Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 98
November 10, 2015
Review of The Pillar Invisible by Hari Parameshwar
Book Name : The Pillar Invisible
Author : Hari Parameshwar
Publisher : Rumour Books
Genre : Fiction/Mystery
Number of Pages : 223
Publishing Date : 29th October 2015
Binding : Paperback
ISBN : 9781943730858
Rating : 4.0
Blurb
Mumbai: Satya, 36, IIM topper, hailed by the media as the fresh face of space-age business, quits two days after his elevation as the Group CEO of a major Indian business group.
Hyderabad: Raja, 51, not even a matriculate, once a trade unionist, later, a well-known political pimp who built up his vast business domain from nothing, suddenly renounces everything and turns to spirituality.
Cochin: Tom, 31, the only child of a multimillionaire, who became the sole owner of a multi-faceted business empire following the sudden demise of his father, attempts suicide.
Three individuals who have never met or known to each other.
A year later they surface, molded together as single-heart, with their newfound entity, Tasāra, branded with the logo of a pyramid supported by three visible pillars and a fourth pillar, invisible — representing someone who is potent, influential and brilliant, but prefers to remain elusive. Who is it?
That enigma has been haunting the media for seven long years. Until…now.
My Review
The book dvelves the depth of corporate world through a coherent and consistent storyline. The life sketches of Satya, Tom and Raja are intricately coalesced, maintaining the suspense and evoking intrigue in every pages. The anagram of TaSaRa from their names, corresponding to the Satya, Tamo and Rajo gunas is brilliant. Their characters are molded in sink with the guna they represented. I have come across a lot of books discussing philosophy and spirituality in different contexts like science, mythology etc but the perusal of the same in the context of corporate management is the first in my reading experience and hence the topic is refreshing and exciting. Even if the story is about three males and their guiding individuals, who are also males, female characters are given prior importance and their role in the story is at par with the male counterparts. The language is easily comprehensive and maintains the bar at the same time.During the revelation of the fourth pillar, the pace of the story drops a little. Author succeeded in maintaining the curiosity but towards the end the zest was missing.
One Liner
A perfect entertainer for those who have an appetite for enigmatic spine chillers
Avail the book from Amazon
About the Author
Dr Hari Parameshwar, the author of: "The Pillar Invisible", "Many Paths Many Answers" and "Chase of Choices" is a seasoned and versatile management specialist.
"Chase of Choices" has been acclaimed by many, besides receiving interesting reviews on media and from eminent reviewers. The New Indian Express pronounced it as “an emotional whirlwind on the complexities of life.”
His first book, Many Paths Many Answers, was published in 2013 and that, too, has received excellent reviews from the readers and media. The Indian Express review called it an “unputdownable” book: "that fresh breeze of new-age spirituality that draws its inspiration from the waters of the source at its roots and takes them to its vibrant flowers blossoming out into the full view of a workaday world."
Hari has had an eventful career, studded with brilliance in many spheres of corporate management, development of urban infrastructure, and aviation. Hari, a well-known life coach, yoga expert, corporate spiritualist, and advocate of New Age philosophy, is also a renowned environmentalist and a sustainability expert.
E-mail: hkp707@hotmail.com
Reviewed for the publisher
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
A review of A is for Apocalypse
Book Name : A is for Apocalypse
Author : Compiled and edited by Rhonda Parrish
Publisher : Poise and pen publishing
Genre : Anthology
Number of Pages : 310
Publishing Date : August 2014
Binding : Paperback
ISBN : 13 : 9780993699016)
Rating : 4.0
Blurb
In A is for Apocalypse, the world ends in both fire and ice–and by asteroid, flood, virus, symphony, immortality, the hands of our vampire overlords, and crowdfunding. A stellar group of authors explores over two dozen of the bangs and whispers that might someday take us all out. Often bleak, sometimes hopeful, always thoughtful, if A is for Apocalypse is as prescient as it is entertaining, we’re in for quite a ride.” – Amanda C. Davis, author of The Lair of the Twelve Princesses
What do you get when you take twenty six amazing writers, randomly assign them a letter of the alphabet and give them complete artistic freedom within a theme?
A is for Apocalypse
Twenty six apocalyptic stories written by both well-known and up-and-coming writers. Monsters, meteors, floods, war—the causes of the apocalypses in these tales are as varied as the stories themselves.
This volume contains work by Ennis Drake, Beth Cato, Kenneth Schneyer, Damien Angelica Walters, K. L. Young, Marge Simon, Milo James Fowler, Simon Kewin, C.S. MacCath, Steve Bornstein and more!
“Editor Rhonda Parrish gives us apocalyptic fiction at its finest. There’s not a whimper to be heard amongst these twenty-six End of the World stories. A wonderful collection.” –Deborah Walker, Nature Futures author.
“One of the “good ones”… creative and imaginative works of short fiction around a compelling theme.” – Ian Dawe, Sequart Magazine
“…with an assortment of plots and genres (some horror, some science fiction, even a few dabbling in romance and humour) there’s a little bit here for everyone. Fans of apocalyptic tales should find A is for Apocalypse entertaining…”– Jess Landry, Hellnotes
My Review
The book is an alphabetical anthology of twenty six stories named with the twenty six English alphabets. The stories are quite refreshing and interesting. In spite of writing baseless and hollow words, each story is dedicated to a relevant issue or incident. From Zombies to Nuclear pollution, the authors touched every topic of concern. I never believed that I would like a story with Zombies but the book changed my every preconceived notions. Rhonda has done a praiseworthy job as an editor. The book urges us to turn the pages fast and swift, making us want to read more and more. Variety is another virtue I noticed in the book. No two stories are similar or have similar topics, which is noteworthy for a book with 26 stories.
As with every anthology, there were some weak links. One or two stories were not up to the benchmark set by the others.
One Liner
A refreshing alphabetical anthology compiled seamlessly
Avail the book from Amazon
About the Author
Rhonda Parrish is driven by a desire to do All The Things. She was the publisher and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine for eight years (which is like forever in internet time) and is the editor of several anthologies including, most recently, Scarecrow and B is for Broken.
In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been in publications such as Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast, Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing (2012 & 2015) and Mythic Delirium.
Her website, updated weekly, is http://www.rhondaparrish.com
Reviewed for the author
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
November 9, 2015
Poetic science fiction review of Genesis by Andreas Laurencius
Book Name : Genesis Author : Dr. Andreas LaaurenciusGenre : Sci-FiNumber of Pages : 357Publishing Date : September 2015Edition : Kindle EditionISBN : 13: 9781515057611 Rating : 4.0
Blurb
There is no good or evil. We classify things into good and evil because we are currently unable to solve the two problems of the world: death and dearth. If there ever comes a time when we can solve these problems, we won't be required to do this anymore.”
For the first time in history, the truth is out.
This story reveals to you the truth about reality and the fabric of the universe, which up until now had been kept secret from mankind.
This book solves the enigmas that have perplexed even the greatest thinkers of the world throughout the ages: what is soul, what is human, what happens after we die, what law governs the universe.
From personal spiritual awakening to the grand design of the world's systems, from love stories to the realm of quantum physics, this book carries you through time, from the beginning of consciousness to the future, where the hidden-but-now-revealed truth holds.
If Jesus Christ was the one we read in the bible, he couldn't possibly be the Son of God. If Muhammad was the one we read in the Quran, he couldn't possibly be the Messenger of God. If Buddha thought and acted the way we know from the many books, he hadn't developed the true awareness. If Hindu's Gods liked to war the way we read in many books, then their existence is questionable. Why? It's simple, because the stories we read about them showed that they didn't know.
Genesis, on the other hand, knows.
For the first time, you will also be given the explanation/clues:
1. Why the universe is infinite.
2. How to come up with the ultimate theory and get rid of the discrepancies among theories, by giving the correct definition of absolute distance, space, matter, and reality.
3. What actually happened in the beginning of the universe: it was not big bang.
4. Whether parallel universes exist. What are they? Can we go there?
5. That due to the new definition of space and time, it is not possible to go to the future.
6. Why there isn't any singularity inside a black hole.
7. What gravity is.
8. Why scientists keep getting it wrong.
9. What soul is, and the reason why this world is full of sufferings.
10. That there is no hell, and there is no heaven, and ultimately the truth will be revealed against THE BIGGEST LIE IN THE WORLD EVER, which has shaped the foundation of humanity from the very beginning of its time.
Characters
Junhuan : The protagonist; Scientist. TurthseekerAndy, Ningzhen, Cordelia, Henry, Takeshi: Junhuan’s Friends Avella : Junhuan’s girlfriendFarrah, Pyrrhia, Jolie, Darlene : Posthuman childrenAedan : Junhuan’s Tibetan masterNala-2, Aigis, Heylel, Avi : The real brains behind the genesis.
Plot
The story happens in 2029. Junhuan leads a happy and excited life with his friends. The building Yu Huang, which he designed is the talk of the world. Living a life searching for the truth behind the existence of humanity and life, Junhuan travels through several facets of life. Back home, a disaster awaits him along with his family and friends. The Shy-9999 virus dishevels Junhuan’s universe and takes him to another world of Gleis. What happens in the new world? What did he learn there? How did he survive? What happens to his family? To get the answer to these questions, grab a copy of the book.
