Ruchi Vasudeva's Blog: Ruchi Vasudeva Author's nook, page 4
June 22, 2014
Get to Know Author Usha Narayanan
Today I have on my blog author Usha Narayanan whose book Madras Mangler is out now. Let’s get to know her through a question and answer session.
Q: Tell us something about yourself and how you got into writing.
Writing came easily to me and an MA in English Literature made it a natural choice. I spent many years writing to a client’s brief, whether for advertising or radio, corpcomm or websites. In the last two years I started writing for myself, playing both the Queen and King of Hearts from ‘Alice in Wonderland’. One proclaims “Off with their heads!” and the other pardons them.
Q: Your experience of writing a book – easy as pie or hard as nails?
It was really tough as I started off on a whim, and had to discover every detail of the process through painstaking research. How many words, how many pages to a chapter, where to begin, where to end, how to hold interest, how to build suspense, what happens to bodies when they are dumped in water, what clothes do obnoxious show-offs wear, how does a stalker operate….
I realized I knew nothing and had to fight each step of the way forward. But now, when I read ‘The Madras Mangler’, I feel like a proud mother who has forgotten the pangs of birth!
Q: What motivates you to write?
Once you experience the thrill and the freedom of writing for yourself, it’s like a drug in your blood. After it has been completed, you want to share it with as many people as you can. Positive feedback from the readers is the ultimate high.
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
I started with five starry-eyed girls, who are eager to conquer the world. What happens when the world is not exactly as they had dreamt it would be? Do they hold their own or do they retreat in fear to their homes? That is the question which this book addresses, with the serial killer being a metaphor for the challenges that life throws at you.
Q: Please describe your book briefly.
‘The Madras Mangler’ is a suspense thriller featuring five feisty girls, one hot hero, a psychopathic killer and the pleasures and pain of youth. Chills and thrills, fun and banter, drama and action ― get ready for the joyride of your life!
Q: Tell us about the main characters in your book.
Kat, Lolita, Minx and Moti are the central characters, leaving home for the first time to live in a hostel. Each of them has their own story ― difficult parents, a patriarchal society, financial or personal issues. Are they victims or winners? The brilliant and sexy Vir and his friend Bishnu are the male protagonists. We also have the trio Amar, Rakesh and Subu who together form the creepy Asuras. Thugs, cops, politicians and a Hollywood film crew add spice to the pot. They charm you or spook you and keep you reading, till you reach the spine-chilling end.
Q: How do you overcome writer’s block?
Take a break, read a book, watch a TV serial, meet a friend, go out for an ice cream. And then get back to your computer. The story is not going to write itself, my friend! The only way to remove writer’s block is to push through it.
Q: Does writing get in your way of life?
Yes, it does. When I am going full speed ahead, I have little patience for household duties, ringing phones or calling bells, even meal times. At other times, I’m happy to have an excuse to say I’m cogitating, just a fancy word for lotus-eating!
Q: What’s next in your writing plans?
A romcom with a sparkling pair of lovers in the colourful media world. And an action thriller set in mythical times, jazzed up with loads of romance, adventure, divinity and heroism.
And here comes our rapidfire round:
Your favourite movie
‘Gone with the Wind’. This was the rare movie which to me surpassed the book it was based on.
The worst movie you’ve seen
The Tamil movie ‘Boys’ which was so loud and crass it had me running away midway!
Any secret habit?
Skimping on sleep to read a book, write a book, watch the TV serials I love!
Actor you’d fall for in a heartbeat
George Clooney
Favourite book
The psychological thriller ‘Before I Go To Sleep’ by S J Watson. It is every woman’s nightmare come true.
Fallback option when the fridge is empty
A good book that you stashed away for just such an eventuality!
What comforts you when things go bad?
The confidence that you have weathered several crises before. ‘This too shall pass.’
Your most comfortable outfit
A cotton salwar kameez ― it is cool in more ways than one!
Thanks, Usha. It was great fun having you here. By the way, how does an empty stomach cope up on the diet of a good book? I’m sure all dieters out there will be intrigued to know ;)
This interview is a part of the Book Club tour for Usha’s book. Check out the buy links and author links below.
The Madras Mangler by Usha Narayanan
The Blurb
Five pretty girls from around the country, enjoying college life in Chennai, chasing their own dreams. Until a psychopath comes to town, killing girls and dumping their bodies in the rivers. The killer is smart, dangerous and very angry. Just like Vir Pradyumna, ace criminologist from New York, who is fighting his own demons from the past. Ruthless politicians, bumbling cops, beer barons and cyber criminals run amuck. The killer snatches a girl whom Vir has sworn to protect. A Hollywood action crew and the crowds at the India-Australia cricket one-dayer get sucked into the relentless buildup to a nail-biting climax. Will Vir be in time to stop the maniac and save the girl?
Buy @
Amazon.com | Amazon.in | FlipKart | Infibeam |
Watch it
Meet the Author
Be crazy, be creative. That’s been my mantra as a writer and a creative director ― in advertising, radio, corpcomm and web-writing. I turned up the craziness a notch by becoming a novelist, with the freedom to write exactly what I wanted. I started a romcom, changed it into a thriller and sweated and slogged to get the pieces to work together. Research, cliffhangers, suspense, clues, red herrings ― my brain was in a tizzy for days and months.
