AUTHOR'S CIRCLE meets BHARGAVI BALACHANDRAN

On Author’s Circle today, 

Bhargavi Balachandran talks about writing, life and her book, 

The Crossover Year.

Hi Bhargavi, thanks for dropping in and letting us have a peek into your life.

So, what’s The Crossover Year about? 
It is the story of 29-year old Anu , who is a banker  and is  intensely unhappy with her job. She quits work and goes on a journey of self discovery. The book broaches several serious topics like sexual harassment at work , parenting, work-life balance , passion in life , marriage  and friendship, but does so in a light-hearted and funny (hopefully!)way.

Do you have any strange writing habits?
I wish I had some strange habit or an amusing anecdote to share J. I just show up at my desk and start writing. 

What does your day look like?
With a toddler who hasn’t yet started playgroup, life is one endless bid to find modes to entertain the little one. I snatch in some writing time when she dozes and am thankful for the help I get from my parents, in-laws and the hubby. Sometimes, I manage to get up around 4:00AM and squeeze in a few hours of writing. My daughter dozes for a few hours during the day, and I write during that time. With the siren calls of social media ,it is becoming increasingly difficult to fit in more than an hour of writing everyday J

Which author/s have inspired you the most?
Too many to even keep count. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni  whose words are just sheer magic; Toni Morrison whose writing always reflects strength; Joan Harrison for her masterful  novels that abound with magic realism; Murakami for his craft that is so surreal that it seems almost real; Frank Mc Court for meeting poverty head on and being so unapologetic about his childhood in his books; RK Narayan for simple stories with a heart; Stephen king for his tome on writing ( On Writing) which is the Holy Grail for all writers.

What’s your favorite book and why?
I read a lot, so I am forever discovering my ‘new favourite book’. There was a ‘Fountainhead phase’ and a ‘Wodehouse phase’(among others). More recently, I’ve started reading a lot of non-fiction and loved Jon Ronson’s The Men who stare at Goats. But some books have remained with me, because I grew up reading them and can still tuck into them without  feeling an iota of boredom( like the Mallory Tower series by Enid Blyton).

If your book becomes a movie whom would you want to play the hero and the heroine?
Ha ha! If wishes were horses J The Crossover Year doesn’t have a strong hero ; its all about the heroine.. I think I’d like someone like Konkana Sen play the part of Anu. She has the prefect ‘girl-next-door’ looks and a huge histrionic range to potray Anu’s complex character. 

How did you become a writer? In other words, tell us YOUR STORY.
Through Serendipity. I never planned on becoming a writer. I just sat at my desk one day and decided to write a novel. No synopsis, no character sketches , no chapter-wise outlines. I just wrote, and re-discovered the joys of writing ( writing credit reports for a living pretty much kills all the creative cells in one’s brain). However, I must concede that only after I started blogging, did I think I was capable of writing a book. 

What is your least favorite part about the writing/publishing profession?
Lately I find myself spending more time marketing my books than writing. Though I realize that the onus of making sure that our books do well is on us, writers must primarily be writers and not marketers.

What is your best marketing tip?
I wish I had one! I am pretty crap at this marketing game ( though I actually majored in Marketing!). But I know of examples of exemplary marketing efforts by authors around me. I think constantly engaging with one’s readers has become vital as people are bombarded with books from everywhere. A strong online presence is extremely important these days.   

Why write romance?
My first book, Seven Across was a romance novel , and one of my current manuscripts is a love story. Otherwise, I like to experiment with different genres. However, I did grow up reading industrial quantities of M&B’s, so I will always have a soft corner for the Tall, dark  and handsome hero J

Is there a certain scene you find difficult to write? Eg: Racy or action etc.? Why?
I find action-oriented scenes difficult to write. Rambling narratives come naturally to me , so I find it difficult to write scenes where I need to be crisp and to the point! 

Is your writing character-driven or plot-driven?
Definitely character-driven. In both my books, the protagonists (both women) have hogged the centre stage, and have relegated the plot to the back-seat.

