He is from the world of Advertising and Films, having started his career in Feature Films, T.V Serials, and documentaries as an Assistant Director and then eventually settling down in the Advertising Industry as a Films Manager and finally as the Head of the Films Department. He lives and works in the city of Mumbai, India. It occurred to him much later in life that he was born to write.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself not many people know?
A. I have an immense passion for watching all kinds of movies. I also love to sing (although I’m is not a trained singer) and had managed to come out with an Album comprising both English and Hindi songs where I myself had penned the lyrics and was helped by my good friend from advertising Suresh Mendoza, a talented music director and owner of Glam Slam Recording studios ltd, Mumbai. I have also studied Editing and Cinematography.
I’m also an avid reader and I have read both Fiction and Non-Fiction books. I’m a huge fan of Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone and Bollywood actor Sanjeev Kumar. My favorite director is James Cameron. I have also acted in some plays which were a spoof of some Bollywood movies and industry. I am extremely passionate about traveling and learning different languages. I have also done hand modeling for some commercials.
Q.2 Are we going to read more from you shortly? Any new project you’re working on?
A. Yes. One will definitely read more from me in the future as I am currently working on a sequel to my murder mystery novel Noctambulism: Flood of Blood which is tentatively titled Flood of Blood 2 - Bloodhounds Rising. I also plan to expand the Arihant series as I have some interesting ideas up my sleeve.
Q.3 When did you decide to write Noctambulism: Flood of Blood?
A. In the year 2021, I had come upon an interesting term known as HOMICIDAL NOCTAMBULISM and I researched it thoroughly. I was shocked when I read actual real-life stories where people had murdered others in their sleep and had no idea about it the next day.
Q.2 Are we going to read more from you shortly? Any new project you’re working on?
A. Yes. One will definitely read more from me in the future as I am currently working on a sequel to my murder mystery novel Noctambulism: Flood of Blood which is tentatively titled Flood of Blood 2 - Bloodhounds Rising. I also plan to expand the Arihant series as I have some interesting ideas up my sleeve.
Q.3 When did you decide to write Noctambulism: Flood of Blood?
A. In the year 2021, I had come upon an interesting term known as HOMICIDAL NOCTAMBULISM and I researched it thoroughly. I was shocked when I read actual real-life stories where people had murdered others in their sleep and had no idea about it the next day.
I researched further to see if there were any movies or books written on this subject and found only a few movies based on this subject, where the antagonist used this reason as an excuse for executing murders. There was no movie or book that I could find which had this problem as a genuine issue. And that prompted me to write NOCTAMBULISM where I decided to add an element of a murder mystery to keep it interesting for readers.
Q.4 It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing. Tell us about your marketing campaign?
A. I normally invite bloggers/critics to review my books and also participate in writing contests and also responds to different publishing houses when they invite me to apply for Awards in different categories.
Q.4 It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing. Tell us about your marketing campaign?
A. I normally invite bloggers/critics to review my books and also participate in writing contests and also responds to different publishing houses when they invite me to apply for Awards in different categories.
I recently won the Author of the Year Award for Noctambulism from Ukiyoto Publishing apart from winning Best Plot Creation from them for my debut Novel Arihant - Revenge Par Excellence.
My latest Novel Noctambulism was also submitted for the INKITT Storytelling contest where it won about 400 reviews with an overall rating of 4.8/5 stars.
Q.5 How long does it typically take for you to write a book?
A. I usually take about a year to write my novels. Because I believe in writing novels that have a very unique plot and a storyline, which has never been heard before. Although I am just 4 novels old, my every story is a one-of-a-kind tale, never heard before. And hence it takes time for me.
Q.6 Were there any challenges you faced while writing this book?
A. I always do thorough research for my books even before I start writing them down which is like an interesting challenge to pen down every line in a unique way. But I do feel lucky that I have the power of imagination with me and because of that, I breeze through most of the challenges.
Q.5 How long does it typically take for you to write a book?
A. I usually take about a year to write my novels. Because I believe in writing novels that have a very unique plot and a storyline, which has never been heard before. Although I am just 4 novels old, my every story is a one-of-a-kind tale, never heard before. And hence it takes time for me.
Q.6 Were there any challenges you faced while writing this book?
A. I always do thorough research for my books even before I start writing them down which is like an interesting challenge to pen down every line in a unique way. But I do feel lucky that I have the power of imagination with me and because of that, I breeze through most of the challenges.
Q.7 Do you have a routine when it comes to editing your books?
A. I read and re-read my drafts several times to see how I can improve the writing style or correct any mistakes if they have occurred.
Q.8 What kind of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
A. I have just 2 messages for my fellow authors. Never ever give up and wield your power of imagination to its fullest to write a ‘One-of-a-kind’ story that truly enthralls one and all.
Q.9 Do you believe in writer’s block? If yes, how do you deal with it?
A. No, I have not experienced writer's block as yet.
Q.10 What were your feelings when you first saw the cover of the finished product?
A. Emotional, Excited. On 7th heaven!!
Q.11 Does your family support your career as a writer?
