Under "Special Feature" every month I feature a Special Author.
During this month I put up 5 posts about the Author/Book, including Interview / Review / Excerpt / Guest Post / Author Bio / Fun Facts or whatever else we can come up with. Also on the first day of the month we will launch the Giveaway contest along with the first post and will announce the winner on the last day of the month.
So be sure to check out my blog every 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th of every month for something new :)
So be sure to check out my blog every 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th of every month for something new :)
*** Special Feature - December 2017 ***
About the Author:
Jyoti has over five years of experience working as a freelance writer. This experience includes abridging over 24 famous English classics like Jane Eyre, Moby Dick etc.
Jyoti Arora is a patient of Thalassemia Major. But she does not let this stop or discourage her. For her determination and achievements, Jyoti has received appreciation from Ms Sheila Dixit, Ms Maneka Gandhi and the Ghaziabad wing of BJP. Her life story has been covered in various local and national TV shows, radio programs, newspapers, magazines and websites like YourStory and Inspire India. She was also one of the ‘100 Women Achievers of India’ that were invited to witness the Republic Day parade of India (2016) as special guests.
Besides reading and writing novels, Jyoti also enjoys blogging and has won several blogging competitions. She loves checking out latest technological innovations, watching movies, and listening to old Bollywood songs. Reach her at jyotiarora.com.
Contact the Author:
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * Goodreads
Fun Facts:
1. I got the idea of You Came Like Hope from Twitter trolls. My second novel Lemon Girl is a Feminist Fiction protesting against the crimes against women and victim blaming. One of my tweets about it came under attack by some anti-feminist Twitter trolls one day. Although it was a very frustrating day, it did make me realize that there was a different kind of abuse and victim-blaming going on too. That’s when I decided to write a book about the issue of fake-cases filed by women against their boyfriends / husbands. A book on such a theme could have been made very intense and grim with long court hearings etc. But I did not want to write a grim book. So, I decided to weave the theme in a romance. That’s what led to You Came Like Hope.
2. I changed the character of the hero after fifth draft of the book. The new Adih is angry. The old Adih was scared. Due to his past, he was terrified of being wrongly accused and put into prison. But after fifth draft, I felt that even though such a man was real, he was not very good for a book intended to be a romance. So, I turned his fear in to an anger rising from his pain.
3. The tiny flash chapters that narrate the past of Adih are a later edition too. Originally, I had narrated the past through usual flashback. But Peehu’s past is revealed through a flashback too. I didn’t want there to be too much of flashback in the book. So, I used the flash chapters instead. Each of these special chapters is smaller than 400 words. These are spaced at regular interval through the book till the Past and Present collide. They are the only chapters that bear a title and are not included in the chapter numbering. I felt they would highlight the main theme and will also be the unique element of the book. The last of these flash chapters is titled The Bleak House. This is a reference to ‘Bleak House,’ a novel by Charles Dickens.
4. I consulted online horoscope websites to make sure the date of Uday and Peehu’s wedding was close to the end of the winter wedding season in India. Because of the many alterations that I’ve made in You Came Like Hope from the first draft to the final one, I had to adjust the timeline of the book again and again. I had a lot of trouble calculating days and months as the past versions of the story kept on muddling my head.
5. Till several drafts, the character of Rajni was that of an aunt. She was supposed to be the elder sister of Pehu and Pakhi’s mother. I later made her the heroine’s cousin because I felt a younger character would work better in a romance.
Fun Facts:
1. I got the idea of You Came Like Hope from Twitter trolls. My second novel Lemon Girl is a Feminist Fiction protesting against the crimes against women and victim blaming. One of my tweets about it came under attack by some anti-feminist Twitter trolls one day. Although it was a very frustrating day, it did make me realize that there was a different kind of abuse and victim-blaming going on too. That’s when I decided to write a book about the issue of fake-cases filed by women against their boyfriends / husbands. A book on such a theme could have been made very intense and grim with long court hearings etc. But I did not want to write a grim book. So, I decided to weave the theme in a romance. That’s what led to You Came Like Hope.
2. I changed the character of the hero after fifth draft of the book. The new Adih is angry. The old Adih was scared. Due to his past, he was terrified of being wrongly accused and put into prison. But after fifth draft, I felt that even though such a man was real, he was not very good for a book intended to be a romance. So, I turned his fear in to an anger rising from his pain.
3. The tiny flash chapters that narrate the past of Adih are a later edition too. Originally, I had narrated the past through usual flashback. But Peehu’s past is revealed through a flashback too. I didn’t want there to be too much of flashback in the book. So, I used the flash chapters instead. Each of these special chapters is smaller than 400 words. These are spaced at regular interval through the book till the Past and Present collide. They are the only chapters that bear a title and are not included in the chapter numbering. I felt they would highlight the main theme and will also be the unique element of the book. The last of these flash chapters is titled The Bleak House. This is a reference to ‘Bleak House,’ a novel by Charles Dickens.
4. I consulted online horoscope websites to make sure the date of Uday and Peehu’s wedding was close to the end of the winter wedding season in India. Because of the many alterations that I’ve made in You Came Like Hope from the first draft to the final one, I had to adjust the timeline of the book again and again. I had a lot of trouble calculating days and months as the past versions of the story kept on muddling my head.
5. Till several drafts, the character of Rajni was that of an aunt. She was supposed to be the elder sister of Pehu and Pakhi’s mother. I later made her the heroine’s cousin because I felt a younger character would work better in a romance.
Peehu:
“I
heard them mourn my death. I lay in the next room. Motionless, silent, and
staring at the ceiling.”
Adih:
“When
it comes to a broken person, some of them are expert at blinding you. Spend an
entire evening with such a person, but you may still not know how he is
crushing inside.”
Uday:
“Who
would say no to him? He is smart, intelligent, super handsome, rich, suave and
sophisticated. He’s perfect!”
Pooja:
“Pooja
gave no explanation. She asked no forgiveness. She just arrived in his home,
resenting him for being her husband.”
Arunav:
“He
had smiled as if nothing was wrong.
He
had behaved as if he still had his dreams and hopes.
He
had pretended as if it didn’t hurt.
But
it did.”
Does
Destiny hold the key to our happiness?
Is
it always the feeble that is the victim?
Love
can be the embrace of heaven. But what happens when it unleashes hellfire?
Lose
yourself in the intense narrative of You Came Like Hope as it unleashes a
rollercoaster of emotions, uncovers some bitter truths, challenges widespread
prejudices, and forces you to reconsider your beliefs.
Check out the Free Sample of the novel
Book Trailer:
Giveaway:
2 Paperback Copies of You Came Like Hope for Indian Residents Only
2 eBooks of You Came Like Hope for International Winners
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