INTERVIEW WITH SANTHOSH SIVARAJ AUTHOR OF THE BLUE MOON DAY

AUTHOR'S INTERVIEW

Hope , Happiness ,humour ,desires and dreams all become a life and when you read on the . duty, responsibility , tolerance  wit and wisdom  it gives all the  delight to fathom the complexity of life and aspire to achieve  a happy and  successful life.  When I read the book THE BLUE MOON DAY Five Men's Magical Discovery Enroute Life   it  has  made  me  laugh ,  cry  and muse over    the above thoughs .

The 5 stories in the best seller book  evoke the fire in our belly for making of  ordinary individuals  into extraordinary personalities. , giving all the vibes and entertainment .

The author of the book  Santhosh Sivaraj , a banker sailor,teacher,and entreprenuer having varied experience has penned this fantabulous book in an excellent manner.

Today I am giving  below the outcome of my candid chat with him wherein he tells about his passion  for writing  and life. I am honoured to feature his interview  in my blog.

Q Tell us about yourself apart from the author of THE BLUE MOON DAY   who is Santhosh Sivaraj?

I can answer your question in five adjectives

1.       Creative Dreamer

2.       Unconditional Lover

3.       Hard core Feminist

4.       Simplicity Seeker

5.       Arrogant Optimist

Q Say a few words about your book THE BLUE MOON DAY for the readers.

The Book “The Blue Moon Day” is about how one can make his ordinary life extraordinary. It aims at inspiring people at every walks of life by personally relating with the characters in the book and see life in a totally different perspective albeit beautiful. 

Q How you have got the motivation to write a book?

I have answered this in detail in the preface of my book which discusses about a tragic accident that made me reconsider my priorities in my life starting from writing this book.

Q How did you begin writing? Did you intend to become an author, or do you have a specific reason(s) for writing each book?

Becoming Author was never my plan. The only thing I believe which inspired me to write was to tell people something which they fail to see otherwise. I love to write different versions of life and bring out unique emotions in the readers. Apart from writing I believe I speak the same way.

Q Tell about your journey as a writer?

I believe a book is created by the author’s intellect and wisdom which he had developed over his life and not just the time he spends in front of his laptop. This way I think ii had a pretty interesting journey so far.

Q Your book THE BLUE MOON DAY carries 5 different stories on various backdrop. But the end relates to all of them. Have you decided the end and start the stories or vice Versa?

I must say that I had a different idea when I started writing the book but it took a different path during the course of the writing and finally ended up surprising myself. This way even enjoyed the twists and turns the book had to offer.

Q Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite book?

I don’t have any particular favouritte in general.

Q What are your hobbies apart from reading and writing?

I enjoy going on a long drive, trekking and playing sports of all kinds.

Q You seem to be well aware of the pulse of the youth   and elders in the present   era.  These lovely   and lively   stories have written from your own experience?    Which is the story you would feel most connected?

It is hard to choose a single story as my favouritte one however for the sake of the Interview I would like to go with the last story of my book named “The Heaven”. This perhaps is that one chapter which is deeper and to some extent divine and can be related by the people who have this seeking inside them.

Q Have you got writer’s block? If so how you have managed it?

I never got the writer’s block as I write it in my mind to start with  before getting it on the pages.

Q Any new project you are working on currently?

I am presently working on my second book and hope to release in the current year itself. 

Q Tell about the positive reviews   you cherish the most and the negative review if any and the way you have dealt with it?

Positive reviews were mostly the one who somehow took a kind a ownership on the book and felt a deep desire to make the book successful and not to let it disappear amidst the crowd. Getting well wishers like them is the first and the foremost success of the book.

So far I have not received any harsh reviews which had disturbed me but yes there were reviews questioning the characterization, pace of the book and the language used. I could not comment much on it as those were the point praised for as well by many of the reviewers.

Q Your book carries a lot of lessons and messages for the youth. The book is very relevant when the values are deteriorating.    Are you satisfied the way book has come?

A writer can never get satisfied with his book. Even today if you give me the book, I will end up changing something and feel better about it. However my real satisfaction came after I started getting the reviews which made me a contented person.

Q Tell about your experience with your publisher.

My publisher is Invincible Publishers and I had a great experience working with their dynamic young team who are spirited and focused.

