23 Jun 2010

Meet Our Author - U. A. Kiran


U. A. Kiran was born in Cannanore in Kerala, India. From Kerala, he came to Howrah in West Bengal to learn Bengali, Hindi and finally English which became the medium of expression and the language of his creativity.
Having completed his Diploma in Management in West Bengal he worked in Andhra Pradesh for some time. It was not until late that the writing bug bit him. Currently he resides in Goa.
The author likes writing poems, stories, novelettes/novels, dialogues/dramas, chalk-shaping, making puzzles. He has a passion for instrumental music and loves travelling.
U. A. Kiran is the author of The Alpha and The Omega and Other Stories and Beginner’s English Grammar.
1) Can you tell us what your latest book, Lost Smiles, is all about?
In the book 'Lost Smiles', I have brought together various natures, relationships and moods of people around us and the usual and unusual situations in human life.
'My Tummy' and 'My Figure, My Problem' would tickle your funny bones till the end. Some stories, like 'Fear of Defeat' and Beauty at the Window', have the pinch of suspense which you would find enjoyable. 'The Wood' and The Last Train' would terrify you, while romantic airs are spread all over 'The First Kiss' and The Casket'. Sometimes, you would feel whether such an incident could really happen. While writing this book, I have kept in mind to entertain the reader with plenty of imaginable and unimaginable characters and their affairs.
2) What inspired the stories behind Lost Smiles?
I’m a keen observer and like to write about things that I think need remembering—things that stimulate an emotional response; be it suspense, fear, pleasure. So it was obvious that Lost Smiles was inspired by the characters around me.
3) When did you first see yourself as a writer?
In my childhood, I was an ardent story-teller and gradually attempted to write in my teenage days. I was drawn towards fiction novels as they offer an endless chance to explore and experiment, without anyone imposing limitations. In the later years this passion for fiction pushed me to do what I like doing the best, i.e. WRITING...
4) Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Each character in the book has a different story to tell. And since the characters in the book are inspired by the people around me it would make for enjoyable reading for the readers. Besides, the human emotions that pop up every time you turn the page will keep the reader engrossed every time he flips a page.
U. A. Kiran’s latest book, 'Lost Smiles', published by CinnamonTeal Publishing, can be found on

10 Jun 2010

Saying it Aloud

While the jury is still out on whether the demise of the printed form of the book is near, what is almost certain is that readers will choose to consume the contents of the book in whatever manner they see fit. While e-books have made the news thanks to the Kindle and the iPad, audiobooks make for another exciting avenue through which content can be distributed and sold.

For self-publishing authors, it becomes important to tap into any avenue that could possibly increase the awareness of the book and, consequently, its sales. While we, at CinnamonTeal, had put at the disposal of our authors a wide range of book marketing options, developing and distributing audiobooks still remained a challenge for us.

Our association with iScript may have changed all that. This partnership allows our authors to avail of state-of-the-art facilities in the development of their audiobook. Our authors can choose whether to produce an audio clip of the whole book or just an excerpt and the accent and diction of the author. The author can then choose to put the audiobook up for sale or may choose to post the excerpt as a marketing device for the book.

We are very excited about this development and hope our authors will leverage this opportunity