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Book Review - Secret Diary Of An Incurable Romantic


Author - Secret Diary Of An Incurable Romantic
Title - Chitrangada Mukherjee
Genre - Fiction
Publisher - Finger Print
ISBN - 978-93-8814-484-1

The protagonist of the story Madhubala Ray, a widow has to go through the so called journey of Life where she comes across various characters who in one way or the other leaves their influence in her life.

While she lived with her Mother-In-Law and was employed in a school as a teacher, she gets attracted to her colleague Daksh. Though they both liked each other, Daksh could not promise a life time commitment to her due to other obligations. She had a good friend Pintu who also at some point in time was responsible for occurrence of an incident. The difficulties faced by her has been vividly described by the author in a simple to understand language.

Then there was this Agasthya, a smart businessman who was in his forties who comes in the life of Madhu. The story literally opens up the avenue of various possible combinations/scenarios that a widowed girl has to go through. The essence of this has been captured in a subtle way by the author in this book. 

The ending was pleasant and surely not the one I was expecting because there was a twist in the story which I would say is revolutionary even in this 21st century. The references made by the author with regards to the area, food, culture of Chennai makes it a pleasant read for anyone who lives or has lived in Chennai. This book does not have any violence or thrill or crime but still,it would keep you captivated from the beginning till the end. 

The story begins on Jan 1,2016 and ends on Dec 12,2016(Coincidentally it is the Birth date of Super Star Rajnikanth)


The book is available on Amazon

Book Review - Fluid : The approach applied by Geniuses over Centuries


Title - Fluid : The approach applied by Geniuses over Centuries
Author - Ashish Jaiswal
Genre - Self Help / Personal Development
Publisher - Wisdom Tree
ISBN - 978-81-8328-527-8

The book brings out the best of what we were missing for centuries. Though we feel proud of boasting about sending(knowledge export)our best people to the U.S and European nation to work in Fortune 500 companies, what we miss out is that these may become redundant in the next 30 years or so.

For over a certain period of time, many educationists have been voicing their opinion about bringing in a change in our present system which makes us to memorize the content rather than reading them and understanding them. We cannot deny the fact that our kids have been taught about answering to the questions. Don't you feel it should be the other way round? That the kids should be taught to ask questions which would improve their knowledge to a considerable level as they would understand more about the subject by digging deep into it. 

Ashish who holds a Doctorate from the renowned Oxford University in Education apart from his Masters in the same University has brought out a distinct way of learning which we have been missing big time. He classifies the students as per the World standards as STEM and non-STEM where STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics whereas non-STEM stream includes all that aren't covered which includes liberal arts, humanities, history etc.,

Author has compared some of the genius minds in the World as to how they differed among others by showing interest not only in the field in which they excelled but also in the other field which were totally different or at least to us, not connected. This includes Isaac Newton who despite being a great scientist had shown great care over his body that he sports a 6 pack in William Blake's drawing(Pic is given in the book). Leonardo Da Vinci who was the greatest artist of all time took great care in his physical appearance and even in his old age, h designed and wore bright colorful robes which were often worn by younger men during his time.

Sir C.V. Raman who was the recipient of Nobel Prize in Physics is the uncle of another Nobel Laureate Subramanyam Chandrasekhar. Not many knows that C.V.Raman showed great interest in music instrument(Mridangam).

Apple's Co-Founder Steve Jobs did not complete his formal education but that did not stop him in founding the company and the products(iPhone,iPod,iPad) which made the company the First Trillion Dollar Company in the World.

The book has many such references which makes it an interesting read because it would invariably make you think and apply your mind and would not indulge in making your kid confined to your like/mindset making them study Medicine/Engineering etc., just because you were one...


The book is available on Amazon

Book Review - Paper Asylum



Title - Paper Asylum
Author - Rochelle Potkar
Genre - Haibun
Publisher - CopperCoin
ISBN - 978-93-84109-26-4

I have reviewed books belonging to various genre and for the first time ever, I got an opportunity to review the boo which is based on Haibun.

What is Haibun?

