Monday, 28 February 2022

EXCHANGING WORDS WITH ANIRUDH SINGH

NEWS OF BOOKS
AUTHOR’S BIO : 

Writing has always been an integral part of Anirudh’s life and after completing his 
engineering studies, he gravitated towards professional writing.
After writing a few screenplays and dialogues for films and TV series, he spread his
wings and took to writing novels as well.
Anirudh is also a short filmmaker and has won awards and accolades for some of his
films.
He is husband to a doting wife and a loving father to an adorable daughter and two
fun-loving dogs.
Not bored easily, he always has something or the other on his plate. When he is not
writing, he likes to read, do gardening, draw and spend quality time with his family.
 
1. Who and what inspired you to write?

Around the year 2011, while I was assisting a script writer I came across the script of the Film, ‘Gandhi’ starring Ben Kingsley. Some parts of the script moved me so much that the idea of rewriting History in my own version struck me. The idea in itself was so complex and Magnanimous that only a book could do justice to it. That was the point where I decided to devote my coming years to this book.
 
2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published? 

Being in a Historical fiction genre, the biggest challenge was to get the historical facts and nuances accurate. There is a very thin line a writer has to tread on while writing a period fiction piece. One can’t be too imaginative and fabricate characters endlessly and neither can you stick too tight to the facts and resulting it into a biography rather than a gripping novel. After immense research, I made an outline of few fabricated and few real characters in this, which supported the flow of the story in an organic way.
As far as publishing goes, my experience was hastle-free, as I had met Suhail Mathur from The Book Bakers, literary Agency. He made everything else easy for me, keeping me focussed only on my work and taking care of the stress of meeting publishers, the negotiations etc etc.
 
 3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS? 

I was fortunate enough to have a friend, who also happened to be friends with Suhail. After he introduced us, and Suhail heard my concept, everything was a joyride.
 
4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them ? 

As an author, with a family to attend to, with a job on the other hand, it is nearly impossible to meet publishers and pitch your book to everyone on a daily basis.
The Book Bakers immensely helped me with all the work related to publishing, designing, and marketing.
I won’t say it’s an impossible task to achieve these feats by yourself, but if I had done all this by myself, this book would have taken another 5 years to hit the markets.
 
5. How supportive is your publisher of your work? 

Locksley Hall has been supportive to me since Day 1. Their mode of communication was transparent and whatever Ideas, we came up for the marketing, and designing of the book cover were openly discussed between them, The Book Bakers team and me.
 
6. How do you see literary success for yourself? 

To be honest I am a simple man with very low expectations from life. But I do have high expectations from myself. I keep challenging myself to try something new. If I am able to achieve those goals for myself that’s enough success for me, whatever comes after that I consider that as grace of the almighty.
 
7. When can we expect your next book? 

Soon. I have already finished the first draft. Though I have been a little caught up with the marketing of Operation Dyer, but I will soon get back to it, once this is over. I am rejuvenated and ready to get some writing done.
 
8. How has your experience being working with Locksley Hall Publishing?

It’s been a very warm and cordial relation. I feel like we have worked together since forever. 
 
9. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?

My only tip to aspiring writers and authors is to never give up on any idea if people think it’s not good. As long as you believe in your idea, stick to it, commit to it.

BOOK NAME : OPERATION DYER – THE STORY YOU WISH WAS TRUE 

PUBLISHER : LOCKSLEY HALL PUBLISHING 

BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB : 

Amanveer Singh has joined the festivities of Baisakhi, with his family, at the
Jallianwala Bagh. He is more excited than the others as his marriage is going to be
fixed today with the girl of his dreams, Geet, with whom he has dreamt of spending
his whole life and the lives after that. Smiles and laughter are on everyone’s face
until…
He wakes up scared and injured to find himself in a house with people he doesn’t know and one that he has never visited before. 
The storm has passed leaving behind nothing except death, pain and tears. But
misfortune is only to test the fortunate.
He decides that the British Government needs to be taught a lesson; a lesson they
don’t forget for a long, long time. Some valiant souls join hands with him and take an
oath to send a message to the British Government that shakes the very base it stands
on.
Few men against the mighty British Empire?
Will they succeed? 
The stakes are high and so is the risk.


