1.When did you find yourself in the world of words? 

I have been enveloped by words for as far back as I can remember. Initially it were comic books that kept me glued, often to the chagrin of my academically inclined parents. I would be reprimanded for reading comics during study time, at the dining table while eating and during other routine chores. But in their defence, back then they were unaware that words and stories would eventually become my calling someday.

Although I was an active contributor of articles and poems to my school magazine, my first brush with serious writing happened much later. In the initial days of my corporate career, I found myself living in an alien city – Rajkot – with no friends or family around me to stake a claim on my free time. This was when I gave writing a serious consideration and got down to putting my first manuscript together.

Once the manuscript was ready, I didn’t know what to do with it. I approached an Ahmedabad based publisher of Gujarati books, and as luck would have it, the timing proved just right. They were desirous of foraying into English publishing and were looking for the right manuscript to take on. My manuscript made the cut, and the result was ‘Pillars of Success’.

 2. What do you think about the newly emerged genre "Micro-fiction" 

In the current day and age consumers are seeking quick and easy solutions to just about everything. Newspapers are giving way to flash news feeds and grocery shopping has become a 30 minute affair from the comfort of ones drawing room. Clearly, the one commodity that consumers are attaching a significant premium to is their time.

Hence, when seen from the consumer lens, micro-fiction is not just a novelty but a necessity. Thick and word-heavy literature will always have its takers, but their numbers are certainly dwindling and will continue to do so. We may choose to ignore the elephant in the room, but it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. So, to keep fiction and the habit of reading alive, writers will need to adapt their writing styles to shorter, quicker reads and publishers will need to focus on newer and more acceptable mediums to make these works reach their readers. Perhaps there is also a need to explore newer commercial models to retain the viability of writing and publishing in this rapidly evolving landscape.     

3. Do you believe that self-experience is important to keep your pen flowing? What motivates you to write and just keep writing?

To me, writing is a form of self-expression. It is an integral part of my existence, like talking or eating or even breathing. Hence, ‘to keep my pen flowing’ doesn’t require any conscious effort on my part, it just happens on its own. At any given point I find myself working on 2-3 manuscripts in tandem, irrespective of the stage of publication that my last work is in. So the motivation to write is more innate than externally triggered.

However, the one thing that I derive immense pleasure from is the reactions and feedback I receive from my readers. The fact that someone was adequately engaged by my work to form an option on it and found time to reach out to me is indeed a gratifying feeling. And this is the one reward I seek for the efforts that go behind my writing.

4. For a writer, how important it is to be a good reader? 

Writing and reading aren’t two separate vocations, but two sides of the same coin. Just like you can’t be a good chef if you aren’t a food connoisseur or you can’t be an artist if you don’t cherish art, you can’t be a good writer if you are not a reader. Yes, you may have your preferences in what you like to read, but a fondness for reading is a necessity. It not only exposes you to the nuances of writing, but also allows you to experience (as a reader) the aspects of a particular piece that seem to be working and those that are not.

Thus, it saddens me greatly when I read comments like, ‘I had never read a book until I wrote my first one’ from some of the most celebrated authors in the country today. This, to me, is a new low for the art of writing – yet another cruel outcome of excessive commercialization I guess!  

5. Tell us about your book/s. 

I have authored ten books thus far – two self-help titles, a historical fiction duology and the remaining six in the contemporary fiction genre.

My personal favourites among these are ‘The Legend of Amrapali’ and ‘Birth of the Bastard Prince’ which narrate the life account of the yesteryear courtesan from the kingdom of Vaishali, Amrapali. Amrapali’s story is truly astounding and it comes across as much ahead of the era that she actually lived in. I have used the bits and pieces of information available about her and a liberal dosage of my imagination to give shape to the story and it has been applauded by personalities like Shashi Tharoor, Prahalad Kakkar and Mallika Sarabhai.

Among my more commercially successful titles are ‘Where the Rainbow Ends’, ‘Love on 3 Wheels’ and ‘The Quest for Nothing’. These titles promise their readers stories that they can relate with and characters that will stay with them long after they are done reading the book.

 6. A message for the reader's community...

Keep reading and keep sharing your feedback. Hearing from you means a great deal to all of us, and I can say this on behalf of most authors I know.

And here’s a dedication to all my lovely readers:

       Change the world I know I won’t,

            Enthralling as always I hope it remains,

            A kaleidoscope of joy, sorrow and pain.

            But my only wish as I take this jaunt,

            Is for my words on you to impress upon,

            A smile, a tear or even an angry frown.