Discover Inspiring Authors, Stories & Conversations

Author bio:

Manali is a freelance writer and editor cum blogger. She also runs a blog where she shares poetry, short fiction, book reviews, and personal stories. She is a co-host for a monthly blog hop Every Conversation Matters Blog Hop Series. Her show the Author Collaborative is a weekly podcast which she has been doing for over five year, having completed 150+ episodes and interviewed 100+ authors on it. As an author, Manali has twelve books published under her name. She has won the Best Author: Fiction Award at Cherry Books Awards, and the Book of The Year title in 2021 at BeTales Magazine Annual Awards, for her debut novel, Love (Try) Angle. Her second novel, Love & (Mellow) Drama helped her win Best Author of the Year at Authoropod Magazine Annual Awards '23. She also won Best Romance Author at Authoropod Annual Awards ’25, for her short story collection Heartstrings and Harmonies. You can find Manali on all socials as A Rustic Mind.

Book details:

1. A Rustic Mind

Blurb (as on Amazon):

"We never think about the effects or repercussions of our everyday actions or even the things we come across on a daily basis. Through ‘A Rustic Mind ’, I aim to provide a thoughtful take on such actions and incidents. Poetic in its expression, these words will strike a chord which is not only deep but relatable on many levels."

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Rustic-Mind-Manali-Desai-ebook/dp/B0792D49WX/

2. The Untold Stories

Blurb (as on Amazon):

Have you wondered about the events that happen around us? Do you think about the kind of lives people we come across everyday lead, and how they came to be what they are today? Our life is our story, but what about those little everyday incidents which create the anecdotes filling up the chapters of our life story? ‘The Untold Stories’ shares tiny anecdotes from people’s everyday routines which go on to make remarkable chapters in their life stories. These anecdotes range from incidents around contemporary social issues and events such as terrorism and Environmental imbalance to those circling around relationships.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Untold-Stories-Manali-Desai/dp/8194375924/

3. The Art of Being Grateful & Other Stories

Blurb (as on Amazon):

Aashna receives a mysterious phone call in the middle of the night. The caller is a girl who says she has been kidnapped and will die if Aashna doesn't help her. Before Aashna can get details about the girl and her whereabouts, the phone gets cut off. Who was she, and why did her voice sound eerily familiar? Will Aashna be able to help her? Maanvi's life has always been about making everyone around realize that she is worthy too. From her test grades to her body type, everyone always had a piece of advice to give or some judgement to pass. How does Maanvi get affected by these? Does she manage to prove her worth to the world? These and six other stories in this collection cover a range of genres, including romance, mystery, horror, thriller and much more. Delve in for a delightful reading journey!

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Art-Being-Grateful-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B08CVTTGZ2/

4. Love (Try) Angle

Blurb (as on Amazon):

Ayesha has just moved to the 'City of Dreams’ with her parents. She befriends the charming Viren, who helps her find her footing in Mumbai. Though she is slowly adjusting to her new life, what Ayesha is most excited about is pursuing B.A. (Hons.) Political Science from a reputed college. Things don’t go as smoothly as she had thought though. Because Abhi, her senior, seems hell-bent on making her life on the campus difficult from day one. Just when things seem settled, Viren joins the college as an Ad-Hoc lecturer. Is there more to Ayesha’s friendship with Viren, and her frenemity with Abhi? It seems there’s a love triangle blooming around the corner or will it be a Love (Try) Angle? Because Ayesha is not sure if it’s love at all.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Love-Try-Angle-Manali-Desai-ebook/dp/B08Y7X6RXM/

5. Under the Mistletoe & Other Stories

Blurb (as on Amazon):

Diana is all set to welcome her loved ones for Christmas. An unexpected (and uninvited!) guest shows up at her door, spoiling her festive mood. All her attempts to thwart Dylan’s intrusion go in vain as he keeps dropping in, again and again, insisting that she join his family for Christmas Eve dinner. Against her better judgment, she finally gives in, just to get him off her back. As they stand under the mistletoe after the dinner, Diana and Dylan know things have changed for the better for both.