Q What is the advice you would give to budding writers?

Write for yourself as that’s the only thing that matters in the end and this way you can never get carried away. 


Thank you so much for your forthright answers .I await  your next book.In the meanwhile I wish you all the success in all your endeavours.

Review of THE BLUE MOON DAY

Book Spotlight~ The Bluemoon Day by Santosh Sivaraj

Buy the book from Amazon

Blurb

Things were never the same for five ordinary individuals who got struck at cross roads and there was no way they can run back. They had no other choice but to take a plunge into their deepest fear and leave the rest to destiny. Their characters was tested out of their comfort zone and it witnessed abstruse results; a PhD scholar fights to win a pizza making contest and a tennis prodigy running for his life in a war torn , bloodied Island. 

Extreme circumstances and their consequences made these ordinary individuals extraordinary . Was the test imposed on them by someone? Or did they invite it on themselves. The Blue Moon Day is that Once in a Blue Moon day story which questions an individual’s priorities, ridicules the worldly routines and finally redefines happiness.

About Author

Santhosh Sivaraj , a banker based out of Chennai ,started his career as a sailor and eventually ended up wearing many hats in life including that of a teacher, entrepreneur and a trainer. He considers the journey of life to be the destination in itself and that pushes him to seek newer avenues in life every now and then. Absurd Economics interests him and he loves doing standup comedy. He laughs at his own mistakes and loves life unconditionally.

He believes in seeing with the mind , writing with the heart and living through others. This way he says one can live more life per life.

Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/authorsanthoshsivaraj/

Instagram : @santhoshsivaraj

Twitter       : @santhoshsivaraj

Website     : www.santhoshsivaraj.com

Self help book comes in several forms..Telling stories to motivate and boost your inner strength is also a way of writing book on this genre.The tales are woven in such a manner to give advices and inspiring nuggets of wisdom. The reading of such books serves the double purpose of enlightenment as well as entertainment leading to empowerment.

Santhosh Sivaraj has crafted THE BLUE MOON DAY with powerful stroies of hope amidst of doubt and dismay peace and happiness inspite of strained relationship and forgiveness with heartening twists and turns.

There are totally 5 stories captioned in the following order.

THE PIZZA ENGINEER

THE MESSENGER

NOT TODAY

THE STORYTELLER

THE HEAVEN.

The last chapter THE BLUE MOON DAY carries the revelation of suspense that gives all the surprise as well as the latetst position of the main characters.

The Pizza Engeineer , Abhinav Sharma learns his lessons through Mr.Pillai who has to select him for a job. This story is told in a ludicrous manner I laugh a lot when I read this . 

The Messenger tells the story of Deepak and his love for Priya. This story starts with a humourous note and turns in to a social drama involving the strained relationship between the couple and how they manage to come out of the web forms the rest of the story.

Like this other stories also involve so much melodrama and struggles of Mcs are given in a nice way to make the reading a seamless and sober experience.The down to earth charectors are ethced so well we can easily relate to them. I like the language which is simple, fresh and direct. The beutiful narrative prose and the story teller in the author make the book a pageturner.

The most important philosphical and wise pearls which I want to jot down are as follows.

Study you before you study anything

Nature has his own way of conveying messages.

You can find your real individulaity only when you come out of this comfort zone.

If you decide to be happy , life identifis all the hidden happiness around you.

The pace is even and at no point of time it is dragged and there are suffienct twists and turns to engage yourself .

This book holds the stories  of ambition, willpower generation gap , happiness and sadness.This is a book for youngsters and elders who want to identfy the conteperory problems faced by them in their ordrinry course of life,

My favorite is the story of Sankaran an aged person physically weak but mentally strong who finds a new life.This would definitely  move your heart giving all the insights about old age challenges. 

  Both the title and coverdesign are fantastic. The strong blurb is also a fitting one.

I recommend this book to all who want to study self help messages through stories in the contemporary scenario.

A must read by the youth belong  to the present generation  .

My score:5/5 

Disclamer ;"I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset"

Review of THE SECRET OF THE SCULPTURES

No of  pages  246

Published by Notion pres.com

Published on August 2 nd 2017

Genre; YA Ficcton Fantayy  Mystery 

Booklinks   Goodreads  Amazon 

Authors links  Goodreads  Amazon 

Genre: YA Fiction Mysstery Fantasy.

