Bookish Indulgences

10 June, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta June 10, 2017 0

#BookReview :: The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

The story starts with a fifteen-year-old Clary thinking that she is a normal teenager. She and her best friend Simon have been inseparable and the worst thing they have had to deal with is typical high school drama. But soon she witnesses demons and demon hunters in a club and her life changes forever. Over the six books, Clary and Jace Wayland go on a number of adventures to maintain the balance and save the world from the antagonist, Valentine Morgenstern.

I must say it outright; Cassandra Clare has built an amazing world here. The concept of shadowhunters, runes, downworlders, glamours… there is so much in the world building here. Through the six books in the series we are continuously learning new things about this world. And it is very much detailed. I did enjoy that aspect of the book. But it is the only aspect that I enjoyed. Both the main characters and the language, along with the narrative felt very juvenile to me. It felt more like a middle grade book rather than Young Adult. In fact, certain middle grade book has comparatively matured language than this series. The characters do not really ‘grow’ over the years. They sound the same, act the same through and through. Luke & Magnus Bane seem to be the only interesting characters in the book. I did feel Magnus Bane’s charm.

The series has done well for itself and now there is even a TV show based on it, but it was just not my cup of tea.

09 June, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta June 09, 2017 0

#BookReview :: Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court
(a military stronghold that has never been breached)

Retrieve a hostage
(who could unleash magical havoc on the world)

Survive long enough to collect his reward
(and spend it)

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first.

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Kaz Brekker, a.k.a., Dirtyhands, is abducted to be offered a job. He has to break out a man from the ice court and bring him back to Kerch. It is an impossible task because the Ice Court is the most secured and heavily guarded place known to man. But since the stakes are high, the payout is high too. Thirty Million! But will Kaz be able to build a small team that is daring and inconspicuous enough to even attempt it? Moreover, even if he assembles a team, will he manage to succeed in his attempt? Or will he succumb to death if caught?

Kaz brekker is an interesting protagonist. We get a glimpse of his daring and how close he likes to play it right at the beginning. His cunning, hard work and bold moves have helped him climb up the ladder quite fast and from being a nobody on the streets of Ketterdam, he has become the leader of the Dregs. He is easy to like in the sense that even though he is given the title of a criminal mastermind, he plays his role well. The book has another few assorted characters that require special mention. First there is Inej, a.k.a., the Wraith. I love her character too. Quiet and dangerous – as Kaz at a point describes her. Then there is Jesper the sharp shooter who has quite a tongue on him. Mattias and Nina bring in their special skill sets and along with it they bring such a relationship dynamics that makes you curious about them. Wylan surprised me. The character that I want to see more of in the next book is that of Pekka Rollins and find out what Kaz has in store for him.

The author has set up a world that is simple yet interesting. The narration and language used by the author is complementary to the world setting – dainty. It is really easy to get into the story and once you start, there are enough hooks to keep you going. Did I mention that there is prison break in this book? Not once, but twice. It was fun.

I have read the Shadow and Bone Trilogy long before and this book wants me to go back and re-read them in order to enjoy the world setting. Six of Crows is a completely different series from Shadow and Bone, and one need not read Shadow and Bone Trilogy to enjoy this as the world setting in this book is complete on its own.

08 June, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta June 08, 2017 2

#SpecialFeature :: #GuestPost - A book in Hand by Molly D. Campbell

*** Special Feature - June 2017 ***

About the Author

Molly writes from her pantry, often in pajamas. She exercises regularly, despite the fact that she has sustained numerous injuries involving barbells and exercise balls. She successfully raised two gorgeous daughters, who both pay their own bills.

Molly has few interests other than reading books and writing, although she and her husband did attempt clog dancing with disastrous results.

A huge fan of HGTV, Molly has been known to watch marathon sessions of “Househunters” while leafing through magazines and snacking.

Molly’s husband has an accordion band. The neighbors have started a collection to fund soundproofing for the Campbell’s basement.

Molly can be found at: Website * Blog * Twitter

A BOOK IN HAND

Honestly, it is like giving birth, figuratively. What took two and a half years of frustration, brain-wracking, ripping apart and starting over, and sitting glumly looking out the window has finally come to fruition: I am holding my own second novel in my hand.
My copies of the book are delivered about a month before general release. This is for marketing purposes. What this means to me is I get to run all over the neighborhood, waving the book around and whooping. It also means that I am only supposed to give my copies away to those who are in a position to promote it for me: book reviewers, book bloggers, newspaper columnists, etc. I am sincerely going to try to limit myself to these people this time around, instead of handing my book out to all my friends because I am so excited. I ran out of my copies of my last novel in about an hour.
Would you like to know how to go about writing a novel? Me, too. I don’t think I do it right, but I am willing to share my process, perhaps as a cautionary tale to others who hope to become novelists.