My Review
The book deals with several topics. Philosophy, psychology, spirituality, biotechnology etc poetically. Author tries to find the philosophical meaning of the scientific findings. This is an enlightening book, which evokes the untouched areas of thought process. The friendship between Junhuan and his friends is conveyed well to the readers without any exaggeration. The idea of Yu Huang is quite imaginary. From a world of science, author takes us to Tibet, the world of spirituality. Author analyses the truth behind and the hollowness of years old beliefs. From the intellectual and spiritual flow, author takes us back to another world of unrest. The post human life is also depicted with an imaginative elegance. The book deals several serious topics with utmost sincerity. The Shy-9999 attack cannot be casted out like just a Sci-Fi imagination but these days bio war can be expected any second. A detailed account of the life after death makes us think about the immaterial life and envisions us of the reality of life. A violent adult is a stubborn child who has grown strong.
The journey in the second chapter was a little bit longer than required. The Tibetan journey could have been elaborated since the topic handled could not be conveyed properly in a single chapter. The pace of the story is not steady but due to the seriousness of the topic handled, the slow pace at certain chapters can be justified. Creation is the ability to perceive nothingness as a sequence
One Liner
A philosophical, spiritual, scientific fiction.
Avail the book from AMAZON
Reviewed for the author
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
November 6, 2015
Skin Care for my kids with the Genie of diapers
I have already discussed about the five things I would do to protect my baby's skin. Was that all? No. There are even more. Skin care is not just about oil, lotion and related items. Today I would like to share a few more methods to keep my baby's skin soft and tender.
1. Mosquito Repellents
Mosquitoes are like the Trojan horses, we could not expect what comes out from their tiny antennas. More than mere bite marks or rashes, mosquitoes bites causes many diseases. Mosquito nets cannot be trusted completely. It is then that the importance of mosquito repellents become relevant. I pamper my baby's skin with mosquito repellents so that those dangerous insects stay away from my prince and princess.2. Vitamin E
Vitamin E rich food protects the skin like a safety coating. Food rich in Vitamin E are wheat germ oil, nuts like peanut, hazelnut etc, green leafy vegetables etc.
3. Sun
To protect my child from ultraviolet rays and other dangerous rays, I try to avoid taking them under the sun. If in any odd situations, I happen to take them under the sun, I apply baby lotions containing sun screen. At the same time, I take them under the sun during morning and late evening because at that time, sun's rays are good for skin and helps in producing Vitamin D in our body.
4. A/C
Kids sleeping in A/C rooms looks so fresh, and fair. Is A/C good for skin? Actually no. I live in Kerala, where humidity it high. I such a climate, if we accustom our kid's skin to the artificially created atmosphere of A/C, it might damage the natural adapting capability. In the unrelenting heat these days, its not practical to avoid A/C but I try to reduce the hours and low temperature.
5. Turmeric
The favorite home remedy of every Indian mother. It's antiseptic properties are known in every houses in India. Turmeric milk is the best for deep cleansing their body. I apply turmeric paste once in a week to retain the glow of their skin. It also prevent unwanted hair growth in future, says our grandmothers. I don't know about the authenticity of this argument but I buy it since Turmeric made their skin soft and glowing.
Last time I told you about the benefits of Pampers premium pants. I would like to share a detailed analysis of the same in this post as well.
PAMPERS PREMIUM CARE PANTS
Changing diapers is the nightmare of many moms especially in areas where diaper changing rooms are not available. There are even international airports without a diaper changing facility. I'm such a scenario, a diaper which pamper baby skin for long hours is like a Genie. Yes, the genie of diapers Pampers Premium Care Pants.
As you can see, the diapers give up to 12 hours dryness. So no hassle of changing diaper every four - five hours.
The genie of diapers provide us with something unheard of. It is the wetness indicator.
The all round fitness provide extreme comfort to your baby.
The Genie of diapers appeared in a Spectacular event
If you want to know more, you have to buy it for yourself but before that, I would like to give a sneak peek on what these mothers have to say.
So what are you waiting for? Go, get the Genie magic.
November 5, 2015
A journey through the inner self, which elucidates the peradventure about spirituality. Review of Know Thyself by Gian Kumar
Book Name : Know ThyselfAuthor : Gian KumarPublisher : Celestial Books (imprint of Leadstart Publishing)Genre : Non-Fiction(spirituality)Number of Pages : 326Publishing Date : 2015Binding : PaperbackISBN : 9789352013722Rating : 4.5
Blurb In the first of his series of 3 books: Gian Kumar answers our questions related to spirituality in a simple and seamless manner. From time immemorial, people have searched for definitive responses to questions such as: Who am I? Where do I come from? Does God exist? What is the essence of my relationship with Him? Gian’s thoughts are an amalgam of Science, Spirituality and Philosophy. He believes that once we discover our true selves, our lives can be freed from stress, depression and misery. The core of this series is based upon the absolute reality of life – Oneness between the Self and the Universe. Knowing oneself is the most challenging task. It involves accepting our alter ego or shadow-self. When we understand and accept who we really are, in totality. We have a better chance of achieving what we want from our lives. Know Thyself – herein lies the key to success, happiness and fulfilment...
My Review
Through the book, Gian kumar knocks open the sectors of brain, which were shut against spirituality and spiritual thoughtS. He pulls the readers towards the book and indulges their intellect through unprecedented thought process. The book coerces the reader to stop showing blind faith and start gaining the knowledge. The book vehemently criticizes the neo-gen religious Guru’s and their barbarian practices. Author unravels how these so called pseudo leaders contort the ancient literature and strip them off the real spirituality. Author proposes that one should pursue the spiritual journey after fulfilling the worldly desires, especially the sensual desires. One should detach the self from themselves and view their own self as a separate entity. Author expands the meaning of ‘Thou art that’ or ‘I am that’, which can be said in a different word- Aham Brahmasmi. He evaluated the Brahman for the ease of the reader. It is this oneness; we should search for, to know ourselves. Author links consciousness, awareness and the energy interacting within the mind seamlessly. The book urges us to go beyond the duality of existence. The thought of God as an intensely inner experience came to my mind for the first time from this book. Author interprets the duality of life and death, sex and love and finally the power of our body. It might sound like a cliché but I have to say that the book is a roller-coaster ride of several realms of our spirit, body, and mind. The book made me urge for more. There were some symbolism and ideas like comparison of body to temple, which were extracted from books like Gita.There were some points which I deferred with the author or I would say I was not able to comprehend it the way author meant. Author claims that even if your genetic code contains a cancer program, the same need to be expressed through the consciousness of your cell membrane unless your mind through its power of conviction agrees to it. I felt that it was a slightly exaggerated explanation of the power of spirituality. Another point is that author says about the search of inner self once we have wealth, power and other paraphernalia. This puts those mass of people, who are unable to attain the same in a different strata. When many of the so-called spiritual gurus contorted our ancient literature, there were some of them, who were successful in permeating the right messages to the masses. This could have been mentioned. In spites of these doubts the book placed itself in a prominent position in my reader mind. I am waiting to read the sequels.
One Liner
A journey through the inner self, which elucidates the peradventure about spirituality
Avail the book from Amazon
About the Author
Gian Kumar was born into a traditional Hindu family, in Burma (present-day Myanmar). From childhood, his life held paradoxes which he struggled to understand. While he was educated at a Christian boarding school which observed strict religious practices, these were diametrically opposed to the Hindu traditions and customs which were the norm when he went home for the holidays. A thinker by nature, the inherent confusion and dogmas underlying religion, gradually impelled him towards spirituality. Today, he is deeply grateful for a journey filled with opportunities to learn about existential riddles such as: Who am I? What is my purpose in Life? Is God an illusion? Gian hopes to share his own experiential learnings with others through the medium of his books. Gian lives with his family in New Delhi.Reviewed for the publisher (Leadstart publishing Pvt. Ltd
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
November 4, 2015
I am not a Chauvinist, Says Nik Krasnov. In conversation with the author of Oligarch Series
Action, violence, thrills, chasing, boxing, football; No, I am not talking about Rambo or Fast and furious or any movies. It’s a book. Which is the book? Who is the author? Well, let’s get to know all these through this session.Welcome Nik Krasno, the author of Mortal Showdown.
Hi Nik,Welcome to this virtual tete a tete.Nik: Hi, it's a pleasure. Thanks for your interest. Q Before moving on, tell me about your passion towards action.Nik: Well noticed -:) Indeed, action is by far my favorite genre, be it in literature, motion pictures or even music. It's probably a natural follow-up of my childhood interest in adventure books in different exotic or simply unfamiliar locations. For a kid, growing up in the USSR, it was virtually impossible to visit other countries, except maybe for a handful of Warsaw pact states, so I 'traveled' the globe with the help of Jules Verne, acquainted Paris through Dumas' musketeers' eyes, London - with the guidance of Arthur Conan Doyle and so on.. Some years later I like many genres, provided still they have a strong action/adventure flavor in them. And besides - I try not to miss any of the available adrenaline injections myself: diving, skydiving, bungee I did at least once. Now waiting for commercial space travel to commence and trying to save 100K USD to afford it -:)
Q Tell us a little about yourself and your background?Nik: I'm 40 plus now. I was born in Kiev, Ukraine, then - USSR. When the enormous country started to crumble politically, economically, territorially, I didn't see that much sense in staying put. Having an opportunity to leave for Israel as well as appetite for adventures, of course -:), I emigrated to the Mediterranean's at the age of 17. I was lucky enough to be admitted to the law faculty at Tel Aviv University, where I spent few excellent years. Not studying that hard, but rather partying, travelling, playing cards and indulging in other foolishness of the YA. As I had to finance tuition as well as living I worked hard both before and during the uni. In some places I didn't stay for long, but I washed dishes, operated embroidery machines at textile factory, worked as a pool boy in a hotel, as a janitor at basketball arena, as a cashier, bouncer, shift manager at a student night club. I might've even forgotten few more occupations.After passing my Bar exam, I saw a good business opportunity in now independent Ukraine, which had a great potential, but lacked even most basic things, amenities and business heritage.In the legal sphere I'd established a law office in Kiev with local and Israeli partners, while on the business side I worked for an international business group, specializing in emerging markets. Although engaged mostly in real estate projects, I had to a lesser degree dealt with privatization, defense, telecommunications and other spheres in Ukraine, CIS and Eastern Europe in general.As my girlfriend and later - wife stayed in Israel all along, I used to live for some years on the plane between Israel and Eastern Europe. In 2005 I 'returned' to Israel, but still every once in a while travelled to Ukraine to supervise the law office.After selling my share in the law office, I work as a sole practitioner in Israel and rarely leave my family for business trips. Consequently, I have more downtime now, which resulted in starting the Oligarch series...
