Child Art
Best Cartoonist- State Level
Won hundreds of competitions in painting, writing, acting, quizzes, rangoli, poster making, cartooning, collage, clay modeling, fancy dress etc.

1.    How did you first get involved in with writing, are you an imaginative person?

I think my primary clair is clairvoyance. In Orkut days my user name used to be “Imagination guiding me.” Still, most of my acts are guided by my imagination. Readers of my book “Princess Of Falcons” can better judge my imaginative power.

I have been drawn towards writing since the day I lifted my first pencil, but only a few years back I started publishing. From a very tender age, I have been inclined to write poetry and short stories. My passion for fantasies developed a flair for writing a fiction. My first poem was published in book “Blossom Of India” through a poetry competition held by ‘Poet Of Mars’ an American Poetry Society but I am mostly known for my fantasy novel “Princess Of Falcons. My recent work is an Occult non-fiction, "Astral Projection, Out-of-Body Experience, and Lucid Dreaming" and a fantasy fiction “I still crave for him”. I equally write in both English and Hindi languages. My Hindi essay ‘Dukh’ has been published in the book ‘Anand’ and two Poetry books ‘Garden Of Love’ and ‘Let Him Play The Music Again’ are published online. I am also chief editor of two international poetry collection books, “Fiesta of Love,” “Moods and Moments.” In the year 2013 my story got published in the book “Acerbic Anthology”, which is a powerful and timely anthology of voices standing in unity against the ongoing senseless shame of our world's harmful gender violence against women and rape. 

2.    What do you find most challenging about your writing?

I write with deep emotion and feeling, so while writing in the flow it becomes hard for me to concentrate equally on grammar and sentence formation.

3.    What do you do when you are not writing?

Well, writing is not the only form of art I pursue. My latest inclination is towards Alternative healing therapies and spiritual healing and now I am pursuing the same as my profession also.

4.    Where do you see yourself in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?

In six months I see myself as the happiest newly married bride J
Ops you mean in terms of writing.. yeah, I am working on my new title “Broken Not Bent”. In coming 5 years, I see myself definitely as an established author.


5.    How do you keep coming up with material / content for your story?

My imagination keeps guiding me. My rebellion against unjust, love for art and beauty,keeps motivating me to write.

6.    Any specific tips you have for new writers who want to make it big in the world of published books?

Marketing is something, but not everything, if your book won’t meet reader’s expectations, next time they are not going to open your advertisement link even. 

The most important advice I must give doesn’t compromise on your book quality in terms of editing, cover, paper, font size, etc. Being an author I know how one feels about his/her book. It’s really painful when you find your publisher has not brought your book up to the level. I have been through this and it still hurts me a lot.

7.    What’s the best thing a writer can give to his readers?

Food for their mind and soul. 

8.    A lot of people are interested in writing for the money earning potential. What are some tips for people interesting in making money from writing? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?

In Indian context or even all over the world, I don’t see writers are well paid unless they are the best selling. Well, blogging, content writing is a good option. With original content and a good number of page views Google AdSense can help generating income.

9.    What motivates you most in life?

My nephew Kushagra, he is my only silver lining.

10.  The majority of the readers tend to take sides due religion and such other considerations.

Art unites religion divides.

11.              What is the story behind the name of your book?

Well, I have got many books published on my credit. My debut was ‘'Princess Of Falcons’. In my hometown, I used to live in a Haveli, which was like a magnificent castle. My friends used to call me, it’s Princess. The protagonist of my book also lives in such a place.

My book “I Still Crave For Him” I have dedicated to my lost first love, hope it justifies the title.
“Astral Projection, Out-of-body Experience And Lucid Dreaming,” my this book is a non-fiction, so I gave it a straightforward title based upon content. 

12.              What are your views on increasing plagiarism?

Plaigarism is a grave threat to the industry as a whole and to writers personally, but now publishers and web portals  are well equipped to detect it. By working in a publishing house I know, now first thing publishers do is check plagiarism with today’s sophisticated softwares.

There is no harm in using some good quotes or ideas of other authors, provided their name and reference is mentioned, but naturally the credit for any work should always lay with its creator.

I would like to urge my readers to visit my website to know more about me-

Love & Light
Author Himani Vashishta
www.authorhimani.com



 


Thursday, 25 August 2016

What Makes Marriage Work ????
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What Makes Marriage Work ????



Marriage is the process by which two people make their relationship public, official, and permanent. It is the joining of two people in a bond that putatively lasts until death, but in practice is increasingly cut short by divorce. Over the course of a relationship that can last as many as seven or eight decades, a lot happens. Personalities change, bodies age, and romantic love waxes and wanes. And no marriage is free of conflict. What enables a couple to endure is how they handle that conflict. So how do you manage the problems that inevitably arise? And how can you keep the spark alive?
In pursuit of the truth about what tears a marriage apart or binds it together, I have experience  that much of the conventional wisdom--even among marital counsellors is either misguided or completely wrong. For example, some marital patterns that shows as a sign of a problem--such as having intense fights or avoiding conflict altogether--I have found can signify highly successful adjustments that will keep a couple together. Fighting, when it airs grievances and complaints, can be one of the healthiest things a couple can do for their relationship.
Many couples tend to equate a low level of conflict with happiness and believe the claim "we never fight" is a sign of marital health. But I believe we grow in our relationships by reconciling our differences. That's how we become more loving people and truly experience the fruits of marriage.
But there's much more to a successful relationship than knowing how to fight well. Not all stable couples resolve conflicts in the same way, nor do they mean the same thing by "resolving" their conflict. In fact, It is been observed that there are three different styles of problem solving into which healthy marriages tend to settle:

1.       Couples compromise often and calmly work out their problems to mutual satisfaction as they arise.
2.       Conflict erupts often, resulting in passionate disputes.
3.       Avoiding Couples agree to disagree, rarely confronting their differences head-on.
One of the first things to go in a marriage is politeness. As laughter and validation disappear, criticism and pain well up. Your attempts to get communication back on track seem useless, and partners become lost in hostile and negative thoughts and feelings. Yet here's the surprise.