A group of passengers is stranded at the airport together on New Year's Eve. Their plans were to celebrate the last day of the year and then ring in the new year with their loved ones by their side. But a delayed flight mars their plans and their happiness. They end up talking to each other, exchanging their New Year's Eve plans and how they have celebrated it these many years so far. As they all welcome the new year together at midnight, their combined resolutions are to stay in touch with each other. They also resolve to make the best out of whatever life throws their way. Because as they have seen and experienced, not all things go as planned, always.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Under-Mistletoe-Other-Stories-Manali-ebook/dp/B09P421LSP

6. Love & (Mellow) Drama

Blurb (as on Amazon):

Gayatri Kulkarni: A gen Z girl who has always lived under the shadow of her elder brother Sharad; so much so that she even chose her degree and college, following in his footsteps. Although she doesn’t regret it, she wishes her parents would understand her dream to pursue her one true passion - DANCE.

Varun Agarwal: A millennial who believes there are no shortcuts in life. He has learned the hard way that being born into a wealthy family comes with more cons than the world would ever understand.

She belongs to a Maharashtrian middle-class family from the suburbs. He hails from an affluent family in South Bombay. The only common point between them - being Mumbaikars. How do their paths cross in this city of dreams? Gayatri believes it’s because of Abhi Agarwal, Varun’s younger brother, who is also her brother’s batchmate and close friend. But Varun has harboured a crush on her long before they exchanged hellos and phone numbers.

Their story is a meeting of two generations and families who are poles apart. Is there drama involved? Gayatri is often called a drama queen by those who know her. But after Varun’s entry into her life, she’s transformed from Miss Melodrama to Miss Mellowed Drama. Find out all about that transition in this much-awaited spin-off from Manali Desai’s debut novel, Love (Try) Angle, Love & (Mellow) Drama (Love Trials-II)

Amazon link:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.in/Love-Mellow-Drama-Manali-Desai/dp/935846688X

7. Mindful Musings & Peaceful Ponderings

Blurb (as on Amazon):

Anxious

Conflicted

Nervous

Confused

Safe

Complete

Jubilant

Confident

Do these sound familiar? You may not have experienced these feelings lately, or maybe not at all. But if you have, you aren't alone. The 50 poems in this book are a reflection of you, me, and all of us. They are the mindful musings and peaceful ponderings of human experiences that make us smile, laugh, cry, and wonder with emotions that unite us all.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Mindful-Musings-Peaceful-Ponderings-Manali-ebook/dp/B0BLLSN1JH/

8. Night in Shining Armour

Blurb (as on Amazon)

This little book brings forth a collection of poems, each centered on and around the theme of nightly experiences and encounters. Right from dinner dates to bonfires and stargazing, almost every activity that happens after sundown is covered herein, in poetic verse. Divided into two sections- Facets and Pursuits; the poems in Facets are a night lover's ode to the elements of the dark, and those in Pursuits, talk about nighttime occurrences and indulgences. Striking a chord with nocturnal (human) beings and selenophiles, the lines herein are assured to evoke emotions of longing. No human, irrespective of their age is deprived of the pleasures (or pains) that the dark hour brings in. The poems, describing moments of what happens after sundown will make the readers romanticize the darkness or have bittersweet moments flash through their minds, helping them relive and reminisce long forgotten or buried memories.

Amazon link:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.in/Night-Shining-Armour-Manali-Desai/dp/9364942396

9. Heartstrings and Harmonies

Blurb (as on Amazon):

Think of a time when a song made your life easy. Was it when you wanted to confess your love? Was it when you were at a low point in your life, and that song worked as a balm? Was it a song someone dedicated to you, or vice versa? Is there a song you associate with a person or a memory? Do you have a specific song set as a ringtone for the special people in your life, and a story behind doing so?

For music lovers, there would hardly be a day that goes by without listening to their favorite tunes and melodies. They travel, they work, they workout, they cook, and do almost every activity imaginable, with their best friend, music, by their side.

Heartstrings and Harmonies is a book for such souls, written by one such soul. Each tale in this collection is woven around a song. So how many such tales are we talking about? Since it’s a Valentine’s special book, that too released in a leap year (2024), that number is significant as well. Did you guess it yet? Yes, it’s 29.

29 stories, 30 songs.

