Author Spotlight and Interview: Amita Trasi (+ Giveaway)

If you've read The Color of Our sky, you'll probably understand the truth in the words that describe the book as a haunting projection of the reality with an inexplicable charm!

Check out my review of the book here.

Today the person who etched those star-crossed characters, and creator of the soul-shattering plot joins us to share her experiences of writing the masterpiece.

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Interview

Kritika: Congratulations on the book, it is indeed one of the most soul-stirring books I've read. How did you decide that you will touch upon this taboo issue in your book?

Amita: Thank you! I am glad you found it to be a good read. When I set out to write this novel, I wanted write about the friendship between two girls—Tara who has a privileged upbringing like many girls in India’s cities and Mukta, a poor village girl who doesn’t really land the luck of the draw. Initially, I hadn’t imagined that Mukta would be born in a family of temple prostitutes. But as I started to write, the characters took on a life of their own and it took me to places that I honestly didn’t think I would ever research or write about.

I always knew that there were women in India, especially in the poorer sections of society, who were exploited and coerced into the human trafficking trade. There are so many girls like Mukta who are sacrificed at the altar of Devdasi traditions that still torment some villages in India (even though there is a law against it.) This, I think, is common knowledge for anyone coming from India but Mukta took me to a place in my own heart that I never thought existed.

Kritika: What came first- the idea of the plot or the desire to write?

Amita: I didn’t really have an idea of the plot when I began. I knew I wanted to write about two girls. So I started writing from their birth in different caste systems (in a village vs. a city) and I wrote detailed scenes with them growing up and retaining their friendship for three decades. The characters actually took me to where the story is now. I wrote more than 300 pages just to get to know my characters and the plot. Once I knew my characters well enough, and knew the story I wanted to tell, I got rid of more than half the writing, and worked through many drafts to start the novel at critical points in each character’s life. 

Kritika: How has the process of writing been for you? Share your struggles as you went about writing the brutalities that the characters suffered!

Amita: I think the most challenging part of writing this novel was writing the difficult scenes. It was challenging stepping into the shoes of a woman who endures so much and still retains her spirit. There were moments I went days without writing those scenes because it was too painful. But eventually, the only way to get through them was to write it. That’s the only way I could be true to my characters.

Another part that proved to be difficult was the research. There were so many brutalities /horrors I discovered during my research. I don’t think I’ve covered even one fourth of those in my novel—it would be too difficult to digest. I try to be as sensitive as possible with the more difficult scenes and use language to cushion the blow because it is a topic that must be heard.  So this novel has been an emotional ride. Writing about pain is one of the most difficult things to do and I hope I have done it some justice

Kritika: You've mentioned that Mukta's character has been inspired. Are the other characters inspired too? What kind of research has been monumental in the making of this poignant story?

Amita: Most of research for Mukta’s storyline has been through NGO’s working in India. I follow their work actively and most of Mukta’s experiences are borrowed (and dramatized) from women who have been enslaved in brothels in India. The description in my book about the way the NGO’s work in India is also quite realistic. Many characters that Mukta talks to in the brothel are mirrored on real life people.

As for Tara, a lot of her experiences are mine—especially the friendship scenes with Mukta (that mirrors my friendship with the daughter of a servant, Shakuntala) and more specifically the scene where the children find a dead infant on the construction grounds (which is a terrifying memory.)

Kritika: What publishing lessons have you learnt along the way? Share some insights with our readers!

Amita: Patience and perseverance is the key! I think getting a good developmental editor to look through your book and point out the plot holes and suggest improvement is a must before you even think about sending it out. A writer also needs to be open minded to look at his own work critically. In my case, my editor—Vrinda Condillac— really helped revamp the storyline and made me re-look at my characters and their motives. I am grateful to her.

Kritika: What do we have in the pipeline?

Amita: I am going to release a few short stories soon! I am also experimenting on working on two books in different genres simultaneously.

Kritika:  A random question: would you like the book to be adapted to a movie?

Amita: Sure. Why not?! One can dream, it just may become reality one day! 

Thanks Amita, for the wonderful interview!

