A knight rescues a damsel in distress. They marry, the whole kingdom rejoices, and everyone lives happily ever after. The end.
Or at least that’s what Official sources say. But what tales do insiders tell? What secrets lie buried deep inside Davey Jones’ Locker?
What, dear reader, about The Unfairy tales?
The stories the Knight-in-Shining-Armour and the Damsel-in-Distress have never wanted you to know. Tales which Fairyland had kept locked up in secret and thrown away the key. Until our rogue bard went back in time and ferreted out skeletons hidden within secret cupboards of desolate mansions.
Our fearless crusader of truth and justice brings to you the second volume of revelations from fairyland.
You will find five more unfairy tales hidden within the pages of this tiny tome, the sequel to Carthick’s Unfairy Tales. Stories of elves out to decipher the ways of men and dwarves seeking to reclaim their own histories. Of spurned witches and lost wolves. These stories are going to change everything you have ever believed about fairyland and give you a peek underneath the gossamer threads of glamour and magic peddled by the Fae.
T F Carthick is a Bangalore-based writer and blogger who has been blogging since 2008. He is an avid reader of Children’s Fiction, Science-fiction and Fantasy. Enid Blyton, J K Rowling, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Neil Gaiman and Douglas Adams are some of his favorite authors. His paranormal thriller ‘Bellary’ was one of the three stories in the book Sirens Spell Danger, published in 2013. Six of his stories have featured in multi-author anthologies and literary magazines. He has written over 50 short stories, many of which can be read for free on www.karthikl.com.
He is an Engineer and MBA from India’s premier institutes IIT, Madras and IIM, Ahmedabad and currently works as an Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Consultant at one of the world’s leading Consulting Firms.
“I turned to writing and blogging as an outlet for my thoughts and words so seeing my book on the Amazon charts has been a dream come true.” – Inderpreet Uppal
Today on the guest blog post we have the renowned book blogger, reviewer, freelance writer and editor Inderpreet Uppal. She now boasts a new feather in her crown as the author of her recently published work Generously Yours.
We would love to know her journey as an author and your upcoming work.
It is a pleasure to be here Paromita.
My journey has been an enriching and amazing so far. I am eager to write more, publish more and get my stories to the world. I have been a writer first, as the words have been a part of me forever. I turned to writing and blogging as an outlet for my thoughts and words so seeing my book on the Amazon charts has been a dream come true.
I have been writing stories on my blog and naturally wanted to take the next step to publishing. The thought was daunting no doubt but with the help and guidance of Rubina and Team TBC, it was a breeze since they are always a message away. Every writer feels scared and apprehensive but the high of seeing the book on Amazon makes it all worth it.
The added benefit was that since I was already deep into books, my steps to publishing were more organised. Kindle Direct Publishing is a boon for authors the world over as well as for me. Short stories usually are not individually published or appreciated but disappear into an anthology, however, Amazon has changed that and now I have the option of sharing my books and stories as I wish.
I am working on a couple of books, the foremost being We Women Wonder. I have talked about it on my social media. It is about us women and the various thoughts, issues, prejudices and assumptions we face from the world and women. It is a book close to my heart as it stems from all that we face being a woman and how we can be better.
I am also working on taking Diya’s story forward. Many of my readers requested to know more about her so ‘Diya’s Desire’ is in the works. I plan it as a full-length novel. Another romance is in the works as well as various short reads.
Thank you for hosting me Paromita, all the very best to you and your books.
More About The Author
She is a Masters in Human Resources Management and worked as a management lecturer. An Army brat, she now joins her adorable Army hubby across the country. Blogging keep her busy whenever she gets a breather from mothering her ‘too tricky to handle son’. A sprinkling of fiction, a dash of books, and a bit of opinion add to the eclectic mix.
Now Available
Title: Generously Yours
Genre: Short Stories
Blurb:
‘Love is forever’ or so thought Diya.
Shy, bookish and loving, Diya never thought she would ever need to be anything else.
Her charmed life slips away from her in ways, she never imagined.
Will Viren be able to sort the jumble of their lives or is it already too late?
A bittersweet story of life, longing, and lasting love.
“The only way to grab eye balls is to be different, to be unique. Offer the reader something that the existing books do not.” – T.F Carthick
Today we have with us one of the most promising writer and blogger author T.F Carthick who has added another feather in his cap with his recently released debut book, Carthick’s Unfairy Tales. Carthick has been blogging since 2008. His paranormal thriller ‘Bellary’ was one of the three stories in the book Sirens Spell Danger, published in 2013. Six of his stories have featured in multi-author anthologies and literary magazines.