While we are very much familiar about Haiku which has originated from Japan, Haibun is a prose poetry or prosimetric literary which also has its origin going back to Japan. This is a combination of Prose and Haiku. If you are a lover of both of these, you are in for a delight for sure.

Coming to the book, author who has won various international competitions for her writing has done a proper justification to the book by bringing out various aspects in life. I could sense the hidden sarcasm in few places(which has been used in a positive way - as I do not want to mention the word RIGHT since I cannot define what is RIGHT which may not be RIGHT to you).

This 100 page book is like a breeze that once you start reading it, you wouldn't have noticed that you have already come to the end. I liked each and every aspect of the book, be it with cover page or fonts or alignment or paper quality or just about anything.

Rochelle takes you on the journey called LIFE where she unveils various aspects of it. I liked each and every chapter but what struck me instantly are the chapters titled "Broken Shells" and "Seed" which is predominantly about women. These chapters brings out the issues faced by them even till date which includes infertility and physical abuse.

This book shouldn't be missed as it might take you back to your past memories or at least remind you of some one at some point in time...

The book is available on Amazon

Service Launch - #XPressPublishing by NotionPress

NotionPress is one of the leading publishers in India which has brought the dream of publishing a book, a reality to thousands of budding/wannabe authors. They were so down to earth and approachable compared to the traditional publishers who would have made your dream not to come true. At least, this is what many including the multi-faceted Actor Kartik Kumar & Kiruba Shankar had felt.

When Naveen Valsakumar, CEO & Co-Founder of Notion Press took over the stage, I did not realize that what a magnanimous person he is and what he and his company has achieved in a span of 6 years.



The company has grown to such an extent that its youngest author is just 7 years old and the oldest author is 95 years. They have been re-inventing themselves and had come up with an extra-ordinary service called XPress Publishing.







As you could see from the above, the brand has evolved in such a way that through their newly introduced unique service, one could publish his/her book in a span of just 30 minutes sitting at home. This has made the company to print 7,000 copies a day. I was also surprised when I was told that they print a book once in every 2.5 hours. While the audience were dumbstruck, this was shown to us in reality where a book got printed then and there.

It was the time of Karthik Kumar and Kiruba Shankar later who spoke about their own experience as to how they were deprived of getting their writings published by traditional publishing houses few years ago and how they realized their dreams by coming to Notion Press. Kiruba Shankar made an interesting observation by comparing the brand with Google since both of them (Notion Press and Google) do not want to spend much time with them online - which is more or less true since our work gets completed in no time.







Finally, it was Bhargava Adepalley, Co-Founder and CTO of Notion Press who took us through the actual platform to let us know as to how one can publsh their own book. The highlights of this platform includes:

1. Owning 100% of the rights of the book
2. Facility to publish both eBook and Paperback
3. Creating the book using online tools
4. Sell in over 30,000 stores across 100 countries
5. Entitled to 705 of profits from the book sales
6. Access to exclusive book marketing tools

What more do you need?

They are currently having the option of printing the stories in English and Tamil and would be soon launching it with other languages like Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati and other Indian languages. Do refer your family and friends to this exclusive platform and make their "Dreams Come True".

LET THE AUTHOR INSIDE YOU COME OUT AND CONQUER THE WORLD!!

Book Review - Captain Elephant


Title - Captain Elephant
Author - Aseem Mahajan
Genre - Fiction
Publisher - Petals Publishers
ISBN - 9789385440458

A fiction story which is set in an imaginary island named Pinzoora, Aseem Mahajan introduces us our own Super Hero "Captain Elephant".

Mayas, the protagonist is born with a rare disorder which makes him unique compared to others. He was tall, heavy and this becomes the talking point among his classmates who takes him for a ride mocking his physical appearance.

He studied in a small school which had few teachers and students. Though Mayas was initially sad about his appearance and the attitude of his over protective parents, he soon discovers his hidden strength.

What strength did he possess?

He wanted to take revenge against his classmates and ends up doing something which causes an unexpected agony. While he was taken aback, he stumbles upon a possible terror attack on his beloved island. He along with few good souls(not the real/actual souls)tries to stop it.

Did they success in their endeavor?

