Interview : Rubina Ramesh - Author of Knitted Tales

I always wondered about sending some questions to any random author for whom we were doing a Blog Tour on TBC but not a single question ever came to my mind. But then we  had "Knitted Tales" and I was sad because I was asked to send only five questions for Rubina Ramesh.

"Some people are not extremely close but still they pour some warmth."

In conversation with Rubina Ramesh.
Writer, Reviewer, Second name of TBC.

1. How were you pushed in the world of books?

With your Grand-dad a writer and your mom swimming in the world of books, how can you not? I can't remember when I started reading. It was always there with me. My dad would get transferred every 3 years. So books had to become my best friend. Same thing happened after marriage. So with wheels on my heels, books have been my life partner always :)

2. Managing a book club, reviewing books and now writing one. How were the three phases?

Never thought of this one. Writing came first. I wrote a sci-fi for an anthology much before the Book Club was formed. Book Club has gone through many phases. People have left me and rejoined or unfriended me. Hah hah.. but I am stuck with TBC. There are days I am fed up, want to give up and then a cute letter drops in my mailbox saying that a new author wants to be promoted. I get hooked. I love promoting new authors, aspiring one. The one's that have the drive and zeal to face any reviewer, however, harsh they might be –so every time a new author turns up the wheels start rolling again. 

Reviewing is the toughest job for me. I hate criticizing any writer. Yet I cannot praise always. Most of my reviews are private. I am not looking to be acknowledged as a reviewer for this is one of the toughest jobs in the literary world. A job that does not get you money but costs you many relationships. 

3. What inspired you to write the book?

Knitted Tales was based on prompt writing in Wrimo India Group. We had such fun during those days. We fought over good writing, were passionate over our viewpoints and it was simply about the art of writing. The Knitted Tales were kicked, abused and then loved in Wrimo India. 

Most of the stories are taken from life or incidents I have heard. But the endings and the sequences are mine. You know those small things that you hear and you go in a 'mungeri lal' mode? I often do that. And Knitted Tales does prove that I have a very wrapped sense of imagination. :P

4. Do you think short stories are easy or hard to pen then a complete tale? What was your experience?

I cannot consciously sit and write a short story. I cannot plan a short story. It has to happen. Something bursting inside me to be told. It comes very naturally and I will not change a single event after I write it. But novels are planned. Characters are built and events are plotted. It has to have a depth which should suck in a reader. It took me four years to write Finding the Angel and a few hours to write each story of Knitted Tales.

5. If you want to change one thing in your book what would it be?

Not one thing. I am very stubborn that way :D As I said, each story has to come out naturally. I never plan them. So how can I change them? :D

It's really fun to know some people. :)

You can read my review of Knitted Tales here.

Book Review : Agniputr by Vadhan

Book- Agniputr - When Agni First Spoke

Author- Vadhan

Genre- Fiction (Mythology/Suspense)

Publisher- Bloomsbury India

Pages- 364

Price- 299


Blurb-

When ace lawyer, Raghuran Surya, received an order of requisition from the Government of India for his ancestral castle, he was unaware of the Sutran beneath it or his own legacy. He will have to choose between the world’s end or his own.

Before long, the lawyer takes on India’s most powerful politician, Kiromal, a man utterly obsesses with power. Kiromal and his sinister Tantric advisor intend to use the evil beneath the castle to play God. Raghuram finds an ally in Sheila, a scientist who is tasked to investigate the Sutram. Using Quantum science to interpret a Vedic verse, they will have to unravel the secret of Creation to stop the destruction. Through it all, they have to be one step ahead of Kiromal just to stay alive.

Now is the time to final reckoning. Will Kiromal harness the evil to rule the world? Or will the Sutram break free to eradicate the planet? Or, are Raghuram and Sheila merely pawns in an even deadlier game?

Review- 

What makes this book enjoyable is the mixture of a lot of things in a one go, without making anything clumsy. When a lot of things are moving simultaneously it’s important to maintain decorum for the readers, so that they can enjoy themselves to the fullest and the author has tried his best to do that. The subject that the author has chosen is really alluring because it is not widespread in Indian reading and writing community. The characterization is great and effective. Nothing more, nothing less in the name of suspense or explanations, sheer to the point context and realizations.

I loved the book and my detailed version of the review coming soon.

About the Author-

With more than two decades as a litigator and consultant for legislative compliance, Vadhan turned to writing a few years ago. He is a lawyer by training, an entrepreneur and dreamer. His first book, ‘Shatru’, part of the Kronikles series, is highly praised and critically reviewed to be one of the best fantasy novels in India. Vadhan is married with two children. He aspires to be a politician and a reformist one day. Vadhan lives in New Gurgaon, India, with his wife.