Get an idea for a book. This is called a premise. In the case of Crossing the Street, I knew I wanted to write a story about the friendship between a millenial woman and a precocious little girl.
Start writing the book immediately. Hope that as you develop the characters, whom you love, an excellent plot line will develop right along with it.
Get stumped, because that plot line is absolutely not materializing.
Put in some very dramatic and tragic stuff that doesn’t work.
Send all of this off to your publisher and editor, who concurs that this isn’t working.
Go back to the drawing board.
Call up some friends for advice. They give great advice. But the plot line still doesn’t work.
Pout.
Call another friend who is a published author. She gives you a private seminar in plotting.
But the damn plot line you are desperately holding onto still sucks.
Email your editor for help. He basically shoots down the whole thing (rightfully so) and says that you are trying too hard. He suggests taking an online course in STORYBOARDING.
DO THAT.
Spend about four weeks working on a storyboard for the book. Make some great progress after throwing out the dramatic and tragic stuff.
Get stuck two thirds of the way through the storyboard. Write another email to your publisher asking him if he could just provide you with one little plot event to bring a climax to the book so that you don’t have to crawl into a hole to die. He generously does this, knowing he doesn’t want your blood on his hands.
Finish the storyboard and heave a huge sigh of relief.
Get writing. Realize that you are completely failing at show, don’t tell (you can look this up; it pains me to even think about it at this time).
In a panic, you email another writer friend, and ask for help. Apparently, this email alarms her. She replies that you need to calm down and take a few deep breaths. Then she sends you a very confidential excerpt of her work in progress that gives a terrific example of showing, not telling.
You read the excerpt and wish you could write like this woman, but you actually begin to understand what all the hoorah about showing vs. telling is all about.
You go back to your manuscript and take out all the telling.
Then you start writing all over again, showing the hell out of everything.
You finally finish.
Your publisher says “I think you got it. This was a hard row to hoe, but we can publish this. Here are my editorial suggestions.”
You rewrite the book again.
The copy editor then gets the book. She makes her suggestions.
You realize you used the word okay forty million times in the manuscript, and spelled it differently every time.
You rewrite the book again.
You are getting sick to death of these characters, and you want to murder all of them. Plus, you hate punctuation marks all of a sudden.
BUT WAIT. The book is finished! You have a cover!
Blurbs. Thank God you have great author friends who agree to give testimonials. Praise heaven for these folks.
The day comes. A box of books arrives. You hold one in your hand and take a selfie.
You thank heaven you have that Photoshop App.
Voila! A bestseller (hoping and praying) is born. Almost overnight!

About the Book

This wasn't the way Beck Throckmorton had planned it. She wasn't expecting to find herself in her thirties writing erotica and making flat whites for a living while she stewed over that fact that her ex had wound up with her sister. She never saw herself living in a small suburban Ohio town with an octogenarian neighbor best friend. And she definitely wouldn't have imagined the eight-year-old great-granddaughter of that friend turning her world upside down.

As summer comes around, Beck's life is unsettled in every way. And that's before the crazy stuff starts: the sister taunting her with her pregnancy, the infuriatingly perfect boyfriend, the multiple trips to the emergency room. The needy, wise-beyond-her-years little girl finding places in her heart that Beck didn't even know existed.

Beck has found herself at an emotional intersection she never anticipated. And now it's time to cross the street.

CROSSING THE STREET is a funny, touching novel that brims life's complexities. Filled with characters both distinctive and welcomingly familiar, it is a story that will entertain and enlighten.

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Giveaway
1 eBook of Crossing the Street

a Rafflecopter giveaway

07 June, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta June 07, 2017 0

#BookReview :: Ptolemy's Gate (Bartimaeus Sequence #3) by Jonathan Stroud

Two thousand years have passed since Bartimaeus was at the height of his powers - invincible in battle and befriended by the great magician Ptolemy. Now, trapped on Earth and treated with disdain by his master, Nathaniel, Bartimaeus finds his energies are fading fast.

