Free Book Friday: In Conversation with Ronit J.

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Free Book Friday: In Conversation with Ronit J.

Ronit J is a fantasy nerd with big dreams and bigger anxieties, all struggling to make themselves be heard within the existential maelstrom that is his mind. Fantasy – and by extension – the whole speculative fiction genre is how he chooses to escape reality.

In Conversation With: Ronit J.

Today, I have the pleasure of sitting down with author Ronit J. Can I offer you anything to drink before we start?

Would it be too much to ask for a beer? A nice, dark stout would be perfect right now.

It’s a little early…but what the heck, I’ll join ya.
You are from Mumbai. There’s a lot of people there.

Far too many people. And not enough roads. You can’t even imagine the traffic, let alone every other issue that stems from a rampant population explosion.

What’s the best and worst thing about living there?

Best part? Well, I was born and raised here. So, no matter what, this place feels like home. Plus, the area I live in is pretty green, sorta quiet, and with loads of dogs and dog parents. That kinda makes up for the negatives.

The worst part? The noise. You’d expect the population to be a problem, but nope. It’s the noise. Construction noises. Traffic noises. Even in the quietest quarters of the city, you’ll still hear the infuriating beat of a jackhammer breaking concrete somewhere in the distance.

I know you have a new book out, but what started you on your writing journey?

It all started with Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I don’t know what it was about that Dragon Rider book, but the creative spark ignited a lifelong passion that is burning to this date. I was 11 when I read the book, and within a month or so, I started writing my first-ever manuscript. I wrote 100 pages before my hard drive crashed.

Since then, I’ve written 3-4 unpublished manuscripts (totalling some 400-500k words). All this before finally publishing my debut novel, Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One! in 2023.

What authors have influenced you?

Steven Erikson and Eiichiro Oda are two major influences. Both are known for their epic-scale storytelling. You can particularly see Oda’s influence on my debut novel, Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One! with all the absurd elements that come together. Erikson’s exploration of mature themes is what really fascinated me, and I aspire to write books as profound and thought-provoking as his. I wonder if that shows in Island of the Dying Goddess.

Apart from these two, Abercrombie and Sanderson are two more names that all fantasy fans will know of. They have influenced me as well; Abercrombie with his unique character work and Sanderson with his world-building and writing lectures.

Do you have a favorite book?

Not really. I have books that I rank highly, but I don’t have one particular book I’d call my favourite. Malazan is naturally on top of my list. So is One Piece. They’re tied. Right below them in no particular order, I’d include The First Law (haven’t read the Age of Madness yet), Berserk, Cosmere, Foundation, and the Murderbot Diaries.

Some non-SFF titles here would be War & Peace, Crime & Punishment, The Stranger, and Metamorphosis.

Let’s talk about your new book, Island of the Dying Goddess. Was it a new idea or one you have been mulling about for a while?

It was a purely new idea. In fact, I wasn’t planning on writing this one at all. I started to discovery-write the rough draft in November 2023, for NaNoWriMo. At the time, I was dealing with a personal tragedy that unwittingly made its way into my draft, influencing the plot and themes.

A few months before this, my father had a stroke. He was hospitalised for months, and as you can expect, it was a terrible time. My family and I were all mentally and physically drained in dealing with this ordeal. He did not succumb, but he was rendered paralysed on one side with his speech completely impeded. While dealing with all this, I had more difficult philosophical questions haunt me, which I ended up exploring through Island of the Dying Goddess. The book’s themes include grief, loss, mercy, and coping.

I’ve talked about this in the book’s preface. My father is alive and well at the time of this interview, but he hasn’t still fully recovered from the stroke. I’ve dedicated the book to him.

Who does your cover art?

My debut novel’s cover was done by The Hyphn. They’re a graphic design company run by my friend who I used to work with. I really love the quality of their artwork and 3D renders.

However, for Abandoned by the Gods and Island of the Dying Goddess, I did the covers myself. I have some experience with graphic design, and I reached out to my designer friends for honest feedback to help improve the covers. I try and stick to free resources (Figma, stock images, sketchbook app), mostly because I’m not yet in a position to invest a lot of money in cover art.

That being said, if you can afford it, please pay for it. It will be worth it.

I’m not familiar with any music bands from India. Care to share some of your favourites?

I don’t really listen to music all that much nowadays. But, back when I used to, I really enjoyed Scribe (Heavy Metal) and Avial (Rock).

Any other bands you like to listen to?

I love System of a Down, the Beatles, Megadeth, and Nile. I used to listen to a lot of metal when I was younger. Like I said, I don’t really listen to music much these days. When I do, it’s mostly instrumentals or Lo-Fi.

Are you ready for the lightning round?

Let’s do this!

Can you recite any numbers of Pi from memory?
3.1415 (yeah, that’s about it)
Hardest subject in school?
Economics. I still don’t really know how the economy functions; I just know it’s bad. Makes you wonder how many people even understand economics.
Most beautiful place you have stood?
Dalhousie. It’s a hill station in North India, and the hotel we stayed in had a view of the Himalayas. Plus, we visited a bunch of monasteries and valleys, all of which really put into perspective the natural beauty of our world.
Favorite city?
I’ve only ever lived in Mumbai. So, Hanoi. It felt like an upgraded Mumbai.
Oldest thing you own?
I have a small tin with a coin collection that has coins from the early 20th century, including pre-Independence India. It belonged to my grandparents.
Scariest animal you have encountered?
Religious extremists.
I’ve never heard that answer in all my interviews. It’s a good one.

This has been a pleasure. Thanks for chatting. Any links you want to share?

Book Links:Universal Link: https://books2read.com/islandofthedyinggoddess Website: https://ronitjauthor.com/books/island-of-the-dying-goddess/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223663634-island-of-the-dying-goddess StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/caad978a-1ec8-48ee-8520-05769ba3836f

-Leon

While you’re here, check out Leon’s books!

Euphrates Vanished (Kindle/KU)A Matter of Sabotage (Kindle/KU)

Don’t feel like buying the book?

Sci-fi not your thing?

Try my two poetry collections: Lines by Leon and A Wonder of Words

The story behind Free Book Friday:

I’ve met many authors and readers during my time marketing, cross-promoting, and blogging. I think writers have a responsibility to inform readers about all the indie authors out there in the very crowded world of book publishing. You can’t do it alone, and why would you when you have a supportive group available?

Readers don’t just read one author – they stick with their favorite genres. Therein lies the power in cross-promotion. If one of my readers buys a book from an author I promote, then chances are there will be a reciprocal effect, or so is the hope. Do I want to boost sales? Of course I do. Do I want to boost other’s sales? Why not. It’s called karma.

Some free book offers require a newsletter sign-up, which is a small non-monetary price to pay to try out a new indie author.

Purchase/Sales Links

Free books!

Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words, and his latest sci-fi mystery, Euphrates Vanished.

My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/