Tuesday, September 25, 2018

On Writing: Author Nivedita Vedurla #MyFriendAlexa Post no.8

Today on 'On Writing', we have Nivedita Vedurla, who started her career as a technical support, moved to software testing and then became a Business Operations Manager at Fabcoders, Goa. She gave up her career to follow her passion for writing. Her first book ‘Two Angels’ received tremendous love and appreciation from all her readers. Her stories reflect her strong belief in love, faith and the power of the mind. When she is not writing, she plays around with her kid and taps her foot to Bollywood dance numbers.

Welcome to 'On Writing', Nivedita!


Follow her on: Facebook Author page @NVedurla
Instagram: vedurlanivedita
Twitter: nisha1133
Website: vedurlanivedita.com 


Was becoming an author always your dream or was it a particular event or incident that gave birth to the author in you?

I know I might sound very stupid, but whatever I am or whatever I do, is by chance or you can say a blessing of God. I didn’t have any intention to become an author. My sole aim was to do a part-time job, look after my son and enjoy life.
I enjoy writing stories and rest all, is taken care of by God. Yes, I am a firm believer of God and power of the subconscious mind.

How important are the names of the characters in your books to you? Do you spend agonizing hours deciding on their names?

I pick up names, according to the character I am writing and keeping in mind the other protagonist of the story. I do Google searches for getting my character names.

What is your writing process like? Do you write every day? Is there a favourite place to write?

There is absolutely no work schedule with my toddler around, but I try to write as much as possible when I have any free time. The passion for writing helped me cut off Television time, mid-noon naps, outings and other distraction except (facebook J). I focus these leisure times in my writing.

What is different about ‘Rhythm of Love’?

'Rhythm of love' is a story of the present time and based on experiences I have heard and undergone. It is not just a usual story of boy meets a girl and sparks fly.  I have tried to keep it as realistic as possible. When a person from a middle-class family reads it, they will feel a strong connection with the story.

Who is your favourite character in the book and why?

My favourite character is Lucky. The best friend of the female protagonist, Esha. She is bold, fierce and everybody in her circle says she is a bad girl, but she has a heart which is pure gold.

I used this character to give a message that sometimes we judge people in a wrong way while they turn out to be the greatest help we could ever imagine.

Which do you prefer as a reader? EBook or Paperback?

Ebooks. 100%

How long did it take to finish writing ‘Rhythm of Love’?

Two months approx for writing and one month for editing.

How important do you think is marketing in today’s world for any book?

If you want someone to pick up your book, then the first thing that you need is marketing.  My suggestion to people who have just started writing is even if you drafted only a page of your story. Build a social media platform and start putting something into it every day. Let people know what you are doing, create a brand and generate followers. So, when your book is ready, it gets sold like hot cakes. 

Please share a passage or quote from ‘Rhythm of Love’ for our readers.


My favourite is this poem from the book

Love is a blessing from God
It is above the judgment of good and bad
It is the rhythm of the heart
Which finds peace when it finds the perfect one
Made for you by God
You may run away from it
But, love will find you in the end.

What are the tips you have for readers of this interview who are aspiring writers?

1) When you write your first book or say first poetry don’t set the expectation from others, write for your own heart. Let your heart choose the topic, let it form the words, without thinking about how will people take it.
2) Write every day, and believe that you are growing. When you write every day, you will see words will start forming in a rhythmic manner and each sentence you write will become a quote.



Thank you, Nivedita. Wishing you the very best for your future endeavours.


Click here to buy:


Book Blurb:
Esha comes from a background where being bad is an unforgivable sin. But being good means living a restricted life, and making many sacrifices in order to follow all the accepted social norms. 
After graduation, she moves to Mumbai and discovers a whole new life. 
During her struggles to find a job, she meets Siddharth, a start-up owner, who employs her as his assistant. Life is good until one mistake changes the course of her life. 
Can this one misunderstanding destroy all her efforts and dreams?
Find out how Esha struggles to overcome the misconceptions of good and bad, and how she survives to fulfil all her dreams in Rhythm of Love.