Dive in for a lyrical journey of love, friendship, hope, revelations and beyond.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.in/Heartstrings-Harmonies-Manali-Desai-ebook/dp/B0CVFC6T2D/

10. Embraces in Ink

Blurb (as on Amazon) :

When was the last time you said 'thank you'? Be it to your parents, siblings, friends, the books that made you smile, the movies that made you laugh, or anyone and anything else? Was it today? Was it so long ago that you can't even remember? How often do you feel blessed or perceive a sense of gratitude for the simple joys that every day brings? We generally take the people around us for granted, failing to appreciate their contribution in our daily happiness. The same goes for things too; right from a sunny day during winters, to a rainy day after the long summers, or from the perfectly cooked dish, to the comfort of a quilt. The pages within, Embraces in Ink, make you look at these very things and people, by tapping into your feelings about them; emotions you may not even have realized you had for the smallest of gestures, words, and blessings, whether manmade or natural. Come, take this journey, where these, Notes from the Soul, will make you feel grateful towards life and everything that it has to offer.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.in/Embraces-Ink-Notes-Manali-Desai-ebook/dp/B0DPN2ZJBL/

11. My Jeans Fit Well & The Ice-Cream Didn't Melt

Blurb (as on Amazon) :

Think The Book of Awesome meets a pocket-sized daydream.

Does popping bubble wraps satisfy you? When you spot a rainbow, or catch a beautiful sunset, what do you feel? We spend our lives chasing (and sometimes failing to find) happiness not realizing that it's hiding in plain sight - tucked behind a perfectly timed comeback, or waiting in the first bite of a favorite dish after a long time. Maybe it arrives with a good hair day that matches your plans, or grins back through a bookish friend you didn’t know you needed. This collection is your invitation to slow down, smile more, and reconnect with the little delights stashed away amidst life’s routines.

My Jeans Fit Well & The Ice-Cream Didn't Melt, is a collection of 150+ such nuggets, paired with whimsical illustrations that are slices of happiness with a gentle reminder that joy doesn’t need grand gestures; sometimes, it’s the little things that lift us the most.

This book asks you to pause and perhaps even find your own relatable, or newfound everyday joys. Perfect for anyone who loves a good list, a good laugh, and the good kind of goosebumps.

If you’ve ever smiled at a perfect sunset or laughed at a silly pun, this book is your happy place.

Link:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.in/Jeans-Ice-Cream-Didnt-Illustrated-Writer/dp/9371822651

12. Inked Inheritance

Blurb:

Some stories are like heirlooms. They arrive quietly, but stay forever.

Like—

the smell of burnt coffee on a sleepless night,

a grandmother’s voice reminding us that “silence has a shape too,”

letters tucked away in old drawers,

the creak of a porch swing,

the roots of an old banyan tree,

or the silence between siblings who no longer know how to speak to each other.

Inked Inheritance: Stories Stitched Across Generations is a collection of forty stories about the things we carry across generations — memory, love, loss, family, friendship, identity, and the invisible threads binding them together.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Inked-Inheritance-Stories-Stitched-Generations-ebook/dp/B0H4G8CF1R/

Smita Das Jain is an acclaimed executive and leadership coach, entrepreneur, and speaker whose work brings together storytelling, communication, leadership, and inner growth. An IIM Indore alumna and former corporate leader, she moved from the corporate world into coaching and writing, carrying with her both strategic depth and a deep sensitivity to the human journey. Over the years, she has worked with senior leaders and professionals across industries, helping them communicate with greater confidence, clarity, and impact.

She is also a 3x TEDx speaker and an award-winning author of six published books across fiction and nonfiction. Her writing is known for its emotional depth, reflective quality, and strong connection to the inner life beneath outward achievement. Her latest book, Jagannath: Stories of Faith and Devotion, is a story-led exploration of Lord Jagannath through folklore, ritual, scripture, and living tradition, rooted in Odisha’s sacred and cultural landscape.

From Smita’s Pen:

1) A Slice Of Life

'A Slice Of Life explores a whole range of relationships - romantic, family, friendship, work, and even the sort that can't fit any category. An enthralling read!'- Shraddha Sahi, Author of Anamika Khanna Falls in Love & The Case of the Counterfeit Currency. Every human wears a mask. Behind the cheerful facade lies faith, hope, trust, love, despair, confidence, insecurity, et al. Everyone has a story. A DINK couple finding Work From Home a challenge...The Couple who wasn't one...A rigid person who deviates from a lifelong habit...Two people who remain in touch for 35 years, without talking... A daughter who has sacrificed her dreams for her mother... A fictional potpourri of extraordinary narratives of ordinary people who have more to their everyday lives beneath the surface, these stories reflect myriad hues of human behaviour. From the author of the suspense thriller 'The Lost Identity' comes an anthology that touches the human heart.'The story is so well crafted that it keeps the reader intrigued from start to end, eager to know what happens next!'Review for Smita's First Book 'The Lost Identity'

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2) A Price to Love

Do a stellar academic background, a well-paying job with ample recognition, and a loving life partner imply happiness?