Meanwhile, undercover in London, the fugitive Kitty Jones has been stealthily completing her research on magic and demons. She hopes she can break the endless cycle of conflict between djinn and humans.

This extraordinary conclusion to the Bartimaeus Trilogy moves across the centuries and into unknown worlds. The destinies of Bartimaeus, Nathaniel and Kitty are entwined for a final time. Together, they must defeat treacherous magicians, uncover a chilling conspiracy and face the most dangerous threat in the history of magic. Worst of all, they must contend with each other...

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Nathaniel, Bartimaeus and Kitty are back for another amazing adventure.

Ptolemy’s Gate picks up things three years after the events of The Golem’s Eye. Nathaniel is now a member of the council. He is also placed close to the minister and as such we can say that he has established himself as an influential magician. At the same time, we also come to discover that not everyone admires the man that Nathaniel has become. Kitty is now an assistant to a magician and is secretly continuing her research on magician and demons alike.

Baritmaeus is the character that gives this series the level that it is at. I love his wit and sarcasm. They are so hilarious that it brings in a slightly lighter note to the books. There’s never a dull moment when Bartimaeus is around.

The plot goes deeper into the world in this book. We discover a lot more about magic, demons and the relationship between magicians and demons. The winner for this book is certainly the climax and the turn it takes. It absolutely surprised me. Not to give out any spoilers, but if you pick this book up with an expectation of rainbows and happily ever afters, you will be sorely disappointed. In fact, once my surprise wore off, I feel that the book has a very realistic and appropriate ending. No other ending could have done justice.

The three books satiated my want for some good fantasy after a long long time. This is now my second favourite fantasy series, after Harry Potter. This book was a brilliant conclusion to a brilliant series. FANTASY LOVERS… MUST READ!

06 June, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta June 06, 2017 0

#BookReview :: The Ulterior Motive by Jack Coleston

Stanley Carmichael is an intelligent and hard-working member of the Central Intelligence Agency. Yet, he never expected to be named Deputy Director of the CIA so soon in his career. Nonetheless, he finds himself stepping into shoes that feel impossible to fill.

Anna Carmichael is a legend. She’s one of the fiercest ex-members of the Special Activities Division, where she saw more than enough blood and war for a lifetime. Now, she’s still CIA, but stuck behind a desk and bored. Luckily for her, it seems her fieldwork isn’t done yet. For as soon as Anna’s partnered with rookie FBI Special Agent Blayze Phillips, she realizes his investigation is a lot more dangerous than it seems—especially when it turns its attention to the mysterious Caliph al-Maqasid.
They know that the Caliph spent the last few years successfully uniting fractured terrorist groups in the Middle East. Now he's formed the most well-funded, strategically efficient operation that’s on its way to becoming a true global caliphate. But who is the Caliph, really? Why doesn’t anyone know anything about this infinitely clever, charismatic, and terrifying man? And what, exactly, is he plotting next?

The Carmichaels will have to work together to find out, because the Caliph is about to strike at the heart of America.

Goodreads I Amazon

This was an interesting read!

Stanley and Anna Carmichael are a married couple working for the CIA. While Stanley finds it a daunting task to fill the position of Deputy Director of CIA a daunting task, Anna is stuck behind the desk pushing papers. When a field opportunity comes up, Anna is quick to grab the opportunity to partner up with FBI Special Agent Blayze Phillips for the hunt of Caliph al-Maqasid. The Caliph is a mysterious character who seem to round up the terrorist organizations and bring them under one banner. He is clearly a mastermind but the problem is that no one seems to know who it is. Will our protagonists be able to catch him before he dismantles the Middle East or worse; attack America?

The book is a thriller through and through. The story picks up quite quickly and the drama and action keep it going till the end with the help of a few well-placed twists. The plot feels simple and it is the antagonist that knocks the level of the game up. The author seems to have done a great deal of research and it shows in the plot and his writing. The settings are well painted and the dialogues are mostly crisp. I quite liked the main characters – they are properly developed and well balanced.

The winner for me in this book was the multiple POVs. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book from multiple angles. It is one of my personal quirks that I like multiple POVs. To get into the mind and heart of more than one character involved always make me feel more attached to the story. However, from experience I also know that it might confuse some readers and for some it may feel tedious. So, choose wisely before picking the book up.

By the looks of it, there is going to be a sequel and I will be sure to pick it up.

