Meet the Author: Shilpi Chaklanobis

Here today, I interview Shilpi Chaklanobis, the author of Panorama. 

Click here to read my review of Panorama! 

Let's begin with the interview. 

Coming directly to the casual conversation, How did it feel when your Panorama got published?

It was an amazing experience. The fact that this is my debut book made the occasion all the more special. First time is always special and it was a great feeling to see the book with my name printed on it as the author. Shall cherish the moment throughout my life. 

What inspires you to write?

Writing is my way of expressing my thoughts. Whenever I feel strongly for anything (which may be anything – my voice for any cause or simply a story) and wish to communicate with the world to put my viewpoint in front of everyone, I pen them  down. 

How hard was it to sit down and actually start writing something?

It took a while to decide that I was ready to pen down the stories.  I love reading and have been writing blogs since long, but writing a book is a different ball game altogether. However, once I was convinced that the stories have potential to entice the readers, I started writing the book.

Writers are often associated with loner tendencies; is there any truth to that?

Well if you ask me then I would say No. Being lonely and being alone are two different states. Yes, to some extent, I feel writers love to be alone because that gives them the space and time to get creative ideas. But lonely? No.

What, according to you, is the hardest thing about writing?

The hardest thing about writing is to convey the story or idea to the readers in an captivating form.

What would you say is the easiest aspect of writing?

Nothing.

Have you ever experienced “Writer’s Block”? How long do they usually last? Any tips to overcome it?

Yes, I do sometimes get writers block. Whenever I am stuck, I step away from whatever I am writing and start doing something else to distract my thoughts like reading a book or article or listen to music.

Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

I love reading. The list of my favourite authors is very long but to name a few Jane Austen, O Henry, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore and Shivani are my all time favourites.

What is the most important thing about a book in your opinion?

Like it is said, “anyone who says that he has only one life to live must not know how to read a book.” And this, I think, is the most wonderful aspect of reading that allows you to travel the world and also have a glimpse of another era or place through the eyes or should I say words of the writer.

What is that one thing you think readers generally don’t know about your specific genre? Please share it with us.

Truly speaking, I do not follow any genre. I try to tell my story with full honesty and in the most interesting way. If you ask me about one word about my genre then I would say “Life”.

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Yama by Kevin Missal

Author: Kevin Missal 

Published By: Half Baked Beans

Pages: 155

Price: Rs. 175

ISBN: 978-93-843-2509-2

About The Author:

Kevin Solomon Missal is studying History Hon. in St. Stephen's college. He loves to write plays, books, reviews, watch television shows, classic movies and has a knack for thrillers. He has written two books, with the second one, being number one best seller on Amazon Christian Fiction,

Book Blurb:

What will you do if you have 24 hours to save someone? 

A violent saint…

A man who claims he is Yama is punishing sinners by killing them according to the twenty eights hells prescribed in Bhagvat Gita. Who is he? What does he want? Is he a vigilante or a psychopath? 

A delusional hero…

Iravan Rajpoot, an Ex-Black Cat Commando with a dark past is receiving letters with names and time limits. It’s no sooner that he learns these people will die within that time frame. He needs to do everything, risk everyone to save them. 

An ambitious reporter…

Swati Kaushik, a widow and a woman who can do anything for success must team up with Iravan to stop the god of death and justice. 

Will Iravan Rajpoot be able to find Yama while balancing out his personal life? Will Yama be able to fulfill in spreading his twisted message to everyone? 

With twist and turns in every short chapter, Yama grabs the reader and plunges them in the heart of human consciousness.

Author Interview:

I'm really thankful to Mr. Kevin Missal for giving me an opportunity to interview him. We had an online interview and this is what he has to say about him and his book.

Me: Before we start the interview, can you please enlighten us about the Book and the Characters of the story?

Kevin: Yama is a psychological/mythological thriller that deals with a serial killer who considers himself as a saint murdering those who sin in the eyes of Dharma and he needs to be stopped. The characters revolve around an ex-Black Cat commando Iravan Rajpoot, a reporter Swati Kaushik, a techie and wide range of victims who come under Yama’s radar. 

Me: If I’m not wrong this is a fictional book, but ‘Yama’ is mentioned in  Vedas too. So do you believe in Yama? 

Kevin: Yama represents the good and bad. The good will go to heaven which is swarg and the bad will face punishments in hell which is nark. I don’t personally believe in any religion but I do believe in karma and Yama represents that the most. 

Me: How real are the characters? And which one is your favorite?

Kevin: I take traits and characteristics of the people around me and form a character. So yes, they are partially real. My favorite would be Yama as he struggles with psychological trauma and I feel he’s quite multi dimensional. 

Me: This is your first book, so what really inspired you to write the book?

Kevin: Well this isn’t my first book. This is my third book. I began writing at the age of 12 and at fourteen I wrote Damien Black. I was inspired long back when the gang rape incident occurred in Delhi. I wished someone could be out there who could punish these people as the law wasn’t able to. Later, I took some classes by James Patterson (who is the thriller king) and I got to know the nuances of writing suspense, so I penned Yama down. 

Me: How does it feel being an Author? Can you tell us a bit about –pre and –post Author life?

Kevin: There’s nothing biggie. Some people call me “Kevin author” and some people think I have brilliant English but I fail to impress them and some people think how is he able to write books when his English isn’t amazing. 

Me: Sorry for asking this, but have you been rejected for your work (book)?

Kevin: Lots of times. If I count the number of rejections it would be more than 50. 

Me: Can we expect another book from your pen in near future? If yes, anything you want to disclose about it?

Kevin: Mara is going to be released by the end of the year. It’s a mythological thriller revolving around three students of St. Stephen’s College, an exiled Aghori baba and a serial killer who worships a Buddhist demon. 

Me: Tell us something that we don’t know about, Kevin Missal.

Kevin: I was very bad at Maths.

Me: Before ending this, I would request you to give some advice to the aspiring writers who want to be an author...

Kevin: Never begin your book by describing the weather. Never give your characters a big introduction—keep it mysterious. Let the reader visualize and create the character their own way. And most of all, always have a cliffhanger/twist by the end of the chapter. And believe me, you’ll be a bestseller. 

My Review:

Before noting down my opinions for the book, let me enlighten you a bit about ‘Yama’.

Yama or Yamarāja, is the god of death. In the Vedas, Yama is said to have been the first mortal who died. By virtue of precedence, he became the ruler of the departed. 

Naraka (hell) in Hinduism is referred as a place where the soul is purified of sin by its suffering. In Hindu mythology, Naraka holds many hells and Yama directs departed souls to the appropriate one. Although Yama is the lord of Naraka, he may also direct the soul to a Swarg (heaven) or return it to bhoomi (earth). To conclude, it’s Yama who decides where a person should go after life. 

Now the book has a story which revolves mainly around two characters; Iravan Rajpoot (a private detective) and Yama (a person who consider himself as God of death). You can’t judge who the main protagonist of the story is. Yama can be considered as the Antagonist of the story but his killings had reasons, so he can’t be considered purely as the Villain.

Iravan Rajpoot is an ex-army guy who is now a detective. He is a man who believes in forgiving others even if they have committed any serious crime. His only way of punishment is handing over the culprit to the police. The other main character Yama is a person who punishes people who have done wrong. He punishes the wrong ones the same way as described in the 28 hells of Bhagavad Gita. He is physically strong enough to fight with the world of sinners. But why he is in a killing spree? Does he really consider himself as the god of death? Or is he a psychopath? Or may be a serial killer. To know all about him you have to read the story. Writing everything here would be unfair to the author.

Full credit goes to the Author for maintaining the thrill and suspense till the very last page of the book. Somewhere in the middle you might get a hint or two about who Yama really is but don’t be a detective yourself, reading it till the end would definitely be worth your time. With lots of twists and turns in the story, this book is a complete thriller that will entertain you till the last page. 

Likings: Fast paced, short chapters, full on suspense, worth your bucks

Disliking: Between the pages you might relate the book to the movie ‘Aparichit’. 

My Ratings: 4/5

(A must buy if you're new into the Thriller genre. You would love reading this book)

If you want to buy a copy of Yama at an affordable price CLICK HERE

P.S. I'm really thankful to Anuj Kumar and Kalamos Literary Services for providing me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

BreakUp Before Love

Author: Raj Singh

Published By: Omji Publishing Hous

Pages: 124 Pages 

Price: Rs. 75

ISBN: 978-93-840-2850-3




About The Author:

Raj Singh completed his Schooling in his home town Gaya, Bihar. And is a graduate in Spanish Language from The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad as well as in Tourism Studies. Raj lives in Hyderabad. In his book, Anna Hazare "Adhoori Jeet Ke Nayak" he has highlighted the life of Anna Hazare and the Jan Lokpal Bill and its movement.

Now he is back with his first love fiction "Breakup before love".

Book Blurb:

Anoop, a crazy lover, struggling to lead a normal life, and slowly moving towards it too, meets Ritu, the girl he loved. On seeing her after three years, he is confused whether she will recognize him or not. Her sudden reappearance drags him into the past. 

Friendship, love, and betrayal had left him blank and completely stranded, but the way she reacts on seeing him gives him a ray of hope. It seems as if nothing had gone wrong between them. They hug each other and burst into tears unmindful of the people around them. Anoop repents for the dreadful mistake he had committed in the past, and now wants her back in his life. He requests her for a permanent relationship. 

But will Ritu come back into his life again? Will she forgive him? And, will their life start over again?

Author Interview:

Me: Before we begin the round of asking and replying, could you enlighten us a little about your book 'Breakup Before Love'.

Raj Singh: Basically, 'Breakup Before Love’ is a story of Ritu and Anoop. Anoop loves Ritu but never dares to propose her and when he decides to propose her, he got to know that she loves Samuel, one of her classmates. But, soon Ritu breaks up with Samuel and come back to Anoop life, who still has hope that one day he will propose her about his love. But all of sudden, one day something happens which changes their life. They become complete strangers for each other. They completes their studies and left the university forever. After three years, Anoop accidently sees her in a market in Kolkata. But he is confused whether she will recognize him or not. But will Ritu come back into his life again? Will she forgive him? And, will their life start over again? To know all these, one must read this book.

Me: It may sound personal but does the book is a pure work of fiction or it has something to do with real characters??

Raj Singh: No, it’s not a pure fiction. Breakup Before Love is inspired from real life characters I met during my college days but most of the characters mentioned in the book and incidents are fictional. But I have tried my best to give this book a proper shape and make it a realistic story that anybody can relate to his/her life

Me: Is there any specific book or incident that inspired you to write Breakup Before Love??

Raj Singh: Love and breakup have become very common and familiar words nowadays. We all know about breakup after love but there are some incidents of breakup which occurs before love as well but who cares? Please just ignore it but it inspired me to write my book “Breakup Before Love”.

Me: How does it really feel to be an author ?? Please do tell us a little about -pre and post author life.

Raj Singh: Being a writer itself is the best thing that every writer experiences. You would never regret for this and will feel very elated while showcasing your talent to the rest of the world. As far as about my life is concerned, I’m still what I was before my book getting published. I don’t see any changes in my life and don’t want people to change their approach towards me as well.

Me: Sorry for asking this but have you ever been rejected for your work (book) before ??

Raj Singh: Yes, my manuscript has also been rejected by many publishers.We all know that getting a book published is not an easy task and the real fight for a writer begins after finishing the manuscript. One has to put all his efforts to find a good and reputed publisher and during this period patience is the only key to get succeeded.

Me: Tell us something that we don't know about 'Raj Singh'.

Raj Singh: Haha…People know about me more than I know about myself and I don’t think there is anything else that I need to tell about.

Me: Can we expect another book from your pen in near future??

Raj Singh: Of course! I have already started working on my next book which is based on social issues, however, right now my full focus is on my latest book Breakup Before Love.

Me: Before ending this, I would request you to give some advice to the aspiring writers who want to be an author.

Raj Singh: To be very honest, I’m not a well-known writer who can give any suggestion or advice to other but I would like to share what I have learnt in my writing career. Never ever give up. Sometimes many obstacles would come in your way but you have to have belief in yourself then only you can reach your destiny. If you ever get frustrated, take a sabbatical, visit some places and then, again, sit with a pen and papers.


It was really great to have Raj Singh on my blog... I would really like to thank him for giving me the privilege to Interview him.


My Review:

I will start the review by thanking the author, Raj Singh for providing me a free copy of the book in exchange of an honest review. Trust me, I never do biasing while writing up my reviews. If I didn't like something, I confront it. Just because the Author has provided me a free copy, I can't do all praising for the book.

There is no need to describe the story. The book has a simple story that can be easily guessed from the Book Blurb. Anoop meets Ritu and falls for her. Ritu too loves Anoop but only as a friend. Just when Anoop gets sure about his feelings, Ritu falls for another guy. Anoop hearts break. Quite simple, right???

Oh! let me tell you, life isn't that simple, is it? The guy Ritu loves began torturing her. And months later they finally get separated. Even after knowing Ritu had a past relationship, Anoop proposes her. Now will Ritu accept Anoop's proposal and live happily ever after? or is there any twist in the tale? I don't want to act as a spoiler here. Read the book to know what happens next.

Likings: Easy read, Fast-paced, Never makes you bore, You can't get a better ending.

Disliking: None with the book but I had a question to the Author, Why Anoop always got late? Huh...he should have proposed earlier. (that was a PJ)

My Ratings: 4/5
(Must pick if you are looking for a light read after that heavy Thriller book)


Wana Grab a Copy???