Kiran Manral's Blog, page 40
October 6, 2015
Want a personalised signed copy of All Aboard? Here’s a giveaway contest.
All you have to do is to like my author page here: https://www.facebook.com/kiranmanralauthorpage
and answer the following question in the comments section below the post on the Facebook author page.
Of the many characters in my books, which one did you love the most and why?
The ten most interesting answers will receive a personalised signed copy of All Aboard. (India addresses only please). The contest ends October 12th, Monday. My decision will be final and binding, etc.
October 5, 2015
#AllAboard review on Anuradha Shankar’s blog A Wandering Mind
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Kiran’s narrative is as easy as ever, the language excellent, without being highbrow. I have been reading Kiran’s blogs for years now, and her books have the same sense of innate humor, which make them such a good read.
When I met Kiran recently over a lunch she hosted, everyone had the same question – had she actually been on a cruise before she wrote the book? It was a reasonable question, and, it is only when you read the book, that you realize just how impressive her research has been, that she has written about the cruise in such amazing detail, without ever being on one! I haven’t been on one either, but her descriptions of the rooms, of the cruise experience, of the sites they stop at, are so realistic and well written, I found myself wondering if I could ever write about a place so well, without actually going there!
Overall, All Aboard is the kind of book I pick up when I am between books, and want a good, but easy read, to help me relax.
Meanwhile, I am looking forward to her next book – Karmic Kids – the story of parenting nobody told you! – which is based on her blog… the one I have been reading for years, even before I met her!
– See more at: http://anushankarn.blogspot.in/2015/10/book-review-all-aboard-by-kiran-manral.html#sthash.LC2IOUDO.dpuf
My column for iDiva last week: Of water on Mars and Future Interplanetary tourism
By Kiran Manral | posted Oct 1st 2015 at 1:00PM
Kiran Manral
Kiran was a journalist before she quit to be a full time mommy. Her blog is considered amongst India’s top blogs. She is the author of The Reluctant Detective (2011), Once Upon A Crush (2014) and All Aboard (2015). An advisor on the Board of Literature Studio, Delhi she is also an Author Mentor at Sheroes.in. She now blogs at http://www.kiranmanral.wordpress.com and you can follow her on twitter @kiranmanral.
As I write this, I have been informed that flowing water has been discovered on Mars. As you can imagine, for someone who cut her teeth on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and counted Chewbacca amongst her imaginary friends through a childhood of home moves due to parents’ transferable jobs, this information sent me into a bit of a lather.
“Son,” I yelled, from my position in front of the television while the NASA conference was on, “Come and listen to this, this is important, this is momentous, this could change what we understand of our solar system.”
The offspring strolled in, with the insouciance of a generation for whom water on Mars is of far lesser significance than the launch of a new iPhone. “Mars didn’t have water?” he asked, with the calm of one who does not know and does not seek to know.
After I finished banging my head on the headboard of the bed, recalling the two semesters we spent studying about the solar system, as part of the syllabus, I reminded him of the fact that the earth was the only planet on the solar system which we thought had water and that Mars was hitherto presumed to be the driest, most arid planet.
“It is the red planet,” he told me grimly, memories distant from chapter learnt about the features of each planet springing dimly in his mind. “It has volcanoes and craters and Mount Olympus Mons, which is three times higher than Mount Everest.”
Having reminded me of facts he had parroted before the exam, he settled reluctantly next to me watching the screen while an earnest voice on the screen began telling us how they had mapped the flow marks over years etc.
“Is anything going to happen?” he asked me, while watching the LIVE press conference.
I waved both hands wildly in the air, “This is happening, this is important. There is water on Mars.”
“What can we do with water on Mars,” he asked scathingly, in the manner of a cynical urban child. “When there is water cut here in Mumbai, they can’t get us water from Mars, can they?”
With that he sauntered out to the greater temptations of the Tab and the wonders of WWE being unfurled before him.
Read the rest of the article here
October 4, 2015
#AllAboard : It’s fun and it brings you back hope and dreams !
“I enjoyed this book thoroughly !! Its a light read and leaves you with a very warm, fuzzy feeling once you finish with it. As someone prior to me, put it across, anyone who has been through a breakup recently will appreciate it more. It’s fun and it brings you back hope and dreams ! This was my first book by this author and it is very well written.”
Thank you Anjali, for the four star review on Amazon India here:
All Aboard in bookstores across the country
Few things give me as much pleasure as seeing my book on store shelves, so here’s a collection of some pictures of All Aboard on display across book stores in India. Forgive me this indulgence, it is my equivalent of the showcase filled with trophies and medals on display in the living room.