Done, dusted off, dispatched. A few rejections, heartbreak. A contract from Leadstart, bliss. Creating a spooky book trailer with images and music I bought online. A tweak here and there, with my editor. Poring over images for the cover. Suggesting the artist turn ‘The’ in the title sideways. The book comes out on Flipkart and Amazon first. And after some nail-biting suspense, in bookstores. Organised a launch with Suhasini Maniratnam and Rudra Krishna. Great media reviews. Lovely, wonderful blogger friends. I love being an author
Stalk her @
Filed under: Author Interviews
June 2, 2014
#Releaseday Bollywood Fiancé for a Day from #Harlequin E
Today is *happy dance* day! My debut book Bollywood Fiancé for a Day is being released in America woohoo!!! Umm sorry for the noise but feel like shouting from the roof tops so do bear up :D
Here’s the Indian cover for the edition which came out in August ’13
And this is the shiny new American cover
What do you think? Which is your favourite?
To celebrate the release of the American editions of my book and fellow author and dear friend Adite Banerjie’s book, Rubina of the Book Club is hosting a joint event for us on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/events/509006679201204/
Answer a simple question…an aptly romantic one…and you’ll be in the contest to win one copy of both the books. We have to pick two winners so do grab the chance and rush over to answer….
Q :When was the exact moment you knew he or she is the one for you?
Do join in the party on 5th. See ya there! :)
Blurb:
The man of her Bollywood dreams
Winning the chance to meet the ultimate Bollywood heart-throb, Zaheer Saxena, is just what Vishakha needs to take her mind off her recent humiliation—being jilted the week before her wedding! And when gorgeous Zaheer offers to be her fake fiancé, the chance to save face with her family is just too tempting…
It’s a deal that benefits them both—Zaheer is warding off any unwanted female attention until his next film is finished—but can Vishakha trust herself not to hope that her dream fiancé for a day could turn into for ever?
Buy links:
Filed under: Book Enthuse
May 29, 2014
Get to know – Author Sumeetha Manikandan
I’ve been quite tardy at blogging. Let me extricate myself from the blame by putting it all on the session break! With kids at home and trying to keep them entertained plus supporting daughter in her studies by taking her to a study camp…well, you get the picture. I’m really thankful to Rubina for snapping me out of the tendency to lag.
Let me resume normal service by introducing you to a lovely lady who has got published by Indireads. Please welcome Sumeetha Manikandan. Let’s get acquainted with her through a question and answer session.
Q:Tell us something about yourself and how you got into writing?
I live in Chennai and I have been writing for many years now. I have been a bookworm all my life. And that’s what prompted me to try my hand at writing. Earlier I used to write for pleasure but never thought of posting them as blogs or stories. I wish I had started blogging early on in my life. That’s one of the biggest regrets that I have.
Q: Your experience of writing a book – easy as pie or hard as nails?
I would rate my experience as somewhere in the middle – between these two extremes :)
Q: What motivates you to write?
Mostly it is a germ of a thought or a feeling.
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
The Perfect Groom was inspired by a true incident that happened to a friend’s friend. I heard it as an annecdote from a friend almost ten years ago.
Q: Please describe your book briefly.
Perfect Groom is the story of Nithya, a young girl who wants to be independent but family circumstances and not-so-well-meaning relatives push her into an arranged marriage. Ashok comes with the tag of the ‘Perfect Groom’ – handsome, rich and an NRI. But Nithya soon discovers that her Perfect Groom was not so perfect after all.
Q: Tell us about the main characters in your book.
Nithya – a young girl, fresh out of college
Ashok – a handsome NRI who is wedded to her
Vasu – Nithya’s childhood friend and distant relative, whom she meets after many years
Q: How do you overcome writer’s block?
I read all my favourite books during this period and go for long winding walks while listening to Sting.
Q: Does writing get in your way of life?
No. Life gets in the way of writing :)
Q: What’s next in your writing plans?
Right now waiting for my second book to see the light of the day :)
And here comes our rapidfire round:
Your favourite movie
Last of the Mohicans
The worst movie you’ve seen
RGV’s Aag (remake of Sholay)
Any secret habit?
Keep guessing :)
Actor you’d fall for in a heartbeat
Daniel Day Lewis and George Clooney (Hollywood)
Hrithik Roshan
Favourite book.
Huge list of books starting from Pride and Prejudice
Fallback option when the fridge is empty
Pizza and garlic bread
What comforts you when things go bad?
Music
Your most comfortable outfit
Nightie!
Hope you all enjoyed getting to know Sumeetha as much as I did. Sumeetha, thank you for sharing your experience of writing with us. So happy to Pride and Prejudice is topping your favourite list too…it sure tops mine :)
Do check out Sumeetha’s book. You can know more about it and read some reviews of it if you check out other posts in the Book Club Tours. Details and buy links below.
The Perfect Groom by Sumeetha Manikandan
The Blurb
Very little has gone right in Nithya’s young life. So, when a proposal from a young, handsome NRI comes along, her mother jumps at the opportunity and packs her daughter off to the US with her perfect groom.
Nithya seems to have settled in with Ashok, ostensibly happy, if as yet childless, in her new life. When an old flame comes back into her life, however, the cracks in her perfect marriage begin to show…
Buy @
Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.uk | Amazon.ca |Indireads |Smashwords |
Watch it
Meet the author
The Author’s Thoughts
An author and a freelance writer, Sumeetha Manikandan has been writing for many years now. After working in dotcom companies, like Sulekha for over a decade, she started freelancing from home.
