DHARMA: A Rekha Rao Mystery by Vee Kumari
1- What is the best and worst part of having a twin sister?
Growing up in India in the 50s was different from what I can imagine as growing up in America. As twins, we dressed the same did everything together, and never had a problem with it. We were star athletes in track and field. Looking back, I truly cannot find anything negative in that experience.
2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?
Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Put it away and then get back to it with fresh eyes. Free write when stuck. I do it by hand in a notebook.
3- What is the best piece of writing advice you've received?
Same as #2 above!
4- With your doctorate in Anatomy and as a teacher of neuroanatomy, could you share a few tips or thoughts on the current pandemic and how people could best stay safe?
Although I came to the US with a medical degree, I did not practice medicine. And my research was to understand how our brains heal after traumatic injuries. So, I am a far cry from COVID19. I follow the basic precautions: quarantine, hand washes, and the use of mask.
5- Would you share a picture with us of your book in a pleasant setting?
6- What's one fact you wish more people knew about Indian immigrants and Indian American living in the US?
That we may have different cultural traditions that we strive to uphold, might seem odd to you, but we are human beings just like you.
7- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
@veekumari1 @SanchitaMalik @nirav521
8- Do you have a favorite #bookstagram image or account/ profile?
Not really! They all look wonderful! instagram.com/jungleredwriters/
9- What most motivates you to read a new book?
It needs to have some intrigue right from the start. Something that draws me toward a character, a setting or he sense of something about to happen!
10- It's our tenth anniversary! How far has your writing come in the past ten years and where do you see your writing career ten years from now?
Writing my first book took me seven years. I call this my “Seven Year Itch”. With it published in 2020, I can proudly say that the first draft of my second novel, a free standing story about an immigrant family, is now complete.
11- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!
Author name: Fatima Farheen Mizra @HogartBooks
Title: A Place For Us
Love because: It’s an immigrant family’s story about their challenges and triumphs.
12- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?
Hope, courage, the role of family in all our lives, love.
13- What kind of impact do you hope your book will have?
I’m unsure. Maybe it will give hope to a budding writer that if I in my sixties can write a book in seven years, they can do better!
14- What is the best writing tool, program, or reference book you've ever bought?
I had never used any tools before but recently I discovered ProWritingAid, and it’s fabulous to check spelling, grammar, commas etc.
15- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks
I think my book highlights the Indian American experience from within, through revealing my protagonist’s thoughts and experiences that take her to a major milestone in her life.
16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?
JungleRedWriters @junglereds instagram.com/jungleredwriters/
17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?
Unfortunately, self-publishing was my only option. I sent the finished draft to close to 30+ agents including small presses, and they all turned it down.
18- Which author, past or present, do you feel most resembles your work?
I’m unsure. I have to say I was most influenced by Agatha Christie, esp. her Miss Marple stories.
19- Would you please ask our audience a question to answer in the comments?
What would you say if I tell you that I am not planning a second novel in the series, but I am moving on to tell stories about Indian immigrants in the US?
20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?
“In bed, my mind played tricks on me, switching on and off images of the tall, strong, handsome man I had met that morning. My lizard brain alerted me I might be falling for him, but my executive brain laughed it off.”
@veekumari1
DHARMA: A Rekha Rao Mystery by Vee Kumari
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ReplyDeleteRecently read great adult mystery titled NO Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen thats hints at a sequel!
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