Today he would share with us his secret behind choosing such an unusual theme for his recent release.
Why did you Choose such an unusual theme for a debut book?
People have been writing books from times immemorial. And many of the books written in the last hundred or two hundred years remain with us and even the ones written earlier survive with us in some form. What chance one more book stand amidst the loud clamor of all these books to claim the attention of the reader? The only way to grab eye balls is to be different, to be unique. Offer the reader something that the existing books do not. Maybe the theme might cater only to a niche. But to them, it offers something the whole corpus of books written so far does not provide.
So, it was a granted that anything I write has to be unusual. I had other 4-5 other ideas that were equally if not more unusual – a retelling of Mayan mythology, management consultants in ancient Greece, a children’s tale like Enid Blyton’s faraway tree set in India, a tale of two unlikely heroes taking on the most dreaded of monsters from classic horror stories to name a few. Somehow this got written first before the others. The thing in this one’s favor was it had more instant appeal as everyone know fairy tales and has an opinion on them. It is a much smaller work giving readers chance to sample by writing with lesser investment of time.
Other than the above two advantages, this book reflects most aspects of my writing – humor, philosophy and zany imagination. Some of my other works may have more of one and lesser of other elements and may not be full reflections of my writing style.
The idea of the debut book being a short story as such is not unusual as such. Many people prefer to write a collection of short stories before taking on a novel. But then often short stories revolve around emotions and relationships. The second popular choice for theme of short stories is para normal. Longer stories tend to explore many more variety of themes – science fiction, fantasy, humor, action, adventure etc. Even when there are short stories around these themes they usually form part of a potpourri collection having various kinds of stories often by multiple author usually having the word shades, hues or its variants in the title. These kinds of anthologies I feel just don’t work because there is no strong selling point – something you can tell in a single story why the reader will like the collection. Just a bunch of good stories on various themes by various authors hardly cuts the ice with a reader. Everyone will say their stories are good. Other than that, it tells nothing. It is a complete black box. Even multiple stories by the same author does not hold much weight unless the author is famous. I feel for a collection of short stories to sell, they must have a real strong unambiguous theme interlinking the stories.
This is why I took a single theme – that of fairy tales retold and further refined it further by having a similar kind of retelling – unusual narrators, not too many material changes to original story, no change in settings but bringing out completely new perspectives to the old tales. And every story a commentary on a theme of interest in contemporary times.
Know more about the author
T.F Carthick is an avid reader of Children’s Fiction, Science-fiction and Fantasy. Enid Blyton, J K Rowling, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Neil Gaiman and Douglas Adams are some of his favorite authors. He has written over 50 short stories, many of which can be read for free on his blog www.karthikl.com.
He is an Engineer and MBA from India’s premier institutes IIT, Madras and IIM, Ahmedabad and currently works as an Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Consultant at one of the world’s leading Consulting Firms. He is based in Bangalore.
You can stalk him @
Know more about the book
CARTHICK’S UNFAIRY TALES
by
T.F. Carthick
Blurb
A damsel in distress. An evil dragon. A concerned father seeking a savior to rescue his daughter. A hero galloping off to the rescue – a knight in shining armor. Now THAT is stuff of fairy tales.
But what if the father’s real concern is for the dragon’s hoard; What if the damsel’s reason of distress is the marriage proposal by her pompous and vicious savior; and what if the story is told by the horse who bears not only the overweight knight but also his heavy, shining armor all the way to the dragon’s lair and back, facing certain death in the process?
What if there was more – much more – to all your favourite fairy tales than met the eye?
This book chronicles not one but seven such unfairy tales – tales told by undead horsemen and living cities. Tales of mistreated hobgoblins and misunderstood magicians. Tales of disagreeable frogs and distressed rats and bears baring their souls. Once you read these stories, you will never be able to look at a fairy tale the same way ever again.
Read an excerpt
This was wrong at many levels. The mayor’s despair and eagerness to solve the problem was understandable. But from what I have seen, no human problems come with quick fixes. Haste seldom helps. One requires patience to get to the depth of a problem and attack it at its root. A holistic solution does take a lot of time and effort but the benefits are long-lasting. Quick fixes, on the other hand, end up aggravating the situation. Take this situation of the rats itself, for instance. While the mayor may not have realized it, the fact was that the people of the town had brought this upon themselves. A few years earlier, people had complained of snakes. There were just a few of these reptiles, but still the people had complained incessantly. So, snake-catchers had been summoned to exterminate the snakes. Then, a few months’ later, stray dogs had become the object of the people’s ire.
“They keep barking all night. They just don’t let us sleep,” they had complained.
And they began to make a big fuss of how dogs were a public menace and exaggerated stories of dogs attacking humans started spreading, till finally the town council had to yield. Dog-catchers were commissioned and the dogs were done away with. With the elimination of their natural predators, wasn’t it natural that rats should multiply? But people just don’t realize these kinds of things. That is how people have been all the time. They wanted quick-fix solutions to all their problems then, and they want quick-fix solutions to all their problems now. They never learn.
Also, I suppose the mayor probably thought he would never be called upon to follow through upon his promise. So, he promised a grand reward just to appear to be doing something. That is another folly of humans, especially the leaders. They care more about perception than actually getting things done. And often initiatives undertaken to manage perceptions end up doing more harm than good.
Story: Neena Arya, a Delhi-born goes abroad for further studies and decides to settle down there. Determined to be a ‘somebody’ from a ‘nobody’ she blends with the Americans via the accent and their mannerisms while having a live-in relationship with her European boyfriend, Adan Somoza.
When illness hits home, Neena rushes to meet her ailing dad. Tragedy strikes and amidst the mingling with relatives and friends, she finds herself suffocated with the two different cultures that she has been breathing since she moved to the United States. How will she strike a balance between both the cultures as she continues to support her widowed mother? Will she be able to do justice to her personal and professional life after the loss?
Amidst the adjusting she bonds with an ally and learns about ties beyond blood. On what grounds will she be able to form an invisible thread that she has longed for since childhood?
Breathing Two Worlds ventures into cultures and ethnicity allowing Neena to ponder upon her foundation and priorities.
My Take: This is my first time I am reading this author. She has a terrific way of penning stories woven with emotions and drama. Breathing two worlds is more of a story of anyone living away from home, trying to make up with the two worlds. Our country itself is so vast that with topography everything changes right from dialect to cuisines to clothing and above all the way of life. Sometimes, some advantages somewhere becomes bane somewhere else and it becomes very difficult to fit in. Yet people tend to migrate to make their life better.
The story set in US travels to India and then back keeps the reader hooked till the end. I could really feel the pain Neena went through after losing her father due to wrong treatment. But the way she finds solace is something to read out for.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys reading contemporary fiction drama
“Writing is about peeling the layers of a human soul.” – Rubina Ramesh
If you are an author then you surely know Rubina Ramesh the founder of THE BOOK
Rubina Ramesh
CLUB (TBC) that has changed the fate of many Indian Indie writers. Living across the globe she make sure to do justice to all books that come across her book club. She is an awesome reviewer, avid reader, mentor, inspiration and now she also hons the feather of an author to her already vibrant cap.
Author of Knitted Tales & Marijuana Dairies today in her interview, Rubina Ramesh talks about her recent release Finding The Angel and her journey as an author.
Welcome Rubina!! You have been in the book world for so long. What took you so long to publish your first book?
Hi Paromita, Thank you so much for these lovely questions. I apologize to you on this public platform for not answering your questions earlier in my last blog tour. I have no excuse except that Life happened.
I was a published author before I started TBC. I had already got a few stories published in an anthology written for a children’s hospital in the USA and by Indireads Publisher. It was a good experience and it made me fall in love with writing. As to why my stories came much later than the formation of TBC, well good things take the time to happen. I think I needed the push. It’s a very scary feeling Paromita. The first baby steps we take. Will we be liked? Will our stories be appreciated? All these questions dampen one’s spirit. I needed to find my point of bravery. I am just glad that I did.
What are your dreams as an author?
To write. Find my own imaginary hut in the woods and be lost in that for hours. Where voices and duties don’t reach me. Just me and my words – lost for hours. I am yet to find them 😛
What all factors you consider while marketing your book?
I am very particular about my covers. You can ask my cover designer, Sachin. He hates me. I keep on changing every other day. It takes a lot of patience from his side to keep up with my changing moods. But I feel beauty reaches one’s soul through one’s eyes. How can I neglect the cover? Then comes the presentation of the book and releasing it at that right moment. I am not a big fan of event creations. So you will not find any event page on my facebook. I am a big believer of blog tours. No, not because I have TBC. But many reviews at one particular time released on the net – the creates a buzz. At least that is what I have witnessed with my books.
TBC has given a big platform to many authors. Besides TBC how else you promote your book?
It has always been TBC for me. And I am very proud of each member of our group. They will not spare even me in their reviews. Recently one author told me clearly that she is very scared of a blog tour. Yes, Blog tours can make your book or break your book. It needs a lot of guts to see your friends thrashing your book in public. So unless you are sure of yourself as a writer and you are a constant learner in life, I won’t suggest that. My group does NOT thrash any writer. We openly say when a book needs editing. But we NEVER thrash a writer. I stand by every honest reviewer’s views. What writers have to accept that a negative review is not about demoralizing an author. It’s not even about bringing an author down. When I feel an author is not ready for this blog tour, I do say no to an author. It takes a lot of confidence and guts to go through a blog tour, like the ones we do. We don’t promise sales in our blog tours. We promise an author an audience, their very own readership and fan following – which might translate into their sales. But as of now, we have to believe that no review is negative. They are the thoughts of varied readers which prove that you are an honest writer. How can that be wrong?
You don’t write in a specific genre. Please tell us your inspiration for your published and upcoming books?
I have never understood genre Paromita. I think you will relate to that. Your one book is about an immigrants journey and another about a cute girl Mishri. Any incident, any anecdote and any love story that has made a home in my heart, is my genre. You get that, don’t you?
Where do you see yourself as an author after five years?
With at least 30 titles published. At least I hope so. And each genre making my readers accept me as an author.
Your message for the readers.
Believe in your emotions and stop finding answers in those who says they will teach you the art of writing. Writing is about emotions. Writing is about peeling the layers of a human soul. Who can teach you that? They can give you the nitty gritty of grammar. They can share their experience, their thoughts but if anyone says they can teach you the art of writing, that is a bull. Your experience, your vision. Your word is your art.
Random questions:
Your favorite read: Gone with the Wind
If not an author than what? Marketer or Publisher
What you consider first while choosing a book to buy? Cover. I am a very shallow that way 😛
Your pillar of strength in writing? TBC and TBCM
Your favorite author? Nora Roberts and Sidney Sheldon. Sorry, cannot ditch either one of them.
Shefali is a die-hard romantic. Having lost her parents at a very tender age, she is in search of a place which she can call home. Her passion for Art lands her a job as an art curator to the famous artifacts of the Ranaut Dynasty. When she meets the scion, Aryan Ranaut, she feels that her dream might come true until…
All He wanted was to trust…
Living the life of a modern day Prince is no easy task for the young and dashing Aryan Ranaut. Having lost his father to a rapacious woman, Aryan has severe trust issues. But upon meeting Shefali, he feels he could let down his guard. Until…
All They need is to find The Angel…
Just as Aryan realizes his love for Shefali, one of the most precious artifacts, The Angel, goes missing from the Ranaut collection. All fingers point towards Shefali—more so because she leaves the palace without telling anyone on the very night of the theft.
Finding the Angel is a story where duty clashes with love and lack of trust overrides passion. Under these circumstances, can The Angel bring the star-crossed lovers together?
Rubina Ramesh is an avid reader, writer, blogger, book reviewer, and marketer. She is the founder of The Book Club, an online book publicity group. Her first literary work was published in her school magazine. It gave her immense pride to see her own name at the bottom of the article.She was about 8 years old at that time. She then went to complete her MBA and after her marriage to her childhood friend, her travel saga started. From The Netherlands to the British Isles she lived her life like an adventure. After a short stint in Malaysia, she finally settled down in the desert state of USA, Arizona. Living with her DH and two human kids and one doggie kid, Rubina has finally started living the life she had always dreamed about – that of a writer.
You can stalk her @
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In the historic Indian town of Agra, you can find a very unusual tour company, which is owned by a charming young man named Raj. Although Raj’s official job is to show off the historical landmarks of Agra, including the legendary Taj-Mahal, his true mission is to heal the souls of his broken “birds,” as he affectionately refers to his tour participants. His business operates purely upon word-of-mouth referrals, ensuring that all of his tour members arrive in Agra with their hearts in their hands, ready for the spiritual growth and cleansing that Raj is known to provide. Healing the hearts of the spiritually damaged can be a difficult job, and in this particular tale, Raj finds himself faced with his most challenging tour group yet. First, there is Ira, a stunningly gorgeous but fragile young woman on the brink of suicide. Next, we meet Darci and Lennard, a couple on the verge of divorce. Then there is Carl, an irritable, antisocial workaholic who has burned all of his bridges. Lastly, we meet Asha, an elderly widow who still yearns for the company and comfort of her late husband. When disaster strikes the tour group, everything is thrown into jeopardy, including lives, relationships, and Raj’s very reputation as a tour guide. Raj must find a way to lift the spirits of these five special travelers, even in the face of death and despair. Venture into the unknown and discover how Raj Touristry heals the brokenhearted, one soul at a time.
“Voyagers into the Unknown” is a vibrant story of transformation through an unlikely source: a local tour guide of historical Agra, India where the Taj Mahal still sways those who behold it. Seeped in cultural philosophy, this novel is an uplifting read from Ruchira Khanna.” – Charli Mills, Writer & Lead Buckaroo of Carrot Ranch Communications.
Voyagers into the Unknown is a delightful tale that interrogates the emotional connection between strangers and between races. With a cast of vivid characters, Ruchira Khanna draws the reader into a captivating emotional drama. Agra, the city, stands as both an alluring character and a magnificent setting that directs the diverse experiences, which are woven deftly into the fabric of the plot. The book is a wonderful compilation of encounters, both unexpected and unfamiliar. -Jaya Padmanabhan, Editor, India Currents.
A Reiki Master where she passes out information about channeling universal energy and conducts sessions. The author of “Choices”, “The Adventures of Alex and Angelo” but just another soul trying to make a difference in this lifetime.
Blurb – The New York Times bestseller and international classic loved by millions of readers.
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.
A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic. My Ratings –
My Review – The book left me in tears.
I felt a strong bonding with Amir Aga, the protagonist, who had to flee his country, his home, his comfort, his memories, and his ancestral land due to turbulence in the country. How does it feel to land up in an alien world leaving everything you ever owned behind? My folks have boar the bruise of Indo-Bangladesh partition. I have heard the stories so many times from every mouth I visited in my grandparent’s place. How lavishly they lived and then one day out of the blue they were rendered homeless. The author had depicted that very well in his book.
This is the first book of the author that I have read and I am not regretting it at all. The narration of a war trodden country, the lives of people, the helplessness, the frustration and above all the submission of oneself, to accept what is happening around, just to survive is very well presented. It would be understood by the people who have faced a situation likewise.
Maybe the meanness of Amir Aga, the legitimate rich class, selfish boy of upper class society is not very well accepted as a reader, for one would feel more for the Haazra boy instead, but Hosseini had not tried to portray him in white. His grey shades were more prominent for that matter.
I enjoyed how the author, at the end of every chapter, lures the reader with his one liners to grab the next chapter. Many a times, he even leaves them wondering what could possibly have happened, how it had happened, where it had happened mode, so that the reader is bound to turn pages and reach there, to see what really happened.
The story is told in first person and unlike many other books I read, the author never attempted to outgrow his POV. It always flows in present situation.
His using of local dialect is another good point I enjoyed where he had put the meaning too in the same line without any commas. I learnt quite few Afgani words too.
What I would have enjoyed more is the little history of Afghanistan as well. Since the book is based on the political scenario of the country if little more information is given on the situation there, it would have left me the trouble of goggling the internet.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy cultural fiction, emotional roller coaster drama in a political turmoil backdrop.
For Laksha, life is a gift wrapped in red ribbon. But that’s all shattered when she falls for a misogamist. His ambivalence and vacillation always keeps her at bay, turning her into a neurotic. She gets betrayed by the most credible, loses her job, feels devastated and dejected as incidents crowd upon her corrupting her naiveté.
Enigmas unfold revealing every glitch. Who will clear her blurred skies? What invigorates her career and life? Will she ever forgive her beloved? And how will Laksha survive?
The story also revolves around her rapport with Pallavi, a childhood friend and the relationship she has with her silver-tongued mom. Focusing on how experiences change perception of little things, this contemporary tale gives a better meaning to friendships, relationships, solitude, pain, compassion and success.
More often than not, Life drags you down to the adversities and thrusts outward to shine. It is your grit that truly matters when you reach rock bottom, and left with no choice other than to pick yourself up and leap forward, however arduous it may be!
Grab your copy on
About the Author
Kavipriya Moorthy is based out of Chennai, India. She is an avid reader, writer and blogger who blogs at http://kavipriyamoorthy.wordpress.com She scored an MBA degree and worked in IT organizations before; she just answered her call for passion and started off with polishing her writing skills. She is known for being broad minded and is established as a high morale person with a sweet family and good bunch of friends supporting her writing spirit. I don’t wear sunscreen is her debut in the literary world.
The Diary Of A Rolling Stone 
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