Her debut novella, ‘The Perfect Groom’ was initially written in a script format, which was later converted into a novella for Indireads. The Perfect Groom touches a taboo subject that is most often shrouded in secret whispers and exclamations in the tambrahm community. Inspired by a real anecdote, ‘The Perfect Groom’ is in parts the true story of a girl who rose above myriad challenges to make her own way in life.
Stalk her @
Filed under: Author Interviews
April 20, 2014
Reading and Ranting
Do you rant about book you read? Do you have a book rant chum who will know exactly what you mean when you get into fault-finding mode?
I love to rant about the book I read while I’m reading it.
I know it’s bad.
I know it’s nitpicking – well of course that’s why it’s a rant.
I even realize – in a detached way – it’s mean. But to be fair I do notice the nice things too in any book and give the author due credit. Though they’re not that much fun to rant about. Except in that exceptionally exceptional book that you can’t analyse. Then you can just rave about it. And then it isn’t a rant, is it?
But sometimes, you come across some prime humour examples in books, certain descriptions or metaphors which tickle your funny bone. Which probably the author hadn’t intended but which raise a chuckle and sometimes a hoot of laughter. To give an example, in one book the author had compared the heroine’s nail paint to ‘caramel streaks of sunset’. Now that sort of thing really sets me off! Especially if the book is too serious. Which is why I think humour should always have some place in writing. If it has light moments, you won’t find the incongruity of descriptions so bad.
Can you tell I take the books I read very seriously? and analytically?
Mostly this rant mode happens when I haven’t yet got into the story. In the first few chapters, I’ll read and even be hypercritical this way. Till I’m into the story. Once there the nitpicking stops, if it’s a good book. If it’s not to my taste, I’ll still plod along and torture anyone within listening range with my outrage. I find it really hard to leave a book unfinished.
So do you have a rant chum? Do you nitpick while reading? Do you finish every book you read? How much humor do you like in your reading? Do share your reading quirks, I’d love to know!
Let’s talk about reading and ranting! :)
Filed under: Just Bloggin'
April 14, 2014
Cover Reveal – The Return of the Rebel by Jennifer Faye #Reveal
Hi Folks, Today I’m hosting cover reveal of a fabulous book by romance author and dear friend Jennifer Faye. And *drum roll* without much ado, here it is :)
Isn’t that a gorgeous cover?
Have a look at the blurb:
The guy from the wrong side of the tracks…
Being promoted should be a dream come true, only it means working closely with Cleo’s childhood crush, Jax Monroe. Jax may no longer be the rebel she remembers, but he still gets her heart racing like no other.
Jax cares too much about Cleo to let her get too close—but keeping his distance is proving impossible! As Jax reveals the extent of what he’s been through, will Cleo show him that some things are too precious to put off until tomorrow?
Available for Pre-order at:
Available at:
Amazon | Amazon – UK | Barnes & Noble iTunes | Waterstones | The Book Depository | IndieBound | eBooks.com | Books-A-Million | Indigo | Flipkart
About Jennifer Faye:
Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye is constantly weaving a new story whether in her mind or on her laptop. Maybe that’s partly due to the fact that she has spent most of her life with her nose buried in a book. It was only natural that she would go on to spin her own tales. Now living her dream, she resides with her patient husband, amazing daughter (the other remarkable daughter is off chasing her own dreams) and two spoiled cats.
Stalk her at:
Website: http://jenniferfaye.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferFayeAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferFaye34
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6902849.Jennifer_Faye
Filed under: Uncategorized
April 13, 2014
#CampNanowrimo – Who has a better chance at winning Nano – a plotter or a pantser?
It’s Camp Nanowrimo time and writers are scribbling away like mad or letting fingers fly over the keyboard.
Or maybe staring at the blank screen?
Oh no!
Oh yes. If you’re a Nano participant, no doubt you’re cringing at the above image but truth is, it does happen to the best of us.
What could make that not happen? What could keep our writing time full and flowing like a forgotten turned-on tap? Maybe we should plot more. Maybe just learn to let go?
Which is where we come to the intent of this discussion. Who makes a more fluent writer? Who has a better shot at winning Nanowrimo? What kind of writers?
Plotters or pantsers?
If you’re novice to these terms, just to familiarize you:
Plotters: are those writers who painstakingly chart out every turning point in their book. They have worked out the start, middle and end of the book.
Pantsers: a term that arose from ‘writing by the seat of their pants’ i.e. writing without planning. These are the writers who while writing are figuratively flying in the mist, just seeing a little way ahead. They take an idea and run with it. They have usually no plan where the story will end up.
There is a new term going round these days. Plansters, who are a combination of both. Hmm are they immune to the blank screen?
What advantages plotters have
Obviously if you’ve planned your book, you have a huge advantage. You know what to write, what subject comprises your story. You’ve done the research.
Plotters usually have covered:
- Storyline. That is, the plot points.
- Characters. Histories and profiles of characters. Some people write the characters’ whole history. I recommend charting out the details of three important events in various stages of their life at a minimum. I’ve covered that in my post on what to keep in mind while writing a short story.
- Lowest point. Crisis.
- Resolution.
Some writers write a rough outline for each chapter while few even do a detailed outline down to every event.
So is all that detailing useful?
