A chat with Manasi Vaidya : By Nupur Sharma

Manasi Vaidya's novel “No Deadline for Love” (Penguin) is the latest in the burgeoning genre of chick lit/ rom-com reads. The book features a spunky protagonist called Megha who has for most of her life done what was expected of her: graduation in economics, MBA in marketing and then a straight-laced job in a high-profile FMCG company. There comes a point where she starts to wonder if this unending routine of juggling late hours and unreasonable deadlines is really her life's calling. Her mother's desperate attempts to put her on the ‘marriage market' are not making life any easier. And to top it all, Megha's latest project has been bogged down by a complete dearth of creative ideas, giving her nasty boss the perfect excuse to disregard the blood, sweat and tears she's poured into her job so far. Add to this volatile mix, Yudi (the team's new creative consultant) who is gorgeous, sardonic and only too eager to disagree with Megha and trample upon all her ideas. This sets the stage for a quirky battle of wits and some unexpected romance.

In the deluge of writing in her genre, how does Manasi locate her work? “My novel is essentially a story about having the conviction to follow your heart. Sure, it's also a romantic comedy and it has a liberal dose of corporate dynamics, but at its heart it is the story of a girl who is struggling to fit into a place where she is increasingly beginning to feel like an outsider and about how she finally finds it within her to follow her heart,” Manasi says.

“Actually the book takes a look at the relationship a lot of us have with our careers, and how we let our careers define us, how it becomes an integral part of our identity, and how in some cases that can make us lose sight of the larger picture and keep us from following our true passion. That is the dilemma the protagonist battles with throughout the book. The other bit on relationships is about how she is so caught up in the pressures of corporate life, the constant demand of her job and the many deadlines, that when she finds love along the way it comes as quite a surprise. That was also the thought behind the title of the book, ‘No Deadline for Love',” she adds.

Manasi feels enthused by the response her book has received thus far (after the launch last month) and says, “I would be really happy if readers see beyond the cute pink cover and the funky title and get the theme within. This is a light read, it is a romantic comedy set against a corporate backdrop and I wanted it to be something that you can pick up and enjoy without getting too serious, but I've also tried to convey a message through the story and I hope I am successful in getting that across.” With that hope this IIM Ahmedabad graduate sets her sight ahead – creating a blend of ambition and meaning.

Chetan Bhagat creates buzz for his 'Revolution 2020'

 'Revolution 2020', the next Chetan Bhagat book hits bookstores this October. The bestselling author of Five Point Someone, One Night @ The Call Center, The Three Mistakes of My Life and 2 States, has been tweeting about his next book for the last few weeks.

'Revolution 2020' is said to be another gripping tale from the heartland of India. The story revolves around childhood friends Gopal, Raghav and Aarti who struggle to find success and love in Varanasi. Set in contemporary India, the protagonists go through several difficulties to achieve this in an unfair society that mostly rewards the corrupt. Protagonist Gopal gives in to the corrupt system, while Raghav fights it. Wait for the book to find out who wins.

The book is not just a story around the revolution; it’s also a love story, in which the two friends fall for the same girl.

Aptly set in today's India where a raging debate between the Government and social activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption has deeply moved the nation, the book has already created enough buzz on the internet. Fans have been writing to Bhagat expressing their anticipation for the book.

Book Summary: You Were My Crush!..till you said you love me

Hot selling author Durjoy Datta's fifth book is a true story based on his misunderstood brother - Benoy Roy. People say a lot of things about Benoy.

'I love him, but I don't want him to drive a Bentley,' his mom says. Or used to say. She is dead now. He drives a Bentley.

'He is a stranger to me. I haven't seen him since he was eight. I receive his credit card bills though,' his dad says.

'He should stop drinking,' his maid says.

'...stop bribing professors,' his best buddy, Eshaan advises him.

'Good for nothing, brat!' his best friend, Diya says.

'I never want to see you again. Stop stalking me or I will let my boyfriend know,' the love of his life says.