Links to buy the book:

Amazon | ibooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Google Play

Enter Giveaway (Indian residents only) below:

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Yes, the Giveaway is over, and the winner is *drumroll* Arathy!

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Book Review: Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

About the book:

Title: Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Published by: Sourcebook Fire

Published on: July 7th, 2015

Pages: 304

Genre: Young-adult (YA)

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb: Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

About the author

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

On her own website, she says, "My birthday is April 29, 1982. I grew up in Manchester, Tennessee, a quaint Christian town where nothing cool ever happened until after I left. (Now it’s the home of Bonnaroo). My dream was to become an author, a Major League Baseball Player, a Cracker Barrel manager, a country music singer, or an interpreter for the United Nations.

When I was 18, I escaped to Washington, D.C. Talk about major culture shock: On my first day of college, I showed up at the dorms wearing *cringe* overalls and not knowing much about life or myself. I didn’t really even have a plan – I just knew I wanted to learn more about the world, maybe major in print journalism, and maybe learn to speak Russian.

It was the year 2000, and Al Gore was going up against George W. Bush for the Presidency, and I didn’t even know the difference between a Republican and a Democrat. My political science professor made us write a report on the various Presidential debates. Not knowing much about politics, instead I chose to describe the candidates as characters, e.g. “What the hell was up with the makeup caked on Al Gore’s face? He should become the new model for CoverGirl.” Anyway, the professor loved it, gave me an A, and told me to keep writing. Not bad for someone who didn’t even know what a Libertarian was.

So instead of becoming a Cracker Barrel manager, I discovered a love of news (from politics to Hollywood trash) and international relations. While I’m not a good enough linguist to be an interpreter, I did get a job at the U.S. Department of State, dabbling in all sorts of stuff.

Also while in D.C., I’ve re-embraced writing, which I loved so much as a kid. The first thing I ever had published was a short story for a publication at a writing camp I attended when I was eleven. The name of the story was Patsy’s Prancing Poodles, a comedy about a circus performer who decides to do a tightrope act with her poodles. Obviously, the story was absolute crap, but I loved seeing my work in print. And, of course, I was majorly jealous of my friend Rachel’s story. She wrote an awesome mystery about some stolen shoes or something, and I remember thinking, “Damn, why didn’t I write a mystery? This is suspenseful. This is cool. This is much better than some lame poodles doing flips on a high wire.”

Now, I’m still thinking the same thing every time I go into a bookstore. Why didn’t I think of Bel Canto? Or Feed? Where the Red Fern Grows? Ender’s Game? (Well, besides the fact those last two books were written before I was born)

So many wonderful writers are out there, and I love reading their books while trying my best to become as good as them."

Find the author here: 

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My Review:

How do you review a book which has been nothing but a pure light hearted joyride for a stretch of 6 hours to you? 

Well, one can always try. So here we are. Although this is a book in the series by this amazing YA author, this is read just as cheerfully as a standalone. The story of Jesse Scott and Maya Henry is endearing, quirky and romantic interspersed with hilarity in just the right amount. When I read love stories, especially Young Adult stories that are not about star-crossed lovers, what I most look forward to the most are the conversations, repartee and friendly banter and wordplay. And this novel is brimming with such banter, much to my pleasure. 

It begins in the cliched way & for a moment I think It will turn out to be just another hatred-turns-into-love story. But its not. Well, in a way it IS hate into love but it isn't cliched at all. There is a substance in the whole plot. 

Both the protagonists are driven by passion. And there are some explicit and implicit lessons in living. Consistent effort. Never giving up. Undying yearning to learn. And I live that in a novel- when it has something to offer in soul besides the plot in mind. 

One thing about the novel that deserves a special mention is the fact that everything seemed pretty balanced and thought out. Nothing seemed forced or out of the place or extraneous. All characters fit the plot just fine. 

To top it all, I was smiling continuously while reading the novel. I like that about a book. That is able to give me reason to smile through words. 