Disadvantages of too much plotting
With all the story milestones marked out and the journey charted out, it may seem plotters wouldn’t have to face a blank screen. No, not true. I’ve written by plotting and I know I lost interest. Some things didn’t sound right. The characters wouldn’t go where I wanted. Or if they did the actions seemed illogical and just ‘not them’. The plot seems contrived.
Why?
The disadvantage the plotters face is that when the characters face a point, a pinch point, they react. It affects them. When the author was plotting, she didn’t detail how it would affect them. If she took this into consideration, fine. But mostly characters develop in the book and (in my own experience) refuse to go where you lead them. That’s when your story and your plotting starts shaking like a house of cards. Trembling. Threatening to collapse in the gust of wind of confused writing.
And then the Nano goal recedes further and further away.
The other disadvantage the plotters face is boredom. You know what is going to happen. There is no newness, no unexpected twists surprising you. Your scene length will shorten. You may end it quickly just to finish it off.
Plotting too much can make you get bored with the project. There is no sense of wonder and you start feeling like it’s work. And work can be tiring. Fun goes out.
What advantages pantsers have
A fresh voice. Your writing sings with excitement because you do too while doing it. A scene just started out may extend to cover a whole chapter. Your word count climbs. Every day is a new one. A mystery. A quest to find more about your story.
Disadvantages of pantser-ing
Suddenly the excitement fizzles out. What now? You’ve poured out the idea but now your characters refuse to talk. You made them run away from the pursuing criminals. Drop onto a glacier. Got them rescued and dumped in Las Vegas. Well…what now? They don’t seem to be in the mood to move. The king pin is still missing but your protagonist has lost the will to hunt the villain down. She would rather stay where she is and enjoy herself than go face the bullets. (well, wouldn’t you?)
So, what’s the verdict? Blank screen is common to both kinds of writers. Or in fact any kind of writer. Seems it’s a nemesis we have to find a way to deal with.
How to get rid of the kryptonite of blank screen.
Well, to tell you the truth, there’s no surefire way. It’s what’s called the writers’ block and comes and goes on its own. That’s because several factors account for it. Check out my post about how to beat writers’ block to read more on this.
But I’ll discuss here a few things which can help you retain your particular way of writing whether you are plotter or pantser. They are conclusions based on my own struggle with both ways of writing. I’ve tried plotting, though not detailed, but I used to write my story scenes ahead of their chronological order. That cost me huge chunks of time, as I would later struggle to put these ‘brilliant’ scenes in the story but fail to gel them in. Then I’ve tried to write without working over an idea, sped up by sheer enthusiasm but that has ended in tears too quite a few times. I’ve tried both ways, sometimes in the same book. So I began to analyze what worked when I finally finished a manuscript. Here are my tips to clobber the blank screen.
For Plotters
Never plan too rigidly. Keep some space to allow characters to grow. Have a plan but let it be flexible, even vague at places. Allow the deviation when the character demands it. The turns and twists in your story will give it a newness you’ll find irresistibly alluring. So the charm of writing is reborn. It’s no longer a drag of a job (well it is, but you know what I mean. Within the drag, there is fun. Breaking free like a tiny sapling from soil. Ok, no more tired old metaphors.)
For Pantsers
Planning is not in your blood but do plan what your characters stand for. What they have set out for and whether they will or won’t get it. Even that much of guidance could keep your story on track.
Hit or miss? What is common warning signal for the blank screen of plotters and pantsers?
It’s this focus – or lack of it – on the characters. They are going to chart out the book for you. Twists and turning points can be to drive the plot but even they will have to be put in according to the characters’ journey. So, be sure you know your protagonist. If you’re stuck, you don’t know her too well. One suggestion for a time like this. Sit down and write a conversation with her. Interview her. You will find new insights to shape your story.
Hope you’ve found this useful. What kind of a writer are you, love to plan or make it up as you write? Or a mixture of both? How do you handle the blank screen?
All the best for Nano and also for any forthcoming competition you undertake.
Keep well. Write with love.
Filed under: Writing Help
March 26, 2014
How to Edit – Guest post – Editing for Historical Romance by Aarti V. Raman
Writing anything, even an email, requires editing. Typos, unclear sentence formation, jumbled homophones…the pitfalls are innumerable. In fiction writing, it is often hard to decide when enough editing is done. Too little and you haven’t tightened enough. Too much and your writing ‘voice’ is lost. So how to edit the right way? Today I have newbie historical romance author Aarti V. Raman here, talking about her editing process. She has some awesome ideas about how to go over your work with a fine tooth comb.
Take it away, Aarti! :)
Winston Churchill, in his missives to his Chiefs of Staff, at the height of World War II, would only write two words: Action, Today! In my humble opinion, he is the best example of an editor: succinct, precise and visual.
I am in the process of editing my MS “Lucas: Book One of The Lords Of Devil Manor”, coming out with Knox Robinson Publishing (June, 2014) and it is, surprisingly a fun but uphill task. For one, it’s about 10000+ words in length. For another, typos are the bane of my life and I am diligently hunting down every one of those little suckers and eradicating them from existence. Like I said, fun and uphill.
I have no meticulous process that I follow, while making structural or line-edits (I am doing both now). But I do try and keep a few things in mind, anyway. A few key pointers, if you will.
