Jasveer Singh's Interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - JASVEER SINGH DANGI

1.] Introduction 

Jasveer is a behavioral trainer, and an award-winning health and safety professional. He is currently working as the Profit Center Head of a Health & Safety Training company. In 2018, he was awarded by IISSM for his contributions to the Health and Safety training domain. He was part of the team of trainers that trained 22,000 volunteers of Commonwealth Games 2010. In 2019 Literature Light recognized him as top 100 debut authors for his debut book Version One and a Half (Version 1 ½). He was also named as the ‘Author of the Fest’ at the Writing Wizards Fest 2020 for his book Double One Zero (110) – Out of the shadows. He loves the outdoors. He has done extensive high attitude climbing in India and Nepal. He is a big movie buff which also quite evident from him using quotes and songs from movies at strategic places in all his books. His first book ‘VERSION ONE AND A HALF (VERSION 1 ½)’, was published in Sept 2018. This was a self-help book. This book was his attempt to use childhood memories from 80's for solving problems in the present. It was written like a self-help book. His second book, a mix of non-fiction & fiction, ‘DIARY FROM HEAVEN’, was published in Jan 2019. He used stories from his own college life and initial days in corporate for this book. This book was well received because of its surreal portrayal of effects of drug addiction on the youth. His first fully fiction work, DOUBLE ONE ZERO (110) – OUT OF THE SHADOWS’, a thriller, was published on 16th Jan, 2020. This was a thriller about a man looking for his identity which takes him to France. His forth and shortest work, ‘THE METRO-MANIAC CHRONICLES’, was published on 9th April, 2020 during the lock-down in India due to Novel Corona Virus outbreak. The book describes various kinds’ of travelers in Delhi metro with a touch of humor and their mirror kinds in a typical work place. His fifth book, ‘SHAHENSHAH – STORY OF CANCER CONQUEROR SHRENIK SHAH’, will be out in the last week of June 2020. He’s an avid observer of his surroundings and uses characters and instances from his everyday situations for his stories. He also shares his thoughts on his blog on storymirror.com, jasveersinghdangi (Instagram account and his Facebook page) and his website www.jasveersingh.in

2.] What are the duties of an Author towards society?

 As an author our duty is to be honest & optimistic. Literary work has always impacted society in a big way so, our work, fiction or non-fiction, must present an honest & optimistic view of the society & life in general.  

3.] If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

My younger self was not remotely related to writing in anyway but one message for a younger me would be, "focus shastri" (if you love movies as much as i do then you would know the meaning of this dialogue). As someone who had a non-tech education background, I was not focused at all during my initial corporate days. A message to my younger self would be to focus on things which matter most & ignore other things. 

4.] What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?  

I have always been motivated by people & situations around me & I have used real life people & events as motivation for characters in my stories so I wanted to thank them for giving me so many colors for my stories.

5.] Do you view writing as a kind of Social Service especially when you write on social issues? 

Personally, I write for me. Writing started as a De-stressing tool & it has really helped me remain sane. More than others, writing is helping me to stay focused.

6.] How do you select the Title of your Book? 

All my nook titles are different & spontaneous. I cant describe it but it just happens that I come across unique names for my books in a flash. Usually I start without a name & through the writing process i come-up with the title.

7.] What are the important aspects while writing non-fiction? 

Be honest & true to the subject. Dont try to fiddle with the story to make it too spicy or interesting.

8.] What message would you like to give to people of our Society? 

Stop wasting time & start reading. Reading is the best solution for anxiety & stress & also it improves the thinking process.

Author Interview - Alakananda Pramanik

Author - Alakananda Pramanik

1.) Please introduce yourself.

Born in a simple and well educated family in Nagpur, Maharashtra, I was brought up in a very family oriented environment. My dad was a Mechanical Engineer & Professor in an Engineering college and a voracious reader, and my mom was a housewife, yet very fashionable, talented, energetic and multi-tasking. 

I am passionate about music, painting and writing. If the combination of these three are addicting, then I like being addicted. It gives me a high!  It is like a stress reliever and very relaxing.

I love exploring the beauty of life. I can confidently say that nothing is impossible in life. The limitations are only in our mind. I strongly believe that there is no age to begin. you can begin and learn at any age. As I started emerging I realised that I was capable of doing many things in life. 