I could totally relate to Maya Henry, not in the factual sense but in what we feel. She asks at a point "What am I doing wrong? Why don't I belong anywhere?". And all I manage is a sigh, thinking to myself: I feel you Maya. I really do. And that is when I am completely, like entirely engrossed in the novel. There is a gripping urge to see it through the end. 

And the best part is that there is a reality to it all: no one sacrifices anything and reason and practicality always remain dominant. What more could have one asked of a novel? 

Maya's family and especially her brother and his girlfriend are all adorable characters, for lack of a better adjective. They are the most endearing supporting characters I have ever seen. 

The journey: defeat, betrayal, a pestering family, love, agony, despair, longing: all the emotions are worth living in this book, with this book. 

I am already in love with this author. On to reading more. 

oh, and a friendly advice:Never waste time pining for a boy, because the boy you're meant to be with will want you so bad, you won't have to pine at all.

This book gives just too much to fangirl for.

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Quotes from the book:

 

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Source of the review copy: NetGalley ARC (Advanced reader Copy)

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Book Review: Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy by Dinty W. Moore

About the book:

The personal essay has never been more popular, with the likes of Lena Dunham and Mindy Kaling breathing new life into the genre. This innovative guide to crafting modern personal essays and creative nonfiction came about when acclaimed author and professor Dinty W. Moore solicited playful writing questions from today's top writers. He then penned witty responses in the format of a "Dear Sugar"-style advice column, illustrating each response with an original, humorous sample essay. In chapter 1, Phillip Lopate asks, "I am curious how you deal honestly with male-female relations in general and specifically your past girlfriends on the page without coming off as a male chauvinist pig," and Mister Essay Writer Guy pens a sage response and example essay dishing--respectfully--on all his exes. Cheryl Strayed asks for advice about her em-dash addiction, Julianna Baggott worries that to be a great writer you must become an alcoholic, Judith Kitchen looks for an excuse to exaggerate the truth to make it more interesting, and so on. Filled with modern examples of the creative forms nonfiction can take--including scribbled cocktail napkins, Facebook posts, and Google Map pins--this gifty little book is a hilarious relief for all essayists, memoirists, and creative nonfiction writers in distress.

About the author:

Dinty W. Moore is the author of numerous books, and has published essays and stories in The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Harpers, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Gettysburg Review, Utne Reader, and Crazyhorse. He edits BREVITY, the journal of concise creative nonfiction (www.brevitymag.com) and teaches at Ohio University.

Author website: 

http://www.dintywmoore.com

My Review:

Disclaimer: The tone and candour of my review is inspired from the writer's in the book. No offence meant. 

How can you read non-fiction like this and not fall in love with the genre? The whole genre owes you, sir. Or to your humor. I am not sure if we can separate the two, would you answer that for me.
Well, for starters you know you will fall into this book as soon as it opens because of well, this:

Hilarity ensues from page one. To say that the book has wit and sarcasm at its best seems an understatement. Our essay writer guy here answers to one of the letters, "I believe the best way to avoid coming off as a male chauvinist pig might be to not be a male chauvinist pig? Is that a stretch?"
And this is just the first answer, well, part of it. To think I was on a rollercoaster of laughter these entire 8 hours that I was reading the book. Okay, not entire though. There was this instance where the writer launched into some story about Zebras. I felt dozing off would be insulting so I just skimmed through it. But don't tell this to anyone- I've read the whole book otherwise.

From questions about em dash, and writing on napkins, to graphics that simply make you want to double up- what is not to devour in the book? The author has given and taken insults alike.
One thing is certain: the author will not write about his daughter. Why, you ask? "Whatever I wrote about my daughter, I had to live with it, and so did she, and I didn't want to screw the relationship up more than my ineptitude and the vicissitudes of her becoming a teenager already had."

The humor does not mean there's no wisdom. The author has cloaked the knowledge and insights about writing in wit. After all, what better way to teach than through humor- the universally attractive element?
For all people ho love words, who love to write, read or just devour essays, this book is a mus-read.
Will I buy this book? Most definitely I will! Do I recommend this book? In case you haven't read the entire review, most definitely I do!

