A unique way to brighten you up till next Christmas

Christmas time is family time, a time to reunite with old friends, family and bury the hard feelings. While Santa time, Christmas trees, carols, sweets, cribs, stars and new year wishes may end with the onset of the year, there's no need for the happiness to end. 

From December 23rd 2013 to December 29th 2013, the Kindle version of my book State of the Heart (rated 4 star on Goodreads)  would be available through a countdown deal for price way below the actual price of $2.99 (INR 185/-). Through this deal you can get it from as low as $0.99 (INR 60/-) up to $1.99 (INR 120/-).

If you're wondering whether the money you spend would be worth it, then you have my word for it. The Kindle version has been made with utmost care to ensure that its perfectly formatted, gives the reader a seamless read and is filled with stories that keeps him/her hooked and leaves him/her with a smile without any glitches, errors or typos. 

The Kindle version can found HERE.You can read it on your smartphone, iPad, PC, Mac, Kindle, anywhere by just downloading the free app. Once purchased the book shall be available across all your devices within a minute. 

So don't you think this is a unique way of brightening up things till next Christmas?

Let's hope for a prosperous and cheerful 2014

Hope. It's the only thing that keeps the world moving.

We are all at the dawn of a new year. The one which we hope will fulfill all our dreams, desires and aspirations. The one, if not the best is atleast better than most other years of our lives. 2014 may be the year where some of us may get married and/or have a family, some would get that hard earned promotion, some would reunite with their loved ones while some would achieve their goals. But for all, it would be a year to look forward to and hope for the best. 

No one knows what the future holds for us. The anxiety is too much to bear. And for some who have not had a good time in the recent years its even tougher. Would 2014 be better than 2013 and all the past years or would it be the same or hopefully not, even worse? Even the pundit's cant answer this question. And neither can we do anything about it other than wait and watch. But what we can do is, Hope. 

It's said that when you have your near and dear ones around, no matter how tough the situation, it is conquerable.So let's hope for the presence of our loved ones at all times. Let's hope that we forge new relationships so we never feel alone. Let's hope for love to spread to all corners of this world so instead of terrorist attacks, military supremacy and the innocent losing lives, peace is all we hear of. Let's hope that right wins over wrong, justice triumphs over injustice and good prevails over evil. Let's hope for the freedom to love, care and prosper. Let's all...hope. 

Wish you all a prosperous and cheerful 2014. Keep the faith.

As a small gesture for all the love and good wishes I have received in 2013 I have made a 2014 calendar with relationships, love and life as the theme. I sincerely hope you have these three in abundance in 2014 and always. You can download the calendar at http://on.fb.me/1bmpGJg

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When a simple autograph can bring smiles

Jennifer Lopez (珍妮弗·洛佩兹) (Photo credit: pamhule)

Recently, I visited my old office mates who had purchased a copy of my book. On seeing me, all of them broke out into such big smiles that lit up even the darkest corners. Wasting no time, they formed a beeline with their copies for my autograph. And when they got one, their happiness knew no bounds.After signing all the copies, I thanked them and proceeded to the exit. I left the place but what didn't leave me was the thought that just a simple autograph from a debutant author could bring so much joy. I was both, honoured and humbled.

I know I'm not that great an author or a big public figure. But come to think of it, the simple things of life hold so much joy. Just like an ice gola on a hot summer afternoon or your pet licking your face. If a simple autograph which hardly takes a minute can bring some joy then why deprive someone of it? I know this is not going to boost sales or increase my social standings, but still, its better to have a choice than not. Hence, for those who would prefer an autographed copy I have opened the Nelton D'Souza brand store at www.neltondsouza.com where my books would be sold at the MRP of INR 199/- and with free shipping. All the books would be personally autographed by me. And yes, the proceeds would go to charity.

My book is on relationships, love and life but it doesn't talk of the immense joy it brings to people. I wish I could write a book on that, but wonder if it would ever have an end. 

Putting 2013 into perspective

2013 has been a year of all sorts. But all in all, it has been a year of beating the odds and achieving things which were unimaginable at the onset.

April - September 2013:

On the professional front, in April, I took a step outside my department to one in which I had to face clients, attend team meetings and stick to the agile methodology of sprint based development day in and out. This not only forced me to be on my toes but also push my stamina to the hilt; after all working for a minimum of 12 hours daily with on demand requirements is not something I was used to. The experience made me believe that I had stamina far greater than what I thought and able to live up to the challenges of client side development.

May – June 2013:

In early April, my family was dealt with a severe blow of my father’s illness. In May, things got worse and complicated. Taking a recuse from work I flew home, the same with my sister from the states. Spending a month in hospital, battling emotions and managing people, dealing with medical terms I never heard of and arranging for funds to keep the treatment on, was something I had to learn in quick time. Thankfully all is well now and my father is in much better shape.

September 2013:

In spite of all that happened, I kept alive my dream of having my book 'State of the Heart' published. And all I can say is I’m happy achieving the one dream I had all my life. Though my dream was only limited to having a book published, it kind of took me a couple of steps forward. Through my book, I developed my first ever mobile app – State of the Heart app for Windows Phone 8, and have my own Nelton D’Souza brand store. I was covered in print and on air as well. The icing on the cake is that the book not only scores a 4.05 out of 5 on Goodreads (as on December 26, 2013) but will soon be out in its second edition after getting sold out thrice online. The Kindle edition is also growing in success overseas.

The eBook and the exclusive State of the Heart 2014 calendar is available for download on Facebook.