I went for a photo shoot for Human Expression & Emotions by an upcoming photographer and realised the pleasure of modelling. Serving the needy and underprivileged became a part of life. Apart from organizing & hosting several events & workshops successfully in Kolkata, I have acted in a couple of short films too. A Bengali short film ‘Sujog – The Opportunity’ and a Hindi Short film ‘Shakti – The Strength within’, both of which were released on Women’s day 2019 and 2020 respectively. I love travelling, photography and reading too. I have a great collection of books in my personal library, and time and again I take a book out and re-read it.

Recently, I won the ‘Achiever Award 2020’ in the ‘Author Achiever’ category by Literoma. 

Each activity in my life has been uplifting, exciting and an interesting experience. 

Currently I hold a responsible position in the Credit Control team of one of India’s leading IT companies, as well as hold an honorary Senior Leadership position in one of the top e-Learning Platforms, Soulitaire.

I thank all the people who have crossed my path for tapping my potential, and helping me bring out the harder & softer side of the woman in me.

2.) As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

As a child, my dreams were nowhere near becoming an author though I used to attempt to write stories. I would dream of becoming a Pilot, play guitar and become a Rockstar. I was a tomboy during my growing years. I enjoyed climbing trees, cycling without breaks and taking risks. But I was passionate about reading novels and stories, which still continues.




3.) What is the first book that made you cry?

‘Not Without my Daughter’ by Betty Mahmoody.




4.) What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

All Publishing companies in general operate the same way. They have charges against different category of packages. The author must weigh & compare each and decide accordingly. Other options are self-publishing. I feel that apart for some exceptions, book publishers as a whole, have to be ethical, as trying to grow easy business and fast money can only get them into the spotlight and rejected.




5.) Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Definitely energizes me. With each story completed it gives a kind of satisfaction.



6.) What are common traps for aspiring writers?

The most common trap for an aspiring writer is writing and keeping to oneself as either they are shy or are not aware how to make it visible to a larger audience. This will never help them fulfil their dreams of becoming a writer. Another trap is the feeling that everyone will love their book and it will become #1 bestseller. They love their book because they put in hours in it and wrote it. But it’s not necessary that everyone will love it. Not everyone reads the same thing. Not everyone may like the flow of it. Apart from this, there is the inability to accept critical feedback. 




7.) Does a big ego help or hurt writers?

Ego never helps. A writer with big ego can never grow. There are four things we must keep in mind - Eradicate ego, be humble, break the mental barrier and believe in yourself.




8.) Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

‘Soul Stirrer’ is my debut book and each story was original. From the reviews that poured in abundance, I could gather that the readers loved it.




9.) Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

A technical writer doesn’t need emotions. But a writer other than that has to be emotionally connected to their writing for the readers to connect to their story and get into the minds of the character. Writing without emotion can only be compared to material in the form of data, numbers and presentations!




10.) What message would you like to give to Budding writers?

Make reading a habit. It is very important that they read a lot.

Start small, like start writing short stories, small writeups

Join writers group, it helps a lot when you are interacting with like-minded people.

Take advise from other authors

Observer and always taking mental notes 

Write down these notes and any ideas that come in your mind immediately, because you may forget it if you leave it in your memory.

Writing and hiding it doesn’t help. Others should read what you have written. Hence, look for opportunities and ways of publishing them, even if you have to take help from your friends who may have a publishing house, or publish magazines for their organization where stories or writeups are open for any writer.

Believe in yourself and your writing, and never stop working towards your dream.

Five Gifts that shaped my Life Book Review

Book name - Five gifts that shaped my life

Author - Samar Deep Singh

Ratings - 4.6⭐

Five gifts that shaped my life by Samar Deep is truly a must-read. As the title suggests so is the book, engaging and interesting. Its title grabs my attention and picks this up to read and when I finish reading I was happy and fully satisfied with the book. It was much more than my expectations. 

It's catchy and interesting storyline attracts the reader's and the writing style make it a Must Read. 

The story revolves around Ron and his Grandfather. It shows the relationship between grandparent and the grandson. 

When Ron came back to his house after spending years in a boarding school, his grandfather has five gifts for him. Which was gifted on his last five birthdays? His five gifts was an hourglass, magnifying glass, Violin, mirror and the coloured pebbles.

Its unique concept is the soul of the book. It's more like self-help. Childhood is the Best part of life and this book is all about that beautiful time. Pictures in between it make it a little attractive.

