On Author’s Circle today, meet author and Mphil student, ANIESHA BRAHMA, to talk about writing, life and her book, THE GUITAR GIRL.
The Guitar Girl is the story of a sixteen-year-old girl named
Rhea Shah, who harbours a crush on her brother’s best friend and finds an
innovative way to give vent to her feelings. I used a modern day epistolary
format to tell this tale between a cast of characters...which I hope readers
like.
What’s your favorite line from your novel?
Why?
‘Only you can mess up telling the truth, you know’ – Sophie
Ghosh to Rhea Shah.
Because I can identify with this accusation. More often than
not, even I have messed up – all because I told the truth.
How did you become a writer? In other words,
tell us YOUR STORY.
I
wanted to become a writer since the age of six, when I was first introduced to
Fairy Tales. In my bucket list, I wanted to be published before I completed my
MA, which was in 2013. In 2012, General Press published by debut novel, The Secret Proposal. But I learned that
being published and being an established writer are two different things. And
no matter happens, writers need to keep writing. J
Why
write what you write? As in romance or suspense or thrillers?
I write the stories that I write because it makes me feel
good. And I believe when readers come across it, they’ll feel good reading it
too. I’m just trying a spread a little joy to people who take the time out to
read my stories! :D
Is
there a certain scene you find difficult to write? Eg: Racy or action etc.?
Why?
I find it difficult to describe settings. Probably because I
get too focused on the dialogue exchanges between characters (something I love
writing a lot of). Probably why I chose the format I did for The Guitar Girl.
I’m working on my skills though. And hey, no one’s perfect! ;-)
What can we expect from you next?
I signed a contract with LiFi Publications for my novel, Sparks of Memories, and it should be out
sometime this year or the next. Not entirely sure when since the contract has a
two-year window. If you like my stories you can always follow me on my blog:
Aniesha’s Musings.
To end lets try a Rapid Fire round. Your answer should be the first word/s that
pops into your head when you think of:
LIFE: adventure
PASSION: Meh
HERO: my mother
LOVE: Pippo
HATE: nothing
Thank you once again, ANIESHA,
for being here and talking to us.
About the Book:
Sixteen year old Rhea Shah never thought that she would find herself falling for her brother’s best friend, Joy Fernandez, when they come home from college. Because she never thought that the dork who used to go to school with them would suddenly reinvent himself in college.
The only people she’s able to talk to about her absurd crush, are her best friends, Sophie and Arjav. Both of whom at first encourage, and then almost blackmail, Rhea to confess her feelings, which leaves the poor girl more muddled than ever!
Plagued with upcoming Board Examinations along with her friends’ suggestions, Rhea finds it difficult to concentrate, because she’s fallen for Joy, hook, line and sinker. In an attempt to vent to her feelings, she begins a blog, where she publishes all her songs and poems, dedicated to Joy, keeping her identity a secret.
But things do not go quite how she planned when a certain blogger named J. Fern begins to read her blog, and wishes to work with her…
Will Rhea ever confess her feelings to Joy? And will Joy find out the real identity of The Guitar Girl?
Book Links:
Meet the Characters of The Guitar Girl
Rhea Shah: 16-year-old Rhea Shah develops a crush on her brother, Robbie's, best friend, Joy Fernandez. She adopts the alias The Guitar Girl in a misguided way to keep a hold on her feelings. Rhea cares about her two best friends, Sophie and Arjav, although the latter knows how to push her buttons. She is pretty awful at hiding her feelings.
Joy Fernandez: 18-year-old Joy is Rhea's brother's best friend, as well as Arjav's cousin. He takes on Rhea as his student, teaching her how to play the guitar, unaware that she harbours feelings for him. He can be pretty dense at times - refusing to see what is really happening right in front of his eyes. He dates a rather crazy girl in college, Rosetta, who later becomes Robbie's girlfriend.
Sophie Ghosh: Rhea's best friend in school, who discovers her secret at the beginning of the novel and keeps encouraging her to confess to Joy about it. Initially united with Rhea on the front by finding Arjav, she begins liking him more than a friend. Both she and Arjav believe in meddling with 'destiny'.
Robbie Shah: Rhea's older brother who has no idea has his sister has fallen for his best friend. He is too preoccupied with his band and his girlfriend, Rosetta, who Joy had dated before him.
Arjav: Rhea's oldest friend, who knows her secret and wants her to tell Joy as well. He and Sophie like each other and likes to meddle with 'Fate'.
About the Author:
Aniesha Brahma has loved writing since the age of six. She was schooled in Dolna Day School, and then pursued BA honors in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University, where she went on to complete her MA in the same. Currently, she’s pursuing MPhil in Comparative Literature from the same place. Her hobbies include reading, writing, playing with her favorite pet, Pippo the cat, (and other kittens too), traveling and blogging.She has written innumerable short stories and poems, most of which can be found on her blog and in various magazines and newsletters. Her debut novel was, The Secret Proposal, published by General Press in September 2012. She won the Editor’s Pick for Romance genre in the IndiReads Second Short Story Competition, and her story The Difference, was subsequently published in the anthology, Voices, Old & New. She has interned with www.womanistan.com and www.zapondo.com, as their content writer. She has volunteered at Hope Foundation, Kolkata, teaching the children who attend the Chetla Lock Gate Coaching Center. Aniesha also had a brief stint as a writer for the Kolkata-based travel magazine, Touriosity.
Contact the Author:
