Author Interview: Shilpa Suraj

Shilpa is an Indian Mills & Boon author. She has written two books: The girl he left behind, and Rescued by Love., and is currently working on her third.

Interview

Well, first things first: How does it feel to be called a Mills & Boon author? How was the journey to becoming one?

It is quite literally a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to write but somehow life kept getting in the way and I never got around to it until I got married and my then new-husband announced that he needed to be based out of Chennai for six months. I decided to take a sabbatical from work and tag along. Finding myself with an unexpected block of free time, I started writing and haven’t stopped since. It’s been an incredible, soul-satisfying journey so far and I fully expect to be typing away even when I’m old and gray and squinting at my laptop.

The novel, Rescued By Love begins with the following sentence; "I'd rather die than marry him", doesn't it sound like an epic start to a romance novel?

From the moment the idea of Rescued by Love took form in my mind, I knew  Naina, my heroine, was going to be feisty, scrappy and full of life despite the fact  that her life was going to be very hard and full of hurdles. So the opening line perfectly encapsulates the drama that is her life and the start of the roller coaster ride that is the rest of the story.

What about the plot? Is it completely a figment of your imagination or have you witnessed perhaps one or more of the characters of the book?

The plot, characters and events of the novel are completely a figment of my imagination. Although, I wouldn’t mind meeting Arjun in real life :)

In my review, I have specially mentioned how I loved the wordplay and the creation of dialogues. How do you manage to keep it all spruced up with puns, and witty replies?

I’m so glad you enjoyed the dialogue and wordplay of the book. Most of it is instinctive and comes naturally to me. I guess to some extent my personality comes into play while I’m writing.

Who better person to answer this: what part do stories play in our lives?

I can’t imagine a world without books and the stories they tell. Nothing gives me more pleasure than turning the page on a good book in eager anticipation of what comes next. Stories open up our imagination, let us explore new worlds, and teach us new lessons, all without having to move from the comfort of our favourite reading spot.

Tell us in less than 20 words, why should people read this book?

Strong protagonists, livewire supporting characters, infectious humour, complex plot twists and soul searing passion. It’s romance at its best!

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Book Review: Rescued by Love by Shilpa Suraj

About the book:

Paperback
180 pages
Harlequin India: Mills & Boon
MRP: Rs 150

When Naina Ahuja is kidnapped as hostage days before her father, a Supreme Court Chief Justice, must sentence a terrorist, the stakes are very high. Lt Col Arjun Rathore and his team are the only ones who can be trusted with the mission of saving her. 
During their arduous trek back through the hostile terrain of Ladakh, Arjun and Naina spend days in danger of losing their lives - and their hearts. Back in safety, the real world and its very real problems threaten – as do their own perceptions of the differences between them. 
They must separate – but will life rescue their love?

About the author:

Shilpa was a year and a half when she was first introduced to the world of books. Her mother would park her with a picture book on the floor of the kitchen while she finished her cooking for the day. While it’s no longer the kitchen floor, you can still find her tucked away in a cosy nook somewhere with her nose buried in a book. While books in all genres interest her, it was romance that captured her heart. While racing through every romantic fiction book she could beg, borrow or buy, her over active imagination started to work overtime and weave its own stories. Years in the corporate world followed by a stint of entrepreneurship crystallised her belief that all she really wanted to do was give life to the stories bubbling inside of her. She briefly managed to tear herself away from the world of fiction to find her own personal happily ever after and now spends her time happily focusing on the two loves of her life – family and writing romances.

My Review:

The first thing that comes to mind in the aftermath of reading the book is that we just read a sweet feel-good story. 

This is the story, a quintessential Mills and Boon, with a twist. 

Naina, daughter of the Chief Justice of India and Col. Arjun  fall in love with each ither during a rescue mission.  The girl is betrothed to a Fatty politician who she obviously didn't want to marry even before this mission in the first place, the love gives her an added excuse. She says, "Marrying a man you didn't want was bad enough but marrying him when you wanted another would be torture"

But this is dear life, and nothing is less than twisted. There are other problems to look after: a servile mother, a domineering sonavabitch father, principles, the  crooked, intricate concept of honour. 

A leap of 6 months and fates will be decided. This is where you need to pick up the novel and see for yourselves what happens in the story next. Which means that I am asking you to read it. Which further means that this is a novel worth reading.

Character sketches are impeccable: the incorrigible father who would rather not go back on his words lest they backfire than break a marriage. Just like that. This character is crafted meticulously, because sad though it be, such people exist in flesh and bones and arrogance and  much more. And such a character and its obstinacy makes the ending of the novel believable, and satisfying.

M&B novels are supposed to entertain you with romantic descriptions and a surreal boy-meets-girl-falls-in-love plot. This book manages to honour this image so well.

That said, it comes with its set of flaws. For one, it is a quick, fast-paced read. I, who can savour books for hours at stretch finished this book in a couple of hours. Because reader can be kept longing for more. Not more plot, the plot has been done right. Great even. The timings. The setting. The  characters. Everything flows seamlessly into the plot. What reader seeks more of, is the description. Maybe a third person narration can be cited as the culprit but then the reader certainly has a right to know in detail the feelings and emotions of a character s/he has associated himself with for more than a 100 pages. So, we know Naina is getting a roller coaster of emotions, but which ones? THAT is a big question.

I also adore the wordplay within the dialogues, which were, in addition, succinct too. A great effort has gone into them.

 This is where the characters lack. This is where everything gets neutral. The characters' actions will have you nodding in appreciation and not knowing their emotions would have you creasing your lips and forehead, both the things cancelling out to make it a great read, if not a brilliant one.

My Judgement:

When all is said and done, such a novel's gotta be read. 

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