Q What’s your Ukrainian Political ConnectionNik: Now - hardly any. But when I used to do business or practice law there I acquainted many prominent businessmen, politicians, functionaries and so on..
Q Do you agree with the protagonist about the Ukrainian –EU collaboration.Nik: Definitely. It's for a good reason that oligarchs and even less influential businessmen live in the West and send their kids to study in Europe. That reflects the striving of most Ukrainians. Not everyone can afford moving abroad though, but association with EU should serve a good stimulus for building a more modern and less corrupted state in Ukraine, so that eventually she can become a proud member of the EU. On the other hand, nowadays no one can't be sure that EU would survive for that long -:)
Q Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?Nik: Michael (Misha) is a slum-dog billionaire. He has a complex, many would say - flawed personality. He's influenced by injustice done to his father and the poverty hosting most of his childhood and adolescence. He's a tough, cynic, sarcastic, often cruel, ambitious and audacious SOB, yet much of his negative flairs resulted from his adaptation to and coping with harsh and evil reality and surroundings. On the other hand, he's a loyal friend, a man with principles, who has a natural inclination towards basic fairness and a sense for a greater, common (not only his personal) good and purpose. All these form an individual with conflicting and sometimes opposite personalities. He's not black or white. Just like in the real world, where you can only rarely meet an absolute heroes or villains.
Q Now, the question, which many women would have in mind, while reading Mortal Showdown. Why the portrayal of women as commercial properties? Nik: Unfortunately, that's often a mentality among Russian/ Ukrainian super-rich. As I wanted to have a realistic although fictional protagonist, I had to portray Misha chauvinistic as many of them are, however I don't share his attitude
Q Do you mean to say that Misha is an anti-hero?Nik: To a certain degree - definitely. He's a murderer, but he turns against those who endangered and betrayed him, he's a swindler, but he's also a patriot, trying to save his country and to protect his family and friends. Is Michael Corleone an anti-hero? What about The White Tiger of Arawind Adiga? I think these have multiple choice answers.
Q What are you working on at the minute?Nik: I still need to be a breadwinner doing other things, mostly practicing law, so I can't dedicate most of my time to writing. Nevertheless, I have a raw draft of a sequel, which eventually may evolve into the 3-d book.
Q How do you manage you profession and writing?Nik: Not the way I prefer. I'd rather write more and do less legal work, but I won't reveal a big secret if I'd say that only a very small percentage of writers can live off of writing and I'm not in that lucrative category yet -:)
Q For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?Nik: I prefer - paper. As a lawyer I spend way too much time with electronic documents, so for leisure I'd choose a physical copy
Q What book/s are you reading at present?Nik: 'Putin's Kleptocracy' by Karen Dawisha. Someone who read my books insisted that I must read 'Kleptocracy', so much that he even cared to mail me this book. After all those efforts, although I rarely read non-fiction, I don't really have a choice with this one -:)
Q How are you publishing this book and why?
(*e.g. Indie, traditional or both)Nik: I'm an indie, but I wouldn't say - by choice. On the first book - we (with a co-author) applied to agents, but none seemed interested. It's understandable to some degree, as Russian/Ukrainian oligarchs is probably a relatively narrow niche and people in the publishing industry are unwilling to take risks in the current market conditions.
Q What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?Nik: The advantages are clear: you have a full control of your book and you don't have to share anything with anyone, but then .... there is frequently nothing to share -:) In order to succeed and actually see some proceeds an indie must invest a great deal of efforts (not necessarily funds) into marketing and sales' promotions. That's entirely not my thing, so I would rather outsource this part to professionals for a certain percent.
Q Do you intend to see the book on silver screen? If so, which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?Nik: I'd love to. Action books are natural for an adaptation into action movies. With all the action and twists, I can definitely imagine 'Mortal Showdown' as a mind-blowing action film. I can feature Leonardo, as an Oligarch (with Jason for Arthur, of course -:)), Liam Neeson maybe, Gary Oldman, Clooney even
Q What are your thoughts on writing a book series.Nik: I think that series can be beneficial for both writers and readers, therefore I'm doing it as an Oligarch series with first two installments already out: 'Rise of an Oligarch' and 'Mortal Showdown'. On the other hand, it's a question of a good measure. If the theme is 'exhausted', I don't see a point in adding artificially something ridiculous.
Q Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book/s?
(* please provide a link to trailer if you have one)Nik: Not there yet, but wouldn't rule it out for the future..
Q Do you think that giving books away free works and why?Nik: The success game for any author is 'visibility'. If a giveaway helps to gain that much, to create some kind of buzz - I think you need to do it to ignite some momentum. Like in any art: new bands first play for free in pubs and clubs, artists do some free street art/graffiti and so on. It's mostly a marketing tool to enable further sales, as of course author's work and sometimes - monetary investment in editing, internet site, etc well deserve a reward.
Q Where can you see yourself in 5 years’ time?Nik: Hopefully, more engaged in writing and less in more mundane things...
Q What advice would you give to your younger self?Nik: I'm not the type reflecting on the past that much. Yet, business wise I would've advised not to be afraid from grand things, from taking risks. You may love, hate or be indifferent to oligarchs or other magnates, but many of them made billions in their twenties and thirties both in the East (Abramovich, Khodorkovsky, Ahmetov, etc) and in the West (Mark Zuckerberg, Jan Koum, Sergey Brin). In the modern world twenties and thirties are probably the most productive years to fill them with hard work, attempts, achievements, all those however to be balanced with pleasures, adventures and rich personal life.
Q What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Nik: Write for the art in it, for the pleasure of a creative work, invest wisely into making a professional product: editing and proofreading, cover design, etc. Don't do it for money, as many of those would be disillusioned. Yet a breakthrough may happen and then it'll be a pleasant surprise.
Q Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?Nik: No, I think we've addressed most of the issues that might interest readers
Q How can readers discover more about you and you work?Nik: through social media, of course
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=nav...
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Nik-Krasno/e/B0...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.Nik: You are most welcome. Thank you for hosting me and for running this excellent 'bridge' between the readers and the writers. Beware of oligarchs, some of them bite -:)
Hi Nik,Welcome to this virtual tete a tete.Nik: Hi, it's a pleasure. Thanks for your interest. Q Before moving on, tell me about your passion towards action.Nik: Well noticed -:) Indeed, action is by far my favorite genre, be it in literature, motion pictures or even music. It's probably a natural follow-up of my childhood interest in adventure books in different exotic or simply unfamiliar locations. For a kid, growing up in the USSR, it was virtually impossible to visit other countries, except maybe for a handful of Warsaw pact states, so I 'traveled' the globe with the help of Jules Verne, acquainted Paris through Dumas' musketeers' eyes, London - with the guidance of Arthur Conan Doyle and so on.. Some years later I like many genres, provided still they have a strong action/adventure flavor in them. And besides - I try not to miss any of the available adrenaline injections myself: diving, skydiving, bungee I did at least once. Now waiting for commercial space travel to commence and trying to save 100K USD to afford it -:)
Q Tell us a little about yourself and your background?Nik: I'm 40 plus now. I was born in Kiev, Ukraine, then - USSR. When the enormous country started to crumble politically, economically, territorially, I didn't see that much sense in staying put. Having an opportunity to leave for Israel as well as appetite for adventures, of course -:), I emigrated to the Mediterranean's at the age of 17. I was lucky enough to be admitted to the law faculty at Tel Aviv University, where I spent few excellent years. Not studying that hard, but rather partying, travelling, playing cards and indulging in other foolishness of the YA. As I had to finance tuition as well as living I worked hard both before and during the uni. In some places I didn't stay for long, but I washed dishes, operated embroidery machines at textile factory, worked as a pool boy in a hotel, as a janitor at basketball arena, as a cashier, bouncer, shift manager at a student night club. I might've even forgotten few more occupations.After passing my Bar exam, I saw a good business opportunity in now independent Ukraine, which had a great potential, but lacked even most basic things, amenities and business heritage.In the legal sphere I'd established a law office in Kiev with local and Israeli partners, while on the business side I worked for an international business group, specializing in emerging markets. Although engaged mostly in real estate projects, I had to a lesser degree dealt with privatization, defense, telecommunications and other spheres in Ukraine, CIS and Eastern Europe in general.As my girlfriend and later - wife stayed in Israel all along, I used to live for some years on the plane between Israel and Eastern Europe. In 2005 I 'returned' to Israel, but still every once in a while travelled to Ukraine to supervise the law office.After selling my share in the law office, I work as a sole practitioner in Israel and rarely leave my family for business trips. Consequently, I have more downtime now, which resulted in starting the Oligarch series...
