Dilemma of An Aspiring Writer: #Help

Have you ever been in that phase of your life when you so desperately wanted to do something and no matter how hard you tried nothing worked out in your favour for whatever reason and when you shrunk back into your cocoon, something out of the blue happens which gives you a chance to achieve that one thing you had fought so hard for and you dance, dance and dance like a lunatic in your bedroom, on the terrace, under the shower and just when you were all set to go for the kill, something even more wonderful happens, a better chance, a better opportunity comes your way and now you are in a position where you are stuck between an opportunity which can make your life wonderful and an opportunity which could make your life even more beautiful, better and totally fantabulous but which also comes with T&C. What will you do then? Eh?

Well something sort of happens to me just like the above described situation. Exactly a year back I had written a chick-lit novel (yes! I did) and sent it to almost every publication in the country (yes! I did) and then I waited for the rejection letters to arrive. They did arrive, one after another. Few of them were summed up in one line while some of them came along with positive feedbacks and one actually come along with “Rejection Letter” written in the subject box. Though I did nearly secure the literary agent but at the end of the day nothing worked out. So I did what most of you would have done, shoved the manuscript deep down in the drawer of my night stand and forgot about it. Completely.

10 months later, I received an email from this very small but fairly good publication house where I sent my manuscript but totally forgot about. They liked it. They want to see more and by the tone of their emails they are pretty excited about it. This email completely jerked me out of the trance I had been living in for months. Once again I was happy, excited and very positive about my novel. I dig it out of the drawer and star to polish it off. And just when I was all set to mail it, all of it to this fairly good publication house, I received one more email, nope it wasn’t from them. It was from someone else and it was regarding this competition by Harlequin India. Harlequin has invited the publishing proposals not only in romance genre but for the very first time in chick-lit genre as well. AND here this big dilemma has born. What now? Should I send my entry to the competition and wait for the result or should I send it to the publication who would probably publish it by the time Harlequin will announce the winner. Though I am not very lucky with competitions, never had been but what if, just for once, once the fate decides to be in my favour and if I get the publishing opportunity with them? Wouldn’t it be awesome? Or On the bases of my past experiences with competitions I should just believe that I am never going to win it so why not give up and go for this fairly good but small publication. Should I take one last shot with big traditional publication house or should go for this independent one?

What if I lose the competition and by the time I get in touch with this independent publication house, it’s too late and they are no longer interested? In that case I would lose on both ends. It would be nothing but a lose-lose situation for me. I am really confused, sleep deprived and drinking dangerous amount of caffeine at the moment. I have to make the decision and I don’t have much time.

Would you like to help me?

Harlequin Passions - Aspiring Authors Auditions 2013

Hey! It’s Friday night and I guess all of you out there are ready to spend your weekend either lazing around in your beds or partying with your friends. Sounds tempting, right? But I have another option for you. Why don’t you start writing that one book which you have always wanted to write but “never got enough time ” to start with it because of hectic office schedule, family commitments or school runs. Well now is the time to put end to all of your excuses and set your eyes on that one publishing opportunity which could actually change your life forever.

Harlequin India is back with the yet another amazing opportunity for aspiring writers. Harlequin announces annual Passions - Aspiring Authors Auditions 2013 for romance and general fiction aspiring authors. This year the renowned publishing house has opened the doors for general fiction writers too. This year’s judges are renowned authors themselves – noted author and columnist, Shobhaa De and Mills & Boon global author from India, Shoma Narayanan.

Budding writers can submit a 100 word synopsis and first few chapters of their original story in no more than 5,000 words on or before February 7, 2014 on www.hqnindia.com. Writers in the general fiction category should also submit a detailed plot outline of 500 words. The winners will be rewarded with an assured editorial mentorship that will help them turn their ideas into best-selling fiction books and the possibility of a publishing contract. 

Past editions of the Passions contest, have led to the discovery of several new voices for the Mills & Boon imprint. These authors, such as Milan Vora, Shoma Narayanan, Aastha Atray, Ruchi Vasudeva, Adite Banerjie, have published Mills & Boon novels set in India.

