Interview: The Author Whose Words Sizzle On Paper

One of the most elusive authors in our indie world. Even getting this faded picture of hers is a Herculean task. But we managed it. So now that we have her under our radar how could I not ask her a few questions? Have you read her book? They are H...O...T. Sizzles in our Kindle. I recently remember one of the reviewers saying that 'Isn't this too bold for Indian readers.' Indian readers? Ah well, we Indian readers have been reading Mills & Book and Jacqueline Susann and Judith Krantz from the time our hands could open those latched cupboards our moms or our uncle and aunts had - where all these books were stashed. But now more and more authors have come out with books that are bolder, sexier and definitely for women of today. Ah, men can read them too. :D I hope you all like the questions that I had hoped would make the author squirm but I must say she handled them very well. Over to you PG. You are on our hot seat :)

RR: What is one thing about PG that the readers of your books would love to know about? Come on! Give us some tequila shots. :D

PG: Not sure if this is enough to get you drunk but here you go…

I have been caught staring at both men and women and have gotten into a lot of trouble, not telling how much.

Here’s my reason for staring…

As a writer, it is critical to have a clear image (in my mind) of every character in your story. I try my best to incorporate a few of the characteristics of the people I know, I meet or even just see them walking on the street.

One more shot if that didn’t get you drunk, I have published a couple of books under another pseudonym…not telling you what the name is but I do it as the stories are very different from what I write as P.G. Van.

RR: Ok PG, now my detective mode is on :D

PG, you write under a pseudonym. (hahaha .. See I knew it already :D) Tell me the advantages and disadvantages of the same.

PG: I’d say I only have advantages and barely any disadvantages.

Let’s get the disadvantage out of the way. The only thing that I miss by not using my real name is…when I am famous and people don’t know me by my real name. 

The first advantage of a pseudonym is freedom. The story will have a life of its own when the writer spills the words from their heart. My pseudonym also allows me to keep my professional life separate from my personal life allowing me to write freely.

Last but not least, my long thirteen characters last name would take up too much real estate on my book covers. :P

RR: Hhahaha . 13 characters are nothing! But ya still... So your books are hot and often injected with hot love making scenes. Do you feel India is ready for those hot scenes of yours? Do you feel now the men and women of India have accepted that 'sex' is no longer a taboo word?

PG: Indian readers have been ready for hot romance since the Kama Sutra was written. I have the intimate scenes to show how two individuals express their passion for each other.

I am encouraged to see more and more readers are reading my books in India. Not all my readers send me an email or leave me a review and I respect that. The reality for romance readers, not just in India, is that the society doesn’t respect them for being romance readers. All I want is to be able to give my readers an escape from their everyday life no matter where they are in the world.

RR: That I agree with. Indian readers are 18+ too and whatever the publishing world censors, reading romance for just for pleasure is accepted now. We don't have to put a rose bush in front of a couple when they are kissing. But tell me something PG, living outside India can be sometimes a huge dent to the career of a writer who writes Indian Romance. Do you feel the same?

PG: Yes and No. With my schedule, it wouldn’t really matter but…there is a slight advantage to reaching the Indian audience if you are in India. On the other hand, in this day and age of social media, it is not hard, especially if you have the right people (do I have to say it’s the team at TBC?) to support and promote you.

RR: Introduce Amy and Sid through their creator's eyes. Tell me why your readers will fall in love with them.

PG: Amy is a small town girl who is sassy and sweet at the same time. She moved to the big city for an internship and is excited about her new life. She loves the city life but she wants to go back to the town she grew up and work in the area.

Sid is army strong, obsessed with his duty with the heart of a warrior. He is on a mission to protect the royal and will go to any length to serve and protect.

Sparks fly when these two start living under the same roof and life throws an unexpected curve ball, for both of them.

RR: I have spoken to you for hours and every time I am amazed as to how you balance your different phases of your life. How do you balance you 4 lives? Corporate woman, Writer, Mom, and Wife. What would be the order you see yourself as?

The truth is…you can’t have it all. Most days I do justice to just one side of my life, other days it’s a touch of attention to all aspects of my life.

I blessed to have the people in my life and they are the reason I am able to do what I do and my passion to write is fueled by every small experience. After a long day of work, I look forward to spending time with my family and the hour of writing I do every day gives me Zen!!!

RR: How tough is it to market your book as an Indie writer?

The day I hit ‘Publish’ on Amazon for my first book in Oct 2015, I had no idea I even had to market (cut me some slack, I’m an engineer ) let alone how tough it is to get the visibility you need.

Marketing a book while you are writing and doing other important things is the toughest task. There is no way around it but to make the time to market your books.

RR: Can we have a peek into your life which shows the life of a writer in a day. What does PG Van do from 5 am till 5 am?

Warning: Most boring 24 Hours ;) This is my weekday and I am only going to share my weekend plans if you are going to join me.

RR: Is that a formal invitation PG? I might just take you up on that :D Ok shoot now.

5:30AM – My alarm goes off

6:45AM – I leave home to go to work with a large mug of coffee.

6:46AM – I have MV Kasi on speed dial and for an hour I am on the phone with her discussing our writing (even before we wrote a book together).

8:00AM – This is where my role as a Corporate woman starts. I go dark for the next 9 – 10 hours.

5:30PM – Back in the car and on the phone with either Rubina Ramesh or my friends & family.

7:00PM – 9:00PM – The two hours I get to spend with family.

9:00PM – This is the time I put my child to sleep and start writing for the day. I write for an hour to two hours depending on how long I can stay up. My corporate life tries to sneak in during my writing window from time to time but I juggle things around.

11:00PM – Midnight – I hit the bed with a book or I am down in a minute and have no idea when I fell asleep.

RR: Ok now in the fire pit!. Rapid Fire ( the first word that comes to your mind)

1) Romance - Hot

2) Valentine day - Rose

3) Intolerance to romance by political parties in India - Ignore

4) Sex - Steamy

5) Taboo – I got nothing! :D

So dear Readers,

That is PG Van for you. A workaholic if I have ever met one. A mother who believes in spending quality time with her child and a powerhouse of words. And one tiny secret I know about her - she is crazy - crazy after cars and bikes.