I recently interviewed Falguni Kothari, author of the book My Last Love Story and three other titles to her name as well. To read the complete review of the book My Last Love Story, please visit Book Review : My Last Love Story - Falguni Kothari.
Q: How does it feel holding the published copy of your book, “My Last Love Story”?
A: It’s always incredible to hold the first copy of your book for the first time. My Last Love Story is my fourth book, and I am still in awe and filled with gratitude that my words can reach a reader and help them escape into a dream world for a while.
Q: You became a writer by chance, something inspired you to take up writing or you always wanted to be a writer?
A: I always say that my writing is like Alice falling down (in my case being pushed down) the rabbit hole and waking up in OZ. I became a writer because my mother forced me to “get off my butt and use my brain” for something besides planning the next kitty party. I was a happy housewife until she did.
Q: How was your experience of getting “My Last Love Story” published?
A: Turbulent. I always try to get my books traditionally published first. It didn’t work out, and I decided to self-publish it.
Q: Tell us about how writing is a part of your daily life?
A: It’s actually not. I don’t write everyday. However, I do writing-related things every day. I research for the project I’m working on. I plan out scenes and outline the story, characters, settings. I look at writer blogs and absorb any interesting information about writing and plotting…etc. But, once I start writing the story, I generally do write every day and for long hours.
Q: How did you finalize the cover of the book? Did you have more options?
A: As MLLS is self-published, it was my idea or vision that the cover designer took into account. Yes, there were several rough drafts of the cover before we settled on two: one for world and one for print India.
Q: Other than writing, what else do you do professionally?
A: I’m a professional homemaker.
Q: Apart from “My Last Love Story”, you have written other books as well, can you tell us more about those books?
A: I’ve written two contemporary romances: It’s Your Move, Wordfreak! and Bootie and the Beast. Both are traditionally published. I’ve also self-published a mythic fantasy novel, Soul Warrior, which has since been procured by Om Books International to be published in India as the first book in the Age of Kali trilogy.
Q: What can we expect from you in the near future, any books lined up?
A: Book 2 of the Age of Kali.
Q: How did you develop the characters of the story? Can you tell us more about them?
A: I had a cousin who succumbed to cancer about 20 years ago. This book is a tribute to her. I wanted to write a book where the protagonist is terminal, because I’ve seen how much courage it requires of a family to deal with disease and death. I also wanted to write about a threesome but in a non-sexual way. I was intrigued by a documentary I’d seen about unconventional relationships and polyamory and it so happened that both those ideas got meshed into one book.
Q: Is the story of “My Last Love Story” inspired from real life events or is it completely fictional?
A: It’s completely fictional, although I’ve used some of my real-life observations about cancer and its sufferers and how they deal with the knowledge of a limited lifespan.
Q: Was there a specific reason that the story was not set in India?
A: The flashbacks are set in India. And once I came to the plot point where all three protagonists would separate after their eighteenth birthdays, it made the most sense to have Nirvaan in California, as he already lived there, Zayaan in London and Simeen in India. Logic also followed that if she married Nirvaan, they’d live in California as that’s where his family and business are situated. I wanted three continents to separate them. I wanted all three to be from different religious backgrounds and family clusters. It makes for a built-in tension as well as diverse settings.
Q: How much time did you take to complete the book, did you ever face a writer’s block? How did you come out of it?
A: I took about 6-7 months to finish MLLS. I have not experienced writer’s block so far, and hope to heaven, I never will.
Q: If “My Last Love Story” is made into a Bollywood movie, which actors/actresses would you want to be a part of it?
A: :-) Ranveer Singh for Nirvaan, Alia Bhatt for Simeen, and Fawad Khan as Zayaan.
Q: Do you read as much as you write? Which are your favorite books and authors?
A: I read much much more than I write. I read a book a week, at the very least. I have too many favorite books and authors to list. I’ll tell you my current favorite book and author. The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning.
Q: You prefer reading e-books or the traditional paper/hard back book?
A: Anything. Just give me a book I can escape into and I’m happy. Though, I’m not really getting the hang of audio books yet.
Q: Two things that you like and dislike about “Love”?
A: Like: that love makes me giddy with happiness.
Dislike: that love makes me hurt like a SOB.
Q: If you have to give one reason to our readers to get hold of your book, “My Last Love Story”, what would the reason be?
A: Our world is filled with hate and negativity, right now—the need to rush to the top, to hoard and accumulate and grab and destroy. MLLS shows us that in the face of death, nothing matters except love. That love comes in many colors and all of them are beautiful. MLLS shows us that judgment is a waste of energy and no decision made with love can be wrong.
Q: Any message you would want to share with our readers?
A: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right-doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
Q: How can our readers connect with you?