To submit your entries go to this link: http://www.hqnindia.com/passions/enter_now.php

Hey Hey!!

Hello sweethearts. Finally, Finally....finally I am back after all the misadventures I had had last year. Though the year 2013 had started amazingly well for me, in which I also launched my fashion designing career but the end was not so happening for me. From October onwards I had done nothing, no reviews, no writing, not much of exhibitions.... basically nada mainly because of terrible flu, excruciating gum pains and broken ankle. All in all my Christmas or new year weren't as exciting as I wanted them to be. Phew!

Anyway let bygones be bygones, It's a new year and I am hoping to do some new exciting stuff (without  attracting anymore medical troubles thank you so much!). There are  going to be a lot of new reviews, beauty tutorials, fashion advises and I am also going to introduce the brand new section "52 Movies Challenge". Yes, I am going to watch one movie every week for the rest of the year.  Preferably rom-com, chick-flick and fashion documentaries. I will be watching old releases as well as new releases. I am just so excited to start with this section. (yayyyyy ) So stay tuned for all the brands new, sparkling and exciting stuff.  

 

Stay gorgeous, Stay sane and always stay stylish! *Kiss Kiss*

P.S: Did you notice the brand new banner of Fabulous Adda? Do you like it? Leave your comments below or mail me at fabulousadda@gmail.com . 

Fashion Tips from Recessionista

Dollar is soaring, rupee is falling, pay checks are coming but some figures are missing = My life at this exact moment. Recession has hit hard, rather harder than I predicted, expected or hoped. Nonetheless there are things in our regular lives which can’t be compromised and likewise there are things in our lives which can do with some adjustments. Trust me, adjustments are smaller but they can make big differences, economically.

Couple of months back I was regular to beauty parlours for manicure-pedicure, hair spa, body massage, face clean-up and many more things. But since I have spotted ONE missing figure from my pay check, I had to convince myself to spend wisely and save nicely. Last month I had decided to give a miss to professional beauty treatments and gave myself head-toe beauty treatment at home at minimal prices and to be honest I saved an amount of money which seemed quite a lot and which I was spending without much consideration before this recession phase.

Let’s have a glance at my before and after beauty expenditure.

Before Recession My Spending On Grooming Treatments:

- Hair Spa (Twice a month)- INR 2000 ($32)

 

- Manicure (Twice a month)- INR 1000 ($16)

 

- Pedicure (Twice a month)- INR 1000 ($16)


- Body Massage (Twice a month)- INR 3000 (Approx. $49)

- Face Clean Up (Twice a month) INR 1500 (Approx. $25)

Total spending= INR 8500 ( $138)

Current Spending On Grooming Treatments:

- Instead of going to hair spa, I have decided to use homemade egg white head mask twice a month and hair massage with Luke warm almond oil which followed by covering the hair with hot towel and leaving it for 5 minutes (repeat the same 3 more times) for twice a month.

Cost= Total of 6 egg whites = INR 42 (Less than a dollar)

          Bottle of Almond Oil = INR 500 ($8)

Total cost= INR 542 (Less than $9)

- Instead of going to the Parlour for Manicure-Pedicure, I bought a mani-pedi kit, a bottle of shampoo, packet of Epsom salt, pumice stone and a scrubber. Fill the bucket with bearably hot water mix a dollop of shampoo and half a spoon of Epsom salt and stir it well. Remove any previously applied nail-polish, dip your feet in the water for 10 minutes and then work on one feet at a time. First use pumice stone and then scrubber to get rid of all the dead skin. Clipped and shape your nails, apply some cream (any cream) on your cuticles and push them backward. Clean your feet and apply any nail-polish of your choice. For manicure, fill a deep dish or small tub (something like popcorn tub) with a bearably hot water, mix a dollop of shampoo and half a spoon of Epsom salt and repeat the same procedure as you had previously done on your feet.

