For her incredibly twisted and fantastic short story, our winner in the paranormal genre is
SS Kuruganti for Together Forever
SS Kuruganti’s short story sent chills down our spines. Here is an author with a great imagination, and we think she deserves her place as a winner in the Indireads 1st Short Story Competition. Great job, SS Kuruganti!
Our first winner for Indireads 1st Short Story Competition is:
Yamini Vasudevan for Beautiful
Indireads felt that Yamini’s ability to turn a simple memory into a powerful story gave her a decided edge over the competition. This was a fairly easy choice for us, so congratulations, Yamini!
Download, share or listen online to two authors discussing their books.
The finalists for the Indireads 1st Short Story Competition are in but we’re still counting votes. Now that we have our list of 18 finalists, your votes will help us narrow these down to the final round. The top three stories in each genre will be reviewed by Indireads’ editorial panel, and the winner of each genre will be decided by this panel. The stories will be judged on the following criteria:
The finalists are all listed here on indireads.com, and you have until Monday, 29 July, 2013 to collect your votes.
[wpv-top-voted show=”20″]
Who better to unveil the cover of a digital book than IDMA’s (Indian Digital Media Awards) Digital Person of the Year? Dr. Shashi Tharoor, writer, diplomat, politician, inaugurated author Andy Paula’s first e-book at his office in Shashtri Bhavan, New Delhi, on 18th July 2013. In a private ceremony with the author’s husband, Prakash Chandra, a software professional, Dr. Tharoor unveiled the cover of Love’s Labor, and autographed it, much to the author’s delight.
An e-book published by Indireads, a Toronto-based publishing house, Love’s Labor targets a South Asian audience. The conflicts that the protagonists face stem from their strong traditional upbringing, and a sometimes illogical deference to authority over one’s own pursuit of a dream. Andy Paula answers some questions about Love’s Labor and her meeting with Dr. Tharoor.
Why an ebook, and not a traditional hard copy, we ask Andy?
“A friend told me about Indireads and connected me to its founder Naheed Hassan, who lives in Boston. The concept of South Asian stories appealed to me, and this whole idea of working with a team spread all over the globe got me hooked. Indireads is launching authors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, ex-pats from these countries who are based in US, UK, Canada, and the best part is that we are all connected to each other and learning about our neighbouring cultures along with writing tips.”
What prompted Andy to present the book to Dr. Tharoor?
“Dr. Tharoor is a literary person and he is the recipient of the first ever Digital Person of the Year award; did I need more reasons?” smiles Paula. “As this is a digital book it is apt that someone of Dr. Tharoor’s standing should present it to the world.”
What was Dr. Tharoor’s reaction to your book?
“When I requested an audience, he replied from his Blackberry. Can you imagine—a personal reply, not routed through his office! When we met, I was amazed at his detailed questions like, ‘are you happy with the way the book has turned out?’ He autographed the cover of Love’s Labor and wished it success. Coming from an author of over a dozen books, what else does one want?”
What prompted you to write, considering you also hold a full-time job?
“In 2011, I quit my corporate job and followed my husband to the UK. Days can be lonely in a foreign land and that’s when I found enough free time first to start blogging and eventually, writing.”
How long did it take to finish this book?
“(Laughter) Oh God, embarrassing question! Let me tell you though, I’d given up even before I’d started. The first round of feedback that came from the editor was so shattering that all my grandiose ideas about my own capability were jolted to the core. It was Naheed Hassan, the founder of Indireads, whose persistence egged me on and I managed to finish it in…eight months, I think.”
Probe her about Love’s Labor and the author smiles. “Yes, I know what you mean. Every first-time author faces the trap of writing an autobiography, so a tight rein is important, unless, of course you want to write one!”
So is this an autobiography?
“No, I’m not Piali Roy. Nor am I Sathya Nair. If anything, I am Mussoorie in the book.”
When is the next book coming?
“The second manuscript is underway; let’s see when it’s ready.”
Will it be set in Banaras, you being an alumnus of B.H.U?
“You’ll have to wait for that,” smiles Andy.
[button link=”http://www.indireads.com/books/loves-labor/”]Read more about Love’s Labor[/button]
You can visit Andy Paula’s blogs or contact her at meetandypaula@gmail.com
Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’ has always fascinated me.
As an only child, I’ve lived in Muscat, Kottayam, Calicut, Kochi, Hubli, Pune, Delhi and Bangalore. Two years, sometimes three in one town and then we would move on. There would be a new school at the other end, sometimes in the middle of a term. I would stand at the fringes—an interloper trying to blend. Masking my nervousness with a grin, I would force the extrovert in me out, while the nerd in me would yearn to curl up with my books and my dog for company.