Sonia is an ambitious woman working in the country’s most prominent media company. Sameep, her husband, has loved her ever since their IIM-Ahmedabad days. Her direct report, Mehul, idolises her, and her boss, Rishabh, acknowledges her intellectual prowess. But Sonia’s past interferes with the present, making her life—and the lives of those around her— lack balance. Time flies fast but leaves shadows behind.

A Price to Love is a contemporary tale showcasing the struggles of making a thriving personal life and a successful career tango in the highly competitive corporate arena… especially if you are a woman.

A romping romance with desires and addled emotions excellently brewed by Smita Das Jain.

– Sutapa Basu, Award-winning, bestselling author

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3) Twisted Tales & Turns

What if reality was a carefully crafted illusion, and every truth you thought you knew was a mirage? Get ready to experience a roller coaster of emotions. Just when you think you have it figured out, the unexpected will leap at you from a page, leaving you stunned and breathless. A daughter waiting for her father to return from war... An artist struggling to create a masterpiece... A scientist having her own definition of a better world... A friend who loves without being loved back... A man who has eyes only for another woman on his wedding night… Twisted Tales and Turns is a captivating collection of short stories where nothing is as it seems. Are you prepared for the buried truths and shocking revelations that lurk beneath the surface?

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4) Till Fate do us Part

When fate intervenes, can love prevail? Doctor Gaurang’s ordinary life takes an extraordinary turn when Vedika, a corporate professional burdened by life’s challenges, enters his examination room. Sparks fly as they delve into treatment options for Vedika’s daughter’s rare medical condition, awakening emotions long dormant. An unforeseen event hurls their worlds into chaos, blurring the lines between duty and desire. As Vedika’s estranged husband, Rohan, reenters the picture, the trio confront difficult choices that could either break them apart or offer a path to redemption. Join them on a heartrending journey of love, sacrifice, and the enduring strength of invisible bonds. Can love mend what destiny has broken, or will fate do them part?

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5) Leading With Words

Great leaders aren’t just visionaries; they’re powerful communicators.

Leading With Words is your go-to guide to mastering the everyday conversations that define successful leadership. Packed with real-life insights, actionable frameworks, and ready-to-use strategies, this book offers a practical roadmap to:

● Lead effective meetings and virtual teams;

● Present and speak with authority;

● Give feedback, handle conflicts, and influence decisions;

● Communicate like a pro even if you're an introvert;

● Inspire, Influence and Drive Success as a Transformative Leader.

Whether you're leading a team, managing a crisis, presenting in meetings, or navigating difficult conversations, this book gives you the tools to communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact.

Simple, smart, and actionable, this is the ultimate communication playbook for anyone looking to lead with confidence in the modern workplace.

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6) Jagannath - Stories of Faith & Devotion

Jagannath: Stories of Faith and Devotion brings together seventy-five powerful accounts from the traditions of Jagannath worship, one of India’s most enduring spiritual legacies.

Drawn from temple chronicles, scriptures, traditions, and oral narratives, this collection reveals a God revered by his devotees as one of their own. It moves from the earliest tribal worship in forest groves to the grandeur of the Puri temple, offering readers a layered understanding of belief, symbolism, and cultural continuity.

Here, a king is humbled and then protected; a devotee is cared for by the Lord Himself; a poet sings across boundaries; a single offering of love outweighs everything else. Across the stories, the distance between the devotee and the Divine begins to dissolve.

Whether you’re a spiritual seeker, a lover of Indian mythology, or simply drawn to the power of stories, this book invites you to see the divine in ways you never have.

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Lata uncovers captivating tales in the mundane. Her writing weaves compelling narratives around resilient characters with charming imperfections, entwined in captivating plots. With a remarkable career spanning three decades in Journalism and behavioural training, she's a versatile talent. In her leisure moments, you'll often find Lata engrossed in reading, penning her thoughts, or doing Yoga. For a taste of her adventurous side, whisk her away to the mountains, where her spirit truly soars.