Read this novel to find out more. I liked the wit of the author which could be seen throughout the novel. He also has made his stance clear with regards to people who are born with disabilities. I liked the sequence of the story and the uninterrupted flow coupled with unique names like Pintwo, Albert Newton, Tondlulu(similar to Honolulu) to name a few. This story has all the elements which includes love, humor, thrill, emotions, wit and wisdom which makes it a must read.

My rating for this novel is 5/5.


The book is available on Amazon

Acclaimed Tamil Cop Thrillers You Should Watch

Kollywood has never fallen short of movies which portrayed cops in the limelight. Almost all the actors (be it in the past or in the present) have portrayed the role of a cop in their film career. While some went on to become a box-office hit, some failed to hit the mark despite being critically acclaimed. 
This article is all about those amazing cop thrillers that Tamil cinema has produced in recent times. 
The critically acclaimed movies that I shall be talking about received immense praise for multiple reasons, be it their storyline, characterization, visuals and much more. Basically, these movies assure guaranteed entertainment for fans of the cop thriller genre. 
Yennai Arindhaal - Being a Gautham Vasudev Menon movie, this movie created much hype since GVM is known for his superhit cop thrillers like Kaakha Kaakha and Vettaiyadu Vilayadu in the past. In Yennai Arindhaal, he managed to rope in Ultimate Star Ajith Kumar in the lead role with songs by Harris Jayaraj. Both of which received high praises from both critics and audiences. But the surprise package of the movie was Arun Vijay’s menacing performance as the villain Victor. 

Vikram Vedha - The movie brought together two of the most incredible actors in Tamil cinema today, Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles. Giving the classic Vikram-Vethal story a modern day twist, Vikram Vedha sees the director duo Pushkar-Gayathri at their top form. The movie was praised for almost every aspect - the story, dialogues, screenplay, acting, cinematography and much more. Such was the acclaim it received by critics and audiences that many called it a modern classic. 


Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru - This was another brilliant cop story where it talked about the life of a cop who went on a hunt to nab the culprits after finding their trail leading to Rajasthan.  Based on a real incident of  Operation Bawaria, the director H. Vinoth’s detailed research was quite evident throughout the movie. The movie saw Karthi donning the role of a cop for the second time, after Siruthai. This time around, he not only impressed us during the emotional scenes but also thrilled us during the action sequences. The movie does a great job in showing the real struggles that our police force faces when catching criminals. 


Kuttram 23 - Arun Vijay aced the role of a villain in Yennai Arindhaal before and with Kuttram 23, he impresses as a cop. Also inspired by real incidents, the movie gave an interesting view into the world of medical crimes. Director Arivazhagan is in top form in this movie where he delivers a thrilling script and direction that has many edge-of-the-seat moments. It is amazing to see how many taboo topics addressed in the movie while still being entertaining. Other aspects like the realistic stunt work, stylish cinematography and atmospheric background score of the movie received acclaim. 


The movie was also appreciated by Superstar RajnikanthShankar and went on to become the most successful film till date for Arun Vijay.
So, these were my picks when it comes to cop thrillers in Tamil cinema. Have you seen them? Let me know what you think about the movie in the comments.

Wipes - reason for causing the rashes

We all tend to change the diapers of our babies as soon as we see some rashes on their skin. While this is a general practice that we have been doing for decades, do you think this is the only reason for the rashes on the skin?

Baby's skin is a real delicate thing which can get rashes due to various reasons. They include sensitivity, dampness on the skin, skin coming into contact with materials which aren't made of pure cotton (since cotton is considered & proven skin friendly) to name a few. They can also develop rashes when the skin comes into contact with chemicals or chemical induced products. Does this include only diapers?

My answer is a BIG NO. While diapers are the major reason for the cause of rashes on the delicate baby skin, there is another which plays a major role. It is none other than Wipes. How could we forget it so easily? Wipes plays a vital role in keeping the baby clean. Isn't it?

When this is the case, shouldn't that be skin friendly thereby not creating rashes?

Some of the so called wipes aren't made of cotton. With the presence of synthetic fibre in it, they tend to create rashes on prolonged use. Even if the wipes are made of cotton, they aren't water based which means they are either dry or tend to have some other composition in it which is also not baby skin-friendly.

