Thursday 30 June 2022

EXCHANGING WORDS WITH TANUSHI SINGH

NEWS OF BOOKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR :

Author of two international poetry publications and a popular motivational poetry book along with several anthologies , Tanushi Singh is a freelance structural engineer and a school teacher. A proud army wife, her poems are largely based on her own life experiences.
 
Poetry is her way of reaching out and giving back to the world as well as a catharsis to find herself amidst understanding the quest called life.
 
Accolades :
Her book Pursuit of sunshine in rain was shortlisted for the Times Group Auther Awards for Women authors and was invited for the prestigious award ceremony held this year in the month of March 2021.
She has also been recipient of Sathiya Sammaan Kosh awardee by digital accelerators Ne8x for her literary contributions in creating a positive influence in society. 
She has also been received certificate of appreciation from Indian Awaz Organisers for her outstanding contributions in the field of literature.
In addition to this, she also writes a column for the International magazine published by Poetry Planet Publications titled" An Indian Perspective "

1. Who and what inspired you to write? 
 
Life inspired me to write. I believe we all are born gifted and then in the race to prove our worth, we forget who we are essentially. Poetry began as a hobby in the year 2016 ,after I took s break from professional life to concentrate on raising my child. 
 
What started out as a hobby soon turned into a catharsis and became am integral part of my existence. Though I would often journal as a child, I never thought poetry was the voice of my soul. 
To answer your question, my child was a catalyst in bringing out the poet in me and life and my own experiences has inspired me to write. 
 
2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published?
 
Since I'm from a technical background, currently a freelance civil engineer and also a full-time school teacher., literature wasn't my subject of interest in my childhood. Poetry has now become my passion. But I don't have any background to study the different forms and styles of poetry. 
In 2017 , I happened to join a facebook community called Poetry Planet run by a Philippines lady, a poetess and publisher.
I joined the community and wrote daily through the group's poetry challenges / contests and participated to understand the varying structure for writing poems.For one year I wrote diligently and by 2018 I opened my facebook blog Create Believe Inspire with a single vision of sharing poetry to spread positivity.
To make someone feel less alone, to reaffirm that we are all together in our struggles and one must never give up or feel alone. 
As a child, in retrospect I know I felt alone in my struggles and I wish to target the youth and make a difference in my own miniscule way to help change a life. 
 
My blogging gave me confidence as I received positive response especially from the youth .
My first two books were published by the Philippines Publisher and it happened by chance, I never thought my work could get published but she offered to publish my work and I readily accepted her offer. 
After two international published poetry books, I realized my book  isn't reaching the Indian markets due to cost of the international publication.
So I decided to look for a way to try and publish my book in the Indian market. That became my goal. 
 
By God's grace ,a good friend suggested The Book Bakers literacy agency and I contacted Suhail Mathur to discuss my work and it's potential in the Indian market. Suhail has been generous and encouraging from the beginning.He gave me the confidence that my work is publish worthy and though poetry is a niche market, I have a good chance. He gave me hope and turned those hopes into reality when within months, he offered me a deal with a publishing company Bigfoot publications..My third book released on August 2019 and I was thrilled to reach the Indian market finally.
 
It's been a great learning process and I'm still learning to see how to reach the readers once the book is launched. 
 
I'm very happy with my latest release Echoes of Silence. It's been an exhilarating journey and the publishing team and The Book Bakers have guided me with immense patience and understanding. I'm deeply grateful and looking forward to promote the book. 
 
3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS? 
 
A good friend who is a yoga teacher and accomplished writer suggested me to contact Suhail Mathur of The Book Bakers to get a good deal for work. 
 
4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them? 
 
Suhail Mathur has been exceptionally encouraging and supportive with me and my writing. Always given me a positive response and made me feel that I can do better than I expect from myself. I'm truly grateful and really thankful for his support in my poetic journey. This dream of reaching the Indian readers has been made possible only because of Suhail Mathur and his wonderful team. 
 
5. How supportive is your publisher of your work?

I believe I'm in good hands this time, with Locksley Hall Publishing, I can see the professionalism, effective ,efficient and hard work that shows through their working methods and response. 
 
6. How do you see literary success for yourself?

Poetry started out as a way to find my self and now it's becoming into a dream of reaching out to people and sharing my words because I believe we are all more alike than we can comprehend and we need each other to get through the atrocities that life throws at us sometimes. 
Poetry has the power to heal. I truly believe in the power of words and the impact it can make in someone 's life. 
My literary success will be to know I was successful in my vision of bringing about a change. Every author dreams of beIng a bestseller and by God's grace maybe someday ,let's see. Fingers crossed. 
 
7. When can we expect your next book?
 
May be next year or two. I haven't planned on my next as of now.
 
8. How has your experience being working with Locksley Hall Publishing ? 

Locksley Hall Publishing team has been highly professional and efficient in their work. Never kept me waiting and always first to respond. 
Supportive and patient throughout the process of publishing this book. 
I'm really happy and grateful for all their support. 
 
9. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?

The biggest takeaway for all aspiring writers from my poetic journey is the fact that I enhanced my writing skills all on my own.Participated in various poetry contests online Through sheer practice barring any literature background ,I still achieved the dream of becoming a published author.
Don't let self doubt come in between your passion to ink. The only way together get better is to keep writing and while writing ,remember to write for yourself and not for others.
I'm a firm believer of words and it's power to transform lives ,so I wish to continue sharing my poetry to instill positive mental growth. 

BOOK NAME : ECHOES OF SILENCE
PUBLISHER : LOCKSLEY HALL PUBLISHING 
BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB :

 "Faith is love's highest form. The universe listens if you're willing to surrender and reform".Echoes of Silence is the author's
introspection while conversing with God.
 The book deals with myriad of emotions when divinity emerges in the simplest and the most unassuming ways. The signs. The miracle.
 
The book is a spiritual insight of the author's interpretation of experiencing God's light and the impact it has made to transform her and her life.

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Monday 27 June 2022

EXCHANGING WORDS WITH SIDDHANT SHEKHAR

NEWS OF BOOKS

AUTHOR’S BIO:

Siddhant Shekhar (1993-) was born and brought up in Patna, Bihar. He studied Physics at University of Delhi, and then completed his MBA in HR from XLRI, Jamshedpur.
 
"Web of Ties" is his debut novel. His other publications include several short stories in publications like Sahitya Akademi’s Indian Literature, Science Reporter, Dainik Bhaskar and several online magazine and blogs. He has also written for the screen, penning the script for multiple short films and sketches. In his free time, he enjoys playing Jazz and taking trips to the sea. He lives in Gurgaon.

1. Who and what inspired you to write?

I come from a family of writers in a way. My paternal grandfather was a professor of English, my maternal grandfather a poet. So, I think I owe it all to them. I used to read a lot as a child. Every month I used to read Nanhe Samrat, Champak and Nandan. At some point just picked up a pen and started writing down stories that I was thinking of. The earliest story I can remember writing was a Super Commando Dhruv (one of my childhood heroes!) fan fiction back in I think 2002.
A major turning point for me came in 2006, when I shifted schools and my teachers in Don Bosco Academy, Patna encouraged me a lot. My English teacher, Mr. Tom Varghese, introduced me to writers like Alistair Maclean and Raymond Chandler. That had a very big influence on me. I have been writing for a long time now, but “Web of Ties” was my first attempt at a full-length novel, which started sometime in 2015. I had been reading a lot of P.G. Wodehouse (one of the funniest writers to have ever lived) at the time, and he was a major inspiration behind the tone of the book. My time at University of Delhi was another major inspiration for me, and I drew upon the kind of relationship troubles I saw my friends struggle with. “Web of Ties” was my attempt at deciphering modern relationships, and what makes them so complicated, while at the same time telling a fun and entertaining story.

2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published?

I think the biggest challenge for me was consistency. My plan had been to complete the first draft of the book in six months, it took me three and half years. During that time a lot happened, I went into a full time MBA program which was rather demanding. I lost a part of my manuscript once due to a malfunctioning computer and had to rewrite nearly half the book. Due to all of these things, I would stop writing for months at a stretch. Getting back to writing, and into the headspace where you keep the tone consistent, don’t make continuity errors, that is a major challenge. I think the first rewrite was where the book took its current shape, and I fixed a lot of inconsistencies in the tone of the book, jokes that were not working, sub-plots that were too distracting, all of that.
Getting published is also pretty difficult, especially for someone with no background in literature at all. I mean, MBA turned authors aren’t exactly a novelty anymore! Plus, with so many avenues of entertainment competing for attention, publication has more business considerations now than ever before. These are all things that as an outsider you don’t know and only figure out with time. 

 3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS?  

I had always planned on getting an agent because I feel that simplifies the process a lot for you. Instead of trying to wear too many hats, you can let professionals handle certain parts of the process while you can concentrate on others. I had queried a lot of agencies when I had started the pitching process, finding contacts mostly on the internet. It was there in my searches itself that I came across Suhail and sent in the query. Things, luckily enough, worked out for the best.

4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them? 

It has been a good experience working with Suhail. There are a lot of aspects of the process that you don’t know as someone who is getting published for the first time. Suhail’s experience in the industry was a great help in making sense of the process, and filling in the gaps in my own understanding about how the industry works.

5. How do you see literary success for yourself?

Honestly, I have no clue! I guess I am too early in my career to know that. All I know that is I enjoy writing, and I want to tell stories that speak something to people. We all live difficult, exhausting lives, and books, no matter the kind of story they are telling, are always an escape from our own lives, and a window into someone else’s.
I think if I have to give an answer, my answer at the moment would be that if my stories help someone forget their worries for a little while and lose themselves in a story, that would be good enough for me.

6. When can we expect your next book?

My next project is titled “Join Me in Death” and it is a neo-noir mystery thriller. I have completed the manuscript and am currently in the first rewrite process. Let’s hope that I will manage to follow “Web of Ties” up with a strong second novel in 2023.

7. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?

Picasso allegedly said “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” So, at the risk of sounding arrogant, I will steal from one of my favorite authors Stephen King. When Stephen King had just started writing, he was getting a lot of rejection. He would take all the rejection letters and hang them up on a nail in front of his writing desk. Then after a few consistent months of rejections, the nail fell out. So, he got a bigger nail. And that is my advice too. “Get a bigger nail.”
Understand that rejection is a part of the process and the only way to get fewer rejections is to write more, as we all eventually get better at anything we do consistently. Writing is a skill like any other, and can be developed over time with consistent practice. I find Brandon Sanderson’s insights very valuable, so if you want more concrete and detailed advice, I recommend checking out his YouTube channel.
And lastly, have fun! That is the most important part of the process.

BOOK NAME: WEB OF TIES
PUBLISHER : BOOKSTREET PUBLICATIONS 

BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB: 

Rohan has a problem. His girlfriend is in love. He is not able to break poor Annie's heart, he enlists the help of his friend Prateek to break up. But things turn complicated when Prateek falls for Annie's best friend Sana. But Ishita, Prateek's ex, wants him back desperately and will not stop at anything. Well, not if her best friend Abhi has something to say about that!
What comes next is a tangled web of lies, chaos, misunderstandings, and friendships, where everyone's life is tied to everyone else's. Follow along as they figure out what they want from life, realize what they truly need, and run into love in this beautiful, crazy world.

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Saturday 25 June 2022

EXCHANGING WORDS WITH ARCHANA ABHISHEK

NEWS OF BOOKS
AUTHOR’S BIO:
 
Archana Abhishek is a Hyderabad based author and a content writer. 
She joined the corporate sector in the year 2000 when the corporate giants began operations in India. 
Post a fulfilling career of 17+ years in the IT sector, she decided to follow her passion, and is now a content writer, blogger and an author. She is an avid reader, art lover and loves to travel in her free time. 
 
 1. Who and what inspired you to write? 
 
I have always had countless questions and thoughts stacking up inside me on some beliefs which I often thought otherwise, or realities most women faced at some stage of their life. And, I wished to share my opinion to be able to energize and inspire others. Writing gave me the power to do this.   
 
2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published?
 
Two challenges. When writing the challenge was to engage the readers. Having chosen a serious women-centric story, I wanted to make it entertaining yet stimulating. The second challenge was to get my work published. For a first-time author, getting their work published is not an easy task. 
 
 
 3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS?  
 
I came to know about The Book Bakers through an established well-known author. And then of course, there are some amazing reviews online. 
 
4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them? 

The Book Bakers took up the entire publishing process right from reviewing, editing, deigning the book cover, co-ordinating with the publishers, getting the book printed to even helping me market it. They are thorough professionals and extremely passionate of what they do.
Having their assistance, helped me to keep my focus on my writing while they took care of the rest of hassles.

5. How supportive is your publisher of your work?
 
Locksley Hall Publishing has been extremely supportive, easily reachable and super- prompt throughout my publishing journey. I want to thank them for making my dream come true.     
 
6. How do you see literary success for yourself?
 
I think, success has a different definition to everyone. 
Personally, for me, I would consider myself literary successful if my book is published by a reputable publisher of literary fiction and if there is a rise in the audience of readers. It would be wonderful if my work is respected and appreciated by other great authors. 

7. When can we expect your next book?
 
My upcoming book is a light-hearted love story that is going to delight the readers. 
The book narrates a beautiful story of a couple who were destined to fall in love, as if the entire Universe had conspired to make it happen.
The book talks the unrivalled power of love to strike millions of hearts, rebuild shattered lives and break the wall we build around ourselves. It is a sweet-romance novel, which will make you believe that love is beautiful and not only exists but also heals every wound. 
 
8. How has your experience being working with Locksley Hall Publishing?
 
 It was seamless. I loved how they encouraged and supported me through out and made my book a reality. 
 
9. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?

All I want to say is, we all have a story in our heart that we cherish and treasure. You just need to scribble it on a paper. Don’t hold back and don’t hesitate. Once you trust your own instincts, imaginations would have no end. Writing sounds to be an impossible task, but as you start you would enjoy it.


BOOK NAME : THE GIRL BEYOND LOVE
PUBLISHER : LOCKSLEY HALL PUBLISHING 


BOOK SYNOPSIS / BLURB : 

This is a love story of a simple and shy Aarti, who falls in love with Karthik beyond her marital vows. But she has to make a choice - love or responsibility, self or family, freedom or condemnation. 
An unorthodox, yet realistic love story, which unveils the dark instincts of life and the discovery of inner desires. The book attempts to emphasize the untouched angle of feminism, which is often termed as being bold and undaunted. 
Aarti very beautifully depicts that a timid woman is a feminist too, and does take a stand for her identity and dignity, only to define and complete herself.

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