Book Review. Makeup & Breakup stories by Nihar Pradhan

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blogger, book review, breakup, characters, Emotions, fiction, Humor, makeup, modern technology, nihar pradhan, short stories

“Story telling is the best form of communication – It triggers imagination, stimulates inspiration and creates an impression.” Quotes author Nihar Pradhan . 

Author: A renowned blogger at https://nrpin.wordpress.com  That apart, he is a consummate multi-tasker. His technical expertise takes shape as Digital Strategist and Process Innovator. His creative side emerges in blogging (Nature and nurturing ideas) and photography.

Theme: A collection of 40 stories depicting myriad characters in stages of evolution – either emotional, physical, professional or familial. Themes I could discern, include:

1] Humor : Nihar has a subtle humor, predominantly by twisting words. Examples, like ‘Today I have to serve them tea.  It’s not my cup of tea.’ and ‘He didn’t like the ringtone of his house bell. Not everything in life is to one’s favorite tune.’

2] Personification of inanimate objects : As seen in ‘Mirror’ (She reflected the entire gallery of my emotions) And in ‘The Lost Glory’ with the enigmatic

Goodreads Giveaway – Arjun: Without A Doubt.

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arjun, copies, fiction, free, Giveaway, Goodreads, Mahabharat, promotional, Win

Announcing Goodreads Giveaway of Arjun: Without A Doubt

Genre: Indian Mythology/ Fiction/Epic

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24466957-Arjun

Free Download : 2 sample chapters on the above Goodreads link. Just click!

Dates: April 23rd to May 23rd 2015

Premise: Mahabharata

Protagonists: Arjun, mightiest warrior and supreme archer.  Blessed with Bhagwad Gita and boons, Krishn and Krishnaa, weapons and wars, laurels and triumphs and, to top it all, an heir to carry on his bloodline. What possible agonies can such a child of Destiny have?

But how was the man behind the warrior? Join the journey into Arjun’s anguish, passion and struggles.

Draupadi – A woman who battled brute force with cold logic. The feisty Rorschach test that still evokes awe, curiosity, envy and disdain

Find ‘other’ famous Arjuns; compare Arjun vis-a-vis Achilles and Alexander; Explore Myths of Mahabharata.

All this and much more in ‘Arjun: Without a Doubt’.

Website: https://sweetyshinde.wordpress.com

Available as Paperback &  Kindle version: Amazon, Flipkart, Infibeam. 

Author of Arjun: Without A Doubt

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arjun, arjuna, author, fiction, Mahabharata, mythology, novel, published

The heart can be dissected, the brain can be spliced open, but I love to unravel the mind and emotions.

Dr Shinde Sweety holds a Doctorate in Medicine, with numerous publications in Indian and International Medical Journals.

Author of Arjun: Without A Doubt

She is an avid Mahabharata fan and

Journey of my Novel – My characters

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arjun, arjuna, author, characters, debut, debut novel ficiton, draupadi, fiction, Krishn, Krishna, Mahabharata, mythology, novel, publication

“I feel pregnant!”

Truly, there is no other way to etch my feelings as my debut novel ‘Arjun: Without A Doubt’ inches closer home to publication. 

I hold triplets within my womb. The idealist, the flame and the enigma.

They poured words into my pen, I put words onto their lips. They have morphed

Devil’s Gate (Book Review): Deepak Kripal

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animals, book review, children, demons, fiction, island, thriller

 

Taskforce: A cat, a dog, an owl, a baby skeleton and a 5000 year old rat (Reminded me of the mix-match and mismatched cast of Wizard of Oz).

Task: To free a deadly island from a battalion of demons, monsters and witches.

Underlying message: Inner demons (Fear/Prejudice/Hesitation) are worse than fictional demons. Humans are more destructive than demons. Humans, stop encroaching upon the animal world.

Target audience: Children, I guess. In spite of the demons and devils all over, there is nothing macabre enough. Also, in true Enid Blyton style, *SPOILER none of our five-member team dies. *

Pluses: a} Some deep thoughts:

1. Not showing quietness is difficult. You are required to talk a lot to do that.

2. Love at first sight is an invention of poets. They don’t have the patience for the second sight.

3. You have to lose an emotion to get a perspective.

b} Cute characterizations, albeit a tad clichéd: Cat with attitude, dog with ‘hang-dog’ attitude, wise owl, cute skeleton. Although the Rat may not be what he seems!

c} Bursts of humor– 1. Dog says,’Tell the world I killed 99 demons.’

Cat says, ‘Why 99?’ Dog says modestly, ‘Well, I just don’t want to exaggerate.’

2. Hey, Son of  a Bitch, says cat to dog.

3. Witch says,’God has a special affection for owls. He made me serve owls for breakfast.’

Owl goes, ‘I cannot even say “Oh My God now!”.

Need improvement: a} Grammar– There were errors like ‘He clinched his teeth’, he was prepared to die thinking of her beloved’, he was tore into 2 halves like paper, no existence worst than being blanked.’

b} Punctuation marks– Some affirmative statements ended in a question mark, while questions ended in a full stop.

c} Unnecessary tendency to explain sentences, resulting in repetition: For example- ‘Can you please utter it in a language that I find easy to comprehend?’ Dug pleaded Katy to make herself available for easy interpretation.

Overall: Definite seeds of a fertile imagination exist here. The climax hints at a sequel. Need better grammar and sharper editing next time. Good Luck.

Note: I received a print-copy for review by the author. Free of cost.