*** Special Feature - November 2019 ***
Quick Recap
1st November - Introducing Sourabh Mukherjee
8th November - Author Trivia & excerpt from The Sinners
15th November - Meet the Characters The Sinners
Sourabh is the author of two psychological thriller novels The Colours of Passion: Unravelling Dark Secrets behind the Limelight (Readomania) and In the Shadows of Death: A Detective Agni Mitra Thriller (Srishti Publishers and Distributors); Romance Shorts, a collection of dark-romance short stories; a 2-part series Beyond 22 Yards (Srishti Publishers and Distributors) on stories of Love and Crime from the world of cricket and a 7-part series of short stories titled It’s All About Love (Srishti Publishers and Distributors). The titles in the series are The Gift, The Cookery Show and a Love Story, A Special Day, Masks, An Autumn Turmoil, The Hunt, The Death Wish.
A keen observer of human behaviour and cultural diversities, Sourabh
loves travelling and has travelled widely across five continents. An avid
reader of fiction, Sourabh is equally passionate about photography, movies and
music.
Contact the Author:
Interview with the Author:
When
did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?
I have been writing for as long
as I can remember. I have never really written for a purpose – it is just
something I love to do. In my early childhood, I would spend hours writing, as
well as making illustrations for my own stories. A number of my poems were published
in children’s magazines back in the day. I continued to write through my
teenage and later in college.
I kept writing in office
magazines for a couple of years, but the demands of my career as an Information
Technology professional and my travels across the world soon left me with very
little time and creative energy to write fiction.
However, as I travelled across
the world, I grew as a person getting to observe people from widely varying
cultural backgrounds and to study their emotions, their thoughts, their
behaviour from various perspectives. And stories began to grow all over again.
I won the Golden Pen Award in the
Monsoon Romance Contest 2014, conducted by Sulekha.com and judged by an eminent
panel of literary luminaries. That was when I decided to take my writing career
more seriously.
My debut novel In the Shadows
of Death was published by Srishti Publishers in the winter of 2015.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned while
creating your books?
When I am in the process of writing, I actually let the sights
and the sounds in my mind take over. It, therefore, becomes extremely important
for me to be in the ‘appropriate’ frame of mind to write, irrespective of the
time of the day or my surroundings. I need to be in those situations myself.
How has your experience been different this time around from The
Agni Mitra Series?
This
time, the story is set in Mumbai, instead of Kolkata. Also because this story
is not an investigative thriller, unlike the Agni Mitra thrillers, I do not
talk about police procedurals. There is, of course, a detective, but this
gentleman is rather quirky and a sharp contrast to Agni Mitra.
What do you hope for the readers to take away from The Sinner?
The
storyline of The Sinners is inspired by the thought that, we are busy
developing technology for the future, but at the end of the day, we are human
beings with primal, caveman instincts. This contradiction is a very interesting
subject.
The
story unfolds in a technology company in Mumbai, that is in the business of
manufacturing next generation smart devices, and in a short time, has emerged
as a force to reckon with in the global market. With this setting, “The
Sinners” is a fast-paced corporate thriller that regales readers with accounts
of how battles are fought in the corporate with internal, as well as external
enemies, why security of information and ideas is indispensable, and the extent
to which rival firms can go for business gains.
Finally,
as in my previous thrillers, “The Sinners” is primarily about human psychology
and goes into the psyche of its characters. It deals with the complicated
dynamics of human relationships, and reflects the society and the times we live
in.
Please
tell us about the characters in your book.
I will present a high-level
sketch of the characters in The Sinners. The handsome and charismatic
protagonist Vikram Oberoi, who is a ruthless go-getter and notorious for his
dalliances outside his marriage; the disgruntled wife who believes that her
family would be saved if Vikram were not drunk on power; the new intern who
falls for Vikram’s charms; the jilted lover who vows revenge; the ambitious
boss who would not let Vikram’s bohemian lifestyle get in the way of the
company’s success; a colleague who was once a classmate and who now eyes
Vikram’s chair; the Head of a rival firm all set to destroy Vikram; a
mysterious woman laying out honeytraps to sabotage Vikram’s plans; and a quirky
detective form an eclectic mix of characters that keep the reader hooked to the
story.
What is the cardinal rule of writing a mystery/thriller?
Thrillers
these days are rarely about stolen antique or rare jewels. Thrillers today are
more about human psychology. They are about the complicated dynamics of human
relationships. They reflect the society and the times we live in. And that is
what draws me to a thriller as a reader.
Today,
we are consuming crime stories from all quarters – TV, news, movies, the
internet. And it is probably getting harder and harder for the mystery writer
to conjure an unexpected ending. There is so much of true crime we are reading
about and watching around us that it is often difficult to deliver jaw-dropping
twists. Also, readers like me who read lots of crime books every year get used
to spotting hints and clues in the narrative as they read along.
Therefore,
for me, when I read a thriller today, whether I was kept guessing about the
identity of the antagonist till the last page, is no longer the most important
thing. What I look for in a modern thriller is how we get there, how deep we go
into the psyche of the characters. I want the narrative to be intriguing and satisfying
to the extent where I feel it is all real, where I can relate to the characters
and everything that is happening to them.
What
kind of research goes into your book?
I am
an instinctive author. However, the amount of research one needs to do before
writing a book depends largely on the subject.
For
instance, when I am writing about homicide investigation, I do a fair amount of
research into areas like forensics, autopsy procedures, DNA studies, cyber
forensics and so on.
These,
of course, are always supplemented by my own studies on criminal psychology,
which is a subject of personal interest.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people
will find?
Always.
There’s a bit of me in every story I write, and the one who knows, knows.
What did you do with your first check from your books?
I
invested in marketing my books.
What are the most unethical practices in the publishing
industry?
I
believe a number of unethical practices in the publishing industry stem from
the rather unreasonable desire of authors and publishers to meet numbers and
targets they set for themselves, instead of focusing on developing a platform
and creating a following of readers, organically. Instead of boosting sales
numbers by buying back copies, influencing sales figures in stores or ratings
and reviews in online platforms, authors should focus on reading, creating
quality content, engaging with readers, and working on feedback.
What
is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into
writing?
It
is important to create real, identifiable characters in a story – unless of
course one is writing a fantasy or a superhero story. Correct use of the
language is essential. An author should ensure that a story progresses at a
uniform pace – a story that slows down after an energetic start is a big
letdown. Finally, it is not about the length but always about the impact of a
story. I have read 1-page stories that have left me thinking for days.
What
are you currently working on?
I am currently planning the third
Agni Mitra novel!
About the Book:
Vikram Oberoi is found dead in his penthouse. A few hours ago, his involvement in a sex scandal in NexGen Technologies made headlines across the world.
Who is behind the sinister conspiracy that destroyed Vikram Oberoi, the philandering India Head of NexGen? Rivals within and outside the firm? One of his many jilted lovers or the miffed wife? A mysterious conspirator laying out honey traps to sabotage his plans? Or, is it the ghost of a sinful past that continues to haunt the Oberois?
The Sinners is a fast-paced thriller with a shocking twist that unravels against the backdrop of corporate warfare, illicit relationships and ruthless seduction games.
Book Links:
Giveaway:
1 Paperback Copy of The Sinners
1 Paperback Copy of The Colours of Passion
1 Paperback Copy of The Colours of Passion
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