So Richa Singh of my favourite Blogchatter asked us to share a few things on LinkedIn as a part of getting to know us a little better in 2025.
I know Richa and Blogchatter since 2017 as a newbie blogger.I grew as a blogger ,making many blogger friends ,while Blogchatter helped me start earning blogging,writing and more.
My first job:
I tutored my sister’s friends .
A secret super power:I have a Martha Stewart gene.I cook well,bake bread and have a very green thumb!
A year you can’t forget
2000 :I entered Calcutta Medical College as an undergraduate.
An achievement you are super proud of
Becoming a doctor.
An Elevator pitch of introduction to me:
Hi, I am Dr.Amrita Basu.I am an ENT and Head-Neck surgeon with a very green thumb,a colourful imagination and I moonlight as a Creative writer sharing brand stories both through my blog and books.2025 marks a decade of writing online and you can find my work at https://lnkd.in/d8zA2J4G
#Doctor #Healthwealthbridge #Writing #Blogger #Health #Wellness
Author interview
Author Interview with Heather Wilde: Birth of a Unicorn
Good books make you want to talk to the author. I recently read the book Birth of a Unicorn by Heather Wilde. This is what she said about her vision, writing, and inspiration.
What made you write this book?
I was challenged to write this book by my coach — and dear friend — Mark Rowland. He asked me to write down the experiences that I had been through that had brought me to the point in my life in a way that would be helpful to the “me of 5-10 years ago”.
Featured post
How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!
What inspired the book Name?
It’s a double-”double-entendre”.
As a woman, one of the most difficult and yet beautiful processes you can ever go through in life is birth — it is painful and changes you mentally and physically in so many ways, and in the end, you have something that you dreamed about but is never quite what you expected it to be.
A “unicorn” symbolizes something or someone with unique and rare gifts — and it also means a startup with a billion-dollar valuation.
What is the most important step of the 6 Steps?
Every step is equally important — it’s more about finding the right balance for you. For me, the most important step was gaining the knowledge of how to identify when you’re starting to fall out of balance. Once I had gone through it once, I was able to identify myself falling back into my old patterns and quickly was able to cut that cycle off.
Are you still living a digital nomad life?
In a way, I think everyone has had a taste of the digital nomad lifestyle in the past year. The last twelve months have been the longest stretch of time I’ve been in one place out of the last 15 years, and I’m looking forward to the day when we are all safe and I can join my global brothers and sisters around the world again.
What is your biggest takeaway from that life?
My biggest takeaway is that it doesn’t take “stuff” to make someone happy. The more I’ve traveled, the more I’ve had to learn to live out of smaller and smaller places — often only just a suitcase. I realized early on that the things that are most important to me are the experiences I get to have and the relationships I’ve built — which are priceless and don’t take up any room at all.
What’s your process of writing a book?
It’s a lot of pacing around the house until I have an idea pretty much fully formed, and then I just sit down and write whatever bit wants to come out. I also have been known to record myself answering questions and transcribing the audio, then editing from there.
If you had to do this all again, what would you do differently?
I’d tell myself to buy Google shares in 2000.
On a more personal note, I’d be more kind to myself as I was working through everything I went through. I wouldn’t have changed anything about the experience though, as it made me who I am today.
Rapid Fire :
Your favorite business book? The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need
Your favorite colour? Grey
Your favorite food? Escargot
Your hobby? Making Ice Cream
What do you love about writing? I love creating worlds.
Sharing is good Karma!
Spilling the beans Author Interview with Preethi Venugopala #Podcast
Back in 2016, I had started featuring women writers, bloggers, entrepreneurs. It was called the mompreneur series. I have seen moms face unique challenges when it comes to balancing their dreams and reality. You understand what I am talking about, right?
That’s why as a blogger, one of my goals, was to feature these women, who pivot with grace. Because life and its challenges need flexibility.
In 2020 August, I am bringing back this feature series with podcast interviews of moms who are amazing, working from anywhere.
What’s special about them?
They are all qualified professionals who started another venture as a Work from home opportunity. How did they do it? What do they do? What keeps them inspired and much more.
About Preethi Venugopala
Preethi Venugopala is a long time friend. I interviewed her for the first time in 2018. Back then she was managing two blogs and writing books at the same time. One of the few Indian authors who I knew had the experience of both the publishing world. She was quietly doing her work.