Buy the book- 

Amazon Link-                                                                                                                                          

http://www.amazon.in/Agniputr-When-Agni-First-Spoke/dp/9386141078/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484988782&sr=1-1&keywords=agniputr

Book Review : Her Last Wish by Ajay K Pandey

Book- Her Last Wish

Author- Ajay K. Pandey

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Srishti Publishers

Pages- 207

Price- 175

Blurb-

His father’s over expectations only ruined his self-confidence further with each failure. A ray of hope walked into his life as his wife, a charismatic personality spreading joy wherever she went. Everything is going per plan, but darkness comes knocking soon. He finds out that she does not have much time to love and takes it upon himself to fight all odds – even his family. If need be – to help her fight her medical condition. His father sees his own redemption in helping them, he knows his son will be a winner only if he will fight for her, with her. Will a defeated son prove himself to be a good husband? Will the father-son duo together be able to change the course of fate? Her last wish is an inspiring story of love, relationships and sacrifice, which proves once again how a good wife makes the best husband.

Review-

The second book of Ajay sir is pretty ok and after the huge success of the first one it was hard to stay away from the second one. From the cover and the blurb it seems a really engrossing and touchy subject but was it the same, well, read to find out. There are no doubt some flaws in the book but nothing is perfect. There was a balance of everything, in short a recipe to win the heart of readers who are into light reading. Was there any scope? It depends according to the taste of the reader.

Starting from the start, well the book was full of emotions, messy relationships and a never ending struggle. From the very start i was hoping to find a bit more after every chapter but sadly every chapter has a very bland incidents which didn't seem to change till the very end. When one is reading a touchy and emotional story (here i am referring myself), there are a lot of expectations. I want to cry when the leads are crying but i was reading it like a machine without feeling extra hue of tingle in my heart even at very sensitive matters.

Am I a machine then, well no, the problem in the book was the extra plain and simple projection of emotions. Who wants to read a simple book when the subject is really strong? Not me at least.

There were some positive things in the book too which kept me going. Like the character Astha. i kept on liking her after every chapter. And when the truth unfolds i was falling for her with every word. She was the real hero of the book. Also when talking about supporting characters Vijay's father played a very crucial and important role. For a person like he was, dominating, seeing him in that phase was really refreshing.

But there was a strong need of more characters. This story had a lot of scope and by adding more characters i think it could have been uplifted. Like there was no role of Astha's parents in the whole book. I don't understand why author didn't include them even in one chapter.

I didn't like Vijay much. Why? Well I have many reasons and the most important one is that I don't like drastic changes in the characters no matter what. They ought to grow gradually and not so suddenly. It makes me feel disconnected to them and same happened here.

One more problem was the first person narration. It sounded really monotonous after some chapters. I needed more insight over the details. But author filled this space a little bit by adding different versions of other people and their take over the whole scenario.

Talking about the writing, everything was good. Well that was it, everything was good, not nice, not even very good. The lines seemed same, the emotions seemed same, even the choice of words was very simple and no such phase came in the book which could have hit the correct vein.

The book was a nice read, it is a great book for those who need small books but this cant be read again and again. That means it is just a one time read. I enjoyed the book but there were a lot of things that i was expecting from the book which it was not able to deliver. I think romance novels are nowadays more hard to right because after one point of time they all move in just one direction and it is hard to differentiate two books which showcase the same subject matter.


Eye-Catchers-

• "If a miracle has to happen, it will happen anyway. Give it your maximum."
• "Winners always forgive whereas losers always retaliate."
• "If a child lacks confidence, it means you have never allowed him to take any decisions."

Recommendation-

You can pick this book if you are new in reading. You can surely like it because it is a nice and easy tale to grasp. But if you are looking for a composed tale then this is not the one for you.

About the author- 

Ajay K Pandey is currently working with Cognizant, Pune. Although he grew up with a dream of becoming a teacher, destiny landed him in the IT field. Travelling, trekking and reading novels are his hobbies. Travelling to different places has taught him about different cultures and people and makes him wonder how despite all the differences, there is a bond that unites them.

His debut novel You are the best wife was based on his life events and went on to become a bestseller soon after its release.


Connect with the author-

• Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorAjayPandey
• Twitter: @AjayPandey_08
• Email: ajaypandey0807@gmail.com

Buy the book-

You can buy the book here- 

Amazon.in

Book Review : Finding Juliet by Toffee

Book- Finding Juliet

Author- Toffee

Genre- Fiction (Romance)

Publisher- Srishti Publishers

Pages- 224

Price- 195

Blurb-

Arjun is an incredibly nice guy who believes in true love and is waiting for it with open arms. He falls in love, not once or twice, but thrice. And every single time, happiness – like the girls he fell for – comes very close to him before pushing him away. His only pillar of strength in all his moments of grief and dejection is his childhood friend Anjali.

Dejected by the games played by girls and fate, he leaves Hyderabad for Bangalore and ends up meeting Krish, an irresistible flirt. He understands Arjun's predicament, pacifies him with his words and enlightens him about the most complicated species ever created by God – Women.

And then, Arjun's life changes forever.