My take

Monika Thakur in her new book: THE SECRET OF THE SCULPTURES  has woven an intriguing story around the concept of loss and search of sculptures. Sculptures are the attraction of tourists and their values are immeasurable.The hidden secrets behind the creation of them are sufficient to  instill an interest in the subject.

This story makes you anxious, curious enough to know about the theft and the search for it.

In the beginning, it is a slow read and the descriptive prose sprinkled with suspense events make the reading fun and gratifying. Sometimes it is full of revelations of hidden historic events and sometimes dripping with magic and mystery.

The plot revolves around the lifelong friends Aditi and Maitreyi and the theft of a priceless sculpture from Aditi’s college. There are totally 19 chapters and they are aptly captioned. Like

A journey begins

A theft occurs

A net is cast.

In respect of the theft, many a question arise.

Who has stolen the sculpture from the college n Delhi.?

Where is it kept now?

For answers to all these questions, you have to read the book.

The title and the cover design are catchy and related to the core theme of the book.

There is a fitting climax and you would be surprised to know the end.

This is not the typical run on the fast track with all the twists and turns but if you want to read a suspense thriller this book must be the book for you.

The plot is simple but what makes the book ok is the enticing writing  style of the authoress.

Also, a great deal of efforts has gone into the making of characters.
 It has got a set of interesting characters to keep the action in pace and full support of the main ones.

An amzing read for suspense thrillers associated with the theft of sculptures and finding out of them.

My score 4/5

Disclaimer "I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset"

Review of LET YOU BE MY PUPPET ONCE

No of pages : 326

Published by; Notionpress .inc

Published on: April 21 st 2018


Booklinks: Goodreads   Amazon 

Author's links : Goodreads  Amazon

Genre: YA Fiction Socio-political crime thriller

My take

Every one of us at one time or other faces a situation wherein we become puppets of others destined to dance to their tunes silently suffering within. This is the theme of this book LET YOU BE MY PUPPET ONCE  by Preetika Mehra an MBA graduate working with an MNC in Chennai.


The plot

There are nearly 74 chapters, some are lengthy ones some are one paged. They carry suitable captions

To name a few

Fuzzy beginning

The Email

IT cell

The tale happens in various places  like Mumbai ,  Pune, Chennai and Kochi and other urban centers in India.. Also in foreign countries like The US.

Karan , an employee of an FMCG company is having Saima, Vdica and Josh as his buddies. While Josh and Saima are in love Karan and Vdica are good friends. Vedica  and Saima works in a bank Josh is associated with a Mumbai-based start-up.


Saima 's   younger  sister Meghna who is pursuing MBBS  is in love with Vasant a fellow aspiring doctor . Once she calls Saima at night from home and she takes a flight to Lucknow . She finds her sister lifeless ,her death by a thousand cuts. An investigation begins.


Karan.s father income tax commissioner was caught in a graft case. Karan doubts Pratap his father’s friend for his wrongdoing.

Kapil son of Chief Minister of UP is arranging a party in his farmhouse.  He and his brother Suraj have invited them to the party. Saima and Vedic attend the same along with Josh and Karan. In the party Zoravar ,Pratap  Natural Resource Minister’s son under the influence of liquor  tries to squeeze the life out of Saima and Vedica

They escape from his clutches and they go to a nearby police station to file an FIR.  The inspector  at the station sends them out without filing the FIR , because the culprits are sons of political bosses.

All the four , Saima , Vedika, Josh and Karan plan to punish the culprits and their tricks and struggles form the rest of the story.

The pro
The story is written in a subtle manner and each character is etched well
This novel is capable of flooring you by the writing style , strong plot line, and social drama with all the emotions to make you cry and contemplate.

The aspirations and attempts of youngsters  who have  got all acumen  and energy would be a   delight to read. When it revolves around  revenge the thrill is amazing as there is a clash of beliefs and reality. 

From the first few pages I get hooked   first into world of guys and their anxieties .Their bond and kinship are awesome. The shrewd and intelligent youth  meet  many dangers, and they use their prudence to outsmart their enemies.