Which is the best character you’ve written? Is he or she your favorite? Why?
A mother always finds it difficult to choose between her babies. Thankfully , I have written only two books, so I don’t have too difficult a choice to make ;). However, I do have a soft corner for Anu as she is totally loud and over-the-top, yet is endearing. I had fun writing her character, as she would do stuff that I could never dream of doing in real life! 

Naturally, in part you are all your characters (they come from your head) but which of your characters is the most like you? Or resonates in you the most? Why?
The first few books of a writer, I have heard are fairly autobiographical. It is true in my case to an extent. I have drawn hugely from things that have happened to me ,or to someone I know. Maybe as I mature as a writer, I’d probably rely more on research, than on experiences. I am a lot like the protagonist of my first novel , Ramya, but I think I have projected a lot of my views about feminism and culture on to poor Anu. Though Anu will come across as border-line neurotic at times, ‘her thoughts’ on certain issues are very similar to mine. Paradoxically, I feel like both Anu and Ramya are  just different parts of myself, yet are very different from who I really am J. 

What do you wish to convey through your writing?
I am just a story-teller who wants to entertain. I don’t have any other lofty goals as of now.  No serious word-plays or attempts at poignancy. At the end of a long hard day at work , I’d want my readers to  be able to un-wind with my book and a mug of chilled beer or chai J.           

What can we expect from you next?
I just finished the first draft of a murder mystery and will spend the next few months polishing it. Then, I’ll start work on a romance drama that is waiting for some pruning action too. Hopefully, the murder mystery should be out soon.

Looking forward to it, Bhargavi.

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:Family

PASSION: Words

HERO: Mr. Darcy

LOVE: Daughter

HATE: Lizards

And that is all. Thank you, Bhargavi, for this insight into you. It was fun!

Bhargavi can be found at:


Facebook

Goodreads

Blog

Twitter

AUTHOR'S CIRCLE with ADITE BANERJIE

On Author’s Circle today, 

we have a fellow Harlequin Mills and Boon author and a screenwriter, Adite Banerjie, to talk about writing, life and her book, The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal, which releases in N. America this week.

Dancing with the enemy...

Krish Dev needs to find a bride—and quick! With a marriage arranged by his father looming, Krish finds the key to his freedom in Maya Shome, but is this dazzling beauty really all she seems...?

Maya has only one thing in mind: revenge. But when the host of the most exclusive high society party asks her to dance what is meant to be an innocent tango leads to an engagement to Krish—her enemy’s son!

Arranging their own marriage could work to their advantage…if they can resist mixing business with pleasure! 

Hi Adite, welcome to my blog.

AB: Hi Falguni, thanks for having me! J

Always a pleasure. So, what’s The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal about?

AB: Maya Shome, a young landscape designer, wants revenge against the man who destroyed her family. In her quest for revenge she meets and falls in love with her enemy’s son, Krish Dev. Can she reconcile her love for Krish with her desire for  revenge? 

Do you have any strange writing habits?

AB: I actually do have some pretty weird habits, including getting up at 4 am to work on my WIP like a maniac. And then there are times when I will go for weeks without writing a word. But perhaps the craziest is when I hit upon the perfect solution to an intractable story point in my dream and I forget it as soon as I wake up!

That's not so strange. What does your day look like?

AB: Chaotic. I multi-task like crazy, juggling between freelance research/writing assignments, my current WIP which could be a novel or script, household chores and keeping my very demanding but adorable 12 year old dog entertained.

A regular Wonder Woman, you are :) 

Which author/s have inspired you the most?

AB: I love reading all genres (except horror) and I have been inspired by the works of Amitava Ghosh, William Dalrymple and JK Rowling.

OMG! I love Dalrymple too. Esp his Mogul books.

What’s your favorite book and why?

AB: Sea of Poppies by Amitava Ghosh. I love how Ghosh transports you into an amazing world and brings it alive with characters and situations that are so utterly fascinating.