Indian Love story with a happy ending.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Balancing Humour and Drama in a Rom-com: A Guest Post by author Adite Banerjie #MyFriendAlexa Post No.7

Have you ever wondered about the struggles an author goes through while writing a book?

Author Adite Banerjie shares her experience or rather the 'How I did it' details about her recent bestseller rom-com, 'Bombay Heights'. 


If you are a writer or an aspiring writer, I am sure you will find this post extremely valuable.




Romantic comedies are my favourite genre of movies to watch and I have always enjoyed reading chick-lit books with a liberal dose of humour.  So when I started writing Bombay Heights I was consciously aiming at a premise where my two lead protagonists Ash and Sanjana would be constantly in each other’s way and providing a few laughs for the reader. As neighbours who also turn out to be colleagues, it was a neat way to have them exchanging banter as they play the romance game.

While plotting the story flow, it seemed easy enough. However, writing is rarely seamless and glitch-free. My story almost came to a standstill at a crucial scene in the final act of the story. The scene is set in a restaurant where Chetan (Sanjana’s ex) is expected to make an important announcement. Nearly the entire cast of characters of the book – Sanjana, Ash, Sanjana’s dad and her two siblings and Chetan – are dining at a posh restaurant. Sanjana is a bundle of nerves as she has her own announcement to make and is unsure of how her family is going to react to it. Besides, both her ex and current love interest are present.  The stage is set for drama. However, how can a rom-com not have a streak of comedy running through it?

And that’s where it was all beginning to unravel for me. Maintaining the balance between drama and comedy was turning out to be more difficult than I’d imagined. I struggled with it for days but was dissatisfied with the outcome no matter how many times or how many different ways I rewrote the scene. I was ready to throw in the towel – at one point I even thought of splitting the scene into two with the announcements happening in different scenes with a smaller cast of characters. While that was an option, it would not have the same impact.

Finally, I decided to write the scene in a screenplay formal: with minimal descriptions and keeping the dialogues up front and centre. That gave me enough scope to see how one character’s dialogue would impact the others. It was a bit like setting off a chain reaction where dialogues would trigger action and emotion.

Once I started writing the scene with only the characters’ dialogues, it all began to come together though it ended up as a 25-page scene! But at least I could see how the scene would unfold. It helped me visualise the emotions and reactions of each character. Once the dialogues were in place, I layered in the action or description lines and followed it up with emotion/innermost thoughts (wherever necessary). 

Finally, the scene was working: it combined emotion, back and forth dialogue as well as some slapstick action (complete with a plate of pasta flying off the table). Every character was contributing in some way to the chaos, drama, emotion and comedy. Then, it was just a question of trimming the scene, cutting out unnecessary dialogue and it was ready to go!  
Whoever thought writing a breezy rom-com would be so draining! Phew!

- Adite Banerjie

Intrigued? Here’s a blurb for Bombay Heights



A feel-good romantic comedy

Small town girl Sanjana Kale wants a fresh start in Mumbai. A challenging job and some much-needed distance from her ludicrously over-protective family could get her life under control.

Forced to team up with video game designer Ashwin Deo, who is too attractive for his own good, she finds life becoming a whole lot more complicated when he turns out to be her new neighbour.  How can she maintain a professional distance with this charming troublemaker who believes in getting up close and personal?

To make matters worse, her ex tries to manipulate her loved ones to work his way back into her life. Hysterical siblings, a cantankerous client, an ex who will not take no for an answer, and a blow hot blow cold neighbour... Sanjana is sleepless in the City of Dreams! Can she do what Ashwin dares her to--create a few ripples even if it upsets her family?

