INTERVIEW POST

 Q1. Who inspired you to write this book, is it any event and why you have choose to write ?

Hmm, I think the life lived in Thakurli for the first 20 years of my being, which is where mynovel is based out of. Even though economically backward and with very little opportunities of employment, school unequipped to build the future of young students, the place felt rich. It had an air of happiness hanging over it. For some reason, no one felt poor, I think because residents and families tried to help each other and share their happiness by inviting people to watch the single television owned by a rich trader. Festivals, events were celebrated with great joy without making a big show of one upmanship…Simplicity was indeed the essence of the beauty of Thakurli, a small village on the outskirts of Bombay.Now, it has multi storied buildings, and is well developed.

Q2. How has writing this book impacted your own self development and personal journey?

I realized hidden aspects of my emotions and sensitivities. Living and going about life was happening till I took over writing of my debut novel. You know the hamster wheel theory? Similar, but buried deep inside me was this urge to tell this story. I’m not sure where I got the courage from when I decided to only focus developing and writing this story. I completely shut myself off from the daily grind and worries. And for a person like me, who is a chronic worrier, and has to earn to pay bills, take care of so many other things to live a life, was a huge step towards self-development. It gave me a different kind of confidence.

Q3. How has your or experiences influenced the stories in this book?

We all go through life facing highs, lows, challenges, and problems that we think will never ever get solved. For some reason, I was “bestowed” with extra challenges, both, personal and professional. Leaving India and gaining a foothold abroad is tough and I only was armed with a degree in Arts from Bombay University and could not afford to upgrade to equip myself with a decent job. Which meant, working mostly at odd jobs. This experience connected me to the life lived in Thakurli and I started relating to incidents then and now. And found the courage to face life and keep going. That came in handy while working on Butterflies of Success.

Q4. Are there any particular themes or messages that you hope readers will take away from your book?

Nothing is insurmountable. You have to steel and steer yourself to navigate this rough waters of life. And, do remember, you are not unique in doing this. All people go though similar problems and fight to achieve and realise their dreams. Nothing comes easy in life. When we see others smiling and happy, instead of envy, we should also be able to see the struggles they went through to get that smile on. Just that, some people hide their struggles well, others are unable to.

Q5. How do you think these stories can impact readers and their perspectives on life?

Hmm, I’m not sure of this. I truly am not here to preach and be the beacon for others. We are all smart and are equipped to figure things out in life and live it up. Believe me when I say this, in the end, it all boils down to your core, your inner strength and how you use it to shape and carve a life of your dreams. I am positive we all have that special strength buried deep inside us, all we need to do is pull it out, call for it and start developing and using it.

Q6. What challenges did you face while writing and publishing your book, and how did you overcome them ?

Being a debut author, I was all over the place. Did not know where to start with a completed manuscript. I do not have any community support nor I belong to any writing groups. This made things slightly challenging for me. I am adept at using social media and decided to connect with publishers, literary agents, etc. I zeroed in on a vanity publication based out of Delhi and things started moving. I also got a fabulous editor who helped me to polish the rough edges.Once the book was published (I did not know that book launch is same as getting published, imagine that!) I realized the onus is on me to get the word around. I started approaching influencers, book reviewers, and also used my YouTube channel for spreading the word around.After working on my own at promoting my book, I decided to outsource and sought Namrata of Keemiya Creatives to take on the responsibility of building my author persona and promote my novel.

Q7. What does the title tell us about the book?

Success is just like a butterfly. You try capturing and holding it, it will perish/vanish. Success ismomentary, and a series. Each day, each week, month, year, you will find a series of successes. Let’s put it this way, there are no permanent solutions to any problem. A solution you find today for one of your problems will bring along its own challenges. It’s a cycle. 

Q8. Are there any particular themes or messages that you hope readers will take away from your book and that prospective make this book different from others in this genre?

Literary fiction writers aim to narrate tales that depict slice of life stories. Butterflies of Success also focuses on the theme of poverty. But not as a dark, deep pit where one cannot get out of. Also, poverty is not about money alone. In my opinion, there are various types of poverty, lack of emotions means that person is poor in sensitivities. Poverty of intellect, mental, and emotional strengths and energies too is considered being poor. And, each one of these have to be worked at to become “rich”, “resourceful”, and wholesome.

Q9. Now, I would like to ask what are your plans for future writing projects and can read outside

with more books from you in the near future? There’s more coming. I’ve stacked up a couple of drafts. And working simultaneously on two of them. One is almost done. Again, I’m sticking to the literary fiction genre, it’s woman/women￾centric.