The language used is simple and easy to understand. The title is really good and attractive but the cover page could be much better. 

Overall it's full of emotions and really a great book to Read. Don't think twice just grab the copy and enjoy the book.

आगाज़

Book Review 

किताब - आगाज़

कवि - बसाबा दत्ता

रेटिंग - 4.8⭐

'आगाज़', बसाबा दत्ता द्वारा लिखित एक काव्य संग्रह है। 

बसाबा की कवितायें सीधे दिल से दिल तक जाती है। उनकी भाषा शैली बहुत ही सरल और प्रभावशाली है। बीच-बीच में उर्दू का तड़का इसको और ज़्यादा मोहक बनाता है। 

बात करे अगर किताब के शीर्षक और कवर पेज की तो दोनों बेहतरीन और दमदार है।

इस काव्य संग्रह में कुल 46 कविताएं शामिल है जोकि कई विषयों के बारे में है जैसे नारी, बचपन, दोस्ती, प्यार, ज़िंदगी तथा अन्य कई छोटे-बड़े मुद्दों पर कवि ने अपने विचार व्यक्त किये है। किताब की सुंदरता को महसूस करने के लिए किसी ठंडी शाम, बारिश का मौसम या फिर खास समय की ज़रूरत नहीं है। आप इसे जिस भी पहर पढ़ेंगे आप इसकी खूबसूरती को महसूस कर पाएंगे। कवि बसाबा ने शब्दों को इस ढंग में पिरोया है कि आप एक कविता पढ़ने के बाद आपको और ज़्यादा पढ़ने का मन करेगा और आपको पता भी नहीं चलेगा कि आपने कब यह किताब ख़त्म भी कर दी। 

बसाबा की लेखनी व कलम वाक्य ही कमाल की है, उनकी अगली किताब का इंतजार बेसब्री से है।

वैसे सभी कविताएं बेहद खूबसूरत और दिल को छूने वाली है तो यह कहना बड़ा ही मुश्किल है कि सबसे अच्छी कविता कौनसी है मगर फिर भी उन सब में से जो मुझे सर्वश्रेष्ठ लगी वो ये है:

यादों की किताब

तन्हाई

मैं वक़्त हूँ

मुलाक़ात

यारी

आशिक़ का जनाज़ा

कुछ पंक्तियां जो एक बार में ही मेरी दिल की गहराई तक गई।

"पत्ता पत्ता ज़िंदगी का, जोड़ के बना था जो आशियाँ, बहुत दर्द होता है देखकर, टूट के बिखरता यहाँ वहाँ। "

अगर आप भी शौकिन है हिन्दी कविताओं के तो यह खूबसूरत किताब आपके लिए है, बिना किसी देर के इस को उठा लीजिये। 

यहाँ से खरीदें :- https://amzn.to/3eMG5zx

The King of Sea [BOOK REVIEW]

Book name - The King of the Sea: A Metaphysical Novel and Musical Odyssey
Author -  Nandan Gautam.
Ratings - 5⭐

The book is not that difficult what it looks like from the cover page and it's not that simple what it is from inside. Maybe it's quite confusing that what is it exactly and to know that you need to read this. It's not like other books, it's something different and really a masterpiece.

The King of the Sea by Nandan Gautam is a metaphysical novel and a musical odyssey that takes into account varying themes to bring out a delightful work of art.
The book is a musical journey that aspires you to fulfil your dreams beyond imagination.

The way each word is written is so powerful that it brings zeal and motivates you to the utmost core.
The book require time to understand it, you can easily feel the hard work behind this creation. Author's dedication, effort and true spirit to create this book are really appreciable and clearly visible as we read. More you into the book, more you'll understand it's depth.
I love the cover of the book. It is soothing to the eyes and reflects the depth of the book. If I talk about its title, then obviously that is the perfect choice for the book.

The writing style of the author is effective and impressive. His words have the potential to make a change and left a great impact on readers. I must it's a must-read book, no matter what genre you prefer reading but investing time and money into it, well worth it for sure.

Click here to purchse the book


#bookrecommendations
#bookreview #booksreviewergulshan 

Book name - Dhruv : Love story of an alchemist
Author - Karan Verma
Ratings - 4.5⭐

Starting with the Title, it is named on the main male protagonist of the story. The cover is really beautiful, the scenario of the ghats of Banaras and a shining star (Dhruv star) in the Sky.