Buy your copy at AmazonIN 




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Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Book Spotlight: Freefall by Jana Williams #MyFriendAlexa Post 6

Author Introduction  


Writer Jana Williams believes in the power of fiction to change lives. 
Jana’s own life was changed as a child when she discovered the public library had row after row of novels where women lived lives filled with adventure and daring.  These fictional women pointed the way to a life where a woman could decide for herself what truly mattered in life.

Women like Madam Curie, Amelia Earhart and Nandini Harinath had always done this daring thing - imagining themselves for themselves throughout the ages, but the novels seemed inspirational on a completely different level.  Jana hopes to inspire a whole new generation of women and girls to dare to follow their curiosity about life - to dare to step outside the dreams of others and find their own dreams. 

Freefall is the first novel in the three-part Amalie Noether series where Elle Silver and her friends leap into the unknown of deep-space pursuing their dreams of colonizing a new planet. 



Book Blurb:  


A new novel by Canadian - Jana Williams


Paris in 2418 is knee-deep in sand, just like the rest of planet Earth, when Elle and 150 other young colonists blast into Space to colonize a new planet. Just beyond Mars lies a wormhole where the transport ship will slip into folded space, and travel to a solar system light years from Earth. Halfway through their journey, Elle begins to suspect the sleep drug they take to allow deep-space travel may actually be poisoning them. 

As each cycle passes more and more colonists awaken with troubling side effects, like anxiety, depression and unprovoked flashes of anger. On a ship as small as the Vera Rubin this anger could spell disaster if a solution to their problem is not found. Time is running out for the packed transport ship, as tempers flare and arguments erupt.  Elle and her friends are in a  race against time to find answers to their questions to save their mission and possibly their lives.  

They thought they had been trained for every eventuality - but poison and saboteurs were never on their list.


A catchy PRE-Review 

     
FRANCES K….writes:
I loved Freefall.  Wonderful characters, with a strong female lead - and a fascinating new world to explore in this book The science is completely credible and the storyline had me really wondering what would happen next.  I can’t wait for the next instalment in the series!

  FIVE STARS


Social media links  

Facebook – Freefall-the-novel    

Twitter -  Jana Williams


Advance Praise for Freefall:

"I loved this book. Can't wait for the sequel."
Frances K.

"Freefall is smart, funny and utterly engaging. A really good adventure story with a strong female lead."
Darach S.

"I loved this book.... a great female protagonist and wonderful world building true to solid science.”
Marg G.  




 Tempted? Check it out here:





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Saturday, September 15, 2018

On Writing: Interview with author Shilpa Suraj #MyFriendAlexa Post 5

Today on 'On Writing', we have Shilpa Suraj, a published author with Harlequin India, Mills & Boon Indian author collection, who has successfully completed a two-book contract. 

Her first book ‘The Girl He Left Behind’ was released on August 1, 2014, and spent more than a year and a half on the Amazon.in Bestseller and Hot New Releases charts. It has also made it to #3 and stayed at that rank on the Hot New Releases list for close to ten days. Her second book ‘Rescued by Love’ released on October 24, 2014, and has made its appearance on both the Hot New Releases list and Bestsellers list on Amazon.in.


‘Driven by Desire,’ her third book, was released by Juggernaut in May 2018. Her fourth book, Wrong, has been contracted by Rupa Publications and will release in 2019.

Let's get to know Shilpa's views about books, writing and more...
Welcome to 'On Writing', Shilpa.

Follow her on Twitter handle: @shilpaauthor Instagram: Shilpa.suraj


Was becoming an author always your dream or was it a particular event or incident that gave birth to the author in you?

My life and by extension my lifestyle isn’t very conventional. Married to a sailor, no not Popeye, I rarely got to spend huge chunks of time with him. So, when he was scheduled for a six-month course in Chennai, I promptly applied for a sabbatical from work and toddled off with him. I had these dreamy visions of ‘quality time,’ ‘soulful eye contact’ and ‘meaningful conversations’ floating around in my head.
In reality, he was incredibly busy and I was incredibly bored. The only meaningful conversation I was having was with my new maid in my rusty Tamil.
So, I finally sat down with my laptop and started typing out what would end up being the first draft of ‘The Girl He Left Behind.’ I love writing, I love telling stories and most importantly, I love that there are people out there who want to read them.

