Aman Mittal's Blog, page 9

Author Interview: Yogesh Chabria

Yogesh Chabria is a bestselling author of The Happionaire Way series, the book that I reviewed on February 18. Happiness is a state of mind that takes some practice and wilful mindfulness on daily basis. Thus, this is the message of Yogesh Chabria’s new book, Succeed the Happionaire Way. He is also a motivational speaker and a personal coach. I recently got the chance to interview him. Here is the complete interview.

 

THE MIND

Q. What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

The Geeta. Taught me to crush fear and take action! It changed my life.

Q. In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?

Waking up early. Yoga and jaal neeti.

Q. In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to (distractions, invitations, etc.)? What new realizations and/or approach

I decided to say NO to the good and mediocre so that I could say YES to the truly incredible and great.

Q. When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? (If helpful: What questions do you ask yourself?)

I meditate, go for a walk in nature and simply take a break. Then I return recharged,

Q. How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?

I used to be a door-door to door salesperson when I was 16. I faced so much rejection, almost everyone banged the door on my face. But finally, people started buying. It built up my ability to bounce back and be persistent to achieve my goal. I’m super persistent and I won’t stop till I achieve whatever goal I set.

THE WRITING & THE READING

Q. How did you come up with brand The Happionaire Way?

It just came to me. The Universe spoke to me and it moved something within.

Q. What is the easiest thing about writing?

For me its as easy as sharing an idea or having a conversation with a friend.

Q. What motivates you to write?

The desire to change someone’s life for the better and share ideas that have an impact.

Q. When did you decide that you want to be a writer?

Ever since I was in school, I loved writing and sharing ideas. So it goes back then.

Q. How do you relax?

I love travelling, reading, watching movies and dancing.

Q. What would you have done differently if you could do it again?

Not at all!

Q. Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?

I am a prankster and very mischievous!

Q. Do you re-read books? One book that you would read again & again?

Yes I do. The Geeta.

Q. Your influence(s)/ favourite author(s) / entrepreneurs?

So many. Steve Jobs, Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Krishna are some.

Q. Are you working on anything at the moment? When can we see your next work?

Oh yes, lots….soon!

The post Author Interview: Yogesh Chabria appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

BOOK REVIEW: Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin
Published by Knopf on 06/02/2018
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 304
Format: eBook
Goodreads

A mesmerizing debut, Rhiannon Navin’s Only Child touches the heart of her readers through the narrative of a seven-year-old boy.

The storyline of this book is based on reality. The recent events of shooting in schools in the USA, the novel tries to explore the horrible incident in a realistic but a unique manner. The novel deals with the aftermath of a school shooting. From the voice and eyes of a seven-year-old Zach Taylor. His voice not only explores his own pain and emotions but that of his parents and other surrounded. While Zach’s mother pursues a quest for justice against the shooter’s parents by holding them responsible, Zach does the opposite. He sets on a journey of healing and forgiveness, determined to help the adults in his life, his parents and to discover the love and compassion that can pull them out of their darkest hours.

The theme of the storyline is based on realism. The way it is told is beautiful. Putting all the responsibility on a seven-year-old to describe all the events with clarity and in a careful manner to the reader, is a job well done in this book. The narration engaged me from first few pages until the end of the book. It made me curious, it made me realize the harsh reality of loss, love, parents and the process of healing. Emotionally, the plot has all the elements that will engage the reader to think and feel at the same time. The confusion and the feeling of being neglected are the biggest emotions that a reader will clearly observe through Zach’s heart.

I applaud the author on her writing style. It did sound a bit overwhelming for a seven-year-old to narrate feelings that I do not think I ever felt when I was the same age as Zach. However, she mesmerizingly captures the events that sadly and terrifyingly might have been the reality. During the last chapters, a reader will clearly observe that how hypocrite the adults are in their spoken words and doable actions. This an important element of the novel that the author wants us to convey through the eye of a seven-year-old.

The characterization is flawless as the writing style. They develop with the plot, we see their flaws and how with compassion these characters overcome all the hatred and loss. I could not believe that it was a debut since it is a very mature and professional piece of work.