Review Copy received from the Author

05 June, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta June 05, 2017 1

#BookReview :: What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Kat Zhang

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

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It is an interesting premise. One body with two souls. One has to settle, one has to fade away…

What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang tells us the story of such a world where everybody starts off with two souls and by the age of ten, the more dominant soul settles in while the other fades away. We are told that in Hybrids, where both souls survive past the settling age, are dangerous. When either one of Eva and Addie did not settle in by the age of ten, it turned heads, caused whispers and caused people to shy away from the whole family. Finally, at the age of twelve, Addie was declared healthy while Eva faded away. Only, Eva held on desperately for a chance to be able to be in control. While they try their best to keep it hidden, they meet a pair of siblings who are also hybrids. Lissa/Hally and Devon/Ryan try to show Eva how to take control again. But the secrets they keep and the choices they make could potentially lead to death of both Addie and Eva. What will they do and how far will they go to save each other?

The concept of twin souls in a body caught my attention immediately and as such I found the blurb interesting enough to pick up the book as soon as I could get my hands on it. I was curious about how it worked before the ‘settling’. To have each soul control the body part-time must be confusing. What did the other soul do then or how does it exist? Even after settling in, how can the second soul still exist? If the second soul hangs on, does it mean that the first soul is not strong enough or just that the second soul is stronger than expected? In any case, both Eva and Addie’s characters are brilliantly developed. It was easy to love them both. Honestly if I were to choose one of the two, I don’t think I could. Different as they are, they are both equally essential to the story.

The story simply sucked me in from the very beginning. We are told the story from Eva’s point of view and her voice feels so genuine and unique. Seriously, how would any of us feel to have to let go of our twin? Yeah, it’s heartbreakingly beautiful.

04 June, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta June 04, 2017 1

#GuestPost :: Yellow Hair by Andrew Joyce

About the Author:

Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written five books, including a two-volume collection of one hundred and fifty short stories comprised of his hitching adventures called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS (as yet unpublished), and his latest novel, YELLOW HAIR. He now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his dog, Danny, where he is busy working on his next book, tentatively entitled, MICK REILLY.

My name is Andrew Joyce and I write books for a living. I would like to thank Debdatta for allowing me to be here today to promote my latest, Yellow Hair, which documents the injustices done to the Sioux Nation from their first treaty with the United States in 1805 through Wounded Knee in 1890. Every death, murder, battle, and outrage I write about actually took place. The historical figures that play a role in my fact-based tale of fiction were real people and I use their real names. Yellow Hair is an epic tale of adventure, family, love, and hate that spans most of the 19^th century.

Now that the commercial is out of the way, we can get down to what I really came here to talk about: the research that goes into writing an historical novel or an action/adventure novel that uses an historical event as a backdrop.

I want to say that I learned the hard way how important proper research is. But it wasn’t really that hard of a lesson. In my first book, which takes place in the last half of the 19^th century, I made two mistakes. I had the date of an event off by one year and I had my hero loading the wrong caliber cartridge into his Winchester rifle. I would have gone blissfully throughout life not knowing how I had erred if not for my astute fans. Both mistakes were quickly pointed out to me in reviews of the book. One guy said he would have given me five stars if not for the wrong caliber bullet mistake. I had to settle for only four stars. Lesson learned!

Before I get into telling you about the year-long research I did for Yellow Hair, I’d like to tell you how I researched my second and third books and describe what that research entailed.

My second book was a western and the protagonist was a woman. The research took about three months. I had to know everything from women’s undergarments of the late 19^th century to prison conditions for women in those days. (I sent my heroine to jail.) That kind of research was easy. Thank God for the internet. But then I had to do some real research. Molly (my protagonist) built up her cattle ranch to one of the largest in Montana, but she and her neighbors had nowhere to sell their beef. So Molly decided to drive her and her neighbors’ cattle to Abilene where she could get a good price. She put together the second largest herd on record (12,000 head) and took off for Abilene.

That’s when I had to really go to work. I wanted my readers to taste the dust on the trail. I wanted them to feel the cold water at river crossing. I wanted them to know about the dangers of the trail, from rustlers to Indians to cattle stampedes.

This is how I learned about all those things and more. First of all, I found old movies that were authentic in nature. I watched them to get a feel for the trail. Then I read books by great authors who had written about cattle drives to soak up even more of the atmosphere of a cattle drive. That was all well and good, but it still did not put me in the long days of breathing dust and being always fearful of a stampede.