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Saturday, 12 February 2022

EXCHANGING WORDS WITH RRASHIMA SWAARUP VERMA

NEWS OF BOOKS

AUTHOR’S BIO:

Rrashima Swaarup Verma is a corporate analyst with over 20 years of experience in the corporate sector. Rrashima is a member of the senior management team at a US-based, multinational business research and strategic planning organization.
Rrashima is also a prolific writer, columnist and poet. Over the years, Rrashima’s writings have been published in leading national and international newspapers, literary magazines and publications like Spark – The Magazine, Indian Review, Indian Periodical, The Writers and Readers Magazine (UK), West Trestle Review California, First City, The Statesman, Women’s Era, Active Muse, Women’s Web and several more. She writes across genres like romance, humour, self-help, women’s issues and social change. Rrashima has also participated in and moderated several prestigious book launches, discussions and poetry recitations. She is also responsible for editing her company’s global quarterly newsletter which gives her an opportunity to work with a very talented, multi-cultural team. Rrashima’s first book “A Break In Love”, represented by The Book Bakers and published by Vishwakarma Publications is a contemporary, emotional, witty and highly engaging romance set in one of India’s fast-paced cities.
Rrashima is also a voracious reader, ardent fitness enthusiast and keen traveller. She writes a monthly travelogue for her website www.rrashimaswaarupverma.com 

1. Who and what inspired you to write? 

My parents instilled a love for books in me when I was very young. I was 7 years old when I wrote and published my first story. My school had a wonderful creative writing program and I used to regularly write for the school magazine. Later, my writings started getting published in national newspapers and magazines and I was given the responsibility of editing my school magazine as well. That is how it all started. 

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

There were times when, in between a stressful corporate career and a family, time was very scarce. As much as I wanted to, sometimes it was almost impossible to find time to write. I even went through a phase when I was surviving on less than 4 hours of sleep a night just so I could finish the first draft of my book. Of course, writing the book was only a part of the challenge. Wading through the publishing process was equally hard, if not harder. 
Thankfully, I got in touch with Suhail and it was all smooth sailing from thereon. 

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

I read about The Book Bakers in an article on literary agents in India. I liked what I read about them and so I picked up the phone and called. It was wonderful to speak to Suhail about my book and the publishing options. I had spoken to multiple literary agents before that but speaking to Suhail gave me a lot of confidence. He was very knowledgeable and had a lot of industry experience. That’s when I decided to sign up with The Book Bakers. 

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

The Book Bakers are a Godsend for all authors. After I signed up with them, my book was treated with the utmost diligence and commitment. Right from professional editing to finding a great publishing deal to designing a superb book cover, they take care of everything for the author. Within days of signing up with The Book Bakers, I knew that my book was in very good and competent hands. 

5. How do you see literary success for yourself?

Literary success is a very subjective term. For me, if I can effectively tell the stories that matter and if I can be true to my readers and deliver what they expect from me, then that is truly literary success.

6. When can we expect your next book?

I’m currently working on a very interesting book. The credit for this one goes to Suhail since he’s the one who drove me to write it. It’s a historical based on a true story and has allowed me to tread some truly novel ground. Believe me, this one, once completed, is sure to make waves in the literary world. Hopefully, it should be out by the second half of 2022. Fingers crossed, of course! 

7. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?

Put everything you’ve got into perfecting your craft. Be your own critic. Don’t allow yourself to be pigeonholed. Experiment with new ideas. And most importantly, find yourself a brilliant literary agent like Suhail.

BOOK NAME: A BREAK IN LOVE
PUBLISHER : VISHWAKARMA PUBLICATIONS


BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB: 

The difference between Karan’s conservative pin-striped suits and Lisa’s trendy designer fashion is as stark as the difference between their personalities, backgrounds and even their professions.
To the casual observer, Lisa and Karan are a perfect example of ‘opposites attract’. The truth however, is a far cry from this seemingly perfect relationship.
In a relentlessly fast-paced world where the stresses of surviving leave no room for much else, will this young couple have to accept the heart-breaking reality that all love stories aren’t forever after all? Or will an unexpected, brief separation give them a final chance to re-discover the lost magic? 

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Wednesday, 9 February 2022

EXCHANGING WORDS WITH JOEL KOECHLIN

NEWS OF BOOKS
AUTHOR'S BIO : 

JOEL KOECHLIN, born in France, has lived his entire adult life in India. Ever eager to embrace every aspect of life in a perpetual quest for personal development and progress, he is an engineer, a pilot, a motorcycle enthusiast, a mountain lover, and a freelance author.
An accomplished photographer, he has fostered an unwavering passion for the craft over several decades, encompassing a wide canvas of subjects, from architectural and corporate work, to travel and adventure. Writing articles for travel magazines has been part of the journey.
His co-authored book (for the photography) Beyond Asanas, is published by Penguin Random House. He has translated into French, Sri Aurobindo’s epic work Savitri, published on Amazon Kindle. The Sun-Eyed Children is his first novel.
Author web page: https://lum-ind.com/blog/https://lum-ind.com/blog/

1. Who and what inspired you to write?

Solitude and the mountains.

