My words are a piece of legacy I'll leave behind. The goal isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will. This blog is a part of self-discovery & a symbol of my passion for writing. This is my space - beyond the judgement of others. Here, I dabble mostly in romance, poetry, haiku, shayari, book reviews, social issues that bother me and topics that add value to life with a dash of personal insights about life - an entertaining fiction itself! Happy reading :)
The Ramayana is not a story. It is a way of life. It is the game of life.
Life is a constant reminder that nothing, however powerful in one season, remains so in the next. These endless cycles of change could really spook someone who is unprepared to face the realities. Remember that situations of helplessness are always created by one’s own limited imagination.
• Perception appears larger than reality. Many were afraid to battle the Lankans, but grounded in reality, Rama and his army managed to free Sita.
• Fear results in pain. Lying broken and bruised, Sampati did not believe he could help until he did and it made all the difference.
• Clarity leads to freedom. Rama never wavered in his single-minded pursuit, and eventually got exactly what he wanted.
Do you have the courage to face your fears?
AUTHOR :
Shubha Vilas is a spiritual seeker and a motivational speaker. He helps people in dealing with modern-day life situations through the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana and other dharmic traditions. He conducts leadership seminars in premier institutes across the world and inspires deeper human values.
REVIEW:
Stand Strong is the fourth book in Ramayana: The Game of Life series. A modern retelling of the Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki’s epic, it reminds us through the tragic story of brothers Vali and Sugriva that life is like a dangerous treasure hunt. One must be resilient while running through confusing, zigzagging paths to acquire essential wisdom.
This book is an authentic narration of the epic life lessons helping readers keep faith and conquer their fears. I have read the previous three parts. I feel that everything is alright and in control as long as I read this series. It gives meaning to my life and give me an intrinsic changeless core inside my heart to rely upon, in this ever changing and forever shifting external world.
Amazing book for the youth, it is filled with the practical situation in our life relating them to the incidents of the Ramayana. Things are nicely explained and filled with the touch of suspense and with it a nice teaching of our daily life. It is a beautifully written book covering even the most intricate details of the period.
I liked the book and I am sure people with a taste in Indian mythology would like it. And, for people who are still to read about it, Shubha’s books can be a fitting beginning. Overall, I recommend this book. Read it. It will not disappoint you. There is something or other to learn for anyone from this Game of Life.
I wish that may this Shubha Vilas' Ramayana may touch many more hearts, and enable them to improve their game of life. This book is a nourishment to your soul.
Whenever there is a decline in
righteousness and an upsurge in unrighteousness, at that time I take birth
again – Lord Govind
Born in the quiet village of
Shambala, Kalki Hari, son of Vishyunath and Sumati has no idea about his
heritage until he is pitted against tragedies and battles.
Whisked into the province of
Keekatpur, which is ruled by Lord Kali, Kalki sees the ignominy of death
trumping life all around him. He learns that he is born to cleanse the world he
lives in, for which he must travel to the North and learn the ways of Lord
Vishnu’s avatar; from an immortal who wields an axe.
But trapped in the midst of
betrayals, political intrigue and force that seek to decimate him will he be
able to follow his destiny before Kalyug begins?
The
Author:
Kevin Misal is a 21 year old
graduate from St Stephens College. He has previously written 4 books so far,
ranging from crime to mythology to horror.
He wrote his 1st book at the age of 14 (wow!)
and it was released by the then Chief Minister of Delhi. His 2nd book was
written at the age of 16 and was published by a British-Indie press.
Missal is also a pioneer in
writing the World’s First InstaRead (which
he kindly sent to me!) and is a bestseller on Amazon under the ‘Horror’
category. Kevin is also the co-founder and co-owner of Kalamos Literary
Services, who publish and promote fledgling writers and help make a mark in the
literary industry.
Review:
Before reading the book I was terrified
by its size. There are many books that are fat and have tons of pages which can make the reader doze off to sleep, as they pick it to read. But this book is a complete page turner. Each
and every page justified its reason of being a part of this book. The storyline is very addictive and keeps you glued. The author has done justice to all the characters and has
described each one perfectly.
Fiction inspired by mythology is
an interesting genre to read. And when you find out that it has
been authored by a 21-year old, you look forward to a fun ride, as it is bound to have a touch of wildness and freshness to it.