Some love stories are cherished, some become folklore, but the saga of Dhruv and Emma marks the ascension of a man who goes on to become a legend.
Dhruv born in Banaras and raised by his Father. He is very curious and intelligent later he becomes the storyteller. He falls in love with a girl named Emma. She has a strong love for the Country and has a keen interest in the spirituality of Hindus.
This story is not like the other common romance fictions, it has the strength to stand by. It's an inspiring love story which will keep you hooked to the last page.
Characterization is strong and remarkable. The way of portraying the characters is impressive. Narration is the well and engaging, language used is simple and lucid.

The book is recommended to those who love to read inspiring romance fiction. Value for money.

 Book name - Mrs. Basu's Uncensored Familism
Author - Chirasree Bose
Ratings - 4.5⭐

After so long I got to read something tale. The title perfectly suits the theme and cover is very attractive.
Its a family drama full of fun and joy. The writing style is brilliant, Author has done wonderful job.
The story is about a newly Bengali bride, its been 6 months passed of her marriage but she is still confused with her new Life and Family.
The language was witty yet simple.
I like the way how Author end up conveying the message beautifully in a Funny way. The author has shown the character so real that you can feel connected with it. With the touch of Bengali it makes the book an amazing read.

Book Review

Book name - Wild World: The Adventures of Bali and Bhola
Author - Deepak Arora
Ratings - 4.8⭐
I'm not much into this kind of books, so before purchasing, I was not sure about this. But on a friend's recommendation, I purchased and then I set down to Read. Right from the first chapter, it captures my attention towards it. Hopefully, I not just liked but I loved the book and I also want to say a big thanks to my Friend for this wonderful recommendation. I read the whole book while travelling in Metro, and it was worth reading.
The story is about Bali, the langur who moved back into the Wild World after getting fed up of chasing monkeys in the city. Later on accompanied by Bhola, the bear. They together decided to help Rani, the tigress, to escape from the City Zoo.
The reasons why I liked this book is very common and that is obvious because the Plot and storyline are perfect and the way of portraying the characters and the narration part is really interesting and engaging.
It's a fast paced book, so you'll finish reading it in very short time.
I loved the cover and the title. The author has done a good job by adding a lot of pictures in each chapter.
The language used by author is pretty simple and easy to understand.

Book Review

Book name - PAARA
Author - DEEPA MSL
Ratings - 4.2⭐
This is the book which you can't refuse to read and I am damn sure that you'll surely fall in love with this.
The Cover page and Title if the Book is Beautiful and attractive.
Its not just a Story, it's inspired by the real life incidents.
The Book highlights the points like women empowerment, social norms etc.
This is the story of a girl named Paraa, she falls in love with the men of her dreams and gets married to him, He is a Navy Officer but after there marriage things changed completely and it brings the turning in her Life. She is being molested and humiliated by her Husband but her truthfulness towards Love keeps her stopped. She struggled to fight.
Moving ahead in the Book, you will get sticked to it and it will put you in Self Analysis.
The used is Easy to understand and quite relatable.
The way of storytelling and way of portraying the Characters will surely attract you.
Overall it's a Nice Read and i must say it should be read by every Women.

Book Review

Title - That thing about you
Author - Abhaidev
Ratings - 4.8⭐

"That Thing About You" by Abhaidev is a romance thriller loosely based on paranormal activity but convincing.
The title of the book and the cover also have a deeper meaning and connect to the story.
The protagonist of the story is Subhod , a regular guy , a little immature and none takes him seriously , not even by Sneha and gets rejected.
The author has written about philosophy well. Philosophical writing is tricky but the author has delivered the message with clarity.
The first chapter itself is intriguing, making you sit up and look forward for more. The end was actually the beginning of another story and that was beautiful. It's a book about second chances in love and life, about realising your potential, about life being all about enjoying the journey rather than focusing on the destination.
What I like the Most
• Plot and way of storytelling.
• A great motivation for facing the challenge we face in the walks of our life.
• Language used is simple and lucid.
• Characterization is beautifully done.
I highly recommend this book to you all. It is a story of a man walking on the path of self-discovery.