October 2, 2015
September 30, 2015
Karmic Kids by Kiran Manral. Coming soon to a store near you
Back blurb:
Move aside Tiger Mom and forget Helicopter Parenting, Karmickids is the view from the other side of the fence – of laid back parenting, of giving in to food jags, of making unstructured play time mandatory and of not bursting a blood vessel when your child’s grades are not something you might want to discuss in public.
A roller coaster ride of love, laughter, and a few tears, Manral takes you through the beautiful chaos of the early years of parenthood. Written in a gently humorous style, this home grown, hit-the-ground-running account of the chaos of day-to-day parenting is peppered with anecdotes, reminiscences, a little practical advice and is a non-preachy, hilarious take on raising a spirited child while retaining one’s good spirits through it all.
For those of you who would read Karmic Kids and asked me why the blog had been shut down, this is why. Karmic Kids, the book is here, and it was over ten years in the making. Perhaps the only book that has a piece of me embedded in it so deep, because it has been hacked up from my soul, or rather my uterus to be more precise. Published by Hay House, this is blog to book. And it is all the laughs, all the tears, all the madness that you knew from the blog. And more.
Pre-order your copy here: Amazon: http://goo.gl/XwKFcj
“Reaching out to you with the written word” – An interview with Kiran Manral on Biz Divas
By Guntas Bedi
An avid reader tends to suffer from withdrawal symptoms post the completion of a good book. Kiran Manral; author,blogger and media consultant has contributed to the literary world by writing fiction that can move your thoughts and encourage you to face life with a pinch of humour.
Spending her childhood amidst the hustle bustle of Mumbai, Kiran was raised by her mother. She was nine when her father passed away and her mother took over the role from being a mother to a single parent. Being a ‘latchkey child’ even before the phrase latchkey child came into existence, she spent time alone at home which fuelled her interest in books and reading. She moved homes every few years because her mother was a bank employee.
“I was a reader who decided to write.”
Prior to becoming an established author, Kiran worked as a journalist for many years before she quit full time work to raise her son. She turned to blogging and through the encouragement from a couple of friends, she was convinced to make an attempt to write a book. Upon completion of three chapters of her first book, she sent her work to Deepthi Talwar at Westland who liked the first draft and asked to read the rest of it. That was the beginning of her journey as an author.
A good author can always empathize with all his or her characters and that is what Kiran loves most about her work. “I love that it gives me the freedom to live many lives while seated at my desk.” Her refreshing take on relationships and romance has managed to widen the palate of books, especially for the younger generation.
“It must be difficult to maintain that work life balance in a regular full time job, and hats off to those working moms who manage to do so. I admire them.”
Kiran switched from a full time career as journalist to being a writer after the birth of her son. Writing has given her the freedom to choose her work hours as her schedule revolves around her son’s and hence she can maintain a work life balance with ease. Even with the pressing deadlines for her book release, Kiran plans her day and allocates enough time for completion and post editing inputs from her editor.
“Failures are always with a purpose, perhaps to not make one too complacent.”
We underestimate the importance of failures in our lives and how mundane our lives could be without any challenges to keep us motivated. Kiran’s journey has been full of failures but her take on them is that life is a stepping stone from failures to failures which then eventually make the path one chooses. Failures are always with a purpose, perhaps to not make one too complacent, to make one try harder, to make one re-look at what one has been doing so far, to make one re-examine one’s priorities.
We discussed how gender bias has effects on female writers to understand Kiran’s take on them. She tells us that the most obvious ones women deal with is the assumption that women write chick lit genre of books. However she just owns it now, she writes chick-lit and she writes romance and she writes humour, and she writes non fiction, and also writes fiction. She owns them all, refuses to be bracketed! Biases are inherent, not just in the workspace but also in homes. Sometimes these are so ingrained that people don’t even realize that they are being biased, she thinks the only thing that is to be done when one comes across any kind of gender bias is to call it out, gently at first but firmly and insistently if it continues. Her advice to women who want to make a career in writing is that they should be passionate about words. That’s all. The rest will follow if you are driven enough.
Mentoring is crucial to women’s growth; Kiran’s mentors include all the bosses she has worked with, Rauf Ahmed at Asian Age, Hutokshi Doctor at what was then The Sunday Review are two who stand out because they were wonderfully tolerant of all her scatterbrained-ness. A good mentor can measure and understand the space needed to grow and explore the potential in one’s ability therefore Kiran is grateful for their presence and guidance in her professional growth.