Don't we have a solution for this?

Yes. We do.



This is where Mother Sparsh wet wipes comes into picture. I have written on my earlier posts as it how the quality of these water based wipes has stood the flame test and what makes them unique among its peers. We elders are advised to use cotton based clothes during summer. When that is the case, don't you think babies need a cotton based wipes too?

Since the product is made of 100% biodegradable material, this ensures the fact that the product is made of finest cotton. This is efficiently supported by presence of water which constitutes 98% of the wipes. As the fabric is plant based, they are safe for the usage on babies. 

Most importantly, this product has been clinically proven that is holds good against "Diaper Rashes". What more do you need as an assurance that it is rash free which means your baby's skin is free from allergy and rashes? Is it not high time that you started using it??


How I wish I travel to Honolulu

Each and every person would want to travel to some part of the world or the other. I am no exception to that. I always wanted to travel all over the globe thereby becoming a "Globetrotter". I must emphasize here that I did not want to travel for the sake of receiving that coveted title but to see, experience and live among the people who has their own and unique culture and customs.

Most of my family members and friends either wanted to travel to Europe or to the US. I differ from them. I always wanted to travel to Honolulu.

Why?

As a kid, I was fantasized by the very mention of this island by celebrities like movie & cricket stars. This name got mentioned in a specific ad which was being telecast for numerous times. What would happen when you keep on seeing something? You start dreaming about it? Since I was born in '80, I hardly had an opportunity to even browse about this island nation back then to find out as to what it has to offer.

When I saw this caption #TheBlindList, I could not think of any other destination but to this place. Even though, I have all the available resources now to find all the required information about this place, I wouldn't be doing it since it would very much defeat the purpose of exploring my childhood fantasy.

I would pack up my bags with all the required travel kits which includes my passport, wallet with prepaid cards, currency, binocular, sweater, tee and shorts, shaving set, pills for emergency, trekking shoes, GoPro camera, Selfie Stick, Mobile with pre-paid internet(since I would post the pic then and there making my friends and family members envy about my trip) so that I can do web check-in, status updates, reviewing the travel attraction on various sites like Trip Advisor, Zomato to name a few. I guess I have got all the required stuff for my travel. Haven't I?

On boarding the flight, I would go on a "Sleep Mode" so that I can save all my energy and start my exploration as soon as I reached the island. I forgot to mention that I have booked my tickets to this place in such a way that I get to sleep in the airplane and when I reach there, it would be morning. I must also mention that I booked my stay over there through AirBnB which has worked out much cheaper compared to any other available option.

I reach Honolulu now. I go to the accommodation, Meet the owner of the place. Since I have paid them in advance online, I have nothing to worry. I leave my baggage out there and start venturing out. Firstly, I would explore their cuisine since it is morning and I had to finish my breakfast which would give me energy to prolong all through the day or at least until noon. Since it is an island, I would start my day visiting the beach and perform some of my long pending wish-list which includes Scuba Diving and Paragliding. This is how Honolulu looks:

Pic Credit - Lonely Planet

I would walk through the place as much as I could till it is dark. The darkness may hamper my spirits but not the lights which would lighten up giving me that extra push.


Pic Credit - Hawaii Magazine

The next day, I would go on a cruise. Another wish list of mine gets ticked now.


Pic Credit - Cruise Mapper

I would then relish the cuisine of Honolulu. I need not have to mention it here that it would be mostly of sea food.


Pic Credit - Honolulu Magazine

You might wonder as to why I have not put up all the pics here. You can see my Trip Advisor and Zomato page, when I complete my trip as they will have all my clicks. My travel is now complete and I head back home. It is not the end but just the beginning.....