My wonderful parents were a constant source of support, no matter which new city we moved to, but I’d wonder about Alice and how she coped in that Wonderland of hers. Without a lifelong or ‘best’ friend, I sank deeper and deeper into the books that I took with me everywhere we moved to.
As I grew up, Alice and friends from other enchanted woods became my beloved childhood companions, even if they existed only within the realms of my imagination and the well-thumbed pages of my books.
Years later, married and still travelling (El Salvador, this time), I’d found my niche and in addition to being a happy wife, (occasional squabbling aside, of course), I was also a mother.
As I tried to cope with the rigors of bringing up a new baby, then barely five months old and the trials of learning to communicate in Spanish, I remembered that girl I used to be long ago—the newlywed who moved to a foreign land and learnt her way around it.
Much like a lot of my friends who had left their family and careers and friends behind.
Much like my childhood friend Alice trying to grapple with the eccentricities of Wonderland.
Thus was born, ‘A Newlywed’s Adventures in Married Land’—a book for everyone who has chosen to take a leap of faith by saying yes to a proposal, yes to moving to a distant land or simply yes to meeting new people and making new friends.
‘A Newlywed’s Adventures in Married Land’ is also about Mythili and, her brand new husband Siddharth. Far away from her world, she feels like she has fallen down a rabbit hole into a completely new land, complete with distinct personalities.
The book wonders whether their once long-distance love will stand the test of living together.
And whether this real life Alice ever embraces her Wonderland.
[button link=”http://www.indireads.com/books/a-newlyweds-adventures-in-married-land/”]Find out more about this book[/button]
Naheed Hassan and Indireads author, Mamun Adil (Seasons of Silence), spoke to 89 Chapters on Pakistan’s radio station, CityFM89. The show, hosted by Mahvesh Murad, aired on the 29th of June, 2013. You can hear the full show here.
So, phew! Thirty books to choose from, and the field is wide open. Where to start?
Well, let us give you a helping hand. Featuring a selection of books from across our three genres, we’ve got our recommendations. Once you’ve read them, come back and tell us what you would recommend.
From the Green Lime genre—fresh, fun and young love stories—we have Haveli and Against All Odds.
Haveli is a fiery romance set in the 1970’s in what was once a princely state, but which became part of Pakistan. A young girl chafes against the rules and regulations of her narrow world within her family’s old haveli and discovers love and a lot more than she bargained for.
Against All Odds introduces us to another feisty young lady—Sanjana is enormously talented and is making her mark in the world of interior designing. Her work puts her in the path of the rich and famous, in particular Abhimanyu, with whom she has had an unpleasant encounter. Caught between a world of privilege and practicality, the two will have to fight the odds to make their relationship work.
From the Golden Saffron genre—relationship based romance stories—we have The Journals of Geetanjali Rao, a poignant story about a thirty-something woman who has returned to India and unexpectedly finds love. Her experiences, narrated via the pages of her journal, chronicle a touching coming-of-age story.
And finally, from our Black Clove genre—romance combined with fantasy and mythology—we have picked The Gandharva. The story follows Dev, a fallen Gandharva warrior who cannot understand the intensity of his attraction to the human girl, Maya. Together, the two must battle a host of mythological enemies and unleash unknown powers, setting a chain of events in motion that cannot be turned back.
Enjoy our editor’s picks, follow the links to read the chapters provided for your reading pleasure and fall in love with the diversity and range of our new and exclusive Summer of Love reads.
You’ve all read and watched the love stories of the west: from Mills&Boons’ romances to Pretty Woman, romance is saturated with rich, debonair men falling for feisty women.
Day by day, however, South Asian culture and lifestyles have permeated the western world. From daily yoga sessions to a new breed of musicals, the subcontinent has already left its mark.
And opened a door for Indireads.
Indireads provides a platform for lovers everywhere to commune with, partake of and enjoy storytellers from the Subcontinent. This isn’t simply a matter of switching Nick and Diana for Nikhil and Daniya. Indireads has big ambitions and formulaic literature is not a part of that.
South Asia combined constitutes a sixth of the world’s population, and we know the world is curious. So we’ve built an impressive community of authors, and we’re bringing South Asia to you.
Our Summer of Love is just beginning. With thirty romantic novellas in our bookstore, Indireads has a wide selection of books for all ages, for women, for young girls, and even a couple for men. The books are affordable and easily read on a variety of devices.
On June 12, 2013, we’ll be announcing a series of promotions for our new readers. This will be your best chance to scoop up your favorite books and start a new collection of your favorite authors. Leave your reviews, rate the books, come back and try another. Let us know what kind of stories you’re looking for, what you think of our heroes and heroines, and at the end of the day, subscribe to our newsletter so that you can keep up with our regular offers.
If you know nothing about your neighboring countries, about the cultures and traditions of South Asia, you’ll be richer for the experience.
See you on the 12th!