Links:

An ARC was received from NetGalley

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Book Review: Blinded by Progress by Lee Van Ham

About the book:

Why does MultiEarth living--living as if we have more than one Earth--grip us so tightly when it defies commonsense to live beyond the capacities of our planet? Why do we continue to pursue economic growth as if it is economic health when it is ecologically impossible? Is It sinister? unconscious? blind faith? addiction?

Blinded by Progress contributes to the global conversation now underway about sustainable living. The author clearly delineates the contrasts between MultiEarth and OneEarth worldviews. He shows the power that myth has to facilitate our change to OneEarth ways or prevent it. For the MultiEarth illusion to continue, it utterly depends on our religious devotion to unsustainable economics, corporate rule, shrinking our humanness, and thinning democracy. Will we cooperate? resist? choose alternatives? This is a book of hope, helping us invoke our great capacities to change.

About the author:
In 1999, Lee Van Ham joined others in forming Jubilee Economics, a nonprofit focused in OneEarth living. Born to a tenant-farming family in Iowa, he pastored in the Midwest for 32 years before switching to work explicitly on the interplay between justice, ecology, economics, and spirituality. He and his spouse, Juanita, were part of the intentional community, Peaceweavings, in Chicago, before relocating to San Diego in 2002. They have grown children and five grandchildren. 

Van Ham has been working on ecological economics since 2000. In 2009 he met Michael Johnson, drawn together by a strong common interest in creating books and film on themes of ecology and economics. Johnson is an Emmy-award winning filmmaker. Out of their relationship was born the OneEarth Project. Van Ham is writing three books in the project’s “Eden Series” and Johnson has begun work on a related documentary. They desire to add to the conversations and actions that are moving civilization from empire to a living community with all of Creation.


My Review:

Predicament- Man has relentlessly and brazenly robbed nature of its beauty and bounteousness. There is a growing acceptance of this grave human folly and the dire need for adoption of a holistic and ecological view of the earth. We have decimated the forests and deteriorated the ecosystems. We have committed heinous crimes: over-exploitation of valuable natural resources, injection of toxic substances into the environment leading to global warming, biodiversity and ecosystem destruction (leading to declining fish and crop productivity), and loss of livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people. Concomitantly arises the increasing insecurity that thousands of communities face due to inadequate access in obtaining safe, adequate food and water.

Human beings are penning their own collapse


Ashish Kothari (Kalpvriksha) remarks, “Dominant trends of the last few years point to one inescapable conclusion: humanity is on a rapid descent into collapses of various kinds. The economic crises of the last few years are one very visible indication, and most economists who are open-minded and not driven by the dogmatic assertions of governments desperate to show a brave face, agree that these crises are not going away. Parallel, and connected, is the ecological crisis, most dramatically illustrated by the climate change-related disasters that are taking place around the world. . .” He further adds,” Add to this the growing tensions around the widening chasm between the rich, enjoying obnoxiously wasteful levels of consumption, and the poor, not finding even enough to eat.”
We all are more aware of the dangers lurking over us than ever before. We are painfully aware of the catastrophe that awaits us, the reason behind the changing weather patterns, et al. We are aggressively involved in environmental activism. But we don’t seem to be going anywhere. No lasting change. Not an iota of difference. So, where did we go wrong?
There’s a point in this process where we went extremely, but thankfully, not irreparably wrong. We hadn’t even accepted, acknowledged, acquiesced in or admitted to our folly of indifference when we started focusing on its remedy. Even before diagnosing the illness we have plagued our Mother Earth with, we wickedly shifted our focus to curing an ailment we didn’t even knew in entirety. As a consequence of our eternal haste and impudent thoughtlessness, what we have is a diabolic cataclysmic concoction: our consumerist lifestyles, the rapidity of change bought in by the impetuous and heedless pace of our whims (which is in contrast with nature’s balance), exploitation of finite natural resources with reckless abandon, our intervention in the balance of things, our insouciance towards life, none of these pointing towards any success in our attempt to rescue ourselves from the catastrophe.

Blinded by Progress: How apt!