'You're the best,' his brother, Deb claims.

Between all this, who is the real Benoy?

This story is about him picking up the pieces of his life and trying to find a meaning out of it. A big car, a big house, does it solve anything? Why is that despite having everything, he has nothing?

You Were My Crush! is Durjoy's fifth book.

His first book was Of Course I Love You!...till I find someone better! Of course I love you..!, is a story set in Delhi, during the years 2006-2008 that revolves around colleges, nightclubs, relationships and friendships. This book takes a dark and a hilarious view on modern day relationships. Narrated in Debashish Roy's unsure, confused and testosterone induced voice, it takes a jibe at college time romances.

"Of Course I love You..!" is the first book of the trilogy of book on "Deb" and "Avantika" and their journey through life.

Well, the second book, Now That You're Rich... Let's Fall in Love! traces their journey beyond college and into professional life at an investment bank in Hyderabad! Hideous Human Resource managers picking on them, horny seniors looking down their cleavages, piles of workload, crazy shopping sprees, crates of beer and endless cups of coffee... Out from college and into the real world... how does it change them? How do they stand behind each other as they face the world!

All love stories hit a bump sometime or the other! So does Deb and Avantika's. So while Now That You're Rich! deals with how they face the world, the third book, She Broke Up, I Didn't!...I just kissed someone else! takes the story forward and talks about how they battle the questions of infidelity, loyalty and love! Is lust different from love? Are girls more tolerant? What would hurt you more? Your partner writing a love song for someone else? Or sleeping with someone else? Is the answer any different for the two sexes?

How does their relationship weather the storm of infidelity? Will they fall apart?

About the Author

Durjoy Datta is bestselling author of five books, Of Course I Love You! (2008), Now That You're Rich! (2009), She Broke Up, I Didn't! (2010), Ohh Yes, I Am Single! (2011) and You Were My Crush! (To be released - 2011). All these books have enjoyed prolonged stays on various bestseller lists.

All his books are inspired from real life incidents.

His books have sold a total of 1,000,000 copies till date making him one of the highest selling Indian authors till date. One of the youngest and the most prolific authors in the Indian fiction scene, his works are characterized by dark humor and in-your-face realism. He is seen as one of the most unabashed writers in the genre.

Durjoy is a mechanical engineer from Delhi College of Engineering (DCE) and did his management from MDI, Gurgaon in 2011. Apart from books, he has a keen interest in outdoor sports and strength training activities

Interview With 'Faking It' author Amita Chaudhary: By Lavanya Manour

There is a knowing smile on her face when she talks about ‘another NRI’. Newly returning Indian is the new thing she says. Amrtia knows a thing or two about this extremely in-depth subject. And that is why her protagonist Tara Malhotra goes through the entire process of reverse migration which an NRI is normally subjected to.  

Amrita Verma Chowdhury is a multi talented writer. She holds engineering degrees from IIT Kanpur and UC Berkely and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon. Her work as an engineer in Silicon Valley earned her seven US patents for semi conductor fabrication. She is currently the Associate Director of the India Research Centre division of Harvard Business School. She is also deeply  interested in contemporary Indian Art.

How did the idea about the book come from?

The idea came about because I love art and am interested in art. And also because forgeries in art have been in news off late. So I thought it would be fun to write a book on it. 

How did you zero in on Tara Malhotra as your protagonist? 

I think trough some extent Tara evolved through the writing of the book. I myself came from the US just a few months before I started writing this book. So to some extent, the initial bit of Tara was the things that I had seen and experienced. She sort of evolved from there and she gained more definition of who she is. 

Have you included your own experience while shaping up the character of Tara Malhotra? 

Mine and that of many others who have move from the US. 

You mention that plenty of research has gone into this book. Can you share a few experiences what you unearthed through the research? 

I interviewed and spoke to a lot of people in the art world. I met everybody from the artists to art gallery owners, people who write about art, people who conduct art auctions, art critics. I interacted with them a lot. Nowadays there are also a lot of online sources available, which provide a lot of information about art. Also I have been interested in art for a while. So that also helped. I have my own collection of art books in my library. 

How long did you take to finish this book? 

It took about a year and a half to write and about six more months for the whole editorial process.  

One of the twists in the book is about an Amrita Shergill painting. Are you a fan of hers?

Totally 

You also have an E book on Tara Malhotra in your blogs. What inspired you to create that? 

To some extent they are the things which we edited out of the book. There’s a lot of social commentary in the book about life in Mumbai, about the world we inhabit. Some of the stuff is rather funny. If you look at it from a distant lens, its vey tongue in cheek. Since the book is an art thriller, we had to take out some parts which were slowing down the pace. But they were all very funny scenes. So I have included them in my blogs. 

An engineer, an art lover and now a writer. How did the last part come about? 

I have actually always wanted to write and have always loved to write. It’s been a long journey. When I was studying in Berkeley I did a couple of courses in journalism. I also did editorial internship in National Geographic Traveler magazine as I love travelling as well. But other things beckoned and I had to get back to engineering. So now I have taken up writing. 

This is your first book. What are your expectations from it? 

I hope people enjoy reading it. It’s a fun read. It is also a multi layered book. It also contains a lot of information about the art world and also about the whole process of reverse migration. All of it put together it is a very fun book and I hope people enjoy it. 

The books and the authors who have inspired you? 

It has probably evolved over the years. I have had my phase of childhood reading. Now I increasingly love things which are fun read as life is hard anyways. I like most of the Indian authors-Amitav Gosh, Jumpha Lahari, they are amazing authors. I also read a lot of popular fiction.  

Any other book in the pipe line? 

Yes, I am working on another book. 

Sneak peek into that book.  

It’s about young girls coming of age. It’s going to be in a setting which is totally going to be different just like this was in an art setting. I won’t reveal about the setting though.  

Indian fiction is opening doors to more aspiring authors today. What would your advice be for budding authors who want to write a book? 

Two things are very essential. One, it requires a lot of patience. The second thing is it’s a long and a lonely road. You need to persevere.  

(Courtesy: My Bangalore )

James Patterson tops the ‘Forbes Highest Paid Authors’ List

(By Reuters) American author and entertainment mogul James Patterson has topped a Forbes magazine list of the world's highest paid authors, earning more than twice that of No 2 Danielle Steel.

Patterson, 64, the dominant mass market fiction author who has published more than 80 books at a prolific rate with the help of collaborators, earned $84 million for the past year, according to the survey based on sales from May 2010 to April 2011. Figures were supplied by Nielsen SoundScan and Forbes considered input from numerous agents, managers and editors.

Steel, also 64, earned $35 million, according to the Forbes survey at www.forbes.com. The magazine said the top earning authors were successfully tapping into e-books, which is the fastest growing section of book publishing, while hardcover sales are in long-term decline.

American author James Patterson has topped Forbes magazine's list of the world's highest paid authors.

Landing at No. 3 was horror and suspense writer Stephen King, earning $28 million, while coming in fourth was romance adventure author Janet Evanovich with $22 million and fifth was "Twilight" novelist Stephenie Meyer with $21 million in sales.

Even though hardcover books are in decline, Patterson increased his sales from last year's $70 million by releasing 10 books in the past year and branching into the young adult and teen market in the past few years -- as well as e-books.

Patterson, who this year also has several books being turned into films, told Reuters in a recent interview that it was inevitable there will soon be a time "when most everything is on some form of e-book."

But he said larger retailers needed to act responsibly and consider the future of the declining number of independent book stores as well as books' role in educating young people.

"The responsible thing is, what are we doing, and what are the consequences of it and what's the best way to do it?" he said, suggesting that publishers and others consider both "the best way both for your company and the people of this country, who need to read and learn and be able to talk to people about what's going on in the world."

Affairs and the new Indian! Writers turning bolder

Going by what India is reading and writing of late, the country seems to be undergoing a mass change in its attitude to morality. Latest books, including controversial translations from yester-years, have proved that the common man is more understanding of what goes on in a marriage and is perhaps more tolerant of transgressions.

Take Farrukh Dhondy's Adultery and Other Stories published by HarperCollins, the newest entrant in literature to explore relationships in an out-of-marriage context. These stories about love, lust, friendship, betrayal and the ways of the heart take on the seventh commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery. Of course, the word adultery is gaining new nuances and carries all kinds of meanings in modern-day vocabulary.

In Shinie Antony's recently released novel When Mira Went Forth and Multiplied by Rupa publications, the erring partners are delightfully caricatured. Far from being the stereotypical mistress, Mira is your average, neighbourhood psycho whose heart is in the right place.

The other woman, it would appear today, is an ordinary woman just like any other. While Priti Aisola's See Paris For Me by  Penguin publications has a sensible woman who sees exactly how her love will create mayhem in too many lives and prefers to hold back, Sujata Parashar's In Pursuit of Infidelityalso by Rupa publication presents a young self-obsessed woman in love with a man other than her husband and who wants to have her cake and eat it too.

According to Karthika V K, publisher and chief editor of Harper Collins India, "Fiction is becoming more adventurous and experimental and nothing is out of bounds any more."

 Kapish Mehra, publisher of Rupa Publications, says that there have been far greater books on adultery in the recent past."There has been a greater acceptance of such writing by society, possibly on account of a more matured audience and the desire of the reader to experiment with varied styles, genres of writing," Mehra told PTI.

In Jahnavi Barua's Rebirth (Penguin), Kaberi is forced to rethink marital strategies after her husband refuses to give up his office fling. Devayani in Shashi Deshpande's In the Country of Deceit (Penguin) decides to end the affair, feeling as she does the entire burden of guilt in the relationship. Anita Nair's Meera in "Lessons in Forgetting" (Harper Collins) takes her husband's straying in her stride and eventually finds solace in another man.

"Extramarital affairs have existed in Indian literature for ages, but yes, there is more written about them these days. Westland is even bringing out a book by the well- known couples counsellor, Dr Vijay Nagaswami, called 3's a Crowd: Surviving Infidelity," says Prita Maitra, managing editor of Westland Ltd.

The two recent Bengali translations  Buddhadeva Bose's It Rained All Night and Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay's There was no one at the bus-stop, both Penguin products - are sensitive studies on the subject of less than legal loving.

Sara Joseph's Othappu by  faltering publication, translated from Malayalam and published by OUP, tells the story of a nun who sheds her habit for the love of a man. Then there is The Other Woman, an anthology brought out by Harper Collins, which includes stories by Mahasveta Devi, Amrita Pritam and MT Vasudevan Nair among others.

Rahul Srivastava, director of marketing and sales at Simon & Schuster India (S&SI) says that of late Indian writers are becoming bold in terms of what they are writing and inhibition has gone away.

"There are stories on relationship, marriages etc and extra-marital affairs are sometimes a part of such stories but its not that primarily people are setting out to write about extra-marital affairs," he says, adding "once S&SI begins to publish, it will be open to these taboo subjects like other publishers."

Agreed, adultery is as old as the hills, but interpretations are new and now manifold. In most of these books, affairs rarely culminate in marriage - the ultimate traditional destination of man-woman relationships. Indeed the new trend is to tell it like it is and not judge.

It Should Be U!! My Love : A Novel Inspired By Chetan Bhagat

Midway through a Chetan Bhagat book, 19-year-old engineering student Anshul Sharma had a sudden thought -- that he could do a better job at writing. What followed was months of confinement in his room, and finally, his maiden book.

Titled "It Should Be U!! My Love", the book has been published by Delhi-based Shristi Publishers.

"I was reading Chetan Bhagat`s `Three States` and suddenly I felt I could do a better job than Chetan. So for the next couple of months, I shut out myself completely to concentrate on writing my novel. I know it`s tall talk and an audacity of oceanic proportion, but here I am with my trendy work which revolves around campuses and student life," Anshul told IANS in an interview.

The story revolves around teenage lovers Arnav and Anadi, who fall victim to destiny in a queer twist of events. Destiny unfolds unexpected plans, leading to pangs of separation and eventual "unification of two souls", transcending caste barriers and other divides.

Prodded to reveal more about the plot, Anshul said: "Believe it or not, Arnav and Anadi had their script already written. Had it not been for his love of cricket, Arnav would have never met Anadi, older than him, but a fairy to him. Arnav proved a smart guy, trying all his tricks to get noticed by his beloved, but destiny had other designs."

A slick cover, simple but racy narration, and liberal use of `campus lingo` mark the 192-page novel. In the first couple of pages, the language and grammatical errors put you off but then you soon realise it`s all been done deliberately, because that`s the kind of language a stereotypical engineering student would use.

Anshul said he was fond of writing his personal diary from early childhood. Before taking up engineering at a college in Mathura, he had been to Ranchi, Shillong and many other places where his father, an air force officer, had been posted.

"These cultural cross-currents and understanding of people helped me to develop the plot of my novel. Obviously, it`s not a perfect product but in subsequent ventures, I would be guided by reactions to this one," Anshul said.

However, Anshul said he believes in destiny.

"If hard work was the secret of success, then a donkey would have been the king of the jungle," the young writer said.

Jane Fonda Highlights Sex In Her Book 'Prime Time'

Veteran actress Jane Fonda has penned a book for the couples of her generation on how to keep the warmth of passion ticking in a relationship even when the old age snatches the enthusiasm away.

The 73-year-old Hollywood sex symbol has devoted some 50 pages of her new autobiography ‘Prime Time’ to explaining how to have good sex over the age of 70.

She has also claimed that she could even tell simply by looking at people if they are having ‘good sex’.

“I wasn’t trying to be shocking, but I go into details, and it seems to have shocked people. I made a list of things to cover. I’m still sexually active. There are certain things that change as you age, and I wanted to talk about that,” the Daily Mail quoted her as telling Time magazine, explaining her decision to talk about sex for the over-70s, that is usually a taboo subject.

The two-time Oscar-winner, who is currently in a relationship with 69-year-old music producer Richard Perry, describes herself as a ‘late bloomer’ and insisted on talking openly about sex unlike others.

“I have never found a book that talks about everything from the psyche and spirit and wisdom to penile implants,” she said.

“So I decided that I’d write about as much of the research as I possibly could – everything I wanted to know as a woman who is 73 years old and still sexually active.

“I see people who aren’t traditionally beautiful, but if they’re having good sex, you can tell,” she added.

‘Secret of Nagas’ makes many revelations: Author Amish Tripathi

He calls himself an atheist, but author Amish Tripathi says he was blessed with the bestseller, 'The Immortals of Meluha', by none other than Lord Shiva. Now its sequel promises to make many revelations.

'Interesting revelations will be made about the characters; in fact new facets of the characters will be revealed. Addition of new characters is another given,' Tripathi told Mauli Buch from IANS about the upcoming book 'The Secret of the Nagas'.

Of the 100,000 copies printed for the second book, 80,000 copies have already been pre-ordered. The book's second edition is already in print, even before the first edition is released Aug 12.

'Immortals of Meluha', the first in the Shiva trilogy, was a big hit with 175,000 copies sold.

'I am an atheist and not at all creative. I still find it hard to believe I was blessed with this book. It is, I think, undoubtedly Lord Shiva's unexplained kindness to me,' said Tripathi.

'The Immortals of Meluha' tells the story of the survival of an imaginary civilization east of the Indus, with a warlord Shiva as its central character.

It elicited humongous curiosity with its attractive cover, which showed the back of a well-sculpted sage-like man with a trident. It was an internet hit before the cover and the word-of-mouth publicity turned it into a national bestseller.

In the book, Shiva, who comes to Meluha as a refugee with his tribe rises to be god, the Neelkanth, whom the civilisation has awaited since ages. Shiva, perceived to be their saviour, rose to a godly status by his warring skills and out-of-the-box thinking.

The book also refers to the 'somras', the drink that can immortalise a human, and also deals with the drying of the Saraswati river, the waters of which are vital to make the 'somras'.

While it still occupies the top-seller list across the country, its sequel is ready to hit the market Aug 12 with an even more attractive cover.

'The Secret of the Nagas' will reveal vital details of the so far-hidden identity of the Naga.

'The Naga, whose character sketch is still under wraps, will be revealed in this book. The readers will also know who he is and the good acts of a so far negative character,' said Tripathi.

The mystery will unfold right from page one as the book will also reveal what happened to Sati, Shiva's wife. 'The Immortals of Meluha' ended with Sati being taken captive by unidentified characters.

A strong character, who fought valiantly, rubbing shoulders with Shiva, Sati is the cursed princess of Meluha whom Shiva falls in love with and eventually marries.

When asked if Sati dies during the course of events in book two, Tripathi said: 'We are all humans, in spite of the somras.'

Will Shiva move on? Find someone else? The readers are looking for answers to these questions, but Tripathi is coy about revealing more.

'I will only say Shiva is a one-woman man. He will never fall for another woman but shall mourn for her for the rest of his lifetime,' Amish said.

Several mysteries will come to the fore in this book. 'Mysteries hidden in the kingdom of the 'righteous' Meluhans, Shiva's realisation of Swadeep - Meluha's enemy kingdom, new love stories evolving - especially between the head of Meluhan army Parvateshwar and princess of Swadeep Anandmayi and much more,' he said.

The author also intricately weaves into the plots the ill effects of the customs of untouchables and honour killings in both his books.

Speaking of the philosophy and the characterisation of Shiva, Amish said Shiva is the 'dude for the youth'.

'He is what we call the ultimate Bollywood hero. He has a perfectly chiselled body, is a good dancer, loves his woman passionately and is loyal to her, an awesome fighter, the originator of yoga and meditation, smokes pot and fights for the cause of the underdog. He is the saviour,' Amish said.

When asked if the character of Shiva in the series is inspired from Lord Shiva, Amish had an interesting theory to share.

'Let us just assume that 4,000 years down the line, the world comes to an end and life begins all over again. With all the history books and scripts gone, if we hear the story of a man called Mahatma Gandhi and how he believed in non-violence and freed a nation from foreign rule, chances are that we will either not believe in it or will consider it a myth,' Tripathi said.

'It won't be entirely false to say that the same might be the case with all the mythological stories we have been hearing about gods and demons,' he added.

Review of William Blatty's book 'The Redemption' : By Shilpa Hinduja

Coming from the author who wrote The Exorcist, you may expect horror at its peak; however, the book takes you to a series of revelations through a sequence of love, faith, betrayal, murder, deceit and clemency.

Spine-chiller

With Albania in the 1970s as the background, William Peter Blatty escorts us into a universe where a prisoner is held captive for allegedly being an enemy secret agent. To the relief of some and the disgrace of many, he makes a break by drugging the guards and killing one of his torturers. His mysterious mission still being unknown, his identity is disclosed as Dimiter, the agent from hell.

Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem, links the story to further events that take place where a doctor-policeman duo carries the readers to an intense and highly volatile climax.

Dimiter, Meral and Mayo, the central characters share a bond based on loss and sacrifice that unites them in a way so unique that one can almost feel their anguish as the story proceeds. The succession of accidents and murders leading to the discovery of a corpse in an ancient church serves as a turning point.

Page Turner 

Unlike some novels, the book doesn't give itself away and is quite a page-turner. A word of caution: the climax is bound to leave the reader flabbergasted. On the whole, the book can be absorbed as a one-time-midnight read.

Title: The Redemption

Author: William Peter Blatty

Publisher: Hachette India

Cover Price: Rs. 350 Our Price : Rs 263

 Courtesy: The Hindu

(Shilpa Hinduja is a III Year B.A Journalism student at M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women.)

Summary of Amrita Sharma's book What Did I Ever See In Him?

The modern woman???s guide to having a perfect love life

Are you stuck in a relationship which gives you more hurt than happiness?

Do you wonder where all the romance of the first days of the relationship vanished?

Do you want to get married while he ???does not believe in marriage? Are you jealous of his hot colleague?

If you are saying yes to most of these questions, read on. You are not alone.

Women grow up on fairy tales and weave their love and life stories around Prince Charmings, passionate love and languorous kisses ending in happily-ever-afters. But nothing prepares them for the real world, the disillusionment and complications of modern-day relationships.

When Amrita Sharma finds more and more women friends sharing their relationship secrets with her???their fears and deepest insecurities, their petty squabbles and extra-marital affairs???she realizes that their problems are vast and varied. And, more often than not, the women are to be blamed: When in love, even strong-willed, independent women become emotional fools.

Candid, wise and brutally honest???from telling us how to read the early signs of a failing relationship to friendly tips on finding the right guy???What Did I Ever See in Him? is the modern woman???s guide to having the perfect love life.

About the Author

Amrita Sharma has been associated with the world of media and literature for a long time now. She started her career with Sterling publishing house and has worked for Doordarshan, NDTV, Hindustan Times and is currently with the BBC in New Delhi.

Lady Gaga promises to show-all in her pictorial book

Lady Gaga`s forthcoming pictorial book will be "completely unfiltered" and include images of her in the shower and the bath.

The 25-year-old `Born This Way` hitmaker explained the self-titled visual dialogue - which will feature 350 black and white pictures taken of her by American fashion photographer Terry Richardson over a 10-month period, reported MTV online.

"Terry was with me for [almost] a whole year, and, gosh, I didn`t hold anything back from Terry... he was with me every minute, every moment.

"It`s completely unfiltered. He has photographs of me waking up in the morning, brushing my teeth, in the bathroom, in the bathtub, the shower. And the thing about Terry, if you

know anything about his photography, is that nothing is staged; I mean, that`s sort of what he is renowned for. He can get you to do things and he can capture things that no one can

ever capture," she said.

She added: "He'd film me like, peeing in a cup and ridiculous things."

Gaga, who has been captured in more than 100,000 images by Richardson, said the forthcoming project which will be released in November and feature an introduction written by the singer, includes "ridiculous" pictures.

This new pictorial book will be released in November. From what it sounds like, this will be Lady Gaga as never seen before.

Review of Sheba Karim's novel 'Skunk Girl': By Anjali Adlakha

The story of an everyday teenager, Skunk Girl, portrays the life of protagonist Nina Khan, a Pakistani-Muslim girl in the U.S.. Based in Deer Hook where Nina is probably the only South Asian student, life is not as simple as it seems.

The plot unfolds

From living in the shadows of her older sister, a genius by birth, to the struggles of fitting in socially while standing by her parents' beliefs and expectations proves to be quite a task for Nina. Her dilemmas include being hated by the queen bee of the school, excessive body hair and things worsen when Asher Richelli, an Italian transfer student, catches her eye.

One would expect Nina to be a typical American teenager when it comes to relationships. Being rebellious, bratty and throwing tantrums were expected but considering her traditionalist background she stands by her family values. Though she has her share of sneaking out to parties and meeting Asher, she soon realises that there is more to life than high school ‘socialising'.

Sheba Karim has also depicted the lives of Nina's two best friends, Helena and Bridget. It provides a contrasting picture, comparing the different social cultures. Nina's character is engaging, unlike most other central characters.

She has her own share of problems, decisions and expectations to deal with. The book has quite a few instances to which modern teenagers can relate, making it all the more profound and earnest.

Predictable

The plot turns out to be quite predictable. It has its share of wry, witty humour and gives the readers a different perspective of high school life. More emphasis is given to the distinguishing characters and cultures revealed throughout. Sheba Karim has sensitively dealt with the theme, considering herself a part of the story. Overall, it serves as a good read for every teenager and for some accommodating adults alike.

 ( Courtesy: The Hindu)

Short story not a favourite among Indian authors: Daruwalla

Noted writer Keki N Daruwalla returns with well-loved fiction in the form of short stories, a genre the prize winning poet says is not a favourite among Indian authors.

Daruwalla, a stalwart of Indian poetry, who has picked up the the Sahitya Akademi Award (1984) and Commonwealth Poetry Prize (1987), has collated 20 stories in his new book `Love Across the Salt Desert` by Penguin India.

"For now I have given poetry a break and am concentrating on fiction, short stories. The current book is a selection of 20 stories some new and some old," Daruwalla told reporters in an interview.

The author more known for his vivid, sensitive poems had published his first novel "For Pepper and Christ" in 2009.

His latest book is named after the heartwarming lead story, a tale where the protagonist a shy young lad defies authority and crosses the international border between India and Pakistan in pursuit of love.

The story is part of syllabus and is included in school textbooks in the country.

"I wanted the book to be named after the story because I thought it would trigger some old memory ," says the poet-storyteller.

Citing Kushwant Singh and Bunny Reuben as favourites, the writer says, "These authors are known for their short stories. Of late Indian authors have not taken to the genre."

Irrespective of whether it is fiction or poetry the muse remains the same, says the 74 year old Delhi-based writer who is currently the president of the Poetry Society of India.

"The art and inner stream and your creative instincts are the same whether you dabble in fiction or you dabble in poetry," says Daruwalla who began writing in school and whose first book "Under Orion" was published in 1970.

The author, a senior police officer who retired from the IPS often portrayed in his works the rich landscapes, people and the plight of the human being confronting life.

"In my profession I got to travel a lot both in India and abroad. My stories and my poetry is rooted in the soil and it reeks of the soil the hard external reality of people, especially in India," says Daruwalla.

The poet says he incorporates a a lot of rural landscape and rural India which the Indian language authors talk about but "not much is written about in English."

"I bring in the locale and introduce the characters before plunging into the story. Like the story on the Trojan Horse, I made up a story on a metaphor," he says.

Daruwalla`s newest book contains varied stories. "When Gandhi Came to Gorakhpur" is about a small-time lawyer who dithers over giving up his profession and joining the freedom struggle until his mind is made up for him. In "Of Abul Qasim"

Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni stints on a few silver coins for the poet Abul Qasim, he is visited by terrible nightmares. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Daruwalla says he spent four years in England and had travelled a lot in Europe and America, a period which gave him lot of inspiration.

"While I was writing `Pepper and Christ` about voyages of Vasco DGama, I simultaneously wrote a book `The Map Maker` on poetry containing monologues poems on voyaging," he says.

After over 12 books the author says he has not run out of ideas.

"Many writers face that but I haven`t run dry yet. I have enough ideas and will bring out another book of newer short stories later this year."

"I don`t write poetry now because you are afraid of repeating yourself.

The rhymes, the way you begin or end a poem, may get repeated. Also you are not a master of your creative impulse," says the Delhi-based writer.

The storyteller says he will stick to fiction and poems and "will not indulge in non fiction writing."

"I have also written two 3-act plays too, one of them has been dramatised in Mumbai and I will get them published soon. But before that I am hoping to get them performed."

"The first `Rakhael` and `Darius Codo Manun` about Darius 3 contains poetic drama in context of Greek and Persian," says Daruwalla.