Cost: Mani-pedi kit = INR 500 ($8)

           Pumice Stone = INR 25 (50 cents)

           Scrubber = INR 200 ( $3)

           Shampoo =INR 165 ($2, 50 cents)

            Epsom Salt INR 350 (Approx $6)

Total Cost= INR 1240 ($21) 

- Nothing can beat a professional body massage but still you can attain a certain level of relaxation and satisfaction with an alternative. I bought a bottle of body scrub and used the Epsom salt from the packet which I used for mani-pedi. Take a generous amount of body scrub on your palm and scrub yourself lavishly and then take a bath with lukewarm water and mix a spoon of Epsom salt in the water. You will feel positively relaxed.

Cost= Body Scrub= INR 600 (Approx $10)

           Epsom Salt = Used from the same packet.

- For face clean-up I bought a pot of face scrub and a pot of face pack. First wash your face and pat it dry. Take some face scrub on your palm, mix few drops of water and apply on your face. Massage your face in circular motions. Clean your face and fill the steamer with water (if you don’t have steamer than boil water in a pan) and take the steam for 3-4 minutes. Then use the black head remover tool on your nose, forehead and chin area. Then take an Ice cube from your freezer and rub it on your face. Pat your face dry and apply the face pack and wash your face after 20 minutes. Later apply some moisturiser.

Cost= Face Scrub= INR 300 (Approx. $5)

           Face Pack= INR 350 (Approx $6)    

Total Cost= INR 650 (Approx $11)

 

Grand Total = INR 3032 ( Approx $50)

All in all I saved= INR 5468 ($85)

If you are like me, struggling to maintain your life and style in this ever falling economy than I would strongly advice, spend wisely, save nicely.

Stay Chic, Stay Stylish!!

Hiya, Good Morning people. Well practically it’s dawn but after spending the last five hours in tossing and turning in my bed I decided to give up and start my day early (Really early). So I sprung out of my bed at 3:55 A.M, opened my drawers and fished out this beautiful coral-coloured nail paint which I just bought the other day and varnished my nails. Then idly I started browsing through Daily Mail on my laptop and came across an article about beauty secrets of French women (aka how French women stay chic and young throughout their lives). To be honest half of the “secret” mentioned there were either too tiresome, expensive or simply waste of time. So I though why not write down the list of the things (in general) which women can do to look impeccable at any point of time. So here it is:

- Never wear ill-fitted undergarments. Undergarments are as important as your dress. The shape/size of undergarment can make or break your look so choose wisely and rightly.

- No matter how tired you are when you returned home after attending your best friend’s wedding, night out or from business meeting, always always remove your make-up with good make-up remover before going to the bed. Surely you don’t want to wake up next day with bad break out and blotches on your skin.

- Always moisturise your skin after bath. Keep a pot of hand cream in your purse and apply it after every hand wash.

- Never leave the house with minimal make-up. Tinted moisturiser, kohl, single coat of mascara and some lip-gloss is sufficed to get you through the day.

- If you don’t have time for painting your nails then keep the buffer handy. File your nails and give it a good buff and voila you will have healthy looking nails in just 5 minutes.

- If your nail paint is chipped then remove it immediately.

- If you have dry hair then wash your hair twice in a week and if you have really oily scalp like mine that wash your hair four times in a week and if you don’t have time for wash then apply some dry shampoo. It works wonders.

- Drink loads and loads of water as it will flush out all the toxins out of your body and will leave your skin radiant.

- Introduce some raw veggis and salads in your food as it will keep any bloating or puffiness away.

- Work out for at least 30 minutes to stay fit and healthy.

- If you have got swollen or puffy eyes because of late night then use refrigerated cucumber or tea bags to get instant relief.

- Last but not the least never go anywhere without checking yourself in the mirror, fix whatever is a miss. AND please don’t step out without confidence.

Follow these simply tips and I promise that there won’t be a day when you’ll look anything less than impeccable. Stay chic, stay stylish! x

Single Girl In The City !

