Spotlight on 'Helpline' by Uday Mane

Genre: Literary
The Blurb:
Samir is suicidal. Rachael works for a suicide helpline. Fate connects them through a phone call. And so begins Samir’s story of love, longing, errors, regret and a girl who changed his life. As his story reaches its conclusion, Rachael will know the true reason behind his suicidal tendencies. But this suicide helpline is not any ordinary service. There is more to the mysterious and yet so convincing voice of Rachael. As this new mystery begins to unfold, Samir is going to discover three things: 

What is The Helpline? 

Who is Rachael? 

What is Samir’s own identity? 

Every year, several teenagers in India attempt suicide because of failing relationships, dwindling careers, parental pressure or the competitive world. This story is about one such teenager, his early problems and the hurdles to cope with them. This story is about finding hope in the struggle. This story is about fighting for what you believe in and discovering your true identity. This is not a story about falling in love. This is a story of rising from a failed love story.

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Meet the Author

Uday Mane was born in Pune and raised in Mumbai. He works as a marketing professional during the day and a storyteller during the night. He is an avid reader, and loves to collect classic books. 

The Helpline is his debut novel that was launched in March 2014 at the hands of Padma Shri Paresh Rawal.

You can stalk him @

               

                          



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Indireads Short Story Competition - 2014

Winner

Get To Know Author Adiana Ray

Please welcome author Adiana Ray on ILuvFiction today, part of the Blog Tour hosted by The Book Club. It’s a pleasure to host you Adiana! 

ILF will start with a little bit about Adiana in her own words, followed by the questions.

The Author's Thoughts 

'Sixteen and counting' are the number of cities that I have lived in so far. I like to think of myself as a 'Metronaut'. The myriad city cultures, the food, the hustle and bustle, the people are all elements of life that I thrive on and if you can have an 'Astronaut' why not a 'Metronaut' after all there are so many more of us out there?

Gratitude List

I am inspired by Nabanita, my fellow blogger, to pen down a gratitude list to join Laurel in this week’s Gratitude Linkup.  

So here is my list on this day, in no particular order.

I’m Grateful…

• To my friends who provided great support, when I got a discouraging personal message on FB yesterday. I never realized I had so many friends, who were more upset than me by those messages. Believe me there are wonderful positive people out there because of whom the world is what it is today.

Book Review 'Trouble Has a New Name' by Adite Banerjee

Genre: Romance
Blurb:
“Will you pretend to be my fiancé for the next few days?” 

Recently-single model Rayna Dutt does not feel like flying to her friend’s big fat Indian wedding. But she does - and when a mix up with room allocations forces her to share a luxury villa on Emerald Isle with the gorgeous owner of the hotel - Neel Arora - and best man at the wedding, things begin to look up.

Until Rayna’s ex turns up with a new girl on his arm! 

Hitting the panic button, Rayna searches for a solution. Surely Neel wouldn’t mind being her fake fiancé…? In an instant the attraction they share is fever pitch, but when scandal comes calling, Rayna soon finds herself in more trouble than she can handle!



My Review:
Rayna Dutt a sensuous yet sensitive model wakes up with a hangover, to catch a private jet for a destination wedding… and I was hooked. To add to Rayna’s feisty charm, there were RBILs (full form not to be disclosed here) dispersed all over the book making her the most appealing heroine.

Hottie Neel (love the name), high flying businessman with down to earth upbringing, responsibilities and fears comes across as a real man close to my heart. Adite Banerjee has skillfully woven the backstories of both Neel and Rayna adding depth to the story.

The setting of picturesque Nirvana resort, sandy beaches, starry nights and a destination wedding on the Emerald Island was like sprinkling of icing on a fabulous cake (read tale). The sizzling chemistry between the reluctant Neel and emotional Rayna has been handled beautifully. The characters of hilarious Agra Aunty, Sid, Karisma and Shah are bang on, adding spice to the already fabulous plot.

The book keeps one at a fast roller-coaster ride of emotions ranging from humour, naughty teasings, heart-wrenching conflicts between the two protagonists and ending with the touching surrender by Neel before true love.

