Hello all!
It's interview day, so it's time to meet romance author Preethi Venugopala.
PB: Hi Preethi! Welcome to pjbermanbooks.com. Tell us a bit about your background.
PV: Thank you for having me over. I am an Indian romance author. I have a bachelors degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters Degree in English Literature, which shows how mishmashed my life choices have been. My journey as a writer began in 2012 when I started a blog. I have published 8 novels and over 15 plus short stories until now.
PB: What made you decide to become an author?
PV: I became an author by chance. I came to know of a story writing contest via blogging and that win made me a published author. My debut novel followed, and I have been writing ever since then.
PB: When did you first start writing?
PV: I loved writing poems in my journal ever since I was in middle school. My creativity at that time was for my eyes only. I had compiled a collection of my handwritten poems in a scrapbook and had treasured it until I was in college. I lost it after my home underwent a renovation.
PB: What was the first story that you can remember writing?
PV: The first story I wrote was for a short story contest while in college. The Last Gift was the story of a mother-son duo. The story stressed the importance of organ donation and the happiness it can bring into the life of others. I surprised myself by winning the first prize. The story got published in our college magazine. That was the first time I saw my name in print.
PB: When you begin writing a new story, do you always know the ending?
PV: As I write romance, I know it is going to be a 'happily ever after' ending. But how I will take the characters there is always a work-in-progress. Even if I plot it elaborately, the characters sometimes have a mind of their own and go to places I never even considered.
PB: If you could meet any of your characters, who would you meet, and what would you say to them?
PV: Of the characters I created, I love the character of Jane Worthington, the protagonist of A Royal Affair, the first book in the Sravanapura Royals series.
PB: Tell us about the Sravanapura Royals series.
PV: The Sravanapura Royals Series contain the stories of three members of the fictional erstwhile Sravanapura Royal family. Three love stories loaded with suspense and intrigue. It began first as a short story, then a stand-alone novel and then became a series.
PB: Where did the idea for Something Old, Something New come from?
PV: Something Old, Something New is an anthology containing romance novellas written by 7 different authors. We all met via social media and the idea of creating a novella anthology was born.
PB: Of all your achievements, which are you most proud of?
PV: After I published my debut novel, I went through a dark phase during which I almost gave up writing. I am proud that I came back from there and followed it up with 7 other novels and many short stories.
PB: What is your favourite book series to read and why?
PV: The Bridgertons series by Julia Quinn. They are a complete package of swoon-worthy romance, humour and history.
PB: What are your long term ambitions with regards to writing?
PV: I might want to try writing in other fiction genres and also perhaps write non-fiction in the future. As of now, I plan to publish more books in the romance genre.
PB: If you weren’t an author, what career would you be in?
PV: I worked for a decade as a Civil Engineer. I would still be one if I hadn’t discovered the bliss of writing stories.
PB: What’s the next target for you?
PV: I have a book, Falling for Cinderella, about to be published and another one novel half done. Finishing the half-done one is the next target.
PB: Tell us a random fact about yourself.
PV: Apart from being a writer and blogger, I am also an artist. I love creating charcoal portraits and watercolour florals.
Thank you so much to Preethi Venugopala for talking to us today! If you're in the mood for a little romance and would like to give her novels a try, you can do so via the links below:
Until next time, happy reading!
Peter