A must read since I consider this novel a Modern Day To Kill a Mockingbird. A perfect read if you are looking for something to discuss next week in your book club.

5 out of 5

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A Blogger’s Manifesto is on Sale!

After last month reviews and positive feedback on my ebook: A Blogger’s Manifesto, I have decided to reduce the prices to $0.99 worldwide on Amazon since I want my message to reach the maximum number of bloggers whether they are newbies or have already dipped their toes but are struggling to find some answers.

All I want if to help you to produce content both in terms of quantity and quality but enjoy the process of doing so.

Here is the blurb of the book, just in case, if you are visiting my blog for the first time:

A Blogger’s Manifesto is a short ebook about blogging written by a blogger. It covers the story of my book blog Confessions of a Readaholic and other essentials for an individual who is getting started with blogging or is a new blogger.

The book in detail covers:

– Starting a blog with zero followers

– Writing a compelling blog post

– Why Comments are essential part in blogging community

– How to reach your milestones with your blog

– Social Media and money making tips

For book bloggers:

– Writing a Book review

– Blog Tours

– Getting an ARC

– Interviewing

… and many more!

Confessions of a Readaholic is a book blog and is running for almost five years. The writer of this ebook has been nominated as #2 (2015) and #1 (2017) book blogger in India.

If you have already read the ebook, do leave your comments on Goodreads or Amazon and let me know what you think about it.

Heavy Discount for Amazon.in Users Till 25th March

If you have an account on Amazon.in, you can get a cash back up to 50% if you buy the ebook and pay through Amazon Pay Serveice from this link

Thank You

BOOK REVIEW: Maps are Lines We Draw by Allison Coffelt

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Maps Are Lines We Draw by Allison Coffelt
Published by Lanternfish Press on 20/03/2018
Genres: Travel, Memoir, Nonfiction, Autobiography
Pages: 144
Format: eBook
Goodreads

Maps are Lines We Draw is Allison Coffelt’s travel memoir. The book that is actually a novella, deciphers the culture of Haiti. I picked this book because of the cover and the title mainly. They both compliment each other and is a good attraction. Little did I know of Allison’s writing style at that time.

The blurb of the book describes author’s visit to the beautiful island, where beautiful means beautiful for the people of Haiti, as she recalls in the starting pages of her memoir. She is accompanied by a local doctor Jean Gardy Marius is the founder of a public health organization OSAPO. She tries to explore the island itself and everything it constitutes of, the people, their culture, recalls in between which I found very helpful as I was unfamiliar with the tumultuous history. Along being the ordinary travel memoir, it also spotlights the reality in which how aid organizations are trying to help the local economy. This makes this book unique and interesting.

What more unique I found in this book is Allison, the author’s writing style. The way she spread words for the reader has lasting charm. It is because of her writing style I could not put this book down and had to read it in one go. In the end, it left me a feeling that I can best describe as a longing for a travel and weave my own memories.

4 out of 5

Check out my NEW Book for Bloggers and Book Bloggers

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#BookSpotlight: Treasure Trove of Zodiacs

Blurb:

Written by Tanuj Lalchandani, Treasure Trove of Zodiacs is a 176 pages colourful journey to know yourself and deal with your relationships in a better way. This journey of self-discovery will help you make peace with yourself and others in your life.

Author Interview

Q. Which books have greatly influenced your life?

A. Shiv Mahapurana has had a major impact on my life. It is the book which led me towards the world of spirituality. It made me a much calmer person. The way Lord Shiva guided Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu to create the universe made me curious to read other scriptures like Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and Durga Saptashati. In the form of Ardhnareshwara, Lord Shiva, along with Ma Parvati symbolizes the balance between the male and the female. This balance is essential for maintaining harmony in the world.

Q. In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?

A. Taking care of my health has greatly helped me. I have started eating healthier. Jogging and cycling help me keep fit as well as stress-free.

Q. In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to (distractions, invitations, etc.)? What new realizations and/or approaches helped? Any other tips?

A. Thankfully, I have started saying no to the negative people around me. Once I realized that a lot of people were around me solely due to their selfish interests, I decided to not devote my time and knowledge to them. I started focusing on myself and my work. That is how I could come up with the book.