Language: In HR (Historical Romance, to the uninitiated) LANGUAGE is everything. Common slang that we take for granted today, did not exist then. While writing and editing HR, it is imperative to remember this rule, which can only be followed, if you READ a lot of HR because otherwise your language takes a lot of hits and the work becomes sub-par. You do not want that. So, for instance, “maybe” becomes “perhaps” and not necessarily “perchance”, which would be correct English. “Butt” will ALWAYS be “Arse”. And there is no such word as s#@t.
Continuity: This rule also pertains to language, and can be applied to every MS you write. STICK to one default language. If you are writing UK English, stick to it. “Neighbour”, “candour” etc. If you are following US English, like I do, don’t veer. “Color, hasn’t, and ain’t” are allowed. Readers are critics. They will spot these snafus faster than you can say ‘Chicago Style Guide for Editing!’
Rewrite: Now this is an extremely sensitive and subjective matter. I like what I write. That is why it is written in the first place. Also, I, thankfully, have a very clear sense of place, time, pace, plot and character before I begin the draft. Unless absolutely required (and usually at the publisher’s behest) I do not rewrite. But, that being said, when it comes to publishable MS like “LUCAS” I double-triple-quadruple check to make sure nothing more or LESS can be done. That each scene is exactly where it belongs, so the story is given the absolute, perfect presentation it deserves.
Adjective/Adverbs: By the time, the book is accepted by a publisher, all the little flourishes of ‘Lucas said softly’ and ‘Annabeth exclaimed loudly’ should have been weeded out. Post-haste. But, if they aren’t, that’s what line-edits are for. Remove every extraneous word (especially adjectives and adverbs) and tighten your story. (Plus, this keeps it under word count too!)
These are just a few basic things I am trying to implement to really shine “LUCAS: Book One of The Lords Of Devil Manor.” And I will continue to find newer ways to make it work, so that you, the reader has the most enjoyable experience with it. That is what good editing does to a MS. Elevates a good book to a great one. I hope, my little pointers will be of some help to you.
Do wish me luck too.
Thank you Ruchi for having me at your spot, and till next time,
Xx
Aarti V Raman aka Writer Gal
Hope you liked this post. Do you have any tips to add? Leave them in comments below. We can all learn from each other’s knife wielding! ;)
Filed under: Writing Help
March 9, 2014
Writing process blog tour: My Writing Process – Ruchi Vasudeva
Hi everyone! Today is Blog Tour Day. This blog tour is where writers answer questions about their writing process (or in other words – head banging 
at least for me!)
YA author and dear friend Sheritha Singh posted about her writing last week. You can check out her writing process here.
Here’ s how I eke out the words on my keyboard and what’s going on in my writing these days. Cue here a picture of a big ponderous tortoise to get an idea of my speed
What am I working on?
Right now, I’m writing a story about college lovers who separated due to their different life choices and now are finding their way back to each other again. They have to work past their differences which are quite a truckload.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
It’s a romance, a contemporary one. It is different for me in the way these characters are opening up to each other, layer by layer – excuse the metaphor The romance is going to test the emotional limits of these two especially the hero. He has avoided facing what he grew up with and if he wants things to work with her, he’s going to face some tough choices. The question is, can he do what it will take to win her back?
Why do I write what I do?
Honestly I don’t know, that’s the way ideas begin to unroll for me. I see the beginning of the characters in people and situations in the world around me and the trails people are facing, then a combination of different ideas makes the story roll. Sometimes it’s an uphill struggle, like this story. I just had to write one short scene in a park and somehow it took me two days to get it done because I couldn’t find the point of that scene, though I knew it had to be there to get from point B to C. I like to read romantic stories so maybe that’s why I write them. Having grown up on a diet of harlequin and also historicals and the classics, my stories do tend to be a mixture of escapism combined with groundedness. Or so I’m told 
How does your writing process work?
I wish there was a process! For me writing rarely happens in the way of smoothly churning out words. It’s more like sketching, shading, shaping and filling in colours, adding hues and then putting the tiny signature at the corner. I get down the basic idea and work on it over and over to smooth out the unreasoning parts. Thankfully, I have now cut down on jumping ahead and writing the future scenes first. Because that used to really make me rewrite a lot. Now I just keep doing the touch ups till the editor pronounces it done.
Thanks for reading about me. Next week catch the writing process of these authors:
Adite Banerjie – Adite is a screenwriter based in New Delhi, India. She turned romance author when her first Harlequin romance, The Indian Tycoon’s Marriage Deal, released in 2013. Her second book, Trouble Has a New Name, comes out in July 2014. She loves to travel, watch movies and play with her Irish Setter when she’s not stuck to her computer struggling with her current WIP.
Reet Singh – Reet, a medical professional, has a romantic soul. Most of it is probably inherited from parents who have loved each other dearly forever, but a lot is attributable to the romantic fiction she devours by the kilo. When she’s not doctoring people, and when she is not writing, she watches romcoms on the telly, does creative things with wool and a crochet hook, struggles with the daily crossword or with online Scrabble. Occasionally, she can be found in the kitchen putting together her ‘world-famous’ one-pot meals – world famous because family scattered all across the face of the earth has, at one point or the other in their lives, encountered a meal that they couldn’t guess the constituents of, but found finger-licking good nevertheless. Married for three decades, her prototypical tall, handsome, and sensitive alpha-husband still makes her heart skip a beat. Writing about love and happy endings feeds her romantic soul and brings to a full circle her love affair with Mills and Boon®, from reading them ardently to writing them. Reet’s website is http://reetsingh.in. Write to her at reetsingh.author@gmail.com; tweet to her at @AuthorReet.