Kiran’s personal interests include reading and the books that top the list of her preferences works of P G Wodehouse and Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome. She spends quality time in the upbringing of her son and looks up to her mother for inspiration. She credits her success to the hard work of her mother who overcame so many bumps and troubles in life.
Kiran is a passionate person who has the ability to expand your thoughts manifold with just a few words. Her latest book is ‘All Aboard’ and it is already out on the market shelves, it is a romance about a girl who has been jilted at the wedding mandap and goes on a Mediterranean cruise with her aunt to take her mind off the depression. The story turns to what happens on the cruise and how love comes to her when she least expects it. ‘All aboard’ is now available at all leading stores and can be ordered online as well.
We thank Kiran for sharing her thoughts with us and we eagerly await her next publication.
Read the original here
All Aboard on the Amazon blog
by
Aparna Phadke
on 09/03/2015
After working as a journalist with The Asian Age and The Times of India, Kiran Manral quit work to be a full time mommy. However, she never gave up on writing – as she always found time to write on gender issues, parenting, fiction and got associated with causes that she passionately believes in and maintains a blog too. She has three books due for release in 2015, the first of these being All Aboard! We caught up with her for a tete-e-tete. Excerpts from an interview:
Two successful books The Reluctant Detective, Once Upon A Crush, one newly released All Aboard and already the next Karmic Kids is round the corner. As an author, do you constantly feel the need to write? Or is it just how early or late a new idea/plot germinates in 
your mind that dictates your speed of writing?
I actually try to write every single day — even if it is just 500 words, or a day when the Muse is AWOL. These 500 words just add up at the end of a few months. I work very methodically most times, I write an outline, a chapter wise synopsis and then fill it up with the chapters. There are constantly ideas churning in my head, and the ones that are the most insistent are the ones that get written out.
Clearly you glide through varied genres with ease – romance, thrill, parenting – however, love features in all your stories and your latest one too is on love?
I think I am a romantic at heart and love the idea of romance in a cynical world. Having said that, I enjoy writing across a variety of genres, except perhaps medical thrillers or crime, but then never say never. I love to dabble in different genres, dependent on the story and how the characters dictate the voice and style should be. I’ve written mom lit, humour, chick lit, romance, non fiction anecdotal humour and a darker, supernatural story which should be out in November-December.
While the emotion of love essentially remains the same, its expression changes with time. How do you ensure that your books tick with the younger audience? The rules of engagement have changed after all!
Love remains constant and yes, the rules of engagement change all the time, but then the more things change, the more they remain the same. I think the younger generation is very prosaic and matter of fact about love and dating and commitment in a way my generation never was. I do a lot of observing the younger generation, chatting with youngsters and finding out how they connect, how relationships are in this day and age, and how they navigate the now complicated waters of modern day dating. I find it great fun.
Are Indian writers who write English fiction finally finding their niche in the Indian marketplace, which was once flooded with western authors?
Yes, they are and this is absolutely delightful. I think it was time that the Indian reader were given stories they could identify with, in a language, syntax and contemporary setting that they were familiar with, and could relate with, rather than a plethora of literature from outside or literature written in India but very consciously for the Western gaze.
As a writer and author, what do you also think about the future regional language authors? With fewer and fewer people learning/speaking/writing in their mother tongue do you think this should be given attention too?
Absolutely, translations can definitely help, and as parents we need to inculcate the habit of not just speaking but also reading in the native language to keep the languages alive and vibrant. A little bit in every home can help combat this decline in the use of regional languages. Having said that, there is a vibrant literary scene in languages like Hindi, Bangla and Tamil that I am aware of.
Often a doomsday scenario is painted when it comes to reading as a habit. What are your views?
There is so much competing for our attention, the internet, television, movies, etc. The time available to spend on leisure activities like reading is shrinking and the competition for things to spend time and attention on has increased. Nonetheless, I am delighted to see that youngsters are reading, and e-readers have made reading much more convenient for them in terms of portability and accessibility.
How do you respond to reviews of your books? Is the reader’s view supreme or is the critic’s view more important?
Both opinions are welcome and valid, I appreciate genuine criticism and feedback.
Who are your favourite authors and why?
First on my list will always be P G Wodehouse, for his sparkling wit and the wonderful world he conjures where nothing is truly amiss, where laughs are galore and all will be well at the end. I also enjoy Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones series, JRR Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the sheer scope and magnitude of the world he imagined and epic battle between good and evil, and not to forget Mark Twain and Jane Austen. There’s Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro who are personal favourites for the sheer evocativeness of their writing. And finally, I must doff my hat to J K Rowling. Her Harry Potter series brought me much joy and her Cormoran Strike under her Robert Galbraith pseudonym is one of the most interesting characters I’ve read in recent times.