How important are the names of the characters in your books to you? Do you spend agonizing hours deciding on their names?

Not hours but yes, I do spend a little time trying to figure out a name that goes with the personality and character in my head. For some reason, I struggle more with surnames than first names. Finding the perfect Anglo Indian surname for Max in Driven by Desire was important and took a little time. I finally settled on Maxine Sheridan, exotic and glamorous, it’s the complete opposite of who she is in her life. And that’s why I loved it.

What is your writing process like? Do you write every day? Is there a favourite place to write?

I don’t have a process. I wish I did but I really just write when I can find the time. Most days, that time is after my toddler goes to sleep and the house is finally quiet. Some days the words flow and some days I stare at the screen for a while typing and deleting the same sentence over and over again before giving up and going to bed. Most of my writing is done huddled in bed so I can keep an eye on my sleeping child and be productive.

What is different about ‘Driven by Desire’?

Driven by Desire is about learning to love a person for who they are and not for who you or society think they should be. With an unconventional heroine (a vintage car restorer) and an older, stick in the mud hero (a staid businessman), it shows us that all the parameters that society considers acceptable in individuals and relationships are meaningless.

Also, Driven by Desire, like real life, is all about snatching moments of passionate sex, making full use of crackling chemistry and adding meaningful conversations as well as soulful eye contact and managing quality time between two very occupied and individual people. Much like most of us in real life.

Who is your favourite character in the book and why?

While I relate to Krish and his need to be everything to everybody, my favourite character is Max. Her exuberance and love for life is something I wish I could emulate. I would love to be a Max but I’m definitely Krish’s spitting image in real life.

Which do you prefer as a reader? EBook or Paperback?

I will read anything. A paperback, ebook, newspaper, blog post…I just need to read. Jokes apart though, I prefer my Kindle for the sheer convenience of having multiple books at my fingertips no matter where I am.

How long did it take to finish writing ‘Driven by Desire’?

I wrote Driven by Desire in four months. The characters and the story were so clear in my mind that it was easy to bring it to life. The age difference, unconventional professions and lifestyles and the flipping of the gender stereotypes all came together very seamlessly.

How important do you think is marketing in today’s world for any book?

Where would we be without our readers? We want people to read our work and if they don’t know we or our books exist, it’s hard for them to do that. Marketing is very important to bring your work to someone’s attention. To get them to give it a chance. After that, it’s your talent and your story that’s firmly in the driving seat.

Please share a passage or quote from ‘Driven by Desire’ for our readers.