Aarti V Raman – Aarti lives in Mumbai, India and has a degree in mass media from Mumbai University. She has always dreamed of being either a writer or a lawyer and decided to pursue a writing career from a very early stage.
Aarti has already published a romantic thriller under the name Aarti V and has more works coming out in 2014 with Harlequin and Knox Robinson. Her childhood dream of writing romance (contemporary and historical) has finally come true and she hopes to continue this fantastic journey with many more love stories and fascinating characters. Aarti loves to watch movies, TV series and read other romances and travel to different places in order to find a new hero and a new story. She loves to hear from her readers. You can contact her at www.facebook.com/aarti.v.raman or her blog at www.williaminashakespearewrites.blogspot.in or on Twitter @Rt_writes
Do let me know how you found the idea of the blog tour and this post. Bye for now!
Filed under: Author Interviews
March 1, 2014
Get to know author Andy Paula
Q: Tell us something about yourself and how you got into writing?
AP: My childhood was spent in various places of Bihar and my glory lay in the fact they people said I wrote good letters. J Those were the days of snail mail and I was commended by friends and family as a great letter writer. They tell me they were transported to the place that I’d described in the letter, and these remarks (I learnt the word compliment later) made me feel like a great writer. Also, when my essays were read out in class, it boosted my morale. But I never really envisioned that I would be a writer.
I wanted to grow up, major in English and teach the subject so I did that. I was the most job satisfied person around me and could never understand why people didn’t choose a career they were cut out for and stop cribbing about all things work-related. After teaching for over nine years, I moved to corporate training. The company was looking for a trainer with a language background and I glided into my new role. Here, I was happy training and sending mails to colleagues that cracked them up. The occasional article that got selected for the office magazine made me feel like a Pulitzer winner.
And then London happened. My husband, an IT professional, was headed to UK for a year and I was not to be left behind. I quit my corporate job and happily flew to meet The Queen. With no job to go to, I felt like an explorer and soaked in the English environs. After I’d had my share of cheese cakes, fish & chips and Stratford-upon-Avon, I got into blogging. Not without relentless online pestering from my mother in India about why I was ‘wasting time’ and ‘at least not writing’ about my experiences, if I hadn’t taken a job there! Blogging put me into a strict writing regimen and when a friend told me about Indirom, the flagship of Indireads, I’d gotten into the habit of sitting at the laptop and typing away. It is a fattening job, I tell you, and I’m grateful that my Love’s Labor was not lost.
Q: Your experience of writing a book – easy as pie or hard as nails?
AP: I’ve written only one just now and it was hard. I hadn’t expected that! I thought writing came easily to me- I was blogging and wrote short pieces all my life- but a full-length book is a different ball-game, I realize. The edits that came forth squashed me completely and I’d almost given up, till, with divine intervention, Love’s Labor saw the light of day.
Q: What motivates you to write?
AP: Everything. I don’t know too many other things that make me as happy as when I’m involved in the writing process.
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
AP: I could never understand the fuss surrounding love and inter-caste marriage in our society. Love’s Labor is a story that I saw unfold in my family. The drama that ordinary people are capable of, the politics that unrelenting parents play with their rebellious children and the resentment that brews in young hearts are all that I am privy to. The saga needed telling, more for my own catharsis than for the reader to critique. You can read more about the background of Love’s Labor here.
Q: Please describe your book briefly.
AP: Love’s Labor is a story about Piali Roy, an English teacher, & Sathya Nair, an animator, who are brought together by circumstances, and despite behavioural and communal differences, end up falling in love. All very well. What is not is the reaction of the two families, and a third’s. That of the girl’s who Sathya was slated to marry, when Piali took his life by storm.
Staring from a hill station in India, the book takes you on a flashback to a Steel township where the lead pair belong, to another hill station where their love blossoms, to a city in the South of India where Sathya goes away to put his beloved’s insecurities to rest to another mountain town where the heroine herself lands up. In a tale spanning over two years, Love’s Labor takes you on a journey of India and, more importantly, of the human heart.
The journey of the lead pair both inward & out is what forms the crux of the story; what adds spice to it are the deep-rooted & firmly held traditions that the families refuse to budge from and the couple’s unceasing attempts to overcome them.
Q: Tell us about the main characters in your book.
AP: Piali Roy: Twenty five year old Piali Roy is a beautiful and confident English teacher. She heads the teachers’ group that is going on an excursion to Panchgani, where she meets Sathya, the Director’s son. Not the one who believes in ‘love at first sight’, she chides her palpitating heart for playing wanton. But life has other plans for this dutiful daughter.
Sathya Nair: With his dashing looks, part- philosopher -part –academic demeanor and smouldering eyes, Sathya makes the teachers go weak. He is the Director’s son, the heir apparent, to the chain of schools his father has founded. The trip to Panchgani is his initiation into his future role. Sathya is engaged to the Principal’s daughter, Vinitha.
Vinitha Krishnan: The friendly and composed IT professional who can differentiate the grain from the chaff is betrothed to her family friend, Sathya. Her reaction when Sathya calls off the engagement takes everyone by surprise.
Piyush Roy: A dignified government official who holds family honour above all else is Piali’s father, Mr. Roy is appalled that his loving daughter has falling for Sathya, a man from a different community.