That’s when I went looking for diaries written by real cowboys while they were on the trail. After that, I found obscure self-published books written by those cowboys. Then it was onto newspaper articles written at the time about large cattle drives. That’s how I had Molly herd the second largest cattle drive. I discovered that the largest was 15,000 head, driven from Texas to California in 1882.

My next book took place in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897. Here new elements were added such as wolves and the extreme weather as adversaries. Dogsledding was also involved. I have seen snow only three times in my life and I have never dogsledded. I knew even less about wolves. I had to learn about those things. I had no idea what it was like to travel across a wilderness on a dogsled at seventy degrees below zero. I also had to acquire knowledge about the dogs themselves, especially the lead dog. I learned about all that by doing the same things I did for my second book. The old diaries were the most helpful. As to the gold rush, there was plenty of material in the form of self-published books by some of the participants. Some were never even published, but I found copies of them in the archives of universities and historical societies. Again, newspaper stories printed at the time were very useful. Concerning wolves . . . I read everything I could get my hands on about wolves—their habits, the pack hierarchy, the alpha male, and the different jobs or tasks the males and females have while hunting.

Now we come to Yellow Hair. As I mentioned above, the book is about the Sioux Nation from 1805 to 1890. I had to know both points of view, the white man’s and the Sioux’s. Getting to know the whites’ take on things was easy. There are many, many books (non-fiction) that were written at the time. I even found a book written by Custer detailing his strategy for wiping out the Sioux entirely. That was hard reading. And, again, there were universities and historical societies whose archives were a great help.

As to the Sioux’s point of view, there are a few books that were dictated to newspapermen years later by the Indians that took part in the various battles that I weave into my story. I found a lot of material from Native American participants of the Little Big Horn, written twenty to thirty years after the fact.

But I wanted to immerse myself in the Sioux culture and I wanted to give them dignity by using their language wherever possible. I also wanted to introduce them by their Sioux names. So, I had to learn the Lakota language. And that wasn’t easy. There is a consortium that will teach you, but they wanted only serious students. You have to know a smattering of the language before they will even deign to let you in. I had to take a test to prove that I knew some Lakota. I failed the first time and had to go back to my Lakota dictionary and do some more studying. I got in on my second try.

I’m running out of space, so I reckon I’ll wrap it up. I hope I’ve given you a little insight into the research process. It’s time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. But it is also a blast. Every new discovery is like finding the motherlode.

I’d like to sign off with another commercial. The three books I alluded to above are:

· Redemption: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer

· Molly Lee

· Resolution: Huck Finn’s Greatest Adventure

I would like to thank Debdatta once again for having me over and you good folks for tuning in.

Andrew Joyce

About the Book:

Through no fault of his own, a young man is thrust into a new culture just at the time that culture is undergoing massive changes. It is losing its identity, its lands, and its dignity. He not only adapts, he perseveres and, over time, becomes a leader—and on occasion, the hand of vengeance against those who would destroy his adopted people.

Yellow Hair documents the injustices done to the Sioux Nation from their first treaty with the United States in 1805 through Wounded Knee in 1890. Every death, murder, battle, and outrage written about actually took place. The historical figures that play a role in this fact-based tale of fiction were real people and the author uses their real names. Yellow Hair is an epic tale of adventure, family, love, and hate that spans most of the 19th century.
This is American history.

Amazon

03 June, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta June 03, 2017 0

#Spotlight :: Rusty's Chronicles by Victoria H. Loren

Rusty’s Chronicles

Rusty embarks upon an adventurous journey through life facing different vulnerabilities, conquering handicaps empowered by devotion to his unconditional love.

This odyssey leads a young pup through challenges facing danger and conquering fears through the first year of his life. The growth and knowledge of some experiences gained are through trial and error. The structure of family and friends strengthen the learning experience while the young pup enriches each life he encounters. Creatures come to life to share inspirations from a magical world of nature.

Each journal entry portrays a short story or lesson learned. A final thought or reflection closes the segment. How often do we reflect on our experiences and feelings throughout life? The journal format provides an easy method to allocate time periods of a natural progression of growth. The wisdom of insight or enrichment gained from success or even failures intensifies the need to survive.

Rusty's Chronicles takes us on a journey visualizing life through the eyes of a lovable pup. Each encounter allows us to laugh, to cry, or just give in to the warm fuzzy feeling of his innocence.