Walking across the backyard, Krish approached the garage, “Max.”
The only indication that she’d heard him was a slight stiffening in the legs that were in view. When she showed no signs of emerging, he crouched and gave her legs a yank. In reply, she kicked him. Hard!
“What the fuck!” fatigue, stress and honest to God bewilderment had his temper coming to a boil.
Wrapping a hand around the ankle closest to him, he said, “Get out of there now or I’ll drag you out.” Tightly laced fury had him practically spitting out the words.
Shoving back with her heels, Max propelled herself out from under the car. Jerking her leg out of his grasp, she got to her feet and moved away from him. Hair unravelling from her braid, dirty overalls and outraged fury sparking in her eyes, she made him want to haul her over his shoulders and carry her up to his bed. To lose himself in her soft sweetness. Except right now it would be like trying to make love to a cactus.
“What?” aggravated beyond reason by the desire that had a stranglehold on him, he growled, “What the hell have I done wrong now?” Tossing her braid over her shoulder, she sniffed. “If you don’t already know, there’s no point in telling you anything.”
“Ah hell, Max.” Tugging at his hair until it stood up in tufts, he said, “Don’t go all female on me now.”
He knew this was the wrong thing to say, even before the words were out of his mouth. He could almost feel the Universe pitying him.
“Max, I’m exhausted.”
“When are you not exhausted?”
That gave him pause. Maybe she had a point about those vitamin supplements.
“Alright.” Lifting his hands in surrender, he tried a placating tone, “Whatever it is, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t patronize me, you jackass,” seething, Max packed her tools with a controlled violence that had Krish taking a wary step back.
“First you hide me like an ugly little secret and now you want to talk to me like I’m a hysterical floozy.”
He was by her side in two strides. Wounded pride had him grabbing her arm and hauling her around to face him, “What the hell are you talking about? When did I ever treat you like that?”
“Yesterday morning,” she flung at him. “You didn’t come near me or even acknowledge me until the entire family was gone. Of course, the minute they were out of sight, I seemed a lot more appealing. Even the key to the house was only for work as far as they were concerned. God forbid, they find out you’re sleeping with the help!”
The final thread of sanity snapped at the last word. Hurt and temper had him tightening his grip on her arm and dragging her into the kitchen. Adi and Chirag looked up in surprise from the kitchen table. Taking in the fact that Pooja was still nowhere in sight with one sweeping glance, Krish came to a halt in front of them.
Spinning Max to face him, he anchored her with a firm hand at her nape and kissed her. Raw, passionate and possessive in a way that branded her inside and out, Krish seemed oblivious to the hoots and cheers that echoed around them.
Pulling back enough to see her face, Krish cupped her cheek and tipped her face back to meet his eyes. His gaze burning into hers, he announced, “In case you numbskulls haven’t yet comprehended it, Max and I are seeing each other.”

What are the three tips you have for readers of this interview who are aspiring writers?
1.   Be true to the storyteller inside you. Write the story you want to tell. Don’t try to write what you think will sell.
2.  Try and write every day but if it doesn’t happen don’t beat yourself up about it. Your writing should bring you joy, not stress.
3.  Remember why you started writing in the first place. Hold that feeling close. It’s what makes this journey special.

Thank you, Shilpa! Wishing you the very best for your future endeavours. 

Aren't you tempted to check out 'Driven by Desire' ?

What are you waiting for?

'Driven by Desire': 

Blurb:
An ace vintage car restorer and a pharmaceutical tycoon, Maxine and Krish have nothing in common. A chance encounter puts their lives on a collision course and a stubborn and steady attraction begins to bloom. Wanting each other is easy, it's happy ever after that's the problem...

To purchase from Juggernaut: CLICK HERE
Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian Bloggers

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

On Writing: D. R. Downer #MyFriendAlexa Post No.4

Today on 'On Writing', we have author D.R. Downer, who started his professional journey as an Executive in the sales department of a UK based organization. Since then he changed over and handled many roles and responsibilities in the Marketing, Sales & Customer Service departments across industries. He finally shifted over to Advertising and spent a good 11 years in the same.

Later on, he found writing was his true calling. Now he spends hours glued to his laptop and wonders if his wife can sue him for cheating on her with his laptop!

Let us hear from D. R Downer more about his writing journey.

Welcome to 'On Writing', Deep!


Connect with him via Website  Amazon Author Page Blog

Was becoming an author always your dream or was it a particular event or incident that gave birth to the author in you?

I'm an Engineer and an MBA in Marketing. So no, being an author was never my dream, not even remotely. I guess, the (dis)credit for this goes to my school teachers, who used to sarcastically suggest me to either become a politician or a writer. I was quite good at cooking up instant stories as the excuse for my shenanigans, you see. :)

How important are the names of the characters in your books to you? Do you spend agonizing hours deciding on their names?