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

The usual challenges of life that drag you into petty, time-wasting situations instead of giving you creative time. Getting published turned-out to be a lesser challenge than I thought it would be — thanks to THE BOOK BAKERS!

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

Internet search.

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

THE BOOK BAKERS have been of invaluable help and I would like to recommend them.

5. How do you see literary success for yourself?

Too early to comment; shall we see after another year?

6. When can we expect your next book?

The Sun-Eyed Children, Volume II-Mars, expected 2023

7. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?

Too early, I am an aspiring author!

BOOK NAME : THE SUN-EYED CHILDREN
PUBLISHER : ONE POINT SIX TECHNOLOGIES

BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB :

December 1970, midnight. In a deserted Munich suburb, at a dismal bus stop, a young rebel shivers under a driving sleet. His long hair gathers icicles while he ponders: should he burn his bridges and flee impending prison time? As the bus appears out of the swirling mist and stops, he shakes off any lingering self-doubt and steps in.
Little does he know he is embarking on an adventure far more demanding than his free spirit can imagine. It is the start of a journey that will take him half-way round the globe to distant India and the most remote reaches of the Himalayas. Embracing the life of a spiritual mendicant, he is forced into choices he never knew himself capable of, as he plunges headlong into a Quest that began centuries ago, and may find its conclusion in a far-off, uncharted future.
Only when he confronts the spectre of violent death, will he understand that all his life experiences must be integrated into one rich, all-encompassing Sweep of Existence that stretches infinitely across the ages, in an unstoppable ascent of perpetual evolution.

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Tuesday, 11 January 2022

EXCHANGING WORDS WITH LEENA CHANDORKAR

NEWS OF BOOKS

AUTHOR’S BIO:

Leena Chandorkar grew up in an army family and studied in schools across India. After marriage to a merchant navy officer, she sailed the world, but is now firmly anchored in Pune, India.
She graduated in English Literature from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi and acquired her PhD in English from Pune University. She teaches English at Garware College, Pune and divides her time between India and Norway, where her husband and daughter are based.  
She is the author of the non-fiction book, Eye Me Myself: A Study of Six Women’s Autobiographies and the novel, Bends and Turns.

1. Who and what inspired you to write?
 
It was not a particular person or incident. The process was wholly organic. 

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

Writing was not the tough part! The difficult part was getting published! It took double the time of writing the novel to look for a suitable publisher. The challenge lay in the lack of accessibility of the right publishing house.

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

From Google!  

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

The Book Bakers helped in the groundwork of connecting a writer to a publisher. For that I am grateful! 

5. How do you see literary success for yourself?

Literary success for me means critical acclaim and a literary award or two! Also, more and more people should reach out for my book and recommend it to friends and family as a good read!

6. When can we expect your next book?

Maybe in a year or so!

7. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?

Never be a copycat! Stay true to your own voice.

BOOK NAME: GULMOHAR LANE
PUBLISHER : PETAL PUBLISHERS


BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB:

Madhav Diwan, recently retired, is leading a quiet life on his own in his heritage house in a Gulmohar-lined, upscale locality of Pune. His tranquil existence is disturbed when a new neighbour, Gulnaz, moves in next door. There is nothing he has in common with her and he is determined to keep his distance from the ex-film star. Events, however, move unexpectedly and dramatically, throwing the smooth surface of the reclusive Madhav’s life into turmoil. Through the little wicker gate between the two neighbouring gardens, Gulnaz, the consummate actor, enters Madhav Baag like a ghost from the past and unlocks the doors of secrets that Madhav had locked firmly away.  
 
As the past merges into the present; as reality blends into fantasy; the lives of these two highly dissimilar people intertwine and the boundaries of fact and fiction collapse into each other. Madhav, the pragmatic realist and Gulnaz, the romantic dreamer, are unlikely partners in a journey of healing and recovery. Madhav is not too sure if he can trust Gulnaz completely. But both he and Gulnaz need to let go of long-held beliefs and take a leap of faith into the unknown. The story of these two characters compels readers to travel deep into their own so-called certainties of life.      

