Writing is a lonely job. In fact, loneliness is a prerequisite of sorts, isn’t it? At least for me, it is. Unless I am alone in my own quiet space, I find it difficult to write. Actually, loneliness is not the right word because it has a negative slant to it. The word “emptiness” describes it better…a kind of vacant feeling which takes away the clutter and noise of the outside world. The mind is opened up to all sorts of possibilities. It’s vacant. It’s as if one is in an alternate universe where anything is possible and nothing is impossible.  Physically, one can describe it as being in ..read more

I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Hindustan Times, Pune, almost immediately after my book release (1st December 2019) but somehow I had neglected to put this up on my website. I had got so busy with a few book readings and travel that I completely forgot to post this. Well, here it is: Here is the text version: 1. The genre of thriller originates from the gothic which has a large rambling castle as its setting. Since Hawa Mahal is a typical Gothic building what importance does it hold to your murder mystery thriller? Answer: There’s a character in my book called Raja who comes fro ..read more

The E-Author Resources blog showcases books and authors and also is a goldmine for authors looking for book cover artists, editors, illustrators, publishers, and website designers. They were kind enough to feature my interview on their website. Here is a small excerpt: Did you learn anything from the project?  I had read a lot of detective and mystery novels but when I actually started to write one, I realised how difficult it is to insert clues in the right places so as to keep up the suspense. There was a lot of painstaking detailing work required and constant going back and forth. It w ..read more

I attended the Jaipur Literature Festival for the first time in January 2020. Not for all the five days, just for a day or so. It was exactly what I had been told it would be. Crowded, energising, exciting, festive... I was there on a Sunday and the Diggi Palace venue was packed. The previous day I had been at JBM (Jaipur BookMark) at the same venue but hadn't attended any JLF sessions. The discourses on politics like one where Rajdeep Sardesai and Sachin Pilot were spewing forth their contradictory opinions were the most crowded with deafening cheers for nothing in particular. The Front Law ..read more

I spent a day at Jaipur BookMark (JBM) on the 25th of January. The organisers offered me a free delegate badge because I participated in the iwrite competition. I am not sure why they did because I had not been shortlisted. In any case, I had submitted a short story not a synopsis of a novel. Mostly the iwrite competitions are all about getting a book deal so I wasn't really expecting any response from them. Maybe from their point of view, offering a free delegate badge was nothing but for me, someone who was mulling over going to JLF for weeks, this was the nudge I needed. The free delegate ..read more

It had been years since I went to a book fair. I had heard that book fairs were packed with jostling crowds but I needed to narrow the gap between seeing and not seeing. After all, my crime thriller The Hawa Mahal Murders, was being exhibited at Vishwakarma Publications bookstall in Hall no.12. I had to be there! And I was, on the 12th of January, 2020. It was a Sunday and the grounds at Pragati Maidan were packed. It was quite an exciting experience for me. Signing copies of my books, meeting strangers who were going to read my book and of course the general bookish atmosphere which I thr ..read more

Reading excerpts from The Hawa Mahal Murders at the Quill And Canvas in Gurgaon on the 11th of January 2020 was a unique experience. For one thing, I was reading excerpts from my book at a cosy art gallery and book store called the Quill And Canvas in a glitzy mall. It was the third time I was doing a book reading and I found myself slipping into the mode very easily this time. Book readings are a way to reach readers in different parts of the country, even if huge crowds don't make it on the day itself. The flyers go out and advertise the reading and that counts for a lot. All in all, i ..read more

I was lucky enough to have The Hawa Mahal Murders covered by a prestigious newspaper like Sakal Times. They announced a Pagdandi book launch in their daily newspaper. This was a second launch of a book, at a book cafe on the 14th of December 2019. The first launch was an official launch at the Pune Lit Fest on 20th of September 2019. This event took place at Yashada, in Baner. An announcement in Sakal Times. A great author interview! This appeared on the 13th of December 2019. And finally, the review! Loved the title of the review. This appeared in Sakal times on the 15th o ..read more

It's been three months since the launch of my book, The Hawa Mahal Murders, and when I look back I have a lot to be happy about. 40 reviews on Amazon and 44 ratings on goodreads, almost all of them positive. Pretty good for an unknown author without a famous publisher pushing out free review copies and an author without any pull to get reviews done by famous people and famous publications. Here is a review scrapbook made from excerpts from reviews. On Goodreads On Amazon I had done a short review of reviews just a month after the launch when I had about 10 reviews. And even somethi ..read more

An event was organised at Pagdandi, a book cafe in Baner, Pune, on the 14th of December 2019. My crime thriller The Hawa Mahal Murders had a mini-launch at this book cafe, and it was accompanied by a book reading and a quiz. I had a lot of fun! This was the second book launch, the first being the official launch at the Pune Lit Fest, on the 20th of September 2019. These were several promos made for the mystery quiz! I had done a book reading at the Pune Lit Fest too, but this was somehow more fun! Maybe it was because I had had the experience earlier, but I wasn't tense. I was rel ..read more