Will Arjun find the one he has been waiting for, or will he end up becoming a flirt? Will he ever taste lasting happiness?

Join Arjun as he tries to figure out women and discovers the meaning of love, lust and life... all in his journey of Finding Juliet.

Review-

Finding Juliet can lure readers due to an impressive blurb, an eye-catchy cover and a very sweet title. It is a sure shot winner in the initial league. The book starts with a very plain and simple aura. I was glued to the text from the very first line. Author tried to keep the text as simple as he could, by doing that the book can surely reach a lot of people and not just high profile readers.

The story of the book however is not very impressive and the signs of the same start appearing as soon as you move ahead in the book. Though the first few chapters can be ignored in this context because many books do fail to impress in the start, no issues on that because it takes time to form a good and strong bridge; but as I moved and reached the middle, the story was still the same.

The main problem in the book was the extra boastful male chauvinist character, hidden behind the geeky appearance. What was enjoyable was to see how a girl can take different turns at different places. Needs are of both the genders and it was shown in full swing. But apart from that there was nothing noteworthy at all.

I was not able to get the whole concept of showing the mediocre behavior of a guy in different forms. The realizations were just so bleak; there was no charm in it. And how could the charm be left in it, it was all consumed with the different set of experiences which the author associated the lead Arjun with.

If I look back and try to pick a favorite character, I can’t put my finger on any. Krish came up to be wannabe and I hated Anjali from the bottom of my heart. She was showing a different era, for no reason at all. Neha was boring; Ruchika was a neutral character for me.

There were many places where the story could have evolved like in the last section but it became a daily soap as we approached the end and I was very disappointed because a good end can make up for the other blunders.

The book can be read for light reading by those who have just stepped in the readers’ community because there is nothing new in the book which an avid reader can really enjoy.

About the author-

Toffee is a simple guy who loves the complications of life. He used to write code by the day and books by the night earlier. But currently, he is busy writing assignments and chasing deadlines in his Master's in Business Analytics from the University of South Florida. Toffee loves narrating interesting stories with subtle insights. Through books, he wants to share beautiful stories, reach out to people and touch their hearts. Finding Juliet is his second book, written specially for India's Generation-Y.

Connect with the author-

• www.facebook.com/ToffeeIdiot

Buy the book-

• Amazon Link- http://www.amazon.in/Finding-Juliet-Toffee/dp/9382665854/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484576774&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+juliet+by+toffee

Book Blitz : God and his Girlfriend by Priyank

Name of the book: God & His Girlfriend

Author: Priyank

Read some reviews:

1. Bani Jain

2. Alisha Patel 

3. Kapil Awasthi 

The Story:

Have you ever met a pretty girl in a suspicious condition with blood stained hands lying in a hotel room where you are staying in? 

Can a love story see its acceptance in the Indian society when the boy is from slums and the girl is born in a rich family? 

How many of you have met those girls who were molested by their known ones when they had not even crossed the age of 14? Isn’t forced and unwilling sex after marriage similar to a rape? 

Whether the prayers offered in love strong enough to bring back someone’s lost beloved from PoK? 

How many of you know a person whose deeds are completely ideal, something which only a God can do? 

Whether religion, caste or community should really be a parameter in deciding the hierarchy and dominance of people living in this world? 

God and his girl-friend is a mercurial story about two youngsters, from entirely different backgrounds who strive hard against their comfort to live with their passion. A boy from the slums and a girl from a rich lavishing family set out on an embarking journey to touch the moon. This takes them through many tests, eventually tying them up in love, followed by an unforgettable service to the nation as true stalwart patriots.

You can buy the book @

amazon.in

About The Author 

‘The HINDU’ calls Priyank’s books, which has stories inspired from real life to be perfect in portraying the power of love.

Bollywood film maker Imtiyaz Ali conveyed his words to Priyank at a literary event in Delhi that he could see Priyank emerging out as a potential story writer from his city Jamshedpur.

Priyank is an author, a start up lover cum aspiring entrepreneur, a story teller and a motivational speaker. He is a gold medal winner in creative writing at the National level. He was named as the Best Debut Author of 2014 by Aagman Literary Organization, a Delhi based literary and cultural house for his novel ” I am dead but my heart beats. ”

He completed his Engineering from BIT Sindri, Dhanbad in 2015. He has delivered story telling sessions and motivational talks across many organizations in a short span of one and half year. He is the founder of Embellish India, a start-up he kicked off while in college. Currently, he works for a Delhi based funded start up after resigning from his first MNC job at TCS.

Born in Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) on 29th October, in a Maithil Brahmin family and brought up in Ghatsila (a small town near Steel city Jamshedpur in Jharkhand), Priyank’s dream is to bring changes in the country and make it a better place to live in. Writing was never his passion nor his goal. It happened to him by chance, by destiny, in an attempt to fulfill someone’s dream. He loves cricket, travelling, sleeping and trying out new delicacies.

Stalk him @

Facebook | Twitter | Website

This Tour is Hosted by