On
Author’s Circle today, meet indie author and mother, Mohana, to talk about writing, life and her book, An Unlikely Goddess.
Hi Mohana, welcome to my blog. Thanks for taking time out from your busy schedule to come chat with us. To dive right in, tell us a bit about An Unlikely Goddess?
Mo: The story of a young South Asian girl, Sita, growing up in
America, looking for love in all the wrong places, exchanging one conservative
society for another.
If your book becomes a movie whom would you want to play the
hero and the heroine?
Mo: Hero: James McAvoy
Heroine: an as yet undiscovered Indian actress along the lines of Mindy Kaling (she is more comedy than drama)
Ooh. I adore James McAvoy. And hmm Mindy Kaling is an
interesting choice. But moving on...What does your day look like?
interesting choice. But moving on...What does your day look like?
Mo: I wake up, try to journal if it’s not too early. On slow days,
there’s a 20-45 minute work out; on busy days, right our the door, to drop the
3 year old at nursery, then to meetings, teach class, more meetings and pick up
the 3 year old to head to an activity – swim or gymnastics class – home for
dinner.
That's a busy, busy day. You must need some potent inspiration to
sit down and write after that. Which brings us to the author/s
who have inspired you the most?
who have inspired you the most?
Mo: I love Alice Munroe and am so happy she won the Nobel Prize
for Literature this year.
How did you become a writer? In other words, tell us YOUR
STORY.
Mo: I
wrote and wrote and wrote for ten years, short stories, novels, memoir, and
essays. I tried to get agents for each project and each time, was told that the
writing was interesting but not for them. I finally began self publishing in
2011 and have released 8 eBooks. Now those books are coming into paperback.
What is your least favorite part about the
writing/publishing
profession?
Mo: Everyone
thinks they have a story - which they
probably do. But they also think that becoming a successful writer is an easy,
overnight process and if they figure out how you did it, that process will work
for them as well. Publishing is a unique
process because you have to connect with your audience; that takes time and
dedication. There is no shortcut.
What is your best marketing tip?
Mo: Figure out who your target audience is and reach out to them
on topics that are not about your book. For example, my niche is women
interested in culture. I share information on my author Facebook page that is
related to current events, humorous gifs, and recipes. If they know me as a person, they’re more likely to pick up one
of my books.
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Why
write romance?
Mo: The number one genre for readers, even over crime or
thrillers. I want to be read, discussed, argued over. So I write literary
romances; the female characters look for love but also live their lives in
modern societies which are complex and challenging.
What can we expect from you next?
Mo: I’m revising a novel set in 1975 Laos, a Southeast Asian
country that became communist in that year. A young woman is thrust into
marriage as a way of escape; she immigrates to America and must decide her own
way.
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: Long
PASSION: Love
HERO: Needed
LOVE: Friendship
HATE: Rage
Thank you once again, Mohana,
for allowing us a glimpse into an author's life. We hope you bring us many more books to enjoy.
Click on the words to get linked to Mo's social media.