A. I am truly blessed and hence thankful to my dear wife Kavita who wholeheartedly supports me in my writing endeavors. Not only does she read my drafts and corrects them whenever needed, but she also contributes with some good ideas.
Also thanks to my brothers-in-law Prasad Manglore and Satish Burde who are voracious readers themselves, who read my stories and give their suggestions to them. Also grateful to my friend Chetan Indap who designed all my book covers and to Ruhi Dighe (his colleague) who designed the book cover of Noctambulism. Also, I thank my daughter Shubhika who agreed to be featured on the book cover of Noctambulism.
Q.12 How did you select the name of your characters?
A. I usually decide the names of my characters based on where the story occurs. It’s mostly based on the location of the story. And also the character’s personality.
Q.13 What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
A. I do not follow a fixed work schedule. Because there is no rule or no procedure when ideas start flowing inside my mind. It can occur anytime and anywhere. But once they start flowing, I start writing them down immediately.
Q.14 Do you have any unique and quirky writing habits?
A. Yes. Whenever I get excited writing a particular chapter or when I hit upon a great idea, I tend to insert an exclamation mark after every sentence! But then during editing, I remove those that were not needed.
Q.15 How do you come up with the name of your books?
A. I always research before coming up with a title for my books. I feel very strongly that each and every book that I write should have a unique title that should scream out at the reader and grab his attention. I strongly feel that half of the battle is won if a reader picks up a particular book, based on its title, from a huge pile of books in a library or a book store.
Q.16 What is the most difficult thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?
A. I feel that I have not come across this issue as yet. The reason is that I have read many books and seen many films which have both male and female protagonists, antagonists, or interesting complex characters. And I re-read those books and watch those films again which I love the most, to understand those characters in depth. So thankfully I do not encounter this problem.
Q.17 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. I have written 4 books so far and am working on my 5th book and each and every one of them is my favorite. The reason being is that each and every one of them has a unique storyline and plot, so it becomes difficult for me to choose my favorite book.
Q.18 Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to meet and why?
A. If possible, I would love to meet my favorite actor/writer/director/producer Sylvester Stallone. The reason is that his movies - especially the Rocky Balboa series instilled a sense of confidence in me when I was going through a low/tough phase in my teens. There are many memorable quotes from the Rocky Series that I still strongly believe in.
Q.19 How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
A. There is no set formula for me whenever I embark on writing a new storyline. For me, it all starts with a unique germ of an idea which I develop and flesh it out further.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far?
A. For me, it was a long writing journey that started in the year 2007/8 and still going on. It was like a roller coaster ride for me where I experienced many highs and lows but kept going on strong, year after year.
Q.12 How did you select the name of your characters?
A. I usually decide the names of my characters based on where the story occurs. It’s mostly based on the location of the story. And also the character’s personality.
Q.13 What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
A. I do not follow a fixed work schedule. Because there is no rule or no procedure when ideas start flowing inside my mind. It can occur anytime and anywhere. But once they start flowing, I start writing them down immediately.
Q.14 Do you have any unique and quirky writing habits?
A. Yes. Whenever I get excited writing a particular chapter or when I hit upon a great idea, I tend to insert an exclamation mark after every sentence! But then during editing, I remove those that were not needed.
Q.15 How do you come up with the name of your books?
A. I always research before coming up with a title for my books. I feel very strongly that each and every book that I write should have a unique title that should scream out at the reader and grab his attention. I strongly feel that half of the battle is won if a reader picks up a particular book, based on its title, from a huge pile of books in a library or a book store.
Q.16 What is the most difficult thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?
A. I feel that I have not come across this issue as yet. The reason is that I have read many books and seen many films which have both male and female protagonists, antagonists, or interesting complex characters. And I re-read those books and watch those films again which I love the most, to understand those characters in depth. So thankfully I do not encounter this problem.
Q.17 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. I have written 4 books so far and am working on my 5th book and each and every one of them is my favorite. The reason being is that each and every one of them has a unique storyline and plot, so it becomes difficult for me to choose my favorite book.
Q.18 Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to meet and why?
A. If possible, I would love to meet my favorite actor/writer/director/producer Sylvester Stallone. The reason is that his movies - especially the Rocky Balboa series instilled a sense of confidence in me when I was going through a low/tough phase in my teens. There are many memorable quotes from the Rocky Series that I still strongly believe in.
Q.19 How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
A. There is no set formula for me whenever I embark on writing a new storyline. For me, it all starts with a unique germ of an idea which I develop and flesh it out further.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far?
A. For me, it was a long writing journey that started in the year 2007/8 and still going on. It was like a roller coaster ride for me where I experienced many highs and lows but kept going on strong, year after year.
There were also unusually long gaps where I was busy with work and could not give time to writing. But that passion was always there, entrenched but dormant in my mind, right from when I was in the 10th grade.
To sum it up, at the start I was rejected by most of the traditional publishing houses whereas some kept me waiting for years together without any concrete answer. Then I self-published my books and luckily some of them won awards for me.
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