Book Review

Small is Big - volume 3 by Rafaa Dalvi,
It's a collection of wonderful Quotes.
The Title perfectly suits the Theme of the Book.
You can finish this book in hardly one hour, but the emotions behind every single word will remain in your heart for long.
Its a perfect blend of different feelings. It talk about Love, betrayal, Self love, Choice, murder mystery and much more. Almost all quotes are written from the bottom of the heart. You can easily feel the emotions behind every single write up. It will show you the harsh reality of the World.
If you are looking for something quick and interesting Read just Give it a Try. 

Author Interview 

Sourabh Mukherjee, author of The Colours of passion talks to us about his Fascinating Writing style, what inspires him and what is he working on next….

Sourabh Mukherjee

Technology Leader | Author | Speaker

Professional profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sourabhmukherjee

Author profile: www.sourabhmukherjee.com

Question 1. Which Book of yours is Very close to your heart?


"The Colours of Passion" is very close to my heart for two reasons.

Firstly, In "The Colours of Passion", I wanted to talk about how our society has certain pre-conceived notions about human relationships. Any relationship that does not conform to acceptable definitions is quickly dismissed as immoral, illicit, or even illegal. This has been the case with same-sex relationships in our country for a very long time. While the constitutional hurdle has now been cleared, has our mindset really changed? Is the society really open to same-sex relationships? Love, at the end of the day, is love. What we need to realize is that, love and passion come in a variety of colours - it cannot be painted in only one shade.

Secondly, the book aims to unravel the dark secrets behind the limelight. I have heard stories of betrayal, conspiracy, heartbreak from my acquaintances in the entertainment and fashion industries, and I felt that, these would be the perfect ingredients for an edge-of-the-seat thriller.

  In that sense, "The Colours of Passion" has been truly hailed as India's first alternate sexuality thriller. It was long-listed in WordToScreen 2018, conducted by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI). It was also ranked by MyBookPick.com among top Indian thrillers in 2017, and was among Top 10 New Arrivals in Starmark outlets across India in the month of its release. It was also among Amazon bestsellers for several months post-release.


Question 2. We would love to hear Your journey from a simple person to a Author.


I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I have never really written for a purpose – it is just something I love to do. In my early childhood, I would spend hours writing, as well as making illustrations for my own stories. A number of my poems were published in children’s magazines back in the day. I continued to write through my teenage and later in college.

I kept writing in office magazines for a couple of years, but the demands of my career as an Information Technology professional and my travels across the world soon left me with very little time and creative energy to write fiction.

However, as I travelled across the world, I grew as a person getting to observe people from widely varying cultural backgrounds and to study their emotions, their thoughts, their behaviour from various perspectives. And stories began to grow all over again.

I won the Golden Pen Award in the Monsoon Romance Contest 2014, conducted by Sulekha.com and judged by an eminent panel of literary luminaries. That was when I decided to take my writing more seriously.

My debut novel In the Shadows of Death was published by Srishti Publishers in the winter of 2015. This was followed by The Colours of Passion in 2017, and The Sinners in 2019. I have also written three collections of short stories - Romance Shorts (2016), Beyond 22 Yards (2018), It's All About Love (2018), and a textbook Big Data Simplified (2019)

Question 3. Is there anyone for whom you are grateful throughout this journey?


I am thankful to my parents who inculcated in me the habit of reading from a very early age. You cannot be a writer, unless you read a lot. I am thankful to my wife who has supported me all through my literary journey. I am thankful to my publishers Srishti Publishers and Readomania, who published my unconventional thrillers. I am thankful to bloggers who keep writing about my books. I am thankful to the mainstream national media who, from time to time, have featured me and my books in their publications - the list includes The Hindu, The Times of India, The Indian Express, The Week, Outlook India, Business Standard, Yahoo! News, Zee News, The Punjab Tribune, The Statesman, Absolute India, Free Press Journal etc. Above all, I am thankful to my readers for showering their love and affection on my books.


Question 4. Spread few lights on your upcoming projects.


My third book "The Sinners" is already out. It unravels in a world of corporate conspiracy, illicit relationships and ruthless seduction games.


Question 5. When did you decide that you want to be a writer?


While I have been writing for a long time, winning the Golden Pen Award in the Monsoon Romance Contest 2014, conducted by Sulekha.com and judged by an eminent panel of literary luminaries, was a turning point. That was when I decided to take my writing more seriously.

Interview taken by Gulshan Kumar