What really separates contented couples from those in deep marital misery is a healthy balance between their positive and negative feelings and actions toward each other.
Some couples stick together by balancing their frequent arguments with a lot of love and passion. Such couples do spend a amount of time fighting versus interacting positively--touching, smiling, paying compliments, laughing, etc. Across the relationship there is equitant ratio that exists between the amount of positivity and negativity in a stable marriage.

Saturday, 20 August 2016
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शादी...

​

बहुत सुना था शादी...,शादी...,
क्या होती है ये शादी-शादी...,
शायद किसी ने सोच समझ के रखा होगा नाम शादी...,
पर मतलब क्या है शादी का...?
सोचा लाख मगर कुछ ना सुझा...,
बस फिर लिख डाला "शादी "...,

उलट पलट के देखा बहुत...,
फिर भी हल ना निकला कुछ...,
थक हर कर ये ही समझा...,
ना कहो इसे बर्बादी...,
क्योंकि इसी से तो है...,आज देश में इतनी आबादी...,

जो भी कहो दोस्तों, है...,जरुरी ये शादी..., 
लड्डू ऐसे जो खाए वो.,पछताए...,

और ना खाए वो भी  पछताए...,
यही है शादी..., हाँ यही है शादी...!!!


दीप 


Monday, 15 August 2016

BOOK REVIEW - “THAT THING CALLED LOVE BY TUHIN A. SINHA”
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BOOK REVIEW - “THAT THING CALLED LOVE BY TUHIN A. SINHA”

​
Coincidentally I am the one who enjoy reading romance more than horror, thriller or any genre for that matter when it comes to reading.

Rishaan the protagonist and his love interests Kiara and Diya at different point of time and situation make significant characters with their separate identities and inherent quirks and expectations. But they indeed share a commonality; an ever searching toil of filling the void in each one’s heart.
Rishaan is this dreamy, idealist, middle-classy boy-next-door. He is spontaneous, talented and great fun to be with but could also be tremendously higgledy-piggledy like most other husbands-in-making young men. Kiara as described by author himself is a spunky, freethinking, free spirited Bengali bombshell. Someone who lives a life with her own terms and viciously honest. Yet amidst the unpredictable differences, the two begin their journey of relationship with intense infatuation.
Diya, to the converse, seemed to be a strong, calm woman who is definitely in control of her life despite the chaos around. There is something very attractive about her womanliness too.
Rishaan is strained to her silently. Rather than carnal wishes, shared compassion, companionship and long conversations is the basis of their bond. Since Kiara and Diya are bosom friends, how the interpersonal dynamics between the three creates stirring situation and the innermost feelings and universality of human reactions to love, betrayal and hurt is resplendently exhibited through the tale.
These line of the story witticism as: “Rishaan knew that life and Bollywood were indeed capable of throwing up some crazy surprises.”
I would like to dislocate my share of earful on the story here without further sharing any more details, and trying not to spoil the reader’s eagerness and allowing them to savor the original narration or compelling expression by the writer himself by reading the book itself.The climax was quite interesting with twists and turns as they unfold. For that you need to read this book.

Now my Positive viewpoints:

The positives of the story are the characters easily identifiable. The simple plot, lucid free-flowing words and the identifiable characters with swift, zesty narrative style makes a light, engaging and easy read for us.
Characters strike a chord with the modern urban metropolitan readers especially Mumbaikars with everyday minute nuances(be it the quirky auto drivers or a smooth-talking boss in loveless marriage) and relationship dynamics being skillfully portrayed. A fearsome, stimulating, challenging, interesting, and provocative fiction of quests clouding contours between vampires and humans is simply mind blowing. The author has added some vernacular lingo and famed movie songs to add his personal style. The book is an absolute page turner but somehow I wanted it to end differently. So there I was, a bit gloomy.

Some suggestive points:

Although the narration of the story is wonderful but at some places the story becomes stagnant. A little more editing would definitely increase its appeal. Sometimes, descriptions of people and places are very exaggerated, which seemed somewhat unnecessary. Finally, what strike me or made an impression on me is the way the story tried to explore the fragility and vulnerability of human relationship. That we are flawed being and with that comes perfectly imperfect relationships, which we agree or not but somewhere have to acknowledge the fact. No relationship is ‘happily ever after’. But then it’s our individual choice to persevere or not.
If all you want is a light, breezy and effortless but wistful read that takes you through that vulnerable, unpredictable, fallible love lane and expose you to the myriads of warm kindled sensibilities, soak into it. You never know after reading this, you might feel lucky enough for what you have or maybe what you don’t have!

 Final words:


Overall if asked I would say this is a good book, perfect accompaniment to anyone interesting in reading on weekend pastime. Overall I would say...this is a good job done by Author (Tuhin A Sinha) … I would give 4 stars to this book.