The atrocities of corrupt politicians and greedy rich would shock you and the helplessness of the poor people would move
your heart,The courage and aversion of youngsters which give room to more and more rebellious and revolt against the perpetrators  would surprise you.

It is a story of passion and pain , dreams and debacles vices and virtues.

The characters are real and flawed and you have to love them.

What I feel

The language is mediocre and mundane.It can be improved a lot. The phrase - at the end of the day -comes frequently.Narrative prose could be groomed to a large  extent. 


My verdict

With a gripping climax ,which this fast paced  thriller ends as a cliffhanger, there is all the possibility of sequel fo this book by the authoress. Details after details pour in this book and when all end in place and the enormity of the happenings may give you a great entertainment.


The plot line is appreciable and it does not lack the grip but addictive.

I like the title as well as cover design which are alluring and tempting.They match the intensity and the  theme of the book.

I wish to appreciate the authoress confidence to weave a story
 in with diversification of circumstances  and occasions and she has outdone it.

It is worth a read if you want to try a story with suspense that can scar you.

I recommend this book to all thriller fans. 
The following premises attract my attention.

Intelligent is useful when it is complete and comprehensive,

Somehow the complex web of the world is weaved in such a fashion that they are controlled and made to work for the  politician  and rich business people.


In this digital age, Two things beat us. One fact to face discussions amongst people. Two obscurities of too much data,

The blurb highlights the inability of the Chief of Intelligence to find the difference between the real and planned evidence.


At around 326 pages this book is a fascinating read
This book is a must read book if you are looking for a socio-political thriller with indleible charecters .The social drama is crafted well where usage of new technology is giveen due significance..


My score : 4/5

Disclaimer: I have received the free copy of the book from the authoress and this is my honest and unbiased review 

INTERVIEW WITH ABHINAV SINGH

Abinav Singh brings us a pageturner, his dazzling debut novel THE LAST ATTRACTOR OF CHOAS .  I have given 5 stars  in  My review. .

This is the conversation  I have had  with  him  on his way of  reading , writing  and publsihing .I thank him for his valuable time .

Q.Please introduce yourself to my readers.

 Hi, I am Abhinav. I am a movie buff and eccentric reader.  I love to read as many books I can lay my hands on. I have been teaching Physics to IIT JEE aspirants for past ten years.

 Q.Tell us  How did you start writing? Did you intend to write novel or do you have a specific reason?    

    I started writing to invest my mind in some creative process and come out of the boredom of everyday work schedule.   

                                    

Q. This is your first book. How do you select thriller instead of romance or other genre?

 It wasn’t by genre that I selected my writing but the story that fancied my mind and the takeaway summary that I wanted to share with people.

.Q How long you have taken  to write this book?

 About an year.  It was a difficult time and the best learning I received that writing is a tough and lonely process.

Q.Do you read a lot? What is your favorite book ? Favorite author?

 Yes I read a lot. I read mostly to write my books or to learn something and I don’t go by authors. My best fiction writer is Dan Brown, best self help book writer is Robert Kiyosaki. But I always like to discover more books and authors.

QYour favorite subject is particle physics ,duality and quantum enigma. How far your knowledge n these subjects you have utilized for writing this book?

 A lot. Reading, watching videos and then trying to simplify things for a reader who may not be so much into physics.

.Q Who has read the first manuscript of  the book? His/her comment on the same.

 It was two people actually who read the book as it was being born. My guru Frank Krishner who practically taught me writing and my student Shreya Singh, who gave a reader's  perspective.

 Q What are your hobbies other than writing?

 I love watching movies. I can go for hollywood movies two or three at a time. Everyday I thank people who created netflix.

 Q Is there a book  you are currently working on?

 The are two books actually. One is the sequel of this book and another one is based on serial murders.

Q Why have  you  gone for Self-Pubishing?

 I hate to hear a no and I can’t advice on it. That is why, after working on my book for an year and spending a handful on editing I decided to go for self publishing. I didn’t consult even one traditional publisher because I know I can make it work.

 Q The plot is basically on military and intelligence teams.How did you choose such a field for your first novel?

 I wanted to create a kick ass female character and what better place than a male dominated environment?

 Q Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so share your experience.

 Writer’s block is a commonplace thing, especially when you are writing supernatural and make it sound logical. To get out of it I just keep on brainstorming and the answers present themselves.

