Interview with Ghanshyam Karkera
Published 2015-12-19.
When did you first start writing?
This book I started in the year 2004. It took me 11 years to complete this. I was encouraged by my test-readers, who read the first two/three parts when the same was being written and felt that the story was developing well. They all wanted to know what happens to Vivek. This resulted in my completing the book in September 2015 on my birthday.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
At the age of 10, I had to leave Bombay and go to South India. We went by ship. This brings about the story of the stowaway of Gokuldas. Life was not easy then and part of my struggles have crept into the book.
What's the story behind your latest book?
Life of women in India is not easy. I have tried to show a different independent approach to life that any woman can have. The female characters in the novel are very strong and do what they please. Men are mostly supporting characters in this debut novel.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I always felt that I have to give to the society what I felt should be told. This was a story that needed to be told. Further, I believed I had the talent to string words together to entertain. This incidentally became a suspense novel, once the characters of the story started telling me what they wanted to be written. I wrote what the characters started dictating to me. For example, the short poem - 'Rosie Knows'.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Well, this is the beginning! Smashwords had a very clear way of informing the authors how to format books for submission. Hence, the book conversion took place within the first few minutes, which itself is an achievement!
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Writing is a pleasure and very therapeutic. The greatest joy is when you have readers who read and then tell that they have thoroughly enjoyed the book and are awaiting its sequel.
What do your fans mean to you?
My fans, my readers are the entire reason for my writing. They incentivise me to write further. The joy of giving my fans the pleasure of reading a clean entertaining book with subtle messages as regards how to manage their relationships with their loved ones is highly rewarding.
What are you working on next?
I am writing the sequel to this novel which is titled 'The Siblings'. The story continues, with suspense and now ... revenge!
Who are your favorite authors?
Alistair Maclean, Irving Wallace, Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardener, Arthur Hailey, Ayn Rand, J. K. Rowling and J. R. R. Tolkien. I have read and own a large number of books as I am a voracious reader.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Every new day is a day to live. Life is wonderful. I get up from bed for I know that now only I have to live life at its fullest but also give an inspiration to the world at large that life is worth living.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I love to read. Hence when I am not writing and also not doing my normal professional work as a Chartered Accountant, I read, solve Sudoku and cryptic crosswords. Rest of the time I spend exploring the world of information technology.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.
