1. Can you tell us
about your book?
Requiem is a love story, though an unconventional
one. You won't realize that until you're finished with the first part. The
first part, ‘Death’ is about the afterlife experiences of a dead man. The
second one, ‘Love’ is a love story, with some usual and some unusual stuff. The
third and last part, ‘Life’ provides the true picture of whatever happened
earlier and connects the two parts. It is the real story and has an element of
surprise. I believe the story is very touching and I will feel sad if some tears
don't come to a reader’s eyes.
2. What led you to
write this book?
I had the story in
mind for a very long time. I needed a start and luckily it came one day when I
decided I needed to write what I had visualized. Once I had started, I knew I
had to finish it. I had some doubts along the way but I’m good at completing
work. My writing skills were always good and when I had the range of vocabulary
and an amazing story, I had to do this.
3. If you gave one
of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?
If Amy were to
speak, she would say how much she loves me and misses me. If I say more, the
mystery of the novel will be revealed. But Amy is wonderful and whatever she
says would be the most precious words for me.
4. Do you have
plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
I think I may soon
start with my new book. But that’s a different concept. At this stage, I want
to experiment with genres and not restrict myself to one. That will help expand
my horizon and make the process more exciting and enjoyable for me.
5. I find it
interesting to know what environment people write in. Do they use a pen and
paper, laptop? Quiet room, music or what? Dog at their feet? Cat on the desk?
Just whatever makes it comfortable to be productive.
Thoughts and ideas
come everywhere, when I might be doing something or even talking to someone. I
would know I would like to write this. At the time of writing though, I prefer
to keep alone and often lose myself in my work. In order to concentrate, I
would sometimes have some beer. I write on my laptop and I prefer a quiet room
or mild music. Being comfortable is very important to doing well.
6. How does your
writing process look? Consistent with regular amounts of word counts daily/weekly…
or more sporadic with a gush of words all at once and then a dry bed for a
while?
I wanted to finish
it in a period of time but I never went by the number of words daily or weekly.
For me, it was more like getting out my thoughts and so when I felt like
writing, I would write at a stretch. There were times when I had not slept well
for a few days but would make arrangements to keep myself awake for another day
so that I could continue to write. I would then rest for a few days and restart
when I had the material in mind.
7. What book would
you like to read again?
I loved the
Fountainhead and would love to read it again.
8. What book are
you currently reading and in what format (ebook/paperback/hardcover)?
I am now reading
the Bhagavad Gita on my Android phone. It’s a spiritual work, an amazing one.
The concepts of Karma (duty) probably came from here.
9. Are there any
Authors that have grasped your interest recently and why?
The success of E.
L. James of Fifty Shades is amazing. The reasons behind this astounding success
are interesting. Although I haven’t read the books, they must be very good to
capture the gaze of the world.
10. Your thoughts
on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad.
Good and bad
reviews are part of the game. If you believe that your work is good, you should
expect good reviews. But if the work is sub-quality, people will raise that. I
believe one is free to put up a bad review but the author’s work should be
respected and the attack should not get personal. Personally, I don’t mind a
bad review. I will feel good that people are reading my book. A bad review is
better than no reviews because that means no one is reading the book. The
author should learn from that. No one is perfect but everyone can improve.
11. Give us an
interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:
My book is based on
my experiences. Even the paranormal part is based on something I saw and felt.
That, I think, made things better even when difficult to fathom. But I would
not want everyone to know this fact. Maybe you can keep this secret J
12. Do you have
another job outside of writing?
I finished my MBA
and will soon be joining a top technology consulting firm.
13. How would you
describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less)
This story of
Death, Love and Life will enchant you and I promise you will end up with some
tears. I’ll be disappointed otherwise.
14. With which of
your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?
It has to be Amy.
It would be the most romantic and rewarding experience of my life.
15. Tell us about
your favorite scene in the book.
I obviously started
loving Amy. The novel is about her. The scene in the first chapter of the last
part, 'Life' is very close to me. I cannot disclose the scene because it
reveals a mystery. I cried a lot while writing it and every time I read it. A
reader told me how he could not resist crying there. I feel I have succeeded
when people say that the narrative is touching.
16. Who are your
favorite authors?
Ayn Rand and Paulo
Coelho
17. Name one thing
you couldn’t live without.
I would love to see
my parents around forever, for as long as I live.
18. What do you
like to do when you’re not writing?
I love meeting
people and experiencing cultures. Travelling is such a rewarding feeling. I
have seen most places in Europe. All countries there are so beautiful. I have
also been to some countries in Asia. And I have a lot to see. I need to see the
remaining continents.
19. When did you
start writing?
I wrote some poetry
in my childhood. And I was often praised for the essays that I wrote in school.
So I had this knack of writing. I wanted to write a novel for a long time. I
wrote a few pages long back. But it was now that I started something and finished
it.
20. Where would you
like to see yourself in five years?
I would certainly
come up with my next. And I would be working somewhere and may have my own
business then. I would love to bring smiles and tears to people, the latter not
by hurting them but by getting them to realize the importance of the seemingly
small elements of our lives.
21. What intrigues
you about the Romance, Mystery and Spirituality genres?
Romance is so
common and my book has a mystery attached to the story-line. Spirituality has
come in a big way in my writing. I have tried to not sound preachy but it came
naturally because of the life and upbringing I have had. Every genre is
exciting, if explored well.
22. Your title is
quite interesting, why do you believe a book needs a strong title?
A book needs a very
strong title because that is what brings people to it. But the title must
relate to what the book stands for. Ultimately, a good title is one which
conveys a book’s story to readers and which also attracts them.
Quick Fun:
-Favorite Food?
Chicken Tandoori
-Favorite Color?
Blue
-Guilty Pleasure?
Junk food
-Favorite Song?
My heart will go
on - Titanic
-Night or Day?
Night
-TV or Book?
Book
-Tea or Coffee?
Coffee
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