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Friday, 26 November 2021

EXCHANGING WORDS WITH SAPAN SAXENA

NEWS OF BOOKS

AUTHOR’S BIO :

Born in the city of Nawabs Lucknow, Sapan Saxena earned his Engineering degree from MNNIT Allahabad. His tryst wjth Indology began ten years back when he started blogging about Hindu symbols and signs and decipher the meaning behind those. His articles on Hindu mythology have been covered by major national dailies like The Times of India and Hindustan Times.
Currently based in Nashua, New Hampshire, he authored the National Bestseller UNNS-The Captivation, which won major awards and recognitions and the highly acclaimed FINDERS, KEEPERS which was based on historic Shaiva sect and symbols and the rivalry and the secret society of Nine Unknown Men.
The Tenth Riddle is his third work and is a homage to the Supreme Goddess Adishakti. Three people set on course to solve one of the biggest historical secrets of all times as they chase pieces of a daunting ancient mystery, piece by piece.
 
1. Who and what inspired you to write? 

That’s a rather interesting question. I was really inspired by the birth of my daughter. Me and my wife were expecting a kid and I really wanted the kid to be a girl. I started writing The Tenth Riddle around the same time and by the blessings of Adi Shakti, I got the gift of a daughter. So, I would say she inspired me to write The Tenth Riddle in a way.
 
2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published?

This time I didn’t face any challenge while getting published. The Book Bakers really made the journey easy for me. I faced huge challenges when pitching my first book. Major Publishers do not want to put their efforts and energy into a new author. Book Bakers came in for my second book and then for this one, it was an automatic choice.
 
Book writing is tough. You think of a story, compelling characters, try to build up some really nice scenes and then get hit by the writer’s block. You really have to push yourself hard to come out of it, and then with my day job, it became a really grilling task to write, but thanks to my family and friends, I managed.
 
 3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS?  
 
I contacted them for the marketing of my first book and they helped me with the same. Later I learnt that they are agents as well and help authors pitch in their books to publishers and even help and guide them along the way. We have worked on multiple fronts together since then
 
4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them ? 

They are really passionate about their work. And its not just them being excellent agents but even their marketing division, multimedia division, cover creation, editing division, and all do work which is of highest possible quality. They also invest a lot of energy into their authors.
 
5. How supportive is your publisher of your work?

They have been very supportive. They work in a very professional manner and help out with marketing tips and where to spend on, in marketing. Overall LHP are a very professional and approachable publishers to work with
 
6. How do you see literary success for yourself?

People liking my book. There is not really another way I can define success for the book. It doesn’t depend on numbers, really, but it’s the wish of every author that his book reaches as many people as possible.
 
7. When can we expect your next book?

After The Tenth Riddle I have started work on my fourth one. There were a few topics I had in my mind and I have picked up my favorite of them all. One thing is sure, it will be based on mythology
 
8. How has your experience being working with Locksley Hall Publishing ? 

As I mentioned, they are realluy approachable and professional. I never had to wait more than a few hours to get a response from them no matter at what time I asked it. They help with marketing tips, and also guide how to promote your book and even on their social media pages they keep on promoting their authors. Overall, great team to work with
 
9. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?

If you have a story, write it now, otherwise someone else might write it. Do not lose hope and keep pushing your work. Focus on your weak areas and build upon your strengths. Also, pick up a good agent that can really guide you. Book Bakers has been a great option for me.

BOOK NAME : THE TENTH RIDDLE

PUBLISHER : LOCKSLEY HALL PUBLISHER
BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB :

Titled THE TENTH RIDDLE, the book narrates the danger filled journey of Shoumik Haldar, Deputy Director, IB, Ishan Vajpayee, bestselling author and Shakti Sinha, a Jaipur based MLA as they join forces to solve the murder of the Princess of Goner, the very night she becomes the Queen. 
As the trio moves forth, clues unravel themselves at every level, each more diabolical than the other with sinister forces at play. With the tide of time against them, will Shoumik, Ishan and Shakti find the answers before their own time runs out?
Why was the princess killed the very night she became the queen? What was the secret her family was hiding? Will the trio be able to crack one of the toughest puzzles of all times? Will they be able to solve the ten riddles and unravel the ancient secret? 
To know more, read the fast paced mythical thriller “The Tenth Riddle”, authored by one of India's most loved storytellers, Sapan Saxena, to explore how the mystery unravels itself into the realms of Adi Shakti as it releases next month.

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