Writing in a very competitive genre like Romance is no easy task. Preethi has a fresh new Billionaire romance published. Who doesn’t like a Billionaire romance?But is it all a cake walk?
This and more on the Podcast .
Tell me a little about who you are and what you do?
I am a civil engineer by education and also a blogger and writer. I started blogging in 2013 and blogging turned me into an author. I have published 8 novels on Amazon and over 15 short stories till now on different platforms.
You have a new book releasing soon.Tell me about it?
I released my latest book on 26th July 2020. It is called ‘Falling for Cinderella’. It is a cross between Cinderella and Jane Eyre kind of stories. Both being my favourites.
How long have you been writing? What are the lessons you learned ?
My first publishing outing was in 2014 when I got published in an anthology of short stories. Writing is a passion and it is also cathartic. It heals you at so many different levels. Especially if you are writing fiction. You are forced to step into the shoes of your characters and that makes you experience different worlds.
Has blogging helped you write your books?
Definitely. Blogging was where I started. I wrote flash fictions on my blog first before attempting to write short stories. After that came full-length novels.
How did you start?Did anyone help with the Kindle book publishing part?
Yes. I got lots of help from other indie authors. But mostly I researched online, attended webinars and mostly it was trial and error.
What is in your toolbox as an author?
For writing I use Scrivener and MS Word. Scrivener is great for plotting. I read books by authors I love in the genre I write. Reading gives you tools to write.
How do you write your books ?Tell us about ideation to publish?
I believe every book has a soul. It comes to the author at the right time as a never-ending chatter that holds us captive. Only when we let them loose on the page will the characters let you be at peace. It is like this constant nagging that happens in the back of your mind.
Featured post
How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!
What are your top must do, for persisting at writing in such a disciplined manner?
If you were to start now,what would you do different?
I am learning with every book I am writing. I wouldn’t do anything different from what I have been doing till now.
Tell me a little bit about your first book Without you.I hear it’s now reaching several milestones.
‘Without You’ was a dream come true. Literally. The idea of the book came to me in a dream. And it has surprised me with the kind of reception it got till now. Some readers say it is like that sweet little candy nobody can resist.
Tell me about how you market your book to reach the right audience.Romance is competitive right?
Romance is competitive. But I am a reluctant marketer. I hardly market it the proper way like the others do. I mainly focus on categories and keywords and just trust that it will reach my readers somehow.
What would you like to tell anyone who wants to start writing a book?
Focus on what you would like to read in a book. Mostly, we can write stuff that we love to read. Don’t fall for what is trending. Stick to what you are good at.
One habit all writers must have.
Discipline. To put down a minimum of 50,000 words, you need a lot of discipline. Books don’t write themselves. We have to spend hours tapping out words on the laptop to fill that manuscript. So, unless you are disciplined, we cannot finish writing a book.
Resources Mentioned:
Juggernaut
Anita’s attic
Scrivener
Microsoft word
Read more about Preethi Venugopala mompreneur’s blogging journey :Blog to book fairytale
Get the book ,by clicking the link below.
Blog : https://preethivenugopala.com
Falling for Cinderella
Sharing is good Karma!
The New Business Card by Penny .C.Sansevieri :Author Interview & Book summary(*Listen)
Your book is The New Business card! That’s what Penny C.Sansevieri best selling author of multiple books and an iconic expert in book marketing and media relations. She is internationally recognized as the founder and CEO of Author marketing expert. Her company has launched some of the most innovative social media and internet book marketing campaigns.
AME has recently had eleven client books ride to the top of best-seller lists of New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal.Her website www.authormarketingexpert.com
Interview Highlights
An author and a very busy entrepreneur I caught up with Penny one late Thursday night. During my interview with Penny, I learned
- How you can write a book even without writing it.
- Why The book is your new Business card
- How to find and focus on your area of expertise while writing a book.Why you should always write from a position of strength.
- Why a good editor is important and how to find one.Important points about how to find one suitable for you in the book!
- Why your book cover can make or break a deal.
- Why content matters and not fluff.
- Audiobooks and when they are important.
