Author Interview: RUBINA RAMESH, author of KNITTED TALES & FINDING THE ANGEL

Rubina Ramesh

Today I bring you Rubina Ramesh, proud and popular indie author of two books, one an eclectic collection of short stories while the other is a beautiful and touching romance novel, as diverse as they come. I have known Rubina since 2013 and I am also proud of the fact that she inaugurated her THE BOOK CLUB with the blog tour of my first published novella. There's more to Rubina than a writer. She's an ace reviewer and marketeer, though my first association with the lady was when I came across her short stories during a contest and was totally impressed. I am mighty chuffed about the fact that I had a hand in pushing Rubina to publishing her work. Yeah, writing she has been doing for many years, while publishing is a different ballgame altogether. And I am truly thrilled that my friend has chosen the indie path - a mite difficult maybe, but totally self satisfying, I must say. I am sure she agrees with me.

So, here you go...

Sundari Venkatraman: Rubina Ramesh, the marketer VS Rubina Ramesh, the author - how tough is it to wear two entirely different hats? Do you find it easy or difficult to promote your own work?

Rubina Ramesh: Hi Sundari, Thanks for these lovely questions. You really know how to ask the tough ones

Sundari Venkatraman: Glad to hear that

Rubina Ramesh: I am an author by choice and a marketer by chance. You know we started this journey together. During those days, some 4 years back, the idea of gathering reviews was not so much in vogue in the Indian scenario. Though we had some terrific reviewers gathering the book lovers together, the word “cross-promotions” was looked down upon.

It might be I was living in the USA and I can stay up late, which made it possible for me to reach out the readers in their prime time. Now prime time in every zone varies. And this became my field to play with. I fell in love with cross promotions and I met some authors who trusted me enough with their books. They did not even ask me as to why I needed the free copies. I have been blessed that way.

Sundari Venkatraman:  Oh yes! I remember only too well how we started off together. It's been a wonderful and self-satisfying journey indeed. Cheers! Now for my next question: You had an opportunity to go trad publish. Why did you change your mind? Are you happy with your decision?

Rubina Ramesh: Not once but four times. My first two books were trad published and I had the blessing of the Man above to be published on the same pages as Gulzar Sir. Thanks to Fablery Publications for arranging that. But then, one of the big publishers along with a few upcoming ones accepted my book Finding the Angel and my upcoming Maya. (Yes, I had written Maya many years ago) But the changes they asked me to make, I just could not.

The world is changing nowadays Sundari. I am trying to be true to my art. My story. My effort and my mistakes. I leave it to the readers to decide whether they like me or not. It cannot be the likes and dislikes of one human being. Period. So like I live my life, I relive my stories. On my own terms.

Sundari Venkatraman: I know exactly what you mean. I found this quote under Mind Chow in today's Mumbai Mirror, "If you're creating anything at all, it's really dangerous to care what people think" and was thinking how apt it is for us indie authors and your reply just confirms that thought. So when are we going to read your next book? What genre is this one going to be?

Rubina Ramesh: Maya. I just cannot let go of it yet. It’s a drama or a psychological thriller, as you want to call it. I like experimenting with genres. I am writing a fantasy also. One day maybe an erotica. I won’t suggest this to new authors at all. Very risky since the chance of losing your audience is more. But the readers are more intelligent now and they like exploring things too. They like coming out of their comfort zone. I have had serious readers coming up and saying they like Finding the Angel and romance readers falling in love with Knitted Tales. I have had a few who rejected the other one based on their likes of my one book. Fair enough. I am not out to please all but to satiate those 3 hours that a reader spends on a book. Only those three hours where they forget their likes and dislikes. I dream of stories and write them. And my dreams are varied.

Knitted Tales in Paperback

Sundari Venkatraman: I have been hearing a lot about your Maya. I am waiting eagerly to get my hands on it. My fingers crossed that you are able to complete it soon. Okay, now for the next one and maybe this question should have been the first one. Knitted Tales is a short story collection of mixed genre. Finding The Angel is a gentle romance. They can't get more diverse and I must say both are extremely well penned. How do you manage that?

Rubina Ramesh: Where is it written that a writer has to be curbed within the boundaries of a genre? I read everything I can lay my hands on. Every genre. Every kind of author. To me, it does not matter, if he or she is an indie author provided the story is well edited. So if I can read any genre, I think I want to write in a few diverse genres as well

Sundari Venkatraman: You have a very valid point there. And I know from my experience with Knitted Tales that you can write in diverse genres. Keep writing is all I can say. Do we get to see your books in paperback anytime soon?

Rubina Ramesh: Oh yes! My Knitted Tales has come out as Paperback now and soon all others will follow. Amazon has been great to authors like us. Eccentric and those who don’t follow the rules. You will know that feeling, right Sundari?

Sundari Venkatraman: I can's but agree with your point about Amazon. With this we come to the end of an awesome interview. Looking forward to reading more and more of your work, Rubina Ramesh. I wish you the very best in your journey as a writer, an entrepreneur and reviewer. Kudos!

Click here to buy the author's books: Author.to/Rubina

Blog Tour: GUEST POST by Rubina Ramesh

Rubina Ramesh

I knew Rubina Ramesh first as a story teller and only later as a marketeer. Many people know her as the face of THE BOOK CLUB but first and foremost, Rubina can sure weave a tale that pulls the reader in with the way she builds her characters and sentences, many a time leaving the reader wondering what had hit them. Today, I bring you Rubina Ramesh, Indie author of Knitted Tales: A Collection of Emotions. This book is an anthology of short stories that bring you the varied shades of human thoughts and behaviours. Recently, she’s also published her first romance novel called Finding the Angel that would remind one of the Mills & Boons of the 70s & 80s – the best ever. Yes, I became her fan first and I am glad that today I am a friend too.

My question to the author is this:

There’s young Jaspreet who’s undergoing tremendous pressure in the exam hall. I found your description of her feelings so real and amazing. And then there’s the sexy siren Lolita of many layers. It can’t get more divergent than the two. It’s amazing that both were born from the same author’s pen. Can you throw some light on how these came about?

And here's Rubina Ramesh’s answer:

Dear Sundari,

Coming from you I will take that as a HUGE compliment for pleasing you is never easy. Thank you.

I have a few advantages over life.

1. I am a writer with an overactive imagination.

2. I am a woman writer with an overactive imagination.

3. I am a mother and a woman writer with an overactive imagination.

Now as you can see with every role my imagination is stretching a bit more. :D Knitted Tales was written over a period of time. The days I was happy, a peppy story popped up for the prompt put up in Wrimo India. Having a teenage daughter, whose mother has a hormonal imbalance, can be a catalyst to an overdriven imagination. Every examination after you give a pep talk to your daughter, you are left with an empty gaping hole of self-doubt about the way you are bringing up your kid in this rat race. We had it easy compared to our kids. But we cannot show it or they latch on to our weaknesses. My daughter is a wonderful artist but like every parent we dream of her becoming a doctor or an engineer. Movies like 3 Idiots scream about the injustice that we do to our kids. But such messages are appreciated when it happens to our neighbors or our friend's kid. Out of that feeling, Jaspreet was born.

Jia Khan's death left a very strong feeling of dread in me. A young life snuffed out so early and such a senseless death. Lolita, though not a takeoff from her life, but it’s more about the emotion that I felt when I read the news. What makes a person commit suicide at the peak of their lives? What did her soul come to learn? Did she depart once she had learned it? Such questions, as you know dear Sundari, always fascinate me. Lolita, which I am planning a full-fledged novel on, is my quest for those answers.

Thank you, Sundari for this opportunity to express myself. 

Click on the picture to buy Rubina Ramesh's books

Blog Tour: KNITTED TALES: A COLLECTION OF EMOTIONS by Rubina Ramesh

KNITTED TALES:
A Collection of Emotions
by

Rubina Ramesh

Blurb

What forces an innocent girl to become a sex symbol? Her desires? Or cruel fate? 

Is a lifetime enough—for avenging a betrayal? How do you hide secrets that never stopped haunting you? 

Can vengeance and secrets of your past devastate your present? How can long-buried crimes of yours suddenly raise their head? Can sinning be saving?

Is your spouse your soulmate? What if they never understood your feelings? Can you still live with them?

Lastly, does life give only two options? Live or die? What if there is a third?

In her debut anthology, Rubina Ramesh tries to find answers to these questions that are often from the heart and yet makes the mind ponder over the solution. Or is it the other way round? Either way, Knitted Tales is a bouquet of emotions that is bound to touch both your head and your heart.

Grab your copy @

Amazon India | Amazon USA | 
Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia

Check out all the posts here 

 About the author

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. 

Her other published works include:

'Home is where Love is’ a short story in the anthology Writings from the Heart. Ed. by Beth Ann Masarik. 

‘You Stole My Heart’ and ‘Let me Go’. Short stories as a part of the anthology Long and Short of It by Indireads.

'Wake Me Up' as a part of the anthology Marijuana Diaries by Fablery Publishers.

You can stalk her @

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Tornado Giveaway 3: KNITTED TALES: A COLLECTION OF EMOTIONS by Rubina Ramesh

Check all the Books Here

Name of the book: Knitted Tales: A Collection
of Emotions
Author: Rubina Ramesh

Read some reviews: 

1. Sundari Venkatraman
2. Inderpreet Uppal
3. Devika Fernando

The Story: 

What forces an innocent girl to become a sex symbol? Her desires? Or cruel fate? 

Is a lifetime enough—for avenging a betrayal? How do you hide secrets that never stopped haunting you? 

Can vengeance and secrets of your past devastate your present? How can long-buried crimes of yours suddenly raise their head? Can sinning be saving?

Is your spouse your soulmate? What if they never understood your feelings? Can you still live with them?

Lastly, does life give only two options? Live or die? What if there is a third?

In her anthology, Knitted Tales: A collection of emotions, Rubina Ramesh tries to find answers to these questions that are often from the heart and yet make the mind ponder over the solution. Or is it the other way round? Either way, Knitted Tales is a bouquet of emotions that is bound to touch both your head and your heart.

You can buy the book @

amazon.in | amazon.com | amazon.co.uk

Check out all the books of Tornado here 

About The Author

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.

Stalk her @
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Book Review: KNITTED TALES: A COLLECTION OF EMOTIONS by Rubina Ramesh

Congratulations Rubina Ramesh! I am sure this is the first of many more to come. Looking forward to reading more and more of your writing.

The title drew me right in. I am a sucker for emotional drama. What’s the worth of a story if it doesn’t make one emote? I need to either laugh, cry, love, hate or whatever. And so I delved into the book that promised a whole collection of them.

The cover goes perfectly with the title and even more so with the stories that have been knitted within.

I have read the author’s writing on and off and have always believed she’s an excellent story-teller, especially shorts. Rubina Ramesh has her own style of presenting a story – THUD – like a slap on one’s face. The scenes make you sit up and take notice as she weaves words into sentences that stir you up.

The book begins with a tale called “A secret in their closet”. Curiosity tickled, I read on, goose pimples standing out on my skin. The story of Anjali and Payal is sure to make you bite your nails.

I never expected “Betrayal” to end the way it did. Hard hitting! The writing is so powerful that you want to kick the antagonist, hard.

“Chiclets” is a sweet little story that absolutely touched my heart – simple and beautiful.

“Forgive Me, for I have sinned” touches a bold theme. I liked Sharda’s character – the wife who accepts her husband Abhijit for exactly what he is. Nicely penned with crisp dialogue.

“Lolita” is one of the best stories. I so loved the way Lolita is brought to life by the author’s words. I want more. Is there a full novel in the making, Rubina Ramesh? (Please say ‘yes’)

“No Regrets” is another cutesy story about NRI life in the USA. I loved the way Raima dealt with her situation as an undervalued housewife.

“SuvarnaRekha” has a surprising setting, interesting story, unexpected ending. I felt sad while reading it, but I don’t think the lovers really cared. What attitude!

“The Little Godmother” is heart touchingly beautiful. A lovely must read for young parents.

“The Missing Staircase” – I could so relate to Christie’s beautiful relationship with her grandfather. The title is perfect and the second half startlingly unexpected.

“The Other Woman” – I cried for fourteen-year-old Aru. Touched me deeply. I still don’t know if I should be angry with Aru’s parents or feel sorry for them.