Lata does extensive work in the Leadership space. She is an internationally certified NLP trainer, trained under Dr. William Horton of the National Federation of Neuro Linguistic Programming, USA. A keen student of psychology, she is trained in Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). She is a pioneer in Emotional Intelligence-based training interventions in India, and is certified in Emotional Intelligence Competency by the Forum for Emotional Intelligence Learning and SBM NMIMS University. She does extensive work with managers, parents, and especially with women in this area. She is also a certified DISC (PPA) practitioner.

She has conducted over 3500 workshops and has trained over 75,000 people. Besides corporate workshops, Lata also delivers lectures at various educational institutes and seminars, reaching a cross-section of people right from teenagers to retired professionals. Her boundless energy finds its wellspring in her loving family: husband Sunil, son Sagar, daughter-in-law Kaushalya, and pet dog Monk.

Her literary pursuits include:

1) Incognito

Anjali's plain and staid life suddenly turns into a whirlpool when she befriends four very different individuals, leading distinct lifestyles. Slowly and steadily, they entrap Anjali into their lives. Anjali becomes the nucleus of their existence. She witnesses their lives from the ringside, and draws vicarious pleasure in their passionate love affairs. Then Anjali inadvertently becomes a mute witness to their plotting of four bizarre murders. Will Anjali be able to extricate herself from the tentacles of her four friends, or is the fabric of their relationship so intricately woven, that Anjali can only be drawn deeper into the sinister labyrinth? Incognito is a compelling psychological thriller; this hair-raising tale will keep you hooked from start to finish.

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2) Prisoners of Secrets

A most unusual story of love. Do relationships built upon the one foundation that relationships must never be built on – secrets – really crumble? Set in South India in the 1950s, this is the story of Meera, Manuel, and Shankar – three conflicted souls each with secrets that can destroy the other. A story told in a way where you, the reader, are privy to the secrets, and made part of the conflict as you watch the story unfurl into consequences that arise when one becomes a prisoner of their secret.

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3) Road To Abana

Road to Abana is the story of Paari and her steely determination to return to her home in Sukkur, Pakistan -- a home she was forced to abandon during the Partition of 1947. Almost two decades later, opportunity arrives when she is recruited into an arms trafficking business to deliver consignments to Karachi and Kandahar. From the deplorable refugee camp in Ulhasnagar on the outskirts of Bombay where she lives on the fringe of humanity, to the dark alleys of Karachi and the treacherous terrains of Afghanistan, Paari’s dangerous journey is wrought with hardships that constantly test her spirit and tenacity. Just when fortune begins to favour her, she stumbles upon a bitter truth and the plot to prevent her from attaining her goal. Will Paari succumb to the betrayal or will she succeed in avenging her homelessness?

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4) Not Before You

Nikhil is 32 years old and has never sat, never stood, and never spoken.

His mother, Jaya, has dedicated her life to his care. As Jaya reaches the milestone of 60 years, she is overwhelmed with concern for Nikhil's future in the face of her own ageing.

Fearing the day she might pass away, leaving Nikhil alone and vulnerable, Jaya embarks on a courageous and desperate journey to find support and understanding from care centres and society at large. Is society truly empathetic to the needs of individuals like Nikhil? Is Jaya's unwavering commitment to her son an act of selflessness or selfishness? Amidst this emotional rollercoaster, Nikhil's estranged father and sister are forced to confront their own feelings of guilt, responsibility, and love.

Not Before You is a poignant exploration of the extraordinary love and sacrifice that parents of special-needs children demonstrate every day. It's a story of resilience, compassion, and the enduring bonds of family.

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5) A Tale of Two Kitchens

Every recipe here is more than a meal—it is a memory, a bond, a celebration of the love that lingers long after the last bite. Two reigning queens of their kitchens, a Tamilian mother and a Sindhi mother-in-law, turned an exchange of recipes into a lifelong bond. What began with a handful of spices grew into a friendship that transcended language, culture, and geography. A Tale of Two Kitchens is not just a book of recipes—it’s a memoir of love, resilience, and the magic of food. From tangy tamarind rasam to comforting Sindhi kadhi, every dish carries a story, a memory, a moment of laughter shared between two remarkable women. As their daughter and daughter-in-law, Lata Gwalani had the privilege of inheriting both their kitchens—and blending them into her own. These pages are her tribute: a collection of flavours and stories that show how food can unite, heal, and celebrate.

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