- Amazon covers almost 96% of the e-book market. If you are not on Amazon you need to be pretty powerful
Listen to the interview and let me know in the comments section about the book your dream to write
My favorite question to ask Authors,
Why did you write the book?
Penny said
I wished someone had written this book for me when I needed it!
The author interview when it starts, you may want to increase the volume. This recording faced many challenges.
The New Business card by Penny .C.Sansevieri: Book Review
The New Business Card: Write and publish a book to attract more business, more media, and more speaking engagements! Is just the guidance a first-time author needs. The principles are sound and will be useful for both nonfiction and fiction writers.B ut I think it will be an extra boost for all people and companies thinking of going that extra mile. To write and launch their books is a good way to publicize, to reach more people.
What I found most useful :
The author gives an overview as well as stresses on the important aspects of planning, writing and marketing your book without overwhelming. In a crowded world, in order for your book to make an impact, it needs to reach the right people.
That’s where this book scores.
What could be better?
Since the author is an expert at book marketing, I would have liked to know more about her experience with Amazon ads.
Takeaway:
Must read to help you plan your online journey and build authority.
The New Business card by Penny .C.Sansevieri: Book Blurb
Are you ready to grow your business in 2018? Are you tired of throwing money at traditional advertising strategies without any real results? It’s time to expand your market and grow your business by publishing a book that highlights your expertise and works as your 24/7 sales tool!More strategic, more creative, and more effective than ads, a book is a lucrative way to create thousands of new opportunities.
This book will teach you how to:
- Quickly write a book that will sell – in 90 days or less you can become a published author
- Save time and money with our time-testing publishing shortcuts to help you get published quickly
- Leverage new and exciting speaking opportunities
-
Expand your business, beyond what you ever thought possible
-
Get more media and how to better position yourself as an expert
-
Build your mailing list twice as fast
-
Make more money because you’re a published author – yes you can!
Written by someone who learned, first hand, how to build a business with a book, Penny will teach you the ins and outs of producing a book, publishing it, and getting it in front of potential buyers.If you always thought publishing a book is hard, you’ll be surprised how easy it can be with Penny.Even if you’re not ready to start writing tomorrow, read this book today and be prepared to get moving when the timing is right!
Sharing is good Karma!
Shipra Trivedi’s Spicy Blog to Book Journey with Spicy Trail #BlogtoBook
Shipra is a well-known blogger. She has penned one of the most unique books, this season of Blogchatter Ebook Carnival. The many spices, that make Indian cuisine unique, makes her book Spicy trail a spicy read! She had a dream and today on this blog to book journey, you will get to know how she made it a reality.
Welcoming Shipra Trivedi of Vibhuandme.com on this #AuthoJourney feature.
Tell me a little about your background, your story.
I come from a small place, Raebareli, in UP, India. I am the first person in my family who came so far here in Delhi to pursue higher studies and eventually settled here. I am a software professional by the line of work. Starting from being a junior developer, I am now a project manager. I am very attached to my roots and my family. I frequently visit them as they are in my hometown. Despite I have been living in Delhi since last more than 10 years, I still prefer the easy lifestyle of my hometown.
I am married to my childhood friend. My husband is also a senior software professional. He is my mentor for all sorts of problems. I am also the mother of a 3.5 years old son. He is the biggest inspiration behind my enthusiasm. His creativity encourages me to go beyond the limits.
[bctt tweet=”Shipra Trivedi’s Spicy Blog to Book Journey & Spicy Trail #Writer #BlogtoBook #AuthorJourney #AuthorInterview #Healthwealthbridge @trivediship” username=”misra_amrita”]
When did you start blogging?
In my childhood, I used to take part in various writing competitions. My father always encouraged me to take part in them and he only wrote all my write-ups. I used to just practice them. Somehow I always secured a prize; either first, second or third, and this made get inspired by Papa’s writing which is actually very good. Then, as I reached in higher classes, I stopped writing. There was so much to do other than this. However, after I started working, I used to have time and I jumped into writing technical blogs. There was no regularity though.
My pregnancy was the time when I read so many parenting posts. They gave me the much-needed motivation and when my son was only 8 months, I wrote my first personal experience post on a parenting website. It was a success there. Since then, I am trying to write as much as I can. Initially, I wrote mostly parenting posts, but soon I also tried my hands in writing about social issues, womanhood, relationships, health and of course food. For first three years as a blogger, I wrote on different parenting platforms. Last year I got my own blog setup, Vibhu & Me (www.vibhuandme.com). In short, I am a parenting and lifestyle blogger, who can also write about Indian culture, technology, and food.
Did you have a plan of writing a book?
I never thought to write a book, frankly. A writer holds a great responsibility as he/she influence readers with his/her idea and theory. That’s why I feel every book carries an accountability towards readers. I like the idea of ebook though. A quick read, that readers can enjoy being anywhere anytime through their smart devices. One such book I also launched recently after taking part in Blogchatter ebook carnival. For novels and science fictions, I feel, paper books are better.
Tell me a little about your writing habit.
Being a working mother, honestly, there is no fixed schedule for my writing. I write when I get time. Often sitting in the office during my breaks, and back home when my son is out for his play. Basically, I am a blogger of wee hours when my boy sleeps, that is the only peaceful span I get at home. At times, it gets difficult to balance my work, domestic chore, and my writing. But I try my best to give time to my writing commitments with giving most of my time to office and family.
I write both in Hindi and English. I also have two separate blogs for Hindi (https://hamaritumhari.wordpress.com) and English writing (www.vibhuandme.com). My husband is always the first person who reads my blogs (my first known reader). He gives feedback and I incorporate them immediately. I take his help in generating ideas. I also rely on my younger sister, who is also into writing, for unique thoughts as a reader and writer. My sister is a freelance writer and has been writing white papers and market studies for last many years.
Why did you want to write a book?
I am still in the path of learning and improving my writing. And I always felt that for writing a book, the writer should be very mature and expert in skills. But, with taking part in Blogchatter A to Z challenge this year, I understood “A writer is a writer”. There is no course that can give a certificate of being a published author. One can launch his/her book anytime with following a few requisites. I got to learn so much about book publishing during Blogchatter A to Z challenge.
Getting a book out is the ultimate dream of every writer. And with understanding self-publishing and the concept of the ebook, I felt why not try ebook and this way my first ebook came into the picture.
What is this book about?
When Blogchatter ebook carnival happened, many of my friends convinced me to try my hands in ebook publishing. I went ahead and managed to put my ebook “Spicy Trail” in Blogchatter ebook collection of this year. This is a short 33 pages read about spices. I fundamentally compiled my 26 Blogchatter A to Z posts in the form of an ebook. Every chapter of the ebook “Spicy Trail” explains a spice, its origin, history, and benefits. I have crafted each chapter with a personal touch out of my knowledge about specific spice.
What about Blog chatter ebook carnival? What is your favorite part?
Initially, I was apprehensive about this carnival. I thought I don’t belong to the set of writers who have the capability of getting their books published. However, as I followed the sessions and tweet chats of ebook carnival, I realized this year could be my leaning span of book publishing. I really liked the tweets chats and facebook sessions about book publishing arranged by Blogchatter platform.
Who helped you write the book?
I feel blessed that I got support from my family and friends. The month of April this year went in so much of reading and writing for Blogchatter A to Z challenge. And thanks to my husband who helped me through this. I had not drafted any post prior so it was literally daily writing for the whole month of April. After making the post live, I used to ask my husband to immediately read the post on that specific day. So, he was my in-house proofreader for the book “Spicy Trail”. A few days when I was busy with my office, my sister did study the spice of that day, and with her help I managed to post my blog of A to Z challenge.
When the time came close to preparing the ebook out of posts of Blogchatter A to Z, I was very confused. I was thinking if my book of spice can do any good. But I got a lot of help and positivity from Dr. Amrita. I was following her on twitter and I also took part in Super Blogger Challenge 2018 hosted by her with Dr. Bushra. This way, I was in touch with her and her friendly nature gave me the confidence to ask my silliest query to her. She even arranged special calls to take questions of ebook publishing. Amrita’s fair reasoning convinced me to go ahead and get my ebook ready for Blogchatter platform.
Did you have a launch plan?
My ebook is already there in Blogchatter platform. I am happy that many people have downloaded it and willing to review it. However, this year, I don’t have any plan to launch my ebook on other platforms like Amazon, Goodread or Kindle. To be honest, this book happened in hurry. I was both confused and busy so I couldn’t spend much time in shaping the book for specific platforms. I also couldn’t get my book proofread by any third person. That is why I am not launching my book on any other platform. Hopefully next year, I would plan better for Blogchatter A to Z and ebook carnival both. And then I would come with bang targeting different reader platforms.
How happy are you with this milestone?
I am really very happy. I never thought that people would be interested in reading about spices. Even my friends who only prefer fiction have downloaded the book. This is a big achievement for me.
Tell me about your future plans and goals?
For my writing, I would continue giving my best. Any opportunity that comes in front of me, I would not fail to grab it. I have listed down a few of my favorite subjects over which I want to write, and one by one I will write on them. I also have a dream to start my cooking YouTube channel about Pickles and Chutneys. This is still in my mind and I want to involve my mother-in-law and mother in it. I hope very soon I would start making process towards this. That’s why I am moving to a city close to my hometown.
One wish you have for your journey as a writer?
I want to be a known name in the blogging world. I know there are many talent writes and bloggers. But I wish to make my own name among all of them. And If I succeed, I would think about taking writing as my full-time career. I have left that on time to decide. As of now, I am enjoying every bit of my writing journey. And I would continue doing what gives me happiness rather than trying to re-invent the wheel.
Ebook: Spicy Trail
About the author: Shipra Trivedi is a working mother and has a great interest in reading & writing. As a new age woman, she plays multiple roles in a single day. A family-manager at home, a team lead in the office & a writer of wee hours. She blogs at http://www.vibhuandme.com.
Book Blurb: The intent of this book is to give a brief of 26 different spices in 26 chapters. Each chapter has one spice, its attributes, history, and ayurvedic benefits. Get set go on a spicy trail!
Sharing is good Karma!
Mahak Wadhwani, Author of Diary of a Baby :Author Interview
Mahak Wadhwani, Author of Diary of a Baby is a highly accomplished Engineer and MBA. She is now working as a part-time consultant while juggling her mommy life and writing life. Mahak Wadhwani, Author of Diary of a Baby talks about the reason behind her book and how she gets things done while managing everything else.
When you meet people virtually you have no idea about their journey. How it is that our paths crossed? With women I have interviewed for over three years, I have found a common string. You, my dear friend, is an example of a strong woman, who built the foundation under her own castle in the air.
Read the inspiring journey of a woman who balances life as only women can . This Wednesday on my Blog,
Mahak Wadhwani, Author of Diary of a Baby
Why did you want to write a book
It had always been on my bucket list to write a book. I guess as an avid reader and bibliophile, it was an ultimate dream for me to have a published book in my name. Though it always seemed far-fetched and I certainly had no plans to write a book so soon. In fact, had never really given much thought to it until I heard about the Blogchatter Ebook Carnival.
What is this book about?
My book is called “Diary of a Baby – Candid Confessions of a baby from 0 to 2 years”. It is all about looking at life from the eyes of a baby.I am sure as new parents, at some point or the other we have all wondered what exactly is going on inside our baby’s mind. What must the baby really be thinking about during all those colicky nights, teething, crawling for the first time, the first day of playschool etc?
In my book, I have tried to present a candid and witty take on life from a baby’s perspective written in the form of diary entries. Each entry is followed by an interpretation of that phase of the baby’s life with anecdotes from my own parenting experiences.
Who helped you write the book
Though the book was written by me, there were many people who helped me behind the scenes, either directly or indirectly. First and foremost my family unconditionally supported my decision to quit my full-time job and take up writing. Without their support, especially during the 2 months when I was busy writing this book, I would not have been able to accomplish this.
My friends in the mom blogging community helped me immensely. They were my sounding board for many of my ideas and my first critics to tell me what was good and what needed to be improved.
Most importantly, my dream to publish a book would have stayed a dream, had it not been for Blogchatter. I cannot tell you have grateful I am for the Ebook Carnival that gave me the push I needed to turn this into a reality. Plus their tweet chats, live discussions were immensely helpful in guiding me on how to edit and self-publish.
Lastly, I think it was pure serendipity that I reached out to you a couple of days before the book was due for submission. At that point, I was a little lost and about to give up, but your podcast gave me the direction and motivation I needed to push through.
(Check out the podcast that Mahak talks about below. Click to listen )
Tell me a little about your writing habits (How many hours a day, how do you proofread, edit, format to help those who are inspired by you)
As a blogger, I spend at least 3 hours on my blog every day. This includes writing, editing, designing creatives, and engaging on social media.
Every post goes through 4 iterations. The first draft is just listing down points as they come in my mind. I don’t worry much about forming sentences and grammar here, I just go with the flow and jot down points. The second iteration is when I form sentences and paragraphs, giving structure to the whole article. The third iteration is when I add creatives and captions. The final iteration is proofreading. This I usually do after a gap of a day so that I am reading the whole post with a fresh perspective.
With regard to my book, I followed a very similar process for each chapter. Since it was self-published, I did not have anyone to help edit and proofread. It was Dr. Amrita’s suggestion to read the book aloud to myself while proofreading and that helped a lot.
Tell me a little about your background. Your story
I am an Engineer an MBA. I spent 8 years working in business and technology consulting, before jumping off the corporate ladder and landing headfirst into a life of pooplosions, 3 a.m. feeds, teething and toddler tantrums.
During the first few months of motherhood, I felt disconnected from the world. I was spending most of my day closed in a room with a baby and not much adult interaction. It struck me that there must be millions of moms out there feeling just like this and that was what prompted me to start my blog, to connect with other new moms through my writing.
I now work part-time as a Consultant with a recruitment firm. The rest of my time is divided between my toddler, my family and my writing.
Do you think publishing the book has helped you?
I definitely think that the A to Z blogging challenge, as well as publishing my ebook, has helped me immensely as a writer. I have a much better understanding now of what works and what resonates with my audience.
Also as a blogger, I was quite adhoc in my writing, writing only when inspiration struck. Now I have become much better at being able to organize my thoughts and plan my writing.
When you started writing, did you have a plan of writing a book?
When I started blogging, I did not have the idea of a book in mind. As I mentioned, it was more like a far-fetched dream that I never gave much thought to. It was only when I heard about the Blogchatter Ebook carnival that the idea of a book started forming in my mind.
What about the Blogchatter Ebook carnival? What is your favorite part?
My favorite part has been the incredible sense of community. Though we are all bloggers and many of us from the same niche, we are all here to support each other. The community kept me motivated throughout, even at times when I was so close to giving up. We have been each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
Your favorite quote
This is a quote by American writer Henry David Thoreau that I connect strongly with:
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”
In hindsight my dream of writing a book was something like this, a castle in the air that I worked hard to lay the foundation for.
Did you have a launch plan
Honestly, as this was my first ever Ebook, I was not really prepared with a launch plan. The one thing I did was share it extensively on social media and my Whatsapp groups and that really worked. Thankfully Blogchatter had us covered with the launch creatives and their plan for book reviews and dramatic readings.
How happy are you with this milestone?
My book crossed 500 downloads within the first 2 weeks. This is an unbelievable milestone for me. I am completely over the moon.
My book is honest and from the heart, sharing my own experiences as a mother. I am proud yet humbled to know that so many parents out there could resonate with it.
Tell me about your future plans and goals
Since I work part-time and I have a toddler at home who needs my attention too, my writing suffers. My goal to be more regular with my writing. I also plan to focus on growing my social media presence aggressively in the next few months.
One wish you have for your journey as a writer
Now that I have an ebook published, my next dream is to have a physical book too. I think I will reach my ultimate pinnacle as a writer the day I see my book on a physical storefront or maybe when I have an actual book signing event. This is my next castle in the air 🙂
Mahak Wadhwani
Diary of a Baby
About the author: Mahak Wadhwani is a career woman turned mom to a 2-year-old and a blogger on Baby & Beyond. She landed headfirst into a life of pooplosions, 3 am feeds, teething & toddler tantrums – a life so exciting that she just had to share her journey with the world.
Book Blurb: Have you ever wondered what goes on inside your baby’s mind? “Diary of a Baby” is a candid, witty take on life from a baby’s perspective written as diary entries, followed by an interpretation of phases of a baby’s life from the author’s own parenting experience.
Blog: http://www.
Facebook: https://www.
Instagram: https://www.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/
Goodreads: https://www.