We need to know where the fault lies. It is in us. And we need to acknowledge the multitudinous ways in which we have hurt the environment.
In his book, “Blinded by progress”, author Lee Van Ham presents a perspective to think of solutions from. He argues that we have adopted a multi-earth worldview. He begins the book by saying, ‘My lifestyle is too big for our planet’. In his book, he brings to us a plethora of astonishing revelations, which are so monumental in magnitude that one is forced to rethink the boundaries of an insanely greedy lifestyle. For starters, take his: if all seven billion people on Earth lived according to how an average American does, humanity would need a total of five planets to sustain us. Our ecological footprint exceeds one planet, we strive for more resources than available on one planet, and all systems, including the governmental and commercial centers are aimed at extracting more despite creational orders and limits. We have such staggering findings and statistics about our blatant, untamed consumption levels, yet we fail to modify our lifestyles into something which is sustainable.
Other remarkable things about the Multi-earth perspective is that we think of technology brings speed, convenience, and other such advantages, while we overlook the fact that the benefits really benefit us only when technology is used within the parameters of planetary and species well-being. In our thoughtless greed and avarice, a trait that manifests itself every time we reward profit-seeking unethical businessmen with huge profits. Profits are being maximized for corporate and private benefit; profits trump people’s rights and needs, social good, and eco-systems’ balance necessary for continued thriving.
And what has the knowledge of scarcity and limitation of resources done to us? We would like to believe it has made us considerate and thoughtful, however, the ugly truth remains that the sense of self-aggrandizement takes over our conscience and we are competing for these limited resources. The commercial strategies only aggravate the situation by making heedless consumers out of us, urging us to pursue unabated accumulation of more.
So, what is my point? Now that I have made you guilty enough, let me tell you what is it that you can do to actually make things better.
What I am about to suggest is open to customization by each one of us according to our respective lifestyles. There’s this one thing we all can do, and doing so will always remain a work-in-progress. We cannot just have a one-day remedy and still dare to think we changed the world. So, this is what I suggest: abstain from surfeit. Start viewing the ownership of more than is enough materially as a violation of the creational order, and live a simple life. The choice is yours to make: a life full of things or a fulfilled life.

I thank the author for providing me with a review copy!

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Author spotlight and Interview: Shama Patel

By the number of smiles in the interview, you can tell how positive a person the author is. True to her personality, she has written her debut work, "21 ways of being happy" which has been published by Grapevine Publishers. It received a 5* rating from our blog  here.

Today, she joins us for an insightful, cheerful and lovely chat!

Kritika: What triggered the writing bug in your case? Was there some moment of epiphany?

Shama: The writing bug was triggered in 2009 when I was all geared up to write a fiction script. I did complete the script, co-authored by a close friend (Asif Sayani). We managed to circulate the script to 12-15 publishers and got a ‘No’ from most of them. The rest never got back. Though I did enjoy working on that script, I was not drawn to writing as passionately as I am today. While I continued to work as an editor and take up various writing projects, the real breakthrough happened when I developed a sincere urge to write about my thoughts, feelings and experiences (sometime around 2012). I started maintaining a blog where I began writing about everyday human struggle and ending each post with something positive to take home. I maintained that while continuing my work as a Psychologist. It all started then and the passion was patiently transformed into '21 Ways of Being Happy' when Grapevine India identified my strength as a writer and a Counselor:-)

On her journey with the book:
This book has been a cathartic journey for me. There were time where I found my creative genius leading the entire process while I felt like a mere channel through which the words were spoken. There were moments when I was so involved into writing a part that I would begin writing at 1 am and be in the literary trance till 5-6 in the morning. So this whole journey has been mystically creative for me.

Kritika: How was writing the book a different experience than the sessions you have with your clients?
Shama: Haha. I like this question:) Well, when I take sessions, it is the client who does the talking and I play the role of a listener. In therapy, the clients speak out their dilemmas, unanswered questions, doubts, confusions etc. and it is during these conversations that they begin to see their life in a better and much healthier perspective.