Q What’s your Ukrainian Political ConnectionNik: Now - hardly any. But when I used to do business or practice law there I acquainted many prominent businessmen, politicians, functionaries and so on..
Q Do you agree with the protagonist about the Ukrainian –EU collaboration.Nik: Definitely. It's for a good reason that oligarchs and even less influential businessmen live in the West and send their kids to study in Europe. That reflects the striving of most Ukrainians. Not everyone can afford moving abroad though, but association with EU should serve a good stimulus for building a more modern and less corrupted state in Ukraine, so that eventually she can become a proud member of the EU. On the other hand, nowadays no one can't be sure that EU would survive for that long -:)
Q Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?Nik: Michael (Misha) is a slum-dog billionaire. He has a complex, many would say - flawed personality. He's influenced by injustice done to his father and the poverty hosting most of his childhood and adolescence. He's a tough, cynic, sarcastic, often cruel, ambitious and audacious SOB, yet much of his negative flairs resulted from his adaptation to and coping with harsh and evil reality and surroundings. On the other hand, he's a loyal friend, a man with principles, who has a natural inclination towards basic fairness and a sense for a greater, common (not only his personal) good and purpose. All these form an individual with conflicting and sometimes opposite personalities. He's not black or white. Just like in the real world, where you can only rarely meet an absolute heroes or villains.
Q Now, the question, which many women would have in mind, while reading Mortal Showdown. Why the portrayal of women as commercial properties? Nik: Unfortunately, that's often a mentality among Russian/ Ukrainian super-rich. As I wanted to have a realistic although fictional protagonist, I had to portray Misha chauvinistic as many of them are, however I don't share his attitude
Q Do you mean to say that Misha is an anti-hero?Nik: To a certain degree - definitely. He's a murderer, but he turns against those who endangered and betrayed him, he's a swindler, but he's also a patriot, trying to save his country and to protect his family and friends. Is Michael Corleone an anti-hero? What about The White Tiger of Arawind Adiga? I think these have multiple choice answers.
Q What are you working on at the minute?Nik: I still need to be a breadwinner doing other things, mostly practicing law, so I can't dedicate most of my time to writing. Nevertheless, I have a raw draft of a sequel, which eventually may evolve into the 3-d book.
Q How do you manage you profession and writing?Nik: Not the way I prefer. I'd rather write more and do less legal work, but I won't reveal a big secret if I'd say that only a very small percentage of writers can live off of writing and I'm not in that lucrative category yet -:)
Q For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?Nik: I prefer - paper. As a lawyer I spend way too much time with electronic documents, so for leisure I'd choose a physical copy
Q What book/s are you reading at present?Nik: 'Putin's Kleptocracy' by Karen Dawisha. Someone who read my books insisted that I must read 'Kleptocracy', so much that he even cared to mail me this book. After all those efforts, although I rarely read non-fiction, I don't really have a choice with this one -:)
Q How are you publishing this book and why?
(*e.g. Indie, traditional or both)Nik: I'm an indie, but I wouldn't say - by choice. On the first book - we (with a co-author) applied to agents, but none seemed interested. It's understandable to some degree, as Russian/Ukrainian oligarchs is probably a relatively narrow niche and people in the publishing industry are unwilling to take risks in the current market conditions.
Q What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?Nik: The advantages are clear: you have a full control of your book and you don't have to share anything with anyone, but then .... there is frequently nothing to share -:) In order to succeed and actually see some proceeds an indie must invest a great deal of efforts (not necessarily funds) into marketing and sales' promotions. That's entirely not my thing, so I would rather outsource this part to professionals for a certain percent.
Q Do you intend to see the book on silver screen? If so, which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?Nik: I'd love to. Action books are natural for an adaptation into action movies. With all the action and twists, I can definitely imagine 'Mortal Showdown' as a mind-blowing action film. I can feature Leonardo, as an Oligarch (with Jason for Arthur, of course -:)), Liam Neeson maybe, Gary Oldman, Clooney even
Q What are your thoughts on writing a book series.Nik: I think that series can be beneficial for both writers and readers, therefore I'm doing it as an Oligarch series with first two installments already out: 'Rise of an Oligarch' and 'Mortal Showdown'. On the other hand, it's a question of a good measure. If the theme is 'exhausted', I don't see a point in adding artificially something ridiculous.
Q Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book/s?
(* please provide a link to trailer if you have one)Nik: Not there yet, but wouldn't rule it out for the future..
Q Do you think that giving books away free works and why?Nik: The success game for any author is 'visibility'. If a giveaway helps to gain that much, to create some kind of buzz - I think you need to do it to ignite some momentum. Like in any art: new bands first play for free in pubs and clubs, artists do some free street art/graffiti and so on. It's mostly a marketing tool to enable further sales, as of course author's work and sometimes - monetary investment in editing, internet site, etc well deserve a reward.
Q Where can you see yourself in 5 years’ time?Nik: Hopefully, more engaged in writing and less in more mundane things...
Q What advice would you give to your younger self?Nik: I'm not the type reflecting on the past that much. Yet, business wise I would've advised not to be afraid from grand things, from taking risks. You may love, hate or be indifferent to oligarchs or other magnates, but many of them made billions in their twenties and thirties both in the East (Abramovich, Khodorkovsky, Ahmetov, etc) and in the West (Mark Zuckerberg, Jan Koum, Sergey Brin). In the modern world twenties and thirties are probably the most productive years to fill them with hard work, attempts, achievements, all those however to be balanced with pleasures, adventures and rich personal life.
Q What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Nik: Write for the art in it, for the pleasure of a creative work, invest wisely into making a professional product: editing and proofreading, cover design, etc. Don't do it for money, as many of those would be disillusioned. Yet a breakthrough may happen and then it'll be a pleasant surprise.
Q Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?Nik: No, I think we've addressed most of the issues that might interest readers
Q How can readers discover more about you and you work?Nik: through social media, of course
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=nav...
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Nik-Krasno/e/B0...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.Nik: You are most welcome. Thank you for hosting me and for running this excellent 'bridge' between the readers and the writers. Beware of oligarchs, some of them bite -:)
My mom induced my imaginations, says Nicole Belanger- Author of One Last Wish and many more books
A writer from childhood, an author who write her heart out. The one who conceived several beautiful books, Nicole Belanger speaks about her journey through words and about her latest book One Last Wish.
Hi Nicole, Welcome to the virtual chit chat Q For a change, tell me about your phantasms first, about your writings from childhoodNicole: My mom wrote a lot of poetry when I was little, and I enjoyed listening to the rhythmic dance of the words as she spoke them. I remember wanting to create the same tune that she played, but as a six year old I found that hard. I remember telling my stuffed animals and imaginary friends little stories that I would make up and pretend they were the greatest stories ever made. When I was in the second grade, our teacher wanted us to make up a short story about anything we wanted. Mine was called The Cat that Leaves Fish Alone, and was about our pet cat, Tiger. Our teacher provided a blank hard cover book and my mom typed up my story for me to glue into the pages. I even did the illustrations. I still have this book on my bookshelf. Holding that book in my hand at seven years old, a book I created, gave me a feeling that had never gone away. Accomplishment.Q What were you like at school?Nicole: I got good grades, did my homework, and tried to blend in. I was friends with everyone, but I had a small group of friends I actually spent time with outside of school. I played basketball from the first grade to seventh grade, then in eighth grade decided to stop so I could focus more on softball, which I played from first grade to junior year of high school. High school was different. My freshman year I joined a club called Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVP) which I became treasurer and secretary of my sophomore year and retained that status until I graduated. At the end of freshman year, I got my first job at McDonald’s, which I stayed with for four years until I started working at the hospital two years ago. Q What are your ambitions for your writing career?Nicole: I’ve gone further than I ever expected to with my writing. When I wrote Lost Voice, I had no intention of sharing it with anyone. Now I’m three books deep and I don’t really know what I want. I guess I’m just seeing where it takes me. I love to write, and I love to share what I write with people. And if my writing changes one person’s life for the better, I’m happy. Q So, what have you written?
(*Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest.)Nicole: I’ve written a lot of things. I’ve written poems, a few short stories, three books, etc. I tried to maintain a blog for a while last year but I just didn’t have the time for it. I would like to try to start writing it again, but for now I’ll stick with my books and micro poetry. I also wrote a children’s book a year ago for a class I was taking, but the manuscript is still sitting in a file on my laptop.
Q Tell me about One Last WishNicole: One Last Wish is my newest book that just came out. It opens up with the main character, Brooke Ryder, finding out her six year old daughter who’s been missing for months has been found. Unfortunately, though, her daughter, Sarah, was found dead. Brooke is heartbroken, finds herself at a bar and meets a guy names Sean Crawford. Brooke and Sean become close, and together try to find Sarah’s killer. But they have to be careful, because they don’t know who they can trust, or if they can even trust each other.Q Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?Nicole: Brooke is a very determined woman. She changes drastically from the beginning of the book to the end. At the beginning, she’s broken. She finds herself spiraling and she’s not sure which way is up. Eventually she’s able to snap herself out of it and tries to find her daughter’s killer. She refuses to give up until she finds justice for her daughter, even if that means going against an officer’s advice.Q What are you working on at the minute?Nicole: I’m working through some ideas trying to decide what to write next. I would like to write another romance/mystery novel. I’ve discovered I like the romance genre. In the meantime, I’m just writing micro poetry to pass the time.Q How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?Nicole: I’ve come a long way since my first book. When I got One Last Wish in the mail, I read the first chapter of each book. My use of description, emotion, and even the flow of words has gotten much stronger with each book and I hope it will continue to do just that. Q What is the hardest thing about writing?Nicole: I think the hardest part about writing for me is discipline. I’m very easily distracted, and because I write on the computer, sometimes I’m tempted to check my email, social media, and youtube random things rather than sticking to writing. I also find I sometimes have to force myself to take just an hour to sit down and write. I try to write 2,000 words a day, even if I never use them for anything.Q Unlike several indie author books, yours was edited well. Who edited your book and how did you select him/her?Nicole: I used a company called BookFuel to publish One Last Wish, and the editor that was assigned to my book was named Windy. Windy did a great job helping me edit this book. It was a large team effort, where she would suggest places that needed more or less description and let me make the changes. She then edited for grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.Q Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.Nicole: My agent through BookFuel sent me a questionnaire to fill out for the cover design before they started making it. Some of the questions included what kind of mood I wanted the colors to be, what I envisioned for the book cover to look like when I was writing it, etc. From my answers, they created five different covers for me to choose from, one of which was the one I chose. Once I chose it, if I wanted anything to look different on the cover I could have them change it. Then they created the whole sleeve and I had my cover design. Q Who designed your book cover/s?Nicole: The book cover was designed by someone at BookFuel. Q How do you market your books?Nicole: I do my own marketing. Mostly I market through twitter and my facebook page. A lot of my friends also help to get the word out about the books, as well.Q Why did you choose this route?Nicole: I chose this route because I’m a working college student. I unfortunately don’t have the money to pay for advertising. Occasionally I’ll spend $50 on a facebook advertisement for either the book or my facebook page that runs for about ten days. But other than that, I just advertise in any way that’s free until I can afford more.Q Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book/s?
(* please provide a link to trailer if you have one)Nicole: I do not have a trailer. Honestly, I’ve never really been able to figure out how to make one.Q Do you think that giving books away free works and why?Nicole: I think it does. I’m not in the industry to make money, I’m in it to share my work. People love free stuff, and they’re much more likely to pick up a copy of your book if it’s free. It’s a great way to get my name out there. If I do a giveaway, I only do a few at a time, or I’ll do an amazon kindle free book giveaway for a short period of time.Q What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Nicole: Just keep writing. Don’t worry about it being perfect, there’s plenty of time to edit when it’s done. If you don’t like it, that’s okay. That’s what editing is for.Q Where do you see publishing going in the future?Nicole: I see it going toward the self-publication route. I don’t see people publishing traditionally anymore unless they’re already a well known public figure.Q Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?Nicole: No, I think you covered everything!Q How can readers discover more about you and you work?NicoleWebsite: nicolebelangerauthor.com (not yet up, it’s in the works and will be up soon)
Blog: nlbelanger.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/authornicolebelanger
Twitter: @nbelanger6
Lnkedin:
Pinterest: @nbelanger6
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Belanger...
Smashwords:
Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.)http://www.amazon.com/One-Last-Wish-Nicole-Belanger/dp/162217318X/ http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Nicole-Belanger/dp/149915982X/http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Voice-Nicole-Belanger/dp/1470096366/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.Nicole: Thank you!
Hi Nicole, Welcome to the virtual chit chat Q For a change, tell me about your phantasms first, about your writings from childhoodNicole: My mom wrote a lot of poetry when I was little, and I enjoyed listening to the rhythmic dance of the words as she spoke them. I remember wanting to create the same tune that she played, but as a six year old I found that hard. I remember telling my stuffed animals and imaginary friends little stories that I would make up and pretend they were the greatest stories ever made. When I was in the second grade, our teacher wanted us to make up a short story about anything we wanted. Mine was called The Cat that Leaves Fish Alone, and was about our pet cat, Tiger. Our teacher provided a blank hard cover book and my mom typed up my story for me to glue into the pages. I even did the illustrations. I still have this book on my bookshelf. Holding that book in my hand at seven years old, a book I created, gave me a feeling that had never gone away. Accomplishment.Q What were you like at school?Nicole: I got good grades, did my homework, and tried to blend in. I was friends with everyone, but I had a small group of friends I actually spent time with outside of school. I played basketball from the first grade to seventh grade, then in eighth grade decided to stop so I could focus more on softball, which I played from first grade to junior year of high school. High school was different. My freshman year I joined a club called Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVP) which I became treasurer and secretary of my sophomore year and retained that status until I graduated. At the end of freshman year, I got my first job at McDonald’s, which I stayed with for four years until I started working at the hospital two years ago. Q What are your ambitions for your writing career?Nicole: I’ve gone further than I ever expected to with my writing. When I wrote Lost Voice, I had no intention of sharing it with anyone. Now I’m three books deep and I don’t really know what I want. I guess I’m just seeing where it takes me. I love to write, and I love to share what I write with people. And if my writing changes one person’s life for the better, I’m happy. Q So, what have you written?
(*Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest.)Nicole: I’ve written a lot of things. I’ve written poems, a few short stories, three books, etc. I tried to maintain a blog for a while last year but I just didn’t have the time for it. I would like to try to start writing it again, but for now I’ll stick with my books and micro poetry. I also wrote a children’s book a year ago for a class I was taking, but the manuscript is still sitting in a file on my laptop.
Q Tell me about One Last WishNicole: One Last Wish is my newest book that just came out. It opens up with the main character, Brooke Ryder, finding out her six year old daughter who’s been missing for months has been found. Unfortunately, though, her daughter, Sarah, was found dead. Brooke is heartbroken, finds herself at a bar and meets a guy names Sean Crawford. Brooke and Sean become close, and together try to find Sarah’s killer. But they have to be careful, because they don’t know who they can trust, or if they can even trust each other.Q Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?Nicole: Brooke is a very determined woman. She changes drastically from the beginning of the book to the end. At the beginning, she’s broken. She finds herself spiraling and she’s not sure which way is up. Eventually she’s able to snap herself out of it and tries to find her daughter’s killer. She refuses to give up until she finds justice for her daughter, even if that means going against an officer’s advice.Q What are you working on at the minute?Nicole: I’m working through some ideas trying to decide what to write next. I would like to write another romance/mystery novel. I’ve discovered I like the romance genre. In the meantime, I’m just writing micro poetry to pass the time.Q How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?Nicole: I’ve come a long way since my first book. When I got One Last Wish in the mail, I read the first chapter of each book. My use of description, emotion, and even the flow of words has gotten much stronger with each book and I hope it will continue to do just that. Q What is the hardest thing about writing?Nicole: I think the hardest part about writing for me is discipline. I’m very easily distracted, and because I write on the computer, sometimes I’m tempted to check my email, social media, and youtube random things rather than sticking to writing. I also find I sometimes have to force myself to take just an hour to sit down and write. I try to write 2,000 words a day, even if I never use them for anything.Q Unlike several indie author books, yours was edited well. Who edited your book and how did you select him/her?Nicole: I used a company called BookFuel to publish One Last Wish, and the editor that was assigned to my book was named Windy. Windy did a great job helping me edit this book. It was a large team effort, where she would suggest places that needed more or less description and let me make the changes. She then edited for grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.Q Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.Nicole: My agent through BookFuel sent me a questionnaire to fill out for the cover design before they started making it. Some of the questions included what kind of mood I wanted the colors to be, what I envisioned for the book cover to look like when I was writing it, etc. From my answers, they created five different covers for me to choose from, one of which was the one I chose. Once I chose it, if I wanted anything to look different on the cover I could have them change it. Then they created the whole sleeve and I had my cover design. Q Who designed your book cover/s?Nicole: The book cover was designed by someone at BookFuel. Q How do you market your books?Nicole: I do my own marketing. Mostly I market through twitter and my facebook page. A lot of my friends also help to get the word out about the books, as well.Q Why did you choose this route?Nicole: I chose this route because I’m a working college student. I unfortunately don’t have the money to pay for advertising. Occasionally I’ll spend $50 on a facebook advertisement for either the book or my facebook page that runs for about ten days. But other than that, I just advertise in any way that’s free until I can afford more.Q Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book/s?
(* please provide a link to trailer if you have one)Nicole: I do not have a trailer. Honestly, I’ve never really been able to figure out how to make one.Q Do you think that giving books away free works and why?Nicole: I think it does. I’m not in the industry to make money, I’m in it to share my work. People love free stuff, and they’re much more likely to pick up a copy of your book if it’s free. It’s a great way to get my name out there. If I do a giveaway, I only do a few at a time, or I’ll do an amazon kindle free book giveaway for a short period of time.Q What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Nicole: Just keep writing. Don’t worry about it being perfect, there’s plenty of time to edit when it’s done. If you don’t like it, that’s okay. That’s what editing is for.Q Where do you see publishing going in the future?Nicole: I see it going toward the self-publication route. I don’t see people publishing traditionally anymore unless they’re already a well known public figure.Q Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?Nicole: No, I think you covered everything!Q How can readers discover more about you and you work?NicoleWebsite: nicolebelangerauthor.com (not yet up, it’s in the works and will be up soon)
Blog: nlbelanger.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/authornicolebelanger
Twitter: @nbelanger6
Lnkedin:
Pinterest: @nbelanger6
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Belanger...
Smashwords:
Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.)http://www.amazon.com/One-Last-Wish-Nicole-Belanger/dp/162217318X/ http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Nicole-Belanger/dp/149915982X/http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Voice-Nicole-Belanger/dp/1470096366/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.Nicole: Thank you!
November 2, 2015
Ageless Barriers: Interview with Mary Carpenter
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Mary Carpenter author of Mary and the Marauding IndiansHi Mary Aunty( hope you remember out deal), For the readers: Since it is uncomfortable to call someone my Grandmother's age by her name, I took permission to call her aunt.
Q Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?Mary : I went to college and became an ordained Christian minister of the United Methodist Church. I served as a pastor for 20 years in Kansas. Then my health turned very bad and I had to stop. I moved from Kansas back to the southern United States where I was raised. When I had time on my hands, I stopped writing sermons and started writing stories.Q Why did you write Historical Fictions?Mary: I write historical fiction to honor those who went before us. The struggles they endured paved the way so that we could have comfort. I want to remember them and their stories.
Q Tell me about your booksMary: All of my fiction books are historically based on real incidents. I read newspapers, diaries, official testimonies and letters from the time period and then write the stories based on what people said happened. I also write nonfiction books. I have book on turmeric and its medicinal value coming out next month. It is based on scientific journals of 2014 and 2015 and the newest advances in medical research.Q In reality, was there a practice of becoming a Mail Order BrideMary: Yes, mail order brides were very popular in the late 1800s because of the lack of women in the West. The conditions were harsh during the Frontier times. Men led the path to the West and then women followed.Q Tell me about Mary ThompsonMary: The Mary Thompson in my book was loosely based on my great grandmother. She was born under similar circumstances but did not become a mail order bride. She was strong and worked very hard to raise her family with little money.Q Is there any relation between you protagonist and the original Mary Thompson who lived in Dodge City at that time?Mary: Any resemblance between my Mary and that Mary is coincidence. Mary is a popular name and so is Thompson.Q Did you do any research?Mary: Yes, I read congressional testimony regarding the Northern Cheyenne and their treatment by the Army and US government. I read the account of Col. Lewis and his death in the Army records and books. I read the journals of the settlers during the Indian Wars. The story of Mary hiding in the barn was a true account. This was in a letter to the US government asking for reimbursement for the cows and horses. I also read accounts of Dodge City and the Col. Lewis story about pulling the soldiers out of jail and building the Long Branch Saloon.Q Do you ever get writer’s Block?Mary: Yes, but I read so much history that the ideas are always there. The problem I have is moving them from my mind to the paper. I read and write for 4 hours every day. Sometimes I just make notes on what I read, other times I write on my stories.Q Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors.Mary: I read all the time. Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, Janet Evanovitch, C.S. Lewis, Tex Sample, Louis L'Amour, John Grisham, Robin Cook, Tom Clancey, Lewis Grizzard, Jude Devereaux, and hundreds of others are my favorites. I rarely meet a book I don't like.Q How are you publishing this book and why?
(*e.g. Indie, traditional or both)Mary: This is independently published through CreateSpace. I wasn't sure I could do this. This is my first full length novel, and it is still short.Q How do you market your books?Mary: I buy advertising on Google Adwords and Facebook. Q Any amusing story about marketing books that happened to you?Mary: no, I wish there was.Q What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?Mary: Good reviews are awesome. Since I am a beginner they encourage me to keep working. Bad reviews can be very hurtful. If the bad review lists why the person didn't like the book that is more helpful, but to say a book is a waste of time to read is not. I think we can all learn from every book or written material, even cereal boxes. So reading anything is not a waste of time, in my opinion.Q Did you do a press release, Goodreads book launch or anything else to promote your work and did it work?Mary: I bought ads on Facebook and did a free book giveaway on my short story Maggie and the Stubborn Swede and Mary and the Marauding Indians. I gave away about 2,000 copies in the two events. I am part of the KDP program that tracks the pages read. So far, over 8,000 pages have been read. I think that is really good for a new author. I have only sold 50 copies so far, but I think that will improve as I launch more titles.Q Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?Mary: Abraham Lincoln, as he had so much to deal with when our country was divided.Q Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?Mary: I have several more books in the works. Katy and the Wolf at the Door will be out this month. I am also writing Missy and the Contraband Camp, due out at the beginning of December. In January I will release Suzanna and the Exodusters. In February I have planned Joe and the Buffalo Hunters. All of these books are semi-biographical, based on real events but they are created characters.Q How can readers discover more about you and you work?Website: http://www.marycriswellcarpenter.com
Blog: http://www.marycriswellcarpenter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marycriswell...
Twitter: @mjccnevertool8
Lnkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryccarp...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/purplemem/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Criswell-C...
Smashwords:
Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0153BY5BU/r...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.Mary: Thank you for the candid review. It was very helpful for me as I try to improve my writing skills. I have written academically for more than twenty years but fiction is a different genre. I must practice and study to write an interesting and honest book.
Q Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?Mary : I went to college and became an ordained Christian minister of the United Methodist Church. I served as a pastor for 20 years in Kansas. Then my health turned very bad and I had to stop. I moved from Kansas back to the southern United States where I was raised. When I had time on my hands, I stopped writing sermons and started writing stories.Q Why did you write Historical Fictions?Mary: I write historical fiction to honor those who went before us. The struggles they endured paved the way so that we could have comfort. I want to remember them and their stories.
Q Tell me about your booksMary: All of my fiction books are historically based on real incidents. I read newspapers, diaries, official testimonies and letters from the time period and then write the stories based on what people said happened. I also write nonfiction books. I have book on turmeric and its medicinal value coming out next month. It is based on scientific journals of 2014 and 2015 and the newest advances in medical research.Q In reality, was there a practice of becoming a Mail Order BrideMary: Yes, mail order brides were very popular in the late 1800s because of the lack of women in the West. The conditions were harsh during the Frontier times. Men led the path to the West and then women followed.Q Tell me about Mary ThompsonMary: The Mary Thompson in my book was loosely based on my great grandmother. She was born under similar circumstances but did not become a mail order bride. She was strong and worked very hard to raise her family with little money.Q Is there any relation between you protagonist and the original Mary Thompson who lived in Dodge City at that time?Mary: Any resemblance between my Mary and that Mary is coincidence. Mary is a popular name and so is Thompson.Q Did you do any research?Mary: Yes, I read congressional testimony regarding the Northern Cheyenne and their treatment by the Army and US government. I read the account of Col. Lewis and his death in the Army records and books. I read the journals of the settlers during the Indian Wars. The story of Mary hiding in the barn was a true account. This was in a letter to the US government asking for reimbursement for the cows and horses. I also read accounts of Dodge City and the Col. Lewis story about pulling the soldiers out of jail and building the Long Branch Saloon.Q Do you ever get writer’s Block?Mary: Yes, but I read so much history that the ideas are always there. The problem I have is moving them from my mind to the paper. I read and write for 4 hours every day. Sometimes I just make notes on what I read, other times I write on my stories.Q Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors.Mary: I read all the time. Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, Janet Evanovitch, C.S. Lewis, Tex Sample, Louis L'Amour, John Grisham, Robin Cook, Tom Clancey, Lewis Grizzard, Jude Devereaux, and hundreds of others are my favorites. I rarely meet a book I don't like.Q How are you publishing this book and why?
(*e.g. Indie, traditional or both)Mary: This is independently published through CreateSpace. I wasn't sure I could do this. This is my first full length novel, and it is still short.Q How do you market your books?Mary: I buy advertising on Google Adwords and Facebook. Q Any amusing story about marketing books that happened to you?Mary: no, I wish there was.Q What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?Mary: Good reviews are awesome. Since I am a beginner they encourage me to keep working. Bad reviews can be very hurtful. If the bad review lists why the person didn't like the book that is more helpful, but to say a book is a waste of time to read is not. I think we can all learn from every book or written material, even cereal boxes. So reading anything is not a waste of time, in my opinion.Q Did you do a press release, Goodreads book launch or anything else to promote your work and did it work?Mary: I bought ads on Facebook and did a free book giveaway on my short story Maggie and the Stubborn Swede and Mary and the Marauding Indians. I gave away about 2,000 copies in the two events. I am part of the KDP program that tracks the pages read. So far, over 8,000 pages have been read. I think that is really good for a new author. I have only sold 50 copies so far, but I think that will improve as I launch more titles.Q Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?Mary: Abraham Lincoln, as he had so much to deal with when our country was divided.Q Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?Mary: I have several more books in the works. Katy and the Wolf at the Door will be out this month. I am also writing Missy and the Contraband Camp, due out at the beginning of December. In January I will release Suzanna and the Exodusters. In February I have planned Joe and the Buffalo Hunters. All of these books are semi-biographical, based on real events but they are created characters.Q How can readers discover more about you and you work?Website: http://www.marycriswellcarpenter.com
Blog: http://www.marycriswellcarpenter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marycriswell...
Twitter: @mjccnevertool8
Lnkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryccarp...
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/purplemem/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Criswell-C...
Smashwords:
Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0153BY5BU/r...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.Mary: Thank you for the candid review. It was very helpful for me as I try to improve my writing skills. I have written academically for more than twenty years but fiction is a different genre. I must practice and study to write an interesting and honest book.
November 1, 2015
A review on Mortal Showdown by Nik Krasno
Book Name : Mortal Showdown Author : Nik KrasnoGenre : ThrillerNumber of Pages : 250Publishing Date : 1stJune 2015Edition : KindleASIN : B00X2DD7ZM
Rating : 3.5
Blurb
Mortal Showdown is an action packed thriller sending the reader on a kaleidoscopic race through violence, sex, scamming and anti-scamming, political upheaval and murder.
Michael (Misha) – a Ukrainian oligarch who was rapidly climbing the Forbes rich list, wakes from a coma caused by an assassination attempt and realizes that he's in the thick of a multilayered attack on him and his business empire. Making things even worse - among his numerous adversaries is one of Russia’s most influential strongmen. From rich and powerful, Michael very quickly becomes a fugitive, struggling for survival. Counting on his wits and a handful of loyal associates, he searches for a way to even the score with each of his adversaries and to save his country from the Russian bear’s grasp.
In order to have the slightest chance in a face-off with his prime nemesis, Michael needs to attack head on, undertaking the greatest risk of his entire life. Unfortunately, the dangerous mission goes wrong from the very beginning...
Characters
Michael Vorotavich(Misha)- Ukranian Oligarch, ProtagonistSasha Vorotavich- Misha's brotherMasha - Micha's friendOleg, Boris- Misha's friends and accomplicesArthur - Misha's BodyguardColonel Alexander Korbalyov- Puppet Master, who is after Misha's lifeSarah- Masha's motherThere is a long cast, Johnny,Denis,Aqsaqal , the list is unending. Plot
Michael Vorotavich resurrects from coma to know that his brother is kidnapped. Through reliable sources, he gets to know that Puppet Master is behind the abduction. Misha sets out to meet Kasakhstan president, whose friendship is used to release Sasha. After the release, Misha and Sasha sets out for a fun trip to Thailand. When he is back, Misha's world goes upside down to know the long story of betrayal and he finds himself as a fugitive. He begins his come back by finishing his enemies one by one.
Highlights
I must counter-attack, I realized, otherwise with the scale and multifaceted nature of attacks, I could be finished by the end of the year. This is an out and out boy’s book. As the blurb says, it’s an action packed thriller explaining the Geopolitical insights of Ukrainian Civics in a fictitious background. The storyline is strong, with a chance of evoking a political storm. The first and foremost thing that struck my mind is the disclaimer in the beginning, for the under-aged. The book is well edited. The language is crisp and tight. For the lovers of the underworld drama with violence, sex, scams, politics, and murder, this is a perfect book and worth the money.
Drawbacks
A Major drawback of the book is portraying women as a fun material. Being a woman, this really disturbed me. Michael shows concern about his wife but the feeling of love and passion towards his wife was missing. In an unending tendency to portray the protagonist as a larger than life human being, the story became unnecessarily violent.
One Liner
An out and out boy’s book for action lovers
Avail the book from Amazon
About the Author
Nik Krasno was born in Kiev, USSR in the seventies. At the age of 17, seeing the enormous Soviet Empire crumbling around him, Nik immigrated to Israel, where he became a lawyer at the age of 23.
Returning to now independent Ukraine in the late nineties as an Israeli citizen, Nik established with partners an international law firm and managed it during its first years. He built the firm's reputation and later supervised its work from an Israeli law office. As a lawyer Nik counselled a wide range of multinational sovereign, corporate and individual clients, engaged in diverse areas and industries.
Simultaneously with promoting his law office, Nik worked for an international business group and took part in different projects primarily in real estate as well as in privatisation, defence, medicine and telecommunication in Ukraine and some other countries, such as Moldova, Russia, Poland and Lithuania. He has been sharing his time between family in Israel and work and business mostly in former USSR countries.
Witnessing the meteoric rise under new capitalist rules of a small number of individuals from modest Soviet citizens to mighty billionaires, who often neglected any rules or laws, Nik felt compelled to expose to the world the unique phenomena taking place in a less familiar part of the globe. The fictional plot combines real and imaginary events with some 'lawyers' folklore' and known and made up corruption and criminal schemes customary for Ukraine and other former USSR republics. The author also tried to portray some cornerstone events in the history of Ukraine and to share some insight into the glorious and simultaneously tragic events of 2013 uprising resulting in ousting of the president, ensuing Russian aggression in Crimea and tensions and war in the Eastern regions of Ukraine. The imaginary characters are designed to reflect real behaviour and mentality and provide decent entertainment for the readers.
People are always curious how someone made countless fortunes. Many followed with interest picturized bio of Facebook's founder or that of Apple's. Their stories may just look trivial when compared with those of their Eastern peers....
After selling his share in the law office, Nik currently resides and works as an independent legal practitioner and an author in Israel.
Nik is married + 4
Reviewed for the author
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as a complimentary copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Breaking the cliché . In conversation with Bharat Menon, author of Agogos
Breaking the rules is tough. Breaking the cliché is tougher. Breaking the conventional writing style is toughest. Today I have with me the author who dared to break all the chains of conventional literature.I welcome Bharat Menon to share a few words with the virtual world of literature
Hi Bharat,
Q Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background? Bharat: I was born in a coastal town of Kozhikode in Kerala. Like many middle class families of the 90s, I followed suite with my parents job transfers. My early schooling and upbringing was in Delhi and Chennai. In 2010 I graduated from Loyola College,Chennai with a degree in Commerce. Post my graduation I started working for a wall street investment bank out of Bangalore and then Singapore. When the gale of corporate ‘enlightenment’ and monetary freedom settled, I resigned from work and am currently living in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Q When did the Investment Banker find interest in literature? Bharat: I was always passionate about reading. Like a true student of literature, my mother- I still remember- always gave a set of books for my birthday. With the passing of those days these habits in the stayed with me even during my time as an Investment Banker, I just continued to surround myself with books. I always believed that work should never interfere with ones true passions and a corporate life should just be a necessary veil to ones true following. With that philosophy held close I innately found time to read and write.
Q Tell me about Agogos
Bharat: Agogos follows a story of an everyday man's search for meaning. The protagonist through his lucid dreams questions and contemplates the nature of social order, himself and realms of his reality.
As an author I wanted to create an experience beyond the the true prose of the book. What I wanted the readers to visualize through the protagonist was their own interpretations of the characters and situations, which I believed would be subtly different person to person based on his or her life experiences. The poetry, illustrations, philosophical themes conveyed was to provide the reader reasons to further examine the rationale behind it.
Q Why this title? Bharat: Agogos entomologically in greek means ‘leading to’. I found this to be apt on many fronts, one- the story in itself contained the protagonist Carl searching to understand the situation of his being, two- the reader moving towards in interpreting this protagonist and three- a personal project, as a first time author of my experiment with writing, it was written with a hope of me leading to finding myself.
Q Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special? Bharat: Carl is the main character. As a person, there is nothing special about him at first. He, like many of us goes to work, dreams and fits ever so quaintly to the monotony of life of today. Through his entire physical reality he suppresses the urges of his individualism and follows what society dictates. Even though he doesn’t realise it himself Carl is subtly special, for his genius lies in trait which sometime eludes many of us due to fear or misconceptions - the idea of challenging conformity. I think thats what makes him unique.
Q What the reason for your special interest in philosophy? Bharat: Philosophy is a subject to question myself. Eastern philosophy, like the ideas dealt in the writings of Yoga Vasistha, Nagurjunas Mulamadyamakakarika or the Mandukya Upanishad have dwelled deeper into the conscious inward self whilst the writings by western philosophers have for me always been more outward themed. But all these writings has always made me question, reason and learn, hence my affiliation to the subject.
Q You designed the book cover and the illustrations. Tell me more about it. Bharat: Like I mentioned before I wanted the reader to go beyond the prose, for this i wanted to employ visual medium for them to reminiscence further in-depth. The front book cover is a window through which the reader is introduced to peer into his or her and the protagonists mind. The illustrations in chapter eight originally black charcoal on canvas was to provide the reader a glimpse into the protagonist’s thoughts.
Q Who is Bharat Menon primarily? An Artist, Writer or Investment Banker.
Bharat: I am more of a student than any of the above, a student still in the process of learning the concepts of art and writing. The circumstances leading up to this book game me the opportunity to balance the elements or art and writing during the period as an Investment Banker. So you could say I was all of the above during this project and a student as the same time.
Q Why didn’t you write another book? Bharat: After Agogos I had taken sometime to reorganize my professional life therefore could not devote the same time and attention to work towards my second book. In the past year I have been researching, building up characters and outlining my draft for my second book. Though still in its infancy I was happy with the progress.
Q Where did your ideas come from? Bharat: Just like my main character some of my ideas are from my own dreams. To record all of one’s dream is tough and sometimes near impossible. But to make do best I have always kept a pen and book by my side during the night in the hope of recording my dream state by making a sketch or writing down its essence. Rest of it comes from ones own life experiences, people you meet, places you go to or even sometimes when your listening to a great piece of music. Being an avid traveler some of my characters and ideas have been shaped through many of my travels.
Q Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors. Bharat: I read a lot and always try to set goals on the books to read. Being a traditional reader I need to hold that book to find its true purpose. Favorite authors is tough question as I am usually surrounded by books I get hold of. Right now at this moment I have by my side writings of Tolstoy, Kafka, Chaucer, Tagore, Proust and Nietzche.
Q How did you market your book? Bharat: Being a first time author marketing was a tough. Cyberwit did its bit to introduce me through various online sources and press releases. Most of the marketing was through word of mouth to the general public.
