Today in my 'Author Spotlight' I'm delighted to introduce you to the fabulous Richa Sambhy Mediratta. Richa is an Indian, self-published author of young adult fiction and her debut novel, Goan Chase was published in October 2016.
Blurb
'Leave now or pay the price.'
Jai and his friends, Nirvaan and Ayesha, are super excited to be in Goa for their summer holidays. The three youngsters visit Jai's aunt who lives in a sprawling villa with a private beach.
Just when things appear to be too good to be true, their host narrowly escapes a fatal accident. Much to their distress, 'accidents' continue to occur, putting everybody's lives in danger.
Is there an evil presence in the house? Somebody who wants to harm them? But, why? Jai, Nirvaan, and Ayesha must race against time to solve this mystery before anybody else is harmed.
If that were not enough, they have to battle with their inner demons. Demons that threaten to come in the way of solving the mystery itself. Demons that will only bring them closer to the hunter waiting patiently for the final strike...
Jai and his friends, Nirvaan and Ayesha, are super excited to be in Goa for their summer holidays. The three youngsters visit Jai's aunt who lives in a sprawling villa with a private beach.
Just when things appear to be too good to be true, their host narrowly escapes a fatal accident. Much to their distress, 'accidents' continue to occur, putting everybody's lives in danger.
Is there an evil presence in the house? Somebody who wants to harm them? But, why? Jai, Nirvaan, and Ayesha must race against time to solve this mystery before anybody else is harmed.
If that were not enough, they have to battle with their inner demons. Demons that threaten to come in the way of solving the mystery itself. Demons that will only bring them closer to the hunter waiting patiently for the final strike...
Q&A
- Richa thanks for joining us today. Please tell us about the first story you ever wrote.
The first story I ever wrote was ‘The Magic Crystal Ball’ when I was six! It was a fantasy story about an evil witch and how she wreaked havoc in other people’s lives using that magical crystal ball. Come to think of it, I should return to this story and get it published, right? 😊
- I know you have had work published in various publications and websites. Do you feel that this has helped you develop your writing skills and confidence?
Absolutely. As every author I know of would agree, the only way to get better at writing is to write, and then write some more. This is especially true when you’ve just started writing and are still finding your voice. I wrote several different types of articles and stories when I began, and that not only helped me gain the skills and confidence required to be a professional writer, but also helped me learn what I enjoyed writing the most.
- Although as you are a mother of a young daughter and a corporate consultant you won't have lots of free time on your hands. But when you do have some time, what type of books do you like reading in your spare time?
You’re right about this one—I don’t have much free time! But, I remain a voracious reader because I love reading. I’m partial to the mystery/suspense and fantasy genres, so you’ll find me reading books in those genres most of the time.
- The first book in the, Take Three Mysteries series is, Goan Chase. What was your inspiration behind this book?
As a mother, I’m deeply affected by issues pertaining to children. There was a time when I was reading material about the struggles that children with learning disabilities face on a day-to-day basis. One such struggle was stuttering, and that kind of struck a chord with me, as I’ve met children and adults who stutter. I’ve seen how stuttering affects their self-image and how people around them react to their stuttering. That’s how Jai, the main protagonist of Goan Chase, came to life!
I wondered how Jai, a stutterer with low self-esteem, would act if he encountered a difficult situation, like a mystery. How would someone who doesn’t believe in himself go about solving a mystery? That’s how Goan Chase came to life!
- Are your books available in both Hindi and English language?
Currently, my book is only available in the English language. I’m seriously considering translating it into Hindi and other world languages! Getting your book translated, however, is a separate project on its own so it will have to wait until I’ve written all the books of the series.
- Are you planning for you protagonists Jai, Nirvaan and Ayesha who feature in the Goan Chase to join the readers in the rest of the series?
Definitely. These characters are the soul of the series; without these characters, there would be no series. Apart from the mystery, their friendship is my favourite part of the series; it’s heart-warming, funny, and I love writing about it!
Readers will see these three characters in each book of the trilogy and solving a new mystery in every new book.
- Is it possible to tell us the next title in the series and give us a little teaser?
Well, I haven’t finalized the title as yet; I’m still deciding between 50 possible titles. But, I promise it will be catchy!
I’m going to be revealing bite-sized teasers on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter in the coming months, but here’s a teaser question about the next mystery for now:
How do you catch a robber when you don’t even know you’ve been robbed?
The second book is Jai, Nirvaan, and Ayesha’s toughest test yet (psssttt … more dangerous too!).
- Finally Richa, can you give any advice to the thousands of budding authors we have out there about living their dream?
There is one thing I would like to stress on—you have in be in for the long haul. As I’ve discovered over the last couple of years since I became an author, it takes more than fantastic writing to be a ‘successful’ author. So, in addition to improving your writing, which you should, learn the techniques to market yourself and build an author brand/platform.
Great dreams require greater effort, so don’t let the inevitable struggles deter you from doing what you love. Improve constantly. Persist till whatever time it takes to reach your goal. Last but not the least, enjoy your journey!
Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule today and I know you would be happy for readers and fellow authors alike to catch up with you on social media and via your website and they can on the links below.
Website: www.richawriter.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15965095.Richa_Sambhy_Mediratta
Instagram:www.instagram.com/richawriter
Twitter:https://twitter.com/richawriter?lang=en
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/GoanChase
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvmszgckgF8
Website: www.richawriter.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15965095.Richa_Sambhy_Mediratta
Instagram:www.instagram.com/richawriter
Twitter:https://twitter.com/richawriter?lang=en
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/GoanChase
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvmszgckgF8