Q. When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? (If helpful: What questions do you ask yourself?)

A. I travel or listen to and chant mantras. Both traveling and mantras help me refocus. They reinvigorate me and I am able to make a fresh start.

Q. How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? 

A. I am extremely thankful for my failures. They have made me who I am today. They made me stronger and gave me the motivation to strive for better things. I have a lot more focus and am determined to achieve greater heights, both personally as well as professionally. I have complete faith in my good karma and I know that if I have done nothing bad, no harm will come my way.

GOODREADS |  TWITTER | FACEBOOK | MEDIUM

 

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BOOK REVIEW: The October Men by David Impey

The October Men by David Impey
Published by Literally PR on 16/03/2018
Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 340
Format: eBook

A cleverly written book does end in a clever and an intriguing manner. David Impey’s The October Men is a blend of science fiction and the clever imagination of a writer.

A brilliant young physicist goes missing. A professor is desperate to secure the funding for the experiment running that yields into unexpected results of time travel. However, the experiment does fall into the hands of men who have different agenda the professor and the physicist. A series of historical events are revealed and the truth of the experiment is known to all humanity. What will happen now? Who will have the access to it?

The plot starts a bit slow in my opinion. The switching of narration that depends on different characters point-of-view to move the plot further without revealing those characters fully to the reader does create a surprise for the reader but it also makes the start a bit slow. Even though it did show sign of being a science fiction work from the start, the genre of science fiction is not heavily invested and I think it can lure a lot more readers rather than just the regular audience of the genre.

The narrative voice has a steady pace. The storyline did spike my interest as it move furthers and reveal more events. The building of a good story with elements of suspense and science fiction is there. The characterization in this novel is like the heartbeat of a human being. Some characters are fully developed while few of them did feel like they need more time.

The writing style is exquisite. In a simple manner, David Impey has introduced the concept of time traveling what looks like from the start, in a suspense novel. This is the talking point of the book. Not only he blends those two elements, he uses them to drive the plot further. This is the reason I enjoyed reading it and I consider this novel to be a result of clever imagination.

I recommend this novel if you always wanted to read a book on time travel but never had the heart for going into many details. Do consider this one, if you are looking for a great piece of a writer’s imagination.

4 out of 5

The post BOOK REVIEW: The October Men by David Impey appeared first on Confessions of a Readaholic.

Blog Tour: David Impey’s October Men and Interview

David Impey’s latest book The October Men is written exquisitely. If you always wanted to read a book on time travel but never had the heart for going into many details. I recently had a chance to interview him.

Q. Hi Mr. David Impey, and thank you for agreeing for this interview. Tell me a little about yourself and your background?

Hello there and thanks for taking the time to read ‘The October Men’. I’m much obliged to you for that.

My background is a bit tangential in that I have spent most of my career working in the life sciences industry mostly in commercial roles. These have involved trying to translate fairly complex technical concepts into everyday language for consumption by the general public, the press and the scientific community as well (they aren’t usually the most articulate of people!).

I have been a writer since way back. I wrote my first novel when I was 13. And set fire to it when I was 14 – my critical faculties had developed sufficiently during that year for me to appreciate quite how awful it was. I got my first article published in a yachting magazine when I was 17. And I’ve been contributing articles and columns to various magazines, journals, and websites since then.

I also developed a TV format on how drugs work which was eventually picked up by a small cable channel in the US.

Q. Congratulations in your book, The October Men. Very thought-provokingly told. What led you to pick a theme based on Time Travelling?

It was two things really. The first was my musing on why there seemed to be a sudden glut of World War 2 documentaries in colour and then chatting about these musings with a friend of mine over a few glasses of wine.

It struck me that, if people were able to go back and get colour footage and return to the present, then what else could they do? The novel sort of spiraled out from there.

Q. I see you your writing style is excellent and it is what kept me going throughout the novel. What is the easiest thing about writing you find?

Thanks for the compliment. I’m not sure that ‘easy’ is the right word. The key thing is planning out the story in advance. I use a rather complex set of spreadsheets and diagrams to make sure that the whole thing flows, despite being told from multiple viewpoints, and to make sure that certain characters don’t end up being in totally different places at the same time. As happened at one stage in the draft – I had to go back and do some serious re-writes to amend this.

