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Showing posts from 2013

Christmas Greetings

Slide Tour - Michelle Congdon

After surviving a horrific car accident that claimed the lives of her mother and brother, Evangeline made a promise to herself to never go back to the city filled with the memories of her tragic past. But when her estranged father suddenly falls ill, she has no choice but to return to New York and to the life she spent twelve years trying to avoid. Since the accident, heiress to the multi-billion dollar Montgomery Empire, Evangeline has always feared the media attention that comes with having the Montgomery name and would immediately give it all up if it meant the chance to bring back her loved ones. Delicate and camera shy, the last person she should have on her mind is a type of guy like Ryan Fox. Witty, extremely arrogant but undeniably good-looking are only a few words Evangeline can use to describe the New York Yankee’s hot-shot. The notorious bad boy― well-versed at playing the game both on and off the field― isn't fazed about the media circus following his eve

Free promotion day

My new novel CHERISHED is free today at amazon (digital copy). You can download it for free, and these are the links. http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00FA4HDQK http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FA4HDQK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FA4HDQK You can also read some of the reviews here - http://www.induswomanwriting.com/cherishedby-lakshmi.html Reviews are most welcome.

Setting of the Story

Setting of the story is very important for a writer and it needs to be well described. Every story has to take place somewhere, and writing about it cannot be ignored in your story. No doubt, setting is an integral part of your story. Why do we need to describe about a setting? A proper description of the setting where the story is taking place helps the reader visualize the place and how it must be taking place there, while reading your story. If the description was not given the reader won't be able to get connected with the story. It makes the reader the story is more believable. You must have read reviews which say the story was more realistic. The author would have put enough details for the reader to feel it realistic and believable. Though a well described setting is a pleasure to read, too much description can be a boring too. Care to be taken not to write too much to an extend that the reader gets bored, instead of getting interested in your story and turning the p

Jane Eyre - My review

When I was looking the ebook version of this popular classic - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I found it to be free to download. I immediately downloaded it into my kindle and thought of reading it at a later date. But to my utter surprise, I found myself commence reading the book the same day itself. After reading the first few pages, I was not sure whether I would like to go forward and complete it. However, I decided to read few more pages and as I turned each page I found it quite interesting and wanted to read more and more, and didn’t want to put it down. The writing is superb with memorable characters and fabulous descriptions. I loved the strong characteristics of Jane who was brought up in an orphanage – independent thinking, hard working, kind hearted, not being greedy and proud even after becoming suddenly rich, believes in herself and not doing something just to please others. I admire Jane for coming back to her first love Rochester when he was in his worst positi

Another encouraging review for my book

I have received some more reviews for CHERISHED. Nov 05, 2013 Cherished true meaning unfolds as u read by: Sandhya P J This captivating story 'Cherished' is of a young teenager Jyothi growing up without the love of her father and a secure family in her early childhood. The author has truly understood the intricate understanding of the human mind and has dealt the story line very delicately yet forcefully. As u read on... it like the story is unfolding on a screen as the fine details, colour, emotions, moods etc are so well portrayed that it reaches one on a deeper level which is the gift the author truly has. Meaningful that a simple moment perceived negatively or positively with wisdom or with unknown facts of the happening can produce such disastrous situation in the family tie and each individual can be deeply hurt. Cherished is beautifully crafted and shows the ability of a mature and gifted writer. All the best and eagerly waiting for more... More reviews

Happy Diwali to all - 2013

Happy Deepavali to all. May the spirit of light illuminate the world. Deepavali, (also known as Diwali), is popularly known as the "Festival of lights". It is one of the most important festivals of India, celebrated all over the country. Indians staying outside India also celebrate this festival. Houses are thoroughly cleaned to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. The lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil, kept outside the house, signifies the triumph of good over evil. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped during this time. Firecrackers are burst during Diwali to drive away evil spirits. People celebrate Diwali wearing new clothes and sharing sweets and snacks with family members and friends, for three days. Naraka Chaturdashi (Nov.2nd) is the day on which the demon Narakasura was killed by Lord Krishna. It signifies victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Lakshmi Pooja (Nov.3rd) - Goddess Lakshmi and Ganesh, God of auspicious beginnings, are worship

A wonderful Review for Cherished

I have received a review recently from one of the readers. Oct 26, 2013 daughter's quest for her father by: Suresh 'Cherished' is primarily a story about a daughter's search for her father who, due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, couldn't be with her right from childhood. The search that begins with a tentative letter takes an unexpected path and tensions rise as old and new relationships clash. The author displays an excellent understanding of mature human relationships in all its aspects but mainly in the less explored father daughter relationship. We root for the daughter who missed a father's love and who is initially portrayed as a selfish father. As the truth is slowly revealed, we marvel at the way destiny can change the orbit of relationships in spite of the good intentions of individuals. An excellent read for any book lover. This was copied from here .

"Cherished " - Starting page

Cherished - by Lakshmi Menon - is the story of a young girl who is in pursuit of her parental love. ISBN 9788182534414 Published by Cybervit.net (Sept 2013) Blurb of the Book - Grishma, accompanied by her father and four month old baby, boards the train to Delhi to join her husband and surprise him with an unexpected visit. She dreams a happy family life with him. Little does she know that her journey will end in havoc to her life. 19 years later, Grishma's daughter Jyothi, longing for her father's love and support and a family reunion determines to search for him, despite her mother's strong protests. She succeeds in her mission, but will Praveen accept her as his daughter? Starting Page : It was the evening of the last Sunday in the month of January. The weather was as pleasant as the previous evenings. An old melodious Hindi film song was playing on the TV downstairs that Mrs. Rao liked a lot, and she hummed along with it. It was one of Jyothi’s favourit

Some interesting photos from Kerala

These are some interesting photos which I managed to click during my recent visit to Kerala, South India.

The Reader

Writing tips from Famous Writers-3

You don't write because you want to say something. You write because you have something to say. - F. Scott Fitzgerald There is only one way in this world to achieve true happiness, and that is to express yourself with all your skill and enthusiasm in a career that appeals to you more than any other. In such a career, you feel a sense of purpose, a sense of achievement. You feel you are making a contribution. It is not work. - William J. Reilly Writing is no trouble: you just jot down ideas as they occur to you. The jotting is simplicity itself—it is the occurring which is difficult . - Stephen Leacock

Cherished - new novel giveaway

Cherished - the new novel about a girl's pursuit for parental love, is now free to download in the kindle store. Just few more hours left. Grab your free copy now. The giveaway at Goodreads is also ending soon. Please check it out. Check out the reviews at Goodreadsw - http://debasishray19.blogspot.in/2013/09/cherished-by-lakshmi-menon.html http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18403945-cherished http://www.induswomanwriting.com/lakshmi-menon-cherished.html Remember to check out the comment page.

Cherished - Book Reading

Just three days back (23rd Sept) my new book Cherished was released and had a book reading at Bookstop, Koramangala, Bangalore. The book store was a small place and I had invited just a couple of friends. Since it was a working day some of them who had promised to come, couldn't reach on time. Still it went off well. Dr. Jennifer introduced me to the audience and then the book was released. Two of them read some of the pages from the book. Dr. Eva Bell, who had already read the book, asked me some thought provoking questions about the book. Then another person from the audience also asked me some questions about my journey of writing. On the whole, We had a very active discussion about the book. The next session was book signing. The audience asked for autographed copies of the book. Almost all of them bought the book. They were also readers of my earlier book, The Second Choice. Next was my turn. I thanked them for taking the trouble of coming from far,

Non-US tax issue for self-publishers

Are you looking for information about how to reduce your Non-US tax withholding issue as a self published author? I happened to see the following blog which helped me solve this problem. Hence, I decided to post it here for the use of other people who need this information. Reblogged from Catherineryanhoward blog

Happy Onam Festival!

Wish you all a Happy Onam. Those who want to know more about this most important festival of Kerala, India, read here.

Writing Quote

Writing Tips from famous writers-2

RIP, Elmore Leonard: The Beloved Author’s 10 Rules of Writing : Elmore Leonard (October 11, 1925–August 20, 2013) says: " These are rules I’ve picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I’m writing a book, to help me show rather than tell what’s taking place in the story. If you have a facility for language and imagery and the sound of your voice pleases you, invisibility is not what you are after, and you can skip the rules. Still, you might look them over." 1. Never open a book with weather. If it’s only to create atmosphere, and not a character’s reaction to the weather, you don’t want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways to describe ice and snow than an Eskimo, you can do all the weather reporting you want. 2. Avoid prologues. They can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes after a foreword. But these are o

Writing Tips from Famous Writers-1

I'm posting a series of tips from famous writers, that I found very informative and useful to become better writers. David Ogilvy says - Never write more than two pages on any subject. "People who think well, write well. Woolly minded people write woolly memos, woolly letters and woolly speeches. Good writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well. Here are 10 hints: 1. Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing. Read it three times. 2. Write the way you talk. Naturally. 3. Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs. 4. Never use jargon words like reconceptualize, demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass. 5. Never write more than two pages on any subject. 6. Check your quotations. 7. Never send a letter or a memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning — and then edit it. 8. If it is something important, get a colleague to improve it. 9. Before you send your letter or your memo,

On writing

Prelaunch giveaway

My new novel Cherished which will be released at the end of September, is listed for a giveaway at goodreads, If you are a book enthusiast please check it out and enter the giveaway . Since the postage is too expensive it is available only to the people in India. For my blog readers, I am giving away five ebook copies of Cherished , from a random pick, which can be sent anywhere. The last date for entry is 5th October 2013. Those who are interested please enter here posting a comment. Those who are interested to write a review for this book may also please write in the comment. Story - Grishma, accompanied by her father and four month old baby, boards the train to Delhi to join her husband Praveen. She decides to give him a surprise visit. Little does she know that her journey will end in havoc to her life. 19 years later, Grishma's daughter Jyothi, longing for her father's love and support, determines to search for him, despite her mother's strong pr

Smashwords books in India

It is great news that smashwords have tied up with flipkarts for the sale of ebooks, and soon the smashwords ebooks will be available to buy in India. It gives a better opportunity for the locals to write for the local community. Flipkart is the largest online market in India, especially for books. Click here to read more about this from http://blog.smashwords.com .

Two Interesting Quotes on Writing

"Any fiction should be a story. In any story, there are three elements: Persons, a situation, and the fact that in the end something has changed. If nothing has changed, it isn't a story." - By Malcom Cowley "When you start writing, the magic comes when the characters seem to take on a life of their own and write the words themselves." - By Alice Hoffman

Cherished - Coming Soon!

Cherished is my second novel. Grishma, accompanied by her father and four month old baby, boards the train to Delhi join her husband, to surprise him with an unexpected visit. She dreams a happy family life with him. Little does she know that her journey will end in havoc to her life. 19 years later, Grishma's daughter Jyothi, longing for her father's love and support and a family reunion determines to search for her father, despite her mother's strong protests. She succeeds in her mission, but will Praveen accept her as his daughter? This is the heartwarming story of Jyothi's pursuit of parental love, which she considers as her legitimate right.

Websites to promote your E-books

There are several places on the internet where you can promote your ebooks. I came to know about this long list of places just by accident. I'm sure this list will be helpful to many others too.I have not tried any of these, but soon I'm going to try at least some of them. www.freebookdude.com www.freebooks.com/submit www.freebooksdaily.com? www.freebookshub.com/authors www.freebooksie.com www.freedigitalreads.com/author-submissions www.free-kindle-books.deha-solutions.com/promote-your-book www.indieauthornews.com www.indie-book-bargains.co.uk/addbook.php www.indiebookoftheday.com/authors www.justkindlebooks.com/submit-your-book www.kindlebookpromos.com www.kornerkonnection.com www.moreforlessonline.com www.onehundredfreebooks.com/author-free-kindle-book-submission www.orangeberryfreeme.com www.peoplereads.com www.pixelofink.com www.pixelscroll.com/feature-your-product www.snickslist.com www.storyfinds.com/listing-information-for-authors www.sweetiespicks.com/free-kind

Reading a kindle book without a kindle

Recently I was discussing about some kindle books with my friends, and some of them didn't know that those who do not own a kindle cannot read the kindle books. Kindle It should not be a problem. I had recently found out that even if you do not have a kindle you can easily read it on your computer. Amazon has made the kindle ebooks in such a way that they can be read on as many Apps as possible such as smart phones, computers and tablets. To know about this, go to your amazon home page, and click on "Books" under Shop by Department the left side menu and click on "Kindle". Under this you can see "Kindle Apps & Resources" and below this, you will find "Free Kindle Reading Apps". Choose your preferred apps for reading. While reading a kindle ebook on your PC you have the advantage of changing the font size, background colour, brightness, and number of words per line etc. Though I own a kindle I prefer sometimes to read it o

Ten interesting quotes on Reading

1. Digital reading will completely take over. It's lightweight and it's fantastic for sharing. Over time it will take over. - Bill Gates 2. Reading is equivalent to thinking with someone else's head instead of with one's own. - Arthur Schopenhauer 3. Reading is an activity subsequent to writing: more resigned, more civil, more intellectual. - Jorge Luis Borges 4. The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading in order to write. A man will turn over half a library to make a book. - Samuel Johnson 5. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. -Joseph Addison 6. When you read a novel, your own imagery is the most important. It's what makes reading such a wonderful thing. - Daniel Craig 7. The greatest gift is the passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination. - Moses Hadas 8. Never be entirely idle;

My second Novel - Cherished

At last I have finished my second novel "Cherished", got it edited, and sent it for publication. The story - Grishma, accompanied by her father and her four month old baby Jyothi, boards the train to Delhi to join her husband, to surprise him with an unexpected visit. She dreams of a happy family life with him. Little does she know that her journey will end in havoc to her life. 19 years later, Grishma’s daughter Jyothi, longing for her father’s love and a family reunion determines to search for her father, despite her mother’s strong protests. She succeeds in her mission, but will he accept her as his daughter? This is the heartwarming story of Jyothi’s pursuit of parental love, which she considers her legitimate right.

Some Rules for Writing

Do not put statements in the negative form. And don't start sentences with a conjunction. If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing. Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do. Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all. De-accession euphemisms. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky. Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague. ~William Safire, "Great Rules of Writing". Another important rule about writing - Show, and don't tell. Do you prefer to write by telling what is happening? Or do you prefer showing what is happening in your story, rather than telling? If you want to know more about how to do it, please read this informative post, written by an experienced editor. http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/02/the-secret-to-show-dont-tell.html

Some Useful Tips for Writers

I came across some very useful blog postings which I thought will be useful to at least some of you. Please go through each of them and make your own decision. What are your writing tips that you learned along the way. Read here one of the writers 7 tips. Want to become a better writer? Read Stephen King’s 20 Tips for Becoming a Frighteningly Good Writer Are you a fan of Short story? Then this is for you. Short is the New Long: 10 Reasons Why Short Stories are Hot

Promotion week

I'm offering The Second Choice (novel) with a discounted price for a limited period (till end of this month). At present, it is available for Rs.90/- in India and $2.00 outside India, through this link . Please check out the link and download your ebook. If you find any problem in downloading please let me know, through the comment form.

My children's Books

My children's books are now available to purchase in Rupees also. Price of each book is only Rs.50/- (0.99). Mini's Little world - http://imojo.in/11pU55E Big Brother Appu - http://imojo.in/10VpUqc Four Sons - http://imojo.in/10X0LLT Two stories of Kings - http://imojo.in/10X9ttM All are entertaining and educative to the young minds. Instant downloads.

Five useful quotations from famous writers

1.Don't write about a character. Become that character, and then write your story. By Ethan Canin 2. It doesn’t matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at what he does. By David Chase 3. Remember that you should be able to identify each character by what he or she says. Each one must sound different from the others. And they should not all sound like you. By Anne Lamott 4.Any fiction should be a story. In any story there are three elements: persons, a situation, and the fact that in the end something has changed. If nothing has changed, it isn’t a story. By Malcolm Cowley 5.Dialogue which does not move the story along, or add to the mood of the story, or have an easily definable reason for being there at all (such as to establish important characterization), should be considered superfluous and therefore cut. By Bill Pronzini

My Visit to Edinburgh Castle

I look through the window of our holiday apartment, where we had booked our accommodation, and all I can see is the massive structure of Edinburgh Castle, which I had already seen at a distance during our way to the apartment. I eagerly await the time to reach there and explore it. The mighty Castle, which dominates the capital city’s skyline, is situated on the East Coast, perched on the centuries old volcanic rock, in Edinburgh. . Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and also the seat of Scottish Parliament. It is the iconic symbol of Scotland, and is a great tourist attraction of the UK. This popular paid attraction is visited by more than a million people every year. Edinburgh was voted European Destination of the Year at the World Travel Awards 2012. As you enter the amazing city of Edinburgh, you will be greeted by the marvelous medieval and reformation-era buildings with beautiful architecture. The weather is not so pleasant, but when the opportunity knocks

A visit to Natural History Museum, England

I was able to visit Natural History Museum, located in Kensington, London. The building was huge and stunning with its magnificent architecture. We had only about 4 hours in our hands to spend there. Actually it was so insufficient, because there were several amazing and educative exhibits to be seen, which would definitely require more time. The dinosaur in the main hall was breathtaking in size. Similarly, the whales were also amazing in size. Since our visit was on a week day there were several school children with their teachers. They were so excited and eager to learn about the giant animals. For inquisitive students there are a lot of exhibits to be explored. We had our food in the Museum cafe. Spending few hours there watching the brilliant exhibits was truly worth our time.

Book review- Neither Here nor There

Neither Here nor There was my third book of Bill Bryson. I liked his unique style of writing. Through this book he takes us to the European countries which he visited in early 1970s. He states in this book how he felt as a 20 year old during his visit. He travelled to these places by train backpacking. He has hilariously mentioned about his travel which started from Hammerfest, the northernmost town in the Continent and goes till Istanbul. Throughout the book he has mentioned his observations in most hilarious way, but informative and educational. While reading this book, I couldn't stop laughing in many places.

Happy New Year

Wish you all a Happy New Year. "Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true." By Alfred Lord Tennyson