The entire trip wouldn't have been possible, if I hadn't had an option to travel by air. What prompted me to travel and who helped me on my bon-voyage? You can check that by clicking here

World is not as big as it use to appear earlier. It has shrunk. Thank to technology. It has brought people together. The essence of travel has been captured beautifully on the TVC given below:



It is time to #SayYesToTheWorld


Book Review - Page 6 And Beyond: Let's stir the pot


Title - Page 6 And Beyond: Let's stir the pot
Author - Hureen Saghar Gandhi
Genre - Fiction
Publisher - Amazon Kindle
ASIN - B07FDYQ8ZR

Author begins the book with a bang with the disclaimer #RatedPG-40 which gives a clear indication as to who must read this book(This doesn't mean others shouldn't read but need to be accompanied by elders lol). I loved the way, the characters have been introduced in the very beginning which showed the witty side of the author which gave me a hint that I am going to enter a "Laughter Zone". There are quite a few characters in the book and if you feel, you cannot remember all of them, you don't have to because you can always come back to the characters page to cross verify them.

The picture in the very first chapter evoked my interest since it had a 007 on one-half and Mahatma Gandhi on the other. Author was a late adapter of technology and it took her almost 7 years to understand the nuances of WhatsApp. However, the book revolves around couple of WhatsApp groups namely SXH School Group and PAGE 6 CEO which validates the most used quote "It is better to be late than never". As she struggles to read various emojis, she decided to buy "How to Speak Emoji" from Amazon and creates a To-Do list for the same.

The book revolves around various incidents but predominantly of WhatsApp chat since the characters were spread across the globe. The usage of words were so good that it brings out the humor in the most natural way from the author. The book brings out the stark truth of how the social media can also lead to indifference among family members and friends, though it has its own advantages. The comparison of "Swayamvar" with "SwayamBhai" was such an irony. The headlines gets posted in this group from time to time. I do not want to mention them here but this one since this would give you a hint of how interesting this book could get - #Page6๐Ÿ”จNews which translates to Page6 Breaking News. Correct me, if I am wrong ;-)

How many of you know that Burhanpur is India's Venice? If you also wanted to check a place which remained unaffected despite technological advancements, one should visit this place. The mention of this place is the sarcastic best by the author which brings out the sad plight of Indian geography. The comparison of an Indian town with Facebook as to how information traveled real fast is something we need to cherish.

Well, I can keep writing since each and every chapter of this book deserves a special mention but that means, I end up giving more information than I ever wanted or allowed to. Hence I would end up here saying that I had a real great time reading this hilarious book and I do not have even 1% of doubt that it would fail to make you laugh. Hit the link below to buy your copy, today.

My rating for this book is a perfect 5/5.

The book is available on Amazon(Paperback) & Amazon(Kindle)

Book Review - Kashi : Secret Of The Black Temple


Title - Kashi : Secret Of The Black Temple
Author - Vineet Bajpai
Genre - Fiction(Thriller)
Publisher - TreeShade Books
ISBN - 978-81-936424-4-3

Kashi : Secret Of The Black Temple is the third book in the "Harappa" series by Vineet Bajpai. If you have missed the earlier releases, I would recommend you to read them prior to start reading this. Vineet is undoubtedly a master storyteller and lived up to the tagline conferred to him by the DNA till date. I was simply awestruck with the way he wrote this story leaving no stones unturned. 

When I finished reading his previous books, I was always left with more excitement which made me to look on for the next release and this excitement got suppressed only with this book since I hope this would be the end of the long journey but you never know, he may come up with one or even two more novels(as a sequel).

The novel begins with a short introduction of its prequel(the previous 2 books). I loved the usage of most appropriate pictures in the beginning of each chapter. As you know the story is about the clash between Devtas and Demons.

Vidyut was not aware as to how his father Kartikeya Shastri died. He was also not convinced about getting others killed and wasn't aware of the reason of his birth. However when he meets the Mathadeesh Dwarka Shastri, he understands the purpose of his life/birth and also learns about his great lineage who were half human and half GOD.

The secret Brotherhood or the Order which was controlled by three powerful men including Frank from Stonefellar family wanted to capture the secret of the Black Temple at any cost since it would very much challenge their very existence. They send Maschera to Kashi where the last of the known Black Temple was believed to be in existence.

On the other hand, Satyavrata Manu(dated back to BCE period) faces a near extinction challenge from the ruthless cannibal leader Nara Munda. He loses most of his men including Somdutt who has been regarded by him as equivalent as his father. He then remembers the special conch givn to him by none other than Matsya.