An excerpt:

Mother Nature surely has a plan for all to envision her splendor whenever she beckons. The universe around us is so great and holds within the essence of our very being. Life evolves as we experience changes and growth. We set forth both enduring and embracing our destiny.

Yes, growth; toes sinking down into the soft gooey mud with rain pouring down drenching what use to be nice warm pajamas. The booming thunder overhead provides a challenging setting for nature’s calling for a young pup. The sheer joy of not being fried to a crispy critter by the lightning bolts does tend to leave a certain sense of gratitude.

Rusty’s Journal Entry: Flashes of Light

The splendor of a sunset normally leaves a peaceful feeling with the most beautiful colors painted across the sky. The closing of yet another adventurous day, with nightfall and darkness drifting throughout left an air of uncertainty for me. I snuggle down into my soft, cozy blanket. Binky Bear is already fast asleep and snoring rather loudly...or maybe that is Dad again. The air has a funny smell causing my little puppy fur to stand on end, which is not easy for all those ringlets to do. I close my eyes and put my chin on Binky so that he will not be afraid.

The loud thunderous boom shakes the walls and even the floor causing my bed to walk a few steps across the room. I raise my head and open my eyes wide to adjust to the darkness. Sudden bursts of bright light fill the room ever so often. I look under my bed to see if Dad put training wheels under it. Logically this would explain my sudden departure and relocation. I wag my tail finding the most wonderful surprise...my lost doggy biscuit is right there. Maybe the tooth fairy pup left it since I gave her my first little tooth. Well actually, I think I gave it to Dad since he found it in his foot. Mom convinced me not to eat the tooth. She said that if I put it under my bed, the tooth fairy pup would bring me a treat.

The loud booming thunder and crack of lightning bolts across the sky send my whole little puppy body right out of bed. I race across the floor to find Mom at a lightning fast speed. As I snuggle down beside her, I must have accidentally pointed the wrong puppy part right in Dad’s face. I cannot tell if the word’s “Rusty” or the booming thunder is louder. Which prompts me quickly to snuggle down under the covers to my safety spot; my cave as Dad calls it. I carefully tiptoe down to the end of the bed as not to put my little paws on Dad. That is, until I find his toes. What a smell, this is better than my bugs...maybe he will not mind if I just sample a few of them. My tiny tongue licks ever so lightly on first his big toe and then the next one. My delight, suddenly brought to a halt, as Dad bolts upright in the bed leaving the cave door open for both of us to be exposed to the firework display. Dad must have found his vision to be able to move that quickly. I wonder why he is grabbing the legs of his pajamas shaking them as if he found a bug. I remember how Dad put a bug in his pocket...I wonder if he puts them in his pajamas too.

PRIZES YOU COULD WIN

WHEN YOU ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY!

VICTORIA H. LOREN

Victoria Loren was born in Fort Worth and currently resides in Texas. She is an artist/graphic designer, utilizing creative concepts inspired by nature and her love for landscape/garden designs. Victoria H. Loren is the author of the inspirational novel, Rusty’s Chronicles and ‘Legacy of Trust’ trilogy (Blind Trust, TrustyWorthy and Flames of Trust).

Victoria is dedicated to helping others and strives to share her devotion for finding peace and joy in life. She is blessed with a loving family and friends. The appreciation for mentors, teachers, and professors who inspired and ignited a passion for making a difference by allowing one’s voice to be heard, gives Victoria a foundation. Her outlook on life provides a strong basis for the concept of being able to incorporate and share this gratitude. She embraces each day with renewed hope, joy and passion. The simple things in life inspire and allow her to visualize and appreciate the beauty in all things. Her journey is one of providing strength, compassion, and a genuine interest to touch and make a difference in the lives of others.

To learn more about this author and purchase her book, please visit:

US Amazon link:

http://amzn.to/2pHnD28

CA Amazon Link:

http://amzn.to/2rbSDri

UK Amazon Link:

http://amzn.to/2qeeErL

Books To Read: https://www.books2read.com/u/m2XN1G

Victoria H. Loren Profiles:

Website

www.victoriahlorenauthor.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/victoriahloren

Twitter

https://twitter.com/victoriahloren

Victoria’s Blogs

http://victoriahlorenauthor.blogspot.com

Virtual Studio (Google+)

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

Victoria H. Loren Amazon author page

Amazon.com/author/victoriahloren

PLEASE JOIN US ON JUNE 22nd

For The Release Event on Facebook!

More Prizes, More Fun!