Dharmayoddha Kalki is Part
1 of a series of books to follow. It is about
the 10th and the final avatar of Vishnu known as Kalki who is said to appear
after the current epoch of Kalyug ends and will usher in the next epoch called
the Satayug. The author, Kevin Missal, has let his imagination run free to fictitious villages and kingdoms, with multiple
characters and their colorful worlds. His descriptive writing is
so on point, that it shapes the characters and etches out their characteristics
for us, making them come alive, just like a movie.
My only little complaint is the
indulgent editing. The book could have been made a tighter read with
some clever editing.
This book talks about how the
son of a normal couple residing in the village of Shambhala who does has no
idea of his destiny. The book is divided into two chapters called the Battle of
Shambhala and The rise of Kali. The battle of Shambhala part deals with Kalki’s
life in Shambhala and the second chapter highlights the wrath of Lord Kali
who rules the kingdom of Keekatpur and is known for his atrocities and
political influence. Kalki realizes that he has to put an end to these
atrocities, evilness and cleanse the foul world of the evil forces. He also
faces many betrayals in his way and learns to use his powers to help the world
become a better place. The story ended on a pessimistic note of suspense which certainly has made me look forward for the upcoming parts.
I particularly loved the
character of Kali who has a strong personality and stands out as a very bold heroic character throughout the story. Kevin has addressed many social stigmas of
the society and how they are still an integral part of the modern
world in different forms.
I loved this line from the
book: “Strength in a person doesn’t
define a hero. But where he uses his strength is what matters the most. A hero
isn’t born. He’s made. Through people, through journeys and most of all,
through tragedy.”
Verdict:
Kevin Missal is a gifted writer. I am sure he has thoroughly enjoyed conceptualizing this book and has lived the process of writing it. The cover of the book justifies the
theme of the book and gives a mythological feel. It was very easy to visualize the
events while reading as if they took place before my sight, which means the narration is bang on. The way he has
presented the story makes the book an addictive piece of mythological
literature. The win of good over evil and how the society functions as a whole
are some of the major takeaways from this book. Overall, it was a very
commendable, inspirational and blockbuster read. I highly recommend this book
to all those who have interest in reading mytho-fantasy thrillers. Nonetheless,
I am waiting anxiously for the other parts to be out, one by one! Kudos to Kevin!
Name
of the book: Zero Debt: Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life
Author: Neeraj
Deginal
Genre: Non-Fiction,
Self Help
No.
of Pages: 112 pages
Zero
Debt – Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life, is about the author’s
ten-year long journey from going neck deep into debt to being absolutely
debt-free. In this book you will learn:
1.
How the author got into debt (circumstances)
2.
How being in debt paralysed cognitive decision making
3.
How even simple day to day life became complicated
4.
The thought process applied by the author to analyse his situation rationally
5.
Systematic steps taken by the author to become and stay debt-free and the
dilemmas faced during execution
6.
Further actions taken to simplify life and plan for a better life
REVIEW: When I
received this book, I thought it must be boring and based on accounts and
finances, which honestly I have least interest in! My father handles and
advises me on money related matters, with me being clueless! This book exactly highlights
how both the schools and families fail to impart any sort of financial
education, and how as earning adults we have to pay the price for it. I could
so relate to it after a few pages!
This book seeks to inspire the
reader to become debt-free, which eventually leads them to total freedom - financial
freedom, emotional freedom or freedom from stress. As the author states, this
is based on his experiences and the problems he faced. The steps he took may
not work for everyone, but he wants to inspire people to rethink their
situations.
Zero Debt, Break the debt cycle
and reclaim your life is wonderfully useful book by Neeraj Deginal. This is the
real life story of a man who was crushed under endless EMIs. It narrates us how
he was neck deep in debts and how he came out of it to become cent percent debt
free. I am sure most of us, who bought a home to save tax, bought second home
as an investment, purchased a car because it was on EMIs and are left with
meagre salary after all the deductions, will be able to relate to him.
Neeraj in his book has
precisely articulated on the various phases of life in relevance with the
financial preparations required, backed up with real-world experiences
connecting both parts of life. The book certainly highlights the Dos &
Don'ts of the practical life with emphasis on planning for the future and
making educated decisions on even small money matters.
The book is extremely well
written. The language is simple, yet riveting. The editing is superb. The book
is divided into several short chapters which make it super easy to read. The book
is interspersed with wonderful quotes.