Yes. This is what it’s all about. This is what Bridget Jones is all about. A girl in her thirties, with few wobbly bits, one giant granny pants and couple of friends lives in the city and works in the office where she has fallen for totally wrong guy-a moron.

This is the first every chick-lit book I had read. This is the first ever chick-flick I had ever watched. This book introduced me to the genres chick-lit and chick-flick. Even today whenever I feel bit rundown it’s my “go-to” book/comfort movie. The reason why I feel so comfortable and confident with Bridget Jones around me is because she is a woman like you and me. In my life so far I haven’t come across one woman, single woman who didn’t like this book or loved its movie adaptation.

Though I have met few guys who wonder that what girls love so much about this book/movie because as per them it just tells an average story of an average woman. Tell you what, there is nothing average about it. Every girl identifies with Ms. Jones and I have a good list of reasons to prove this:

- Every girl falls for some bastard or total loser at least once in her life time.

- Every girl has had her heart broken. (Normally more than once)

- Every girl fills her mouth with tons of ice-cream and chocolate as a way of mending her broken heart.

- Every girl has her fair share of wobbly bits.

- Every girl has a pair of spanx tucked in the back of her closet. (She will never confess)

- Every girl feels that she is few pounds over her ideal weight. (Even if she weights 8lbs)

- Every girl has received some embarrassing gifts from her parents. (A stupid skirt, ugly skirt or horrible jumper)

- Every girl hates her mother as much as she loves her. (It’s complicated!)

- Every girl wants a man like Mr. Darcy.

- Every girl doesn’t get a man like Mr. Darcy.

Few of my favourite scenes and quotes from the movie:

And They Lived Happily Ever After….?

Lately I have been super busy in attending bucket loads of wedding ceremonies and receptions and trust me you have no idea how much I love weddings. Beautiful cloths, breathtaking jewellery, scrumptious food, lavish ceremonies, music, dancing, laughing, eating…every single thing about wedding is my favourite. Soon everything comes to an end when one bid adieu to bride and groom who are already dreaming about their amazing new life together.

Time passes and one day you get a call at 8o’clock in the morning which literally made you jump out of the bed. It’s your friend, screaming, sobbing, yelling, shouting and muttering. “This is hell” she yells and all you could think is “huh”? This is the same girl who was the happiest girl on whole of the plant just couple of months back, this is the same girl who danced more than anyone else on her bachelorette and this is the same girl who announced a night before wedding “This is the best thing ever happened to me”. So why is she yelling that it’s so hard to manage everything? Why is she sobbing and muttering this is the worst decision I had ever made? Why is she screaming that what the fuck I’m doing here when I should have been on my way to that big meeting with my boss?

Let me say what I have observed in most of these bucket loads of weddings: This girl signed up for the wedding not for the marriage! (Yup! You heard me right). This girl thought that life was actually a fairy tale! SHUT UP! Beautiful cloths, breathtaking jewellery, scrumptious food, lavish ceremonies, music, dancing are the things which come with wedding. Adjustment and compromise are what marriage demands. A marriage needs your time, patience, love and care. You are no singleton now. You can’t sneak out for drink with your friends as and when you want. You absolutely have to manage the pile of dirt laundry and meeting with your boss, all in one day. Wake up girl! You are no Cinderella who is going to stay in a palace full of maids and servants. It’s real life for fuck sake! Stop complaining and work towards your relationship.

There is no happy ever after because life doesn’t end when a man aka prince marry a woman aka princess. It happens only in movies. Real life starts from here and real life fulls of up and downs, failure and success, happy and sad moments. No one can be happy each and every day. Every day is different. Take it as it comes and you'll see that life is so much more beautiful and difficult than what you have imagined!

AND girl whatever you do.. DON’T fucking call me at 8 o’clock in the morning. It’s a bad time to talk to anyone who is suffering from insomnia and who manages to doze off at 5: 30 A.M!