I chalk down the demographic details of the characters I have in mind, add those to their age, and their beliefs. Then, if need be, I research a bit online with those details for the names. Usually, though, it doesn't come to that. Once I see all the details on the paper, the name comes up easily.

What is your writing process like? Do you write every day? Is there a favourite place to write?

Usually, I write every day, yes. How many words I manage to put down, now that varies. As you would know, every day is not a good day. I've converted one of the rooms in my apartment into a library. I call it The Den (bordering egotistic, I know); that's where I lock myself for the most part of the day and write.

What is different about ‘The Time is Now’?

I was so hoping you would ask me that. 'The Time Is Now' was originally written as a screenplay. I was hoping to make it into a short film, but that was not to happen owing to the lack of finances. I couldn't get myself to dump the story altogether either and decided to release it as a book. I converted some portion of the script into prose form. So, what you have now is an interesting blend of two great arts of storytelling- Script-writing and Prose.

Interesting! Who is your favourite character in the book and why?

This one is fairly simple. My favourite character in the book is Nainika, and I think anyone who has read the book will agree with me. Nainika, I think, is a perfect blend of youthful exuberance, innocence, compassion, and brains. All I had to do while imagining her was to think how I would like my daughter to be if I ever had one.

How difficult or how easy it is to write a short story?

Well, let me give you a quote from a famous writer: 'I sat down to write a short story once, but fell short of time. So, I wrote a full-length novel instead'. In essence- and having written both- I would say writing a short is tougher. You see, when you sit down to write a short, you have to go with brevity. There has to be a single emotion, and each and every sentence that you write must take the reader towards that final emotion. I'd like to believe that my short stories are like little imprints I leave, for the world to find and follow them to my heart.

How long did it take to finish writing ‘The Time is Now’?

As I said, I had initially written it as a screenplay, which took me something around a month. Later, when I sat to partially change it to a prose, it took me more than three months. Getting that balance between the two forms proved to be tougher than I had thought, I guess.

How important do you think is marketing in today’s world for any book?

Extremely! Unless your last name is Bhagat, and you know people will buy your book, regardless of what crap you have written in it. Authorpreneur is the keyword today.

Please share a passage or quote from ‘The Time is Now’ for our readers.


OK, this one is from Nanika. 'I think perfection is the final destination. Once you’re there, that’s the end. You can’t go any farther than that, can you? Maybe that’s why everyone strives for it but is also afraid deep inside of achieving it.'

What are the three tips you have for readers of this interview who are aspiring writers?

1) Never, ever edit or proofread as you type your first draft. Let there be typos, let those grammatical errors be, you just keep punching the damn keys. Editing can always be done later, no matter how crappy the first draft is. But, you can't edit a blank sheet of paper, can you now?
2) Make a schedule. Keep aside at least a couple of hours- same time- every day for writing, and stick to it.
3) Learn the rules first. It's all the more fun breaking them later, once you know them.

Thank you, Deep! That was one interesting chat. Wishing you the very best in your future endeavours. 





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Saturday, September 8, 2018

On Writing: Interview with author Jisha Rajesh #MyFriendAlexa Post 3

Today on 'On Writing', we have Dr Jisha Rajesh, a doctor by profession and a writer by passion. She is an avid reader while music and cooking are her other hobbies. She has published various articles in the Youth Express magazine of  The Indian Express during her college days. After completing her post-graduation in medicine, she is taking the time off to follow her passion for writing. She dreams of spreading the message of humanity, compassion and universal brotherhood through her stories. She resides in the beautiful city of Dubai with her family and admires the rich cultural diversity over there.

Welcome to 'On Writing', Jisha!



Connect with her on Facebook  Twitter  Instagram 


Was becoming an author always your dream or was it a particular event or incident that gave birth to the author in you?

I met the author inside me serendipitously. When I was in my 9th standard, a creative writing competition was held in our school as a part of Independence Day celebrations. A friend of mine dragged me by hand and made me participate in it. I was myself shocked when my first ever poem won a place among the top three beating all others. Then there was no turning back. As the years passed by the passion for writing grew inside me.