Once the plan is there, then I have a fairly vivid mental image of what is occurring – I also try to write about places I have visited in the past and can see clearly – and it becomes a lot more straight-forward to write.

Q. What motivates you to write?

There isn’t a simple answer to this one. I suppose I wanted to see if I could actually do it.

I was a bit nervous about making an ass of myself so I had a friend, who is a published author, read through the first draft of the first 50 pages. I asked her to put me out of my misery if I was deluding myself and she was adamant that it was worth persevering with.

Q. When did you decide that you want to be a writer?

I’ve been entertaining dreams of being a writer since I was a kid, if I’m honest. I was always making up stories on the way to school. I’ve finally got round to it.

Q. What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

Obviously, I love getting a good review; it’s like being told you’re a fine parent. As for bad reviews, I suppose I take it a bit personally, although I am quietly satisfied if I elicited some sort of response as long as it’s objective and not a grandiloquent critic trying to get a laugh at my expense.

Q. What do you prefer: Pen or Computer? And how do you stay organised (any methods, systems, tools you use)?

Computer. I’m a much faster typist than writer and, besides, my handwriting has deteriorated since the days when I started using PCs as standard.

As for organisation, I file everything and anything I can on the hard drive. I’m a lousy librarian so filing systems don’t come naturally to me. That said, putting ‘The October Men’ together was not too onerous in that regard

Q. How do you relax?

I am a very keen musician. I have a recording studio which I use to write and record material for use as soundtrack music as well as commercial release. I also very occasionally play live with other musicians. I used to be a singer but I hate my voice so I leave that sort of thing to people who are talented.

I love listening to music – especially classical – whilst doing the crossword. In addition to all that, I occasionally play cricket and I enjoy walking my dog Dino.

Q. What would you have done differently if you could do it again?

Oh gosh. That way madness lies.

Q. Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?

I tend to compartmentalize my life a bit so people from one part don’t really get to know much about the stuff from another part. To some extent, I feel that I’m rather forcing myself on them if I keep bouncing up saying “Oh yes, I also do that… and that… etc.”

So people from my life sciences / commercial side of things were very surprised to hear about the book launch.

Other than that, I don’t have any deep secrets that I keep hidden from the world. I just don’t tell everybody everything either.

Q. Do you re-read books? One book that you would read again & again?

Yes. Sometimes, the books one reads as a child take on new detail and significance as an adult. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ was one such and ‘The Wind in the Willows’ made me sob twice (Mole getting homesick and ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ being the two episodes).

The one book that I would read again and again is probably ‘The Sixth Day’ by Primo Levi or ‘1Q84’ by Haruki Murakami. Both very philosophical and which reveal themselves through repeated study.

Q. Your influence(s)/ favourite author(s)?

JP Donleavy, E Annie Proulx, John Irving, Alistair Maclean (his early stuff was brilliant!)

Q. Are you working on anything at the moment? When can we see your next work?

Yes I am. I have just been taken on by a literary agent (thanks Helen) and she immediately asked me to draught up the plot for a second novel and the first 50 pages. Which I have just done. As for when it will come out depends largely on the success of ‘The October Men’ and the speed with which Helen and I can get a publishing deal for the follow-up. As for when: this time next year..?

Author’s Blog | Publisher Website | Goodreads

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BOOK REVIEW: Radical Self-Love by Gala Darling

Radical Self-Love: A Guide to Loving Yourself and Living Your Dreams by Gala Darling
Published by Hay House on 2015
Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction
Pages: 227
Format: eBook
Goodreads

 

In Radical Self-Love, you’ll discover exactly what makes you so magnificent.

Written by Gala Darling, this book is indeed about personal development. I know there are many books out there that cover topics shared by the author in this book. However, this one is unique. It is indeed one of its own kind because of the language and the way the author talks to her reader.

Life is limitless is the message of this book. This book is close to being the modern day How to Win Friends and Influence People in a sense that it talks about you rather than the people. It offers suggestion and the author’s own life’s anecdotes about how you must care for yourself in terms of job, money, life and executing those things you want to excel. The execution, any day, triumphs over the talent.