A fantastic read! 

On Amazon  | On Goodreads

About the Author:
Adite Banerjie discovered Mills & Boon romances and their amazing assortment of drool-worthy TDH heroes in her teens. Around the same time she fell in love with song-and-dance Bollywood romances. Growing up in a home with a filmmaker dad who worked in the world’s largest film industry (yes, Bollywood!) and a voracious reader for a mom, it was inevitable that she would come to love both films and books. 

During her exciting and fulfilling career as a business journalist, she found the time to indulge her passion for both Bollywood romances and M&Bs. But after years of reporting and writing about the real world, she chose to return to her love for fiction and turned screenwriter. She turned Harlequin author after winning the 2012 Passions Aspiring Authors Contest.  

The Indian Tycoon's Marriage Deal, based on the winning short story for the Harlequin contest, was released in December 2013 in India.

There’s no such thing as writer’s block!

Random

There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write.

Image courtesy http://katelansing.com/

– Terry Pratchett 

As a quality consultant, I had to design guidelines or processes, at times on subjects I had no clue about. Sometimes nothing came to mind as I sat staring at the blank screen, but deadlines were deadlines. Taking a deep breath, I would start the research, write a sentence, then another, the ideas would start forming and blankness would disappear.

Spotlight on 'Tell A Thousand Lies' by Rasana Atreya

Genre: Literary 

Blurb

In a land where skin colour can determine one's destiny, fraternal twins PULLAMMA and LATA are about to embark on a journey that will tear their lives apart.

Dark skinned Pullamma dreams of being a wife. With three girls in her family, the sixteen year old is aware there isn't enough dowry to secure suitable husbands for them all. But a girl can hope. She's well versed in cooking, pickle making, cow washing -- you name it. She's also obliged her old-fashioned grandmother by not doing well in school.

'Zaken Takeover' by Reet Singh & Dilsher Singh

Book Review 

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Blurb:

Tom, an eighteen-year old boy who is sick of his drab, regular school life, cannot wait for school to end on a permanent basis. Hopeful of finally becoming eligible for some excitement in his life, he is sublimely unaware of the saying 'Be careful what you wish for.'

On the last day of school, right after a farewell party for their class, Tom comes face to face with events that will change his life forever! He will be visited by an alien; kidnapped; his friends endangered; their sanity threatened; and their earth will come fearsomely close to a Zaken takeover! Too much for an eighteen-year old to handle?

My Top Ten Favourite Books

Random 

Following are the list of the books which have had a deep influence on my formative years and have given me the love of good stories and rich life experience. These are in the choronological order as I read over the years.

1. Noddy and his adventures by Enid Blyton - was the first one which opened the world of imagination for me. I would quickly read the story once. Then would try to match the words with pictures. If the cap was written 'red', was it of red colour or not :) The green colour fence or the rainbow and of course his car.

Recruits and Riots!

Random 

We started off to Lansdowne, a picturesque hill station in Uttarakhand, on 2^nd April (Good Friday). We were four families, all in their own cars. Four hours later, just before Najibabad, on a good empty road we were cruising merrily at 90kmph with my husband at the wheel.

I was half-asleep enjoying the music and heard my husband curse, honk and brake. Startled, I opened my eyes and saw a three people on a motorbike, cutting across the road just twenty meters ahead. The tires screeched on the road and I braced myself for a collision, both hands on the dashboard and heart beating madly.

'You Can’t Fight A Royal Attraction' by Ruchi Vasudeva

Book Review 

Genre: Romance (M&B Harlequin)

Blurb:

The last thing Rihaan needs in his life is to play host to a woman who drives him crazy! Saira is gorgeous, yes, but she’s also wildly infuriating. Yet every time she comes within an inch of him he finds his normally iron-clad control slipping further and further away…

Cover Reveal 'The Runaway Bridegroom'

Checkout the Mindblowing cover of upcoming book by Sundari Venkatraman.

Cover Reveal: 

THE RUNAWAY BRIDEGROOM 

by 

Sundari Venkatraman