Did he invoke Matsya?

Could he overcome the challenge posedd by Nara Munda against Manu's Ark which carried the last hopes of the existence of Mankind during the Great Pralay? 

On the other hand, during the present era, Vidyut faces the litmus test of taking the mighty Maschera one on one.

Where is this Black Temple located?
What secret did it guard?
Did Vidyut get to know about the secret?

Read this thriller which is as good as any hollywood movie out there because despite its bulky volume, I could not take my eyes off the novel and I completed reading all the 400+ pages in one go which shows how compelling and captivating, this novel is....

The book is available on Amazon

Book Review - Warlock


Title - warlock
Author - Vickram E Diwan
Genre - Fiction(Thriller/Horror)
Publisher - Sooraj Pocket Books
ISBN - 978-9388094108

A novel which revolves around glamour, sorcery coupled with ambitions & treachery. Vickram's book is nothing less than a fast paced thriller that would keep you on the edge of your seats. Though you would come to know as to who the real culprit is, in the first half of the story, that wouldn't hamper your interest to read this novel any further.

I liked the way the author has penned down the story without leaving any loose ends. There were not many characters but what ever characters were portrayed in this, has been given more or less equal importance. I was bit disappointed to some extent because the novel would continue in the next part which is also a source of happiness for me because I would get to read another book from the author.

The protagonist was a female named Payal who hailed from West Bengal and wanted to make it big in the small screen to find her way eventually on to the big screen. She shared her room in Delhi with her friend Shalini. Shalini's boyfriend Naresh introduces Payal to his friend Abhay who eventually becomes her Would-Be. 

Then there are cops namely Inspector Uday Thakur, S.I Bishnoi and A.S.I. Soorajpal who were investigating a case in parallel. While they could not ascertain the murderer and the reason behind those gruesome murders, Payal finds her luck with famed choreographer Rudolf Schonherr who makes her join his dancing cum acting institute. On one fateful day,Payal gets deceived and is left stranded in a cast estate in Mehrauli. It is where she has a face to face encounter with the deadly Warlock.

Who was this Warlock?
Why did he kill others?
Was he brought to trials?
Did Payal escape from the deadly clutches of Warlock?

Read this novel to unlock the mysteries which the author has explained in his own and unique style.

The book is also available on Amazon, Pustakmandi and Offline stores.

Book Review - Table For One


Title - Table For One
Author - Neha Bindal
Genre - Fiction
Publisher - Half Baked Beans
ISBN - B07FTT1CJK

This is a story which revolves around the protagonist Taara who has had a failed love experience not once but twice. While her love with Tarun Malik has to be forcefully withdrawn due to the family pressure, she doesn't get lucky with Shivam as well.

On top of this, she also gets to see her ex-fiancee with another girl. While she starts searching the real purpose of her life, she decides to go on a solo trip to Europe. This is where she gets to see the real world and the perceptions of her life. She gets to meet Ragini, a co-passenger who embarks on a journey after successfully completing her life's duties. 

Taara travels to England, Paris, Switzerland and finally to Italy. She gets to meet varied characters including Sajid(a tour guide), Snigdha, Ashwin(Tour Manager), Alex(Trek In-Charge), Shelton & Alvin(Trekkers), Fred, Purvi. Martha among others.

The story revolves around lives of these characters who hails from different countries which obviously boasts of different cultures. The story also portrays in a subtle way as to how the lives of women in India is influenced by her family and other circumstances and how she is been forced to compromise and live her life adjusting to the stark realities.

I liked the way, the story has portrayed the protagonist who was not only bold but also drives a message as to how one(especially women) could lead a independent and a happy life, living for herself and not for others.

My rating for this novel would be 4 out of 5.

The book is available on Amazon

Book Review - Tattooed Music(The Mystery Crackers Book 2)


Title - Tattooed Music (The Mystery Crackers Book 2)
Author - Jinal Shailesh Doshi
Genre - Fiction
Publisher - Jinn's Kreativ Tutoria
ASIN - B07DQCG56G

A story which would keep your kids captivated till the end. I have not read the first book. I am sorry about that. Having said that, it did not stop me from enjoying this book thoroughly because this book has no connect with the story of the first book but only the protagonists - Prash and Nish. Though they are kids, it never stopped them from being a super detectives themselves.