If your book becomes a movie whom would you want to play the hero and the heroine?

AB: Ooh…I love this question… my current favourites (yes, they keep changing from time to time!) are Shahid Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra.

Nice choices of Bollywood Booty ;)

How did you come to become a writer? In other words, tell us YOUR STORY.

AB: I have been a writer ever since I graduated from college. After a long career in journalism and freelance writing, I happened to do a workshop in screenwriting. And, I was hooked. I’ve always wanted to write movies and learning the craft helped me develop my storytelling skills. So, from scripts to books wasn’t quite a huge leap.

What is your least favorite part about the writing/publishing profession?

AB: The marketing part – especially when it involves public speaking of any sort!

I feel you there!

What is your best marketing tip?

AB: I believe your work is your best advertisement. But as a new author, you need to make sure that readers of your genre are aware about your book. Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads have helped me connect with readers.

Why write romance?

AB: Because I love reading them!

Is there a certain scene you find difficult to write? Eg: Racy or action etc.?

AB: Every book/script has its own challenges.  In ‘Trouble has a new name’ I got stuck in chapter eight and I’d to rewrite it several times before I was happy with what I’d written. The challenge could be character motivation or the way I’d imagined a scene that just wasn’t working on the page or something totally different.

Is your writing character-driven or plot-driven?

AB: With scripts, I’m plot-driven but with my books I’m more character-driven.

Which is the best character you’ve written? Is he or she your favorite? Why?

AB: That’s a tough one… I love all my Heroes and Heroines. No favouritism, please! ;)

Naturally, in part you are all your characters (or vice versa) but which of your characters is the most like you? Or resonates in you the most? Why?

AB: I don’t subscribe to the theory that you are your character. I try to create characters who are empathetic and yet flawed, but are not necessarily like me.

What can we expect from you next? 

AB: My next book is called ‘Trouble has a new name’ and has the feel and tone of a romantic comedy. The book will be released by Harlequin India in July 2014.

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: 24/7

PASSION: Red-hot

HERO: TDH

LOVE: Eternal          

HATE: Downer

Thank you once again, Adite, for being here and talking to us. It was fun!

I had a great time answering your questions. Good luck with your writing. J

And that's it folks! Click below to find Adite Banerjie on

FACEBOOK   WEBSITE   TWITTER   GOOGLE+   

GOODREADS   

AUTHOR'S CIRCLE: with HARSH WARRDHAN

On Author’s Circle today, meet author and filmmaker,
Harsh Warrdhan, to talk about writing, life and his book,
When Hari Met His Saali.

Hi Harsh, thanks for dropping in to chat with us.

So tell us, what’s When Hari Met His Saali about?

HW: The book is about how a young woman who has everything going for her drives away her man due to her unrealistic expectations of romance. Things really get spicy when he falls for her sister.

Her idea of romance comes from movies and magazines. His idea of romance is that it is unnecessary.

Theirs was a love story that was never going to be conventional. But when Tia’s sister, Simi walked into their lives, what happened to Hari and Tia was something that nobody would have predicted.

Mix two sisters with bad history between them and one clueless man, to form one whacky triangle, and you get a cautionary lesson in how you should be careful of what you wish for in the name of love.

Set in Los Angeles and Nagpur, India, 'When Hari Met His Saali' is a funny, fresh, and outrageous look at young people and their dreams, longings, aches and heartbreaks. It is a fascinating take on the grand idea of love and the reality of romance. In a breezy, humorous narrative anchored around a magical twist, the story of Tia, Simi and Hari unfolds from romantic comedy into a climax full of suspense.

What’s your favorite line from your novel? Why?

HW: ‘The first thing anyone should know about Simi Galhotra was that God exercised his sense of humor through her life.’ When Simi’s character is introduced in the story, we already know about her sister Tia’s rocking life. This line foreshadows Simi’s contrasting life when compared to Tia’s.

Do you have any strange writing habits?

HW: I write the last chapter first.  

That is strange...

What does your day look like?