A: Through FB, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram…etc. My social media can be found here: www.falgunikothari.com
-- Interview with author Falguni Kothari --
Q: How does it feel holding the published copy of your book, “My Last Love Story”?
A: It’s always incredible to hold the first copy of your book for the first time. My Last Love Story is my fourth book, and I am still in awe and filled with gratitude that my words can reach a reader and help them escape into a dream world for a while.
Q: You became a writer by chance, something inspired you to take up writing or you always wanted to be a writer?
A: I always say that my writing is like Alice falling down (in my case being pushed down) the rabbit hole and waking up in OZ. I became a writer because my mother forced me to “get off my butt and use my brain” for something besides planning the next kitty party. I was a happy housewife until she did.
Q: How was your experience of getting “My Last Love Story” published?
A: Turbulent. I always try to get my books traditionally published first. It didn’t work out, and I decided to self-publish it.
Q: Tell us about how writing is a part of your daily life?
A: It’s actually not. I don’t write everyday. However, I do writing-related things every day. I research for the project I’m working on. I plan out scenes and outline the story, characters, settings. I look at writer blogs and absorb any interesting information about writing and plotting…etc. But, once I start writing the story, I generally do write every day and for long hours.
Q: How did you finalize the cover of the book? Did you have more options?
A: As MLLS is self-published, it was my idea or vision that the cover designer took into account. Yes, there were several rough drafts of the cover before we settled on two: one for world and one for print India.
Q: Other than writing, what else do you do professionally?
A: I’m a professional homemaker.
Q: Apart from “My Last Love Story”, you have written other books as well, can you tell us more about those books?
A: I’ve written two contemporary romances: It’s Your Move, Wordfreak! and Bootie and the Beast. Both are traditionally published. I’ve also self-published a mythic fantasy novel, Soul Warrior, which has since been procured by Om Books International to be published in India as the first book in the Age of Kali trilogy.
Q: What can we expect from you in the near future, any books lined up?
A: Book 2 of the Age of Kali.
Q: How did you develop the characters of the story? Can you tell us more about them?
A: I had a cousin who succumbed to cancer about 20 years ago. This book is a tribute to her. I wanted to write a book where the protagonist is terminal, because I’ve seen how much courage it requires of a family to deal with disease and death. I also wanted to write about a threesome but in a non-sexual way. I was intrigued by a documentary I’d seen about unconventional relationships and polyamory and it so happened that both those ideas got meshed into one book.
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| Interview with author Falguni Kothari |
A: It’s completely fictional, although I’ve used some of my real-life observations about cancer and its sufferers and how they deal with the knowledge of a limited lifespan.
Q: Was there a specific reason that the story was not set in India?
A: The flashbacks are set in India. And once I came to the plot point where all three protagonists would separate after their eighteenth birthdays, it made the most sense to have Nirvaan in California, as he already lived there, Zayaan in London and Simeen in India. Logic also followed that if she married Nirvaan, they’d live in California as that’s where his family and business are situated. I wanted three continents to separate them. I wanted all three to be from different religious backgrounds and family clusters. It makes for a built-in tension as well as diverse settings.
Q: How much time did you take to complete the book, did you ever face a writer’s block? How did you come out of it?
A: I took about 6-7 months to finish MLLS. I have not experienced writer’s block so far, and hope to heaven, I never will.
Q: If “My Last Love Story” is made into a Bollywood movie, which actors/actresses would you want to be a part of it?
A: :-) Ranveer Singh for Nirvaan, Alia Bhatt for Simeen, and Fawad Khan as Zayaan.
Q: Do you read as much as you write? Which are your favorite books and authors?
A: I read much much more than I write. I read a book a week, at the very least. I have too many favorite books and authors to list. I’ll tell you my current favorite book and author. The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning.
Q: You prefer reading e-books or the traditional paper/hard back book?
A: Anything. Just give me a book I can escape into and I’m happy. Though, I’m not really getting the hang of audio books yet.
Q: Two things that you like and dislike about “Love”?
A: Like: that love makes me giddy with happiness.
Dislike: that love makes me hurt like a SOB.
Q: If you have to give one reason to our readers to get hold of your book, “My Last Love Story”, what would the reason be?
A: Our world is filled with hate and negativity, right now—the need to rush to the top, to hoard and accumulate and grab and destroy. MLLS shows us that in the face of death, nothing matters except love. That love comes in many colors and all of them are beautiful. MLLS shows us that judgment is a waste of energy and no decision made with love can be wrong.
Q: Any message you would want to share with our readers?
A: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right-doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
Q: How can our readers connect with you?
A: Through FB, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram…etc. My social media can be found here: www.falgunikothari.com
Thanks, Kaushal, for hosting me on your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your time and such candid answers.
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