In this story, they use their skills to find out the missing Daulihaam(A Blue Diamond Gold Choker). The story behind this precious ornament dated back to the period of Prithviraj who had gifted it by then to his beloved wife which during the course of time leaves India.

Ananth Roy vows to bring it back to India for his beloved wife. Even though he was successful in procuring it in an auction paying a staggering sum, something goes amiss. He never reached home since his ship gets struck in a typhoon and on the other hand, a dreaded pirate "Black Piper" strikes.

Was Mr Roy's ship attacked by him?
Did the fraternal twins Prash and Nish able to rescue the lost treasure?

You should read this book or rather make your kids read since this would surely enthrall them as the story revolves around other characters Mr and Mrs Soni, Mrs Dina Roy, Mr & Mrs Dattani,  Senior Inspector Rajveer Rathod, Golu, Mr Talwaar, Dr Shetty and last but not the least Miss D'Silva who will surprise you when she reveals her real identity.

I am also glad to know that book 3 in this series(The Ritzy Maartle) will be out soon. What I liked about this book is the book cover to start with which is most relevant and secondly, the usage of characters and the language which would make you feel that you are travelling along with those names....

You can read the author interview by clicking here        

The book is available on Amazon


Author Interview - Jinal Chirag Shah of Tattooed Music(The Mystery Crackers Book 2)

  1. What prompted you to write stories? When did you start writing them?

A dear school friend - Ms Nikita Mehra introduced me to the fantastic world of Harry Potter. We parted soon after, as she was shifting to a new home. Nevertheless, her parting words were,

"No matter if we ever meet again ... do read Harry Potter!"

I obeyed and was thoroughly mesmerized by J K Rowling and her wonderful series of Harry Potter. 

Once, while reading one of those books, my heart wished to write like J K Rowling.

Thus, I wrote some short stories and published few Features, Articles, Book Reviews and finally came up with my self-published mystery novels - The Mystery Crackers: A Chest's Tale and The Mystery Crackers: Tattooed Music.

  1. Are the protagonists in your story - the fraternal twins inspired by someone in your real life?

Absolutely! Prash - tranquil yet wise is inspired by my creative friend - Mr Prachant Machhar, while Nish - mischievous yet sharp is drawn from my great buddy - Mr Nishant Jadhav. Both were kind enough to lend their first names and personalities for my protagonists. Of course, I added a few more traits to both the characters.

  1. Who is your idol and why?

J K Rowling is my idol as she twirled the creative writing juices inside me and headed me towards my passion.

  1. What difficulties did you face while you started writing and how did you overcome them?

There were difficulties but I took them as challenges and converted them into opportunities.

  1. Why stories for kids?

I used to teach Creative English to kids and I wanted to write something special for them. Thus, I penned these stories.

  1. What is your favourite genre apart from fiction for kids?

Fantasy! Especially ... Magic after falling in love with Harry Potter!

  1. What is the message you would want to give it to your readers?

Read, not just to improve your command over English but also to experience every bit of life in the entire universe. In today's fast times, reading will gift you those memorable experiences that you may not encounter in your day-to-day lives.

  1. 10 or 20 years down the line, where do you wish to see yourself?

10 years down the line, I wish to see myself as a Bestselling Author, while 20 years down the line, I wish to see myself as the most loved Writer.

  1. Have you had an opportunity to interact with budding or established Authors? If yes, what was your takeaway from them?

Yes, I have had a few opportunities to interact with some amazing Authors like Nikita Tak, Vishal Ajmera, Ashish Ningunkar and Abhinav Kaushik. Each one of them have given me beautiful tips to do justice to my passion.

  1. When is your next book expected to be released?

Writing a book can take a week, a month, half a year or several decades. It depends on the level of ideas, research and creative inputs.

I do hope to release The Mystery Crackers: The Ritzy Maartle as soon as possible.


Do read the review of Jinal's book by clicking here