“Daddy, Hear me out” – I went back to my children’s school days. My daughter used to hate exams and the pressure they brought with them. Jaspreet’s situation will touch a chord among many youngsters. The story is a clarion call for us to wake up to reality and let our children live their lives. The scene where the author has described Jaspreet’s thoughts as she sits at the examination table brings the anguish of a student to life.

“I suck at examinations. I hate them. My mind stops working when the question paper lands on my desk and all I see is a black abyss. I can see the answers at the end of the black tunnel. Often I run towards them, hoping I can hold them in my two hands and put them down on the paper. But they escape me. Like small angels, naughty ones, who have just come to torment me and then flutter away. Mocking me with their presence, yet escaping me and leaving me behind, parched.”

“Cliff Notes” is in first person (as many of the above stories) and is the best of the lot. At the end of it, I wanted to hug this ‘person’ who was telling the story.

Other quotes from #KnittedTales that stayed back with me:

“If silence had a sound of its own, then there would be a cacophony of screams.”

 “Her heart soared when trembling hands held an umbrella over her, lest the angry sun peeled away the layers of her beauty.”

VERDICT: You can’t afford to ignore Rubina Ramesh’s words or her writing style, if you are an avid reader. You’d miss something truly valuable.

Buy your copy @

Amazon India | Amazon USA | 

Amazon UK | Amazon Australia | Amazon Canada

About the author

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. 

Cover Reveal: KNITTED TALES: A COLLECTION OF EMOTIONS by Rubina Ramesh

RELEASING ON THE 10th OF OCTOBER 

Knitted Tales: A Collection of Emotions 
By 
Rubina Ramesh

Every tale has a path to follow to reach its destination.. but it may not exactly be the one we should follow.

WHAT IS THE ANTHOLOGY ALL ABOUT?

What forces an innocent girl to become a sex symbol? Her desires? Or cruel fate? 

Is a lifetime enough—for avenging a betrayal? How do you hide secrets that never stopped haunting you? 

Can vengeance and secrets of your past devastate your present? How can long-buried crimes of yours suddenly raise their head? Can sinning be saving?

Is your spouse your soulmate? What if they never understood your feelings? Can you still live with them?

Lastly, does life give only two options? Live or die? What if there is a third?

In her debut anthology, Rubina Ramesh tries to find answers to these questions that are often from the heart and yet makes the mind ponder over the solution. Or is it the other way round? Either way, Knitted Tales is a bouquet of emotions that is bound to touch both your head and your heart.

WHAT INSPIRED ME TO WRITE THIS ANTHOLOGY...

Dear Friends and Aspiring Writers,

My journey as a writer started after I joined Wrimo India. It’s a group of aspiring authors where all members are challenged to write, by the NaNoWriMo ML for India region and the Founder/Admin of Wrimo India, Sonia Rao.  Along with the other admins, Neel Ina and Dola Basu Singh, she made our lives pretty tough if we did not submit on time.

Our work was critiqued, broken to pieces and then mended again by all the Wrimo members. I laugh now, whenever I reminisce about those days. We writers are so passionate about our work that even a little bit of criticism makes us want to hide our baby. But in this group, we trained ourselves to accept all types of honest criticism. We sculpted our stories and life continued. This happened around 2 years ago.

Then, one fine day I found that I had gathered around 17 stories and forgotten all about them. As I dusted away the layers of neglect, I fell in love with my own stories. I am a narcissist. :)  But then, all writers are, aren’t they? I do hope what I have written from my heart, touches you. Here are the stories of a writer who aspires to always write from her heart. With NaNoWriMo just around the corner, here’s raising a toast to inspiration!

Releasing on 10th of October 2016

Add the cover of 
Knitted Tales: 

a collection of emotions 
by 
Rubina Ramesh
to your 

Edited by Inderpreet Kaur Uppal

Proofread by Nikita Jhanglani 

Cover Designed by Sachin Venkatesh

About Rubina Ramesh

 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. 

Her other published works include

'Home is where Love is’ a short story in the anthology Writings from the Heart. 

Ed. by Beth Ann Masarik 

‘You Stole My Heart’ and ‘Let me Go’. Short stories as a part of the anthology 

‘Long and Short of It’ by Indireads

'Wake Me Up' as a part of the anthology ‘Marijuana Diaries’ by Fablery Publishers

You can stalk her @

Facebook | Twitter | Website 

This Tour is Hosted by 

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