APJ Nair: The School Chairman, Piali’s boss, is infamous in the small town of Jamshedpur for questionable practices. He smells a fish that a mere teacher in his school has ‘hooked’ Sathya, his son, the future Director. His dreams of tying his empire with the Principal’s, by marrying his son to her daughter, seems to be crashing.
Q: How do you overcome writer’s block?
AP: I read so that I can be inspired to write. Sometimes, I can’t differentiate between writer’s block and laziness, honestly!
Q: Does writing get in your way of life?
AP: Life gets in the way of my writing. There are too many other areas that demand attention and writing is relegated to the background oftentimes.
Q: What’s next in your writing plans?
AP: A novel that revolves around relationships. And Then It Was Dawn is the working title of my second.
And here comes our rapidfire round:
Your favourite movie – Shawshank Redemption
The worst movie you’ve seen – Jaani Dushman. (Yes, I sat through the whole of it.)
Any secret habit? – Won’t remain a secret if revealed!
Actor you’d fall for in a heartbeat – George Clooney
Favourite book – Soul Prints by Marc Gafni
Fallback option when the fridge is empty – Zarda Pulao
What comforts you when things go bad? – A tight hug
Your most comfortable outfit – Long skirts & top in summer, tracks in winter.
Great interacting with you, Andy! Zarda pulao – sweetened rice – sound yum! You got away from sharing your secret habit very nicely! Spoilsport
Love’s Labor by Andy Paula
The Blurb
Piali Roy has run away from home and the two stubborn men who love her. One is her beloved Baba; a rigid traditionalist, he refuses to accept anyone from outside her caste and community. And then there is Sathya, the unsuitable outsider. He loves her truly, madly, deeply and has even called off his marriage for her sake. Neither man will budge, and the small town of Jampot, where everyone knows everything, is not big enough for the two of them.
Away from their unreasonable demands, Piali strives to find peace in the mountains. But within six months, her lover tracks her down. Once again, she betrays the one by trusting the other.
Will her labor in the name of love be in vain, or will love transcend all differences?
Buy @
Amazon.com |Amazon.in | Indireads
The Book Club Presents Andy Paula’s Love’s Labour
Meet the Author
Andy Paula is a corporate trainer by profession and a writer by vocation. After the innumerable essays, poems, articles, editorials, congratulations & condolence letters she wrote for herself and others refused to satiate her writer’s Self, she finally put herself seriously to the task and wrote Love’s Labor,a romance novella that is now on Goodreads.
To know more about the versatile author click here.
You can stalk her @
Filed under: Author Interviews
February 23, 2014
Twenty Questions with… Ruchi Vasudeva
Hi! Here’s my interview with Carina UK author Aurelia B. Rowl. She has some quirky questions for me Read on…over to Aurelia now.
Twenty Questions with… Ruchi Vasudeva
Stopping by my blog for a round of Twenty Questions today is Ruchi Vasudeva, author of You Can’t Fight A Hollywood Attraction, recently released by Harlequin.
I have known Ruchi for almost as long as I have been writing, having met in the virtual sense in a writers’ support group on Facebook, so I am delighted to see that her journey to publication is going from strength to strength.
ACT ONE – ALL ABOUT YOU…
Ruchi Vasudeva is a doctor by profession, a teacher by vocation and, in her own words, an author by destiny. The writing bug has long resided in her and a contest held by Harlequin for Indian authors gave her a golden opportunity to have her dream realized. She debuted in August ’13 with her book Bollywood Fiancé For A Day. Her new releaseYou Can’t Fight A Royal Attraction is her second book, both being published by Harlequin. She also won a contest for getting a short story published with Harper Collins which will be published soon. She writes romantic fiction with conflicted characters who come into their own in their quest of reaching out for love. She loves to write about spirited heroines getting hurtled out of their daily life as soon as they cross paths with their rather challenging heroes.
She lives with her husband and two kids. When not bent double over the laptop, she might be found with her nose in books or munching nachos at the movies or glued to the telecast of Team India or Chennai Super Kings in action! She likes to take long walks which help in brewing story ideas.
1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?
I used to love writing even during school years. While in college I was almost conflicted whether to give up a medical career for a literary one. Medical won that round and naturally writing took a backseat. I did steal a bit of time now and then to pen down story ideas but that was about it till, with the kids growing up and some time on my hands, the writing germ began to grow again. The Harlequin Passions contest for Indian author came along and the rest is history
2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?
Have to confess my writing has no order let alone any style. I pen down the dialogues between the characters to get a feel of where the story is likely to go and then write it in short form before filling it up during the rewrite. I can write anywhere if the story is going well. The kitchen, backseat of the car, a quiet room, a crowded bus, practically anywhere!
3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?
I used to be a proliferative Harlequin reader, still read them, so I think the natural bend to write happy-ever-afters comes from that. Authors who have left an impression are many, the foremost being Jane Austen, Penny Jordan, Georgette Heyer and Sidney Sheldon.
4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?
I read somewhere that Penny Jordan’s editor gave her this advice : always ask ‘what if’ and ‘why not?’ I think of these words a lot. Makes me think of new avenues when a story gets stuck.
5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?
Hmm, I’m an incessant worrier, I worry about everything! I get part of the exercise I need while waiting for lentils to boil I love junk food…now I can’t look kids in the eye ever again!
6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?
My smartphone, my BlackBerry, laptop, food processor and washing machine!