HW: It always starts with yesterday’s to-do list.

Huh. Mine too :)

Which author/s have inspired you the most?

HW: Elmore Leonard, Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder, of course.

If your book becomes a movie whom would you want to play the hero and the heroine? 

HW:Disney cartoon characters.

What??? Hm.

How did you become a writer? In other words, tell us YOUR STORY.

HW: Necessity is the mother of discovering if one can write. While finishing my engineering, I was simultaneously applying for a film school in U.S. One of the requirements to securing an admission was to write an essay saying why they should accept me in the university. I wrote a 4 page long essay completely made up of Hollywood film titles. It started with ‘To Sir, with Love’, the 1967 Sidney Poitier film. Since I got accepted everywhere I applied, I thought I was a good writer. But, it was the fun I had while writing it that really kept me going back to writing.

What is your least favorite part about the writing/publishing profession?

HW: Publishing industry is too laid back. I’m sure the publishing industry feels the same way about the authors, especially in terms of keeping the deadlines J

What is your best marketing tip?

HW: Be shameless. Wear your heart on your sleeves.

Why write what you write?

HW: Nobody else has such twisted idea of beautiful things ;)

Which is the best character you’ve written? Is he or she your favorite? Why?

HW: Tia Malhotra in When Hari Met His Saali is the best character I have written. As a writer she is my favorite but as a reader she wouldn’t be which was the intention. We all know people like Tia. They do all the wrong things for the right reasons. We admire their zest for life but we wouldn’t want them as a close friend. In her fallacy she is the most realistic character of the story.

Naturally, in part you are all your characters (they come from your head) but which of your characters is the most like you? Or resonates in you the most? Why?

HW: It has to be Simi Galhotra in When Hari Met His Saali as she is so much like how I used to be. Although fictional and written by me, she is the only woman who could ever inspire me to be a woman. How convenient huh? ;)

What do you wish to convey through your writing?

HW: Unapologetic entertainment.

What can we expect from you next?

HW: In terms of my next novel, I am very excited about a high concept romcom which I have just locked and there is one more which is also a romcom but this one reflects my own life. For this one, before I commit, I need more time to come to terms with the idea of my life being in a book J

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: Illusion

PASSION: Sex & food…together.

HERO: Cycles

LOVE: Thy neighbor’s wife.

HATE: Everything equally.

Thank you, once again, for guesting on my blog, Harsh Warrdhan, and wishing you the best with your books.

To connect with Harsh click on his social media:

Facebook     Twitter    Blog

MYSTICS and POETS

Kabir:

BETWEEN the poles of the conscious and the

unconscious, there has the mind made a swing:

Thereon hang all beings and all worlds, and that swing never ceases its sway.

Millions of beings are there: the sun and the moon in their courses are there:

Millions of ages pass, and the swing goes on.

All swing! the sky and the earth and the air and the water; and the Lord Himself taking form:

And the sight of this has made Kabir a servant. 

FROM WIKI:

Kabīr (also Kabīra) (Hindi: कबीर, Punjabi: ਕਬੀਰ, Urdu: کبير‎) (c. 1440–c. 1518)^[1][2][3][4] was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement. The name Kabir comes from Arabic al-Kabīr which means "The Great" – the 37th name of God in Islam.

Kabir's legacy is today carried forward by the Kabir Panth ("Path of Kabir"), a religious community that recognizes him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members, known as Kabir panthis, are estimated to be around 9.6 million. They are spread over north and central India, as well as dispersed with the Indian diaspora across the world, up from 843,171 in the 1901 census.^[5] His writings include Bijak, Sakhi Granth, Kabir Granthawali and Anurag Sagar.^[6]

AUTHOR'S CIRCLE: introducing KRISHNA SHASTRI DEVULAPALLI

On Author’s Circle today, 

with great fondness and nostalgia, I introduce author, artist, cartoonist and graphic designer, annnd a very dear childhood friend, Krishna Shastri Devulapalli, to talk about writing, life and his book, Jump Cut. 