Written in a simple and easy to crisp language, one can finish this book in no time. I did feel connected to Gala’s ideas and am trying to adapt to some of her suggestions as they seem, on reading the book those missing pieces of the puzzle of my life. Many believe that this book is written from a feminist point of view. I disagree with them. The core might seem like that, but things inside this one are intellectual and pragmatic.

Recommended, even if you are not into self-help/personal development porn or have read quite some books on the subject matter. This one is definitely different and will boost you up from various angles.

5 out of 5!

 

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BOOK REVIEW: Mountains to Manhattan by Pinakie Kansabanik

Mountains to Manhattan by Pinakie Kansabanik
Published by Omji Publishing House on June 2017
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 350
Format: eBook
Goodreads

The stories that explore harsh realities always fascinate me. Mountains to Manhattan is a book about Tibetan immigrants to India after the invasion of Red Army. What more fascinated me about this book is that the author has narrated the whole story by opting the opposite gender.

The plot revolves around a young, and smart Tenzin Lhamo who was labeled as a refugee before she was born. After the invasion of Red Army her mother, aunt and grandmother had to leave Tibet and settled in India. But did the Indian government did not grant them citizenships and there was a fake hope in their hearts that one day they will be able to go back. With restrictions and no passport, Lhamo undergoes a journey across the world in search of a country that will grant her citizenship. In search of this identity, she fears she might lose her family.

The storyline reflects a good amount of realities that is inflicted upon people who are tagged as refugees irrespective of which country they reside in. The detailing the author provides to support its characters from the start is good and did spike an interest in me as a reader to continue to read this book. It indeed requires a healthy amount of imagination and time to follow up with the research to convey it to a reader in form of a tale such as this challenging topic.

The writing style is good, sometimes energetic and sometimes a bit literary, both help in the amusement for a reader like me. Though I did find some dragging elements in the story. Another point I’d like to make is that the unethical way of Lhamo reaching her goal is a bit disappointing for me. I did not expect this and I think she got too lucky there.

Apart from that, I think this a good book if you are looking for a blend of fiction with some realism induced in it.

3 out of 5

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BOOK REVIEW: The Blasphemy Law by Salman Shami

The Blasphemy Law by Salman Shami
on 26/11/2017
Genres: Fiction, Thriller
Pages: 530
Format: eBook
Goodreads

The weaving of a thriller is an art and not many have mastered it. To find that thrill for a reader in a book that promises such an element is hard to find but Salman Shami’s The Blasphemy Law is an addition to the genre.

The plot is set in modern Pakistan, a country charged with political corruption in name of religion does already create a thrill in itself. An Australian engineer, Jane Kelly, is on a verge of providing electricity in remote villages of central Punjab through installing solar panels. A ruthless landowner uses terrorism to frame her for blasphemy in the Islamic country, an offense that comes with a death penalty. He plots her execution and along with that of her family and close friends. With partial success Jane is now relying her hopes on her two lovers, Sergei and Razane, to save herself and her family. With an exploration of everyone’s demons from past this book is going to have you on the edge of your seat.

This political thriller covers many realistic elements as to what the people of the country endure in their daily lives. With all elements of greed, money, power, and controversial laws, this novel sets a benchmark in its genre for Asian writers to look forward too. The novel starts at the present day lives of current characters and the development of plot takes from there. Salman has a unique way of covering every aspect of developing a story, a learning if you are an aspiring writer and a pleasure for a reader. This is being said, in terms of writing a political thriller and organizing a good amount of characters in a manner that the reader does feel left out at any point.

The evolution of characters is great and as a reader, I could clearly estimate that what a strong background each one of them has. The relationship between the main cast is displayed in a very authentic and an uncompromisable manner with usual twists and turns from the start. If that is not enough, the writing style will hook you up since it is fast-paced and I managed to finish it in less time than I expected after giving a glimpse on the length of the book.

The use of intertwining of multiple protagonists even after the story has a locus in its development is a plus point of this novel. The climax of the novel, I feel might have appeared before than it does in the book but that is just my opinion. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I look forward to Salman’s next novel in this series as I got a sense of the next novel in the end.

4 out of 5!

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