Q How was the publishing experience? Bharat: Finding a publisher was harder than writing a book in my case, but the experience lead me to realize many unknown quandaries to the industry. Agogos being my first book led me to find from scratch a publisher for a very unique genre. One major hurdle was the marketability and the consumer appetite for such a genre; only few readers of today welcome such a genre and prefer more mainstream material, hence many publishers turned down my manuscript. Though it was a long and sometimes disheartening experience I am extreme grateful to have met Cyberwit and Karunesh who agreed to publish an unknown first time author.
Q What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews? Bharat: On reviews, for me personally Agogos was a book that truly spoke through my mind but even after publishing I was still unhappy with it. Being a first time writer, it is only after the entire experience do you reminiscence over the process and feel there was so much more that could have made this book better. Therefore when bad reviews in come, it reaffirms some of my own critique and on good reviews, it gives me hope that genres like mine are yet still received with interest.
Q What’s your views on social media for marketing? Bharat: It is by far the most powerful tool out there to reach the masses. Though my marketing wasn't extensive, the reach I had in conveying my book release was governed my posts through social media.
Q If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? Bharat: Wow this is a real tough one, I've admired works of Proust, Dante and influenced by works of Tagore, Kafka, Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. But if there was one book I had to choose it might as well be ‘The Prophet’ by Kahlil Gibran. It is one of those semi poetic books which has stood the test of time through its profound thoughts on simple human subjects. It transcends across human cultures with its philosophical and inspirational views; this is one book I have always kept close to my heart.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Bharat: Keep reading, explore ones consciousness ! Remember ideas may come constantly and sometimes even at inopportune moments. The method I followed as I said before was to always have around a pen and a book to jot down ideas and experiences that happens through ones day. The entire life cycle of writer is tough, even more so if your a first time writer but the results at the end of the tunnel is something you would forever cherish.
Q How can readers discover more about you and you work? Bharat: Below are few of the links where you can find my work:
• Linkedin: https://lk.linkedin.com/pub/bharat-menon/7b/883/218• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18...• Amazon [India]: http://www.amazon.in/Agogos-Bharat-Menon/dp/8182534429/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446268614&sr=8-1&keywords=agogos• Publisher site [India]: http://www.cyberwit.net/publications/564• Flipkart [India]: http://www.flipkart.com/agogos-english/p/itmdzfkxdrzahsz9?pid=9788182534421• AbeBooks [UK]: http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Agogos-Bharat-Menon-Cyberwit.net/13402388840/bd• Amazon Author Page [US]: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B017BIJ2LQ?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070
Q Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. Bharat: Thank you for this interview and an opportunity for me to to put words my experiences as an writer.
Hi Bharat,
Q Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background? Bharat: I was born in a coastal town of Kozhikode in Kerala. Like many middle class families of the 90s, I followed suite with my parents job transfers. My early schooling and upbringing was in Delhi and Chennai. In 2010 I graduated from Loyola College,Chennai with a degree in Commerce. Post my graduation I started working for a wall street investment bank out of Bangalore and then Singapore. When the gale of corporate ‘enlightenment’ and monetary freedom settled, I resigned from work and am currently living in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Q When did the Investment Banker find interest in literature? Bharat: I was always passionate about reading. Like a true student of literature, my mother- I still remember- always gave a set of books for my birthday. With the passing of those days these habits in the stayed with me even during my time as an Investment Banker, I just continued to surround myself with books. I always believed that work should never interfere with ones true passions and a corporate life should just be a necessary veil to ones true following. With that philosophy held close I innately found time to read and write.
Q Tell me about Agogos
Bharat: Agogos follows a story of an everyday man's search for meaning. The protagonist through his lucid dreams questions and contemplates the nature of social order, himself and realms of his reality. As an author I wanted to create an experience beyond the the true prose of the book. What I wanted the readers to visualize through the protagonist was their own interpretations of the characters and situations, which I believed would be subtly different person to person based on his or her life experiences. The poetry, illustrations, philosophical themes conveyed was to provide the reader reasons to further examine the rationale behind it.
Q Why this title? Bharat: Agogos entomologically in greek means ‘leading to’. I found this to be apt on many fronts, one- the story in itself contained the protagonist Carl searching to understand the situation of his being, two- the reader moving towards in interpreting this protagonist and three- a personal project, as a first time author of my experiment with writing, it was written with a hope of me leading to finding myself.
Q Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special? Bharat: Carl is the main character. As a person, there is nothing special about him at first. He, like many of us goes to work, dreams and fits ever so quaintly to the monotony of life of today. Through his entire physical reality he suppresses the urges of his individualism and follows what society dictates. Even though he doesn’t realise it himself Carl is subtly special, for his genius lies in trait which sometime eludes many of us due to fear or misconceptions - the idea of challenging conformity. I think thats what makes him unique.
Q What the reason for your special interest in philosophy? Bharat: Philosophy is a subject to question myself. Eastern philosophy, like the ideas dealt in the writings of Yoga Vasistha, Nagurjunas Mulamadyamakakarika or the Mandukya Upanishad have dwelled deeper into the conscious inward self whilst the writings by western philosophers have for me always been more outward themed. But all these writings has always made me question, reason and learn, hence my affiliation to the subject.
Q You designed the book cover and the illustrations. Tell me more about it. Bharat: Like I mentioned before I wanted the reader to go beyond the prose, for this i wanted to employ visual medium for them to reminiscence further in-depth. The front book cover is a window through which the reader is introduced to peer into his or her and the protagonists mind. The illustrations in chapter eight originally black charcoal on canvas was to provide the reader a glimpse into the protagonist’s thoughts.
Q Who is Bharat Menon primarily? An Artist, Writer or Investment Banker.
Bharat: I am more of a student than any of the above, a student still in the process of learning the concepts of art and writing. The circumstances leading up to this book game me the opportunity to balance the elements or art and writing during the period as an Investment Banker. So you could say I was all of the above during this project and a student as the same time.Q Why didn’t you write another book? Bharat: After Agogos I had taken sometime to reorganize my professional life therefore could not devote the same time and attention to work towards my second book. In the past year I have been researching, building up characters and outlining my draft for my second book. Though still in its infancy I was happy with the progress.
Q Where did your ideas come from? Bharat: Just like my main character some of my ideas are from my own dreams. To record all of one’s dream is tough and sometimes near impossible. But to make do best I have always kept a pen and book by my side during the night in the hope of recording my dream state by making a sketch or writing down its essence. Rest of it comes from ones own life experiences, people you meet, places you go to or even sometimes when your listening to a great piece of music. Being an avid traveler some of my characters and ideas have been shaped through many of my travels.
Q Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors. Bharat: I read a lot and always try to set goals on the books to read. Being a traditional reader I need to hold that book to find its true purpose. Favorite authors is tough question as I am usually surrounded by books I get hold of. Right now at this moment I have by my side writings of Tolstoy, Kafka, Chaucer, Tagore, Proust and Nietzche.
Q How did you market your book? Bharat: Being a first time author marketing was a tough. Cyberwit did its bit to introduce me through various online sources and press releases. Most of the marketing was through word of mouth to the general public.
Q How was the publishing experience? Bharat: Finding a publisher was harder than writing a book in my case, but the experience lead me to realize many unknown quandaries to the industry. Agogos being my first book led me to find from scratch a publisher for a very unique genre. One major hurdle was the marketability and the consumer appetite for such a genre; only few readers of today welcome such a genre and prefer more mainstream material, hence many publishers turned down my manuscript. Though it was a long and sometimes disheartening experience I am extreme grateful to have met Cyberwit and Karunesh who agreed to publish an unknown first time author.
Q What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews? Bharat: On reviews, for me personally Agogos was a book that truly spoke through my mind but even after publishing I was still unhappy with it. Being a first time writer, it is only after the entire experience do you reminiscence over the process and feel there was so much more that could have made this book better. Therefore when bad reviews in come, it reaffirms some of my own critique and on good reviews, it gives me hope that genres like mine are yet still received with interest.
Q What’s your views on social media for marketing? Bharat: It is by far the most powerful tool out there to reach the masses. Though my marketing wasn't extensive, the reach I had in conveying my book release was governed my posts through social media.
Q If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? Bharat: Wow this is a real tough one, I've admired works of Proust, Dante and influenced by works of Tagore, Kafka, Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. But if there was one book I had to choose it might as well be ‘The Prophet’ by Kahlil Gibran. It is one of those semi poetic books which has stood the test of time through its profound thoughts on simple human subjects. It transcends across human cultures with its philosophical and inspirational views; this is one book I have always kept close to my heart.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Bharat: Keep reading, explore ones consciousness ! Remember ideas may come constantly and sometimes even at inopportune moments. The method I followed as I said before was to always have around a pen and a book to jot down ideas and experiences that happens through ones day. The entire life cycle of writer is tough, even more so if your a first time writer but the results at the end of the tunnel is something you would forever cherish.
Q How can readers discover more about you and you work? Bharat: Below are few of the links where you can find my work:
• Linkedin: https://lk.linkedin.com/pub/bharat-menon/7b/883/218• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18...• Amazon [India]: http://www.amazon.in/Agogos-Bharat-Menon/dp/8182534429/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446268614&sr=8-1&keywords=agogos• Publisher site [India]: http://www.cyberwit.net/publications/564• Flipkart [India]: http://www.flipkart.com/agogos-english/p/itmdzfkxdrzahsz9?pid=9788182534421• AbeBooks [UK]: http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Agogos-Bharat-Menon-Cyberwit.net/13402388840/bd• Amazon Author Page [US]: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B017BIJ2LQ?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070
Q Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. Bharat: Thank you for this interview and an opportunity for me to to put words my experiences as an writer.