Hi, Krishna, you don't know how excited I am to host you on my blog. While I've forgotten many things from our brief spurts of holiday mayhem in Chennai, I haven't forgotten you, your family or your incredibly offhand humor. (Also, ABBA and copious mounts of big hair come to mind when I think of those times!) 
Dear Readers, this man is funny! Trust me when I say that we're in for a huge treat today. So, clutch your stomachs and away we go:

What's Jump Cut about?
KSD: Jump Cut is a book about fathers and sons, the film world, coming home and intellectual property theft.

Hm. That sounds like a classic case of Silicon Valley. 

Ray had it all worked out. Go to India, take care of his father and return to his life in San Jose. His father would follow him in a couple of months and that would be that. But his father dies and Ray attributes it to bad luck. Things take a bizarre turn when an old friend tells him the reason behind his father’s death. Ray finds himself drawn into the seedy under-belly of Tamil films and up against a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Should Ray go back to his meticulously constructed life in the US? Or should he throw all plans aside and take on the man responsible for breaking into his father’s heart and stealing his mind?


Jump Cut is a genre-defying page-turner that is at once funny, moving and suspenseful, all leading to a deliciously satisfying climax with a sting in its tail.



How did you become a writer? In other words, tell us YOUR STORY.
KSD: I come from a family of artists and writers. Tried artist first, trying writer now, will try new medication shortly.

LOL. Which brings us to: Do you have any strange writing habits besides self-medicating for inspiration?
KSD: Yes, sometimes I write wearing nothing but a nun’s habit.

Haha. I told you he's funny!

What does your day look like?
KSD: My day looks like your night. I’m from the other side of the world.

Which author/s have inspired you the most?

KSD: Osho, James Hadley Chase and Falguni Kothari.

Why thank you, Krishna. And likewise, my friend.

What’s your favorite book and why?

KSD: Any client’s cheque book. For obvious reasons.

Ahem. Yes. Quite. And if your book becomes a movie whom would you want to play the hero and the heroine?

KSD: A.K. Hangal and Dakota Fanning.

Ooh. Dakota is lovely. 

What is your least favorite part about the writing/publishing profession?

KSD: The part where the accounts dept sends me a statement of my sales return signed with an ‘LOL!!’ at the bottom.

What is your best marketing tip?

KSD: Always take a carry bag.

Why write romance? (Shoot, should've changed that question for you but, oh well...)

KSD: Because foreplay is fun.

Is there a certain scene you find difficult to write? Eg: Racy or action etc.? Why?

KSD: Sex. Because it’s quite often funny in real life.

I can see that...even if I can't claim the same. 

Is your writing character-driven or plot-driven?

KSD: A bit of both. What I do like is being BMW-driven.

Which is the best character you’ve written? Is he or she your favorite? Why?

KSD: Dog Raj, the uncontrollable Labrador in Jump Cut. He’s my favourite because he’s based entirely on me.

Hmmmm. Naturally, in part you are all your characters (they come from your head) but which of your characters is the most like you? Or resonates in you the most? Why?

KSD: The character Gopi in my first book, Ice Boys in Bell-Bottoms. Like me, he’s a messed-up kid.

What do you wish to convey through your writing?

KSD: I want to make you laugh, then make you think.

What can we expect from you next?

KSD: I’m writing the sequel to my first book, Ice Boys in Bell-Bottoms. It’s called Rally Days & Disco Nights.

To end let’s try a Rapid Fire round. Your answer should be the first word/s that pops into your head when you think of:

LIFE: Sentence

PASSION: Fruit

HERO: In

LOVE: Difficult

HATE: Easy

Thank you once again, Krishna, for being here and talking to me. It was as much fun as I'd anticipated!

To connect with Krishna click on FACEBOOK.

To check out his first book click ICE BOYS IN BELL BOTTOMS

AUTHOR'S CIRCLE: introducing MOHANALAKSHMI RAJAKUMAR

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?

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?

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.

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.

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Website