Would you like your books to be made into films? In Hollywood we see a lot of scripts based on books – do you see that happening on a more frequent scale in the Indian film industry?
Yes, I think a lot of books have been made into movies, and a lot of books are being optioned to be made into movies. Chetan Bhagat has had his books made into movies which have done pretty well at the box office. I think this is a trend that is here to stay, and I can only hope that one of my books gets picked up to be made into a movie.
Finally, if not a writer, author, blogger – what do you think you would be?
Honestly no clue. I think this was what I was meant to be. I can’t remember doing anything with any modicum of passion from the time I was young, except read and write.
Read the original here
All Aboard the Aqua Princess: A Mediterranean Cruise by Diipti Jhangiani
Rhea Khanna tags along with her Massi (mother’s sister) on a cruise. Her husband to be Samir, left her at the altar just a few days before the wedding and now all she wants is to be away from people, men in particular. Rina Massi, an eclectic, independent and colourful retired teacher is the perfect pivot and distraction in this plot. She manages to steer Rhea through her mental storms, and with a little help from serendipity, quite a few stars align at the end of the story and everyone is happy.
Especially me the reader; thanks to the gorgeous setting the story is based in. Back in 2006, I backpacked across the western loop of Europe and in 2014 a Winter in Vienna. But I was yet to experience the food and passionate of Italy. With All Aboard, I spend a couple of weeks, drinking flutes of Champagne, aboard the Aqua Princess, a luxury cruise line through the Mediterranean, taking off from the sea port of Civitavecchia in Rome with pit stops at Naples, Cannes and Florence. And with France being the capital of love, Cupid’s true home, sparks fly between the two in Saint Paul de Vence, a sixteen century village and the oldest medieval village in France. This happens in chapter 12 and if I say another word I will be tempted to tell you all! Get your copy on Amazon.
Travelling with The Khannas and the Shahanis
What is it about the sea… that makes you want to stare till it’s infinity? And what better a place to do that than on a cruise? Through Kiran’s book, I vicariously step aboard this cruise across Italy and France. With the best food on board, brewing romance and wanderlust, I am in for quite a treat.
Serendipity plays a big role in a lot that happens on this cruise. How Rhea landed on the cruise to begin with, her being related to Kamal’s school teacher, both their estranged pasts and their finally getting together at the end of the story.
Punjabis and Sindhis have almost always made a rocking pair. In this story Rhea Khanna and Kamal Shahani (is there a real one around? Single and available, leave me a note?) sure do.
I feel like giving Rhea a lecture about getting over it already because she keeps going back into the past. I mean I turned 30 this year, and I don’t feel any older. And here I see Rhea sobbing away about her lost love, her unfulfilled marriage and her fear of being alone at 30. But through the course of her weeks on the cruise, she begins to realise how one sided the relationship was. For everything she and Samir did together, he was mentally always somewhere else. And then there is Kamal, always there, beautiful, thoughtful and brooding Kamal. Is it his entrepreneurial success that makes him so hands on? It sure does give him an air of maturity and wisdom. But when she sees him playing with his niece and nephew aboard the ship, he becomes comical and carefree; so endearing!
On that cruise, Rhea has an adventure of her life. She travels across Europe, which you will agree has to be the most romantic continent on this planet. She falls for the wrong guy and is saved just in time by the right one, busts a criminal heist, and finally right at the end of the story, when we all give up all hope on this blumbering fool, she rights all the wrongs with a kiss.
Oh and my most favourite part of the story? That has to be Rina Massi! She is so magical. She falls in love on the cruise with a retired colonel, she openly flirts, she makes Rhea fall in love, she wears the most colourful dresses and ensures everyone has a fabulous time! The kind of person that is the jaan of the party, I have an uncle like that! Oh and his name is Kamal! That’s just a crazy coincidence, but really everyone just waits for him to walk in for the party to truly begin. My favourite kind of people, always always, they are the ones that brew truly magical stories!
When I asked Kiran about her cruise experience, she said she hasn’t even been on one! (All you cruise companies out there did you hear that?) Every scene aboard the ship is described so well, I would have imagined her writing it while she was on a cruise herself through the Mediterranean. So go on, get your copy to experience the story of All Aboard, to enjoy the infuriating but addictive twists and turns of Rhea’s life. And while you are at it, get tempted to book yourself a cruise; for the new year perhaps?
Read the original post here