ACT TWO – ALL ABOUT YOUR NEW RELEASE…
Playing with fire. Who says it isn’t fun?
The last thing Rihaan needs in his life is to play host to a woman who drives him crazy! Saira is gorgeous, yes, but she’s also wildly infuriating. Yet every time she comes within an inch of him he finds his normally iron-clad control slipping further and further away…
Wanting to protect herself from more heartbreak, Saira knows she should keep her distance from Rihaan —but there’s something about him she just can’t seem to resist… Little does she know that Rihaan is hiding a secret! When it comes to light will it tear them apart —or raise their passion to new, more majestic heights?
7) Congratulations on your recent release of You Can’t Fight A Royal Attraction; what was your inspiration for writing Rihaan and Saira’s story?
The inspiration came while I was writing my first book for Harlequin,Bollywood Fiancé For A Day. Saira was the heroine’s stepsister in that book. I couldn’t help thinking of her point of view and gradually she became a character who had to have her story told. She was such a fiery and fearless character, a woman who had her share of mistakes and growing out of them, it was fascinating to go along with her on her journey.
8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling?
The beginning took a few rewrites but after that the book really took off. I was on a deadline which might have accounted for the jetspeed writing!
9) How long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk?
The story idea came in December but I wasn’t really paying much attention to it then. When my editor and I were discussing ideas for my second book then the story began to form. The first three chapters took about two weeks. I think I wrote the rest of the first rough draft in less than a month. Then after polishing and revising for 15-20 days, it became presentable enough to be submitted. So around two months in total.
10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?
Here it is. It happens when Rihaan grows distant to her and she is incensed about it.
‘Even you don’t find it easy to ignore it, do you?’ she asked bluntly, facing him in a moment of defiance, then she went forward. ‘Show me how one reasons with this.’ She flung her arms around his neck and brought his head down till she was kissing him.
Anger. Desire. Frustration. Everything mingled in the kiss. The need to make him understand. The need to vent her anger because he didn’t understand. And then there was another need. The need to just experience…
11) Over to you, what can you tell us about You Can’t Fight A Royal Attraction to make us rush out and buy it?
If you like fiery heroines who stand by their believes and grow stronger from their mistakes; if you like enigmatic, hard-to-read heroes protective towards those they love, you’ll enjoy every second of reading You Can’t Fight A Royal Attraction.
12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now?
I have one story out in an anthology being published in May by Harper Collins India. I’m working on a couple of other projects which are in the first draft stage.
QUICK FIRE ROUND – IT’S POP QUIZ TIME…
13) Plotter or pantser?
Plotter till the charting of characters and situation; pantser for rest of the book.
14) Digital books or print books?
Both but slightly inclined towards print.
15) Tea or coffee?
Both again! but tea is more my cuppa tea
16) Extrovert or introvert?
Introvert. But like the company of family and friends.
17) Facebook or Twitter?
Twitter. It’s quick and makes you value your words. That’s not to say I don’t dally on facebook all too often
18) Christmas or birthday?
Birthday.
19) Morning person or night owl?
Night owl reformed into morning person
20) Sweet or savoury?
Sweet. Love chocolate desserts!
And that’s a wrap!
Thank you so much for taking part, Ruchi, I wish you every success with your new release.
Thanks, Aurelia, your questions were so fun, though the choices were tough to pick I can tell you! Enjoyed being here a lot.
To discover even more about Ruchi Vasudeva, and to keep up with her latest projects, you can visit her at:
FACEBOOK TWITTER BLOG WEBSITE
BUY IT NOW…
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Add to Goodreads
ISBN: 9789351062622
Released: 3 December 2013
Harlequin India
Amazon UK / US / Germany / India
NOOK UK
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EXCERPT…
What was it about that cool hauteur that made her want to play with fire?
‘Of course you’re no danger to me in a…’ deliberately she let her gaze run over him ‘…a sexual way, are you?’
He didn’t miss it, and nor did he miss the insolence she project- ed. She could see his mouth tighten in controlled annoyance. For a wild minute she wished he’d let loose, and the unreasoning thought made her heartbeat pick up.
‘Are you trying to challenge me?’
Her heart jumped up at the deep voice laced with mockery. Coward, she derided herself. Surely she wasn’t frightened of him?
‘No challenge for you, surely? You can hardly stand the sight of me,’ she reminded him.
‘Am I supposed to jump on you in fervent denial of that statement, swearing that I can’t keep my hands off you?’ A dark eyebrow rose. ‘Sorry, but your little game won’t wash, Sehgal.’
Irritatingly, he’d addressed her by her surname again. ‘Oh, how astute you are, Khehra!’ She widened her eyes. ‘You catch on so fast I guess I’ll have to watch myself more around you.’ She formed a pout, aware of his gaze moving to her mouth, feeling an unreasonable thrill as it did. She must be mad. Or starved of fun. But somehow she couldn’t not try to get a reaction out of that stone monument.
His eyes narrowed. ‘Whatever you’re trying to do, I’m not looking for trouble—and I’d advise you not to go poking around for it either.’
‘So disappointing!’ She shook her head sorrowfully. ‘Here I was, getting thrilled to bits that we’re going to have this week-end. Just us. Lonesome. Twosome.’
here is the link to the post. Do let me know how you liked it!
Filed under: Author Interviews, Book Enthuse, Just Bloggin'