Another interesting fact about
this book is that it is a copyright free book. Though the book is based on the
personal experiences of the author, according to him the ideas are not
original. The objective of this book is to offer help and hence the readers are
free to copy or reprint any content from it. So cool, isn't it?!
His journey through and out of
debt using a systematic approach has been inspiring. I have already started
working on my personal finances based on Neeraj's insights. It is a great and
practical addition to anyone's personal finance library, articulated to convey
the real life experiences of a growing professional in the corporate.
It contains invaluable lessons
for those who are starting off their career or in the mid life and definitely
there are lot of takeaways that would help one incorporate in their life to
become debt-free for good.
NEGATIVES : The
writing style the author prefers often omits articles such as
"the" or "a" or "of," has some odd comma and
semicolon placement. It becomes distracting in few places. Some topics are
covered in depth more than once.
OVERALL
VERDICT: The tips offered are not unique, really. They are common
enough to have been tried and tested. So the author is sharing useful information,
without being preachy. Truly inspiring and how everything is related (money,
health). Must read for some great financial awareness. If are struggling on the
financial front, this book could be your ultimate saviour.
Rating
: ****/5
Disclaimer:
I received a copy of book in return for my honest review.
Hi,
guys! I am hosting a blog tour for author Kevin Missal's Kalki. As
part of the tour, I did an interview with Kevin and today's post is completely
dedicated to that. I will reveal the book cover in my next post, stay tuned for
that. Now without much ado, let's get onto Kevin's interview.
Hi Kevin!
Welcome to my blog! It’s a pleasure to have you here today and we hope you have
a great time answering the questions we have for you. Here we go!
1.Who are some authors in
your genre that inspire you? What draws you to this genre?
One of
the writers who have taught me (via Youtube) is Brandon Sanderson. He has these
writing classes online where I learnt a lot about writing fantasy. The other is
George RR Martin whose third person narration inspired me and how he structured
each incident so personal to the characters.
Whenever I think about what draws me
to this genre, it’s partially the imagination, the sense of wonder, excitement,
the idea of unknown. Fantasy plays around with a lot of genres like adventure,
romance, thrill, mystery and I like this amalgamation.
2.What sort of research did
you do to write this book?
Oh well my research is indirectly
happening for four years. I am a History graduate and I learnt a lot about the
Vedic Age. It always interested me. Then I began writing this book on
Ashwatthama in modern times where Kalki plays a small part as a hero yet to
born. The idea of Kalki kept growing in my mind and while I wrote an entire
book on Ashwatthama which never ended up releasing, I got a ton of information
about Kalki. Then I researched through Kalki Purana, Vishnu Purana, Bhavishya
Purana and I learnt a lot.
3.What are the upsides and
downsides to being an author?
The upside is you get to create a
whole new world, get excited about events and characters. You are noticed and
respected by your peers who think of you as literal. The downside is many
people don’t realize young, amateur writers make pennies. Even older writers.
Nowadays, publishing is like a business. It’s no more a creative endeavor. You
write a book and that’s where your creativity ends. Then starts your
management, finances and you are supposed to spend a ton of money to get people
to notice you otherwise no one would care about it.
4.How did you come up with
the idea for your book?
The idea was simple. I had just
watched Bahubali and read Game of Thrones. And I was like “What will happen if
both of them are mixed?” and voila! Kalki: the Avatar of Vishnu was created.
5.What is the main thing you
want readers to take away from your book?
I don’t want them to hate the book
out of religious reasons. I am a Christian and many Hindus won’t like a
Christian boy writing on a Hindu God. Recently, in one of the teasers I
published that got rave reviews, one person wrote why I am writing about a god
who’s yet to come. I have clearly mentioned in my book that “Kalki: the Avatar
of Vishnu” is a tribute to the popular culture like Mahabharata, Ramayana,
Kalki Purana and taking such good influences from all of them. It’s to make a
story that will appeal universally. Many didn’t know about Kalki but because of
my book, people are revising their own knowledge. Kalki’s timeline, who’s yet
to come is often muddled up. Aryabhatta had said Kaliyug would happen in 3102
BCE and like Aryabhatta there are so many other sources that don’t give you a
correct date. For me, Kalki represents the goodness, the richness of religion
and how a religious man is pitted against evil who he needs to kill and
destroy. It’s classic good versus evil story.
6.What does your writing
space look like? (Show us a photo maybe.)
