January 10, 2016

So, today we have Sukhmani Gandhi along with us, the author of The Shadow Of the Dark Soul.
I am very thankful to her for sparing her precious time for this interview.
Let’s see what she shares with us.
1.Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Kanpur which is a city in Uttar Pradesh.

2.When did you first started writing and were your parents co
-operative with it?

Well, when I started writing they were happy seeing me indulging towards something different however they weren’t very happy with the idea of me working on the Nirbhaya case because they were worried about the socio-political responses. However, today when they see my work being appreciated I guess they are at peace.

3.How long does it take you to write a book?

It took my around 6 months to finish my manuscript.

4. What is your choice career or besides being an author what else is
your profession?

Well, I still haven’t made that decision. I like taking life the way it comes to me and explore all my possibilities. For, now I am focusing on my graduation and my masters.

5.Is ‘The shadow of the dark soul ‘ your debut work as an author?

Though I have a blog and few of my articles have been published but this is my first novel.

6. In ‘The shadow of the dark soul ‘ you mentioned changes, how long
do you suppose we can change the mindset of people who get their girls
locked up out of fear while the convict roams free?

I think the need to be reminded of the story when a man feared that the moment he would step out of his house he would die and the painting falls on his head and he dies in his own house.
We live in a patriarchal society but now the times are changing and people need to change. Today, if just one family understand that women and men are not to be treated superior or inferior rather both work parallel to each other. I guess then change would come soon.

7. How long did it take for your novella to get published?

It took my approximately 3 months.

8. Till now what is the response you received from the readers
regarding your novella? Did it meet your satisfaction?

Well, Being a debut writer one faces a lot of challenges amongst those famous leads or names it’s difficult to find people would read your novel.
However, when I wrote my book it was not about the fact that I wanted to be the best seller. I just wanted to give a positive and naïve way to look at things.
I guess I have been lucky enough to receive a very positive response from all my readers and I once again would like to thank them for showing trust in my work and promise the same in future.
A writer is complete only because of its readers and I guess I have reached that level of satisfaction.

9. How long did it take for your manuscript to be accepted by the publishers?

I was happy with the response I received from Cypher Publishers and Miss Devika Menon they responded to my manuscript in about a month.

10. Name any five of your favorite authors.

Nicholas Sparks, Rabindranath Tagore,Paulo Coelho. Daniel Steel.

11.What do you think makes a good story?

Well, there is no recipe to a good story. I believe a story in which a person can connect to the fictional characters and seem a glimpse of him in them that’s the time a story automatically becomes good.