Follow this link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/900771666732143/https://www.books2read.com/u/m2XN1G

http://authormigrainecentral.blogspot.com/2017/05/blog-tour-blitz-rustys-chronicles.html

02 June, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta June 02, 2017 0

#Interview with Rahul Mitra, #Author of The Boy From Pataliputra

About the Author:

Rahul Mitra grew up in Delhi and is currently working as an IT Marketing Professional with a multinational
company in Mumbai. Passionately interested in all things Indian, Rahul is vociferous in his opinions about India,
its people, and its culture. Like many others before him, he believes he can change the world and influence
people though his writing.

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An Interview:

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer / a storyteller?
After having failed at everything else, I guess 😊.

Well, honestly I have always been a voracious reader, so I guess the fantasy or the idea was always there at the back of my mind somewhere. However, it only became a concrete goal much later in life. I think the process actually started in 2009 December just after I joined IBM. I had taken up a new job and for the first couple of months I literally had nothing to do. It was during that time that somehow the first short story simply came to me and since I had a lot of time on my hands I started writing it down. This same story ‘The most honest man in Vasantgaon’ was later published by the Hindu BusinessLine.'

So I guess that was where it first started.

What inspires you to write?
A sense of dissatisfaction with everything else, very strong opinions on a variety of topics and the desire to communicate those ideas and opinions with others.

Tell us about ‘The boy from Pataliputra’, its conceptualization. How did you come up with the idea?
Basically, I got the idea for writing this novel from the India against corruption/Nirbhaya rape case/Jan Lokpal protests that took place in 2011. At that time, I was actively searching for ideas that I could turn into a novel and I remembered these protests and especially an incident in which DU students had been beaten or lathicharged, which had affected me quite a bit.

During that time, things were looking quite bleak and it felt like the country was just going downhill. So I thought of finding a parallel from Indian history where things might have looked equally bad for our country but we bounced back soon and reached greater heights. And I found this parallel in Alexander’s invasion of India- another period where it might have seemed that all of India would soon fall into the invaders lap. Yet, fifteen to twenty years later we had the emergence of the first all-India empire and the Greeks were kicked out.

So I wrote this story of despair and renewal essentially to give myself and my readers some hope. And thinking of the way students were beaten I somehow got an image of students in Takshashila revolting which is said to have happened when Alexander invaded India. Everything took off from there basically. That’s when I decided that this is what I would write about and the rest of the details slowly fell into place.

What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
I don’t know. I think one of my favourite scenes is the horse races as I really like the way it is written. Another favourite scene would be the climax of the story which depicts ‘The Battle of the Hydaspes’ which is actually one of the most celebrated battles of the ancient world and reputedly, the hardest battle in Alexander’s entire campaign.

Apart from this, if you were to ask me the parts I really enjoyed writing, I will say without a doubt it was the parts which involved some of my favourite characters such as Tanku, Philotas and Charaka. All three of those are funny characters and I thoroughly enjoyed most of the scenes with them, particularly for Tanku the eccentric dhabawaala.

Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks?
Oh yes, definitely. You know one of my pet theories is that when you read any book, you are actually in a very real sense reading the author. Literally, his or her worldview, experiences, people they have seen and lessons they have learnt- all of these things find their way into the book through some magic.

So Tanku is based on a real dhabawaala from Delhi and Charaka’s physical description is taken from a very shy, polite and nervous guy who used to come to a gym I used to go to in Bangalore, the twins Buddhaditya and Bodhisatwa are based on twins who actually used to be my friends back in school. And yes, my quirks are also there in some form through Ajeet’s love for wrestling/exercise, Philotas’ love for food and Rishabha’s ‘jump now, think later’ attitude.

What would be the Dream Cast for you book if it was to be turned into a movie.
Look, for a couple of my favourite characters, I can only see specific actors playing those roles. The others I am not sure at all, but for the following characters I’d love to see the actors I have mentioned:
Tanku: Nawazuddin Siddique or Raghubir Yadav
Pandi: Randeep Hooda or Irfan Khan
Radha: Kangana Ranawat

Are there some stories tucked away in some drawer that was written before and never saw the light of the day?
Yes, there are a number of short stories in stock. Basically, it was only after I realized short stories were very hard to get published that I thought of writing a complete novel.

Tell us about your writing process.
Look there is no shortcut or secret process to writing. To write you must write- as simple and as idiotic as that!