You don’t want to see a photo. It’s
my room, either in Chennai or in Delhi. It’s damp and dark and dingy.
7.If your novel were being
made into a movie, whom would you pick to play the lead roles?
I based the character of “Kalki” on
Ranveer Singh and the character of “Kali” on Irrfan Khan or Nawazuddin
Siddiqui.
8.What has been one of your
most rewarding experiences as an author?
Seeing your book appreciated. There’s
no greater feeling than this. It just fills your heart when people understand
what you wanted to write and how you wrote, the subtle metaphors you added.
9.What were some of the
challenges you faced on the road to publication?
Many. Rejections were so common in
publication; I ended up building my own publishing house called “Kalamos
Literary Services”. It’s what they say.
If they reject you, you build yourself and reject them.
10.How do you think concepts
such as Kindle, and e-books have changed the present or future of reading?
I would say it has made it easier,
feasible. But I never liked it. People do, so that’s fine.
11.How long does it take you
to write a book?
This one took full month which is
like longest for me. Most of the times, I finish it in two or three maximum.
12.Give us an insight into
your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Kalki Hari is this all powerful boy
who is yet to learn a lot of things. He remains in his protective village and
he feels he’s bigger than everyone. He is arrogant and brash. He acts first,
thinks second. What makes him special is though, that regardless of all these
things I mentioned, he’s genuinely a nice person. He cares for his friends. He
respects his parents. And he wants nothing but peace in this world.
13.Tell us about the cover and
title?
The cover is made by Arthat Studio,
the creator of “Sita: the Warrior of Mithila” cover. They have just worked
their best and produced a stunning piece of art. The title is simple,
understandable.
14.What do you think of
“trailers” for books?
Oh, absolutely necessary. I just had a
teaser currently and it is going viral. I am getting a huge response. But it
should be live action trailer, with a lot of production budget behind it.
Otherwise, animated trailers fall flat.
15.What advice would you give
to aspiring writers?
I’ll be really practical and I would
give an advice that most writers in this country don’t. Many established
writers say “oh you should write with your heart, use this technique…” and
blah, blah. They are bullshitting you. If you are an aspiring writer, you’ll
eventually write well. Everyone does over a period of time. But during that
time, start saving up. Build your budget for your book and when you have a lot of
money, then publish because if you want to be a bestseller, you need to market
it first like a bestseller.
16.What would you say is the
easiest and most difficult aspect of writing?
You get distracted. You get bored
writing the same story every day. It needs a lot of determination to write one
book. I have this person in my friend list on Facebook who constantly updates
about his latest books. He has written so many and hasn’t finished any which is
sad. He’s a talented guy.
17. What books have
influenced your life the most?
I would say the books that actually
inspired me were the ones I read when I just began reading. It was “Godfather”
by Mario Puzo, “Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, “The Alienist” by Caleb Carr.
Thank you so much for spending time with us today, Kevin. We
appreciate you taking the time out to answer our questions and we wish you lots
of happiness and success in life.
P.S: This post is among the top 15 winner posts. That's my winner badge :)
I believe that the greatest
gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you. - Joyce Meyer
We do not value health, until
sickness comes. If one is healthy, he has hope, the one who has hope has
everything for himself. Every man's sickness and ill health is his personal
property, I believe, which means we are all responsible for our health and also
for the cheer we spread around if we are in the pink of health!
As a child I was always blessed
with good health. And so I kept my parents away from the pain of carrying me
again and again to the paediatrician. On the other hand, my baby brother was
just the opposite. He kept my parents on toes as they kept rushing him to
doctors. The greatest wealth and happiness is indeed health and not pieces of
gold.
Many children of India suffer
from malnutrition. The cause is within us, but fortunately, the cure too is
within us. Children with good health are the wealthiest. “Health and
cheerfulness naturally beget each other.” ~Joseph Addison. How true,
isn't it?
For
the babies : Nutrition for toddlers should be food that is
pure and natural - not processed with additives. Toddlers enjoy finger food.
They need a break from purees and cereals. Feed them fruits or green vegetable
snacks. Give apple slices and carrot sticks when they have enough teeth and
ability to chew them. Be sure that your kids are up to date on their
immunizations. Babies need strong bones, healthy weight to stay alert and
active. Choose a natural drink for them - water. Don't let them become the
slaves of TV and computers, push them to play outdoors and please, please -
feed them healthy snacks! Raise happy
kids : Raise healthy kids!