How important are the names of characters in your book?

The story emphasizes the pivotal role that the power of hope plays in the journey from dreams to realization. I have named the protagonist ‘Jai’ and his ladylove as ‘Asha’ to highlight this theme. Jai in Hindi means success and Asha means hope. In the last chapter of the book, Jai tells Asha – “You have always been my ray of asha, Asha!”

What is your writing process like?

Writing is like doing meditation for me and it’s a part of my daily regime. No matter how busy I get, I still find time to write. On some days, I write only for a few minutes while on others it’s for hours at a stretch. I prefer to write in the solitude of my room where there are nobody and nothing around to distract me.

What is different about ‘The Ray of Asha’?

The plot is unique which makes an attempt to redefine success. And it’s a complete package. Apart from romance and mystery, it has a tinge of spirituality added to it. All kinds of readers will find it entertaining. 

Who is your favourite character in the book and why?

Jai is my favourite character. He has the qualities of head and heart as well as an indomitable spirit which makes him stand up again and fight back for the eleventh time after already being knocked down ten times.

Which do you prefer as a reader – an EBook or paperback?

Personally, I prefer EBooks. There will be no need to slaughter so many trees if EBooks take over paperbacks

How long did it take to finish writing ‘The Ray of Asha’?

It took me about a year to present the book in its current form. The process of editing took longer than carving up the plot. I kept on making additions and deletions every now and then.

How important do you think is marketing in today’s world for any book?

If you have written a book, you should let the world know that you have. And for that, you should have an excellent marketing plan. To be honest, I feel that in today’s world marketing is even more important a thing than the quality of contents of a book. If you have a good marketing strategy, you can make it work even if the quality of the book is not up to the mark.

Please share a passage or quote from ‘The Ray of Asha’.

This one is my favourite. It’s a conversation between Jai and his father. Jai is trapped in a conspiracy and he visits his father to find some solace. It goes like this…
        


           “Do you love me, Dad?” I (Jai) asked after the consultations were over. I kept my eyes lowered while asking. I didn’t want him to read the agony of my soul through my eyes for I knew he was an expert in doing so.
           “Why are you all of a sudden asking such a question? Don’t you know?”
           “Tell me na, Dad,” I cajoled like a kid.
            Dad leaned back in his chair and said, “You are not only my s-o-n but also my S-u-n. The Sun is the centre of the Universe and the vital force without which everything will perish. So are you to me. You are the very reason for my existence, the hope of my future and the dream of an entire lifetime. Without you, there will not be me.”
            A lump built-up in my throat as those words fell on my ears. How could I tell him that your ‘Sun’ is under the threat of an eclipse?
          
            What are the three tips you have for aspiring writers?

            1) Never ever give up on your passion.
            2) Try to make time and write daily even if it is only a few words.
          3) Practice makes a man perfect. Your writing skills will improve with each new piece that you pen down.


Thank you, Jisha! Wishing you the very best for your future endeavours! 

About A Ray of Asha:



 

Blurb:
 A young journalist Gayatri Chaturvedi, was assigned to interview a spiritualist who was the talk of the town for his unique healing powers. Initially, she takes him for a fraud but as the interview proceeds, she realizes that he has a deep knowledge of medicine. Smitten by the charms of his looks and fascinated by his intriguing personality, she decides to probe into his past. Her investigation leads her to that era of his life when he was a post-graduate student of medicine. Right at the time when he was about to propose to his lady-love, his life turns upside down and he finds himself accused of the murder of a fellow student. The story unfolds as Gayatri seeks answers to the questions that keep reverberating in her mind. What has made the boy who has a heart of gold, commits a crime as heinous as murder? Is he really guilty or was he trapped? A story of indomitable courage, selfless love and ardent friendship will reaffirm your faith in the power of hope.