So for me the process is simple- it’s just a matter of time and space. I need to put in a certain number of hours every day and I need a good space ie: a table and a chair to do it. When I write, the main thing is I need to completely shut off from the world, so no TV (I anyway don’t have a TV), no Internet, nothing. Usually, even in an empty house, I will lock the outside door and then lock the door to the study, that’s how much I need to shut myself off and then write. And I at least spend two to three hours at one sitting.

That’s it- sit at your desk, don’t allow yourself to get distracted and keep banging your head against the table till you fill up that page. That’s it, there’s no other secret formula.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?
As I said, I think it’s odd that even in a completely empty house, I need to shut the door to my study.

Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?
My favourite authors are: Ernest Hemingway, Saadat Hassan Manto, Satyajit Ray, Pula Deshpande, Ismat Chughtai, Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay, George Orwell, GRR Martin, Salman Rushdie, Bishuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay, Ryszard Kapuscinski, William Saroyan, Alexandre Dumas, John Irving, Roald Dahl, bonophool, Ruskin Bond and many more. I say many more as I am sure, I must have forgotten a few names.

I am not sure how they have influenced me but I am sure you can see some reflection of their writing style or favourite themes in my books. A number of my friends told me that a few of my short stories were like Manto’s while others said my writing style reminded them of Ruskin Bond so not sure. However, one thing is for sure- my style of writing is like the classics- slower, more descriptive and dealing with deeper issues than some of the thrillers popular today.

What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?
I think the most sensible piece of writing advice I have received is actually a quote a I read somewhere. Unfortunately, I can’t find that quote again but it went something like this- ‘Writing is a job like any other, like making shoes’.

I think it was said by some German author or philosopher but I think the quote is brilliant. Yes, writing is like making shoes or cleaning toilets- it’s a job and a hard job so don’t glamourize it. Don’t imagine that you will be lying in a field of lilies and inspiration will come floating down to you and you will rush off to write it down in a frenzy of activity, Nothing like that, it’s hard work and its craft and all it requires is for you to sit in front of a laptop and keep trying over and over and over again till you write something that is worth it.

Moreover, unlike the artists Ranbir Kapoor plays in his movies, don’t think you need a quiet hill-station or a sunlit Greek island with lovely views, long walks, a wonderfully well-stocked library etc. to write. No, if you want to write you will write in the midst of living in a polluted Indian city, while worrying about how to pay your bills or juggling your day job, fighting with your significant other, arguing with your bai or running about over some mundane paperwork. Basically, what I am trying to say is that it’s work, just as mundane and unglamorous as any other work and if you really want to write you will find yourself a table and chair, sit down and write.

If on the other hand, you just want to roam about with a book in your hand and sit in trendy cafes and exclaim how much you Loooove Haruki Murakami or how much the movie La La Land just spoke to your soul, then forget it, don’t kid yourself, you don’t want to write you just want the image.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Write, don’t talk.

And secondly, don’t be a perfectionist. Get the first draft out; begin putting words on paper even if they sound horrible. Don’t worry, I’ll bet even Hemingway’s first drafts were utter crap. Get it out and just trust yourself to go back to it later and edit and re-write the stuff till it shines. Basically, writing is the process of turning shit into gold.

How do you spend your free time? Do you have a favorite place to go and unwind?
Haha, like Ajeet I find that going to the gym regularly keeps me in a good mood and it kind of underpins my entire day.

The other favourite place is of course, my bed with a book in hand.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
Don’t know really but I’d like to make a lot of money and reach a lot of readers with my writing. I basically want to be able to influence people with my opinions about India, our politics and society etc.

What do you have in store next for your readers?
The Boy from Pataliputra is just the first book in a trilogy so there are two more books coming up.

About the Book:

The year is 330 BC.

And the world as it was has fragmented further.

There is no sole superpower who can stand between Alexander

and his dream of conquering the entire known world.

Or is there…?

Aditya Vikram is your regular fun-loving, naughty, irrepressible young boy who just happens to be born
into the aristocracy of Magadha, the strongest Janapada in all of Bharat. With an indulgent elder brother,
Ajeet, young Aditya has never had to worry about a single thing . . . until that fateful moment which takes
him away from all this and thrusts him deep into the heart of dissent and revolt.
Homeless and without friends, Aditya is smuggled into a merchant caravan and unknowingly sets off on
a hair-raising journey which brings him face to face with Alexander the great.

Will the young boy from Pataliputra be able to hold his own?

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