However, in writing, it was left for me to do the talking and I had the entire Universe as my imaginary readers! So, I began to play dual role of both client and a Psychologist and began this beautiful journey towards happiness. Since I have gone through (and I still go through) day-to-day human challenges, I started sharing my own challenges (from a client perspective) so that the readers can relate to the feelings, behavior and emotions that we all experience. Then I would role reverse and see things from a Counselor's perspective and add ways that I personally practiced in my life. While in therapy, the clients bring in a problem situation, I had to come up with my own list of challenges that I would simplify through this book. The common thread that runs in both therapy and my book is my desire to touch lives. So, even though the process differ, my purpose of healing remains same in both the situations:-)

Kritika: How do you think does the genre of self-help ease the pain of those in distress?

Shama: I believe that each of us has a special gift. Some are gifted techies, some are gifted artists, some gifted dancers and similarly, there are people who are gifted with the ability to ease out the stress in people's lives. Psychologists and Counselors are some of those gifted individuals who, by nature, posses the art of healing which is further enhanced through studying the subject matter and learning various tools to overcome stress. In my opinion, any human being who has gone through problems in life and have managed to overcome them becomes compelled to share this learning with fellow human beings. This is how we have people write volumes of books on self-help. Since we all are human beings and most of us receive the same conditioning throughout our lives, we tend to have (almost) similar problem pattern and when we hear a person (aka self-help guru) talk about a problem and solution, we begin to relate to it with all our heart and mind. Since the self-help writers are human beings, their (hopefully) tried and tested ways do help in easing out the stress that a common human being experiences in his/her life. It works because when in distress, we refuse to see another perspective or fail to cross the fence and get on the other side of life. In that helplessness and hesitation, a self-help expert becomes the one who stands in front of you to say "Dude! life is difficult. It is painful. But you know what, I am here to be by your side. I am here if you need a hand or a light to assist you get on the other side of this fence. I know you can cross it because I have. If I as a human being can, then you as a human being definitely can". So, while you get comfortable relishing the role of a victim (the poor me), a self-help book/speaker can kick your butt and get you connected to the lost strength that lies within you.

What I do wish to highlight here is, self-help books are to be read with an intention of beginning your journey towards easing the stress in life and not used as a bible to refer to, each time you are in distress. While you continue to treat a particular book/author as a self-help guru, do not limit your search. Make your own self your own self-help guru (No one else but you). When you do that, you automatically begin to see how one book or one video or one self-help talk begins to transform your being in a positive manner, opening several healing channels within and around you. Get in touch with that self-help Guru within you, while you continue to explore this genre to broaden your knowledge and wisdom about human life:)

Kritika: What are the future plans? Can your readers expect more in the same genre, or is there a surprise?
Shama: Well I have signed a contract of seven books so, I have six more to go! For now, I hope the readers enjoy the journey into '21 Ways of Being Happy' :-) I am determined to write a book on Relationships so hopefully that would be my second writing venture:)
Future plans! To continue spreading happiness and healing through my work, be it writing, art, counseling or by simply being a human being! :)

Kritika: Any comments/experiences you'd like to share pertaining to getting published?

Shama: Now that I have a book published, I realize that it is easier to get a book published than to promote and market it in the literary world. Since first time authors are still looked at as wearing an 'L' board around their neck, not many people/bookstores are open to giving them bhav and promoting their work. Especially with the self-help tag, people develop a presumed notion that 'yeh toh badi boring and pakaau book hogi'. So, it is a real challenge for me to break that myth and pass this message of happiness to as many people as I can. Even though it is a challenge, I have been fortunate enough to come across blessed and wonderful souls like you who have been generous to join me on this journey of spreading happiness. I keep talking about the book/concept to whoever I meet and in that determination of promoting my work, I do encounter people who are willing to help me spread the word. What keeps me going on this journey is my faith on my work and the belief that it will touch numerous lives, sooner or later:)

This was such a great interview.
I am so happy to know that there are more books in the pipeline, I can't wait! And this author certainly endears herself to her readers! I adore the optimism and candour! It is at times like these that I find myself immensely lucky to be a book blogger.
Thanks for hopping on to my blog!
Find her book here: