*** Special Feature May 2020 ***
Quick Recap:
1st May - Introducing Naimish Srivastava
8th May - Excerpt 1 from Until the Music Stops
15th May - A Study in Jealousy - a Short Story
22nd May - Excerpt 2 from Until the Music Stops
About the Book:
 |
| Find the Book on Amazon |
He is not crazy for her.
He is just crazy.
It is impossible not to like Grace Malhotra—she loves her family, her friends, and she does everything right. All she wants is a normal life. But she makes one mistake: She thinks everyone is as nice as her. And Amir Malik makes her pay for it. He starts tormenting her again.
Thus begins a game of cat and mouse that leaves Grace questioning everything she knows, including her sanity. The cracks in her relationship with her husband begin to show. Will they be able to get through this together? Will she be able to get away from Amir alive?
I have a simple rule: What you don’t already know about your book, you learn through research.
Interview with Naimish Shrivastav
When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?
My tryst with writing began in college. At that time, I was undergoing a tremendous emotional and mental upheaval. And I was trying to find an outlet for all my feelings of hopelessness and failure. When I started writing, it was just mindless scribbling to pen my thoughts. I was then inspired by how cathartic it felt. And those scribbles ended up turning into my first novel.What inspires you to write?
I think it’s that magical feeling of creating something out of nothing. You start with a blank page, a blank canvas. And you create a little world of your own in it with living, breathing characters. And that little world serves as an oasis of hope, thrill, love, escape and comfort for so many people. I think this is my main inspiration as a writer.What kind of research goes into your book?
The research that goes into writing is the difference between a good book and a great one. And once you read both, you will be able to tell the difference that shows in the depth of the storyline and the minutest of details. For my psychological thriller, I first read all the great books of the genre. From Rebecca to The Shining, from Gone Girl to The Girl on the Train, I read them all. Then I read books on human psychology to get an understanding of how the human mind works – how we act, how we think, how we react. I brushed up on my knowledge of police procedures, narcotics and mental illnesses.I have a simple rule: What you don’t already know about your book, you learn through research.
What are you working on at the moment?
Besides being a novelist, I am also a spoken-word poet. Currently, I am working on a few spoken-word pieces that I would like to get out to my audience.How did you come up with the idea for your book?
The idea for Until the Music Stops was like an epiphany while I was reading Gone Girl. It came from the fact that our past and present are deeply interwoven – the novel follows a present-past timeline for this reason. Everything that we are, everything we are going through can be traced to a specific moment in the past. I want people to learn more about themselves and who they actually are while reading the book.Please share some interesting facts about the characters in your book.
Ah, I wouldn’t want to ruin the fun for you. What I can say is that when you read the book, pay very close attention to every action, every movement and every thought because the most interesting facts about the characters are hidden underneath the surface.If you could pick any famous author to review your book who would you pick and why?
I would choose Stephen King and Gillian Flynn because they inspire me the most. And, yes, I am also ready for the harsh truths that will come my way.Have you read any books that have inspired you to improve or change yourself in any way?
I recently read “I’ve Never Been (Un)Happier” by Shaheen Bhatt. It’s a fantastic book that really allows you to understand what people with mental health disorders face. It gives you a lot of perspective in life.Do you know the ending of your books before you finish writing them?
I think I have a semblance of what the ending is going to be like when I begin writing. Sometimes, it ends up being completely different. Other times, it’s loosely the same but I end up fixing bits and pieces along the way. It’s because the characters take on a life of their own when you begin writing the story. And then they dictate the story and the ending, rather than you doing it.What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?
Stop waiting for motivation and start writing. There is never going to be a perfect moment when the stars align, when the sky is the perfect shade of blue and your thoughts start flowing. You have to just sit and start and write and write. That is when the magic happens.What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
I hope you’re a little bit crazy. That is what’s going to make you great.
About the Author:
Naimish Srivastava is a twenty-two-year-old writer and spoken-word poet based in Delhi. He reached the Top 15 of AIB First Draft in its first season, and is the author of two novels - Thinking Out Loud and Until the Music Stops. He writes in a professional capacity as a Copywriter during the day, and in a personal capacity (with a cup of tea) through the night.
 |
| Author's Amazon Page |
Naimish Srivastava is a twenty-two-year-old writer and spoken-word poet based in Delhi. He reached the Top 15 of AIB First Draft in its first season, and is the author of two novels - Thinking Out Loud and Until the Music Stops. He writes in a professional capacity as a Copywriter during the day, and in a personal capacity (with a cup of tea) through the night.
Naimish Srivastava on Instagram
Giveaway:
1 Winner for a 500/- Amazon Gift Card
3 Paperback Copies of Until the Music Stops
1 Winner for a 500/- Amazon Gift Card
3 Paperback Copies of Until the Music Stops