Parents ~ let your child grow,
let his imagination run wild, let him be healthy, mentally and physically,
both! Do not script their lives. Make them eat their meals on time. It is too
simple a strategy for happiness. Let them refuel their growing brains with
regular meals and sound sleep. Apart from your unconditional love, striking a balance between eating and doing
physical activity is important for them.
Balancing
what you eat is the key to healthy lifestyle. Eating a wide
variety of foods in the right proportions and maintaining a healthy body
weight is something that everyone desires. Healthy eating habits can help
prevent heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression,
certain types of cancer, and arthritis too.
When you eat a balanced diet
containing whole grains, meats, low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables,
your body has the necessary fuel to run it efficiently. A balanced diet boosts
energy and enriches the body, thus making it strong enough to combat diseases. Crash
diets mostly fail because they try to fool the body. Rapid weight loss promises
are metabolically unsound and unsafe. When a person suddenly goes on a crash
diet and restricts calories the body needs, the body actually starves. This
threatens the nourishment level of the body. Never, never opt for crash diets.
I
try and stick as far as possible to healthy home cooked food, even if it is
simple daal, chawal and subzi! A void junk food as much as you can.
To boost my immunity I do have
a spoon of Dabur Chyawanprash daily. It does not have any side effects and
increases resistance power against diseases and common ailments like flu and
cold.
I exercise, if not daily, thrice a week, so that my body is active.
We all know that honey has many
advantages. But rarely do we know, that it helps to lose weight effectively and
in staying healthy? A Times Of India report quotes that you can drop a dress
size by simply consuming 1 teaspoon of honey every night before going to bed.
Simple, isn't it? Honey helps burn a lot of fat and increases stamina. During
sleep, honey works its magic and burns fat. Magical, isn't it? I make sure I have a spoon of honey before
going to bed every day. I also give
a healthy start to your day with a spoonful of Honey with a glass of warm
water. The key to being healthy is a
combination of healthy diet, honey and exercise!
Apart from that, my tips on
staying healthy, in a nutshell are:
-Get enough sleep at night. By
not allowing our body sufficient rest, the immune system will sputter, and as a
result, not function at full capacity and become vulnerable to common
illnesses. A healthy, deep sleep is important!
-Consume plenty of water. Water washes away toxins, allergens and wastes
from our body. It keeps our immune system operating optimally while improving
the way we feel, look and live.
-Exercise. An increase in blood flow associated with moderate exercise
helps to circulate antibodies along with white blood cells necessary to fight
infection more quickly. As a result, this provides our bodies with an early
warning system to ward off potentially damaging germs. In addition, the
increase in body temperature as a result of physical activity aids in
inhibiting the growth of bacteria; thus allowing the body to fight infection
more effectively. Exercise can be something as simple as brisk walking.
-Eat a healthy and well balanced diet. To strengthen your immune system,
you need to first avoid the things that weaken it. Cut back on junk and fast
food, however tasty it may seem. Stick to fresh fruits and veggies. It is very
challenging in the world we live in to obtain sufficient nutrition with the
foods available to us. They are over processed and void of many essential
nutrients.
-Cut down the stress. Stress
can be avoided by partaking in relaxation activities such as yoga, tai chi,
meditative breathing and muscle relaxation.
-Stay Happy. Have a
positive attitude. If you are always complaining, always negative and always
expect that things are bad and only getting worse, you run the risk of
compromising your immune system. Instead, think positive, live in the present
moment and do not take things too seriously.
-No alcohol, drugs, coffee or smoking. It depletes the immune system and
body of important nutrients and eventually damages your overall health.
-Increase your intake of antioxidants. Our Indian culture is famous for
Ayurveda, herbs. Our generation needs to relive such boons of the past for us
to be an immune nation.
-Personal hygiene. Keep your hands washed before preparing
foods/eating/touching your face. Use hand sanitizers or use anti bacterial
soaps.
Health is wealth, is an old
adage! ‘Jaan hai toh jahaan hai’, ‘Sar salamat toh pagdi hazaar’, well say it
in any language, they all mean the same, “Save your head first, your
possessions should not be your priority. You can buy worldly things anytime later,
but not health.”
However
busy you are, always strive to be #ApneTareekeSeHealthy. Do any activity
that keeps you active, eat healthy and drink lots of water, don't skip this
part.