 Q Who is your best critic and what is his /her comment?

 My teacher Frank and he says that;  I write shitty but have a knack for a wonderful plot.

 Q The book talks about struggles and challenges of Shruti. Did you know the end beforehand ?

 No. I still don’t know the end and I have to write a sequel. For me I keep on writing and the charterers create the story themselves. I never force my characters to do or behave in ways they can’t.

 Q Word of advice for budding writers special focus on how to manage rejection.

 Acceptance or rejection comes later. The first part is to create a book to the best of you abilities. Be your own critique. Learn about writing; some books are specially dedicated to those. Go to some creative writing courses if you can. It is an investment that pays. Writing is not the sword of Zeus that can only be held by his gifted sons and daughters. It is craft that can be mastered by anyone who is ready to give its due. 

Review OF THE LAST ATTRACTOR OF CHAOS

NO OF PAGES:  332

PUBLISHED BY :NOTION PRESS

PUBLISHED ON :APRIL 2018

GENRE: FICTION SOCIO-POLITICAL  CRIME THRILER

BOOK  LINKS GOODREADS  AMAZON 

AUTHOR'S LINKS GOODRADS  AMAZON 

My take
The actions that we Choose to take ,and the actions that we don't..
All of it leads to one absolute inevitability-The Chaos 

Thrillers shine because they can instill excitement in the readers' mind. They give entertainment by virtue of  the fast paced and suspenseful storyline, the powerful characters and intriguing settings.

As a voracious reader, I  love to read them as there would be a lot of twists  and turns   I get sucked in to the story .You can also enjoy thrillers, having all the elements which  take you to the edge of the seat experience.


THE LAST ATTRACTOR OF CHAOS by Abhinav Singh is a story of deceit , revenge love camaraderie  and patriotism.

The story is set in the backdrop of R&AW New Delhi and Mumbai in the present  atmosphere.This is the great lady spy  novel of our time and a haunting and heartbreaking story of greed and violence, , crime and injustice, retribution and redemption. It  reveals the seemingly insurmountable tensions between her  and higher-ups  she  serves. A searing portrait of the  protagonist's courageous, and heroic journey. This book is  a masterpiece, full of shocking and surprising twists, leavened by flashes of dark humor, a morally complex and utterly riveting dissection of  the struggles and challenges  she meets in her  trajectory.

The blurb is so simple and direct capable of coaxing the readers to give it a try and they won't be disappointed.The title and the cover design are catchy and pertinent.

There are murder and gruesome attacks  in every chapter and the gory fight would surprise you.Packed with a lot of knots the tale deals with all the facets of a thriller starting with an occurrence of a heist. It continues to maintain the fast pace from the beginning to the end.


With powerful characters at the different settings the story revolves  around high profile of influential and extraordinarily highly placed personalities.Language is crisp lucid and fitting to the genre  with occasional touching of  jargon.

I like the protagonist, Shruti  aggressive and courageous lady , an agent  in the Intelligence Bureau for all her shrewdness and stubbornness.The episode involving her  coming of age story and reaches a top position in the IB is amazing. This would melt your heart.I also like the subplot wherein Joginder Chadha  a big shot is  conned in a funny  and ludicrous manner.
These two episodes would linger in my mind for a longer period.

Honey trap, kickbacks , treason, felony, bombing, surveillance , infiltration , coding, all these are included in the tale prudently.

After his death,scientist Aswin Rathore in the soul form wants  to help his wife Shrti with the help  of Tantunam Anuha also in the same form . This concept is dealt in a nice manner. His friend is telling about Elders. This is somewhat vague.

Special mention should be made  about the good paper quality , printing  with sufficient space. The dialogues are superb and they help in enriching the plot.

I like the plot , characters  and the theme of this book and I wish I reread the book whenever I find time.A thoroughly entertaining excursion to the military  and intelligence realms .

A gratifying read ,this book gives chilling  sensations  and the social drama would enthrall you . A dazzling tale of intrigue it  is a riveting adventure across the world,  expertly blending fact and fiction, 

I recommend this book to all action- thriller fans. This classic thriller would definitely give great entertainment  to readers ..

My score:  5/5

Disclaimer; I have received a free copy from the author and this is my honest and unbiased review.